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Effie Asia Pacific names Cheryl Goh and Dheeraj Sinha jury heads
Grab and McCann leaders to steer Apac’s top marketing awards in 2026
SINGAPORE: The spotlight at the 2026 Effie Asia Pacific Awards will shine not just on the region’s most effective campaigns, but also on two of its most seasoned marketing leaders. Effie Asia Pacific has appointed Cheryl Goh of Grab and Dheeraj Sinha of McCann India as its first pair of heads of jury, tasking them with leading the charge in judging the year’s most impactful work.
Grab Group head of marketing, sustainability, loyalty and support Cheryl Goh, has been part of the ride-hailing giant’s journey since its early days. As a founding team member, she has helped shape Grab into one of Southeast Asia’s most recognised technology brands. Today, she oversees marketing across the company’s ecosystem, spanning product, communications and growth, while also steering sustainability initiatives and customer experience operations.
Unusually for a global marketing chief, Goh also carries direct commercial responsibility, overseeing the full profit and loss of Grab’s loyalty programmes. It is a rare blend of brand-building finesse and operational rigour. A long-time advocate of marketing effectiveness, she is no stranger to the Effie jury room.
“I am deeply honoured to be appointed as a Head of Jury,” Goh said. “The Effies represent creativity that delivers real impact. In a world shaped by AI, platforms and constantly evolving customer journeys, the balance between imagination and measurable results has never mattered more.”
Joining her is, McCann India chief executive officer and one of the most prominent voices in Indian consumer culture Dheeraj Sinha. Over the years, he has worked with brands including PepsiCo, Uber, Spotify, Amazon, KFC and Mahindra, translating sharp cultural insight into sustained business growth.
Beyond the boardroom, Sinha is an author, podcast host and current president of the Advertising Club of India. A regular speaker at Cannes Lions and frequent juror at global competitions, he brings both creative instinct and strategic discipline to the role.
“The Effies are the gold standard for effectiveness,” Sinha said. “We are at a moment where creativity, data and technology are converging to unlock new dimensions of growth. I look forward to celebrating ideas that inspire and prove the commercial power of creativity.”
The Apac Effie Awards pride themselves on recognising work that works. Their rigorous judging process has earned them a reputation as the global benchmark for marketing effectiveness.
With the final entry deadline set for 9 March, the clock is ticking for brands hoping to impress this year’s jury. Under the guidance of Goh and Sinha, only ideas that marry imagination with impact are likely to take home the silverware.
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Safal launches coconut water campaign with Tara Sutaria
Month-long push promotes 100 per cent tender coconut water, no added sugar.
MUMBAI: When life gets heated, Safal wants you to keep your cool, the coconut way. Safal, the horticulture arm of Mother Dairy, has rolled out a new campaign for its packaged Coconut Water, featuring Tara Sutaria, as it sharpens its pitch in the fast-growing ready-to-drink segment. The campaign, anchored in the idea of #TheSafalWayToRecharge, positions the product as a quick, natural and convenient hydration option for multiple everyday moments.
Conceptualised by Ogilvy, the month-long campaign is led by a digital video commercial (DVC) and is being amplified across Safal’s digital platforms to drive visibility and engagement. The communication shifts coconut water from a situational drink to an all-day companion spanning everything from post-workout recovery to on-the-go refreshment.
The film opens on a familiar note: fatigue after a shopping spree. Tara Sutaria’s character pauses for a break before being handed a pack of Safal Coconut Water, setting up a simple but effective narrative around instant, natural recharge. The moment pivots from exhaustion to energy, underlining the brand’s promise of effortless refreshment.
The campaign builds on changing consumer preferences, where convenience meets a growing demand for better-for-you beverages. Safal’s offering taps into this shift with 100 per cent tender coconut water, no added sugar, and sourcing from Tamil Nadu aimed at delivering consistency in taste and quality.
Having introduced packaged coconut water in 2025, Safal is now doubling down on positioning moving beyond functional hydration to embed itself in daily lifestyle routines. The messaging is clear, recharge does not need to be complicated, it just needs to be natural and within reach.
With this campaign, Safal is not just selling a drink, it is staking a claim in the evolving refreshment narrative, one sip, one moment at a time.
