MAM
Emotive resonance – The SBS approach
MUMBAI: Making the relevant emotional connection with your audience is what Ink Project Australia’s Ken Lambert addressed at the session. Taking the SBS brand as a classic case, Lambert chalked out the entire process that the agency walked through.
The SBS brand is a multicultural channel which showcases the world. The relevant connect was a task in itself for the channel as it was catering to an intelligent audience, stated Lambert.
Prior to the whole re-positioning of SBS, the channel had an image of being above the audience – compartmentalised, arrogant, dark niche, overlooked, stereotyped, confronting.
The problem was appointment viewing which was the Australian identity.
When Lambert pitched to SBS, the creative strategies stressed on making the brand’s weakness its strength and addressed the problems with head on honesty.
“SBS is about showing diversity through contrast, so the search was for a distinguishing voice,” he said.
Through a survey that was conducted, it came to light that while people were happy with the content of SBS, the presentation was an aspect that SBS needed to spruce up.
Different elements were used to make SBS a younger brand without losing its touch of being intelligent and an alternative for mainline mass media.
The packaging elements were deep layered with visual, emotional and common truths. Real people were used for the promos and diverse cultures were also brought in to establish the channel’s diversity.
The channel packaging, though, has clarity and consistency.
Coming to channel indents, liquids and figures were used to demonstrate and reiterate the brand.
Liquid indents exhibited pure creation exhibiting fluidness to stimulate thought for the viewing public, while the figures explored boundaries by multicultural design elements.
The completion of the entire repositioning process made the SBS brand look exquisite and maintain a high level of artistic standard.
Ink Project thereafter, synthesized all its thoughts into a book to capture the whole process.
Brands
Emami names Dhruv Aggarwal as chief growth officer
Former Bain partner steps in as FMCG firm sharpens growth playbook
MUMBAI: Emami Limited has appointed Dhruv Aggarwal as its chief growth officer, effective 25 March 2026, following the resignation of Giriraj Bagri.
Aggarwal joins the FMCG major from Bain & Company, where he most recently served as partner. With over two decades of experience across consulting and strategy, he brings a global perspective shaped by work across India, the US, the UK and Germany.
During his tenure at Bain, Aggarwal advised consumer, retail and media companies on large-scale transformations, business turnarounds and growth strategies. He was also closely involved with India’s startup ecosystem, guiding early-stage ventures on scaling and digital expansion, while supporting private equity and venture capital firms on investment decisions.
His earlier stints include a brief role at Barclays Capital and operational experience at Jindal Power, giving him a mix of financial and industry exposure.
Academically, Aggarwal holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and has also been associated with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a PhD candidate and teaching assistant.
The appointment comes at a time when Emami Limited is looking to sharpen its growth strategy in a competitive consumer market. With a seasoned strategist now at the helm of growth, the company appears set to double down on transformation and expansion in the months ahead.
