MAM
Focus creates launch campaign for Dalmia Cement with Mary Kom as brand ambassador
MUMBAI: Focus has been recently awarded with the creative duties of the cement major ‘Dalmia Cement‘ for the entire North-East region.
The mandate involves the entire integrated brand and communication strategy which includes ATL and BTL initiatives. The agency has begun work on the project and launched its first campaign for the brand recently. The brand has also brought on board Olympic bronze medallist boxer Mary Kom as brand ambassador.
Focus Circle (creative arm of Focus) national creative director Rahool Talukdar said, “This association has given us the opportunity to not only work for a heavy weight cement brand like Dalmia but also associate with the iconic Mary Kom. Sometimes brand ambassadors seem force fit for brands, that wasn‘t the case here. She had the perfect brand fit for Dalmia in North East that stood for attributes like Performance, Victory and Commitment. As communication strategists, the challenge now remains in making Dalmia a ‘prominent brand‘ in the region. And our initiatives planned for Dalmia in the coming phase will prove to be efficient in penetrating the same; enhancing its national presence furthermore.”
Dalmia Bharat Cement senior executive director group marketing and corporate communication B K Singh said, “Given our reputation as a leading player in the cement industry with a very strong brand of Dalmia, the challenge was to combine the experience of 70 years and the experience of the local team. The team felt we needed a strong brand ambassador to connect with the people of the region. So, choosing Mary Kom was very critical to establish the connection. In Focus we found a team with rare combination of rich experience in the region and knowledge of the industry. This helped us to leverage the strength of both team and come up with a robust and innovative marketing campaign.”
Dalmia has recently taken over North East based Adhunik cement and Calcom cement (76 per cent stake) and the group stands as one of the top five largest cement manufacturer in the country. Being the incumbent communication partner of Calcom, Focus has been considered as the preferred agency (with its Kolkata branch operations) for Dalmia Cement in the region.
The agency has demonstrated its expertise and deep understanding of the North Eastern markets through its past projects, with established leading brands.
MAM
One Hand Clap acquires Agenseed to enter distribution space
Creative agency expands into full-stack services with strategic buyout.
MUMBAI: One Hand Clap has decided to stop just clapping for great ideas now it wants to make sure they actually travel. The leading new-age creative agency and production house has acquired Agenseed, a seeding and distribution firm, marking its formal entry into the distribution segment. The move is aimed at expanding its role across the entire marketing value chain and unlocking new growth opportunities.
One Hand Clap expects the new distribution vertical to contribute up to 15 per cent of its overall revenues over the next 12–18 months, signalling a clear strategic shift beyond pure creative services.
Agenseed, founded by Monish Hardasani and Akram Malik, will function as the agency’s dedicated distribution arm. This acquisition strengthens One Hand Clap’s position as it aims to become a full-stack creative and distribution company in India’s rapidly growing digital advertising market.
With over 90 million posts shared daily on Instagram and brands allocating 25–35 per cent of their digital budgets to distribution and creator-led reach, amplification has become critical to campaign success. By integrating distribution early into the creative process, the agency hopes to help campaigns gain stronger cultural traction and momentum.
One Hand Clap founder Aakash Shah said, “The future of advertising is not just about executing great ideas, but about placing them intelligently. By owning both storytelling and distribution, we can drive greater impact for brands while opening up new revenue streams.”
Agenseed co-founder Monish Hardasani added, “The future belongs to ideas designed to travel. This partnership allows us to integrate distribution thinking at the source.”
Founded in 2019 by former AIB leaders Aakash Shah and Naveed Manakkodan, One Hand Clap has worked with major brands including Swiggy, Google, Netflix India, Crocs, Duolingo, CRED, Bumble, BGMI and Chetak. The agency also secured investment from Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath last year.
In an increasingly fragmented attention economy, this acquisition reflects a broader industry shift where agencies are building end-to-end capabilities to stay competitive. One Hand Clap is clearly clapping louder and ensuring its ideas now reach much further.
