AD Agencies
Goafest 2024 welcomes 50 Plus partners for the 17th edition
Mumbai: South Asia’s premier advertising and marketing festival, Goafest 2024 now unveils supporting partners for its 17th edition. Scheduled to take place from May 29 to 31, 2024 at The Westin Mumbai, Powai Lake, Goafest continues to drive interest for curated integrations and engagement from an array of brands. Supporting Goafest 2024 as the ‘Co-presenting’ partner is Snapchat along with WhatsApp as the ‘Technology Partner’, and Hindustan Times as the ‘Digital Partner’.
Given the festival’s popularity and scale, 50 brands and platforms have partnered with Goafest 2024 for various integrations. From welcoming brands including Tata Motors, Mondelez, ITC Foods, Britannia, Guinness World Records, NoBroker, and MakeMyTrip, to platforms like ShareChat, Sony Liv, Flipkart Ads, Amazon Ads, Spotify, MiQ, The Trade Desk and Whisper Media, Goafest 2024 continues to cement its position as the most sought-after creative festival in South Asia.
Additionally, broadcasters, publishers and content studios including ABP News, Amar Ujala, Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Jagran, Dangal TV, Disney Star, Eenadu, Femina, Flowers TV, Goldmines Telefilms, Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, News18 Network, Radio City, Rajasthan Patrika, Sakal Media, Sakshi, Sri Adhikari Bros, Sun TV, The Hindu Group, TV9, Viacom18, Vijayavani and Zee Media have also partnered with Goafest 2024 in different calibres. PepsiCo, Kingfisher, and Pernod Ricard continue their long-standing association with Goafest as Beverage Partners.
Speaking on these partnerships and engagements, Prasanth Kumar, President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and CEO of GroupM, South Asia said, “We are delighted to have Snapchat as our Co-presenting Partner, WhatsApp as our Technology Partner and Hindustan Times as our Digital Partner, for Goafest this year. As South Asia’s largest creative fest, Goafest’s incredible significance continues to attract brands and advertisers, presenting them with an opportunity to deepen their engagement with the industry at large. On behalf of the organizing team, we welcome and are very thankful to all our partners and look forward to forging successful long-term associations that celebrate creativity, foster knowledge and thrive with adaptability.”
Drawing over 2000 industry professionals each year, Goafest 2024 is co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC). Goafest has cemented its position as the definitive festival for the advertising and marketing industry over the last decade.
For more details on delegate registration, partnership opportunities, masterclasses, talent initiative ‘Advertising Rocks’ and more, visit goafest.com
AD Agencies
Microsoft shifts global media account from Dentsu to Publicis Groupe: Reports
Closed review ends decade-long tie-up; Xbox remit may remain with Dentsu
MUMBAI: Microsoft has reassigned its global media planning and buying business to Publicis Groupe, according to media reports, ending Dentsu’s long-standing stewardship of one of the advertising industry’s biggest accounts.
The move follows a closed review and marks a notable shake-up in the global media landscape. Dentsu, which managed the account through Carat, had held the mandate since 2014 and successfully defended it in a 2018 review.
While the broader business is shifting, Dentsu is expected to retain media responsibilities for Xbox, according to media reports, though the exact contours of that arrangement remain unclear. None of the parties involved have publicly outlined the transition timeline or the full structure of the handover.
The scale of the account underscores the significance of the change. Estimates from COMvergence, cited by Ad Age, peg Microsoft’s global media spend at roughly $700 million last year.
For Publicis Groupe, the win deepens an already expanding relationship with the tech giant. Earlier this year, Microsoft Advertising partnered with Publicis Media Exchange and Epsilon to integrate Epsilon’s data into its platform, aiming to sharpen targeting across search, native and display formats.
The decision reflects a broader industry shift, as large advertisers increasingly favour agency partners with strong first-party data capabilities, AI integration and platform-led solutions. Publicis Groupe has been leaning into this model, positioning its data assets and technology stack as a central differentiator.
For Dentsu, the loss is significant. Media remains a core pillar of its global business, and the development comes close on the heels of leadership changes, including the appointment of Takeshi Sano as global chief executive officer.
The shift also carries a touch of irony. Microsoft and Dentsu have worked closely beyond the client-agency relationship, including collaborations around AI tools such as Copilot to support media and creative workflows.
As the dust settles, the message is clear: in today’s data-driven, AI-powered media world, relationships may be long, but they are rarely permanent.
