MAM
Goafest ABBY 2016 entries up by 25 per cent
MUMBAI: Goafest Abbys, the highly coveted advertising awards that recognize the best in advertising and marketing has witnessed growth in entries for its 2016 edition. The awards that is held over a 3 day celebratory event in Goa, has witnessed a 25 per cent increase in entries over last year, reiterating the increasing popularity and repute of the awards where the entire fraternity comes together to celebrate success.
The Abbys also had many firsts this year such as the introduction of new categories i.e. 26: Special Abby (Gender Sensitive) and Category 27: Young Abby. TV films that are based on gender sensitivity can be entered in the Special Abby. Young Abby is the response to a long felt need of the industry to reward young creative below the age of 30 who respond to a brief. Two winning Young Creatives will be flown to Cannes as part of Goafest’s Abby’s commitment to the young. Adding further depth to the awards and broad-basing the participation opportunity was the addition of new sub – categories in the Design vertical as well.
Presented by the Advertising Club Bombay and AAAI, the Goafest Abbys 2016 will once again see the entire advertising and marketing community join the celebrations in Goa from 7 April 2016 to 9 April 2016 at The Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, North Goa.
Brands
Metro Brands appoints Harshvardhan Chauhan as CMO & SMP
Retail veteran to steer brand strategy and accelerate growth
MUMBAI: Metro Brands has appointed Harshvardhan Chauhan as its chief marketing officer and senior management personnel, effective 23 February 2026.
The move brings nearly two decades of marketing muscle into the company’s leadership ranks. With over 18 years of experience across retail, fashion, lifestyle, grocery, home and e-commerce, Chauhan arrives with a well-rounded understanding of how brands capture attention and convert it into loyalty.
His professional journey includes stints at Bharat YEF, Trident Group, RPSG, DLF Shopping Malls, ShopClues, Godrej Group, Reckitt Benckiser and Accenture, where he worked across brand building, strategic growth and business leadership.
Chauhan holds a master’s degree in business administration with a specialisation in strategy and business management from Symbiosis, Pune. He has also completed the accelerated general management programme at IIM Ahmedabad, combining academic rigour with hands-on commercial experience.
In his new full-time role, he will report to chief executive officer Nissan Joseph and work closely with the leadership team to shape the next phase of brand expansion.
For Metro Brands, the appointment signals a sharpened focus on storytelling, scale and staying one step ahead in a competitive retail landscape.
