MAM
Group M, Tagit enter into strategic alliance
MUMBAI: Following the recent announcement on mobile solutions company Tagit’s launch of its imaging technology exclusively with Nokia camera-phones in the Indian market, comes the agreement between Group M and Tagit to form a strategic alliance.
The alliance will provide Tagit a foothold in the exploding Indian market, where advertising revenues are growing at over 20 per cent per annum. For Group M, it signals a commitment to introduce Tagit’s interactive platform for direct marketing on mobile phones to brands in India.
With innovative mobile technologies becoming the focal point for creative concepts as part of integrated marketing solution for brands, Group M and Tagit aim to tap into the potential mobile marketing offers.
Tagit’s unique technology enables mobile phone users to interact with brands in any media channel. By simply “tagging” a brand’s advertisement with digitized 2D bar codes in newspapers, TV or billboards, Tagit will enable anyone to pull any content onto a multi-media phone, states an official release.
Ashutosh Srivastava, CEO of Group M South Asia, said, “This strategic alliance adds an exciting dimension to our group agencies’ ability to offer their clients innovative mobile solutions. This will greatly enhance the effectiveness of direct marketing to consumer brands, especially the ones focused on the youth market.”
Said Shankar Narayanan, founder and president of Singapore-headquartered Tagit, “The mobile phone has evolved into a dynamic infotainment machine in the hands of consumers and Tagit’s proprietary technology is the perfect answer for today’s highly demanding consumers who expect instant gratification anytime, anywhere.”
Whilst Tagit’s primary role is to provide technology implementation and technical support, GroupM’s agencies will actively promote the concept to brand owners to adopt mobile marketing as part of their integrated marketing campaign.
The first such brand campaign using Tagit is slated to be launched soon. A multi-pronged strategy involving leading names in mobile service and media will herald the kick-start of this exciting new technology, the two companies have said.
Brands
Adidas elevates Sartaj Kadian to director of digital marketing
Performance marketing lead steps up to drive AI-led, full-funnel growth across MENA and CIS
DUBAI: Adidas has promoted Sartaj Kadian to director digital marketing, tightening its grip on performance-led growth as brands double down on data, AI and cross-channel precision in a fiercely competitive retail landscape.
Kadian, who has spent over five years with the sportswear giant, most recently led performance marketing across MENA and CIS, steering media strategy and innovation to deliver both brand lift and commercial impact. In his new role, he will take charge of end-to-end digital marketing, with a sharper focus on integrating brand storytelling with measurable, full-funnel outcomes.
A digital marketing leader with over a decade of experience across global markets, Kadian has built and scaled high-performing teams, managed multi-million euro budgets and consistently delivered double-digit growth anchored in ROI. His playbook blends marketing mix modelling, AI-led optimisation and deep analytics to align marketing spends with business priorities.
Before adidas, Kadian led digital marketing, CRM and analytics at Landmark Group, where he drove omni-channel strategies spanning customer acquisition, engagement and retention across retail and e-commerce funnels. Earlier stints at McKinsey & Company and Mu Sigma saw him specialise in analytics-led marketing, predictive modelling and demand forecasting for large-scale clients.
His elevation comes as Adidas sharpens its digital muscle in key growth markets, where consumer journeys are increasingly fragmented and performance accountability is non-negotiable. The mandate is clear: fuse creativity with data, and turn every consumer interaction into measurable value.
In a market where clicks must convert and brand love must sell, Kadian now sits at the nerve centre of adidas’s digital ambition—where strategy meets scale, and data decides the winners.
