MAM
GroupM China launches mLab
MUMBAI: GroupM China launched digital experience centre mLab which will provide media agencies and clients augmented online-offline digital support.
The goal of mLab is to create an interactive setting that enables GroupM agencies and clients to understand and apply the latest digital technology, as well as to foster a more creative and entrepreneurial mindset.
mLab provides services like tech learning and experience, digital trend watching and innovative solution incubation.
In the sphere of tech learning and experience, the outfit has come up with a concept called ‘Digital Fridays‘ where every Friday mLab features digital training sessions that cover the latest trends in creative and interactive digital marketing, including technology development directions and real-time encounters to ensure participants from GroupM agencies and client brands understand both the technology and how it can be applied in marketing solutions.
mLab also conducts analysis on the latest tech trends and new media marketing development directions, and participates in domestic and global tech conferences and exhibitions with the aim to share the latest trends as they unfold with the group and clients. It also creates proprietary products and solutions based on new technology.
In 2013, mLab will begin incubating technologies that apply to client business and evolve them into GroupM proprietary products and solutions that drive GroupM leadership in digital marketing and innovation.
GroupM Interaction president Tony Chen said, “GroupM Interaction has always been at the forefront in adapting the latest technologies to meet client needs. MLab and the GroupM Interaction App will ‘digitalize‘ and ‘mobilize‘ GroupM and its clients, helping to close the gap between technology and application, and pushing the frontiers of digital in China.”
GroupM China CEO Bessie Lee said, “The ‘wave‘ of digital media is entirely transforming traditional media and marketing. As China‘s largest media investment company, GroupM China is constantly learning, experimenting, and moving in new directions. This initiative forms just a small part of our larger strategy to digitalize our offerings. GroupM China is focusing its talent, structure, and investment strategy to ensure continued leadership in the digital era.”
In addition to the launch of mLab, the beta version of the GroupM Interaction App was also launched. It is a self-developed mobile application running on iOS and Android platforms that delivers content and functionality to GroupM and its clients in key areas, including domestic and international industry news, digital reports, video case studies, a work-related database, Q&A, voting, and a calendar. The app will be powered by an expert team providing regular updates on the most pertinent information in the field, giving GroupM and its clients anytime/anywhere access to the latest news and marketing information in real-time.
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
