MAM
GroupM launches Finecast in India, brings ‘addressable TV advertising’ to Indian advertisers
Mumbai: GroupM, the media investment group of WPP on Tuesday announced the launch of Finecast in India, a ‘first-to-market addressable TV service.’ It would enable advertisers to target households with relevant TV ads across multiple TV channels, pay-TV platforms and set-top boxes, a range of video on demand (VOD) services, over-the-top (OTT) providers, and game consoles.
The evolving consumption habits of the audience have given rise to complexities in planning and reaching audiences on TV. Finecast attempts to solve this challenge by providing a single point of access to the whole addressable TV ecosystem, managing distribution and frequency holistically across broadcasters and screens to deliver relevant ads wherever they are viewing content, said the company in a statement.
“Our key partnerships with best-in-class data providers facilitate intelligent segmentation of audiences by socioeconomics, life-stage and financial behaviours providing highly precise TV audience profiles. This enables Finecast to show different ads to different households who are watching the same TV program, thereby making their advertising more effective and driving cost efficiencies,” it further said.
“As the largest media advertising company in the world, GroupM is able to create the scale of partnerships required to find relevant audiences in the fragmented TV landscape,” stated GroupM South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar. “With finecast, we have partnered the top content providers, broadcasters, platforms and data providers in India to build this market that will inevitably add more value to GroupM’s clients in India.”
Finecast’s model includes partnerships across leading broadcasters who develop high-quality premium and brand-safe content, as well as distribution platforms with further partnerships to be announced later this year.
“There is no better time to watch TV, as the ad experience is ore in line with audience content and behaviour preferences,” remarked GroupM president data, performance & digital products Atique Kazi. “We know TV still reigns supreme in India people are just changing the way they consume content. Finecast gives GroupM’s clients a holistic view of, and access to, their audience, regardless of where they are watching.”
MAM
Ameya Velankar steps down as Uber’s head of marketing for India & South Asia
Veteran marketer exits after more than seven years with the ride-hailing giant.
MUMBAI: After more than seven years of steering Uber through the bumpy roads of India’s mobility market, Ameya Velankar has decided to change lanes. Ameya Velankar has stepped down as Head of Marketing for India and South Asia, marking the end of a significant chapter at the ride-hailing company. He had been with Uber since 2019, taking on multiple roles in product and category marketing before rising to lead the marketing function for the region in 2021.
During his tenure, Velankar played a key role in strengthening Uber’s positioning in one of its most competitive and dynamic markets. He helped drive localised marketing strategies and scale adoption across key offerings such as Auto, Moto, Rentals and Intercity, tailoring global platforms to Indian consumer needs.
Prior to joining Uber, Velankar built his marketing expertise at leading consumer companies including SC Johnson and Marico, where he handled category and product leadership roles. His career began at RPG Enterprises.
Details of his next professional move have not been disclosed.
In a fast-evolving mobility landscape where brands constantly battle for attention, Ameya Velankar helped Uber stay relevant and resonant with millions of Indian users. As he moves on from the driver’s seat of marketing, the company will now look for fresh ideas to keep its wheels turning smoothly.
