MAM
HolidayIQ.com ropes in Orchard as creative partner
MUMBAI: Leo Burnett‘s agency Orchard Advertising has been awarded the creative mandate for holiday information portal HolidayIQ.com.
The agency will be in charge of the ATL and BTL activities for the brand.
Orchard VP and head of office Anish Daryani said, “HolidayIQ.com is a phenomenal business idea, where the power of user-generated reviews is leveraged to make holiday planning easier for the Indian traveller. This involves a massive change in human behaviour, where people need to overcome the inertia that keeps them from sharing their reviews in a public forum. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to use our proprietary HumanKind model to influence consumer behaviour, giving HolidayIQ.com a larger purpose – that of harnessing the power of user reviews to create a smarter Indian traveller.”
Orchard recently kicked off the first campaign – Goa to the Power of HolidayIQ -an anthem for the holidayer in Goa – called “hiq!it”, composed and sung by Remo Fernandes and co-written by Thomas Xavier. Additionally, there is an activation exercise through a specially designed tablet device called the “hiq!PAD”, where hoteliers can get their guests to digitally collect reviews and take it live in real time. An activation team has also been stationed across popular tourist destinations in Goa, collecting reviews through the “hiq!PAD”.
Orchard NCD and chairman Thomas Xavier said, “We want to unleash the power of guest reviews for HolidayIQ. We‘ve devised the term ‘hiq!‘ which isn‘t a mere abbreviation of HolidayIQ, but stands for ‘Holiday Inspired Quote‘. Going forward, we intend to make ‘hiq!‘ part of common parlance which means ‘a review‘. From a HumanKind perspective, a ‘hiq!‘ is a gift from one traveler to another.”
HolidayIQ.com founder and CEO Hari Nair said, “Orchard was able to envisage our brand in a larger-than-life manner, and their team has displayed tremendous passion and interest towards our cause. We feel we‘ve found the right partner in Orchard and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”
Brands
Safex Group appoints Richa Malhotra as group chief financial officer
Former Standard Chartered executive to steer finance
NEW DELHI: Safex Chemicals has appointed Richa Malhotra as group chief financial officer, strengthening its leadership team as the company prepares for the next phase of expansion in specialty chemicals and global agrochemicals.
In her new role, Malhotra will lead the group’s financial strategy, capital architecture and governance framework as Safex scales operations across multiple verticals including branded formulations, specialty chemicals and contract manufacturing.
A chartered accountant and graduate of Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, Malhotra brings more than two decades of experience in business finance, strategic planning, corporate banking and client management.
Before joining Safex, she served as executive director, financial markets at Standard Chartered, where she led teams across India and Sri Lanka and worked closely with large corporates, global subsidiaries and commercial banking clients. Her expertise includes capital structuring, treasury operations, risk management and financial markets led financing solutions.
Safex Group promoter director and joint managing director Piyush Jindal, said the appointment comes at a pivotal time for the company. “Safex stands at an inflection point as we build an integrated platform across branded formulations, specialty chemicals and contract manufacturing. Richa’s experience across global financial institutions will strengthen our financial discipline and help unlock value across the group,” he said.
Malhotra said she was looking forward to contributing to the company’s next chapter of growth. “Safex has built a strong reputation over 35 years with its focus on integrity, innovation and agricultural insight. I am excited to be part of the organisation as it expands its footprint in India and global markets,” she said.
The appointment comes as Safex continues to strengthen its financial foundations and scale operations internationally, positioning itself for future growth milestones.
