MAM
HUL top advertiser; summer drinks dominate brands list in week 9: Barc
Mumbai: With ad volumes of 5022.9 (against last week’s 4557.7), FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) was the top advertiser in the ninth week of 2022 (From 26 February to 4 March), according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) data. It was followed by Reckitt Benckiser at 2360.97.
All set to ride the upcoming summer wave and the next IPL season, beverages company Coca-Cola India delivered ad volumes of 1359.02 to emerge as the third most prolific advertiser.
Procter & Gamble, Cadbury’s India, ITC, Pepsi Foods (G), GSK Group of Companies, Colgate Palmolive India, and Tata Group followed, in that order.
There were four summer beverage brands (all from The Coca-Cola Company) in the Brands list this week, as compared to three in the eighth week. The top slot, however, was taken by Harpic Power Plus 10X Max Clean with ad volumes of 432.48 (‘000s).
Delivering ad volumes of 362.9, Thums Up jumped from the sixth spot in the eighth week to the second place this time. Last week’s leader Maaza slipped to the third position at 338.63. Coca-Cola and Sprite were at number five and ten, respectively.
Sabse Pehle Life Insurance bagged the fourth slot, while Clinic Plus Shampoo, Surf Excel Easy Wash, and Meesho App clinched the sixth, seventh and eighth spots, respectively.
Isha Foundation’s ‘Mahashivaratri Sadhana’ was the new entrant in ninth place. Mahashivaratri was celebrated on 1 March this year.
Brands
Pocket FM elevates Lalit Gangwar to COO to drive global growth
Founding member to lead operations, monetisation and expansion across markets
MUMBAI: Pocket FM has elevated Lalit Gangwar to chief operating officer, tasking the founding team member with leading global business operations as the company sharpens its international growth strategy.
In his new role, Gangwar will oversee end-to-end operations across markets, including growth, monetisation and execution for the company’s audio business. The appointment comes as Pocket FM looks to strengthen its operating foundation and build a more predictable, scalable global business.
Gangwar has been closely involved in shaping the company’s trajectory from its early days. He played a key role in building the growth and marketing playbook in India, helping the platform scale to over 150 million users within its first year and establish a strong foothold in the audio storytelling category.
He later led Pocket FM’s expansion into the United States, where he set up teams, defined market strategy and drove scale, contributing significantly to the company’s international ambitions.
Pocket FM co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak said, “Lalit has been central to Pocket FM’s journey from the very beginning. He has built our growth engine and scaled our business across markets.” He added that the company’s focus on nurturing internal talent makes Gangwar a natural choice to lead the next phase.
Gangwar said, “Pocket FM has always been driven by a simple belief that powerful stories can travel across borders and create meaningful impact.” He noted that the company will continue to focus on scaling markets, investing in AI-led storytelling and strengthening monetisation.
As COO, Gangwar is expected to bring greater operating discipline while building systems, talent and processes to support long-term growth.
With leadership continuity and a clear global focus, Pocket FM appears to be turning the page to its next chapter, one that aims to take its storytelling playbook well beyond home turf.
