MAM
Interpublic Invests in Kiip
MUMBAI: Interpublic Group, a global advertising group holding firm, has entered into a strategic partnership with Kiip, by investing in the mobile advertising company.
On IPG‘s side, the partnership will be led the IPG Media Lab division of IPG Mediabrands, which will help introduce top-tier marketers to Kiip‘s mobile and gaming advertising platform focusing on rewards based consumer interactions.
The investment by IPG was a part of Kiip‘s most recent round of funding which took place at the end of 2012 and included additional investments from Relay Ventures, Hummer Winblad, True Ventures and Digital Garage, totaling $11 million.
Kiip‘s rewards network model includes an array of apps that connect a large community of mobile consumers to rewards for their in-app “moments of achievement” and enables brands to monetize mobile in a way that augments quality of content and engagement versus a standard interruption model.
Interpublic chairman and CEO Michael I Roth said, “IPG is committed to developing emerging technology, talent and innovation, and bringing new solutions to clients. IPG Mediabrands and the IPG Media Lab identified Kiip as a key player in the increasingly important mobile market, with a thoughtful and effective model that connects brands with the modern consumer. It‘s always exciting when we can help our clients find new pathways to consumer engagement.”
IPG Media Lab managing partner Chad Stoller said, “At the IPG Media Lab, we identify the best and most innovative companies with whom we and our clients can partner. Kiip‘s approach to engaging a brand‘s customers and rewarding them when it is most effective is particularly compelling. We look forward to being a strategic partner to Kiip and to working with them and IPG‘s clients to build real business solutions.”
Kiip CEO and co-founder Brian Wong said, “This is a major moment for Kiip. By having a partner like IPG and the innovative team at the IPG Media Lab join us, we expect to see accelerated global growth with top-tier marketers who are looking to engage with mobile consumers. Having launched just over a year ago, the traction we have made introducing a new advertising model to major brands is remarkable and the potential of rewards-based communications with a connected consumer is nearly limitless.”
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
