MAM
LinTeractive appoints Parag Shahane as unit creative director
Mumbai: LinTeractive, the digital arm of the Mullen Lowe Lintas Group India, has announced the appointment of Shahane Shahane as unit creative director. Shahane has joined the team effective October 2015 and will report to Group CMO | group marketing services, president, Vikas Mehta.
At LinTeractive, Shahane’s remit would be to provide creative answers to clients who are seeking cutting-edge digital solutions for their brands. He would oversee creative strategy and design for brands.
LinTeractive has been witnessing promising growth in recent months with a host of clients making a beeline to lap up digital solutions being offered by the firm. With more than 25 clients in its fold including heavyweights like Woodland, Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, Godrej, Karvy, Dabur etc LinTeractive is looked upon as a preferred agency for brands that’re looking for fresh and innovative online & offline ideas to achieve their stated objective.
Welcoming Shahane onboard the team, Vikas Mehta said, “Since its reboot last year, LinTeractive has seen growth on all fronts – business, brands and clients. To sustain this momentum, it’s imperative for us to keep adding more fire-power to our digital ambitions. We’re thrilled to welcome Shahane on board. His upbringing in Lintas, coupled with his more recent successes in other digital companies will come in handy towards fulfilling our objective of mainlining digital.”
A former Lowe Lintas hand, Shahane joins LinTeractive from Pinstorm where he held the post of VP – Creative. Prior to Pinstorm, Shahane has played senior roles in agencies like Y&R, Mudra, JWT Colombo and FCB Ulka.
Commenting on his appointment, Shahane said, “Lowe Lintas is not just an advertising agency, it is looked upon as an institute of communication in this country. As a proud product of this institute, I am honoured to be a part of LinTeractive. Of late, digital has been adding new dimensions and has been at the forefront of creating new eco-systems for brands. Building great brands and creating more meaningful conversations around the brand, through new-age media and technology will be our mantra. In the constantly changing dynamic world of digital, the focus will be on smartly dividing challenge and opportunity to create magic around brands.”
In his entire career span, Shahane has been instrumental in providing creative throughput and strategy to more than 50 brands across the sectors of FMCG, Automobiles, Media, Hotels & hospitality, Banking & Insurance, Fashion, Entertainment, Pharmaceutical etc.
Shahane’s immense talent has resulted in him bagging a host of creative & effectiveness awards, both in India and overseas.
When he is not working, Shahane spends his time pursuing other passions that span adventure sports, photography, being a jury member, sushi chef, playing chess, farming, teaching, etc. He also loves travelling, is an avid music lover, and is also the proud father to adorable twin girls.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
