MAM
Lowe revamps planning services; launches strategy division
MUMBAI: In a move to ensure rigour in understanding business issues and hurdles to growth, Lowe India has revamped its planning services with the launch of a strategy division.
This division will be manned by eight brand strategists, most of whom have over 10 years experience in advertising, market research and marketing. The brand strategists will be assisted by a team of 20 other planners across the agency.
The roles of the brand strategists too have been redefined. A strategist at Lowe will go beyond formulation of brand communication game plan. Also, planners would guide the teams through line executions, where needed, rather than just mass media campaigns.
The newly-formed division will embark upon a number of knowledge projects on an ongoing basis. These projects would focus on observing changing consumer and market trends in the overall area of marketing and communication.
For example, Lowe’s just-released ‘Lowe Faces of Asia report’. This is part of an Asia Pacific regional study covering countries like China, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines, in addition to India. The study focuses on `Mrs. Urban India,’ housewives in urban areas, and builds a comprehensive picture of their values, lifestyles, media habits and product consumption behaviour.
“Our strategists will complete at least five more knowledge projects like ‘Faces’ during the current year and share the knowledge with our clients”, Lowe president and COO Pranesh Misra was quoted as saying in an official statement.
According to him, “We have always believed in creative products and will continue to do so. The strategy division will add another significant dimension to our service offering and, hopefully, build another point of differential for the agency.”
MAM
Zee Business BSE bull run 2026 energises Mumbai
Fitness meets finance as thousands run towards health and wealth
MUMBAI: Mumbai woke up to more than just a Sunday sunrise on 22 February. At the MMRDA Ground in BKC, the sixth edition of the Zee Business BSE Bull Run turned the city’s financial district into a lively track where trainers, traders and first-time runners shared the same starting line.
Organised by Zee Business in association with BSE, the annual run has carved out a niche of its own by blending physical fitness with financial awareness. This year’s edition drew enthusiastic participation across categories, including 5 km and 10 km fun runs and a competitive 10 km elite race, reflecting a growing appetite for purpose-driven fitness events.
The morning buzzed with high energy well before the first whistle. Zumba sessions and guided warm-ups got the blood pumping, while a distinctive Bhajan Clubbing segment added a devotional twist to the festivities, proving that even market metaphors can move to a beat.
A host of distinguished guests turned up to cheer participants on, including G Ram Mohan Rao, executive director at SEBI; Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company; Navneet Munot, MD and CEO of HDFC Asset Management Company; Vipul Mathur, MD and CEO of Welspun Corp; poet and television personality Shailesh Lodha; and Manoj Kumar Sharma, inspector general of police, Maharashtra, widely recognised as the inspiration behind “12th Fail”. Their presence underscored the event’s broader message of discipline, resilience and balanced ambition.
BSE MD and CEO Sundararaman Ramamurthy, described the Bull Run as a national platform uniting citizens and market participants under a shared vision of prosperity and well-being. He noted that as India’s capital markets expand their reach into millions of households, the run symbolises the idea that genuine prosperity begins when health and wealth advance together.
Zee Media Corporation Limited CEO Raktim Das, called the comeback edition, held after a six-year gap, a celebration of consistency over shortcuts. Drawing parallels with long-term investing, he said the run reflected the fundamentals of the market: commitment, resilience and the steady compounding of effort over time.
Zee Business managing editor Anil Singhvi, echoed the sentiment, saying the Bull Run serves as a reminder that the qualities that build strong portfolios also build strong individuals. Discipline, patience and a long-term view, he said, are as vital on the track as they are on the trading floor.
Over the years, the Zee Business BSE Bull Run has grown into a distinctive platform that connects citizens, corporates, investors and fitness enthusiasts through a shared commitment to well-being. With BSE’s continued association lending institutional heft, the initiative stands as a lively testament to a simple idea: that a fitter nation can also be a financially wiser one.
