MAM
MAA Bozell scores a hatrick with three account wins
MUMBAI: MAA Communications Bozell, Cochin has bagged both the creative and media duties for three accounts. These include Coconut Development Board, a commodity board promoting coconut cultivation, usage and consumption, Anzera Properties, a real estate developers currently launching three brands (apartments, villas, commercial complex) in Cochin and Ortho-Care Products, a part of Parathuvayalil Group which deals in ayurvedic treatment, manufacturing and marketing of Ayurvedic OTC products and orthopaedic appliances.
An official release issued by the agency states that the size of the advertising spends by the Coconut Development Board is estimated to be in the region of Rs.50-60 million while the size for both the other accounts are estimated to be Rs.10 million each.
“It was distinctive strategy and creative solutions proposed to the client that helped us win these accounts” says MAA Communications Bozell director Ravindranath.
The Coconut Development Board called for the pitch in December 2006 with the brief on how to increase the usage and consumption of coconut and coconut value added products. As per the information 14 agencies were vying for the account and finally five agencies were empanelled. The empanelled agencies included Stark Communications, Magnum, Madras Advertising and Jelitta Publicity apart from MAA Communications Bozell. MAA Communications Bozell, FCB Ulka & Madras Advertising were the incumbent agencies handling the account.
Head – Kerala Operations Jacob Thomas said, “The performance review of all the agencies in the panel was instrumental in getting us this account.”
Both Anzera Properties and Ortho-Care (P) Ltd. were looking for a marketing communication specialist who could offer 360 degree communications solutions. The brief given to the agency was to create rapid awareness and position its various brands for Anzera Properties and to launch and create a brand pull for the elastic abdomenal binder for the client Ortho-Care.
Regarding the media mix, Ravindranath said, “A decision is still to be taken on the media mix but we are in the process of finalizing the same for Anzera properties and Ortho-Care (P) Ltd., while we will be providing a media neutral solutions to the Coconut Development Board.”
Brands
Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
