MAM
Madison Media appoints Akanksha P as deputy general manager
WPP Media and Wavemaker veteran joins to bolster performance-led digital
MUMBAI: Madison Media has hired Akanksha P as deputy general manager, adding a battle-tested digital strategist to its senior ranks as media agencies race to sharpen their performance edge.
Akanksha P arrives with more than a decade in digital planning and buying, most recently as business director at WPP Media, where she handled electronics, CPG and health-insurance portfolios while steering annual strategy and high-value deals. Her brief at Madison is clear: drive smarter spends, tighter ROI and technology-led media solutions in an increasingly fragmented ad market.
Her résumé reads like a tour of India’s top agency networks. Stints at Wavemaker, GroupM and Isobar built depth in media buying, client leadership and cross-platform strategy. At The Indian Express, she worked on branded content and IP-led solutions, giving her a publisher’s view of audience and monetisation.
Colleagues describe her as commercially sharp and negotiation-heavy, traits prized as brands scrutinise every rupee of digital outlay. Award-shortlisted innovations and big-ticket sponsorship closures have featured along the way.
Beyond boardrooms and dashboards, Akanksha is a mountaineer and motorcyclist, comfortable with risk both on the road and in strategy.
For Madison Media, the hire signals intent. For rivals, it is a reminder that in digital advertising’s arms race, talent still swings the biggest deals. And in a market where algorithms jostle with instinct, agencies are betting on leaders who can ride both.
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
