AD Agencies
McCann Worldgroup appoints marketing veteran
MUMBAI: Snehsikt Anand has been appointed business head at McCann Worldgroup, marking a return to agency life after a year of freelance consultancy. The seasoned marketing professional brings over 18 years of through-the-line marketing experience to one of advertising’s most established networks.
Anand joins McCann after working as an independent marketing consultant, where he provided brand and communication advice to emerging agencies and production houses. Before his freelance period, he served as business head for west and HUL (rural) at Dentsu, where he managed Hindustan Unilever’s house-to-house business across India.
At Dentsu, Anand’s client relationship skills helped create opportunities for business growth through territory expansion and cross-selling initiatives. Prior to joining Dentsu, Anand co-founded BrandBall, where as head of strategy he increased annual turnover fourfold and expanded the client roster tenfold over four years.
His experience includes positions at several prominent agencies including L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy, Triton Communications, and Civilisation Communications. He also gained client-side experience as assistant manager-marketing at ICICI Prudential AMC Ltd.
At McCann, Anand will likely apply his RoI-driven approach to marketing communications, leveraging his expertise in advertising, integrated marketing and team management as he takes on this new leadership role.
AD Agencies
Publicis Groupe to acquire 160over90 from WME Group
Deal aims to build data-led platform linking brands, fans and culture at scale
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire 160over90 from WME Group, in a move that signals a major push into the fast-growing world of sports and culture-led marketing.
The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, will see Publicis combine its existing Publicis Sports capabilities with 160over90’s global footprint to create what it calls a unified, end-to-end platform connecting brands with audiences through sport, entertainment and culture.
Founded as a division of WME Group, 160over90 has built a reputation for delivering high-impact campaigns across some of the world’s biggest sporting moments, including the Super Bowl, Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. With over 670 employees across the US, UK, EMEA and Apac, the agency works with global brands to create experiences that resonate both on and off the field.
The acquisition reflects a broader shift in marketing, where sport has become a central pillar of premium media. With the global sports media market estimated at $150 billion and sponsorships crossing $90 billion, brands are increasingly looking for more integrated ways to engage audiences.
Publicis is betting that a data-led approach will be the differentiator. By integrating 160over90 with its own capabilities, including the Epsilon identity ecosystem and Influential network, the company aims to offer marketers a seamless way to plan, activate and measure campaigns across media, sponsorships, live events and creator partnerships.
Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “After building our industry-leading position in identity resolution, commerce, and creators, our next big bet is sport. In the age of AI, it has become one of the most high-value channels for clients.”
He added that combining 160over90’s expertise with Publicis’ data and technology stack would help “connect brands to fans in ways that are both meaningful and measurable”.
Echoing the sentiment, Publicis Connected Media CEO Dave Penski said, “Sport has become the most powerful intersection of culture, commerce and community,” highlighting the growing need to treat sports marketing as a measurable channel rather than just brand-building.
As part of the deal, Publicis will also enter into a strategic partnership with WME Group, enabling closer collaboration on talent, content and brand partnerships. WME Group president Mark Shapiro said the tie-up would open up new opportunities for talent and brands to scale their ambitions globally.
Post acquisition, the combined Publicis Sports entity will report to Suzy Deering, while Robbie Henchman will remain with WME Group to oversee the ongoing partnership.
The move builds on Publicis’ recent investments in the space, including acquisitions of Adopt and Bespoke in 2025 and a partnership with Magic Johnson Enterprises, underscoring its intent to dominate the intersection of sport, culture and commerce.
As brands chase both attention and accountability, Publicis’ latest play suggests the future of sports marketing may be less about moments alone and more about measurable impact at scale.
