MAM
Media agencies go ‘deewana’ with Max
MUMBAI: Is busy schedules, hectic targets and meetings all you can picture while imagining a media agency? Well! At least for a change, you can shed that image as the agencies are gearing up for Sony Max’s No Talkies.
The media agencies that are busy brushing up on their knowledge of movies and not brands for the dumb charades are now also discovering a bit of deewangi in one another.
As reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, the game which is spread over three rounds will be held in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The registrations for the competition began 3 September and continued for two weeks on the microsite http://notalkies.sonymax.tv/.
The list of agencies who have already registered for the fun-zone are Madison, Group M, Maxus, Starcom, Lodestar, MPG, Zenith Optimedia and OMD.
Excited, Platinum Media (Madison media) CEO Basab Dutta Chowdhry exults: “I think it’s a great initiative taken by Max. It sounds great and fun for agencies. Generally people are so busy and caught up with work and life; this is a new niche initiative where everybody can participate. There are very few initiatives like these- ‘Max-No Talkies’ which gives a chance to everyone to participate.”
The agencies are all kicked about this competition, which is more of nostalgia for a lot of them. To top it all, they see it as a good opportunity to meet and interact with new people. Vivaki Exchange CEO Mona Jain agreeing on this says: “No Talkies is a good and interesting initiative. It’s a first time initiative, unlike the regular parties. It also goes back to the DNA of the channel. The industry was very small earlier and people knew each other well, but the scenario is different now, the industry has expanded, so it will be a good opportunity to meet and interact with new people.”
“It is not going to be a typical game of dumb charades,” says Sony Max VP marketing Vaishali Sharma. She further goes on to say that the channel is bringing loads of innovations to ensure engagement and an exciting evening for those who are participating. The finale will have a Bollywood theme with different rounds, all with a twist. To amplify all the fun and frolic, the finale will be hosted by the witty and charismatic VJ, actor and presenter Gaurav Kapoor.
Lintas Media Group vice-president Ramachandran Venkatasubramanian states: “The initiative is very interesting and this kind of activity has never been done before. No Talkies is supposed to be an interactive game and I am waiting for it. Normally bonding with people happens differently, with a game like dumb charades the bonding will happen uniquely. The game itself is very engaging and people interact with each other through it, also dumb charades is all about movies and it gets back to the genre of Max.”
The city rounds of the activity will take place in Delhi on 18 September, followed by Bengaluru on 19 September and will close with Mumbai on 25 September. A total of five shortlisted teams – two from Delhi, one from Bengaluru and two from Mumbai will battle it out in the finale scheduled in Mumbai on 1 October at Blue Frog.
So for agencies, it’s ready, steady, Po!
Brands
Hiili names Sanjay Hemady as country manager India
Media veteran to drive digital decarbonisation push
MUMBAI: Climate tech firm Hiili has announced its entry into India, appointing industry veteran Sanjay Hemady as India country manager to steer its growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital markets.
Hemady, a familiar name across India’s media and consulting circles, will lead Hiili’s India operations from Mumbai. His mandate is clear: help Indian companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon emissions generated by their digital services.
Hiili offers a scientifically validated platform, certified by the UC3M-Santander Big Data Institute, that enables businesses to improve the efficiency of their digital infrastructure while cutting emissions. As organisations race to meet ESG targets, the company positions itself as a practical bridge between climate pledges and measurable action.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as country manager, India at Hiili,” Hemady said in a LinkedIn post, adding that the company aims to move beyond broad sustainability promises towards precise, science-based decarbonisation.
Hemady brings more than three decades of experience spanning print, television, radio and digital media. He has previously served as chief executive officer at HIT 95 FM, assistant general manager at CNBC TV18, and held leadership roles at MTV India and The Indian Express, among others. Most recently, he worked as an independent business consultant advising firms across media and technology.
With India’s digital economy expanding at pace, the environmental cost of data, streaming and online services is climbing quietly in the background. Hiili’s bet is that carbon efficiency will soon sit alongside cost efficiency in boardroom conversations.
For Hemady, the move marks a shift from selling airtime and ad inventory to championing climate accountability. If successful, Hiili’s India play could make digital growth not just faster, but cleaner too.
