AD Agencies
Mitali Srivastava Hough launches The Equal agency
MUMBAI: Utopeia’s co-founder and head of strategy, Mitali Srivastava Hough, has today announced the launch of “Equal” on World Social Justice Day with a very special thought in mind. The Equal agency will specialize in Cause marketing and CSR solutions for brands.
Srivastava Hough states that there is a greater need than ever before for brands to connect with communities who have been ignored for a long time.
She says, “The voices of the underprivileged, rural India, minorities, LGBTQIA, women, differently abled and other marginalised groups are getting stronger by the day and it’s critical that brands find a genuine way to connect with, communicate with, and endorse their voices. There is also a need for genuine conversations around equality, human rights, inclusion and social protection. It is now mandatory for businesses in India to spend 2 per cent of their average net profits on CSR, leading to investment in areas such as education, health, poverty, gender equality and hunger. It is essential that this investment is aligned with long-term strategic planning with clear goals and a true connection with communities and audiences, in order to grasp the opportunity and make a deep and long-term impact. Brands are recognising that engaging effectively in CSR can reap long term results. So, Equal has been launched to create meaningful and genuine solutions in CSR and Cause marketing.”
She adds, “At Equal, we will provide end-to-end solutions in the CSR category to help brands use their CSR budget to maximise returns and build long term properties that can benefit employees, consumers, stakeholders, brand equity and business.”
Srivastava Hough has done various projects in this field already and believes that her true passion lies in this area. She has been an activist for various social causes for over a decade. She has also done CSR and Cause marketing projects for Reliance Foundation, Adani Foundation, Ambuja Foundation, and the recent Rainbow Lit Fest, and others.
Prior to co-founding Utopeia Communicationz, Mitali Srivastava Hough was an AVP in DDB Mudra, and has worked in Ogilvy India and TBWA India, where she led strategic planning for brands such as Volkswagen, Big Bazaar, Bournvita, Asian Paints, etc.
AD Agencies
Prakash Nair reportedly quits Ogilvy after 23 years
One of the agency’s longest-serving leaders has moved on, with his next destination still unknown
MUMBAI: After more than two decades at one address, Prakash Nair has left the building. The president and head of office, north at Ogilvy has moved on from the agency, according to highly placed industry sources. His next move remains unknown. Ogilvy did not respond to requests for comment.
Nair spent over 23 years at the agency, making him one of its longest-serving senior figures. He was elevated to lead the Gurugram office in April 2022, a role that put him at the helm of Ogilvy’s northern operations at a time of considerable churn across the advertising industry.
Before taking charge in the capital, Nair served as associate president at Ogilvy Mumbai, where he worked on some of the agency’s most prized accounts, including Mondelez, Tata Motors, and BP Castrol. Over the years, he built a reputation for driving modern, integrated, and award-winning work, the kind that wins metals at Cannes and keeps clients from straying.
His departure was marked in style. A farewell gathering was held in Delhi, attended by senior figures from across the advertising fraternity, a signal of the regard in which Nair is held in an industry that does not always pause to say goodbye properly.
Where he goes next is the question the industry is now asking. After 23 years at one of the world’s most storied agencies, the answer, when it comes, will be worth watching.
