MAM
Sakal ropes in Gaurish Pathare as head of Ad Sales
MUMBAI: Pune-based Sakal Media Group has appointed Gaurish Pathare as its head of advertising sales for print business.
Pathare will be in charge of national and local markets and will be reporting to print division business head LS Krishnan.
The print business of Sakal includes Sakal Newspaper (Marathi daily), Saptahik Sakal (Marathi weekly), Agrown (Marathi agro daily), Tanishka (Marathi woman‘s magazine) and Premier (Marathi Film magazine).
Pathare joins from Midday Infomedia where he was the national head of sales for print and digital businesses.
Krishnan says, “Pathare is known in the media industry. We are delighted to have him in our team. I am sure he will use his varied experience and skill to achieve many milestones for us. He will lead our sales team in national and local market and be responsible for revenue growth for all the print tittles.”
Pathare added, “I am excited to be a part of Sakal Media Group. Their brands set a high editorial standard and respected by the readers. I am looking forward to leverage that equity to deliver value to the advertisers and agencies and build a long term relationship with them.”
Pathare comes with over 16 years of experience in the field of media. Prior to Midday, he was with GroupM, serving clients such as Onida, ICICI, Vodafone and HSBC. He was also with Mindshare Fulcrum for eight years, where he worked on Hindustan Unilever brands.
He has also worked with BCCL‘s Magazine division for Femina and Filmfare and Reliance ADAG‘s media team as one of its core members.
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.
