MAM
Sameer Singh joins GroupM as South Asia CEO
MUMBAI: Media agency GroupM has appointed Sameer Singh as CEO of its South Asia operations.
Singh will lead the continued development of GroupM’s data-centric enablement for its agencies as it delivers competitive advantage to clients with digital leadership and content. Based in Delhi, starting in July, he will report to CVL Srinivas who is the country manager at WPP India and Mark Patterson, the CEO of GroupM Asia Pacific.
Singh joins GroupM from Google India where he was director for sales, responsible for the agency business. He was earlier based at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California where he worked on measurement, brand consulting, insights and product solutions.
CVL Srinivas says, “When planning the leadership succession, we found in Sameer the perfect candidate who could take GroupM South Asia to the next level. We have built a strong enabling environment for our agencies with data centricity, digital leadership and content services. Sameer has a track record of driving change at organisations focused on media, technology, brands and ROI. I look forward to working with Sam who has been a client, a media partner and a friend for many years”.
Srinivas has been CEO for GroupM South Asia since January 2013. In October 2017, he was given the additional responsibility of Country Manager for WPP India. He will now transition fully to his WPP role.
Mark Patterson adds, “Sameer is a unique talent and a great business partner with a fantastic track record delivering growth for market-leading world-class businesses across the globe. He now joins another one, and we are excited, proud and pleased to welcome him to GroupM South Asia.”
Speaking on his appointment Singh mentions, “The India market is transitioning to the next level of media sophistication, with GroupM adroitly navigating this space for their clients, and along with their media partners. I am super excited to join the GroupM team on this wonderful journey, and I look forward to bringing to the table, my experiences built at Google, as a marketer, and while working across emerging and developed markets. I look forward to contributing, and to learning from my colleagues, our clients, and our partners.”
In a career spanning over 25 years across various geographies including India, China, UK, USA, and the Middle East, Singh, an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, worked across brand management, marketing services, media, forecasting ROI and research, sales and procurement at Gillette, P&G, GSK and Google. Prior to Google, he was VP, Global Media at GSK where he led its global pitch, set up the global media team and embedded digital excellence.
MAM
Britannia Toastea launches winter chai campaign in North India
Schbang conceptualises street activations and raw film celebrating classic rusk + chai pairing.
MUMBAI: Britannia Toastea just dunked itself into winter mornings because nothing says “cold snap” like hot chai meeting a kadak rusk for the ultimate comfort combo. Britannia Toastea has rolled out its winter campaign across North India, zeroing in on the simple, universal truth that chai is never truly enjoyed alone and in the biting cold, the most unbeatable pairing is a steaming cup with Britannia Toastea. Conceptualised by Schbang, the initiative captures the season’s authentic rituals where strangers at railway stations and roadside tapris become instant companions over shared warmth and conversation.
The campaign brings chaiwalas into the spotlight with the call, “Chai Chai Chai, Garam Garam Chai, saath mein lelo Toastea, yeh hai meri raai” not as a sales line, but as genuine street wisdom from someone who knows the perfect match when they see it. Passers-by are offered Toastea with their hot chai, creating unscripted sampling moments that feel organic and joyful. Shot in raw, vlogger-style footage, the film shows real reactions, laughter, and the quiet satisfaction of dunking a rusk into tea no manufactured emotion, just everyday winter comfort.
Britannia general manager Shekhar Agarwal said, “Winter amplifies tea-time consumption, making it a season of high relevance for the rusk category. Our campaign captures the warm, unfiltered moments shared between chai and Britannia Toastea.”
Schbang creative director for West & North Puru Agarwal added, “We went straight to the touchpoints where this pairing lives, captured genuine reactions in a style that feels true to the streets, and let the experience speak for itself. When you respect culture instead of interrupting it, connection follows.”
Running throughout January, the campaign blends on-ground activations at high-traffic locations with digital amplification, turning authentic winter-street stories into shareable content. In a season when comfort is king, Britannia Toastea isn’t just riding the chai wave, it’s quietly reminding everyone why the crunchiest rusk and the hottest chai have always belonged together.
