MAM
Seshadri Shankara joins Bennett Coleman as general manager
MUMBAI: In his new role, Shankara will be responsible for business strategy and revenue planning across the company’s publishing operations. His mandate includes designing long-term growth plans, developing pricing models, overseeing yield management and supporting high-value deal structuring across print and digital platforms. He will work closely with Response leadership to drive category-led strategies, go-to-market plans and portfolio optimisation initiatives.
Shankara joins Bennett Coleman after more than a decade at GroupM, where he served as national head for agency investments. During his tenure, he led investment strategy, inventory valuation and pricing negotiations, and worked closely with media owners and agencies to optimise returns. Prior to that, he held senior roles at GroupM including head of strategic partnerships in India and business head for inventory media.
Earlier in his career, Shankara was head of business strategy and product for inventory media at Matrix, where he focused on supply acquisition, yield management and outcome-based advertising solutions. He has also served as director of a media consulting practice, advising media companies on sales strategy, business planning, organisational structuring and digital transformation.
His previous experience includes roles in product and revenue strategy at Star TV, sales strategy at Times Internet, and yield management and strategic insights at AOL. Shankara began his professional career in the telecom sector, with engineering and operations roles at Tata Communications and Alcatel-Lucent.
With nearly two decades of experience spanning telecom, television, digital media and advertising services, Shankara brings a strong analytical and commercial background to his role at Bennett Coleman. The appointment comes at a time when media companies are increasingly focused on pricing discipline, yield optimisation and data-driven revenue growth amid changing advertiser behaviour and fragmented audiences.
MAM
Havas acquires Berlin agency Styleheads in Playnetwork push
Acquisition strengthens Havas Play’s push in music, sport and creator culture
PUTEAUX: Havas has acquired Berlin-based cultural marketing agency Styleheads, strengthening its push into creator-led brand activations and cultural marketing in Germany.
Styleheads will join the Havas Media Network in Germany and expand the capabilities of the group’s global Havas Playnetwork, which focuses on building brand connections through passion points such as music, sport, gaming, fashion and lifestyle.
As part of the integration, Havas Play and Styleheads will operate under a single leadership structure. Eike Faecks, managing director of Styleheads, will take strategic and operational leadership of Havas Play across all German locations, bringing the group’s activation, creator expertise and cultural marketing activities under one umbrella.
Founded in 2001, Styleheads is a full-service communications agency specialising in cultural marketing. The Berlin-based firm develops campaigns, live events and creator partnerships for brands across fashion, lifestyle, FMCG and entertainment.
Havas said the partnership will allow Styleheads to tap the group’s global network and resources while retaining its Berlin base and independent brand identity.
The combined model blends Styleheads’ strengths in culture-led campaigns, creators and live activations with Havas Media’s integrated capabilities across media, data and strategy.
“I am delighted to welcome Eike Faecks and the entire Styleheads team to the Havas family,” said Yannick Bolloré, chairman and CEO of Havas. “Their leadership in cultural marketing and creator-driven activations perfectly aligns with our ambition to build the most innovative and culturally relevant activation offer in the market.”
Sven Traichel, CEO and country manager of Havas Media Germany, said the acquisition would strengthen the group’s activation capabilities. “Placing Havas Play under their leadership reflects the high quality and added value their team brings,” he said.
Faecks said the partnership would allow Styleheads to scale its cultural marketing approach globally while preserving its creative independence.
