MAM
Skoda India launches all-new WhatsApp Bot for buyers
MUMBAI: With the lockdown and social distancing norms keeping customers at home, Skoda Auto India and PHD Media have come together to launch an all-new WhatsApp bot for the automobile manufacturer’s customer engagement.
Meant for both current owners of Skoda vehicles and for prospective buyers, the WhatsApp Chat service provides easy and convenient access for customers in need of information. The service also ensures that consumers can avail of automated customer-care on a 24*7 basis. This tool is not only expected to boost overall customer engagement and improve communication, but it will also strengthen marketing via automation.
Tarun Jha, head of marketing at Skoda Auto India said, “In times like these, it’s important to turn to innovative, new solutions every day. With the WhatsApp Bot, we want to reassure our customers that we are always available and easily accessible for any query they may have. In light of the lockdown, it has become essential to provide customers with alternative avenues of communication and our on-demand customer support offering is going to do just that. The added personal touch of chat is also slated to further raise customer engagement.”
PHD Media India CEO Monaz Todywalla said about the Whatsapp Bot: “We are essentially automating marketing with aided product discovery. The new service also promises to engage consumers significantly more because of the graphical output and easy notifications for opt-in users.”
MAM
One Hand Clap acquires Agenseed to enter distribution space
Creative agency expands into full-stack services with strategic buyout.
MUMBAI: One Hand Clap has decided to stop just clapping for great ideas now it wants to make sure they actually travel. The leading new-age creative agency and production house has acquired Agenseed, a seeding and distribution firm, marking its formal entry into the distribution segment. The move is aimed at expanding its role across the entire marketing value chain and unlocking new growth opportunities.
One Hand Clap expects the new distribution vertical to contribute up to 15 per cent of its overall revenues over the next 12–18 months, signalling a clear strategic shift beyond pure creative services.
Agenseed, founded by Monish Hardasani and Akram Malik, will function as the agency’s dedicated distribution arm. This acquisition strengthens One Hand Clap’s position as it aims to become a full-stack creative and distribution company in India’s rapidly growing digital advertising market.
With over 90 million posts shared daily on Instagram and brands allocating 25–35 per cent of their digital budgets to distribution and creator-led reach, amplification has become critical to campaign success. By integrating distribution early into the creative process, the agency hopes to help campaigns gain stronger cultural traction and momentum.
One Hand Clap founder Aakash Shah said, “The future of advertising is not just about executing great ideas, but about placing them intelligently. By owning both storytelling and distribution, we can drive greater impact for brands while opening up new revenue streams.”
Agenseed co-founder Monish Hardasani added, “The future belongs to ideas designed to travel. This partnership allows us to integrate distribution thinking at the source.”
Founded in 2019 by former AIB leaders Aakash Shah and Naveed Manakkodan, One Hand Clap has worked with major brands including Swiggy, Google, Netflix India, Crocs, Duolingo, CRED, Bumble, BGMI and Chetak. The agency also secured investment from Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath last year.
In an increasingly fragmented attention economy, this acquisition reflects a broader industry shift where agencies are building end-to-end capabilities to stay competitive. One Hand Clap is clearly clapping louder and ensuring its ideas now reach much further.
