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MUMBAI: Being in the business today is harder than ever and not everyone has the appetite for it. We see a lot of brands opening shops and shutting it soon enough. But, there have been some iconic brands that were once oh so popular with the consumers but suddenly vanished into thin air. Although still present in the market, we see no ads, no promotions for these brands.Some of those brands, however at some point decide to make a come back in the advertising business and show the consumers that they are back with a bang! Be it the mango flavoured drink Frooti, or apple based fizzy beverage Appy, Crompton products, deodorant Old Spice, or television champion Onida with its iconic devil. All these brands were superheroes of their own time and in their respective categories but disappeared from television screen with digitisation and modernisation kicking in the Indian eco-system.
These brands among several others have also been able to make a solid comeback which was a lesson to other marketers who are still considering whether on not they should revamp or relook at their communication strategy to target today’s consumer. After being away from television screens for over a decade, Parle Aggro’s Frooti hit the screens with a new brand ambassador Shahrukh Khan which helped in kicking the sale to a new level altogether.
Old Spice which was known for its masculine and metrosexual male dominated ad, came back with its new brand ambassador, Milind Soman, a man who women believe resonates with the company’s name and is an old spice himself. The ad helped Procter & Gamble (P&G) to target the metrosexual youth of today with India’s own ‘Iron Man’.
Brands
Radico Khaitan appoints Kunal Madan as chief marketing officer
Promotions signal focus on premium spirits, global expansion and homegrown leadership
UTTAR PRADESH: Radico Khaitan has elevated two long-serving insiders to its top leadership team, signalling a bold push into premium spirits and global markets. Kunal Madan steps in as chief marketing officer, while Sudhir Upadhyay takes charge as chief sales officer, both part of what managing director Abhishek Khaitan calls a consciously built next-generation leadership bench.
“At Radico Khaitan, our growth has always been powered by people,” Khaitan said. “True leadership is not imported, it is cultivated.” He added that empowering internal talent ensures continuity while keeping the company globally competitive and future-ready.
Madan, with over 20 years of experience across global sales and marketing, will drive brand architecture, marketing strategy, and the premiumisation agenda, including travel retail. Upadhyay, who has 25 years in the industry and was most recently national sales head, will oversee distribution expansion and execution across markets.
The leadership reshuffle comes amid Radico’s intensified focus on premium spirits, a segment driving higher margins and international growth. Last year, Ajay Kakkar was brought on to head the Premium On-Trade vertical, targeting modern and institutional channels to boost presence in high-growth segments.
Meanwhile, Amar Sinha stepped down as chief operating officer after contributing across multiple growth phases. Khaitan acknowledged Sinha’s role in supporting the company’s trajectory, while Sinha described his tenure as “an absolute privilege,” crediting Khaitan’s leadership for shaping the company’s strategic direction.
With a homegrown leadership bench and a clear premium agenda, Radico Khaitan is set to accelerate its global expansion while doubling down on brand elevation and market impact.
