MAM
Wavemaker India names Vishal Jacob as chief transformation officer
Mumbai: GroupM’s media agency Wavemaker India on Tuesday announced Vishal Jacob as the chief transformation officer. Vishal will take on the additional responsibility in addition to his existing role as chief digital officer.
In this extended role, Vishal will work with office heads and business leaders to structure and create diverse skill sets within business teams to manage current and future business requirements. He will also work along with practice leads to break silos and create more cross-functional teams to deliver unified solutions to clients, one of Wavemaker’s key focus areas. Vishal will also work on strengthening existing capabilities beyond digital and incubating new ones that will make Wavemaker’s future ready for the challenges.
Wavemaker South Asia CEO Ajay Gupte said, “The environment around us is rapidly changing, and we need to continuously upskill ourselves to lead this change so that we continue to provide unique and innovative solutions for our clients. With Vishal taking over the additional responsibility of transformation, we will be better placed to craft customised strategic initiatives, particularly related to digitalization and driving company culture.”
Speaking on this new role, Vishal Jacob said, “Consumer behaviour and the media landscape are forever evolving. Embracing these changes through a culture of agility becomes critical for success. Driving this transformation at an organisational level is highly challenging yet very exciting, and I am looking forward to it.”
Vishal started his digital journey with GroupM in 2005. He has led and assisted clients across industries (auto, FMCG, telco, media, and retail) in their digital transformation journey, hinging it on creating a connected ecosystem of paid, owned, and earned properties. Vishal has also authored a book called “Connecting with Yourself: Why we Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do.” He is a certified coach from ICF with further specialisation in transactional analysis and NLP, and he continues to nurture and coach talent to prepare them for leadership roles.
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.
