MAM
WPP merges three brands under David umbrella in A-Pac region
MUMBAI: WPP Group’s three brands – rmg, rmg David and Results – have been merged to form David in the Asia Pacific region.
David regional director Digby Richards, who will head the network for the Asia Pacific region, said, “It wasn’t difficult to merge the three existing WPP brands because they all shared a common creative, maverick spirit – which is very much the foundation of David.
rmg David, which began calling itself the smallest worldwide agency, is now the source of a new regional network – David.
David will be a full service agency that will initially have 10 offices in Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Bangkok, Jakarta, Taipei and Tokyo.
Plans are also to open more offices in the region in the coming year.
David will he headed in India by the agency’s chairman and national creative director Josy Paul, president Kumar Subramaniam and joint national creative director K S Gopal.
The Delhi office of David will be headed by vice president and general manager Venugopal Chandrashekhar.
Some of the clients that the agency handles in the Asia Pacific region are Carrier, LG, BenQ, Tally Solutions, DBS and AMild.
In India, the agency handles iBN, LG, Asaahi Group
Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific chairman Miles Young said, “David was born in India, passed through adolescence all over Asia, and I’m happy to see it maturing so well back on his to home turf.”
David already has close to 300 staff spanning all disciplines and working for more than 60 clients across the network.
Richards added, “Actually we got the inspiration of David from India – with Josy and his team who have created a fantastic can-do, sprited, entrepreneurial maverick style agency group.”
“Our ambition from day one is for David to become a substantial brand and business across Asia, serving those progressive brands that are looking for direct, simple brand building solutions – without hype and rhetoric,” he further said.
David’s target clients are progressive Asian brands that want to work with a ‘challenger’ partner to help them battle for market share against the bigger brands.
Subramaniam informed that David was looking at tapping some of the developing segments in the country like automobiles, food and beverages, personal care and entertainment.
“We have set two mandates for ourselves at David, the first is to add value to our existing clients and at the same time look at new categories and look at how we can work with them in those categories,” said Subramaniam.
Brands
Samsung India elevates Aditya Babbar to lead mobile business
Exec takes charge of MX sales and marketing after Raju Pullan’s exit
NEW DELHI: Samsung India has elevated Aditya Babbar to lead its mobile phone business, following the exit of Raju Antony Pullan.
Babbar, who previously served as vice president within the mobile division, has been appointed head of sales and marketing for the MX (mobile experience) business, effective May 1. In his new role, he will oversee the company’s sales and marketing operations for smartphones and related categories in India, reporting to the executive vice president of the MX business.
A long-time Samsung executive, Babbar brings over a decade of experience within the organisation, having held multiple leadership roles across product, marketing and category management. Most recently, he led product marketing and e-commerce for the mobile division, following earlier stints as head of product and marketing and senior director roles.
His career within Samsung Electronics and its India operations has also included responsibilities for flagship devices, tablets and wearables, giving him a broad view of the company’s premium and mass-market portfolio.
Babbar succeeds Pullan, who stepped down from the role, marking a leadership transition at a time when India remains a key battleground for global smartphone makers.
The appointment signals continuity within Samsung’s leadership bench, with an internal candidate stepping up to steer one of its most critical business units in a highly competitive market.
