What does it take to build not just great campaigns, but great businesses? In this episode of The Indian AdGeek, I sat down with Ivan Fernandes — leading marketing management consultant — to unpack the urgent shifts reshaping the advertising world.

Ivan shares how he first found his way into advertising and how his current roles give him a unique vantage point on agency health. From the industry’s fixation on awards over business impact to the need for agencies to move beyond vendor relationships and truly partner with clients, he argues for a fundamental reset in how agencies create value.

•  The Turning Point: The single most urgent change agencies must make in the next 12 months to stay relevant.

•  Founders’ Dilemma: Why some agency founders achieve 60–70% margins while others struggle, and the practical advice he gives to leaders looking to grow, exit, or rebuild.

•  Campaigns vs. Businesses: The critical metric beyond creative output that defines sustainable enterprise value.

•  Platform + Product + Service: Ivan’s framework for agencies to think more like tech companies, and the barriers blocking that transition.

•  Capital Choices: Debt, equity, or PE — how agency leaders should weigh financial models against creative investment, client churn, and talent retention.

•  M&A Insights: Red flags in acquisition targets, common mistakes in integrations, and trends shaping Indian agency consolidation.

•  AI & Creativity: Why AI is an enabler, not a storyteller, and the irreplaceable role of the Creative Director in 2026.

•  Brain Drain & Innovation: How agencies can retain talent, foster innovation, and survive scale and exits.

•  Performance vs. Creativity: Preventing creativity from being reduced to mere optimisation in performance-first client relationships.

Ivan also revisits his provocative piece “How I’d Build a Marketing Agency Rollup in 2025”, explaining why PE-backed agencies often miss the mark on integration, and what they can fix. Along the way, he points to models like Stagwell’s multi-pronged approach as examples of how agencies can thrive by rethinking structure.

This episode is all about agency strategy — from capital structures to creative leadership, from margins to M&A. Whether you’re a founder, a strategist, or simply curious about where the industry is heading, Ivan’s insights will challenge you to think differently about what makes agencies truly future-ready.

⁠Ivan Fernandes⁠

Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

On Friday, October 25, 2025, the advertising industry woke up to devastating news—Piyush Pandey, the Godfather of Indian Advertising, had passed away. The man who gave Indian advertising its own voice, who believed that “no campaign is worth its salt unless the people on the street love it,” was gone. This episode is dedicated to his memory.

The Indian AdGeek episode 11 features Gopa Menon. Longtime digital leader and cofounder of Theblurr, Gopa Menon walks us through two decades of transformation—from JWT and GroupM to a 12-year run at Isobar and leadership at Mindshare—before explaining why he launched an AI-native agency. We talk people-first leadership, HumAIne (Theblurr’s human+AI framework), outcome-linked business models, hiring for an AI-native future, and the evolving role of agencies as growth partners.

In This Episode, We Explore:

The Journey: From JWT to GroupM to Isobar to Mindshare—which chapters taught Gopa the most about modern marketing’s real needs?

The Golden Years: What made Isobar’s run so special? Beyond the awards and the “Digital Network of the Year APAC” titles, what was the secret sauce?

The Recognition: Four consecutive Account Person of the Year awards (2016-2019)—what philosophy on client relationships led to such consistent recognition?

The Leap: After successful stints across network giants, what gap in the market convinced Gopa to dive into entrepreneurship? What weren’t traditional agencies filling?

The Model: Theblurr isn’t just media, it’s creative. It’s not just AI-powered, it’s AI-native. How does HumAIne—their proprietary blend of human intelligence and artificial intelligence—actually work in practice?

The Philosophy: Where do humans reign supreme when working with AI? Is it insighting? Is it taste? Can AI truly develop creative judgment?

The Evolution: How must agencies of the future change their thinking to be strategic partners to brands while staying true to consumer understanding?

The Performance Play: What’s the future of performance marketing in an AI-driven world? How do outcome-linked compensation models work when you’re literally putting your money where your mouth is?

The Team Building: What’s different about hiring for an AI-native agency versus traditional shops? How do you build teams that blend “passionate people with AI intelligence”?

The Independent Edge: Where do independent agencies win? Where do they struggle against network behemoths that still control 60-70% of media spends? Do you believe the next creative renaissance will come from Indies?

The Reality Check: What’s the biggest myth about AI in marketing that needs busting? And what’s the biggest mistake agencies make when implementing it?

The Career Advice: What should someone entering advertising today focus on to remain relevant? Are we looking for the new “AI native” the way we once sought “digital natives”?

Gopa Menon - @gopa

Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In memory of Piyush Pandey (1955-2025)—who taught us that advertising isn’t about selling products, it’s about connecting hearts.

A wide-ranging conversation with Lulu Raghavan on brand building, pitching, and design-led business transformation across APAC, from San Francisco and London to Mumbai and the Delhi airport that changed her work forever. Lulu unpacks the craft of winning clients, the anatomy of a memorable pitch, and how global thinking meets Indian opportunity.

What we cover:

📺 How Lulu's lifelong love for brands began.

📺 A defining career moment that reshaped how she thinks about brands.

📺 Building Landor India from scratch: challenges, trade-offs, and the playbook that worked.

📺 A deep dive on a standout project — Delhi Airport Terminal 3 — from brief to launch and why it still matters.

📺 The Air India brand refresh pitch post-mortem and the precise gap that cost Landor the brief.

📺 Measuring ROI for design-led work in business terms and a pragmatic process to make stakeholders listen.

📺 How Lulu landed $15M+ in APAC new business last year and the One APAC model that makes it repeatable.

📺 The three business outcomes she leads with when pitching Landor.

📺 Legendary hustle stories and what they reveal about client psychology, including lessons from Rose Herceg of WPP Australia.

📺 A practical framework for a perfect pitch, leave-behind creativity that makes clients remember you, and why losing on price often signals a weaker pitch, not a weaker value.

📺 How to position value over cost when procurement drives decisions and why empathy with procurement changes outcomes.

📺 Differentiation in a crowded market of local consultancies, consultancies from the Big Four, and tech-first design firms.

📺 Brand transformation as an inside-out journey and how it departs from traditional change programmes.

📺 Emerging APAC consumer trends worth betting on and how Landor helps brands capitalise.

📺 The power of iconic assets — visual, verbal, sonic — and Landor’s approach to future-ready identities.

📺 AI and data in the creative process: friend, tool, and guardrails to preserve storytelling’s human core.

📺 Winning brands in India over the next decade, whether every brand needs emotion or purpose, and the single seismic consumer shift marketers must prepare for.

📺 A frank take on brands Lulu wishes Landor had reshaped, including why IndiGo badly needs a brand refresh.

📺 How pitching will evolve in 3–5 years, books and podcasts shaping Lulu’s thinking, and the initiatives at Landor to nurture women leaders.

Lulu’s recommended book on negotiation - ⁠Never Split The Difference⁠

Recommended podcasts

⁠How to be awesome at your job⁠

⁠WHAT NEXT?⁠

⁠Feel Better Live More⁠

⁠Play to Potential⁠

Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Indian AdGeek, we sit down with Anita Kotwani, Chief Client Officer at Dentsu South Asia, to unpack over two decades of industry evolution. From swapping a law degree for manual media formulas to leading digital-first transformation across Creative, Media, CXM, BX, Retail, and Commerce, Anita shares the pivotal moments that reshaped her career and the broader ad landscape.

Join us as we explore:

📺 The career pivot from law to advertising and the dramatic shifts Anita has witnessed

📺 Why traditional reach and frequency metrics are giving way to more nuanced KPIs

📺 How leadership experiences at Mindshare, Carat, and now Dentsu inform Anita’s client-first philosophy

📺 The art and science of orchestrating an integrated approach across Creative, Media, CXM, and Business Transformation

📺 The debate between generalists versus specialists in today’s complex marketing ecosystem

📺 Dentsu India’s ambitious roadmap to generate 50% of its business from CX by 2026 and the capabilities powering that growth

📺 Differentiating Dentsu’s CXM practice from traditional consulting firms—even against the Big Four

📺 Navigating the phygital retail revolution and q-commerce boom with Blinkit, Zepto, and beyond

📺 The role of Dentsu’s global innovation lab network, including its new India facility, in shaping retail-commerce solutions

📺 Current and future revenue splits across Media, Creative, and CXM—and where Anita sees the biggest growth drivers

📺 The evolving future of performance marketing in a cookie-less, AI-driven world

📺 Structuring client teams to unlock cross-sell opportunities without diluting specialist expertise

📺 Measuring success beyond top-line revenue to capture long-term client value and retention

📺 Winning pitches with the “Media++” approach and a case study of media as a business accelerator

This episode offers unprecedented insights into how one of India’s leading marketing networks is reimagining the future of integrated marketing services while maintaining specialized expertise across disciplines.

Tune in to discover how Anita Kotwani and Dentsu South Asia are setting new benchmarks for growth in an ever-evolving marketing landscape.

Anita Kotwani - @Kotwani11

Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this eighth episode of The Indian AdGeek, we have Rohan Mehta, co-founder and CEO of FCB Kinnect, to trace his personal and professional trajectory—from that serendipitous first spark with advertising to the leap into entrepreneurship back in 2011 and the origins of the name Kinnect.

We chart the agency’s evolution from a bootstrapped startup to India’s largest independent digital powerhouse and unpack the strategic moments that led to the FCB Group India partnership and subsequent acquisition—valued at $36.6 million—revealing why FCB became the perfect collaborator and how global and local synergies have driven “exceptional” growth.

Then we delve into FCB Kinnect’s commitment to being “the most modern marketing partner” through platform-agnostic ideas and the “3 C’s” framework—Creative campaign communication, Content production, and Creator communities—and explore Rohan’s pitch playbook that won marquee clients like SBI. Along the way, you’ll discover how the pitch timeline has compressed from weeks to days, what it takes to balance quick-fire results with patient, strategic creativity (cue the Cannes Lions–winning HDFC Bank campaign), and how FCB Kinnect achieved 38% business growth in 2024 using AI-powered tools, in-house studios, and performance marketing hubs.

Rohan also shares his vision for the next five years, defining what “number one” really means for revenue, creative excellence, services, and scale. We tackle the burning question of AI in advertising—friend or foe?—and wrap up with hard-won advice for young talent entering the industry. Tune in for candid insights, entrepreneurial wisdom, and a forward-looking roadmap for digital marketing in India.

Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Kunel Gaur, Founder & Creative Director, and Sayantan Choudhury, Senior Partner & Creative Director at Animal—the independent creative agency that’s redefining Indian advertising with their fearless approach to storytelling and design.

From a design studio in 2013 to one of Adweek’s 100 Fastest Growing Agencies worldwide, Animal has carved out a unique space in India’s creative landscape. This episode dives deep into their journey, creative philosophy, and the cultural insights that drive their award-winning work—including the acclaimed Hyatt “Perfectly Yours” wedding campaign that broke category conventions

In this episode:

•  Their journey into advertising and how childhood dreams of space shaped visual obsessions

•  The market gap and cultural insight that fuelled Animal’s founding vision in 2013, and how it’s evolved into products like Veu and Deck

•  Balancing creative independence with commercial growth while nurturing curiosity in the next generation of talent

•  The storytelling alchemy behind the acclaimed Hyatt wedding film and weaving India’s diverse cultural narratives into global briefs

•  Their “creative spark” process—from brand brief to breakthrough idea

•  Measuring the business impact of meaning-driven, culture-driving work for ROI-focused CFOs and CMOs

•  Winning pitches in a crowded marketplace: what gives Animal the edge

•  The rise of immediacy and tech-enabled briefs—from NFTs to AI—and where they draw the line on automation

•  Looking ahead: q-commerce, gaming, new-media opportunities, and how consumer shifts will reshape agency models

•  Rituals and routines that sustain them through client firefights and people-first leadership

•  Advice for independent agencies scaling up and the next generation of Indian ad geeks

And stick around to find out: Why do Sayantan and Kunel love pitching to junior executives during client meetings?

Tune in for a masterclass on forging lasting connections between culture, creativity, and business impact.

Kunel Gaur - ⁠@kunelgaur⁠

Animal - ⁠@weareanimalco⁠

Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Indian AdGeek, Vishal sits down with industry legend Rohit Ohri. He is the founder of Ohriginal & Former Global Partner at FCB. We unpack a career defined by strategic turnarounds, bold acquisitions, and culture-driven growth. From his early days at JWT to reshaping FCB India into Adweek’s International Agency of the Year, Rohit shares the pivotal moments and leadership philosophies that cemented his status as an icon of Indian advertising.

What We Discussed

•  Rohit’s “aha” moment when he knew advertising was his calling

•  Mentors, people management, and JWT’s pivot from “too big” to pitch powerhouse

•  Turning FCB India around with game-changing strategic bets

•  The rationale behind Rohit’s move to Dentsu after 21½ years at JWT

•  Crafting and integrating agency acquisitions—from Taproot & Webchutney at Dentsu to Kinnect at FCB

•  The looming challenge from consultancies (Accenture, McKinsey, Deloitte) and how agencies can win on true creativity

•  Predictions for an independent-agency-led creative renaissance in India

•  Ohriginal and the CulturePrint methodology as a competitive edge

•  If Rohit were launching a new agency today, where his focus would lie

Key Takeaways

•  The art of winning marquee pitches: Walmart India, Maruti Suzuki, and more

•  How to pivot client-agency relationships from transactional to transformational

•  Acquisition versus integration: lessons from Dentsu’s Taproot and FCB’s Kinnect deals

•  Why JWT’s legacy matters—even as it fades from view

•  How the Omnicom-IPG merger could make or break the next two years of the advertising industry

Tune in for a masterclass in leadership, culture-first strategy, and the unshakeable belief that creativity—when harnessed by the right team—is the ultimate differentiator.

Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of The Indian AvGeek, Mithila Saraf, CEO of Famous Innovations, joins in as she takes us from her scrappy start in advertising to leading one of India’s most dynamic agencies. We unpack how early challenges, bold growth strategies, and a passion for true partnerships have shaped her leadership and fuelled Famous’s success.

Surviving the Scrappy Phase: Hear firsthand how those early “no salary, no clients” days at Famous Innovations shaped Mithila’s leadership philosophy and business acumen. She reveals how working alongside industry great Raj Kamble during the agency’s most vulnerable period taught her the fundamentals of entrepreneurial resilience.

The Boardroom Moment: Mithila traces her remarkable journey to the CEO chair - managing growth across 50+ brands, including Raymond, Mahindra, Titan, Van Heusen, Budweiser, and Absolut.

Leadership at Scale: With Famous Innovations now spanning three offices (Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi) and nearly 150 people. She discusses the unique challenge of maintaining boutique quality while scaling rapidly. She explains her philosophy of capping office sizes at 75 people before opening new locations.

The Art of Saying No: In a brutally honest discussion about pitch red flags, Mithila reveals how Famous Innovations has learned to decline business that doesn’t align with their values. From LinkedIn pitch calls to unrealistic client expectations, she shares insights on protecting agency culture while pursuing growth.

Industry Vertical Deep-Dive: Discover which sectors are fueling Famous Innovations’ growth, including their recent standout work for OPPO’s Reno13 Series campaign featuring Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ishaan Khatter, and Vedang Raina - a campaign that captured the “Live in the Moment” philosophy through Bollywood nostalgia.

The Future of AdTech: Mithila shares her perspective on how social media, video content, and emerging q-commerce solutions are reshaping advertising budgets and client expectations. She discusses advising brands on investment strategies across fast-growing digital channels.

The L’Oréal Pitch Chronicles: Get exclusive insights into a recent major client win, as Mithila walks through what differentiated Famous Innovations’ pitch in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Beyond Advertising Metrics: Learn how Famous Innovations tracks client relationships that go “beyond advertising” - from business partnership indicators to managing scope creep while maintaining profitability.

Independent Agency Wisdom: Mithila offers candid advice for other independent agencies looking to scale, sharing lessons learned from Famous Innovations’ journey from startup to South Asia Independent Agency of the Year winner for eight consecutive years.

The AI Revolution: Discover why Mithila believes artificial intelligence will be the single biggest disruptor to the advertising business and how agencies need to prepare for this transformation.

Breaking Into Modern Advertising: In a powerful closing segment, Mithila addresses young professionals trying to break into an industry that’s no longer “the coolest gig in town” - offering practical advice on building careers in today’s evolved advertising landscape.

This episode delivers rare insights into building and scaling an independent creative agency in modern India, combining business strategy, creative leadership, and entrepreneurial wisdom from one of the industry’s most respected young leaders.

Mithila - @mithilasaraf

Vishal - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Step into the world of advertising excellence as The Indian AdGeek welcomes Kunal Jeswani, CEO of Ogilvy ASEAN, for a truly unfiltered and insightful episode. In this engaging conversation, we embark on a journey through the heart and hustle of client servicing, creative leadership, and business evolution in today’s dynamic advertising landscape.

• An Origin Story: Discover how Kunal’s love affair with advertising began and the pivotal moments that shaped his career in one of India’s most celebrated creative agencies.

• The Evolving Role of a Creative CEO: Gain firsthand insights on how the job of a creative agency CEO has transformed over the years, and why adaptability, empathy, and relentless curiosity are more vital than ever.

• Leading Across Borders: Explore the challenges and rewards of driving creative innovation across diverse markets like India and ASEAN. Learn how Kunal nurtures a culture of excellence and fosters cross-border collaboration within large and varied teams.

• Leadership Real Talk: Unpack the most common misconceptions about leading a creative agency, sprinkled with candid anecdotes on tackling team challenges and learning from mistakes.

• Tales from the Client Side: Hear memorable stories of client relationships that illustrate how breakthrough creativity drives business impact—and what true client partnership looks like.

• Navigating Agency Life: Delve into the process (and sometimes the lack thereof!) from new business development that thrives on word of mouth to the ever-present battle against scope creep and the strategies for maintaining profitability without sacrificing passion.

• Pricing for Value: Get a rare behind-the-scenes look at how an agency ensures its pricing stays aligned with value, effort, and evolving industry standards.

• The Future Beckons: Kunal weighs in on how AI and digital platforms are reimagining the industry, as well as what still sets human creativity apart in an age of automation.

• Trends & Advice: Discover the trends lighting up the Indian and ASEAN markets—beyond AI—and get golden advice for young professionals aspiring to creative leadership.

Whether you’re a seasoned ad geek or just starting your journey in the industry, this episode offers a masterclass on juggling creativity, clients, and commercial success—all with Kunal Jeswani’s signature wit and candor.

Vishal - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get ready for a masterclass in modern brand building as we sit down with Samit Malkani, Head of Brand, Social & Events Marketing for Southeast Asia at Google.

Samit traces his journey from crafting iconic TV ads to pioneering digital-first campaigns, sharing the pivotal moments—including the viral sensation “Kolaveri Di”—that shaped his approach to storytelling. He unpacks the principles behind building brand love and trust across diverse markets, reveals how he blends human insight, data, and technology to drive creativity, and offers candid advice for marketers balancing short-term wins with long-term brand value. From the future of social media and AI in marketing to hiring creative talent and outcome-based pricing, this episode is packed with actionable insights and fresh perspectives from one of the industry’s most innovative leaders

Samit - @Samit

Vishal - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠