Self-employed

Do get in touch with me (kart75@gmail.com) for these engagements.

1. Communications consulting:
As a communications consultant, I work with organizations to help plan their communications strategy in,
- identifying & building communication narratives
- digital/social media communication strategy
- marketing campaign strategy
- content marketing strategy
- crisis communications strategy
Clients include Google, Myntra, SunTec, The/Nudge Institute, Crio, Juniper, Himalaya, RedSeer, and Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives, among others.

2. Corporate workshops:
Communications team workshops: Meant for corporate PR teams, marketing teams, or internal communications teams to help expand their perspective, seek inspiration from relevant (category/industry-specific) campaigns and communications case studies, and start hands-on work on some of the immediate and pressing challenges at work. Clients include Cipla, Medtronic, Maersk, PWC, Omidyar Network India, Ashoka India, and Cleartrip, among others.

3. Personal branding for leaders:
Personal branding workshops for leaders in organizations where I help them understand the need for personal branding (as a subset of organizational branding), identify personal brand narratives, and hands-on efforts in managing their personal brands, using social media, with a clear plan and goal. Clients include Kotak Group, Carrier India, EXIM Bank, Citrix, Akamai, Omidyar Network India, Fullerton India, EY, MetrixLab, among others.

4. Personal branding for employees:
Employee advocacy workshops, to help an organization’s employees become its brand ambassadors. Key clients include Maruti Suzuki India Limited (trained 800+ employees across 200 departments), Radio Mirchi (training 100+ Radio Jockeys and 25+ Programming Heads), among others.

Communications Consultant

The Advertiser's Guide to the Galaxy

Subscribe to my weekly podcast on advertising: https://bit.ly/tagttghome

Podcaster

Ogilvy & Mather

National Lead, Social@Ogilvy

Flipkart.com

AVP - Corporate Communications

Edelman

Head of Digital Strategy

Text 100

Account Director

Pramod Shankar Associates

Chief Consultant

Subex Ltd

Manager - Corporate Communications

Birlasoft (India) Limited

Executive - Marketing Communications

Steria India Ltd (formerly IIS Infotech/Xansa India)

Assistant Executive - Corporate Communications

Summary: 

Communications professional with 2 decades’ experience in creating, building and managing perceptions of brands across agency and client environments.

Experience spanning corporate communications, public relations, marketing communications, investor relations, digital/social media marketing and employee communication for B2B (technology) and B2C brands.

Winner of gold at Socialathon India 2015, gold at Emvie 2015 (Best media innovation - social media) and bronze at DMA Asia Echo Award 2015 (Interactive - Creative use of data).

Guest lecturer at Tata Management Training Centre's Leadership Development Program for IAS Officers and Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru – Advanced Digital Marketing and Digital Marketing for CMOs

Award-winning blogger, across 2 areas of interest - professional blog, since 2008 (communications/marketing - http://www.beastoftraal.com) and music blog, since 2005 (http://www.milliblog.com). 

Frequent columnist in leading publications, on the intersection of corporate communications, social media and advertising/marketing. Samples:
- How to build a socially relevant brand | ET BrandEquity http://bit.ly/2NuutnP 
- From 'Log kya kahenge?' to 'Log kya keh rahe hain' | ET BrandEquity 
- http://bit.ly/2u0jydn 
- Amazon-Swara Bhaskar Issue: An Analysis | afaqs! http://bit.ly/2qTF9ll 
- How to avoid social media self-destruction | The Economic Times http://bit.ly/2MuxvrD

Frequent speaker and panelist in leading events to talk on and discuss perspectives on communications, branding and social media.


They all had under 24 hours to write and release these ads. Ogilvy's own ad is the best, of course. It makes even strangers (to Piyush) feel like they got to know him a little. Piyush may have sold a lot of great products, but the truth was that he himself was a great 'product' that one could write a lot about. And Ogilvy lavishes the writing less on his craft (which was universally known) and more about the man himself (that only people who interacted or worked with him would know).

The ads by Cadbury's and Fevicol are by Ogilvy too, I presume, as the brands' ad agency. The Fevicol ad, in particular, is Lord Ganesha going around Lord Shiva and Lord Parvathi where the Ogilvy ad would be the equivalent of Lord Murugan going around the world.

Amul, of course, has a lot of experience in coming up with ads in under 24 hours on topical events. Crisp and beautifully framed!

#advertising #creativity

Karthik Srinivasan

Communications strategy consultant. Connect with me for corporate workshops on personal branding. Ex-Ogilvy, ex-Flipkart, ex-Edelman. No paid posts - my words are not for sale.

Combined both my post-angioplasty lessons/new habits into an article for The Times of India's Health+ segment, thanks to Neelam Raaj. 
Web version: https://lnkd.in/gfDi63YR

PS: The app I have referred to in my article, is for my Garmin watch. It's a free app called 'Hourly Steps' that any Garmin user can download and install on their watch: https://lnkd.in/db4yMGhR The app allows me to modify the settings and I have chosen to hit (at least) 250 steps per hour, every hour.

#health #heart

Editor, Sunday Times &National Features at Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. (Times Group)

Timely ad film by Kerala-based media house Mathrubhumi, made by Maitri Advertising Works. The narrative device, getting Malayalam actor Roshan Mathew to play teacher to a group of parents in a typical college classroom set up works very well for that they are trying to communicate. Unless parents get educated on this incredibly serious and urgent topic—which starts right from the words and phrases that their children use, and the parents do not understand—they cannot even begin to comprehend the magnitude of the problem.

The solution offered in the end too is calm and reassuring, without sensationalizing. I'm assuming every Indian state would have the equivalent of Kerala Government's Vimukthi de-addiction centers (14405). This is the kind of PSA that needs to be made in multiple languages to educate parents extensively.

#advertising #PSA

Rajesh Rajan

Ethan W.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha 🤣

Talented strikes again! The agency's new ad film for The Hindu mirrors the newspaper's famously sober way of presenting news without sensationalizing. I can say this confidently since I skim at least 20+ newspapers every single day.

This is particularly striking in these days when even Doordarshan, the supposed-last bastion of sober news presentation, recently titled a segment, 'Bewafa Sonam', in the style TIMES NOW/Republic TV while referring to the recent arrest of Sonam Wangchuk. 

Whether people want their news to be free of sensationalism or not is a vastly different topic, considering the leading newspaper of our country revels in that style of news framing. 

#marketing #advertising #creativity

Nirvitha Amancharla

Combined both my post-angioplasty lessons/new habits into an article for The Times of India's Health+ segment, thanks to Neelam Raaj. 
Web version: https://lnkd.in/gfDi63YR

#health #heart

Of all the photos or illustrations that Forbes India (or any publication for that matter) could have used, they had to create this AI-generated abomination that doesn't even look like Piyush Pandey! 🤦‍♂️ 

I can almost hear Piyush's roaring laughter seeing this picture!

The second Deepavali 2025 ad that worked for me, by the agency BBH India. There are two big reasons behind why this one stood out for me - one obvious, and the other one, far less obvious.

The obvious one is easy - it uses, as a creative device, an unusual profession for the wife/woman. I had to Google that profession and was told that there only about 4,500+ women, in India, in that profession! So, this one's obvious - by using an unusual profession, the narrative is able to build intrigue towards the reveal (of the profession). Witnessing the wife being in that profession is the first, easy surprise, leading to memorability. 

And all through building the intrigue, various products are shown in the home, quite appropriately. Since the client is only a retailer, it gives the narrative leeway to showcase a wide range of products. 

Now, for the second, less obvious reason. Consider what *most* Deepavali ads show in the name of tradition - crackers, lights/diya, sweets, savories, lots of food, people partying, guests, new clothes, etc. The context in this ad removes almost all of those, since it is not happening in a home (the set-up is in the home, but the payoff is not). The payoff/reveal is in a very public place, with lots of people all around the family of three - husband, wife, and the little girl. 

So, how can they 'celebrate' Deepavali in such a place? Observe what happens! The husband is shown to be removing his slippers (the other two do too, is the implication). And he gets out a plate, and places two tiny idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on the plate, and the wife lights a diya. The family prays together, right there, in that very public space!

Amidst all the advertising-led focus on crackers, serial lights, tons of food, etc., it's easy to overlook the basic fact that Deepavali is a religious festival, meant for the believers to pray to God. Sure, we celebrate Deepavali praying to different avatars of the same God across India (North - Lord Ram, South - Lord Krishna; and there's Lakshmi Pooja too. Plus, the South prays in the morning, while the North prays in the evening, among other differences!), but beyond all the external manifestations of Deepavali, there's the quiet truth about it being an occasion to remember and pray to the God. That comes out beautifully—and very appropriately, given the plot that drives towards it—in this ad! 

In doing so, the ad also removes the other Indian advertising template/fixation of showing a son coming home, daughter coming home, father coming home for Deepavali, and frames it as the togetherness being the point, not *where* they are getting together. 

Touching, very well acted (particularly the expressive little girl), and thoughtfully scripted!

#advertising #marketing #creativity #deepavali #diwali

Ankur Berry

Bravo Godrej and Agency09! This is wonderfully done! We need a lot more stories like this.

Lesson for founders/brand owners: settle the salary of the social media team first while thinking of shutting shop, take charge of all social handles, and change the passwords.

PS 1: The context of this post was about brand assets being used by disgruntled employees. In this case, we may side with the disgruntled employee. Consider other examples like this one (there are more):
https://lnkd.in/gdkMAisN 

PS 2: Due to popular demand in the comments - another lesson: Please do not commit fraud as a start-up founder, as if that is not obvious and needed to be stated. The Gensol/Blusmart founders may have gotten away with it, but that's no reason for another founder to commit fraud, not pay salaries, and silently shut shop. Our laws and legal system are still solid to hold accountable founders who defraud investors, employees, and customers.

There's an interesting conundrum in Chinese Wok's new ad campaign (agency: Brandmovers India). People seem to not remember the name of the brand that proclaims itself as, 'India's largest Chinese restaurant chain'! Surely, if it is the largest, people should mostly get the name right instead of guessing it as 'Chinese Fork', 'Chinese Rock', or 'Chinese moon-walk', right?

But that's where the narrative seems smart. Instead of trying to fixate on the conundrum, it is used to mine humor. It is forced humor, no doubt, but that forcing happens in service of establishing the brand's name in a memorable, funny manner. The device allows the narrative to create three more words that sound like 'Wok' and that hammers the brand name in a solid way! That too, in just 20 seconds!

#advertising #marketing #creativity

Rakesh Kumar

That incongruous visual device definitely grabbed my attention and after understanding what they had done and why, made me laugh out aloud 😂 Good job by the milk brand (Tamil Paal) and the agency (UD Media, Chennai).

Of course, knowing Chennai and its deep love for crackers, that call-to-action would be mostly useless.

#advertising #marketing #creativity

Dhara's new ad has a poetic narrative but disingenuously skimps on the details. The ad asks us, "When did food became maths?" ("Yeh khaana ganit kab se ho gaya?"), because people started becoming more conscious about what they eat. Then, after showing two people who are consciously eating salads and drinking protein shakes longingly eyeing all the deep-fried stuff in other plates, the ad announces, "So forget it, let’s stop using our minds when eating" (Toh chhodo na, ab khane mein dimaag nahi lagaate hain).

Where does Dhara get the confidence to proclaim, "Let’s feed our heart what it truly craves" (Mann ko mann ki pasand ka khilaate hain)? The product feature says, "Dhara’s mustard oil absorbs over 15% less, contains 0% trans-fat". But the fine-print says, "Dhara recommends moderate consumption of fats and oils along with balanced diets, physical exercise and healthy lifestyle". 

Doesn't 'moderate consumption of fats and oils' (in a fine print in the end that's barely visible) clash with 'Let’s stop using our minds when eating' and 'Let’s feed our heart what it truly craves'? If fats and oils need to be consumed in moderation, shouldn't we be conscious about what we are eating... meaning we need to apply our minds to decide on what we eat and *how much* (ganit/maths) we eat?

I fully get the romantic notion of 'food made by a mother, filled with love', 'enjoying good home-cooked food' and all that. I'm more than adequately tempted by the sumptuous shots of bhatoora, kachori, gulab jamun, biryani, etc. Who wouldn't be? We all love food. But our love for food shouldn't blind us to the dangers of overdoing anything without applying our mind. And the ad literally asks us to do precisely that.

It even frames two health-conscious people as doing the wrong thing. Why? Because they are applying their mind in what they are consuming, instead of just piling on what their hearts tell them to. A mere '15% less oil absorption' and '0% trans-fat' doesn't dramatically mean we throw caution to wind and eat anything our heart wants us to. This is seriously irresponsible framing by Dhara Oils based on really flimsy product features.

#advertising #marketing #food #health

Hahahahaha, this is totally nuts! 'Samosa eating etiquette' and 'The right way to eat dosa and sambhar' it seems 😂 It was so amusing to see all others (learners?) trying to keep their face serious when he cut the samosa with some difficulty 🤣 The dosa video (plays second) is even more funny - he literally is trying to fold it like a kerchief, with a spoon and a fork!! 

Considering this is going viral on Twitter (and has moved to mainstream media already), I'd be very disappointed if Zomato or Swiggy, do not...
1. Rope in Amol, the founder of the etiquette school (Western Wings Spoken English and Personality Development Academy, Nagpur), for an ad campaign, or
2. Launch a campaign mocking this ridiculous so-called 'etiquette' (which is already being laughed at on Twitter by literally everyone).

Zomato

Swiggy

Usually, Amul pips most editorial headlines with its wordplay. This time, I guess Indian Express beat them by a day! I quite liked the wordplay yesterday by Indian Express - it found a potential gender angle in 'History' worth punning on. And it uses the headline in a simple, straight manner that makes the reader observe and figure it out. In short, Indian Express trusted its readers to make the connection. In comparison, Amul's attempt looks clumsy and spoon-feeding'ish, by using capitals for H(er) and S(tory), and also reiterating the pun by using 'History' again, as if they were worried that people may not 'get it'.

#advertising #editorial #headline #creativity

I presume Flipkart wanted a long-form print ad like the days of yore, but this one just meanders after setting up an interesting premise. The core element of long-form copy is to set-up an intriguing premise and build on it steadily, without losing focus (and the reader's interest). Here, it starts with the missing socks, but forgets that when Arjun is searching for a single missing sock, he'd be in a specific hurry to get somewhere - otherwise why would be searching for a sock/socks in the first place?

But Arjun forgets all about his need to be somewhere and continues to add items to his cart online. Then the story briefly forgets Arjun and moves to Meera, Vijay uncle, and an unnamed kid. Then, back to Arjun, that too after all his items arrive!

A very, very labored attempt at long-form copy that hasn't learnt why and how long-form copy really works. It completely lacks the cohesive, single-minded focus on a story—in service of what is being sold—that is needed to sustain interest, paragraph after paragraph.

#advertising #marketing #copywriting

Of the many, many Deepavali ads I have seen this year, the one that actually stood out for me because it had an interesting idea powering the otherwise simple narrative - the cycle of gifting as a trigger for spreading happiness! Sure, the link to the bank is superficial (paying, scanning, etc.), but that's probably par for the course in any Deepavali advertising these days. At least this one has a cohesive idea that comes with a nice pay-off in the end.

Agency: Kochi-based Media Expression. The agency has released 4 versions of this ad, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, with the background song and voice-over being in each of those languages! Surprisingly, for a Kerala-based bank and agency, there was no Malayalam version that I could find.

#advertising #marketing #deepavali #creativity

This is absolutely brilliant! Sivakasi's fireworks manufacturers researched international markets to realize that they can innovate on the packaging front. So, they worked with Sivakasi's corrugated packaging sector and came up with multiple designs for the firecrackers' packaging, to attract children! Instead of letting the boxes be standard squares or rectangles (easier to produce, of course), they have come up with some really interesting designs! The guitar pack takes the cake! 

And it seems to be working wonders in terms of sales, and their ability to charge a premium! 

PS: There is, of course, a question of copyrights and permissions for some of the famous cartoon characters and brand names (like MRF) they seem to have used. But Sivakasi's fireworks brands have never known to be sticklers of those things, for a long time.

#deepavali #diwali #sivakasi #crackers #fireworks

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