Category: Interviews

‘We prefer doing L&M deals in the domestic market,’ says Saurabh Kalra of McDonald’s

As of June 2024, the chain operated 403 restaurants across 66 cities. Of these, 92% featured McCafés, 86% were Experience of the Future (EOTF) locations, and 20% included drive-thrus.

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain plans to open approximately 580 to 630 restaurants by December 2027, averaging 40 to 50 new locations annually.

India among Landor’s top three markets by size, opportunities but lags in revenue: Christian Schroeder of Landor

"Within the broader world of WPP, Landor has a very specific role to play at a global level and equally within India," Landor's Global President, Christian Schroeder tells Storyboard18.

The Global President for Landor, Christian Schroeder discusses how Landor will focus on seamlessly integrating all of its recently acquired capabilities, in 2025. He further delves into the growing focus on the Indian market and how WPP Open is helping the agency cultivate a better understanding of AI.

Smytten to turn profitable by FY25-end; seeks fresh funds for offline expansion

Smytten raised around $12.9M in a Series A round in 2022 led by Fireside Ventures and Roots Ventures, and is staring at a Series B round to expand its offline presence, its co-founder Swagat Sarangi (ex-head of business marketing at Google) tells Storyboard18.

The try-and-sample e-commerce start-up Smytten is expecting Series B funding soon to expand its offline presence and technology infrastructure. Having crossed the Rs 100 crore revenue milestone recently, Swagat Sarangi, Co-founder, Smytten and Smytten Pulse, shares the plan to grow at 40% year-on-year for the next three years.

Honasa Consumer’s Anuja Mishra on influencer marketing, customer expectations and more

"We are operating at different price points and different indices; there's strong growth in both the premium and mass segment. But in the current context, we are very much a masstige brand", says Anuja Mishra, EVP & CMO, Honasa Consumer.

Anuja Mishra, EVP & CMO, Honasa Consumer talks about the company’s growing focus on offline retail and the growing significance of quick commerce in tandem with its online presence. She further discusses the discontinuation of Ayuga and Momspresso and how value continues to drive growth for Honasa Consumer.

Festive forecast: Auto and finance lead the way in digital advertising, says Zenith’s Jai Lala

The CTV increase is more prominent with brands that are catering to metros and affluent audiences, according to Jai Lala, CEO, Zenith India, the media agency of Publicis Groupe.

Digital is increasing at a rate of around 50 percent. says Jai Lala, CEO, Zenith India, the media agency of Publicis Groupe.

Will continue to focus on equity-building mediums like CTV: Tanishq

Tanishq's media choices are guided by its understanding of the target audience and its purpose. "We are constantly working to drive omnichannel leads from a media choice and investment perspective," Tshering states.

“Our ad spend will see double-digit growth over last year, driven by recent positive developments in the gold market and the upcoming wedding season,” says Pelki Tshering, CMO, Tanishq.

Advertising on OTTs to see significant growth in 2024 festive season: Havas Media Network

During festive seasons, the primary objective is to boost sales by enhancing consumer consideration. To achieve this goal, a multi-faceted approach leveraging various media channels is essential. While traditional mass mediums such as television remain influential, digital platforms will continue to play a crucial role in shaping consumer perceptions and driving consideration.

Sustainability-themed campaigns are gaining traction and there’s growing focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, where digital penetration and rising incomes are driving localized campaigns in regional languages.

Cleartrip’s media spend grows by 15–20% with focus on digital, CTV and impact properties

Talking about her vision for the OTA company, she says, "I’m filling some big shoes, but my biggest vision—and this is shared by the leadership—is that the OTA industry is underserved. If you look at competitors like MakeMyTrip, Agoda or Goibibo, there’s a lot of room for a challenger brand like us to win on experience. Cleartrip loyalists have always preferred us for our smooth, seamless UI (user interface), and I want to build on that."

Cleartrip’s bus ridership growth underlines CMO Tavleen Bhatia’s contention that while air travel is the core business, hotels and buses are showing very strong growth.

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Tata Group’s StarQuik not in Q-commerce rat race’, says K Radhakrishnan, Co-founder

StarQuik was launched in Gurgaon, in 2014, as GrocerMax by K Radhakrishnan and Gaurav Juneja, it came under Tata’s aegis in 2017, when the latter was looking to enter the e-grocery space.

Star Bazaar, a retail chain owned by Trent Hypermarket Pvt Ltd is a part of the Tata Group. Trent recently announced plans to add 20-25 Star Bazaar stores in FY25, taking the overall footprint to around 90 stores by the end of the year.