Category: Special Coverage

Media agencies’ turmoil and hybrid in-housing surge | AAAI’s WhatsApp exit advisory could backfire | WPP drops DEI language, Ogilvy CEO champions DEI

Rather than a move away, experts foresee a recalibration of expectations, with clients seeking more transparency and agencies responding with stronger governance and accountability from media buying agencies, after the CCI probe into ad firms.

Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.

Diageo’s Hina Nagarajan stresses on diversity even as global corporates downplay

"While many companies worldwide are scaling back their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, diversity and inclusion remain deeply ingrained in Diageo’s strategy, regardless of external pressures," Nagarajan said.

Since 2017, Diageo India’s workforce diversity has grown from 7.5 percent to nearly 30 percent, with over half of its executive committee now composed of diverse representation.

WPP drops DEI language amid U.S. scrutiny, while Ogilvy global CEO champions representation and purpose

Speaking at Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit on March 28 in Mumbai, Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO, Ogilvy said,"The most important thing for me is 'Fearless Girl' is always going to be there across the New York Stock Exchange as a symbol that women have a right to be in the economic boardrooms of the world as much as any men do."

WPP has removed DEI language from its annual report amid U.S. political scrutiny, while WPP-owned Ogilvy’s CEO Devika Bulchandani continues to champion representation and purpose-driven storytelling. She highlights the ‘Fearless Girl’ on NYC’s Wall Street as a lasting symbol of female empowerment.

Global Pioneers Summit 2025 Special

Speaking at the Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit, India’s Union Minister of Communication, Jyotiraditya Scindia, expressed confidence in the nation’s economic trajectory, asserting that the country is crafting a fresh narrative—one that seamlessly integrates its rich heritage with cutting-edge innovation.

Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.

IN PHOTOS: At Global Pioneers Summit, visionaries chart the future of business and creativity

(From left to right: Nestle India's chairman and managing directr Suresh Narayanan, Ogilvy's global CEO Devika Bulchandani, PepsiCo India & South Asia's CEO Jagrut Kotecha, and Colgate-Palmolive(India)'s MD & CEO Prabha Narasimhan)

From the chiefs of Nestle, Diageo, Colgate, PepsiCo, Zetwerk and CRED to AI visionaries, marketing mavens, top creators, ad legends and leading global agencies’ CEOs, the brightest minds converged at the Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit for an action-packed day of meaningful dialogues on creativity, commerce and culture.

Misfits and machines: Ipsos’ Shaun Dix on why human insight still drives advertising success

“AI can generate content, but without human insight, it often misses the mark. It lacks the ability to truly understand human emotions, storytelling, and cultural context,” said Dix.

Ipsos’ Shaun Dix delivered a compelling message at the Global Pioneers Summit 2025 on ‘Misfits and the Machine: The role of AI in creative advertising’.