MUMBAI: Forget love, mergers are in the air these days. The latest being MASH Advertising with IBD India.
Percept has restructured its advertising business to merge the two entities with effect from 1 April. The restructure will enable Percept to offer better synergies, streamline operations and efficiencies between the two agencies, and provide a greater array of services and solutions to stakeholders.
Rahul Gupta has been elevated to managing director of the merged business wef 1 April. Gupta had set up ByDesign in 1994 to offer strategic brand services based on superior creativity, and in 2007 ByDesign entered into a JV with Percept–Hakuhodo to form IBD India.
Today IBD India offers a complete 360 degree approach in providing brand and marketing solutions to clients. Over the years Rahul has brought invaluable expertise to the many dynamic brands handled by IBD India including SSK Group, Panasonic, PNB Housing, Tupperware, Taj Group of Hotels, K Raheja Corp and Tilaknagar.
Going forward, Gupta’s in-depth knowledge of brands and the dynamics within which they operate will enable him to continue to offer unique and innovative integrated brand development solutions and creative strategies for the many successful brands handled by MASH Advertising and IBD India.
Amitabha Lahiri has been elevated to chief executive officer of the merged business. Lahiri has been associated with the Percept group in different leadership roles for over seven years. He joined as senior vice president, Hakuhodo Percept India and was later elevated to the position of COO during which Hakuhdo Percept witnessed a series of prestigious business wins including Wagon R, Grand Vitara & A-star from Maruri Suzuki, Carrier, Toshiba, Daikin, Unicharm, Sukam and Hindware.
In 2011 Lahiri became CEO of the newly incepted MASH India – a subsidiary of Percept/H, and within a span of two years attained a diversity of prominent businesses including Carrier, Toshiba, Haier, Philips, Kyocera Mita, DLF and Parsvnath. His proficiency on a wide array of businesses will enable to take the newly merged entity to the next level of success.
