MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network has promoted Narayan Devanathan as Dentsu Creative Impact CEO.
In his new role, Devanathan will lead the growth of the full service creative agency, Dentsu Creative Impact across qualitative and quantitative parameters. He will continue to be based out of Gurgaon.
As part of his expanded role, he will also head the agency's two specialist units, Dentsu Mama Lab (dedicated to better connecting brands with mothers through original insights) and Citizen Dentsu (the social communications division).
Dentsu Aegis Network chairman and CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin said, “Devanathan, with his tremendous experience in building brands, is now tasked with building Dentsu Creative Impact into a strategic and creative power-house that partners our global and local clients in the new, dynamic era of advertising that we are entering. Dentsu Aegis Network clients deserve the best talent on their brands and as a part of that commitment we have placed Devanathan, amongst our best managers, in the role of heading this operation.”
“There are a lot of words that are currently being bandied about in terms of where the future of advertising lies. I believe the road to the future lies in a return to simpler times. Where the focus is on creating a happy place that helps people generate fabulous ideas. That’s probably still the best way to deliver value to clients, and success to our people. And those are the two metrics I’m going to raise the bar on,” added Devanathan.
Dentsu APAC CEO Rohit Ohri said, “In his four years at Dentsu, Narayan partnered me in the agency transformation process in India as national planning director. Understanding client’s marketing problems and finding the most effective solutions for them has been Narayan’s core strength. Insightful and intuitive, he is a natural advertising person. I believe that under his leadership, Dentsu Creative Impact G will scale newer heights.”
His experience in the advertising industry spans over 20 years across two of the most distinctive markets in the world. He has worked across capacities in planning and creative with leading advertising agencies in India and the United States. Prior to Dentsu, he was CSO, Euro RSCG India (now Havas Worldwide) and senior planning director at Ogilvy & Mather India. Before he moved back to India in 2007, he had also worked with the US-based Cramer-Krasselt and Admerasia, New York.
