Indiantelevision.com Team

(2 July 2008 6:30 pm)

MUMBAI: Xpanse Asia India, the specialist small town and rural marketing network of Publicis Groupe, has roped in Ravi Balakrishnan as associate director-consumer context planning.

Xpanse Asia country head India Sandip Bansal said, "Ravi has an enthusiasm for understanding consumers and marketing that we found really heartening.

" I am looking forward to Ravi's driving consumer insights for our clients and their brands. Development of insight-based activation platforms and programmes, rather than random activities, has always been a priority for us at Xpanse, and Ravi comes to us at a time, when Clients are beginning to recognize and appreciate the value in our differentiated approach."

Balakrishnan, with over 10 years of experience in journalism, said, "While I have been at the sidelines of the business as an observer, I'm glad to have the chance to actively participate and contribute to it. Starcom's strong reputation in the marketplace, its focus on creating value for clients and its stated 'people first' approach were among the reasons I decided to join."

"A clear sense of progress, purpose, and direction came across in my recent interactions with the senior leadership of Starcom and Xpanse. There is a great opportunity to innovate and champion the growth in this space. I am truly excited by the prospect of contributing to Xpanse in the days to come," Balakrishnan added.