The agency's CXOs Rohan Mehta and Chandni Shah talk about being a part of a global ad network, practices that will shape the marketing ecosystem, and their dream board
Digital Marketing Mavericks is Storyboard18’s new series featuring some of the best digital-first, future-facing, homegrown and globally-networked agencies that are building brands and businesses fit for the new age.
In early 2020, much before the pandemic turned the world upside down, Interpublic Group’s FCB Group in India reached out to Kinnect, a homegrown digital hot shop, with a collaboration and partnership offer. Chandni Shah, the chief operating officer worked closely with Rohit Ohri who is the chairman and CEO, FCB Group India, and Nitin Karkare, CEO, FCB Ulka to understand what it is like working with a legacy ad agency before committing to anything. Shah tells Storyboard8, unlike other advertising groups, FCB’s global reporting structure is simple. “Both Rohit and Nitin equally invested time and energy to understand us and our culture. They were willing to learn from us too. FCB viewed this as a collaboration of equals. It was their positive mindset that made us say a yes,” she adds. In August 2021, FCB Group India acquired equity stake in Kinnect. Since then the agencies have pitched together, jammed on campaigns, and brought home Lions.
Rohan Mehta, CEO of Kinnect, believes the partnership with FCB Group came at the right time. Kinnect became a part of a legacy company and filled the missing puzzle when the world was moving online. FCB’s creative power infused with Kinnect's expertise and capabilties on the digital front is helping clients of the group to navigate through the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) world, says Mehta.