Madison Media has unveiled a series of senior leadership appointments across its content, influencer marketing, south operations and sports divisions as part of its “Madison 3.0” transformation strategy. The moves bring experienced industry executives into expanded roles as the agency sharpens its focus on integrated marketing, creator-led engagement and sports partnerships.
In a significant organisational reshuffle aimed at preparing the business for the next phase of growth, Madison Media on Wednesday announced a slate of leadership appointments spanning client services, digital content, influencer marketing and sports marketing under its “Madison 3.0” strategy.
The changes reflect the agency’s effort to align itself with a rapidly evolving advertising and media landscape in which brands increasingly seek integrated campaigns that blend content, creators, commerce and consumer engagement across multiple platforms.
Among the key appointments is the return of Mayank Bhatnagar, who joins the company as Chief Client Officer. In his new role, Bhatnagar will oversee the agency’s south operations while steering growth initiatives for clients and the broader business in the region.
Bhatnagar brings more than 25 years of international experience spanning India, Malaysia and Singapore. Over the course of his career, he has held senior leadership positions at major global media networks including OMD, Carat and Mindshare.
His portfolio has covered sectors ranging from FMCG and telecom to automotive, banking, retail and education, with work spanning major international brands including Apple, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Mondelez International and Standard Chartered.
Speaking about his return, Bhatnagar said the advertising industry was moving away from “capability-led growth” towards “outcome-led partnerships”, adding that his focus would be on deepening client relationships and delivering measurable impact.
The company has also appointed Karan Rao as Vice President, Content and Influencer Marketing. Based in Mumbai, Rao will lead Madison Loop, the agency’s content and influencer division, into what the company describes as “Loop 2.0” — a new phase powered by a blend of human creativity and AI-driven capabilities.
Rao joins from LeapX, where he served as co-founder. He previously led StudioX for The Coca-Cola Company across India and South-West Asia and has also worked within the WPP network.
Commenting on the shift in brand communication, Rao said the creator economy had fundamentally transformed how brands interacted with audiences, adding that the ambition behind Loop 2.0 was to build meaningful content that consumers genuinely connected with.
Another major change sees Dinesh Rathod transition from leading Madison Media’s south business — a role he held for more than a decade — to spearheading the company’s expanding sports vertical.
Under his new mandate, Rathod will focus on cricket, emerging sports, live events and strategic partnerships while developing sports-led solutions for the agency’s clients. His appointment comes at a time when sports marketing in India is witnessing rapid expansion beyond cricket into newer leagues, digital fan engagement and experiential branding opportunities.
Rathod said sport had become one of the most effective ways for brands to create “passion-led consumer engagement”, adding that he hoped to build innovative partnerships across both established and emerging sporting ecosystems.
According to Ajit Varghese, Partner and Group CEO at Madison Media, the appointments are part of a deliberate effort to future-proof the organisation as client expectations evolve.
“Clients today expect ideas that move seamlessly across content, platforms, creators and commerce,” Varghese said, describing the new leadership structure as a combination of seasoned expertise and “new-age thinking”.
The leadership changes come as Madison Media continues to manage media planning and buying duties for a broad roster of Indian brands, including Asian Paints, Titan Company, TVS Motor Company, Pidilite Industries, Ceat, Blue Star and Polycab India.
The appointments underline how major media agencies are increasingly reorganising themselves around integrated capabilities, data-driven storytelling and specialised verticals such as influencer ecosystems and sports marketing, as competition intensifies in India’s rapidly changing advertising industry.
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