Goa: At Goafest 2025, a high-impact panel discussion titled “Merging Boundaries: From Placement to Partnership” brought together some of the brightest minds in advertising and marketing to explore the evolving media landscape. Moderated by Kartik Sharma, Group CEO of Omnicom Media Group India, the panel featured Satya Raghavan (Director, Marketing Partners, Google India), Rathi Gangappa (CEO, Starcom India), Ajit Varghese (Head of Revenue, Entertainment & International, JioStar), and Shubhranshu Singh (CMO, Tata Commercial Vehicles).
The panel dissected how media has evolved from a simple channel placement tool to a strategic partner in shaping business outcomes. Rathi Gangappa said, “It is no longer innovate or die; it is connect or die. Everything today about partnerships in our industry is about connectivity.”
Shubhranshu Singh emphasized the deep integration required between agencies and clients, “The distinction is no longer about two teams in different offices. Some agency members will soon be embedded in client facilities, some off-site, and others will consult on future-focused projects. The idea is hybrid collaboration.”
Adding to the advertiser perspective, Satya Raghavan likened modern agencies to superheroes in a multiverse. “The agency is literally the CMO’s superpower. With consumers scattered across platforms and touchpoints, agencies are tasked with showing the right ad at the right time, driven by first-party data and deep technology,” he said.
Ajit Varghese, with his unique dual perspective as a former media agency leader and current media network executive, simplified the ecosystem into three key functions: consumer understanding, content creation, and commerce. “Clients get what they demand. If they want deep partnership, agencies step up with enriched data, insights, and platform integrations,” he noted.
On the age-old debate of brand versus performance, the panel was in consensus: it’s no longer either-or. “The mental model is brandformance,” stated Raghavan, referring to Google’s own strategies. “YouTube branding drives search interest. Performance metrics benefit from brand campaigns.”
Shubhranshu Singh warned against the pitfalls of isolating brand and performance. “Performance media is baked into plans, but brand spends often remain discretionary. That imbalance is detrimental. You need a rich, strong brand as the base,” he argued.
Rathi Gangappa echoed this sentiment: “Most clients today are short-term focused. Performance is easy to measure, but it’s brand that delivers over time. Media people are now expected to be Jacks of all trades to respond to this complexity.”
The session concluded with a unified message: In an age dominated by AI, fragmented screens, and evolving customer journeys, partnerships must go beyond metrics. Agencies, marketers, and platforms must collaborate holistically—with creativity, data, and purpose leading the way.
