Connecting business and brands to the world, GOZOOP is an independent marketing group that offers creative and strategic solutions, helping brands to further strengthen their dominance. The GOZOOP Group specialises in crafting integrated solutions with a platform-agnostic approach and an effective blend of creative and technology services.
Founded in 2008 by Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, Rohan Bhansali and Dushyant Bhatia, the group has witnessed exponential growth in their quest to become one of India’s leading and largest independent home-grown global advertising groups. Spearheaded with over 300+ marketers, emerging leaders and industry stalwarts, GOZOOP Group comprises the best of dedicated & focused minds, catering to the biggest brands in India and the Middle East.
With an endeavour to help brands and businesses win in the new world, GOZOOP Group has partnered with brands like Dell, Asian Paints, Taj Hotels, Bisleri, Viacom18, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Star Bharat, PizzaExpress, Club Mahindra Holidays, Mad Over Donuts, ITC Ltd. and many more to create award-winning and noteworthy campaigns. With a fresh proposition “#BreakTheBox” the group is focussed on becoming the largest independent home-grown global advertising group.
Tiding against the norm of Indian marketing agencies, GOZOOP Group has engraved an independent path. While staying independent, the group prides itself on five global acquisitions that include Stratton Communications (2021), Hat Media (2018), 56 Blue Lights (2016), iThink (2014) and Red Digital (2013).
Medianews4u.com caught up with Rohan Bhansali, Executive Chairman and Co-founder of Gozoop Group
Q. Gozoop started back in 2010. How has it evolved over the years in terms of its offerings?
When we launched Gozoop in 2010, digital marketing was still an emerging space. We started as a digital-first agency, helping brands establish their presence online. Over the years, we have evolved into an independent, integrated marketing network, expanding our expertise across creative communication, campaign planning and execution, brand reputation management, influencer marketing, performance marketing, and media planning & buying.
Today, Gozoop operates through five verticals—GOZOOP Creative, HAWK (Gozoop Group), GZ Studios, GZ Pure, and GZ Vicara—offering end-to-end solutions that go beyond conventional marketing. Our #BreakTheBox approach pushes us to innovate fearlessly, leveraging strategy, technology, and storytelling to create impactful campaigns for brands.
Our independence is our strength. Unlike many agencies aligning with global networks, we have chosen to build India’s own homegrown, independent marketing powerhouse, ensuring agility, creativity, and client-first strategies. We’ve collaborated with renowned brands like Hero Honda, Dell, DBS Bank, Tim Hortons, Godrej Properties, and Oppo, delivering award-winning and impactful work.Through strategic acquisitions like Red Digital and 56 Blue Lights, we have further expanded our capabilities, reinforcing our commitment to reshaping how brands connect with the world.
Q. In 2025, what are the goals in terms of revenue, profitability, and growing the client base?
In 2025, we are focussed on scaling revenue, driving profitability, and expanding the client base while maintaining our position as an independent, leadership-driven creative agency. Our growth strategy includes diversifying service offerings, strengthening existing verticals, and exploring strategic joint ventures, mergers, and acquisitions to enhance capabilities and market presence.
We aim to expand our 360-degree creative and digital solutions, integrating performance-driven advertising, data-backed storytelling, and omnichannel campaigns across TV, DVCs, print, and digital. A key highlight this year is our partnership with the International Masters League (IML), where we are driving fan engagement through strategic social media initiatives, behind-the-scenes storytelling, and player collaborations, making it a standout cricketing event on digital platforms.
Our ORM arm, HAWK, will continue helping brands build trust by enhancing customer experiences, mitigating reputational risks, and driving meaningful engagement. Additionally, we are committed to nurturing long-term client relationships through business-driven marketing strategies that directly impact brand growth.
Q. What has the strategy been to forge long-term relationships with clients?
We don’t see ourselves as just an agency—we are strategic partners invested in our clients’ success. Our approach is built on trust, transparency, and delivering measurable business impact. Brands work with us knowing that we are committed to their long-term growth, not just through compelling storytelling but also by driving sales-focussed, result-oriented campaigns that make a tangible difference. A prime example of this commitment is our partnership with Mad Over Donuts (MOD).
Beyond traditional creative roles, we act as MOD’s strategic brand ally, overseeing everything from creative campaigns and packaging design to product development and omnichannel marketing strategies. Our 360-degree approach has helped MOD enhance its brand love, visibility, and customer engagement, making it one of India’s most loved QSR brands. Whether it’s crafting powerful brand narratives, managing reputations in real-time, or orchestrating integrated marketing solutions like we do for MOD, our solutions are designed for lasting impact. This commitment to performance and value has helped us build enduring relationships with some of our clients.
Q. One area of focus is constant reinvention. What does this entail? Is getting complacent a challenge for agencies that have been around for a while?
I don’t think of reinvention as a separate pursuit—it’s about constantly adapting to how digital, marketing, and technology evolve. Things are moving faster than ever, especially with AI accelerating change and new platforms reshaping consumer behaviour. The key is to stay true to our core philosophies while using the latest tools to be more effective in delivering creative, business-driven solutions.
The goal never changes – creating impactful work that drives results but the path to getting there is always shifting. With new agencies entering the space, offering services faster, cheaper, and more aggressively, there’s always that push to stay ahead. That’s what keeps us on our toes, refining our approach, improving efficiency, and making sure we’re not just keeping up but leading the way.
Q. Does a large portion of the agency’s business come from the digital domain? Kindly elaborate.
Yes, the majority of our business comes from the digital domain—it has been at the core of Gozoop since day one. Whether it’s digital creative, brand reputation management, SEO, or media, digital runs through everything we do.
Over the years, we’ve expanded into integrated marketing, but digital remains the backbone, shaping how we approach performance marketing, social media strategies, and online reputation management.
Q. Does Gozoop focus a lot on how its work can drive business outcomes for a client?
Driving real business outcomes is at the heart of everything we do. We don’t believe in marketing for the sake of marketing, it has to move the needle, whether in sales, brand preference, or customer loyalty. Our approach is holistic and impact-driven, ensuring that every campaign delivers tangible results.
For Simply Fresh, one of India’s leading cooking oil brands, our #RakhoIraadeFresh campaign went beyond traditional advertising by crowdsourcing inspiring stories and creating a platform for changemakers.
By managing digital marketing, social media, TV commercials, print ads, influencer collaborations, in-store promotions, and OTT advertising, we strengthened Simply Fresh’s brand identity and audience engagement, ultimately driving business impact.
Similarly, our work for Chinese Wok highlights how we craft brand narratives that create real consumer connections. The #WokInSpiceItUp campaign positioned the QSR chain as the go-to dining destination for urban millennials and families.
Through visually appealing storytelling and relatable themes, we helped enhance customer footfall and brand love, reinforcing its desi Chinese flavors and vibrant atmosphere. Whether through purpose-driven campaigns like Simply Fresh or immersive brand storytelling like Chinese Wok, we ensure that our creative efforts directly contribute to a brand’s growth and business success.
Our work for chinese wok –
Our work for Simply Fresh –
Q. What role have acquisitions like Red Digital and 56 Blue Lights played in helping the agency scale?
Acquisitions have played a crucial role in Gozoop’s growth and expansion. When we acquired Red Digital, it gave us a strong foothold in the Indian market. At one point, nearly two-thirds of our revenue came from Dubai, but with this acquisition, both India and Dubai became key markets for us. It also gave us access to major clients like Dell, who continue to work with us to this day. Similarly, 56 Blue Lights helped us strengthen our operations in Dubai.
It brought in expertise in events and film marketing, allowing us to expand our service offerings in the region. The impact of these acquisitions has been clear, they have not only broadened our capabilities but also deepened our presence across markets.
Q. Last year Gozoop Hawk bagged the listening and digital response management duties for Amazon miniTV. Has online reputation management become an increasingly important focus area for brands?
More than ever. Today, a brand’s reputation is built or broken in real-time. Consumers expect quick, meaningful engagement, and one negative conversation left unchecked can snowball into a crisis.
Our specialised reputation management wing, Gozoop Hawk, ensures that brands are not just responding but proactively shaping conversations. Winning the Amazon miniTV mandate reaffirmed the growing need for brands to have a dedicated reputation management strategy.
Q. How did the strategic collaboration with Puretech Digital come about?
Our strategic collaboration with Puretech Digital was built on a foundation of shared values and complementary strengths. I have known Prashant (Puretech’s founder) since 2021, and over time, we realized that both our companies were charting independent but synergistic paths.
That’s what led to the formation of GZPure, a joint venture between Gozoop and Puretech. The collaboration has been extremely successful, allowing us to leverage each other’s expertise and scale effectively. In just the first year of the JV, we achieved a topline of ₹45 crores, proving the strength of this partnership not just operationally, but financially as well. By combining our capabilities, we continue to drive meaningful impact for brands while staying true to our shared vision for growth and innovation.
Q. How has Gozoop integrated AI into its operations?
We see AI as an ally, not a replacement. It plays an integral role across our creative, operational, and strategic functions. In design and copy, we leverage AI-powered tools to enhance creative output, helping our teams push boundaries while maintaining a strong human touch. While Generative AI has its limitations, we ensure we use it to its full potential to improve efficiency and ideation.
Beyond creativity, AI is transforming our hiring process—a significant part of candidate filtering is now handled through AI bots, allowing our teams to focus on deeper evaluation and culture fit. We also see AI playing a bigger role across our horizontal units, including HR, finance and IT, optimizing workflows and decision-making.
