Mumbai: FCB Group India has announced the elevation of Vidyadhar Wabgaonkar as the CEO of FCB Cogito, the independent consulting arm of the Group in India. The Group recently also announced restructuring of operations in a three-agency structure of FCB Ulka, FCB Interface and FCB India. The elevation of Vidyadhar Wabgaonkar is yet another step to enhance the Group’s 360-degree capabilities.
As an independent Brand and Marketing Consulting arm, FCB Cogito has advised large Indian and International companies in various aspects of branding and marketing, from diversification decisions, entry strategy, brand rejuvenation to getting ready for future and upcoming competition. It has built salient knowledge assets for the Group, such as Auto Mood, Woman Mood, Brand Relationship Style Monitor, A decode of the rise of Patanjali and several more. It is also the Group’s way of claiming a seat at the CXO table, ahead of competition.
Vidyadhar Wabgaonkar, popularly known as Wabs, has been leading FCB Cogito for over four years now. An engineering gold medalist and a rank holding MBA from IIM Kolkata, Wabs comes with a rich marketing background that includes stints in P&G India and MARICO Industries. He has made many lustrous brands of the country shine and stand out in the competitive marketplace. His unique expertise lies in seamless combination of qualitative and quantitative aspects and the application of tenets of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to marketing and business management. He is also a certified life coach and a Master Practitioner of NLP. Under Wabs’s aegis, FCB Cogito Consulting has come to be known for its strong proprietary products like ‘Chess’ for getting clients ready for competition and future and ‘Brand Hormone’ for rejuvenating brands.
The Group is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and this elevation comes in at a very crucial time when the agency is looking forward to the next 60 years in India. Speaking on Wabs’ elevation, Nitin Karkare, Vice Chairman, FCB Ulka, said, “FCB Cogito has been the secret weapon in our armory. It represents our capability to solve higher-order problems for our clients with data and insight-driven solutions. It is our intellectual capital, and a means to provide strategic partnership to our clients. Wabs always brings a fresh perspective, and in today’s times, his unique skills are going to be invaluable to brands as they navigate uncharted terrains.”
Speaking on his new role, Wabs said, “FCB Cogito believes that most clients have the resources required to be successful. It is the paradigm that connects the resources that often need evolution. ‘Why buy me’ is the most important question that each brand needs to answer, and the answer frequently lies well beyond the tangible aspects of the brand. A good answer and a consensus around it, together multiply the force of selling and marketing manifold.”
