In today’s ever-evolving digital landscape, Hashtag Orange has emerged as a powerhouse of innovation, creativity, and results-driven marketing. Founded in 2018 by industry veteran Mukesh Vij, the agency has quickly carved a niche with its integrated, tech-enabled solutions and a bold, people-first culture rooted in Reward, Recognition, and Respect. With a rich portfolio featuring global brands like Meta, Toyota, and Starbucks, Hashtag Orange continues to redefine digital advertising benchmarks. In this exclusive interaction with MediaNews4U, Mr. Mukesh Vij shares insights into his journey, the agency’s growth story, and how a strong vision coupled with a relentless drive for excellence is shaping the future of digital marketing in India.
You’ve worked with large network agencies before. What gap did you see in the market that led to the founding of Hashtag Orange?
Mukesh Vij: During my tenure at WPP—first with Grey and later at GroupM—I had the opportunity to work across various verticals including marketing, finance, commercial operations, and even merger administration. This gave me an inside view of how network agencies function, especially during M&A discussions involving companies like The Glitch. It became evident that the term “integration” was often just a label. Most agencies collaborated with external partners or worked through loose joint ventures, which led to diluted accountability and scattered execution. I saw a clear need in the market for a truly integrated digital agency—one where strategy, tech, creative, and performance sit together under one roof, driven by practitioners who are accountable for outcomes. That’s what sparked the idea for Hashtag Orange in 2017.
In what ways is Hashtag Orange structured differently from typical digital agencies?
Mukesh Vij: At Hashtag Orange, we’ve intentionally built a structure that breaks away from the traditional fragmented agency model. We operate as a fully integrated digital partner—everything from technology and web development to creative, content, SEO, and performance marketing is done in-house. Our 30-member tech team works side-by-side with our performance and creative teams, ensuring seamless execution. This allows us to move faster, solve business problems holistically, and eliminate the blame game that often comes with multi-agency setups. We’re not just executing briefs; we’re solving business challenges—from poor conversion rates and broken user journeys to underperforming ad spends. We bring accountability to every layer of digital execution.
Can you share the philosophy that drives client relationships at Hashtag Orange?
Mukesh Vij: Our core belief is that we must grow with the client, not off the client. We’re not interested in being a short-term vendor executing tasks—we aim to be strategic partners. That’s why many of our relationships, like with The Man Company, have lasted since 2018. We invest in understanding a brand’s business model, pain points, and long-term objectives. Then we align our efforts accordingly—whether it’s streamlining their e-commerce funnel, building tech platforms from scratch, or launching performance campaigns with measurable ROI. Our clients know that we don’t sell them services; we deliver business solutions.
What vision drives the leadership at Hashtag Orange, and how has it influenced the agency’s direction in a competitive digital landscape?
Mukesh Vij: What sets us apart is the depth of our integration and the maturity of our leadership. We’re led by practitioners—senior leaders like Amit Shankar (ex-JWT, Publicis), Gaurang Menon (ex-BC Webwise), Swapnadip (ex-Wunderman Thompson), and Vineet Malhotra (ex-GroupM), Su Yin Teh( Ex.WPP), Ankush Vij, Umeish Shashidharan and Prashant Saini. These are people who’ve run businesses, not just managed accounts. Together, we’ve built an agency where decision-making is agile and accountable. Moreover, we don’t outsource the core. We don’t patch together digital services through freelancers or partners. Everything—tech, content, SEO, analytics, media—is managed in-house, which ensures quality, speed, and transparency. Clients appreciate the clarity that comes from having one partner who owns the entire digital journey.
What kind of clients and sectors do you work with today?
Mukesh Vij: We work with a diverse mix of brands across D2C, FMCG, enterprise, and education sectors. Some of our long-term clients include The Man Company, Mufti, Swiss Beauty, LPU, Honeywell, Signify (Philips), Biryani By Kilo, and Dr. Reddy’s JV with Nestlé. We’ve been able to deliver value because we treat each brand as a unique business problem to solve—not just a campaign to execute. Whether it’s setting up complete Shopify ecosystems, building content engines for beauty brands, or driving lead-gen for education platforms—we tailor our teams and solutions accordingly.
How has Hashtag Orange grown in terms of scale and revenue?
Mukesh Vij: We’ve seen strong growth over the past few years. In FY24, we closed at ₹70 crore, doubling from the previous year. This year, in FY25, we’re targeting ₹150 crore. This growth has been driven by long-term client retention, expanding mandates, and our ability to deliver measurable outcomes. We’ve consciously built a 100+ member team across Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Bangalore, making sure every hire aligns with our value of ownership and cross-functional thinking.
Q: How has digital penetration evolved in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets in India?
Mukesh Vij: Digital penetration in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities has increased significantly. While I don’t have exact numbers handy, we observe this shift through our work with retail clients like Monte Carlo. As a brand that has been around for over four years, Monte Carlo is actively expanding into smaller cities, driven by the growing internet user base there. We also see a rising demand for regional content creators because the audience today is predominantly in these smaller markets.
Q: How have campaign KPIs and measurement evolved over recent years?
Mukesh Vij: Three years ago, the focus was primarily on visibility or traffic metrics. But today, especially with Digital platforms becoming more expensive, clients are laser-focused on ROAS (Return on Advertising Spend). ROAS has become the north star for performance marketing. When it comes to lead generation campaigns—for clients like Honeywell or LPU—Cost Per Lead (CPL) is the key metric. Clients expect full accountability for every rupee spent.
Q: How do you balance short-term returns with long-term brand equity?
Mukesh Vij: There is always pressure to deliver short-term results, but we believe in being honest with clients. If a client expects a 6X ROAS, we explain why such expectations may not be realistic. Instead of making unrealistic promises, we provide a roadmap supported by data and audits. For example, if a client asks why their market share isn’t growing by 20% when the market itself is only expanding at 5%, we show them the competitive landscape, historical performance, and what outcomes are feasible.
Q: What is your approach to retaining clients over the long term?
Mukesh Vij: Our approach is to underpromise and overdeliver. For instance, we began with Honeywell by simply building a microsite. Today, we work with their global teams. Similarly, with clients like Mufti and LPU, our services have expanded from SEO to comprehensive creative and performance marketing. This growth reflects the trust we’ve built over time. We’re proud that more than a dozen clients have been with us since 2018.
Q: What role does generative AI play in your creative process
Mukesh Vij: Generative AI is useful for ideation, but creativity remains a human domain. Tools like Sonado help us quickly create musical compositions or script drafts, but the final output must capture human nuance. Clients are not necessarily pushing us to use AI—they expect exceptional work, which requires human insight, emotion, and strategic thinking.
Q: What are your views on industry-wide payment challenges and the need for a trade body?
Mukesh Vij: The government’s MSME regulation that mandates payment within 45 days is a strong tool. If paperwork is in order, payments should not be an issue. We are fortunate that most of our clients respect timelines. That said, having a collective digital agency trade body could help standardize practices and resolve disputes more effectively. But even now, the MSME law is a powerful lever if agencies use it wisely.
Q: How do you handle client expectations and competition during pitches?
Mukesh Vij: We have lost pitches to agencies that undercut us on price, but we do not compromise on the quality of resources. Sustainable delivery requires a strong team, and that comes at a cost. We are transparent with clients about who will be working on their business. Clients who value this clarity stay with us; those who don’t are a misfit from the start. We prefer walking away rather than making promises we cannot keep.
