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Narayan Devanathan joins Dentsu Marcom as national planning head
Devanathan joins Dentsu Marcom from Euro RSCG, where he was chief strategy officer. His primary responsibilities will involve leading strategic planning for current and prospective clients across Dentsu Marcom offices in India.
Narayan Devanathan has joined Dentsu Marcom as national planning head. Devanathan moves in from Euro RSCG, where he was chief strategy officer.
Commenting on the new appointment, Rohit Ohri, executive chairperson, Dentsu India Group, in an official communiqué, says, "It's an exciting time for us at Dentsu India Group. We have triggered a transformation, a new beginning and a reinvigoration of our India presence. Devanathan will partner Titus Upputuru and Hiroshi Omata to lead Dentsu Marcom to its next phase of growth."
Devanathan says, "Over the years, I have figured the three principles that I work best by are honesty, simplicity and collaboration. In the new scheme of things at Dentsu India, that's what I am looking to harness as the head of strategic planning - to help create a fantastic future for brands, together with my agency, Dentsu Marcom and client partners. After some terrific stints at American and Indian agencies, I guess I am hoping to find love in Tokyo, too."
Devanathan, who has more than 19 years of experience in the advertising business, has worked across capacities in planning and copy with leading advertising agencies in India and the United States.
After graduating with biology from Osmania University in 1992, he completed MBA in marketing from the same university. He joined R K Swamy BBDO in 1994 and worked at the agency for two years.
Next, he moved to Vyapthi Communications as head, copy and planning, in 1996. Later, he moved to Admerasia as copywriter and after a year, in 2004, he switched to Cramer-Krasselt as senior planner. Subsequently, he joined Ogilvy India as senior planning director in 2007 and worked with the agency for two years before moving to Euro RSCG.
Some of the key brands that Devanathan has helped build are the Reckitt Benckiser portfolio (including Dettol, Strepsils, Lysol, Mortein, Airwick, Harpic, Easy Off Bang, Veet and Vanish, among others), Fair & Lovely (digital for Unilever), Sprite, KFC, American Express, GE Healthcare, Mitsubishi Motors, Baskin-Robbins, IBM, Motorola, Cisco, Teacher's (Beam Global Spirits), Hennessey, New York Life Insurance, Pramerica Life Insurance, MetLife, Corelle, CorningWare, Pyrex, GNC, WD-40, and Bombardier Recreational Products.