Prajjal Saha
Media

Bhaskar Group diversifies into activations business

The group has brought in Viinod Nair, CEO, Eventus Integrated Management, as head of the new company, DB Aktivations

Bhaskar Group of publications has launched a new company, DB Aktivations. The newly formed company will deal in entertainment events, sales promotions, road shows, channel management and dealer management.

Confirming this development, Sanjeev Kotnala, senior general manager, brand strategy and communication, Bhaskar Group, says, “With this diversification, Bhaskar Group will extend its reach beyond print and provide services in the on-ground activities sector.”

He further adds, “This new company will help us consolidate our phenomenal reach and leadership in key markets of Gujarat and North India, and build synergies through print and below-the-line activities for both our clients and the agencies.”

Bhaskar group has brought in a senior communication specialist, Vinod Nair to head this new venture. He is moving from Eventus Integrated Management (a division of Aegis of UK and Percept D Mark ), where he was the chief executive officer.

Nair has a vast experience in both mainline advertising as well as experimental marketing, having worked for agencies such as McCann Erickson, Enterprise Nexus, Everest, Nexus Equity, Sistas and Saatchi & Saatchi.

In the field of experiential marketing, he has worked for brands such as Coca-Cola, L’Oreal, The Times of India, Raymond, Carlsberg, Johnson & Johnson, Dupont and HDFC Bank

Talking about this new venture, Nair says, “We will provide our clients in Mumbai with services in the markets where we already have a strong media presence and can provide local activation initiatives.”

Interestingly, rival group Dainik Jagran also provides a similar service with Jagran Solutions. Nair says, “But their market is in UP, Bihar and Punjab, while we will be operational in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Haryana and Chandigarh. So hopefully, there would be no clash between the two groups.”

Nair also said that in the first six months, the main focus of the company would be to provide services to its clients in Mumbai. In the second phase, the company would concentrate on the Delhi market. By the end of next fiscal, Nair hopes to generate a business of Rs 1 crore.

At present, the company has bagged a business from Fulcrum to manage the below-the-line activities for the brand Lifebuoy. Nair says, “ It's a 10-city activity and our aim is to reach out to the school kids through a health and hygiene programme.” The activities will begin from February 14.

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