This Pride, Are Brands Ditching Tokenism or Just Disappearing; MediBuddy's Manu Sankar On The Art Of Contextuality In Marketing; FCB India & Havas Win 1 Gold Each On Day 1 Of Cannes Lions 2025

Greetings of the day!

Dear Reader

Welcome to another edition of 'Scoop', your bi-weekly dose of news from Marketing Mind!

This Pride Month, the usual burst of rainbow-themed campaigns has visibly toned down. Marketing Mind spoke to industry leaders who note a shift in brand behaviour, driven by fears of backlash, evolving DEI priorities, and a desire to avoid performative allyship, suggesting a move toward quieter, more introspective expressions of queer inclusion. Read on to know more! 

In this week's authored article, Manu Sankar Das, Senior Director - Brand Marketing, Media Buying and Consumer Insights at MediBuddy, highlighted the rising importance of contextual marketing in a cluttered digital landscape. He explored how timing, environment, platform behaviour, and emotional cues can shape more relevant, resonant brand conversations, without compromising consumer trust.

India opened its metal tally at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with two Gold Lions on Day 1. FCB India bagged a win in the Outdoor category for its ‘Lucky Yatra’ campaign, while Havas took home Gold in the Print and Publishing category for ‘Ink of Democracy’, marking a strong start for socially driven Indian entries.

To know it all, here’s our ‘Scoop’ of news, hot off the press & curated especially for you! Happy reading :)

Checkout:
How Father’s Day Gave Brands A Reason To Laugh, Cry & Celebrate Dads

• Zee Promoter Group To Infuse Rs 2,237 Crore To Raise Stake To 18.39%

• InMobi Rolls Out AI-powered Self-Serve Hub For Programmatic Media Buying

• Criteo & Dentsu Announce Global Commerce Media Partnership

• Kickers Appoints Team Pumpkin As Digital Marketing Agency For India Launch

• Tata Starbucks Clarifies It Has No Ties With Dolly Chaiwala As Brand Ambassador

• AdLift Secures SEO & Website Maintenance Mandate For Supertails

• Meta Appoints Arun Srinivas As Managing Director & Head for India

• Sachin Chhabra Exits From Relaxo As Vice President – Marketing

• Swati Dalal Appointed As Managing Director Of Zydus Healthcare

• Gaurav Jain Ends His Stint As Chief Business Officer At ShareChat & Moj

• Timex Group Appoints Varun Malik As General Manager- Marketing

• Puneet Biyani Joins TOI As VP & Head Of OOH, Branded Content & Exhibitions In Response

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