MRUC names Ravi Rao as Chairman for 2013 - 14

The Media Research Users Council (MRUC) at its annual General Meeting yesterday has appointed Ravi Rao, Leader South Asia, GroupM as the new Chairman for the year 2013-12.  Rao takes over from Ravindra Kumar of Statesman. MRUC sources said Prashant Pandey, CEO, ENIL has been appointed as the Vice-Chairman.

Rao has over two decades of experience in the media & advertising industry and has been a part of several big agencies prior to GroupM, such as Lintas, BBDO Dubai, Mindshare Dubai and OMD Dubai. He has worked on several accounts like LG, Dulux, Pepsi and others during this period. Rao was Vice-Chairman of MRUC before the current elevation.

It may be noted that MRUC is a registered not-for-profit body of members drawn from major Advertisers, Advertising Agencies, Publishers, and Broadcast/Other Media. It has nearly 250 members. Active in media research, MRUC has championed only one cause over the last eighteen years and that is to ensure that users have valid, timely and cost-effective audience assessment on media. It was set up with the intent of improving the media industry and comprises of professionals who know what organized media research is all about. MRUC conducts research at regular intervals, capturing relevant information on growing media and product ownership & consumption based on industry needs. Its data and findings have high levels of accuracy, adequate sample size and represent a good sample spread.

MRUC also appointed three new members from the publisher’s category into the 24 member Board of Governors. They are Benoy Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director, HT Media; Arun Anant, CEO, The Hindu; and Hormusji N Cama, Director of Gujarati daily, Bombay Samachar. Of these Cama has been is the ex-MRUC Chairman, in 2011-12.