Neo@Ogilvy enters into a JV with Smile Group; Sanjay Ramakrishnan to head the country

Ogilvy India today announced a JV between Neo@Ogilvy and the Smile Group to strengthen its Performance Marketing, eCommerce and Mobile offerings. The JV will also set up a Global Media Delivery Hub to service Neo@Ogilvy’s Global Media Operations.

Sanjay Ramakrishnan has been brought on-board as Country Head, Neo@Ogilvy India.

Sanjay has over 15 years working across Digital Media, eCommerce, Mobile, Telecom and Consumer Technology. He moves in from Vizury where he was the GM for India, S.E. Asia and MENA; prior to which he was SVP Marketing at Myntra. He has also held senior marketing roles at Google, Intel, Geodesic and Worldspace.

While OgilvyOne drives all Digital Strategy and Creative Services for clients in India, Neo@Ogilvy’s specific focus is on Digital Media, Performance Marketing, eCommerce and Mobile Marketing. Neo@Ogilvy’s client roster in India includes IBM, Diageo, British Airways, The Economist and The Which Group, among others.

Piyush Pandey, Executive Chairman and Creative Director, Ogilvy South Asia says “This JV is one more step ahead in our digital journey. Harish’s experience in Digital Media and eCommerce will help drive rapid growth in these areas. And Sanjay Ramakrishnan is a fantastic young business leader with the right skills to lead Neo@Ogilvy in India.”

Harish Bahl, Chairman, Smile Group adds “The vision of the partnership is to be able to offer world class services to local & global clients of Ogilvy and Neo respectively, using the expertise and experience of Smile in the areas of Performance Marketing, eCommerce and Mobile. Sanjay, who will be the Country Head of Neo@Ogilvy India, brings on board a good blend of e-retail and performance marketing expertise both in Internet & Mobile and is best positioned to build a leadership position for Neo India around this business focus, which we believe are the future high growth areas for Digital agencies.”

Vikram Menon, President & Country Head, OgilvyOne India says “We're really excited with the JV with the Smile Group. Strategically this fits perfectly into our plans to offer the best capability across Digital to our clients. The Neo-Smile JV, with Sanjay at it's helm, will do just that. Ensuring that Ogilvy is able to deliver the best across Digital Media, Performance Marketing, eCommerce and Mobile.”

Sanjay Ramakrishnan, President & Country Head, Neo@Ogilvy India further adds “I am excited to be part of Ogilvy and drive this JV with the Smile Group. The aim is to recast Neo@Ogilvy as one of the most effective digital media companies in the country with a clear focus on performance marketing, mobile and eCommerce. I have been a marketer all my life and I believe there is a gap in the way paid digital media is intergrated with traditional marketing and communication.The goal is to change that through Neo@Ogilvy. End-to-end eCommerce Solutions is another unique offering that this JV brings to the table and I’m keen to use the skills I have to drive it.”