MUMBAI: Saatchi & Saatchi India has appointed Vidhya Sankarnarayanan as VP - integrated brand strategy at its Mumbai office.

Sankarnarayanan will be involved in driving brand solutions and creating brand opportunities through multichannel experiences. She will work closely with chief strategy officer Sourabh Mishra. The appointment comes as a part of the agency‘s efforts of a makeover.

he comes in from SapientNitro where she was head of strategy and was integral to establishing the global start up tech-agency‘s business in the country over the last two and a half years. During this time, she has worked with brands like Sprite, Fanta, Blenders Pride Fashion Tour, Chivas Regal and Taco Bell. She also pitched for and went on to partner some of the agency‘s key regional businesses, including Unilever‘s Lifebuoy and Paddle Pop brands.

Saatchi & Saatchi Mumbai GM Nisha Singhania said, "We are in the middle of a huge makeover at Saatchi India. We are about transformational ideas which are media agnostic. Vidhya‘s consolidated experience of unearthing human truths along with her recent digital experience are just what we need at Saatchi because we believe we are in the Age of Now - which is all about Participation, Inspiring, Interaction, Return on Involvement and creating Movements. Vidhya is going to be one of the critical change agents for the new Saatchi."

Sankarnarayanan said, "I join Saatchi with a mandate to drive brand solutions and create brand opportunities through multichannel experiences that hinge on social, cultural and human truths. Given Saatchi‘s rich creative heritage and current focus on India, it is at the same time the most challenging and most exciting assignment I have had till date. This is a time when people, companies and brands in India are being revolutionised by technology and new media. The greatest imperative for Saatchi as a brand as well as for the brands we will shape in the future is the opportunity to be agents of this revolution, as we will inevitably be products of it."

Sankarnarayanan has extensive experience in studying, feeding off and creating popular culture. Her career spans across job profiles of a radio jockey, ethnographic scout, brand consultant, communication strategist and new media evangelist. She has spent a decade partnering marketers, NGOs, technologists, entrepreneurs, and professionals from the creative arts.

With a total of 12 years of experience, Sankarnarayanan has been associated with an eclectic mix of categories and businesses like FMCGs, finance, retail, food and beverages, clothing and accessories, health and hygiene, beauty, B2C services, pharmaceuticals, travel, alcohol, technology and gaming.