NEW DELHI: Edelman has elevated Ashutosh Munshi as head of brand for Asia Pacific. Prior to this new role, he was head of brand for India. He will now report to Edelman’s global chair of brand and F&B Megan Van Someren, and Edelman Asia-Pacific CEO Stephen Kehoe.

Munshi's mandate is to oversee the launch of regional capabilities for the brand practice, involving stronger integration and collaboration across the agency's strategy, creative, data and analytics, influencer, digital and public relations capabilities.

“As we look ahead at the new year and at the continuous shifts in consumer expectations, how brands behave matters more than ever before,” said Van Someren. “The time is now for brands to step up and put trust at the helm - and not just through communication, but through action and advocacy. We are delighted to have Ashutosh take on this new role, to which he brings over twenty years of experience integrating and delivering strategic, creative and insight-driven work."

Kehoe added, “Our brand practice at Edelman continues to lead the industry. Whether it is Adidas in China, GSK in Australia, Oatly in Hong Kong or PepsiCo in India, our brand team in Asia-Pacific continues to produce award-winning work for our clients. As a testament to our talent and commitment to grow from within, I am proud to see Ashutosh now take the lead in launching new regional capabilities for our Brand practice, setting the bar higher in areas of brand obsession, curiosity and excellence.”

Munshi joined Edelman 18 years ago and has worked across Mumbai, London and New York offices during this time. He has led the market’s brand and creative teams on the creation of new communications products for authentic influencer marketing, brand campaign risk assessments and the firm’s earned creative capability.

“This year has seen a paradigm shift in how brands need to communicate and engage with consumers and society at large,” said Munshi. “At Edelman, we believe that it has become even more critical for brands to navigate these changes, in order to earn attention and play a larger role in society. This involves adopting a marketing approach reset that places the action at the core, striking the right tone with earned-centric creative ideas, and using trusted voices and credible peer channels. I look forward to bringing this thinking to our clients across the Asia-Pacific region.”