Inside Dentsu Creative India’s strategy for innovation and business transformation
Mumbai: Dentsu Creative India is part of the global dentsu network, renowned for delivering integrated creative solutions that blend strategy, design, technology, and storytelling. As one of India’s leading creative agencies, it serves a diverse portfolio of clients across various industries. With a focus on innovation and cultural relevance, the agency specializes in crafting memorable campaigns that drive brand engagement and business growth.
Dentsu Creative India has garnered recognition for its transformative campaigns, combining creativity with cutting-edge technology. It excels in areas such as digital transformation, brand storytelling, content production, and experiential marketing. The agency has won numerous accolades for its work, both nationally and globally, reinforcing its reputation as a powerhouse of creativity. By leveraging consumer insights and data, Dentsu Creative India helps brands stay ahead in the fast-evolving Indian market.
In June 2022, Amit Wadhwa led Dentsu Creative India to global recognition, winning the ‘Agency of the Year’ title at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2022 – a first-ever for India. A seasoned leader with over 21 years of experience in brand management, Amit believes in leading from the front. An absolute visionary, he has consistently shattered conventional creative norms with unmatched expertise. Amit’s futuristic approach brings exceptional clarity, making him one of the most approachable creative minds. He has a strong track record of building brands, creating organizations with robust, culture-based setups, and transforming businesses through the power of integration. His ability to foresee and create exceptional work continues to inspire those around him. As a dedicated leader, Amit has always ensured his team moves forward, including when Dentsu Creative India made history.
MadeInmedia.in’s Kalpana Ravi spoke to Amit Wadhwa, CEO – South Asia, Dentsu Creative, about the growth of Dentsu Creative India, its emphasis on creativity, pushing boundaries, and much more.
Excerpts:
Dentsu Creative India has experienced impressive growth, particularly in diverse and emerging markets. What cornerstone strategies have enabled the agency to successfully expand its footprint?
Growth at Dentsu Creative India is driven by a strategic foundation that thrives on constant evolution, empowering us to anticipate and meet dynamically changing client needs with precision. I firmly believe that success stories aren’t just written – they’re forged. Our approach rests on two strategic pillars that propel us to redefine what success looks like for our clients.
Strengthening the Core is our first cornerstone. By putting clients at the center, we prioritize relationships that deliver lasting value and measurable growth. This commitment is underscored by our top 20 clients achieving an impressive 26% growth, reflecting our relentless dedication to delivering ambitious, reliable outcomes.
Equally pivotal is Evolving the Future. Change is more than a concept at dentsu; it’s in our DNA. We’ve seen a 20% growth in emerging areas like creative tech, UI/UX, social media, and influencer marketing. Our primary commitment is to stay ahead of trends and create relevance across channels. It’s this forward-thinking approach that has made us dentsu’s fastest-growing unit, showcasing the power of a team that’s constantly pushing boundaries.
More importantly, Innovating to Impact, our guiding principle, isn’t just a tagline – It’s the dentsu way that directs us along this path. It enables us to create real change through purpose-driven innovation. We draw from India’s cultural diversity, collaborate across global practices, and co-create with clients to address pressing challenges. Leveraging advanced technology isn’t just about driving results; it’s about making a tangible impact, measuring success through business outcomes, societal contributions, and the transformative influence we bring to every market we touch.
Under your leadership, what new creative or digital innovations can we expect from Dentsu Creative’s flagship units, i.e., Dentsu Creative Isobar, and Dentsu Creative Webchutney? How are you positioning these teams to lead in a highly competitive digital landscape?
You can expect innovations in both ideas and experiences from Dentsu Creative’s flagship units: Dentsu Creative Isobar, and Dentsu Creative Webchutney. These teams will push creative boundaries to deliver unique, impactful campaigns that resonate deeply with audiences.
In terms of business innovations, we are focused on developing new ideas, products, and solutions that are not only aligned with the current digital landscape but also ahead of it. We are positioning these teams to lead in the highly competitive digital market by fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration, investing in cutting-edge technologies, and nurturing talent driven by innovation. By combining creativity with strategic thinking and technology, we aim to maintain leadership in an ever-evolving digital space.
The agency emphasizes delivering business transformation through creativity. Could you share specific examples of how your creative solutions have driven measurable impact for clients and transformed their businesses?
At Dentsu Creative India, we embrace the profound responsibility of elevating the performance of India’s most iconic brands. Our work with these brands isn’t just about one campaign or one big idea; it’s about consistently delivering impact through a sustained, thoughtful approach.
Our long-standing relationships with these brands underscore the measurable success we’ve achieved for them over time. Impact, in our view, is a journey – a series of strategically crafted messages and flawless executions that resonate, adapt, and evolve with the brand’s needs. This approach has allowed us to create significant transformations, not just through creativity but through solutions that drive business objectives forward.
For instance, our Motorola Deep Connect campaign leveraged innovative technology to foster deeper audience engagement, transforming a traditional campaign into an immersive experiential touchpoint that transcended conventional advertising. Our Unfiltered History Tour campaign for VICE creatively redefined historical storytelling, positioning the brand as a pioneer in educational content while driving strong consumer connections and recognition.
In every campaign, we prioritize client objectives, delivering not only creativity but also measurable business results. By leveraging our unique capabilities across creative tech, digital strategy, and immersive storytelling, we ensure that each touchpoint delivers a meaningful impact. This is our approach to business transformation – it’s about co-creating solutions that yield tangible, sustainable results and make a lasting difference.
As you integrate creativity, technology, and consulting to offer holistic services, how do you ensure that each element complements the other to deliver seamless and impactful solutions for your clients?
As a network, we believe that creativity, technology, and consulting are not just integrated—they are complementary and essential to delivering seamless and impactful solutions. To me, consulting provides the strategic foundation: it defines what needs to be done and how it should be done. Creativity then offers the solution, turning that strategy into a compelling narrative. Technology ensures the solution is executed as efficiently and effectively as possible, using the latest tools and platforms.
This holistic approach is what sets Dentsu Creative India apart. By combining strategy, creativity, and technology, we offer end-to-end solutions that are innovative and highly effective in driving business transformation. We’ve seen this come to life across brands, where the seamless integration of all three has led to measurable results.
Ultimately, this synergy makes us a true growth partner for our clients. It’s about ensuring that every element complements the others, providing a unified approach from strategy to execution, and delivering continuous value and impact. That’s the essence of our approach, and it’s what we’re focused on achieving for every client.
In today’s fast-evolving market, how do you plan to stay ahead of emerging trends, and how do you ensure your offerings remain aligned with both technological advancements and shifting client expectations?
On the people front, we believe in constant upskilling and talent evolution. Our teams are continuously learning and adapting to ensure we stay ahead of the curve. We also prioritize hiring for capabilities and mindsets that will drive innovation and help us adapt to shifting market needs. This blend of seasoned expertise and fresh perspectives keeps us future-ready.
On the product and solution side, we are committed to evolving with the times. We actively explore the latest creative technologies and new ways of using influencers, managing online reputation, and harnessing AI to provide smart, innovative solutions. This is an ongoing effort – our approach is dynamic, ensuring we adapt and innovate with the ever-changing landscape. As the world transforms, so do our offerings, ensuring that we are always aligned with technological advancements and evolving client expectations.
At the heart of our strategy is a focus on delivering value through innovation, ensuring that we stay ahead in a rapidly changing world. We continue to push the boundaries of creativity and technology, ensuring our solutions not only meet but exceed client needs, contributing to long-term success and societal betterment. This approach allows us to not only keep pace with change but to lead it.
In an agency driven by innovation, how do you foster a culture where your team consistently pushes creative boundaries, and what steps do you take to ensure innovation also contributes to positive social and cultural change?
Fostering a culture of innovation begins with walking the talk. Innovation for us is not just a buzzword; it’s a way of life – a commitment to consistently pushing creative boundaries and delivering transformative solutions. We have long embraced this mindset, constantly developing groundbreaking solutions that challenge the status quo and reshape the way we approach marketing and business transformation.
Technology investment plays a crucial role in enabling creative freedom. By continuously investing in cutting-edge tools and platforms, we empower our teams to experiment, innovate, and bring new ideas to life. This ensures our work remains at the forefront of industry trends and aligned with emerging technologies.
Innovation is embedded in the fabric of dentsu. It’s not only the responsibility of creative teams but also integrated into the Key Result Areas (KRAs) of every employee, especially senior leadership. This top-down commitment ensures that innovation becomes part of our collective DNA, driving boundary-pushing solutions at every level.
Innovation at our agency is not just about creating the next big idea; it’s about creating ideas that have a positive social and cultural impact. We are deeply committed to ensuring that our creative endeavors contribute to meaningful societal change, whether it’s through promoting sustainability, advancing diversity and inclusion, or using our platform to drive important conversations. This commitment to innovation with purpose allows us to stay true to our values while making a tangible difference in the world.
By blending creativity, technology, and a focus on social impact, we create an environment where innovation thrives, benefiting both our clients and society at large.
As the industry undergoes digital transformation, how is Dentsu Creative positioning itself to capitalize on key trends like AI, data-driven creativity, and immersive experiences to drive continued success in both Indian and global markets?
As mentioned earlier, staying ahead of the curve is in our DNA. We understand that digital transformation is reshaping the industry, and we are committed to not just adapting but leading the way. This proactive approach enables us to capitalize on trends like AI, data-driven creativity, and immersive experiences that are shaping the future of marketing.
To stay at the forefront, we’ve invested significantly in technology and talent. On the technology side, we are equipped with the latest tools and platforms, particularly in AI and data analytics, to deliver personalized and impactful creative solutions. AI plays a crucial role in optimizing campaigns, analyzing real-time data, and creating content that resonates deeply with audiences.
Equally important is our focus on people. We continually upskill our teams to ensure they have the skills and mindset to meet—and anticipate—the needs of our clients. This combination of cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking talent ensures we’re not just in tune with the latest trends but consistently ahead of the curve.
In both Indian and global markets, we leverage these capabilities to create immersive, data-driven experiences that resonate with audiences on a deeper level. By blending creativity with technology, we position ourselves as an agency that drives innovation, relevance, and impact, ensuring we continue to deliver value and maintain leadership in the global marketing landscape.
Given Dentsu Creative’s impressive growth in 2024, what are your key strategies to sustain this momentum in 2025, and what areas of innovation or market focus will drive the agency’s continued success?
To sustain the momentum of 2024, constant reinvention is key. Our early investments in digital—through acquisitions and talent—have laid a strong foundation. However, staying ahead requires continuous adaptation, as the landscape is constantly evolving. We remain committed to investing in emerging technologies, innovative products, and the right talent to drive this evolution.
In 2025, we’ll focus on enhancing our digital capabilities, expanding creative tech use, and pushing the boundaries of AI-driven solutions. We’re also tapping into new market opportunities, particularly by integrating technologies like immersive experiences and data-driven creativity into client solutions.
A crucial part of this strategy is nurturing young talent who possess a fresh perspective, curiosity, and an open mind. These individuals will play a pivotal role in driving innovation and ensuring we stay ahead of the curve.
By continuing to invest in technology, talent, and forward-thinking solutions, we are poised to accelerate our growth, ensuring Dentsu Creative’s continued success in 2025 and beyond.
How does Dentsu Creative plan to evolve its services in the next few years to adapt to the increasing importance of sustainability, inclusivity, and purpose-driven marketing in the advertising landscape?
Integrating sustainability, inclusivity, and purpose-driven marketing into our services is a foundational commitment for Dentsu Creative India. As I mentioned earlier, we are walking the talk. We are embedding these values into everything we do—from the campaigns we create to the way we work with clients and partners. Our focus is on building brands that are not only creative and engaging but also socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, and inclusive.
We are making strategic investments in sustainable practices across our operations and creative processes, including using eco-friendly materials, reducing our carbon footprint, and prioritizing sustainability in the development of digital campaigns.
On the inclusivity front, we continue to push for greater diversity, both in the teams we build and the messaging we create. Our campaigns reflect diverse perspectives and help foster a more inclusive society. We ensure that inclusivity is an integral part of our creative process, not just a box to check.
Purpose-driven marketing is at the heart of everything we do. Brands with a strong purpose connect more deeply with consumers. This requires a thoughtful approach to brand storytelling that aligns with societal values and resonates with diverse audiences. By making purpose-driven marketing central to our strategies, we’re ensuring that our work not only drives business results but also contributes to positive change in society.
By continuing to lead in this area, we’ll not only adapt to the changing advertising landscape but also continue to set new standards for socially responsible, sustainable, and inclusive marketing. This is how we will evolve and lead the way in the years to come.
