DDB Mudra announces leadership team for TracyLocke India

Sameer Mehta has been named as head, business and operations, TracyLocke India, while Pradeep Ramakrishnan has been appointed as head, strategy and insights.

Global shopper marketing agency TracyLocke India, a part of the DDB Mudra Group, has made a couple of announcements. Sameer Mehta, senior vice-president, DDB Mudra Max, has been given the additional mandate of head, business and operations, TracyLocke. Similarly, Pradeep Ramakrishnan, vice-president, media, DDB Mudra Max, has been appointed as head, strategy and insights, TracyLocke India.

TracyLocke India works to build the B2R (business to retail) practice for brands and creates strategies to convert consumers into shoppers.

Commenting on the development, Pratap Bose, chief operating officer, DDB Mudra Group, says in an official communiqué, "With the appointments of Sameer Mehta and Pradeep Ramakrishnan, we now have the momentum to aggressively push the TracyLocke India agenda, and build a great shopper marketing and retail capability for our clients."

Commenting on his added responsibility, Mehta says, "Evolution of retail in India calls for a better understanding of how the shoppers shop at the last mile in India. This becomes imperative for brands. For this, brands need to develop shopper insights." He adds that given today's unique Indian retail environment, TracyLocke India will customise the requisites of its clients to suit this market, which is currently 95 per cent unorganised.

Ramakrishnan says, "Shopper marketing in India is not just about marrying the interests of the brand, retailer and shopper. It is more complex than that. The role of insights in this scenario would therefore be about 'Bringing a Method to the Madness'." He feels that TracyLocke India, with its proprietary tools, processes and measurement systems, will lead the creation of new ways of understanding, analysing and influencing the shopper in India.

Part of the DDB Worldwide Network, TracyLocke was founded in 1913.