Ex-Mullen Lintas president Syed Amjad Ali launches agency - Catalysts

The former president of Mullen Lintas has announced the launch of ‘Catalysts’, a start-up in the landscape of content and brand strategy.

The pandemic shifted goal posts and threw open opportunities. As budgets shrank, resources became tight and consumer attitudes shifted, efficiency and efficacy became more important. Locations became irrelevant. Virtual meetings enhanced punctuality and conversations became fruitful.

This shift mandated a new sensibility, a new attitude and a new thought process. It can no longer be business as usual. However, given the size and baggage of the legacy set ups, the struggle to change will continue.

Next year, we would be at least 5 years ahead of time; it’s that kind of shift. One needs to be nimble in order to catch up. That’s at the heart of this opportunity. This process might have started long ago but the pandemic made it real and accelerated it.

Over the past two decades, Amjad has been instrumental in supporting brands in their journey from humble beginnings to market leadership, including some disruptors like Micromax, Havells, Olx, LG, among others. They changed the game for themselves through most difficult circumstances.

Today, there are many other such brands that are poised to take advantage of the situation and are looking for the means to move forward. Catalysts proposed to enable these brands with experience, expertise & ideas to help them make the most of this opportunity.

Catalysts is at the right place and at the right time. It aims to speed up the process of telling stories whether it’s of brands, people or organizations. It is about being swifter, agile and flexible.

Catalysts is starting with 2 key pillars i.e. content and consulting services and proposes to expand into other verticals with meaningful partnerships. Catalysts is already in the process of executing 2 projects in diverse categories, translating potential into reality for the big brands of tomorrow.

Catalysts promises to always hunt for interesting brand stories no matter where they come from, what size they are. And then collaborate and explore how best it can be told. The communication will be customized and tailor made to fulfill aspirations. Catalysts will particularly leverage data and communicate meaningfully on non-TV assets.

(In his career spanning 25 years at Lintas, Amjad has worked with brands like Havells, Micromax, Olx, Greenply, LG Electronics, Maruti (Alto, Ciaz, Ertiga), Dabur Real, Hajmola, Huawei, Gionee, Vivo, Greenlam & Vistara among many others.)