Goafest 2025: From placement to partnership, brands embrace integration over isolation

As day two of Goafest 2025 rolls on, a future-forward panel discussion titled Merging Boundaries: From Placement to Partnership unpacked how media, marketing, and creative partnerships are evolving in today’s fragmented attention economy. The conversation featured Satya Raghavan (Director, Marketing Partners, Google India), Rathi Gangappa (CEO, Starcom India), Ajit Varghese (Head of Revenue, Entertainment & International, JioStar), and Shubhranshu Singh (CMO, Tata Commercial Vehicles). The panel was moderated by Kartik Sharma, Group CEO, Omnicom Media Group India.

Beyond placement: A call for deeper alignment

The session opened with a shared consensus: the age of transactional media buying is over. Satya Raghavan from Google emphasised the need to shift from short-term lead generation to building long-term brand health. “Common sense and optimism still drive marketing success,” he said, urging brands to invest in storytelling that breaks through clutter.

Rathi Gangappa underscored how today’s connectivity isn't just about choosing the right media, it’s about syncing story, influencer strategy, and loyalty frameworks. “We’re no longer media planners. We’re brand architects,” she noted.

From media buyer to brand partner

Ajit Varghese from JioStar highlighted the strategic depth needed for partnerships today. “It’s not about the medium, it’s how you use it,” he explained, citing OTT as a potent space for personalised brand storytelling. He also pointed out how YouTube branding directly drives search behavior and enhances brand discovery.

Shubhranshu Singh brought in the client perspective, pointing to operational pressures. “One partner can’t do everything. We need agencies to bring both domain expertise and executional efficiency,” he said. For legacy sectors like commercial vehicles, partnerships aren’t just useful, they’re necessary to stay agile.

The evolving role of agencies

A recurring theme throughout the session was the elevated role agencies must play in this new era. Agencies are expected to challenge assumptions, bring strategic clarity, and create bridges across silos. “We can’t afford to think in boxes anymore,” said Rathi. “Everything needs to talk to everything else.”

Satya reiterated this with a call to integrate teams and break down barriers between creative, media, and data. “When storytelling, distribution, and insight come together, the magic happens.”

Final word: Think partnership, not placement

The panel ended on a clear note, brands that continue to treat media as a siloed placement tool will fall behind. The future lies in collaboration, integration, and shared accountability.

As Kartik Sharma summed it up, “The media plan is no longer the endgame. The brand journey is.”