J7 calls it ‘a merger of equals’ as it sets sights on 25% growth

In the world of digital marketing, that moves faster than the reels we doomscroll, agencies face mounting pressure to evolve in step with rapid technological and strategic shifts. The demand to merge creative storytelling with data-driven insight is accelerating, making agility not just an advantage but a necessity.

Responding to this environment, independent agencies Jack in the Box Worldwide and Tidal7 have merged to form a new entity, J7. In an exclusive interview with Social Samosa, Roopak Saluja, Founder & Chairman of the former Jack in the Box Worldwide, and Venkat Mallik, Founder & CEO of the former Tidal7, outlined the rationale behind the union. They explained that the swift execution of the merger was a deliberate response to the industry's pace, with a goal of creating an integrated agency model grounded in shared values and a pragmatic operational structure.

A union of values, not just capabilities

The merger combines the creative services of Jack in the Box with Tidal7's data-led strategy. According to the founders, the foundation of the new entity, J7, is based on shared principles. Saluja described the process as having developed organically, stemming not from a formal acquisition process but from a long-standing professional relationship built on mutual industry respect. 

He explained, "Venkat and I have known each other since before he was an entrepreneur. I find that most evolved entrepreneurs tend to have a network of others in their industries to compare notes and discuss what is going on. Not everyone is competition; even with competitors, you can find connections and alliances to move forward together. Venkat is one of the people I would do that with from time to time."

This foundation of mutual respect, Saluja stated, was the most critical element that allowed them to align on a shared vision and accelerate the merger. "While the primary strategic factors are very strong, the vision and values part, which can sometimes sound very theoretical and non realistic, is truly the most important component," he said. "That is why we could accelerate through this process so rapidly, and we believe it is going to be the backbone and the cornerstone of the success of what we are doing together."

Mallik affirmed this focus on a non-negotiable foundation of principles, explaining that without it, a long-term partnership would be unsustainable. "It is very important to have the right values," he noted. 

"You need to get some very basic, strong, fundamental values right, and of course, you need the vision part because you are doing something together. It is the combination of those two things that really binds you and provides the belief that you can stick this through for a long period of time." 

He further contextualised this business commitment by comparing it to a personal one,"It is like getting married," he elaborated. "You make a judgment based on the fact that you will have common goals and that you share common values. All of that is really the reason why we think it is the right kind of relationship."

This foundational alignment on values and vision, according to both founders, served as the prerequisite for building the framework of the new company. With the philosophical groundwork established, they then turned to the practical architecture of the merger, addressing its operational structure, leadership roles, and the strategy for team integration.

An agile and pragmatic structure

Saluja described the deal as fundamentally a "merger of equals," explaining that the operational structure was innovatively designed to maintain continuity. He noted that both Jack in the Box and Tidal7 would continue as distinct legal entities under the new J7 brand, a crucial step to preserve existing client relationships. 

He elaborated on the nature of the deal, "While we cannot share everything, it is not a buyout, it is truly a merger. The details of the financial transaction are quite complex, but the de facto nature of it is pretty much a merger of equals. Credit goes to the people we work with on the finance side for having come up with an innovative way to get this done, because we needed to preserve our entities."

Guiding the new entity is a management group that includes the founders and a core leadership team. 

Mallik detailed their specific functions and their broader role in shaping the company's direction, "Farhatnaz Ansari comes from a client management and business leadership background, and will continue to perform that role. Sivaram Subramaniam is the creative person and will continue to lead the creative agenda and creative excellence for J7. Vikram Srivastava is the digital and brand strategist and will continue to lead digital and data-led strategy for us. In addition to their specific roles, they will be part of our management group to help us set direction for the future."

Regarding the integration of the internal teams, Mallik stated, "We have taken the uncertainty-kind-of questions that come up in people's lives during a restructuring and have front-loaded them before getting into the merger. As far as the current J7 team is concerned, the roles are very clear. Most of the time in mergers, people wonder if their roles will continue to exist. We made sure to address that prior to structuring the deal, so for the people who are continuing with J7, there is absolute clarity in terms of their goals and expectations."

Saluja added that their approach to integration is agile and pragmatic, acknowledging that issues may arise. He outlined their philosophy for managing the process, "The best way to figure out if something works is to actually do it. We decided to do our groundwork, determine that it works, get into it, and then fix issues along the way. We know it will not be perfect, so we have put review mechanisms in place to talk as a team very regularly and iron out any kinks."

Human-led, AI-powered growth

Looking ahead, the newly formed J7 starts with a significant operational scale and a comprehensive suite of services. Mallik detailed the company’s initial capacity and offerings, stating, “It is sufficient to say that we have a network of over 100 people to deliver the services we want to deliver. Our services are fairly wide-ranging: the typical branding, multi-channel creative, digital strategy, social media, SEO, paid media, web and app development, as well as AI-led solutions and CRM-oriented solutions.”

The company has set an ambitious growth target for its first year of operations. Saluja provided the specific figures, explaining, “We have a growth target in year one of about 25 percent. The range is 20-30%, but 25% is what we are gunning for.”

To achieve this, Mallik outlined a phased approach that prioritises stability before expansion. He said, “Initially, our primary agenda is to strengthen and consolidate current client relationships. We will also use that period to start building out our capabilities within key industry verticals, and we have plans to expand into English-speaking countries.”

Beyond traditional expansion, both founders view technology as a core component of their growth strategy. When asked about the role of artificial intelligence, Mallik explained that he sees it as an enabler, not a threat. “Our reading of AI is different from how it is often touted,” he stated. “We believe it can help us widen our array of services, our capabilities, and the width of clients we can serve. We look at AI as a growth engine for us, rather than something that leads to a reduction.”

Saluja echoed this perspective, positioning AI as an essential tool for the modern workforce. He elaborated on the human-centric reality of this technological shift,

“It is not about AI replacing humans, as the cliche now says, it is humans who use AI that will be replacing those who do not. Any digital agency, now and in the near future, is going to be one that is AI-enabled. I think that is just table stakes going forward.”

In a marketing landscape which is constantly changing, the formation of J7 represents an effort to build a new kind of agency model. The success of this union, built on a philosophy of shared values and agile integration, will now be tested. The outcome may offer a compelling answer to a central industry question: in an era of constant disruption, is a structure grounded in foundational principles the most sustainable path forward?