PR News October 2026

RSPL Group's GHADI detergent hires One Source for integrated marketing mandate

 Kanpur-based RSPL Group has hired One Source, the integrated marketing consultancy, to drive integrated marketing initiatives for RSPL Group’s flagship detergent brand, Ghadi Detergent. The collaboration aims to strengthen Ghadi Detergent’s digital presence through creative storytelling and integrated communication initiatives across digital platforms.

Sandeep Rao, managing director, One Source, commented, “Ghadi is a brand with tremendous familiarity and equity, but what makes the opportunity particularly exciting is the scope to translate that legacy into a more contemporary digital language. Our focus will be to build communication that is rooted in the brand’s core, while being culturally relevant, distinctive and engaging for today’s consumer. We are delighted to partner with RSPL and look forward to creating work that makes Ghadi even more memorable in the digital space.

As consumer expectations and the way audiences discover, engage with and relate to brands continue to evolve, Ghadi is looking to take the next step in its communication journey, building on its established equity while creating stronger relevance in today’s digital environment.

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Omnicom Global Solutions opens office in Coimbatore

India, 9th October 2026: Omnicom Global Solutions (OGS), part of Omnicom, the world's leading marketing and sales company, recently expanded its presence in Coimbatore with the opening of a new office. OGS supports agencies and clients worldwide through expertise spanning technology, data, media, creative, and business support services. Today, OGS employs more than 1,000 professionals across Tamil Nadu, with operations in both Chennai and Coimbatore.

Vishal Srivastava, CEO, OGS India & Philippines, said: "The inauguration of our expanded Coimbatore office marks an important milestone in OGS's journey in Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore has emerged as a strong talent destination, supported by a rich education ecosystem, entrepreneurial spirit and highly skilled workforce. This facility reflects our confidence in the region's exceptional talent pool and long-term potential.

Through initiatives such as OGS Pro, we remain committed to developing future-ready talent and creating opportunities for young professionals to contribute to global teams and clients while building meaningful careers locally. We are particularly proud that Coimbatore continues to play a central role in our graduate talent strategy and capability-building efforts."

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SEBI’s 35% retail allocation rules mean IPO communication must focus on first-time investors: NorthStar Insights Report

MUMBAI, 7th Oct, 2026:  The IPO Communications Report 2026 finds that Indian IPO narratives now have to work for first-time investors as well as fund managers. Retail investors now sit at the centre of India's IPO market. Under SEBI's allocation rules, eligible mainboard offerings must reserve at least 35 per cent of shares for retail individual investors. In US IPOs, retail investors typically receive between 5 and 10 per cent. 

Retail investors also account for an estimated 40 to 50 per cent of daily equity trading volume in India and China, compared with 20 to 35 per cent in the US, the UK and South Korea. 

NorthStar Insights, the senior-led global risk and communications advisory firm, published the IPO Communications Report 2026, which examines how communication strategy is shaping IPO outcomes across India, the GCC, East Asia, North America and North Africa.

The report finds that Indian issuers are responding with formats that sit alongside the offer document, including short explainers, podcasts, infographics and dedicated microsites. It also records a change in what those stories contain.

In the early 2020s, narratives for new age companies often led with scale measures such as gross merchandise value. Recent communications lead with profitability, positive cash flow, EBITDA expansion and capital efficiency. Companies are also starting earlier, with pre IPO communications often beginning 12 -18 months before the DRHP is filed.

The research also suggests that visibility before a listing has lasting effects. Companies that received three or more pieces of media coverage in the month before their IPO went on to attract, on average, 206 per cent more analyst coverage and 127 per cent more institutional investors in their first year than companies in the bottom third for pre IPO coverage.

The report comes during a crowded month for Indian listings as between 25 and 35 companies were expected to launch IPOs in September, many of them moving ahead of the 30 September expiry of a one-time extension to IPO approvals that SEBI granted because of the geopolitical situation.

Commenting on the report, Arth Malani, founder and CEO of NorthStar Insights, said: "Indian IPOs now have to win over two very different audiences at the same time. A company going public in India has to persuade a fund manager who will read every footnote and a first-time investor who may form a view from a single video, and it has to tell both of them the same story. That makes IPO communications a strategic discipline rather than a drafting exercise. Communications can earn a company a fair hearing, but it cannot substitute for the thing being heard."

The report draws on NorthStar's advisory work across five markets, with perspectives from senior advisor Mark Jackson on Hong Kong and director Seth Gagahina on creative storytelling. Market contributions come from Pranav Kumar of Alkimyx Global, Richard Mahony of KRG Advisors and Sara Gad of Moharram & Partners. The research is backed by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), with contributions from its president, Farzana Baduel.

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Smile Foundation renews strategic communications mandate with Ardent Co.

Ardent Co. has renewed its mandate with Smile Foundation, one of India’s leading development organisations, The renewed engagement will see Ardent Co. continue to support Smile Foundation across strategic communications, programme advocacy and stakeholder engagement, building on the experience, institutional understanding and strategic foundation established during the first phase of the association.

Commenting on the renewed mandate, Sarthak Choudhary, co-founder and PR lead, Ardent Co., said, “Our first phase of engagement with Smile Foundation gave us a strong understanding of its work and impact, and this second phase allows us to build on that foundation with a sharper and more integrated communications approach.”

Smile Foundation has programmes across education, healthcare, livelihood and women’s empowerment reaching underserved communities through grassroots implementation, partnerships, technology and community-led approaches. 

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Daniel J. Edelman, Inc. to purchase 21 per cent equity stake in Japan's PRAP

Daniel J. Edelman, Inc. ("DJE"), the parent company of Edelman, the world's largest independent communications consultancy, and PRAP Japan, Inc. ("PRAP"), one of Japan's leading communications and public relations companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, have announced a strategic collaboration to support Japanese and global clients as they navigate the evolving communications and stakeholder engagement needs. The collaboration is formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”). 

As part of its commitment to the collaboration, DJE has entered into a purchase agreement with an existing shareholder to acquire a 21 percent equity stake in PRAP. Completion of the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed before the end of the calendar year. 

Richard Edelman, chief executive officer, Edelman, said, “Japan is the world’s fourth-largest economy and home to some of the most important companies in the world. I have long admired PRAP, its leadership and the reputation it has built over more than five decades. There is something special about bringing together two companies that share a belief in trust, long-term relationships and putting clients first. PRAP brings extraordinary knowledge of Japan; Edelman brings the global reach to help Japanese companies succeed around the world. Together, we have an opportunity to build something distinctive for our clients and our people, in Japan and globally. I look forward to beginning this next chapter together.” 

 Isao Suzuki, president and CEO of PRAP Japan Co., Ltd. stated, "I am very pleased that we have entered into a strategic collaboration with Edelman, the world’s largest independent communications consultancy. Through our discussions with Edelman’s management, I felt a strong affinity between PRAP’s value of “integrity” and Edelman’s emphasis on “trust,” as well as our shared commitment to clients and people. I also deeply resonate with Edelman’s approach of understanding and respecting the cultures, markets and ways of working in each country and region. Moving forward, by combining the insights and networks of both companies while preserving what makes PRAP unique, we aim to create new value for clients in Japan and around the world."

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SPAG FINN Partners' Aman Gupta pens first book 'The Glass House' on leadership

 SPAG FINN Partners' Aman Gupta has launched his first book, The Glass House: Leadership and Reputation in an Era of Radical Transparency, a guide for leaders navigating a world where transparency is no longer a choice, scrutiny is constant, and reputation can be shaped in minutes. Aman has over two decades of experience working with organisations and leaders across health, policy, business and society and founded SPAG, a leading health communications consultancy, which was subsequently acquired by FINN Partners, where he is now managing partner.

The Glass House argues that leaders today are operating without a traditional “backstage”. Decisions that were once confined to boardrooms can become public conversations; moments of silence can be interpreted as signals; and inconsistencies between what an organisation says and what it does can travel across markets almost instantly.

The book outlines the architecture required for leadership under pressure, exploring the role of systems, culture, narrative discipline and a consistent leadership voice in building and sustaining credibility. These principles become particularly consequential during an infodemic, corporate crisis, reputational challenge or period of intense public scrutiny.

“Transparency is often treated as a vulnerability, but I believe it can become a source of strength. Leaders need to demonstrate that they have the courage, systems and culture to acknowledge the gaps and address them,” Gupta said. Drawing on Aman’s experience across strategic communications, health, policy and reputation, The Glass House looks beyond traditional crisis communications to examine reputation as a leadership responsibility. 

The book features a foreword by global health communications leader Gil Bashe, alongside commentary and contributions from senior leaders across global biopharma, medtech and communications agencies, including Rajat Goel, Rohit Gulati, Shruti Bose and S. Rajan, with an endorsement from Vikas Dandeker. 

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