Trio launch marketing consultancy Gravity Integrated
A trio of co-founders have come together to launch Gravity Integrated – a new consultancy aimed at solving business and marketing problems.
Gravity Integrated is based out of Mumbai and offers a variety of services to support business at various stages of their development. The firm combines expertise in strategy, consumer analysis, marketing, communications and technology to develop tailored solutions for its clients.
Speaking to ET Brand Equity, Managing Partner Prashanth Challapalli explained the firm’s purpose, saying “We are focused on solving business growth challenges and work with C-Suite executives as their extended business and marketing arm. We are open to working with agencies as well because we strongly believe that some of our services are complimentary and not competitive in nature.”
The firm’s strong marketing bend is a product of its co-founders’ backgrounds. Prashanth Challapalli himself is a marketing expert who has worked at a variety of high profile firms, including Dentsu, Publicis and Leo Burnett Orchard. Most recently, he was COO at Leo Burnett Orchard, tasked with transforming the firm into a integrated communications company.
He brings with him experience with a number of big clients, including Ola, which appointed Leo Burnett Orchard as a branding partner early last year. Prashanth Challapalli is joined in the venture by Kalyan Ram Challapalli, also named a Managing Partner at Gravity Integrated.
Kalyan Ram Challapalli also previously served Leo Burnett, as a Regional Director for Strategy in the firm’s Singapore office. He has also worked as the Head of Disruption Practice and Strategic Planning at TBWA India, and has been the Manager for Consumer Planning & Research at Diageo India.
Completing the trio of co-founders is Chandrabhan Singh, a marketing expert who previously headed the marketing arms of The India Cements, Gulf Oil, Kesoram Industries and Kings XI Punjab. He also has experience as a Senior Brand Manager at Diageo India and as a Brand Manager at Philips.
The trio have already made key appointments to their senior leadership. Ambar Chakravarty – a marketing expert and former Executive Creative Director of Publicis Groupe in India – joined Gravity integrated as Head of Content. Marc Chaudhary joined the firm as its technology head. Chaudhary is a former banker who has co-founded a number of tech firms, including DevOps and server management firm Support Hives and automated monitoring and diagnostic tool dBugtechinc.
As explained by Prashanth Challapalli, the firm is not looking to compete in India’s budding marketing landscape, but is looking to supplement it with a holistic suite of expertise. A number of major marketing agencies are taking an interest in India’s thriving consumer market, and Gravity integrated will seek to facilitate this process, while independently supporting business through its holistic offering.
However, the firm is not restricting itself to the Indian market. Gravity Integrated is reportedly already engaged with an American computer brand, and an Australian-origin yoga ecommerce marketplace. The firm has also reportedly forged a partnership with a marketing consultant based in Austria, which it will leverage to support clients in Europe and surrounding regions.
“One thing the Coronavirus pandemic has taught the world is that geography is irrelevant as long as you are accountable,” said Prashanth Challapalli to ET Brand Equity.
