IINDIA – November 7, 2013 – Former Contract India chairman and chief creative officer Ravi Deshpande has launched integrated communications agency Whyness Worldwide, partnering with Boston-based big data technology company Findability Sciences, and Paris-based branding and design firm Seenk.
The name Whyness, Deshpande said, is based on the agency’s "fearless attitude of asking questions to be able to produce great answers."
"I think I was always working towards building Whyness, I just wasn’t aware of it at that time. Today, when I look back, I feel maybe life was molding me for this moment," Deshpande told adobo.
"There were many reasons to start afresh. It was a desire to reinvent myself, modify and lift the game, to stay relevant and evolve towards some fresh thinking. I wanted to create a truly integrated company that brings strategy, creativity, design and technology together. This way, I knew I would contribute more to the business," he added.
Deshpande said that the launch is an effort to bridge the gap between traditional and digital agencies.
"We are an integrated communications agency for the new world. We address brand challenges with solutions that combine human insights, creativity, design, and technology," Deshpande said.
"The reason we started Whyness was to take the next big step in seeking answers on how to communicate to the people of the new world," he added.
According to Deshpande, Whyness will work with Findability Sciences in helping their clients better understand their customers, create accurate strategies, and analyze their performance.
The new agency will also work with Seenk to "add more value to our thinking in design," as well as work with graduates from Mumbai graphic design institute Ecole intuit.lab to gain a fresh design perspective.
Deshpande said that they will ensure that all their work is cross-platform, shareable, and usable.
"I think if a brand is able to identify new needs in people’s lives and give them something that makes their lives simpler and better, they have done their job," Deshpande said.
"It’s still about great ideas, beautiful execution, impeccable craft. Just targeted more sharply, at an audience that’s dynamic and hard to please, thanks to the ever-changing digital landscape today," he said.
He said that the agency is in the process of signing on clients, and will make a formal announcement soon.