MUMBAI: Utopeia’s co-founder and head of strategy, Mitali Srivastava Hough, has today announced the launch of “Equal” on World Social Justice Day with a very special thought in mind. The Equal agency will specialize in Cause marketing and CSR solutions for brands.
Srivastava Hough states that there is a greater need than ever before for brands to connect with communities who have been ignored for a long time.
She says, “The voices of the underprivileged, rural India, minorities, LGBTQIA, women, differently abled and other marginalised groups are getting stronger by the day and it’s critical that brands find a genuine way to connect with, communicate with, and endorse their voices. There is also a need for genuine conversations around equality, human rights, inclusion and social protection. It is now mandatory for businesses in India to spend 2 per cent of their average net profits on CSR, leading to investment in areas such as education, health, poverty, gender equality and hunger. It is essential that this investment is aligned with long-term strategic planning with clear goals and a true connection with communities and audiences, in order to grasp the opportunity and make a deep and long-term impact. Brands are recognising that engaging effectively in CSR can reap long term results. So, Equal has been launched to create meaningful and genuine solutions in CSR and Cause marketing.”
She adds, “At Equal, we will provide end-to-end solutions in the CSR category to help brands use their CSR budget to maximise returns and build long term properties that can benefit employees, consumers, stakeholders, brand equity and business.”
Srivastava Hough has done various projects in this field already and believes that her true passion lies in this area. She has been an activist for various social causes for over a decade. She has also done CSR and Cause marketing projects for Reliance Foundation, Adani Foundation, Ambuja Foundation, and the recent Rainbow Lit Fest, and others.
Prior to co-founding Utopeia Communicationz, Mitali Srivastava Hough was an AVP in DDB Mudra, and has worked in Ogilvy India and TBWA India, where she led strategic planning for brands such as Volkswagen, Big Bazaar, Bournvita, Asian Paints, etc.
