Nisha Singhania: The importance of investing in people

Nisha Singhania, co-founder and director of Infectious Advertising

Image: Neha Mithbawkar

The advertising industry has been one of the worst affected sectors by the pandemic. With businesses finding it hard to stay afloat, advertising expenditure took a back seat. Agencies were staring at massive losses at the beginning of 2020, but Nisha Singhania, co-founder and director of Infectious Advertising, was not one to give in.

Despite the challenges brought in by the pandemic, Singhania and her team toiled every day to prove resourceful to their clients. “The initial days of the pandemic were tough. Clients were withdrawing from advertising and cutting down on budgets. In response, we started controlling our operating costs and moved to newer cost-effective work-from-home models. We started actively pitching to new businesses, offering solutions that were relevant in the pandemic,” says the 47-year-old, adding that the client-first approach helped the company bounce back within months. She is now optimistic about 2022. “We plan to grow our existing businesses, venture in newer digital avenues, and actively increase our client base.”

Singhania says understanding and catering to the drives and motivations of their clients and her team helped the company stay afloat. “We are in a people’s business. Be it our employees or clients, if you are there for them when they need you, they will reciprocate too. The more you invest in people the more they give back,” she says.

Singhania started her advertising journey 23 years ago and has worked with Gray, Leo Burnett, Rediffusion Y&R and Saatchi & Saatchi. The recipient of many prestigious awards, Singhania founded Infectious Advertising in 2013 with Ramanuj Shastry. Today, the agency has more than 50 employees and works with clients like IDFC, Tata, National Geographic, UltraTech Cement, Inorbit Malls and Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri.

Ramanuj Shastry, co-founder and director of Infectious Advertising, says Singhania encourages her team to overachieve. “I have watched Nisha lead and manage organisations and people for more than 13 years. She likes to explain the rationale and process behind her decisions and likes to discuss and invite questions. Not only does this foster trust but it also minimises resentment and misunderstanding,” he says.