Adland’s Identity Crisis: Is short-termism undermining the soul of advertising?
As high-profile exits ripple through India’s advertising industry, insiders say the pressure to deliver short-term results is upending leadership continuity, creative culture, and long-term brand-building.
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In India’s advertising world, the corner office seems to be becoming a revolving door.
In recent years, CEO churn has become a familiar trend across multiple sectors, from FMCG and tech, often seen as a reflection of shifting business priorities, performance pressures, and fast-changing market dynamics. Now, advertising agencies, too, seem to be experiencing a similar phase of flux.
A quiet but steady stream of top-level exits from Indian ad agencies over the last year raises a critical question: Is short-termism now catching up with adland as well? And if so, what does this signal for an industry built on relationships, creativity, and consistency?
Read more: Quarterly Curse: How short-termism is undermining FMCG leadership and long-term brand value
In just over 12 months:
Suraja Kishore exited as CEO of BBDO India in April 2025 after five years with the agency; Vishal Chinchankar, CEO of Madison Digital and Madison Media Alpha, stepped down in June 2025, four years into his role; Sushant Mohan concluded his three-year stint as CEO of Diligent Media in March; Wieden+Kennedy India saw the twin exits of Santosh Padhi and Ayesha Ghosh in October 2024- two years after they spearheaded the launch of the Mumbai office and led marquee creative work for brands like Jio 5G, Hero Cycles, and Casio G-Shock. And then the industry saw Sapna Arora, Chief Client Officer at Dentsu India stepping down in May 2024, and Neeraj Bassi, Chief Growth Officer at Cheil, exiting in March 2025- both after relatively short tenures.
While leadership transitions are not unusual in a dynamic industry like advertising, the frequency and seniority of these exits suggest something more systemic: a growing tension between long-term vision and short-term deliverables.
“Sprints over marathons”: The cost of short-term thinking
Industry insiders say this pattern is no accident. Instead, it's symptomatic of a deepening crisis of short-termism, shrinking client-agency tenures, and untenable performance expectations. At its heart, the agency world is caught in a battle between delivering quarterly numbers and nurturing long-term brand-building, one that the former is winning.
Nisha Singhania, Co-Founder and Director of Infectious Advertising, warns that this obsessive focus on near-term ROI is “eroding the soul of the advertising business.”
Read more: Consolidation or Collision? How ad land’s mergers create crisis of overlapping of leadership roles
“Agencies were once long-term brand partners. Now it’s about campaigns, not platforms. Procurement wins over creative bravery. The rising churn of agency leadership only adds to this volatility, making it harder to build deep client trust or a lasting creative culture.”
She contrasts this with founder-led independents: “They bring stability, purpose, and long-term thinking. Without quarterly investor pressure, they’re free to take real creative risks.”
“If the captain keeps changing…”
The consequences of this churn are far-reaching, says Vibhor Yadav, Regional Creative Officer and Founding Partner at tgthr.
“If the captain keeps changing, the ship sails in circles. And a circle is just a big zero.”
Yadav paints a bleak picture of agencies caught in a constant reset loop: every new CEO brings a new vision, a fresh pitch deck, and a ticking clock to prove results. The outcome?
“Strategic amnesia. We forget the brand, we chase the brief. Shockvertising takes over—loud, viral, but emotionally hollow. And leadership has no incentive to build legacy anymore. It’s all about surviving till the next quarter.”
Worse, he says, is the cultural fallout:
“It plants fear. Teams wonder, ‘If even the CEO can be let go so fast, am I safe?’ We’re breeding anxious deliverers, not thoughtful builders. The trust is gone—between agencies and clients, and within teams.”
Agencies reflecting their clients' chaos?
Naresh Gupta, Co-Founder of Bang in the Middle, points to a bigger shift in client-agency dynamics.
“CMOs themselves don’t last beyond two years now. Contracts are global and short-term. So the agency’s idea of ‘long-term’ has changed too.”
Gupta says agencies are often left with little choice but to chase bottom lines over brand-building. “With tight margins and volatile revenues, you optimise whatever you can—talent, time, training. But the price is steep: creativity suffers, loyalty erodes, and culture breaks down.”
Globally too, agency networks have seen similar shake-ups. Dentsu International, Publicis Groupe, and WPP have all witnessed high-profile exits over the last 12–18 months. Restructuring, consolidation, and the rise of AI are reshaping the way global agencies operate—and the changes are hitting India hard and fast.
According to Kapil Arora, COO of Ogilvy Indonesia, this churn is reflective of the larger flux in the global business environment.
Read more: Ad holding giants supercharge growth with AI; bet big on efficiency, and future-proof creativity
“The traditional agency model is under stress. With old revenue streams shrinking and new ones still unformed, we need a reimagined value proposition. The market isn’t irrational, it just needs clarity and confidence. That’s what agencies need to provide, and fast.”
Arora warns that cutting people investments as a cost-saving measure is a short-sighted move.
“Without resetting the fundamentals, no amount of L&D or hiring will help.”
New breed of agency is emerging?
Yet, amidst the crisis, some see opportunity. Independent agencies and new-age networks are now rethinking the model from the ground up.
Abhik Santara, CEO and Director of ^ a t o m network, says the future belongs to agencies with skin in the game.
“We’re part of a global network, but fiercely independent. Our leaders are owners. That means long-term commitment, reinvestment in tech, and accountability at every level.”
He argues that traditional agencies- bogged down by legacy systems and reactive cultures- are losing relevance. “When every decision needs ten layers of approval, even small changes become exhausting. That’s why we’re focused on agility, tech-led creativity, and innovation as a core value- not a cost.”
For example, ^ a t o m has built its proprietary AI platform Aura, already investing in its scaling despite minimal immediate returns. “Being future-ready isn’t optional—it’s foundational,” says Santara.
In a nutshell, leadership churn in India’s advertising world is no longer a blip, it’s a pattern. And it's not just about CEOs walking out the door; it's about what they leave behind: incomplete visions, disrupted relationships, broken creative momentum, and shaken teams.
Unless agencies and their clients are willing to rewire how performance is measured, how success is defined, and how leadership is empowered, this cycle will only worsen.
In the words of Yadav: “We’re not just losing leaders. We’re losing trust. And that’s the one thing we can’t afford to lose.”
