Fleishman Hillard and Kia India were amongst the winners at the recently concluded 2024 Acer FASTER Awards
The winners across 18 different categories of the 2024 Acer FASTER Awards were recognised at a grand event in New Delhi yesterday. The Public Relations Team of the Year award was won by Fleishman Hillard for its outstanding contributions last year, managing a string of launches and campaigns for Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis. While Maruti Suzuki’s CTO, CV Raman, was acknowledged with Industry Personality of the Year award, the Communications Personality of the Year went to his colleague, Sanjeev Handa.
The Senior Vice President – PR & Communications at Maruti Suzuki India Limited is a marketing and communications expert for over 27 years and has been with MSIL for more than 13 years. Besides developing marketing strategies for Maruti Suzuki’s entire product portfolio, Handa can be credited with transforming Maruti Suzuki from a traditional marketing company to a complete digitally powered brand.
He has strategised corporate and brand communications in media along with social and digital outreach for the company. He has also demonstrated success in turnaround and creation of brands such as Swift and Dzire by driving overall growth alongside having an excellent track record for identifying opportunities for accelerated growth through the launch of Nexa premium outlets.
The inaugural Award of Honour went to an industry veteran, Manish Tandon, (Divisional Manager – Product Management & Customer Insight at Bajaj Auto. The ACER FASTER Award of Honour stands as a testament to his unwavering commitment, exceptional brilliance, and unmatched affinity with the media community.
His meticulously detailed product presentations and press materials reflect not only his extensive experience but also his innate talent for communication. With a rich background spanning product development, marketing, and communication, he epitomizes a rare blend of skills and expertise.
The Acer FASTER Awards 2024 PR Personality of the Year went to Sahir Seth (Account Director at Adfactors PR) serving for brands like Honda 2W. He is renowned for his exceptional qualities as a collaborative professional, adept at fostering seamless communication channels. What truly sets him apart is his unwavering dedication to exceeding expectations.
This award not only acknowledges his professional excellence but also celebrates his significant impact in the ever-evolving realm of public relations. The award for Corporate Communications Team of the Year went to Kia India for exhibiting exemplary leadership characterised by approachability, unwavering support and proficiency in promptly addressing media inquiries, setting a benchmark within the industry.
The FASTER Awards 2024 had Acer as the principal sponsor, accompanied by Garware Hi-Tech Films as the associate sponsor. Zen Microsystems joined as the invaluable data and testing partner while Markets & Markets provided their expertise as the independent validation agency overseeing the jury round.
Here we have compiled all the winners of the Acer FASTER Awards 2024:
● Car of the Year: Hyundai Verna
● Bike of the Year: Royal Enfield Himalayan
● Premium Car of the Year: Mercedes-Benz GLC
● Premium Bike of the Year: Royal Enfield Meteor 650
● Scooter of the Year: Hero Xoom
● EV of the Year (4W): Hyundai IONIQ 5
● EV of the Year (2W): River Indie
● Update of the Year : Kia Seltos
● Auto Tech of the Year: Cooled & Heated Seats on TVS Apache RTR 310
● Industry Personality of the Year: C.V. Raman (CTO at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.)
● Communications Personality of the Year: Sanjeev Handa (Sr. Vice President – PR & Communications at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.)
● Motorsport Personality of the Year: Harith Noah (Motorsport Athlete for TVS Motor Company)
● Award of Honour: Manish Tandon (Divisional Manager – Product Management & Customer Insight at Bajaj Auto Ltd.)
● CSR Initiatives of the Year: MG Sewa
● Corporate Communications Team of the Year: Kia India
● PR Team of the Year: Fleishman Hillard
● PR Personality of the Year: Sahir Seth (Account Director at Adfactors PR)
● Auto Ad Campaign of the Year: Maruti Suzuki Jimny
