Ashish Mishra Takes the Marketing Helm at Zee Entertainment

Ashish Mishra, former Chief Marketing Officer of ACKO, is set to join Zee as its Chief Marketing Officer, according to highly placed sources.

Mishra will replace Kartik Mahadev, who has served as CMO of Zee and ZEE5 since September 2021.

From ACKO to Zee

Mishra brings more than two decades of experience spanning brand building, consumer marketing, financial services, advertising and digital-first businesses.

His move marks a transition from the insurance sector to the media and entertainment industry, where he is expected to bring a consumer-centric and technology-led approach to Zee’s marketing strategy.

His appointment comes at a time when media companies are working to build stronger and more consistent brand identities across television, streaming and digital platforms. As audiences increasingly move between linear television, connected TV, OTT and social media, marketing leaders are being tasked with driving both reach and deeper consumer engagement across multiple touchpoints.

Nearly Six Years at ACKO

Mishra joins Zee following a nearly six-year association with ACKO. He joined the digital insurer in 2020 and played an important role in developing ACKO into a recognised consumer brand in a category traditionally associated with complex products and fear-led communication.

During his tenure, ACKO expanded its marketing narrative beyond motor insurance as the company entered categories including health and life insurance.

Mishra was associated with developing a distinctive and conversational tone for the brand, with campaigns designed to simplify insurance and make it more relevant to younger, digitally active consumers.

Campaigns That Built ACKO’s Brand

Some of the prominent campaigns rolled out during Mishra’s tenure included ‘Ode to Mumbai’, the return of the popular Munna Bhai and Circuit characters for ACKO’s health insurance communication, campaigns featuring Saif Ali Khan and Sara Ali Khan, and the ‘Car Ka Action Hero’ campaign featuring MS Dhoni and R Madhavan.

Mishra was also associated with ACKO’s ‘Tailor Test’ initiative, which won a Gold Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2025.

The initiative used waist-to-hip measurements collected by neighbourhood tailors to promote awareness about heart-health risks, combining cultural insight, data and public-health communication.

Earlier Career at HSBC

Before joining ACKO, Mishra spent more than a decade with HSBC in the UAE, where he held several senior marketing positions.

His assignments included Head of Marketing for Cards, Loans and Mortgages, Regional Marketing Manager for Media and Foreign Exchange, and marketing responsibilities covering personal loans, mortgages, auto loans and digital-channel migration.

Mishra began his career on the advertising side, working with Lowe Lintas and DDB Mudra Group in brand and communications roles before moving into financial-services marketing.

New Marketing Mandate at Zee

At Zee, Mishra will take on the responsibility of leading the company’s marketing function as the media and entertainment landscape continues to evolve across television, OTT and digital platforms.

His experience in building consumer brands, developing technology-led marketing strategies and creating culturally relevant campaigns will bring a new perspective to Zee’s marketing mandate.