Prabeer Patankar is the President, National Media Sales, Update Advertising and Marketing Pvt. Ltd. An established media sales professional with 23 years under his belt across print and electronic media. Prabeer has a master’s degree in marketing from Mumbai University and is an alumnus of the 2006 batch of IIM-Kolkata’s executive programme, EPBM.
He has been associated with Update from its initial days after a couple of years in print media with regional dailies like Navbharat and Herald, Goa. After spending four years in the team that laid the foundation for Update as the first aggregator of hyperlocal TV channels in India, and taking the medium to corporate advertisers, he returned to print – first as the Mumbai branch head for Herald, Goa, and then to Hindustan, the leading Hindi daily from HT Media, taking ownership of top categories and accounts that contributed to a majority of the revenue in the Mumbai branch.
Prabeer returned to Update in 2008 and was tasked with developing the north and south regions. Till then, Update was largely focused on Mumbai, which accounted for 80% of its revenue. The north and south markets now contribute 65%-70% of the revenue. By forging long-term relationships and providing solutions that added value to brands’ overall media strategy, Prabeer consolidated Update’s position.
When TAM was replaced by BARC and regional cable became a non-measured medium, Update repositioned itself as a hyperlocal specialist providing geotargeted solutions to clients. He led the team effort in moving away from transactional relationships towards a solutions-based approach.
Recognising his eye for business opportunities, data-driven selling and consistent performance, Update elevated Prabeer to leader of revenue/sales nationally.
He has been at the forefront of the company’s effort to help advertisers understand the implications of the disruptions caused by, first, the digitisation of access to satellite channels and, subsequently, the New Tariff Order.
Prabeer is an active contributor to the organisation’s marketing and communication strategy, and has helped develop strategic solutions for issues faced by the company in terms of numbers and measurement.
Short introduction from the website
An IIM-Kolkata management graduate, Prabeer has over two decades of experience in media sales, brand associations and hyperlocal channels. A lead-conversion champion, Prabeer ensures that his team focuses on strategic planning and data-driven solutions, helping clients consistently achieve their business goals. Always calm and composed, Prabeer is a true tech junkie, and his personality shines brightly through his excellent photography skills.
