• A global collective of specialty digital agencies designed to dismantle conventional advertising models.
• Kicks off with four specialty agencies – Ad Hoc, White Label, View-Thru Media, and Hackvertising Core.
• Rolling out in Colombo, London, Toronto, and Dubai.
Digital marketing industry veteran Shalendra Mendis, after a trailblazing decade at the helm of the largest multinational digital agency in Sri Lanka, has ventured into an ambitious new journey, launching The Hackvertising Network (www.hackvertising.net).
Inspired by an enduring passion for the practice of “Hackvertising,” which has won Shalendra numerous global and regional awards, the Hackvertising Network aims to bring the same mindset to rethink not only client outcomes but also the advertising industry models themselves.
“Completely reimagining how advertising works is the overarching aim of The Hackvertising Network. Reorganizing talent in smarter ways, fixing long-term industry pain points, leveraging AI beyond the buzzword and creating specialized client solutions are some of our key focus areas” Shalendra said, underscoring the network’s mission to drive meaningful change in the industry.
Ad Hoc (www.Adhoc.lk), coined by Shalendra as the industry’s first-ever dedicated “Deadline Agency,” tackles a persistent advertising reality: last-minute deadlines that disrupt even the most meticulous plans. While general agencies often scramble to reprioritize workflows for urgent requests, Ad Hoc operates as a 100% deadline-focused entity, eliminating inefficiencies by specializing exclusively in short-term turnarounds.
White Label aims to provide a unique, curated, white-labeled solution for any type of digital design or development requirement. This model unlocks many benefits for both brands and agencies. More on this can be found at www.Whitelabel.lk.
View-Thru Media is a YouTube-first video ad agency that leverages Shalendra’s vast experience in scaling video advertising presence for brands and advocates for a video-first approach to digital marketing.
Finally, Hackvertising Core forms a consulting arm that combines the Hackvertising philosophy and deep digital expertise to provide impactful value unlocks for entities across private and public sectors.
In conclusion, Shalendra stated, “In the coming months, we will continue to unveil bold new models that adress critical industry challenges. Our aim is to be continuously inventive and experimental, moving with speed toward market truths while unapologetically adjusting & evolving our offering for markets across the globe.”
Shalendra has over 12 years of experience in the digital marketing space and currently holds offfice as the Vice President of the Digital Marketing Association of Sri Lanka (DMASL).
His career began at a London-based digital video agency, where he established the foundational expertise that would underpin his future success. Most recently, he served as Vice President – Digital at GroupM Sri Lanka, where he led the digital arm for just over a decade, overseeing five different teams and the digital journeys of SL’s largest portfolio of multinational and local clients across all key industries. Prior to that, he led digital for Team Unilever at Mindshare. Throughout his career, he has achieved many historic feats, winning awards regularly at global, regional, and local levels.