The LBS Marg office does not put you gentle into it. At 7:15 AM, three calls are already on hold, a WhatsApp message about an urgent placing of an obituary, and somebody verifying the deadline of the edition to be run in Dainik Bhaskar in Mumbai.

That is Riyo Advertising on an ordinary day. To get a glimpse of the actual appearance of a 360-degree media agency with no branding, I spent a day in this Ghatkopar West office. It was not a refined pitch deck I discovered. It was people.

7:00 AM — Before Most Agencies Have Turned On a Computer

The process of ad booking in newspapers is on non-negotiable deadlines. The morning department of Riyo is already taking newspaper ad placements, verifying confirmed placements, and marking anything that was placed after the last day of the week cutoff. Public announcements, legal notice advertising, classifieds - this is work that can be done accurately but not fast and vice versa.

The point of early start is not a culture point of the site. It's the job.

Meet the People You Actually Talk To

In case you called Riyo and left a Google review, there is a good probability you called him by the name Kirti Mane or Surya.

They both appear in Justdial and Google reviews frequently, described as very helpful or sorted it out immediately. That is no coincidence. They both deal with client coordination of some of the more difficult types - legal notice ad writing, obituaries placed last-minute, name change bookings which require a lot of paperwork and the client is already stressed by the time they make the call.

Kirti is the one who is likely to take a first-time advertiser through what he or she actually needs, rather than what he or she believes he or she needs. Surya does much of the follow through - confirmations, evidence of publication, queries received after the ad has been run.

I will not be selling this. They're doing a job. However, they are doing it within a category where the majority of agencies consider the client a transaction and these two obviously do not.

They deal with client coordination of some of the more difficult types - legal notice ad writing, last-minute obituaries, and name change bookings which require massive paperwork. Kirti is the one who is likely to take a first-time advertiser through what they actually need, rather than what they believe they need. Surya does much of the follow-through - confirmations, evidence of publication, and post-run queries.

Rajesh and Dinesh: Public Notice Backbone

Behind a large portion of the operation are Rajesh Bhanushali and Dinesh Bhanushali. Rajesh, a senior media planner, ensures that IBC notices, DRT ads, insolvency ads and other high-stakes public notice ads are in the right newspapers, in the right format. Dinesh compares the content of legal notice advertisements with the brief to catch errors that might lead to a reprint.

The Architect: Narendra Bhanushali

CEO Narendra Bhanushali began this agency in 2004. In over 20 years, he has seen print decline and digital surge, but Riyo didn't just survive—it grew. From newspaper ad booking to OOH advertising, radio ad placement, TV commercial booking, and online PR services, the growth is rooted in a client-first philosophy developed in 2004.

Mid-Day: When "One Ad" Becomes a Strategy

Most agencies are either print-first or digital-first. Riyo runs both tracks from the same table. I saw a property developer request a simple classified ad in Times of India. Instead of just booking it, the team asked: "What are you attempting to accomplish? New project launch? Inventory clearance?"

In less than 20 minutes, that single ad request evolved into a strategic media buy encompassing print, OOH, and a digital PR push. Yogita Ghogare manages this intersection where traditional media purchasing meets modern digital brand presence.

Riyo team does it a little differently, they enquire what the developer is actually attempting to accomplish. New project launch? Inventory clearance? Specific buyer profile? In less than 20 minutes, that single classified ad request has evolved into a discussion of strategic media purchasing in print and OOH, a creative ad design that cuts across media and whether a digital PR push to support the campaign would be feasible to the calendar.

Manager of Digital Operations, Yogita Ghogare, manages the section of Riyo which deals with this shift - digital PR services in Mumbai, Google presence, brand presence beyond the print run. She came at a time when Riyo was growing its offer, and that point of intersection between the traditional media purchasing and the digital is where her work is.

A majority of agencies are either print-based or online-based. Riyo plays both songs on the same table.

What 360-Degree Actually Means Here

At Riyo, a 360° media agency means a client can walk in with a brand issue and walk out with a plan that includes:

• Newspaper Advertisement Booking: Listed, display, full page in 200+ newspapers.
• OOH Advertising: Mall media, transit ads, hoardings across Mumbai and beyond.
• Radio Advertising: Station selection, spot buying, and production referrals.
• TV Commercial Booking: Regional channels, news channels, and spot buying.
• Digital PR Services: Press release distribution and Google News presence.
• Legal Notice Advertising: Precision-drafted public notices and name change ads.

Why the Culture Matters to You as a Client

Riyo works based on freedom and responsibility. Decisions are made by teams without waiting for manager sanctions. For example, when Kirti gets a call at 6:45 PM for a pressing IBC public notice that must run the next morning, she sorts it immediately. That's the difference between meeting a court deadline or missing it.

You're Not a Client ID Here

In many agencies, you're forgotten once the invoice is sent. At Riyo, follow-through is a core job. Proof of publication, edition confirmation, and handling post-run queries are standard. It's a customer-centric implementation that goes beyond just booking space.