Started in 2006, THOT™ advocates with primary target audiences and recognizes the need to engage with opinion makers-influencers at all levels via behaviour change communication (BCC). THOT™ has consulted to leading clients such as WHO-India, Save The Children (India), GAIN (India), NHPC (CSR), PSI-India, IOWH-USA, TB Alliance-USA, UNFPA, UNODC, Abbott-Guidant, CFTFK-USA, VHAI, PHFI/AFTC, DFID-India, CARE-India, ILO, ICRW, MCH-STAR (USAID project), NACO, JHUCCP-India, Constella Futures-India, Better Energy Systems-UK and Coffey International-UK.
THOT™ is led by Dr. Vipin Varma, who has been a visiting faculty at the Indian Institute of Mass Communications (IIMC), training post-graduate students and Civil Services probationers in Social Marketing Communications. He has also mentored some of India’s leading contemporary designers and artists including from the prestigious National Institute of Design (NID), to create innovative social marketing campaigns on HIV-AIDS.
Before conceiving and realizing THOT™, Dr. Varma had pioneered and established the Social & Healthcare Marketing Communications Practice for India’s leading general Marketing Communications multi-national Agency. As their Business Head, he consulted & developed integrated marketing communications strategies, branding, cross-sector linkages for leading corporate, public health, and non-governmental organizations like Pharmacia, Ranbaxy, Boston Scientific, Aventis Pasteur, IP Apollo Hospitals, Ministry of Tourism, Government Of India (Medical Tourism), Futures Group International, Abt Associates Inc-USAID project, UNICEF, UNDP, PATH, Gillette (CSR plan for barbers) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (‘Avahan’ brand manual and merchandise).