MxMIndia

Author: mxm_india

  • Despite the slowddown, FMCG, corporate campaigns dominate TV

    Festive season ad spends to rise by 60%

    By A Correspondent

    Despite a slowdown in economic growth during the first quarter of 2011-12, many companies plan to unveil new products during the upcoming festival season and back their marketing plans with aggressive advertising, discount offers and brand promotion, industry body Assocham said.

    Several of them – especially fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies-have hiked their advertising and promotional budget by 60 per cent compared to previous year in an effort to perk up demand and shore up revenues followed by home and electronic appliances, real estate, textiles, gems and jewellery and luxury products, according to The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).

    Nearly 150 corporates in ten major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune and Chandigarh were contacted between July and August. The chamber said companies selling home and electronic appliances, automobiles, textiles, gems and jewellery, luxury products and homes expect sales to go up by 30 to 40 per cent.

    The festival season generally accounts for 40 to 45 per cent of annual ad spending by Indian companies, said Assocham secretary general Mr DS Rawat. “The trend is likely to continue this year as well in spite of disconnect between macro-economic trends and micro factors.”

    Electronic appliances are on the top advertisers on TV for a 2011 followed by retail, auto and cellular services with a five per cent increase in ad spend as compared to festive 2010. Some of the brands that spent big on corporate advertising are Videocon, Whirlpool, LG, Britannia and Samsung.

    Mr Rawat further said that the consumers’ spending intentions are turning into actual spending reality, which is translating into advertising activity rapidly returning to pre-downturn levels. The average increase on advertising spending on media has been 30 to 35 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

    Festivals like Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali and harvest festivals in south India are also something that the people of the region look forward to.

    The survey also adds that companies too take advantage of the festive fervour making planned efforts in campaigns aimed and the enhanced customer spend expected.

    Ad spends in TV and press will be up by 45 per cent as compared to festive 2010. While FMCGs and corporate ad campaigns dominated TV, while print was a more mixed bag, with spends coming from auto mobile, durables, real estate and cellular services, according to Assocham.

    Nearly 65 per cent of the marketing heads said that companies see in the festive season a perfect time to advertise their products. Even as the media cost has been reasonable, except for certain television prime time slots, companies want to work closely through consumer touch points in retail outlets. Moreover, televison and radio media are increasingly used to promote activities in a mall or a retail outlet, added the survey.

  • Sony aims for Rs 150 crore business from Diwali season

    By A Correspondent

    Sony India has announced its ambitious business plans for Diwali season in Karnataka. The company expects a whopping Rs 150 crore sales between August and October, targeting a growth rate of 44 percent over last year. Banking on its innovative technology and the new product line-up, retail network expansion and heavy marketing investment, the company is positive about consolidating its strong position in Karnataka.

    To add to the festivities of the season, Sony has introduced innovative consumer promotion offers across categories including Bravia, Cyber-shot, Handycam and Home Theatre System. Sony will also expand its distribution network to 650 outlets in FY11, up from 500 outlets in FY10 in Karnataka. Not only this, ATL and BTL activities during Diwali will be supported by a huge marketing investment of Rs 15 crore.

    Mr Sunil Nayyar, Senior General Manager, Sales, Sony India said,Diwali festive period is extremely important since Sony enjoys an excellent relationship with customers here who look forward to offers from our side. Every year almost 30 percent of our total sales in Karnataka are achieved during the festive period.

     

  • BBC Knowledge is set to come out with a special 3D issue for its anniversary in November. The issue will hit the stands on November 1 and will be priced at Rs 100.

    BBC Knowledge goes 3D

    By Akash Raha

     

    Come November BBC Knowledge is all set to bring out its first anniversary issue in 3D, priced at Rs 100 and due to be on stands from November 1. This is a ‘Space’ special with 22 pages of exclusive 3D images which can be enjoyed with 3D glasses available free with the magazine.

    Speaking about the anniversary issue Soela Joshi, Brand Publisher said, “BBC Knowledge for its first anniversary had to do something special for its readers. We wanted to use the power of interactivity to engage our readers and capture audiences. Coverage of Science & Technology in 3D has a high potential for disruption. Hence we have created ‘Space in 3D’ for our anniversary issue. The moment you put on the 3D glasses and look at the pages…the magazine comes to life. It is so exciting to create an environment where the readers can have a truly interactive experience.”

    The magazine has also come up with a 360-degree plan to engage with the young adults who are the main readers. The marketing activities for the issue will be carried out in areas which are popular with this age group. There will be print ads as well as key outdoors. “We will also run a social media campaign where this TG is most active, including our own Facebook page. In addition, in terms of onground, we have tie ups with organizations like science centres and nature groups to reach out to a new set of readers for this issue. We also have a tie-up with Imax Big Cinemas where we will promote this issue through on-ground branding and contests. Their 3D screen provides a perfect backdrop for our special issue,” said Komal Puri, Brand Manager, BBC Knowledge.

    The BBC Knowledge team has carefully handpicked the iconic stories for this issue – it contains a mix of breath-taking images of NASA’s space exploration as well as the exclusive inputs of Indian experts like Retd. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma and spacecraft designer Susmita Mohanty among others.

    Preeti Singh, Editor, BBC Knowledge explains, “For our anniversary issue we have pulled out all stops. A first in India’s magazine history, BBC Knowledge brings a spectacular Space in 3D special with iconic NASA images, never seen this way before. With features from astronaut Rakesh Sharma to 35 biggest questions about the cosmos answered, this extraordinary issue is a perfect preview of what’s to come from us in the future.”

    BBC Knowledge was brought to India by Worldwide Media last year.  It is a magazine for young inquisitive minds where well-researched, handpicked stories are matched with breath-taking pictures and graphics to cover history, science and nature.

  • Indian Express had as special guest for its Adda on October 28 Thomas L Friedman, Foreign Affairs Columnist, The New York Times in New Delhi.

    Tom Friedman in the IE Adda

    By A Correspondent

    Flat-world proponent Thomas Friedman was the special guest at the third Indian Express Adda on October 28. Mr Friedman, Foreign Affairs Columnist, The New York Times in New Delhi, is a three-time Pulitzer prize winner and author of several famous books including The World is Flat, From Beirut to Jerusalem and the most recent That used to be US.

    Every week he helps millions understand and interpret change in a way no other commentator does. Along Mr Shekhar Gupta, Editor in Chief, Indian Express Group, Mr Friedman debated and discussed several topics of international significance and discussed it with the enthusiastic crowd. Issues regarding global slowdown, economic issues in Europe and US, rise of China as a global force to reckon with, capitalism, neo-imperialism, the uprising in Middle East and North Africa etcetera were some of the topics discussed at length in what was an intriguing and thought-provoking evening.

    This is the third Adda hosted by the Indian Express.  Guests at previous Addas were Sir Martin Sorrell and Shahrukh Khan, in New Delhi and Mumbai respectively.

  • High end matrimonial portals emerge to tap growing market of high networth individuals

    High-end matchmakers emerge to tap HNIs

    By Sobia Khan

    A new generation of high-end matchmakers has emerged to cater exclusively to the rapidly growing affluent entrepreneurs and professionals, who are willing to shell out whatever it takes to seal just the right alliance.

     

    Elite Matrimony, a matrimonial website, for example, offers membership by invitation only, to those who have a net worth of over Rs 3 crore and can pay a fee of Rs 50,000 to 2 lakh for three to six months.

     

    Chennai-based Mr Murugavel Janakiraman, who founded the portal, says 60% of his clients are first-generation entrepreneurs, professionals such as high-profile lawyers, or senior executives in multinational companies, while the rest represent old money with their fourth-generation into business. The portal maintains a database of more than 50,000 high net worth individuals.

     

    The noveau rich who have benefited from India’s economic boom, or non-resident Indians who have made it big abroad, are turning to such professional matchmakers.

     

    “It was like I was helping them strike a business deal,” says a marriage counsellor who does not wish to be named, about a recent case, “Both parties wanted to know about the other’s net worth, business prospects and succession planning, among other things.”

     

    He recounts that a Mumbai-based business family was scouting for a suitable boy for their 20-year-old daughter six months ago. The father owns a 10-year-old textiles firm that has grown into a top firm in the apparel exports business. “Like all families, they wanted their daughter to marry higher in society, but people in the same wealth category were not convinced about their new status when they approached them with proposals. So they came to us,” he says. After taking the proposal to some of the big entrepreneurs registered on his portal, the counsellor finally zeroed in on a Gurgaon-based diamond merchant who had inherited the business from his ancestors.

     

    With spends at big fat Indian weddings averaging between 5 crore and 25 crore, the domestic wedding market, estimated at 1.25 lakh crore – 1.9 lakh crore, is believed to be growing at 25% to 30% a year.

     

    “There has to be a perfect match, in terms of both the family and the business,” says Mr Janakiraman, explaining that whoever is finally picked will become part of a business house and also contribute to its growth. “We assign a personal matchmaker to our clients, visit their families, carry out background checks, access current and potential business, family structure and succession planning, among other things, and then begin the process of matchmaking.”

     

    Often, even if the family is well-known, not much may be publicly known about the educational background and management and entrepreneurial capabilities of the scions. “In such close-knit societies as those of the rich and the elite, it is difficult to enquire about such things in public. This is where we come into the picture,” says Ms Rekha Vaid, senior marriage counsellor at Sycorian, an online matchmaking service. “You need professional help to carry out complete background checks of the families and, especially, the prospective grooms.”

     

    Mr Janakiraman recounts the case of a director with a top MNC in Bangalore who found just the girl he was looking for on the Elite Matrimony portal. However, it emerged that the girl’s family was not interested in the proposal for his son because the girl’s family, a first generation infotech firm in Chennai, was looking for a groom who would eventually lead the company as she was their only child. After much discussion, the executive father convinced the girl’s parents that his son, who was working in an IT firm in the US, had plans to return to India to start his own venture, and was capable enough to lead a business in future. The marriage will be solemnised soon.

     

    Business is growing at 50%-60% a year, says Mr Janakiraman. “There was a need for segmentation in matrimonial websites. Affluent people need a different service and paying money for a niche service will never be a constraint for them,” he says. “In fact, some people say that we are charging very less,” he laughs.

     

    Ms Vaid says business has grown over 75% in the past two years. Sycorian, through Shrishti, a business venture that caters to big-ticket weddings, has helped affluent Indians from the US, UK, Canada and Australia take the vows, she says.

     

    “The online matrimonial market offers better choices for people who have moved out of the social circle to find a relevant soul mate,” says Mr Nilanjan Roy, group business head, Times Business Solutions, which owns the matrimonial website Simplymarry. She says there is a huge demand from the elite, who are taking the online route to matchmaking.

     

    Kerala-based wedding planner Spice.Nair – which recently organised an all-white wedding, with everything from flowers to dresses in white – caters mainly to such NRIs. “We are getting queries from people in South Africa, UK and Australia who prefer to come to India to tie the knot. NRIs always look for variety,” says proprietor Mr Suresh Nair,who plans to set up a wedding shop to offer from invitation cards to dress to decoration to match with the themes.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2011, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

  • Rahul Kishore, senior vice-president VivaKi Exchange and a sports enthusiast, on why he doesn’t think F1 can kill cricket

    The Anchor: 7 reasons why Formula 1 will never overtake cricket in this country

    By Rahul Kishore

     

    I was at the F1 over the weekend and got a grandstand view. Quite impressed with the show… a slap in the face of the detractors who said we were a nation incapable of organising mega-events, especially after the Commonwealth Games fiasco.

     

    I came  away with a sense of pride… at India producing a world class event. I was asked by a  friend if I saw F1 overtaking cricket in a few years. Set me thinking… the answer was a simple and emphatic: NO!

     

    The reasons are obvious:

     

    1. Cricket has Sachin,  Dravid, Laxman, Yuvi.  F1 has, er, Karthikeyan.’ Now who’s he?  Dhoni is worshipped.  In India we have Vijay Mallya saying he will announce in the next two days if he wants to back an Indian team in the next  F1 in Abu Dhabi! In cricket,  entire series are planned five years in advance!

     

    2.Cricket has a 100-year history. F1 is relatively new… it will take time to grow.. may be 10 years or so. It needs big money, infrastructure, commitment… do we have it in us? We have just about made one track for such a large country. Yes, it’s a start and where it goes is anyone’s guess. Races are held 20 days a year. Is it worth investing in a track in every metro and price tickets at upwards of Rs 6000?

     

    3.Cricket is played for national pride. Where in the F1 world will you find a India vs Pak or Australia contest? How long will it take F1 to capture the spirit of Indianness as it were.

     

    4.These race drivers have no relevance to the aam Indian. Can at max be TV heroes, in  a sport primarily meant for television viewing. In fact as I watched the race I was very impressed with the start and after the first three laps which took about five minutes, I was glued to the giant screen… could’ve easily come back home and watched it on TV, to grasp the nuances better.  On a cricket field, I can catch all the action with a swoop of the eye.

     

    5.There is an entry barrier. It is an expensive sport that needs a track, money, an expensive car and a sponsor with very deep pockets. How can it penetrate into the small towns of a third world country is beyond me. It is for the privileged few, not a mass sport. However, I do see it penetrate into the middle class slowly. On the other hand, cricket can be played with a makeshift bat and ball in almost any small hamlet of the country. It is this aspect that makes it our national sport!

     

    6. Cricket has created icons and genuine stars. These guys live out the aspirations of millions of youngsters. Look at a Dhoni: came out of nowhere and is India’s best ever skipper. I cannot imagine a race car driver come out of a small village in North Kerala, but in cricket a Sreesanth can!

    7. The television rating points follow the fever, the hunger and the passions of the masses.  And the ad monies will chase that.  F1 has a long way to go to capture the masses.

     

    We have seen EPL, tennis, badminton, golf remain the preserve of a niche audience. To my mind, F1 will stay in this genre for some time to come.

  • Since most events are usually private/low-scale functions, no one discusses the bloopers, and life simply goes on. But we get caught with our pants down when they are held on a mega scale, when the world is watching.

    Hard Knocks: Event mismanagement

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Whenever I get invited to participate in an event, my first reaction is to hesitate. And this is because, of the many I have visited in my life, most have turned out to be shoddily organized. Mismanagement of crowds, late start, poor banquet service, clueless hosts/hostesses… it’s a long list of gripes. And this turns out to be the case even when professional event managers have been hired. I must also add here, the few events I have visited in London, Cannes and New York, were a pleasure. Which is why I have always wondered why we screw things up in India.

    Since most events are usually private/low-scale functions, no one discusses the bloopers, and life simply goes on. But we get caught with our pants down when they are held on a mega scale, when the world is watching. Our pathetic show at the Commonwealth Games, and now with the mess on Metallica’s performance in Gurgaon, has made us look like bloody jokers.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”300″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VELQ39QAYP4[/youtube]

    I really don’t understand why we Indians make for such poor planners and executors. Maybe it’s in our DNA. Or, we can blame it on bad karma, as we usually do for everything! However, here’s a hunch: I suspect our event management companies are not being run professionally. And they aren’t being held accountable for flop shows. Perhaps a hefty fine for botched events may make them pull up their socks. I wonder if these people train their staffers on the skills required to run an event. If there’s any quality control in place. I would stick my neck out and say that most staffers are hired based on their general enthusiasm and little else. When the ground reality is that running a huge event takes a lot more than enthusiasm. It needs astute planning skills, a resourceful temperament and a jihadic passion to execute a successful event.

    Our event management companies need to clean up their houses. Or be ready to get penalized for bringing embarrassment to the host. Or to the whole country on occasion.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. Came across this funny ad on the need to wear proper lenses. Must say the dude reminds me of a bumbling Indian event manager. Just kidding!

  • SAB aims to beat ZEE in the next three months, launches Saturday Prime Time Entertainment.

    SAB eyeing ZEE’s ranking

    By Rishi Vora

     

    In a bid to increase viewership on the weekends, especially in the primetime 9 – 10: 30 pm band on Saturdays, SAB TV will air three brand new shows – Oye Bunty Babloo Oye, Kya Hoga Is Desh Ka, and Gaadi Bula Rahi Hai starting November 5. These shows will be aired for 20 weeks and each episode will offer a new story line with varied flavours of comedy. The shows will be produced and directed by Ravi Rai, Siddharth Tewary, Vipul D Shah, J D Majethia and Rajesh Beri.

    The move comes at a time when the channel is placed No 5 in the pecking order of general entertainment channels with 121 GRPs.

    Anooj Kapoor, Executive Vice President and Business Head, informed MxM India that his target is to reach 165 GRPs in the next three months and possibly beat Zee on overall GRPs. So while that means an increase of 40-odd GRPs, it will be interesting to see whether the channel is really able to topple Zee from the No 4 position. If that does happen, it will be a significant achievement, from where the channel could look at reaching the 200 GRP mark. Early this year, the channel did touch 150 GRPs and gave its sister channel – Sony a good run of their money.

    As for the new shows, Mr Kapoor is optimistic that they’ll bring fresh set of viewers to the channel. “Mostly people watch movies in the weekend, and if not that, they go out shopping, to restaurants and other places. We’re trying to cash-in on these audiences by offering something they would want to watch on a Saturday evening and then convert them into loyal viewers.” These shows will also help the channel get more advertising revenue, in the 9 – 10:30 pm band.

    On the marketing front, the channel will make best use of the MSM network. As far as the TG market is concerned, Mr Kapoor said that the idea is to look at broadening the viewership base across cities and towns in India and in making SAB-like comedy-family drama, a habit in many a households.

     

  • In Freaking News, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare on nightly news and in the morning papers

    Amid firecrackers, the papers are quieter

    By Ranjona Banerji

    Although Mumbai is my normal hunting ground, I have spent this Diwali in Hyderabad. And it is wonderful how easily you can get into another news cycle, no matter how unfamiliar at first. There are no large well-packaged newspaper campaigns about roads or health or public transport. The outraged citizen is also more subdued than in Mumbai – Dear sir, I have not yet received my aadhaar card after so many reminders, gentle stuff like that.

    Politics is far more in evidence and clearly Tellywood has not overtaken every page of every newspaper the way Bollywood has done to our Mumbai papers. No one can suggest that the Telugu film industry is not huge and does not command a massive fan following or commercial presence. Yet, no film star has jumped out of the pages wishing us Happy Diwali, Halloween or anything else. Happy Days!

    Telengana is a big issue obviously, but everything has been a bit quieter over the holidays. Diwali-related allergies, pollution and injuries also got their fair share of attention, proving that social consciousness is a seller.

    Between the Times of India and Deccan Chronicle, the former is more national in its outlook and the latter more local. The day after the Metallica concert was cancelled in Gurgaon, TOI led with the story while DC was happy with a single column.

    The colour pages however are as full of the vacuous page 3 stuff and the scale varies, presumably depending on celebrity activity, which appears to have been quite slow. Or it could be that local celebs are not yet professional party goers who make deals with photographers to ensure themselves so many pics a week and all from the most flattering angle!

     

    **

    Not surprisingly, the Formula 1 race and the continuing travails and protestations of Team Anna hogged TV and newspaper headlines. The Big Fight on NDTV had a discussion on the corruption charges against Team Anna and its anti-Congress stand at Hisar, featuring former Delhi police commissioner Maxwell Pereira, actor Kabir Bedi, politician Renuka Chowdhury, former TOI editor Dileep Padgaonkar and a young girl from Team Anna. Anchor Vikram Chandra tried to ensure that Team Anna got fair treatment but even he was a bit stunned when Kabir Bedi said that he was not bothered by Kiran Bedi’s creative accounting. Audience members were far more critical.

     

    **

    The fiasco over the Metallica concert in Gurgaon demonstrated how TV needs to up its reporting skills. Anchors and reporters clearly did not have the wherewithal to probe what had gone wrong and relied on unsubstantiated claims made by fans. Oddly, TV channel websites appeared to have more clarity. It took the newspapers the next day to answer most questions. Yet, even now, the facts seem a little hazy, that is, juicy details of why the concert was not held are missing.

     

    **

    Most intriguing of all is the fate of some 130 tourists who have apparently been kidnapped in Lakshadweep. TV ran the story late one night and forgot about it the next morning. Newspapers have been silent and the web, normally a fount of information and misinformation both, has provided only sketchy details. So what’s happened to them?

     

  • Micromax is notorious for over-the-top and often offensive advertising, so this commercial came as no surprise to me.

    Debrief: A shining ad!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Here’s the Micromax ad that did not leave actor Shiney Ahuja very amused. And he’s taken legal action against the advertiser.

     

    Now, Micromax is notorious for over-the-top and often offensive advertising, so this commercial came as no surprise to me. It sits in well with their brand personality. A young lady excitedly tells her female friend that her hubby, whose name is Shiney, has bought her a new Micromax Bling handset. And she’s surprised to find that the naughty Shiney has bought the same instrument for her pal too. But she gets the shock of her life when the housemaid declares Mr Shiney has bought one for her too!

     

    Hahaha. I think the ad is very funny and very Micromax. I like advertising that cleverly ties in the brand’s message with current affairs. It just makes the communication that much more engaging. It’s a pity that Shiney Ahuja lacks a sense of humour. Also, if he had kept quiet, some people would have noticed the ad. Now that he’s protested, many more will. Enjoy!

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBascDwOIiQ[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): Full 5! I am still laughing! 

  • NCT Data Wk 43 ’11

    Source: News Content Track – A service of TAM Media Research Pvt. Ltd

    Channels: Aaj Tak, CNN IBN, Headlines Today, IBN 7, India TV, NDTV 24/7, NDTV India, Star News, Times Now & Zee News

    Period: Wk 43 – Oct 16 to Oct 22, 2011

    Note : Analysis is based on the telecast duration

    About TAM Media Research

     

    TAM is a joint venture between Nielsen Company & Kantar Media Research. Besides measuring TV Viewership, TAM also monitors Advertising Expenditure of Television, Print & Radio through its division AdEx India. Since 2004, it extended its presence in the PR Measurement & Analysis space for Corporate/Marketing Clients by setting up a separate division Eikona PR Measurement.

     

    In 2007, the joint venture introduced RAM (Radio Audio Measurement) service to track Radio Listenership for the Indian Radio Broadcast Industry. In year 2009, TAM launched a division, called TAM Sports that specializes in monitoring Sports Sponsorship ROI.

     

    TAM Media Research’s objective is to fuel media insights that will drive the growth of the Indian Media Industry.

     

     

     

  • Many youngsters in the agency have applauded Omnicom’s present move in Mudra, hoping that it would give the agency a fresh lease of life.

    Analysis: Will Omnicom upset the applecart?

    By Tuhina Anand

    Now for years, Omnicom has been trying to gain a greater share in the Indian market, but it has finally managed to get it right with the Mudra acquisition.

    It has been making moves recently to gain a foothold in the Indian market by debuting in the country its media agency OMD and then by bringing creative agency BBDO. Omnicom also acquired 100 per cent stake in TBWA but the coup is definitely getting Mudra and the talks of majority stakes turning to 100 per cent stake, Omnicom will in one sweep manage to pocket a sizeable chunk of the advertising pie in India.

    In fact, the seriousness of India as a market could be gauged from the fact that Tim Love , the Chief Executive Officer of Omnicom, Asia Pacific India Middle East Africa (APIMA) region has always pointed to his business card which puts India separately and not club as part of Asia or APAC as is the norm. He had stressed during his meetings that this showed how important is India as a market for Omnicom and its commitment to the country.

    Many youngsters in the agency have applauded Omnicom’s present move in Mudra, hoping that it would give the agency a fresh lease of life. Not to forget that Mudra has been on an overdrive in the last two years, with the agency winning awards at the national festival. Recently the network (DDB) also won at SpikesAsia so there has been a buzz. Its sub-brands Water, its strategy and design consultancy unit and Terra, bottom of pyramid marketing had also been launched earlier with much fanfare.

    In fact, with Mudra’s acquisition, Omnicom gains in getting hold of a fully integrated advertising services agency which otherwise would have been difficult if the latter had gone doing things on its own. Currently, Mudra has- Mudra India, DDB Mudra, Mudra Max and Ignite Mudra and each of these have their own strategic business units like Mudra India has 5 SBUs including Mudra West, Mudra South and Mudra North & East. Water, a strategy & design specialist, and Maatra, a localization & pre-media specialist. DDB Mudra comprises four strategic business units, DDB India, Tribal DDB India, RAPP India and DDB Health & Lifestyle. Mudra Max consists of 16 strategic business units that provide clients seamless solutions across a wide array of media touchpoints.

    In the months to follow, it would be interesting to see how Omnicom would try to bring its own flavour to Mudra. Also how would its other agencies like BBDO, TBWA and OMD be placed in the scheme of things and continue as independent units would be worth the watch. But one thing is sure with this move Omnicom has suddenly leapt in the big circle as there is no denying that Mudra has the pedigree that can give Omnicom though a late entrant, a name and grip in the industry that it has been trying for long but had not succeded ealier.

    More importantly, will this move shake the WPPs who have well-settled in the Indian industry? After all, any new player comes with the big intentions which if not shakes the sedentary life of the oldies but definitely puts them on their edges. Only time will tell.