MxMIndia

Tag: Ashish Bhasin

  • The newly formed Publicis Omnicom may narrowly topple the Interpublic group from its second spot in India

    Despite Omnicom-Publicis merger, WPP clear #1 in India

    By Samidha Sharma

     

    The $35-billion merger of American advertising and marketing group Omnicom with the Publicis Groupe will put the combined entity right on top of the global advertising industry in terms of revenues. But in India, Martin Sorrell’s WPP will maintain its No 1 position by far compared to its nearest competitor. Publicis Omnicom, the newly formed holding company, however, may narrowly topple the Interpublic group from its second spot in India, according to some industry estimates. These agency networks do not share their revenue numbers publicly in India.

     

    Most industry insiders said that the global merger will not have an immediate impact on the Indian market where the network’s agencies are expected to run independently. Both Publicis and Omnicom have upped their ante in the Indian market with acquisitions over the last couple of years to take on WPP head-on here.

     

    While Omnicom took full control of domestic biggie Mudra in 2011, Publicis has gone on to acquire smaller agencies like Convonix, Resultrix and iStrat, among others, in India. WPP, the clear No 1 locally with revenues topping Rs 1,500 crore, is still double the size of IPG and the newly formed Publicis-Omnicom here.

     

    Agnello Dias
    Agnello Dias

    “The combined entity will help in the Indian context when a global client of either Omnicom or Publicis decides to enter the local market. With a wider bouquet of offerings across creative and media agencies, the group will have higher chances of retaining these clients here,” said Agnello Dias, co-founder, Taproot, an independent agency which was acquired by Dentsu last year.

     

    Over the last few years, as traditional advertising mediums are being challenged by the likes of Google, the world’s largest online search firm, and social media platforms, consolidation has begun to take place rapidly across the advertising world. In 2012, Japanese ad network Dentsu acquired British media buying group Aegis to give it a much needed access to markets outside of its home country in a $4.9-billion buyout.

     

    The merger is unlikely to be a gamechanger in India until they get one head of the combined entity and cut flab which is not going to happen right away, said a CEO of an advertising firm who did not want to be named. Conflicting client interests – such as the one between Coke and Pepsi – is another issue which will be at the fore front for both the networks to handle going forward.

     

    Ashish Bhasin

    “The new entity has the potential of becoming a stronger player as well as a weaker one depending on how post the merger the group handles its clients and employees,” said Ashish Bhasin, chairman (India and CEO (South-East Asia) for Aegis Media.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Advertisers, media agencies are upset with TAM's decision to go weekly for some broadcasters

    Measurement mayhem as TAM goes weekly for some

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Interviews by Johnson Napier

     

    If you thought that broadcasters would be on their knees to keep advertisers and media agencies happy, perish the thought. This is India in the year 2013 and relations between those who put money on media vehicles and the vehicle-owners have hit the bottom.

     

    Over recent times, there have been issues between advertisers, media agencies and broadcasters. It started with the constitution of the BARC, and moved to the Net billing issue and eventually moved to the status of the TAM-administered television audience measurement system. Along with the controversy on the measurement system has also been the issue of CPT versus CPRP being the currency for adspends.

     

    The unsubscription of TAM’s services by leading networks post an advisory of broadcaster body IBF last month was the last straw. While broadcasters had their reasons, the AAAI and ISA felt that it was harsh a decision and should’ve been settled by way of discussions, especially since there is a BARC-administered measurement system that’s just around a year away.

     

    On Thursday (July 11), after many days of the stalemate between the IBF, AAAI and the ISA and of course TAM, it was decided by the Nielsen-Kantar jv to fulfil its contractual obligations and publish monthly ratings for all those desirous of it. Although in terms of numbers, the entities are few – Star, Zee, TV18+Viacom 18, MSM, NDTV, Times TV, Sri Adhikari Brothers, BAG Films and India TV, they control a sizeable pie of ad revenues across all their channels.

     

    Noted a statement issued by a TAM spokesperson: “TAM, purely as an act of professionalism, is fulfilling and respecting its contractual duties and obligations that it is bound by, with the individual Broadcaster clients. This decision is basis individual client letter requests received by TAM from only specific few  TV Channels.  Data for all other TV Channels will be reported as earlier.”

     

    Srinivasan Swamy

    Said Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman and Managing Director, RK Swamy BBDO:  “This move by TAM to agree to a monthly reporting for the said channels  is bowing to the pressure of these broadcasters and is a desperate reaction to the issue. Fundamental changes in a measurement system followed for years cannot be undone for a few select parties without accounting for the consensus amongst the other stakeholders , particularly the advertisers. ” Mr Swamy was critical of TAM too on the decision: “Having succumbed to such pressure tactics can lead to a further question mark on TAM’s  credibility,”

     

    According to Sam Balsara, CMD, Madison World and one the seniormost representing media agency professionals in the country, advertisers are “unwilling to take this unilateral decision of broadcasters lying down”.

     

    Sam Balsara

    Added Mr Swamy: “This is a retrograde step for a medium known to be extremely dynamic. In fact the argument can be that the move to measure TV should be available on a daily basis rather than weekly and here we are moving to a monthly. While both CPT and CPRP have their advantages and disadvantages, the bigger issue is of data stability and integrity. While the move to CPT is the way to go in the future and its advantages are known, but in absence of a new robust measurement metrics, such actions do not reflect a mature industry functioning. Where is the advertiser and the media agency in this decision?  It is time the three industry bodies ISA, IBF, AAAI arrive at a long-term solution to such fundamental issues and put a roadmap in place to prevent such knee=jerk changes in an important area of measurement.”

     

     

    Ashish Bhasin

    Echoing a similar view is Ashish Bhasin, Chairman, India and CEO, South East Asia of Aegis Media: “I think we should let it be the way it is and rather have a joint industry body like BARC or people who are qualified to handle such issues from a technical standpoint. Obviously there are some issues with TAM. We cannot take decisions on an ad hoc basis where TAM moves from weekly to monthly for some and gives out weekly data to the others. It will just add to the confusion; we need to get in experts like the BARC technical committee because they have all the constituents concerning the welfare of the industry including broadcasters and advertisers. So they will have to take a relook at the whole issue and put forth recommendations that are best for the industry.”

     

    Meanwhile, advertisers are not too amused by the decision. A senior marketing professional with a multinational said that the willingness to discuss issues shouldn’t be construed as a weakness on the part of those putting in monies. Another advertiser who we spoke to said that while decisions to advertise do not change on a week-on-week basis in the case of general entertainment channels, for some channels like news a more instant measurement mechanism is vital. “It’s my money so I want to know if I am spending it well. It’s not that I will stop spending If I don’t know how my money is being spent, Said Mr Bhasin: “According to me, these ad hoc steps are really retrograde. The world is moving to real-time data on a daily basis and to move to a monthly system is not acceptable. For all you know, clients might actually rethink their association with the medium of television and may channelize their energies on other mediums. Clients may lose confidence on the medium of television as if you release data after a long gap they won’t be able to analyse the immediate impact that will be created. If clients start reducing or pulling back the monies, we agencies and broadcasters will be on the losing end. So net-net, a joint industry body needs to look at it from a holistic standpoint and put forth their recommendations – what should happen in the short-term till BARC comes in.”

     

    The last is not heard on the television audience measurement controversy. The stakes are high and so are the bucks. For many, it also means a threat to the very existence.

     

    Please stand by for more as the drama unfolds.

     

  • Mr Bhasin is also a speaker at Agency Jeopardy at Montreux, Switzerland

    Ashish Bhasin on Festival of Media Global Jury 2013

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India & CEO South East Asia – Aegis Media, will be a part of the Final Jury Panel at the Festival of Media Global 2013 in Montreux, Switzerland. The final jury deliberations are slated to happen on April 27 and 28.

     

    In addition, Mr Bhasin will also be a speaker at the Agency Jeopardy event at the Festival of Media Global 2013, to be held on April 29. Mr Bhasin said, “I look forward to being a member of the final jury at the Festival of Media Global this year. It is a great opportunity for me to see the best of the media work globally and to interact with some of the best minds in our profession. I also look forward to speaking at the Agency Jeopardy event. I am sure it will be a great experience for me and a good representation for India in this global forum”.

     

    Mr Bhasin, who is also the Secretary and Executive Committee member of AAAI, on the Board of Governors of the Media Research Users Council, serves on the managing committee of the Readership Studies Council of India and Co-chairs the AAAI-IBF committee amongst other industry bodies. In the past he has served and chaired several national and international juries, including Cannes Lions 2007 Direct Jury and Dubai Lynx 2008 Direct & Interactive juries.

     

  • Carat retains BMW India account which also saw ZO, Maxus and BPN in the pitch process

    Carat retains BMW India media AOR

    By A Correspondent

     

    After an elaborate pitch process that saw Zenith Optimedia, Maxus, and BPN India also competing, Carat Media has retained the BMW India media account. The pitch process had four phases which included credentials, strategy and value evaluations.

     

    Speaking on the win, Kartik Iyer, the MD of CaratIndiasaid, “We are naturally delighted with the decision BMW India has taken. BMW is a very important client for us inIndia, as well as globally. We are totally committed to BMW India and are delighted that they gave us an opportunity to re-look at the way their media was being implemented. Our solutions focused on the brand challenges. We delivered a solution package that would enable BMW India to continue on its path of unchallenged leadership in the country. We do hope to work with BMW India for many more years and look forward to presenting a truly integrated solution and a team more than capable of delivering to the challenges in the future.”

     

    Christian Saffer, Marketing Director – BMW India said, “India is a very important country in BMW’s global portfolio and we wanted to ensure that we were getting the best that the market could offer in terms of media planning and buying. In line with this, we invited agencies to present their point of view on our business. After the pitch, we found Carat to be the most suitable and capable of handling our business. Carat came up with solutions focused on our business needs and went beyond traditional media planning. We have worked with Carat for a number of years now and are delighted with the way they came in with a re-energized perspective on BMW’s media approach inIndia.”

     

    Ashish Bhasin

    Ashish Bhasin, Chairman of Aegis India and CEO Aegis SE Asia said, “BMW is a client we are committed to in the region and globally. We work with them in over 22 countries and are delighted that they found our offer exciting. We look forward to a long relationship with BMW India wherein we continue to contribute positively to their rapid growth plans.”

     

    For the record, Carat – an independent media communications specialist – is part of the Aegis Media Group. Other companies in the group include Vizeum, Posterscope the global OOH sector leader, Brandscope,  Hyperspace (Retail), Carat Fresh Integrated (Activation), PSI (Airports), Doosra (Creative), Isobar, the global communications agency with digital at its heart and  iProspect – Communicate 2, the global leader in search and performance marketing.

     

  • Aegis' acquisition of Communicate 2 is part of a series of M&As in the Indian digital media space

    Another win-win digital equation

     

    By Johnson Napier and Robin Thomas

     

    ‘By 2015, we want to be the top 3 player in every single sphere we operate in’
     

    What led you to shortlist Communicate2 as the partner of choice?

    Communicate2 is one of the largest and oldest firms in the area of search & performance marketing in India. Vivek Bhargava, as you’d know, is considered to be the guru of search inIndia. He is also one of the guys to be Google-certified and has been in this business since 1997 – a time when the internet and search was in its absolute infancy. In our view, nobody else managed the quality and scale of the business that he has built up, and therefore he was a preferred partner of choice.

     

    The other important reason for choosing Communicate2 was chemistry – Aegis Media has a certain vision and value outlook which is very close to our heart and Communicate2 seemed to have gelled very well with those attributes. There was a lot of comfort on both sides. So these were some of the key reasons for us to choose Communicate2.

     

    Will you be laying enhanced emphasis on Search with the current acquisition…

    The focus is on search because it is one of the fastest growing parts of our business. Clearly, Communiacte2 is the biggest player in the space and now with iProspect and Communicate2 together, we are straight away the number one player of search in India. So that’s how it is placed as of now.

     

    How long has it been since you have been pursuing Communicate2? Did you scan the market for other potential candidates?

    We were working with them about 4-5 years ago, but nothing more came out of that deal. This recent move has been in the works for a few months. Also, we did scan the market as anybody else would and we did have a few names that we shortlisted and we narrowed down to Communicate2.

     

    The deal seems heavy on the investments front. Would you share with us the monetary plans you engaged in towards snapping the agency?

    An agency that is the oldest and has a workforce of more than 130 people is not going to sell out cheap. I cannot disclose the amounts behind the deal, but I can say that it has been fairly priced.

     

    The market has been abuzz with news of big communication houses buying out specialist digital agencies in the recent past. What would you infer of this trend that everybody is taking a liking to?

    I cannot comment about others, but there is a clear strategy that Aegis Media believes in and that is by 2015, we want to be the top three player in every single sphere that we operate in – be it out-of-home, search or digital. As part of our strategy to be in the top 3, the best way of getting there was by partnering with Communicate2 because their expertise, their client base and their search professionals coupled with the iProspect tools and knowledge would be an unbeatable combination.

     

    In an acquisition it is very important that you have to see how the acquisition fits with the plans of your company. So the task of integration becomes key, which is why the quality and type of people and the chemistry become important. So companies that are blindly going out and buying companies will fall flat on their face, but those who are able to acquire and integrate companies and have a great bond with the partners will be successful in the long run.

     

    Globally, digital contributes more than 35 per cent for Aegis Media. What is it that you anticipate from the Indian market post the acquisition of Communicate2?

    We are looking at being the clear No 1. Globally, iProspect is the world’s largest search network, and in India we now become No 1 with this venture. But we want to be No 1 by a long distance. We want to be double the size of the No 2 guy in a few years.

     

    What are the immediate changes that will be seen on ground?

    There is a new office that we are in the process of doing up in Mumbai; their staff will be moving into that new place soon. Likewise the Delhi team too would be amalgamated in our office. With this the entire Aegis Media clients will have benefits from Communicate2 and vice-versa.

     

    As for people, Vivek will be the MD of the new venture. He already has a management team. Of course, as growth happens we will keep recruiting more people. All other aspects remain the same.

     

    The announcement comes just weeks after Dentsu acquired a stake in Aegis Media. Has this deal been inspired from that takeover…

    These things do not happen overnight; it has been ongoing much before that. The two are not related.

     

    Future plans from Aegis Media…

    As I said, we will be the top 3 player in every space that we operate in. In some instances we will do that organically, in others we will do that inorganically – provided we get a good partner. We are not on the lookout as of now but if any new opportunity does come up we will not be turning a blind eye to that.

    No doubt people would talk about the number of medals won and the records that were broken in Olympics 2012; but what it will be most remembered for is the use of digital media, particularly social media. All of the Olympics events are being streamed live on YouTube for the first time; there has been an increase in the number of Facebook users and Twitter accounts and one can even get live news updates online. Even Google has been putting up doodles on its home page, giving users information and updates on the Olympic sport of the day. These are just few signs that digital has arrived.

     

    The past few months have witnessed quite a few mergers and acquisitions in the digital space. Standalone digital agencies, particularly those with over four years of existence, are being acquired by larger advertising networks. Only recently Publicis Groupe has announced the acquisition of Resultrix, a digital marketing agency, with the aim of strengthening Publicis Groupe’s presence in India as well as its digital dominance. Prior to this, JWT, one of the leading advertising agency acquired a majority stake in Hungama Digital Services, the digital and promotions marketing division of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment. Also recently Gruner + Jahr, the publishing division of European media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG, acquired a majority stake in Network play,India’s digital ad network company.

     

    On August 09, the media and digital communications group Aegis Group plc (“Aegis”) announced that it has acquired Communicate 2, a performance marketing and search agency in India.  With this acquisition, Aegis Media becomes one of the strongest agencies in the digital space in India. Communicate 2  will be merged into iProspect India’s existing operations; strengthening its network in key cities across India and providing additional service capabilities for its clients.

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia about his views on the increasing trend of big communication houses buying standalone or specialist digital agencies, Mr Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India & CEO South East Asia, Aegis Media said: “I cannot comment about others, but there is a clear strategy that Aegis Media believes in and that is by 2015, we want to be the top three player in every single sphere that we operate in – be it out-of-home, search or digital. As part of our strategy to be in the top 3, the best way of getting there was by partnering with Communicate2 because their expertise, their client base and their search professionals coupled with the iProspect tools and knowledge would be an unbeatable combination.”

     

    “In an acquisition it is very important that you have to see how the acquisition fits with the plans of your company. So the task of integration becomes key, which is why the quality and type of people and the chemistry become important. So companies that are blindly going out and buying companies will fall flat on their face, but those who are able to acquire and integrate companies and have a great bond with the partners will be successful in the long run,” he added.

     

    Mr Vivek Bhargava, Managing Director, Communicate 2 was of the view that these are signs that digital media has arrived and that even brands have accepted this reality. “Digital marketing in India has now arrived. More promoters and senior management people now believe that digital is a very critical part of their marketing endeavour. So they are spending a lot of time around the medium. About 3-4 years ago we were talking about digital being the future and today digital is now considered as present. Earlier digital used to attract a small budget from marketers, but now they position it as their first priority and question whether they need conventional media or not.Mobilehas given digital three times the reach of television. So I believe digital is going to be the dominant medium in the future.”

     

    MxMIndia also spoke to a few industry players to gauge their take on the recent mergers and acquisitions in the digital space, especially Aegis Media acquiring Communicate2′.

     

    Anurag Gupta

    According to Mr Anurag Gupta, MD, DGM India, it is a win-win situation for Aegis Media and Communicate 2: “Vivek Bhargava has done well for himself, he has created a fairly good outfit and the testimony for this is the fact that it has been acquired. This is a good sign. I believe that this trend will continue – most of the standalone digital agencies will get merged with larger offline agencies. Both search and performance advertising are growing robustly. In fact, a completely new category in digital has emerged in the past one and half years – e-commerce business. They are doing a lot of search and performance advertising, so there is lot of growth.”

     

    Mr Amardeep Singh, Co-Founder and CEO, Interactive Avenues was also of the view that the Aegis acquiring Communicate2 is a win-win situation: “I believe it is a good move for both Aegis Media and Communicate2, as this kind of transaction will help Communicate2 to scale from where they are currently placed. It doesn’t matter whether an agency is part of, or not part of, a larger advertising networking, if it continues to operate as an independent agency despite being owned by a larger network then it retains its identity. Typically, a specialist agency is able to provide a holistic solution to the clients and everything happens in-house for them. What happens is that when an agency offers an offline as well as online service, the focus on digital is lost. A standalone digital agency is able to give its clients that much more focus than an agency which offers both offline and online services.”

     

    So, while the Aegis Media acquiring Communicate 2 is seen as a win-win situation by industry players, it is also believed that this is just the beginning in the digital space.

     

    ‘It was a meeting of the best minds of the world’
     

    The buzz was that you were being hounded by most big communication players in the market for a takeover and now you’ve finally given in to Aegis Media. How would you describe the takeover journey?

    We had the opportunity to talk to every single large player and we found that the way the market is growing, there is going to be a lot of technology components required in it and iProspect globally has the best technology in the world. Also, we are a very dominant agency as far as search and performance marketing is concerned in India while iProspect was the world’s largest search company, so it was a meeting of the best minds of the world. The digital market in India has matured to the level where clients are looking for the best in the world and we felt that with the expertise that iProspect had to offer, it was a perfect solution to offer to our partners. And we endeavour to take decisions for our partners as much as it helps us.

     

    What is your view on big communication players showing sudden interest in digital in India?

    Digital marketing in India has now arrived. More promoters and senior management people now believe that digital is a very critical part of their marketing endeavour. So they are spending a lot of time around the medium. About 3-4 years ago we were talking about digital being the future and today digital is now considered as present. Earlier digital used to attract a small budget from marketers, but now they position it as their first priority and question whether they need conventional media or not.Mobilehas given digital three times the reach of television. So I believe digital is going to be the dominant medium in the future.

     

    What is the value that you’d be leveraging from this partnership?

    Globally if you see, there are clients like GM, Nokia, Philips and others who have operations in 60-70 countries and they are aligned with Aegis Media. I see tremendous opportunities there. As for us, we are a 140-people agency which makes us the largest digital agency in the country. So with the clients we have and with the kind of team we have in the enterprise sector, I see it as a perfect marriage of the two. I see tremendous value in the venture.

     

    How have clients responded to this move of yours?

    I had spoken to clients even before this venture and they seemed pretty positive about it. Also there is no change as such in the team and talent, so there was a comfort level there. Generally they are happy with the merger.

     

    Do you see the gap between digital and advertising being bridged?

    If you ask me the demarcation between digital and conventional media will probably go away. This is going to be an advertising agency and digital is going to be an integral part of the advertising medium, probably the largest. Demarcation is something that we have created for ourselves but it is about giving out advertising solutions.

     
  • Aegis Group plc ("Aegis") announced that it has acquired Communicate 2, a performance marketing and search agency inIndia. MxM spoke to Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India & CEO South East Asia, Aegis Media on his views…

    ‘By 2015, we want to be the top 3 player in every single sphere we operate in’

    What led you to shortlist Communicate2 as the partner of choice?

    Communicate2 is one of the largest and oldest firms in the area of search & performance marketing in India. Vivek Bhargava, as you’d know, is considered to be the guru of search inIndia. He is also one of the guys to be Google-certified and has been in this business since 1997 – a time when the internet and search was in its absolute infancy. In our view, nobody else managed the quality and scale of the business that he has built up, and therefore he was a preferred partner of choice.

     

    The other important reason for choosing Communicate2 was chemistry – Aegis Media has a certain vision and value outlook which is very close to our heart and Communicate2 seemed to have gelled very well with those attributes. There was a lot of comfort on both sides. So these were some of the key reasons for us to choose Communicate2.

     

    Will you be laying enhanced emphasis on Search with the current acquisition…

    The focus is on search because it is one of the fastest growing parts of our business. Clearly, Communiacte2 is the biggest player in the space and now with iProspect and Communicate2 together, we are straight away the number one player of search in India. So that’s how it is placed as of now.

     

    How long has it been since you have been pursuing Communicate2? Did you scan the market for other potential candidates?

    We were working with them about 4-5 years ago, but nothing more came out of that deal. This recent move has been in the works for a few months. Also, we did scan the market as anybody else would and we did have a few names that we shortlisted and we narrowed down to Communicate2.

     

    The deal seems heavy on the investments front. Would you share with us the monetary plans you engaged in towards snapping the agency?

    An agency that is the oldest and has a workforce of more than 130 people is not going to sell out cheap. I cannot disclose the amounts behind the deal, but I can say that it has been fairly priced.

     

    The market has been abuzz with news of big communication houses buying out specialist digital agencies in the recent past. What would you infer of this trend that everybody is taking a liking to?

    I cannot comment about others, but there is a clear strategy that Aegis Media believes in and that is by 2015, we want to be the top three player in every single sphere that we operate in – be it out-of-home, search or digital. As part of our strategy to be in the top 3, the best way of getting there was by partnering with Communicate2 because their expertise, their client base and their search professionals coupled with the iProspect tools and knowledge would be an unbeatable combination.

     

    In an acquisition it is very important that you have to see how the acquisition fits with the plans of your company. So the task of integration becomes key, which is why the quality and type of people and the chemistry become important. So companies that are blindly going out and buying companies will fall flat on their face, but those who are able to acquire and integrate companies and have a great bond with the partners will be successful in the long run.

     

    Globally, digital contributes more than 35 per cent for Aegis Media. What is it that you anticipate from the Indian market post the acquisition of Communicate2?

    We are looking at being the clear No 1. Globally, iProspect is the world’s largest search network, and in India we now become No 1 with this venture. But we want to be No 1 by a long distance. We want to be double the size of the No 2 guy in a few years.

     

    What are the immediate changes that will be seen on ground?

    There is a new office that we are in the process of doing up in Mumbai; their staff will be moving into that new place soon. Likewise the Delhi team too would be amalgamated in our office. With this the entire Aegis Media clients will have benefits from Communicate2 and vice-versa.

     

    As for people, Vivek will be the MD of the new venture. He already has a management team. Of course, as growth happens we will keep recruiting more people. All other aspects remain the same.

     

    The announcement comes just weeks after Dentsu acquired a stake in Aegis Media. Has this deal been inspired from that takeover…

    These things do not happen overnight; it has been ongoing much before that. The two are not related.

     

    Future plans from Aegis Media…

    As I said, we will be the top 3 player in every space that we operate in. In some instances we will do that organically, in others we will do that inorganically – provided we get a good partner. We are not on the lookout as of now but if any new opportunity does come up we will not be turning a blind eye to that.

     

  • Communicate 2, a performance marketing and search agency inIndia, has been acquired by Aegis Group plc ("Aegis"). MxM spoke to Vivek Bhargava, Managing Director Communicate 2 about the acquistion…

    ‘It was a meeting of the best minds of the world’

    The buzz was that you were being hounded by most big communication players in the market for a takeover and now you’ve finally given in to Aegis Media. How would you describe the takeover journey?

    We had the opportunity to talk to every single large player and we found that the way the market is growing, there is going to be a lot of technology components required in it and iProspect globally has the best technology in the world. Also, we are a very dominant agency as far as search and performance marketing is concerned inIndiawhile iProspect was the world’s largest search company, so it was a meeting of the best minds of the world. The digital market inIndiahas matured to the level where clients are looking for the best in the world and we felt that with the expertise that iProspect had to offer, it was a perfect solution to offer to our partners. And we endeavour to take decisions for our partners as much as it helps us.

     

    What is your view on big communication players showing sudden interest in digital in India?

    Digital marketing inIndiahas now arrived. More promoters and senior management people now believe that digital is a very critical part of their marketing endeavour. So they are spending a lot of time around the medium. About 3-4 years ago we were talking about digital being the future and today digital is now considered as present. Earlier digital used to attract a small budget from marketers, but now they position it as their first priority and question whether they need conventional media or not.Mobilehas given digital three times the reach of television. So I believe digital is going to be the dominant medium in the future.

     

    What is the value that you’d be leveraging from this partnership?

    Globally if you see, there are clients like GM, Nokia, Philips and others who have operations in 60-70 countries and they are aligned with Aegis Media. I see tremendous opportunities there. As for us, we are a 140-people agency which makes us the largest digital agency in the country. So with the clients we have and with the kind of team we have in the enterprise sector, I see it as a perfect marriage of the two. I see tremendous value in the venture.

     

    How have clients responded to this move of yours?

    I had spoken to clients even before this venture and they seemed pretty positive about it. Also there is no change as such in the team and talent, so there was a comfort level there. Generally they are happy with the merger.

     

    Do you see the gap between digital and advertising being bridged?

    If you ask me the demarcation between digital and conventional media will probably go away. This is going to be an advertising agency and digital is going to be an integral part of the advertising medium, probably the largest. Demarcation is something that we have created for ourselves but it is about giving out advertising solutions.

     

  • Aegis Media's Vizeum celebrates its third anniversary as some of its clients applaud its efforts and contribution

    Clients applaud Vizeum as it celebrates third anniv

    From the MxM Infodesk

     

    Media agency Vizeum celebrates its third anniversary and the agency is celebrating the event along with parents Aegis Media India which acknowledges the agency’s positive contribution to the kitty.

     

    “Clients just seem to love them,” said Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India and CEO South East Asia, Aegis Media. “I congratulate Yesu (S Yesudas) on the extraordinary leadership provided by him.  I also congratulate each member of the Vizeum team on the wise career choice made by them.”

     

    Explaining further on the mandate for Vizeum India, said S Yesudas, Managing Director “We do not have any dreams to be the largest or among the largest media specialists in terms of financial size.  But we really want to be known as a credible consultant who builds bridges of relevance with its clients”

     

    But finally it’s the clients word that is the final call on how a service provider like a media agency is doing. Here are views from three of these:

    Shivnath Thukral, Group President – Corporate Branding and Strategic Initiatives, Essar Group:  “Vizeum rides the highs and lows of my organization, understanding the circumstances under which we operate.  It is achieved through a complete understanding externally and internally. They think the way we think.  They enmesh themselves in the work we do. They help meet our aspirations”

     

    Vivek Krishnani, Head of Marketing, Distribution and Syndication, Fox Star Studios India: “Vizeum came to us with an approach to help make a difference to our business and they did just that!! In an industry where logic of share of voice  can be to outshout by increasing media spend and thereby being susceptible to wastage – With Vizeum’s help we have been able to optimize our spends and get more for less !! I admire their persuasiveness and the desire to do more which reinforces their partnership spirit and drive to achieve excellence!!”

     

    Aditya Swamy, EVP & Business Head, MTV India:  “Vizeum is an agency that focuses on finding a non traditional approach to a brief. Eager to show maximum bang for the buck, their recommendations are truly customized to meet the challenge at hand. Strategic partnerships, clutter breaking innovations and leveraging relationships have been some of their key strengths. I congratulate Yesu and his team  for completing 3 action packed years in India and look forward to working together in the future too”

     

    Rajesh Mani, GM- Marketing & Retail TI Cycles and BSA Motors  (Murugappa Group): “The decision to move to Vizeum was much deliberated upon at our end after they made their pitch which impressed us.  It is a two year old relationship now and the comfort with them has only grown.  Their team as well as the top leadership stay involved in our business as our own team gives us great comfort. We wish them the very best ”

     

  • Slowing excitement levels, consumer fatigue, and Indian players' performances… some of the reasons IPL needs to look sharp, feels Ashish Bhasin.

    4 reasons why IPL ratings & revenue won’t be better this year

    By Ashish Bhasin

     

    #1 There has been an overdose of cricket. Immediately after the World Cup last year, which was like a climax, we had the IPL and subsequent to that we had nearly continuous cricket, causing some amount of fatigue in consumers.

     

    #2 Viewership and interest in cricket in India is directly proportionate to the performance of the Indian cricket team. Given the disastrous tour of England, followed by a similarly disastrous tour of Australia, the Indian cricket team’s performance perhaps is at its lowest in the past several years and I feel this will impact cricket in general. Even though IPL is not directly an Indian team tournament, most of the players involved are in the IPL and hence the overall interest gets impacted.

     

    #3 Rightly or wrongly, I think the best days of the IPL were when Lalit Modi was running it because of the hype and excitement he was able to create around it. Subsequent to that the journey has only been downhill for IPL. Hence I feel that will continue for a while, until something new is done to reinvent this tournament and regenerate interest.

     

    #4 Perhaps, because of some of the reasons given above, the Indian consumer has started acknowledging that other sports also exist in the world, like F1, hockey, wrestling and so on. As these sports catch on, IPL will be affected.

     

    Ashish Bhasin is the Chairman India & CEO South East Asia – Aegis Media.

     

  • Clients want specialization but without siloization: Ashish Bhasin

    Clients want specialization but without siloization: Ashish Bhasin

    By A Correspondent

    Non-traditional media is picking up, and even at a time when ad spend projections are being corrected downwards, digital is being looked upon favourably. Little surprise then, that Aegis Media India, in its pursuit of a creative agency opted for Doosra, agency gaining ground in non-traditional brand communication area. Net result: creation of Doosra Brand Communications.

    The surprise element in this deal, however, is that it is perhaps for the first time in India that a true blue media network has brought a creative agency into its fold. Does one hear the returning footfalls of an integrated communication agency here? Not quite the same, explains Mr Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India & CEO South East Asia Aegis Media. “Integrated communication as we knew it earlier is neither feasible nor practical in today’s world. Clients do require and demand specialization – for instance, one needs a specialized digital agency to meet the clients’ specific needs in that area. The same is true of every specialized field. However, clients no longer want to deal with 20 people. Our ‘One country – one Aegis’ policy gives them all the benefits of specialization, without the disadvantages of silos.”

    The creative agency’s role, he says, cannot be undermined, as no media plan can be effective without an effective message. He elaborates, “We need to understand and value the creative agency’s role in achieving clients’ communication objectives. In each of Aegis’ specialized areas, we require creative expertise – be it activation, digital or tradition media.”

    The buzz has been on for some time that Aegis is looking for a creative agency. Why the decision to get into equity partnership with Doosra? “Doosra is an excellent fit for us – Zahir Mirza and his team’s creative excellence spans beyond traditional – they are about much more than TV commercials, and they would definitely bring a new dimension to Aegis Media’s holistic ‘integrated marketing’ approach,” explains Mr Bhasin.

    Doosra Brand Communications will operate out of Aegis Media’s office at Poonam Chambers, Mumbai, and in fact have already moved in.

    Picture: Fotocorp