MxMIndia

Tag: Fountainhead Entertainment

  • The company recently conducted a formal inaugural ceremony in which Annie Rickard, Global Chairman of MKTG, lit the lamp

    Fountainhead Mumbai comes together under one roof

    By A Correspondent

     

    Fountainhead Entertainment, one of India’s leading experiential marketing agencies, has shifted its Mumbai headquarters to asingle office in Matunga West. Boosting the spirit of creativity and collaboration, the agency’s five specialized business divisions – Events, Activations, MICE, Digital and Intellectual Properties supported by the business enabling functions of Creative, HR, Finance, Administration and IT, have now come together under one roof.

     

    The 21-year old agency, which recently became a part of Dentsu Aegis Network, commenced its journey of building brands with delightful experiences from Pali Village inBandra, Mumbai. Over the years, it saw an organic growth at rapid pace while spreading its wings and gaining expertise in various verticals which started operating from different locations.

     

    Neale Murray, Group COO of Fountainhead, said, “It’s a proud feeling to have 200+ Fountainheaders together under one roof. The new office represents the energy which sparks great creativity in a vibrant environment, best suited for young minds. With an emphasis laid on collaboration and a dream of expanding even bigger, this move will help us achieve the mission to become the most comprehensive experiential offering in India.”

     

    The company recently conducted a formal inaugural ceremony in which Annie Rickard, Global Chairman of MKTG, lit the lamp. It was followed by ‘The Curtain Raiser’ Party for employees which was attended by Ashish Bhasin, chairman and CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network, Brian Tellis, Group CEO Fountainhead, Neale Murray, Group COO Fountainhead and Co-Founders Otis D’ Souza, Owen Roncon, V. G. Jairamand Pradeep Guha.

     

  • What they bring to the table perfectly complements advertising and marketing's offerings, writes Brian Tellis

    Why adland can’t do without Experiential

     

    By Brian Tellis

     

    The only constant is change. This may be terribly clichéd, but it continues to ring true. Change – or, contextually, managing change – is about acceptance and adaptation. It is never one without the other. You either accept and go with the flow, or get left behind.

     

    At Fountainhead, I firmly believe that to be relevant to us – now, more than ever. In this technology age, change is forcing itself upon virtually every industry; but, I suspect, to an alarming degree in the world of advertising and marketing.

     

    1. Evolve to Survive

    In the past decade or so, one has seen a remarkable change in the way marketers are pushing their business. The marketplace is teeming with brands that are constantly jostling with each other for the consumer’s mindspace. There can be no let up, because marketing is war. The battle lines are drawn and the writing is on the wall: Evolve and stay relevant, or step aside and perish.

     

    2. Touch-feel Marketing is King

    This has thrown up an interesting situation. The consumer is now looking for a ‘touch-and-feel’ experience. Just seeing and hearing isn’t enough. The paradigm has shifted beyond mainline advertising. Enter experiential marketing, whose time has clearly come.

     

    And come it certainly has. Just look at the numbers – It is already a Rs 5,000-crore industry, and happily growing at 15 per cent CAGR. No longer is it advertising’s country cousin. Experiential marketing is now a law unto itself.

     

    3. Engage the Consumer

    This growth is being fuelled by three pipelines. The consumer’s demand for live interaction; sports, music and festivals growing exponentially as mediums of engagement; and, most importantly, brand marketers increasing their spends on live consumer engagement.

     

    4. Blurred Boundaries

    These elements of change are making experiential an eminently essential part of the advertising and marketing mix. Its importance and relevance is growing by the day. It stands tall as a confirmed marketing vertical – and proudly so. The lines between ground and TV events are blurring fast. IPL is a prime example in consideration – is it a ground event or TV content? Likewise, game shows and awards nights…

     

    Corporate entities have come to appreciate the importance of rewards and recognition programmes for their employees and dealers. Creating interactive intellectual properties like sports tournaments, music festivals and cultural celebrations are the order of the day.

     

    The doubts have evaporated. Today, it’s apparent that for any advertising and marketing campaign to be effective, it has to embrace the experiential quotient. It isn’t even the case of tail-wagging-dog. Experiential marketing is getting to be top dog in its own right. It’s exciting days for the experiential industry ahead. What it brings to the table perfectly complements advertising and marketing’s offering. This symbiotic cross-leverage makes available to the client a truly complete and comprehensive bouquet of services. It’s a scenario where everybody wins.

     

    Brian Tellis is Chairman, Fountainhead Entertainment. Last week, Dentsu Aegis Network acquired the leading events and activation company.