MxMIndia

Tag: Lynn de Souza

  • Social Access Communications released a special av version of the national anthem with Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy's feat of hoisting the tricolour at the farthest point from the country

    Social Access offers I-Day treat with tricolour film

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lt Cdr Tomy

    Earlier this year, on Republic Day 2013 to be precise, Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy rounded the Mount Everest of sailing, Cape Horn, at the southernmost tip of South America, and hoisted the Indian national flag at sea, the farthest spot away from India. His extraordinary voyage was India’s first solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the world’s oceans in a sailboat. The hoisting of the tricolour was a world first, and Lt Cdr Tomy had only the ocean and its creatures to sing the national anthem along with him.

     

    Lt Cdr Tomy’s historic video footage on this occasion was edited by Guruvayur Films to a special version of the national anthem with music rendered by Audiosynkrasy. Social Access Communications produced the film for cinema and television broadcast.

     

    The medium of cinema was chosen for the reach it delivers among young men aged 18 to 35. UFO Moviez arranged for the film to be screened from August 9 to 15. PVR-Cinemax also replaced the national anthem usually screened in Maharashtra with this special film. Over sixty national and regional television channels were engaged to broadcast this anthem.

     

    Speaking on the release of this film, Lt Cdr Tomy said, “Hoisting the national flag on a tumultuous sea at Cape Horn on Republic Day was an extremely proud moment for me as an Indian and a naval officer.”

     

    Lynn de Souza

    Lynn de Souza, Founder, Social Access Communications added, “We want to inspire patriotism and courage in our youth and Abhilash is a role model and real icon of change to them.”

     

    Speaking on the occasion of the special screening of this film at its corporate office, UFO Moviez’ JMD Kapil Agarwal said, “UFO is extremely proud to be associated with this initiative and would like to congratulate Abhilash Tomy for his incredible achievements.”

     

    Said Santosh Menon, of Guruvayur films, “It’s a huge honour to be associated with our national anthem, and a complete pleasure to meet a real life hero, AbhilashTomy.” Biby Sam of Audiosynkrasy, who composed the music said, “Working on the Indian National Anthem was a first for me. As an Indian, I was thrilled to work on this project, and in keeping with the theme, I was moved to render the Anthem with an upbeat blend of Indian and western music styles, hopefully reflecting the pride of every one of us Indians.”

     

  • Meenakshi Menon and Lynn de Souza tell MxMIndia what Social Access is, and why it is important

    Social Access: Towards an equitable society

    On occasion of Launch of Social Access (Frm L to R) Abhilash Tomy, Lynn de Souza, Meenakshi Menon, Mark Inglis, Sarah Wilson (In sitting position) with children

     

    By Ritu Midha

     

    The launch of an organization or initiative is usually an event one dresses up for. So it was a surprise to see Meenakshi Menon at the Radio Club yesterday afternoon, abseiling. The occasion: The launch of Social Access, and the message, “bee the change”.

     

    Lynn de Souza
    Meenakshi Menon

    Social Access is an outcome of shared passion of two power media women: Lynn de Souza and Meenakshi Menon. The organization is being launched with the key objective “to use strategic communication and creative ideas” to re-orient society towards social sector by building channels among the four key players: NGOs, corporates, government bodies and society.

     

    The Social Access logo is bulb-shaped , created with the thought that “illumination is required to dispel darkness”. The organisation, say its founders, is inspired by the bee, and it symbolizes team work, acitivity, creativity and buzz. “Bee the change” is the Social Access tagline.

     

    States Ms Menon, “Our anthem is: Let’s do things because they must be done, and because we can do them.” It is based on a message from Lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy, the first Indian to circumvent the ocean solo, nonstop.

     

    She adds, “India has 4 percent of the world’s billionaires; however, when it comes to the giving index it stands 91st in an index of 153 nations. The total value of donations given in our country in 11-12 fiscal is Rs 5000 crore, which is a smaller amount than the brand value of a single brand, Parle G.”

     

    ‘Attitude overcomes limitations’
    The launch of Social Access was different, interesting and succeeded in driving home the message it set out to send. It was initiated with a few interesting activities: abseiling (under Sarah Wilson’s guidance), sailing with the kids, and cycling. 

    It was not only the two stakeholders in the organisation who interacted with the audience, but also LT Cdr Abhilash Tomy (the first Indian to circumnavigate the oceans solo, nonstop and assisted), Mark Inglis (the only double amputee in the world to scale Mount Everest & a Para Olympic silver medallist in cycling), Sarah Wilson (cancer and avalanche survivor engaged in teaching young women how to overcome fears through a riveting abseiling exercise.)

     

    Talking about his amputation and further victories in cycling and mountaineering Inglis stated, ‘To be the change one needs to remove limitations, and to overcome limitations you need to be a change maker, and that is what Social Access sets out to do.” He further stated, “Innovation, passion and commitment are equally important to achieve what you set out to achieve but the key thing is the attitude – attitude overcomes limitations.”

     

    An audio-visual took the audience through Tomy’s sailing experience. His beautiful lines about his adventure, sum up the journey of life in a way, “Sun shone and showed the path. Winds tested us, loved us, and egged us on. Waves sometimes angry and playful, and sometimes calming. We made lots of friends in the way. Every day added a new meaning to life.” His thoughts and ideas have been an inspiration for Social Access as it took shape.

     

    Interestingly, the entire event was put together without too much expense. Radio Mirchi was the key partner – they organised a contest on the radio for the event, helped with the venue and broadcast the event live. Other media major involved was National Geographic. Catalyst was the event partner.

     

    The organisation seeks to be the connect between the NGOs and organisations that can help them. Also, on the cards are communication solutions. As Ms de Souza says, “The intent is to provide the best solution – creative or otherwise, to the NGOs, depending upon their requirement.”

     

    Social Access has tied up with iVolunteer for easy facilitation of volunteers.

     

    The organization believes that it is about time Indians learnt to care and share more. Though impressed by the concept, one can’t help but wonder if India is ready for this kind of an initiative. States Lynn de Souza, “Of course it is ready. Many things are happening now…. Social media has stepped up awareness, charity and causes have found a voice. Corporations have realized that brand value goes up if you contribute to social causes. Society is more conscious now – and so are the government and local bodies. Media too is contributing. Another key thing is that awareness among youth is increasing, and they are coming forward.”

     

    The use of social media for raising awareness and mobilising people is one of the key areas Social Access intends focusing on. States Ms Menon, “Social media is giving voice to the dumb. We can use the power of media to help ideas travel across cultures, consumers, corporates, government bodies and more.”

     

    But will it really help in mobilizing people to get involved? Ms Menon and Ms de Souza believe that one cannot undermine the power of social media when it comes to mobilizing support for social causes. States Ms de Souza, “Social media will no doubt play a very important role in mobilising people. While social media per say has grown in the range of 90 percent, its usage for non-commercial purposes has increased close 190 percent.”

     

    The plan is not to make it a close-fisted organisation with a handful of employees. Anyone passionate about social causes can be involved . States Ms Menon, “It will be an open architecture society where anyone can contribute. We are building a community and providing a platform. Anybody can become a part of it.”

     

    Social Access has a two-pronged role – to get the corporates and other able organizations to support NGOs, and to get people to contribute in a myriad different ways. Concludes Ms de Souza, “We are focused on share of heart and mind, we are not looking at share of wallet. Our basic philosophy is that of equality. Everything must lead to an equitable society.”

     

  • Industry honchos and rivals – past and present – are all praise for Madison and Sam Balsara

    Madison@25: Andre Nair, Ashutosh Srivastava,Vikram Sakhuja, Shashi Sinha, Lynn de Souza, Ambika Srivastava & Divya Gupta on the formidable frenemy

    Madison and Sam Balsara are so close to each other’s identity that while talking of one, people start talking of the other. The same happened in the case of these honchos. It is almost as much a tribute to 25 years of Sam Balsara in the industry as it is for Madison World.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Andre Nair, (Former CEO GroupM South Asia), Chief Operating Officer, DatVietVAC Group Holdings

    For me, Sam Balsara & Madison represent two aspects; each the maker of the other.

     

    Madison: Joyously Indian to its core, they’re a competitor to be reckoned with. They jealously retain their clients and pitch clever, selectively & aggressively; no secret to their success & expansion over 25 years. And, through its history, Madison has grown & given opportunity for new bold leaders, like CVL Srinivas & Punitha Arumugam, to rise.

     

    Sam: Outside the competitive arena, as a key industry leader, he lives up to that old Ogilvy aphorism – a gentleman with brains, who works tirelessly with other leaders for the general betterment of the industry.

     

    Here’s to Madison and their next thriving 25 years!

     

     

     

    Ashutosh Srivastava, Chairman & CEO, Global Emerging Markets, Mindshare Worldwide

    My first encounter with Sam was years ago when I used to run Fulcrum (Unilever’s media AoR@HTA ,now JWT), prior to setting up of Mindshare in India – when Sam was looking for a person to replace Sriram who had moved to Singapore with Starcom. Sam was by then a charismatic industry leader with high credibility among clients, and Madison was seen by the advertising firms as an upstart, disrupting the establishment and breaking up the full service agency model.

     

    While I did not end up joining him in Madison, I did end up joining that industry. That one conversation with him really deepened my resolve to do what I could, along with other like minded colleagues, to get WPP to bring Mindshare & Maxus (Maximize in those days) to India. The rest, as they say, is history! Personally speaking, it certainly inspired me to get to where I am today, and I hold Sam in the highest regard as a pioneer in the market, who showed us the way. Even after WPP set up GroupM and carved out a dominant share in the market, we always saw Sam and Madison as a worthy ‘frenemy’ in the market. ‘Frenemy’, because they had similar values as us, they were a worthy competitor in pitches who always had good talent, had trusted relationships with their clients and for a long time, were very careful about who they chose to work with – Sam is always a man of his word, and was extremely careful not to overcommit to new clients without first making sure his existing clients got the highest value out of their relationship with Madison. So bitter competitors in pitching for new business, but similar views and vision on what would grow and strengthen the media agency sector. And eventually as frenemies, we ended up doing a JV together, to set up an independent Mediacom in India !

     

    Congratulations and best wishes for your 25th!

     

    Vikram Sakhuja, CEO, Maxus Worldwide

    I’ve known Sam for 20 of the 25 years Madison has been in existence. It dates back to 1993 when in P&G I took on the Media Manager role. In those days Media planning and buying were managed through full service agencies, and I introduced the notion of a consolidated Buying AOR (subsequently both Planning and Buying). Madison won the pitch, and Sam’s personal entrepreneurial style had a lot to do with it. With Sam’s support we pioneered the afternoon slot / as well as India’s first daily strip – Shanti on DD. And that was a start of a very productive relationship that continued when I moved to Coca-Cola and held a Media pitch there. Sam’s greatness lies in his high client orientation, his indefatigable energy, his deal making angles and in those days an ability to get quality talent like D Sriram, CVL Srinivas, Ajit Varghese and Lakshmi Narsimhan into Madison to work on our business.

     

    Even as a competitor it is a pleasure to work alongside Sam. He is a true statesman and puts industry interests above own. He continues to have an amazing eye for detail, and is practical to boot. For me, Madison and Sam are inextricable. I have learnt a lot of the Media I know from him, and he continues to inspire. I wish both him and Madison warmly on this milestone.

     

    Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Media Brands

    I have immense regard for Sam as an individual. At the time when media was not much recognized by the industry, he came to the forefront and provided industry the needed pedigree. It was largely his efforts that brought credibility to media buying business,

     

    Madison has definitely grown a lot – and created many milestones. Challenge now is to scale up and keep the momentum going. Organisation is built on culture and systems – and I am sure focus is on the side now – Sam whenever he decides to leave, would leave a legacy. Challenge is to take it up from there.

     

    Lynn de Souza

    Madison and Sam have always fascinated me. A true blue Indian story of guts and glory, innovation, ambition and perseverance. And often a bit of healthy jugaard!

     

    They believe in the strength of long term relationships, and are not afraid to ask for what they deserve. Sam’s energy is legendary and he built a successful empire largely on his ability to drive himself, and build lasting relationships with key team players and clients.

     

    I wish them 25 more years of pathbreaking game-changing success.

     

    Ambika Srivastava, Chairperson Vivaki Exchange India, Vivaki

    I have always admired and respected Sam. There are two things that I would love to mention – one, that Madison has provided very good talent to industry in leadership roles – CVL Srinivas, Ajit Varghese, Punitha Arumugam. It is just amazing. It is a place from where leaders have emerged – it is Madison’s great contribution to the industry, and a tribute to Sam’s leadership.

     

    Second, Madison has always been very tough competition. When you win against Madison – the win is far sweeter, because the competition one knows is formidable. It is not that every pitch we competed has converted into a win for us – but whenever it has happened, it has been exciting.

     

    I admire Sam for his energy and that he finds time to do so much for the industry as well.

     

    Really very good people.

     

    Divya Gupta, CEO, Dentsu Media

    My full salute to Sam and his team

     

    Madison’s client roster, the deep relationship and tenure it enjoys with these clients, speaks volumes.

     

    Just when you think you have managed to get a lead on Madison, Sam pulls out a rabbit from nowhere! By far one of the toughest competitors to go up against in a business pitch… I have had the misfortune of learning it the hard way!

     

    Sam’s passion, drive, tenacity is legendary. Madison stands testimony to this.

     

    I wish Madison and Sam an equally dynamic and successful future.

     

    Interviewed by Ritu Midha

     


  • Adworld veterans Lynn de Souza and Meenakshi Menon have come together to launch a new company called Social Access

    Lynn de Souza & Meenakshi Menon launch Social Access

    By A Correspondent

     

    Lynn de Souza
    Meenakshi Menon

    With decades of experience in the industry, Lynn de Souza and Meenakshi Menon have come together to launch a new company called Social Access.

     

    The company will use strategic communication and creative ideas to re-orient society towards the social sector by building channels among the four key players – NGOs, Corporates, government bodies and the society.

     

    The venture, applauded by counterparts from the industry and others, was announced by Ms de Souza on February 5 on her Facebook page. The movement as described by them is open to everyone and anyone can join it. “We’ll soon have an event to formerly announce the launch as well as to discuss the core idea and plan behind it,” said Ms de Souza.

     

    Lynn de Souza had quit Lintas Media Group as Chairman and CEO last year. Meenakshi Menon is the founder and chairperson of Spatial Access.

     

  • Mr Sinha will be CEO of IPG MediabrandsIndia, a new role created, with Initiative, BPN, Reprise and the outdoor company now reporting in to him, in addition to Lodestar UM, which he leads. Ms de Souza has decided to move on

    Shashi Sinha to be CEO, IPG Mediabrands. Lynn de Souza to turn ‘social entrepreneur’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Shashi Sinha

    It’s a decision that was seen coming ever since IPG Mediabrands formally entered India in March this year. The idea was to set up a more federal (and if we may add, Group M-like) structure with one CEO and a singular objective of growing marketshare, salience and the business.

     

    IPG Mediabrands was set up with two co-chairs in Shashi Sinha and Lynn de Souza. With more than 17 per cent marketshare, the group comprises: three media agencies – Lodestar UM, Initiative and the all-new BPN, Reprise, a jv with Interactive Avenues, Magna Intelligence and the outdoor business. Going forward, IPG Mediabrands Analytics will also be set up and the outdoor activity will see renewed vigour.

     

    Lynn de Souza

    Magna Intelligence was launched to further improve the group’s buying capabilities and IPG Mediabrands also brought its unique consumer panels to the market. With more than 16000 contacts in India alone, the consumer panels fuel proprietary tools such as Matrix.

     

    To lead this exciting journey, a new role of CEO of IPG Mediabrands India has been created with Mr Sinha playing that role. Initiative, BPN, Reprise and the outdoor company will all now report to him, in addition Lodestar UM, which he leads currently.

     

    According to a communiqué, this represents the commitment IPG Mediabrands has made to the Indian market, and also recognizes that Mr Sinha, an IPG veteran of over 20 years, has contributed greatly to that growth. He has rapidly expanded and developed Lodestar UM over the past six years, led the way for the foundation of many new offerings in the market, and has remained actively engaged in various industry forums. Currently, Mr Sinha is also the President of The Advertising Club.

     

    IPG veteran, Lynn de Souza, Chairman and CEO of Lintas Media Group and an active participant in the non-profit space for several years, has expressed her desire to become a social entrepreneur, the communique adds. “She will announce the launch of a pioneering new initiative for the development sector in early 2013,” it notes.

     

    MxMIndia learns that Ms de Souza has already proceeded on leave and will be back only on November 25 to work till the end of the month., and will be leaving IPG Mediabrands at the end of November. Mr Sinha has taken charge as CEO, with the various heads reporting into him from yesterday.

     

    Although there has been a buzz for a few weeks, even some of the top brass in the group agencies got a confirmation of the developments only on Monday. Mr Sinha was at his alma mater, the Indian Institute of Management in Bengaluru. He was only the 12th awardee of the ‘Distinguished Alumni Award’.

     

    Much reason to cheer for Shashi Sinha.

     

  • Exclusive pre-release look at The Free Press Journal's coffee table book on the not-so-big ad agencies

    Promising tales of tiny, tall agencies

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    The last few weeks were rife with news of independent — or shall we say not-so-big — advertising agencies that were going all out to make their presence felt in the M&E space in India. Whether for the awards they had bagged across festivals or the largescale client wins that they had managed to pocket in their kitty, these agencies were in the news for some reason or the other. But while it may be the ‘popularity’ tag or the affiliation to a large parent company that may have done the trick for these agencies, there are others that fall shy of this honour.

     

    For instance, one may have faint acquaintance with an agency that goes by the name Apex Advertising or for that matter Flagship Advertising but if one were given a glimpse of the kind of clientele they have to boast – be it RBI, Taj Group of Hotels, BSNL, Pantaloon Retail, Pidilite Industries, MTV Networks etc – or even the kind of billings that they manage to pile up that ranges anywhere from Rs 5 to 50 crore, it would make for an interesting cover. And that’s precisely where the industry seems to be holding back or rather not giving these small yet powerful ad independents their due.

     

    This lacuna is currently being addressed by veteran print player Free Press Journal, that has come up with an interesting coffee table book titled ‘Tiny Tall Tales’. As the tagline suggests, this book plays up the initiatives of small agencies that are making it big. Said to be a slice of the coverage from The Free Press Journal’s column ‘Small Size Big Ideas’, the book will be launched at FPJ’s second roundtable conclave on 22nd September by Lynn De Souza, Chairman and CEO, Lintas Media Group.

     

    Abhishek Karnani

    Throwing light on the thought-process and the merit behind warranting such an effort that has been the benchmark of FPJ for some time now, Abhishek Karnani, Director, Free Press Journal said: “There are around 180 accredited ad agencies in Mumbai but we always hear and talk about the Top 15 agencies. There is life beyond them and these not so big agencies are doing great work away from the limelight. These agencies also represent a substantial business and have close affinity with the clients. We are proud of this initiative of the Free Press Journal, where we have taken time to look not at the obvious leaders but at those who are important and often overlooked by the media. This outlook builds on our worldview that there is deep value in the big and the small and it is important to study the not-so-big to learn about ground realities and to spot trends and understand markets that much better.”

     

    Sharing his experience, Author & producer of the book Sandeep Singh said, “Traditionally if you see, everybody just loves to talk about the top 10-15 agencies but there is a whole volume of business that comes from smaller agencies. Some of them are intentionally small because they want to be creative or whatever way you want to look at it, but great works do come across from them. This book is an attempt to cover these agencies.” Elaborating on the participation factor on behalf of the agencies, Singh said, “Though a few agencies refrained from participating citing some reason or the other, the book profiles most of them. Also, it is worth noting that the minimum billing of the agencies in this book is around Rs 5 crore while the maximum is pegged at Rs 50 crore.”

     

    Elaborating on the scope and scale of the initiative, Jagdish Rattanani, Business Editor, Free Press Journal who along with his team has helped in putting together the book said, “We hear a lot about the top 10 or 15 small ad agencies in India who are spoken about and praised a lot by the media but if you go beyond there are these ‘not-so-big’ advertising agencies that are still big in terms of what they manage to bring to the table. They are big in being strong and powerful enterprises and are dealing with a lot of interesting ideas. We sensed that there was a lot of energy and growth potential amongst these small agencies. Also we found that nobody ever tries to cover them and understand their perspective or see what they might need in this era of change to make the next big leap. That’s what encouraged us in taking this initiative further.”

     

    As for the point on finding the cause to be an apt fit with the model with which Free Press Journal itself moves forward with, Rattanani asserted by saying, “Though Free Press Journal is not among the biggest of the big, it is but the oldest Indian-owned English newspaper in Mumbai. Basis this, we said that we have a special interest and focus on trying to look at the others who are as good but are not so big and thus started the journey of deliberately trying to exclude the very big and focussing on the not-so-big,” affirmed Rattanani. Adding further he said, “For this exercise, we ended up going and visiting these agencies and even ran features over a period of two years and tried to play up their point of view and perspectives. All said and done, the larger story is of the ideas that lie just beneath the surface.”

     

    On whether the initiative was carried out to bring about intangible benefits for the newspaper group in terms of revenue from advertisers, Karnani thwarted the thinking by suggesting, “We are rendering this as a Corporate Social Responsibility. Our only concern is to help this segment to take a leap to the next level. We want to empower the not so big ad agencies to not only survive but also thrive and outgrow the market in these times.”

     

    In fact the group is looking at other avenues to take forward similar causes on behalf of the industry. Asserted Karnani: “We have already kickstarted our Knowledge Series wherein we invite experts to come and share their views with this group. We are also in talks with international ad associations wherein we plan to use their platform to host events for the not-so-big agencies. Also, we are also hosting our second exclusive conclave “The Change That Cometh” that is focused on the not-so-big advertising agencies. So there is a lot to look forward to.”

     

    While it is too early to predict the outcome of the book from peers from the ad industry, Singh is hopeful that the book will receive a positive approval from all concerned. He avers: “I hope the bigger agencies are happy and take note of the initiative in a positive light.”

     

    As for its plans of coming out with a sequel to the book, Singh said, “We would like to explore an opportunity of coming out with a sequel to this edition but it is still early days to be talking about that.” Agreeing with Singh, Rattanani said, “I can only say that the idea is rich and we can build on this idea but how the idea will further shape up only time will tell.”

     

  • The Media Research Users' Council has awarded the coveted contract for the research work for the Indian Readership Survey to The Nielsen Company on the recommendation of the Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI)

    Nielsen bags research contract for IRS

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s now official. The Nielsen Company has been awarded the coveted contract for the research work for the Indian Readership Survey. On a recommendation of  the Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI), the Media Research Users’ Council has decided in principle to award the contract for the IRS to Nielsen. The formal award of contract will follow a process of legal due diligence.

     

    The decision was arrived at after a comprehensive nine month process that began in November 2011, with the formation of the RSCI by its sponsors, the MRUC (Media Research Users’ Council), and ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation). The RSCI was mandated by the industry to oversee the conduct of a unified Indian Readership Study (IRS), billed as the world’s largest continuous readership study.

     

    The process involved the active participation of 20 senior representatives of advertisers, agencies and publishers who served on the RSCI Managing Committee,  as well some of the sub committees formed to vet every aspect of the submissions – from technical superiority to fieldwork integrity, research cost, organization strength and stability. Another 24 senior industry professionals contributed to the technical deliberations, under the chairmanship of the Technical Committee, Paritosh Joshi.

     

    “Proposals were received from the most hallowed names in the Media Measurement universe and the quality of submissions was uniformly high. The knowledge and skill on display drew upon the very finest professional capability available globally,” said Mr Joshi. “Developing an RFP award recommendation was an unusually challenging task. The Nielsen Company proposal, that has won the approval of the Council, was exceptional in its methodological rigour, comprehensiveness and future readiness. The design recommendation and resources committed to the project should enable the Indian Readership Survey to reassert its position of preeminence in Indian media measurement,”

     

    “Our objective through the process was two fold – One, to achieve the construct of a study that would be the gold standard all over the world in readership measurement. And two, to involve all industry stakeholders in the decision making process with a spirit of collaboration and teamwork,” said Lynn de Souza, Chairman of the RSCI.  The months and years ahead will present several challenges as we introduce a first ever data capture system – the Dual Screen CAPI (Computer Aided Personal Interview) – a system that will reduce interview time, respondent fatigue and confusion, and interviewer bias of any kind.

     

    “The MRUC’s belief in the  innovative techniques and technology proposed for the forthcoming Indian Readership Survey will certainly transform market research in India, improving quality and the effectiveness of gathering and applying consumer insights for businesses and marketers. Nielsen is honoured to have been chosen as its partner in this landmark study that will no doubt shape all future research across India.” said Prashant Singh, MD – Media, Nielsen India.

     

    Ms de Souza commended the work put in by industry seniors in the selection process. “I am overwhelmed by the seriousness and commitment of the many industry seniors who gave freely of their time on weekends, and holidays as well, to help the RSCI arrive at a decision. Thank you would not be enough. Ravi Kiran, our marketing Chairman, was also very helpful in enabling us to identify new revenue sources given that the new IRS will be captured, stored, disseminated and analysed digitally.”

     

  • The timing of his appointment to Global CEO of Maxus couldn't have been better as the agency's HQ will shift to India + Dominic Proctor on Sakhuja

    India Shining with Vikram Sakhuja

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

     

    Proctor on Sakhuja

     

    Exclusive to MxMIndia: Dominic Proctor, President of GroupM Global on Vikram Sakhuja’s appointment to the position of Global CEO of Maxus and the relocation of Maxus’ Global Heaquarters to India

     

    Vikram has been selected as he is the best candidate for the job, not because he lives in India. The fact that he does live in India is an additional bonus because it spreads the management of Maxus around the world, consistent with the new world order. It also reflects the fact that much of our global senior talent resides in Asia and I fully expect that more of that talent will move into global positions in the years to come. Not just in GroupM agencies but business in general.

     

    The world has become a smaller place and boundaries are no longer barriers. Maxus does not have a single HQ so there is no plan to move more people into the market. Indeed the agency will continue to grow and develop as a very global business.

     

    Vikram will join the global management team of GroupM and I am really excited by the opportunity to work with him more closely. He will bring a different and interesting perspective to our business as we continue to grow. The fact that he is coming from a fast growing market will also be a benefit as we plan to grow quickly everywhere!

     

    I can’t think of anybody as qualified as Vikram to build on the great work that Kelly Clark and his team have done in establishing Maxus as the world’s fastest growing agency.

    As India celebrated her 66th Independence Day, the headquarters of the world’s fastest growing media agency is to be shifted to the country. And Vikram Sakhuja, currently Group M’s CEO for South Asia, has been appointed Global CEO of the media advertising network’s Maxus agency.

     

    Proctor Dominic

    Mr Sakhuja’s appointment was part of a series of senior-level changes announced on Wednesday by Dominic Proctor, President of GroupM Global. “The world has become a smaller place and boundaries are no longer barriers,” Mr Proctor told MxMIndia. “Maxus does not have a single HQ so there is no plan to move more people into the market. Indeed the agency will continue to grow and develop as a very global business.” Said Mr Sakhuja, “It’s very exciting and humbling at the same time… It’s still sinking in.”

     

    In the first move, GroupM North American CEO Rob Norman becomes Chief Digital Officer for GroupM Global, a new position at the company.

     

    Rob Norman

    “Our activity in digital will define our future success and we are truly fortunate that Rob will step into this crucial role full time,” Mr Proctor said in a communiqué issued earlier, announcing the movements.  “There is nobody better suited or more experienced than Rob to lead our teams into the future.”

     

    Mr Norman has extensive experience in the digital arena having served as CEO of GroupM Interaction since 2006.  Mr Proctor said his responsibilities will be significantly expanded in his new role.

     

    Kelly Clark

    At the same time, Mr Proctor said Kelly Clark, currently Global CEO of the GroupM agency Maxus, will succeed Mr Norman as CEO of GroupM North America.

     

    “Kelly has had wonderful success with our companies in Asia, the UK, and Europe and most recently at Maxus globally,” Mr Proctor said.  “His broad experience and track record will bring a great boost to our business in North America.”  Prior to taking over Maxus in 2008, Mr Clark served as CEO of GroupM Europe, Middle East and Africa.

     

     

    Talent and leadership is sitting everywhere: Vikram Sakhuja

     

    The new Global CEO of Maxus spoke to MxMIndia hours after the news of his appointment was announced

     

    Congratulations… has the news sunk in yet?

    It’s very exciting and humbling at the same time. It’s a very vibrant and exciting agency to be with. All I can say right now is that I am thrilled with the news. It’s still sinking in.

     

    In a sense you’ve piped some favourites to the job…

    I really have no idea on how the contender things work. It obviously involves the system and you’ll have to ask that to the bosses at Group M.

     

    We’ve seen the stellar work that you have done for Group M but personally, what would you attribute your ascent to the top to?

    I can’t really say what is it that has worked in my favour. One needs to introspect such things, I guess. Something great has obviously worked for me. But one has to work things up and have a gameplan and get people together to move things in a particular direction. The ability to have a vision and the ability to drive it are the things that I have tried to do as the Group CEO for Group M South Asia. And if that has worked, then it’s great.

     

    How big a challenge is it to fit in the shoes of Kelly Clark, who’s been promoted to CEO of Group M North America?

    Kelly’s shoes will be very large to fill. I remember that I joined the system when he was the APAC head at Mindshare and was transitioning between UK and Europe handling several roles for the agency before he moved to Maxus. Hats off to Kelly for the sheer intrusiveness and energy with which he has driven the agency. I am a big fan of his.

     

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

    Not sure on when the new change will come into effect and will be clear only when a successor has been decided. These things take time and it is still work in progress.

     

    In a sense you become the first global CEO of a media agency to be based out of India. And Dominic Proctor too has highlighted the emergence of an APAC market as being the driving engine for the future. What do you have to say about this?

    It so happens that you got talent and leadership sitting everywhere. I have been fortunate enough to be picked out of here but at the end of the day, we are living in a pretty global world and the new reality is that communication barriers are slowly fading away. In our earlier system, people used to be running the system out of Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong but suddenly where you sit is not central to what is called the ‘headquarter concept’. In my case too, it just so happens that I am going to be based in Mumbai. But I won’t read anything too much into saying that Asia Pacific has emerged as a hot favourite – it’s great to hear that but at the end of the day we have been part of the global network for years and it feels that way. I don’t see it as APAC being suddenly recognised. If you see Ashutosh Srivastava, the Mindshare APAC head also has taken up a global responsibility…so there are Indians all over the place. It just shows the ability of the system to look at APAC as the global hub rather than elsewhere.

     

    Will it be a challenging task to lead global operations out of India?

    It’s just that I am going to be based in Mumbai and I will be travelling as the other global CEOs do. A global CEO’s job doesn’t automatically mean that everything is decided by a bunch of team sitting at some headquarter and running the entire set-up, it doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to work through a network, you’ve got to create a team and drive a certain agenda. It doesn’t require physically handling a bunch of people in one place.

     

    One of the challenges will be to see that Maxus continues to achieve the 20 per cent growth trajectory in the coming future as well…

    I have no idea how I’ll continue to keep it at that. But it will be an interesting challenge. I look forward to my role at Maxus.
     

    Vikram Sakhuja interviews on mxmindia.com

     

    Interview with Anil Thakraney

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/06/ creative-agencies-have-allowed-themselves-to-be-dumbed-down-vikram-sakhuja/

     

    Text and MxMIndiaTV interview at FICCI-Frames 2012

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/03/ff12-integrated-media-is-the-best-way-forward- vikram-sakhuja/

     

    MxMIndiaTV interview at World Magazine Congress 2011

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSS2j9PQMkU& feature=player_embedded

    Maxus was named the 2011 “Media Agency of the Year” by Adweek and last month the agency was named the fastest-growing global media services agency in the world for the third consecutive year by RECMA, the independent organization that measures media agency sector operations.

     

    Taking Mr Clark’s role at Maxus will be Mr Vikram Sakhuja, currently CEO of GroupM India and South Asia. “Vikram is the perfect candidate to take on the Maxus role from Kelly,” Mr Proctor said.  “Maxus has a great management team and a lot of momentum.  I have no doubt that Vikram will continue to build a great agency.”  He added that Mr Sakhuja will remain in his current role until his successor is announced (See ‘Proctor on Sakhuja’ in box alongside).

     

    All three will report to Mr Proctor and the new roles begin later this year.

     

    Mr Sakhuja’s appointment is the second global level appointment made by Maxus in recent times. Earlier this year, Madhvi Pahwa moved from a Group M responsibility to that of Global Talent Director. Ms Pahwa was to be based in India.  But now, Maxus has become the first global media agency to have its headquarters in not just India, but also Asia. Said Mr Proctor on the relocation of the HQ: “It also reflects the fact that much of our global senior talent resides in Asia and I fully expect that more of that talent will move into global positions in the years to come. Not just in GroupM agencies but business in general.”

     

    Lynn de Souza, chairman and CEO of Lintas Media Group, believes that it’s a welcome recognition for Mr Sakhuja and India. “It shows that Indian talent is appreciated and not that it needs to be exported out of India to do good work. That is the essential story that comes out of this,” she said. Added Mona Jain, CEO, Vivaki Exchange: “India has been consistently delivering healthy growth numbers for several agencies and is also one of the fastest growing markets in the continent. So it is only fitting for them to consider India as the hub for managing global operations.”

     

    For Mr Sakhuja, it’s a significant move as he moves to Group M global management team directly and not via the Asia-Pacific route. However, he doesn’t think there’s an all-new focus on APAC. “It just so happens that I am going to be based in Mumbai. But I won’t read anything too much into saying that Asia Pacific has emerged as a hot favourite – it’s great to hear that but at the end of the day we have been part of the global network for years and it feels that way,” he said.

     

    The successor to his current position as CEO, Group M South Asia hasn’t been announced yet. Once that’s done and the transition happens, Mr Sakhuja will take on the global role at Maxus in right earnest.

     

     

    INDUSTRYSPEAK

     

    Lynn de Souza, Chairman & CEO, Lintas Media Group

    I think it is a fantastic development both for Vikram himself who has really done a very good job ever since I have known him and it’s an appreciation for all the good that he has done and the potential that he has. So I am very happy for him. Also, for the industry itself, it shows that Indian talent is appreciated and not that it needs to be exported out of India to do good work. That is the essential story that comes out of this.

     

    Certainly, Maxus is a great agency; I have always said that. It’s excellent news; the recognition for Vikram as well as for India is really very good.

     

    Divya Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Dentsu Media India

    This epitomizes India as a key, growth engine for most brands and marketers across the globe.
    It also augurs the emergence of India as a strategic global and regional hub for management and control of network businesses.
    I wish Vikram success.

     

    Mona Jain, CEO, Vivaki Exchange

    The agency has always been rated highly. It’s great news that the CEO should be from India which shows that the country is becoming very critical in the entire global scheme of things for agency networks. Also, India has been consistently delivering healthy growth numbers for several agencies and is also one of the fastest growing markets in the continent. So it is only fitting for them to consider India as the hub for managing global operations.

     
     

    Maxus Global Factsheet

    > Launched in late 2008, is part of GroupM, the world’s largest media investment management group that serves as the parent company for all of WPP’s media agencies, and which buys over one third of the world’s media every day.

    > Rated world’s fastest growing global media agency network

    > Talent base 1,400 people across 67 locations worldwide

    > Global clients include Barclays, SC Johnson, NBC Universal, Fiat Group, Nokia, Vodafone, Church & Dwight, Nestle and L’Oreal

    >Services include Communications strategy, Media planning and buying, Digital marketing, SEM and SEO, Direct response media, Data analytics and Marketing ROI evaluation

    (Information source: Factsheet, www.maxusglobal.com)

     
     

    Rise and Rise…

     

    Vikram Sakhuja

    Twitter @VikramSakhuja

     

    Education:

    IIM Calcutta (1988)

    IIT Delhi (1984)

    Modern School, Delhi (1979)

     

    Work:

    Group M

    CEO South Asia (earlier MD, Mindshare Fulcrum and later Mindshare South Asia) (2002-present)

    Star TV

    Exec VP Marketing (Jan-Dec 2001)

    Coca-Cola India

    Marketing Manager-Brands (1996-2000)

    P&G India

    Associate Manager-Media & MR (1988-96)

    DCM

    Management Trainee (1984-86)

     

     

  • The panel debated the need for new matrices of measurement which can complement the conventional audience measurement matrices

    INMA 2012: ‘Industry needs currency that measures across platforms’

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    Basant Rathore
    If you are having trouble in viewing this video, see link

    Like Day 1, Day 2 of the 6th INMA annual South Asia conference also witnessed some interesting panel discussions pertaining to issues facing the news industry today.

     

    The first half witnessed an engaging session on, ‘Increased Circulation, Dwindling Readership: Is It Time to Measure “Access”?’ The session was moderated by Lynn de Souza, Chairman & CEO, Lintas Media Group. The panelists included Paritosh Joshi, Independent Media Professional & Board Member of MRUC; LV Krishnan, CEO, TAM Media Research Pvt Ltd; and Basant Rathore, Vice President-Strategy, Brand and BD, Jagran Prakashan Ltd.

     

    The panel debated the need for new matrices of measurement which can complement the conventional audience measurement matrices, as today the audiences are increasingly becoming platform-agnostic.

     

    Ms de Souza said: “People seem to be very attached to these numbers. But while numbers are important, we need a currency that goes across platforms. We need to be able to measure new forms of readership. From circulation and readership, we need to change our metric to media access.”

     

    Lynn de Souza
    If you are having trouble in viewing this video, see link

    Mr Paritosh Joshi shared a similar view on the need to look beyond the primary level numbers which he felt are out of date. He said that there are two sorts of media consumption today, structured and unstructured. It is equally important to be able to measure and take into account unstructured media consumption. Just as there are enough screens available today and not just the traditional TV box, he said, the newspaper is not just in the traditional paper form, it is available in other forms across platforms.

     

    Mr L V Krishnan talked of two news aspects coming out in the digital world: “One is the increasing access which is changing things dramatically. The other is multiplicity of brands transiting between different mediums. For instance, a Bombay Times with Zoom or an ET Now with The Economic Times. The nature of one medium declining and the other growing will depend on what the creator of the brand wants to deliver via a particular medium.”

     

    While there was agreement on the importance of numbers and currency, the panelists also highlighted the need to move beyond the existing currency.

     

    Mr Basant Rathore of Jagran said: “Digitization has blurred not just geographical boundaries but also boundaries between mediums. Today we don’t have a clue of numbers in digital media, but they are definitely going to grow. If these can’t be measured, monetization becomes a problem. The advertisers know that the game is moving beyond the existing currency. The research we had till date was about currency but the advertisers are now talking about engagement.”

     

    Mr Joshi added: “The existing measurement systems are accused of fudging numbers. With the new IRS, even real time tracking of interviews is possible. It will be a like a core end satellite model and this will enable us to respond to changes that are happening in the environment. Earlier we looked at data in a cross-sectional slice but what’s of interest to an advertiser is what happens to a consumer through the day. With the new measurement matrices, we are thinking of capturing all digital research to get a horizontal longitudinal view of a consumer’s media movements.”

     

    The panel also agreed on the need for industry to be willing to adopt new matrices of measurement and to support measurement that looks beyond primary access numbers. Mr Rathore concluded: “Numbers will continue to be important because that’s the benchmark for trade to happen. But if you need to grow, it’s important to leverage the media brand across media platforms and so we need to know what’s happening across platforms. And that’s why we need to be open to the measurement of other metrics.”

     

  • Four leading media agency heads pick their top print ads of last year… in an extract from Dainik Bhaskar's Mosaic 2011

    The Best of Print Ads – 2011

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    You may have seen only a few of them and probably even forgotten the underlying message that the campaigns had to tell. But now you could make a dash to have a hard copy of MOSAIC, a compilation of the Best in Print (campaigns) to have hit India n shores in 2011. The compilation has been put together by 23 creative agencies who have submitted their best pieces of work for the category in 2011. Conceptualised by Sanjeev Kotnala and team from the Dainik Bhaskar Group, the initiative has been made special through the “insights” and “personal favourite” sections that have been provided by Media agency bosses. These include Lynn de Souza of Lintas Media Group, Mallikarjun CR, CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group, PM Balakrishna, Chief Operating Ofiicer, Allied Media and Punitha Arumugam, Director – Agency Business, Google India.

     

     

    Lynn de Souza, Chairman and CEO, Lintas Media Group, Chairman, Aaren Initiative and Director, Karishma Initiative

    “An excellent idea to recreate interest and remind all about the power and impact of the print medium. My only reservation is that there were too many submissions of ‘pretty pictures-pithy headlines’ work that may or may not have been published and did not appear to fully grasp how the medium must be used effectively.”

     

    TOP 5 Choices:

     

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    1) DNA – ISKCON (Scarecrow India)

    Reasons for choosing: The intelligent use of the cigarette-turned-food visual immediately targets the smoker and invites him/her to contribute in a very simple way to a cause that benefits both beneficiary and the giver – something not easy to achieve. I like the simple, clean look of the ad and the directness of the headline and copy.

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    2) Flying machine “What an Ass” (Lowe)

    Reasons for choosing: This is my idea of perfect ad! One that has used all the elements of the print medium – headline, visual, copy to present a bold, modern attitude through a perfectly harmonised contribution of all three. It’s an unmissable ad whether you are a guy or a gal.

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    3) Parker – Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards (Lowe)

    Reasons for choosing: A stark headline supported by the simple bottle of ink that says it all. An attention grabbing reminder of the power of the pen to influence the world. Perfect synergy for the subject – Journalism awards and the ‘always memorable’ image of a gold Parker fountain pen.

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    4) The Times of India – A day in the Life of India (Taproot India)

    Reasons for choosing: Fantastic art direction – great visual appeal that hooks you into reading the whole ad. The contemporary feel, using India n kitsch, with attention to detail, is riveting. (Check out the dog lifting his leg to pee on the bed of nails!) Bright, colourful, crowded yet not messy. I could read it again and again!

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    5) Vaseline ‘Dear Mr. Vaughan’ (BBH India)

    Reasons for choosing: The kind of ad that every Creative Director who woke up to it that morning would have said: “I wish I had written this”. There are some things you can do impactfully in a topical yet ‘permanent’ medium like print that you can’t do anywhere else, and this ad fits the bill. Nose-thumbingly outstanding!

     

     

    Mallikarjun CR, CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group

    “This is a fantastic initiative. As media agency professionals, our lenses to view the world are different. However, what comes across is that great creative work is universal. Really enjoyed it.”

     

     

     

    TOP 5 Choices:

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    1) Audi – World Cup (Creativeland Asia)

    Reasons for choosing: Great connect with the Champion’s Trophy ’85 win. Most of the target audience that can buy an Audi will connect immediately with that moment. For a lot of us India ns, that was the first moment of connect with Audi.

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    2) DNA ISKCON Food Relief Foundation (Scarecrow)

    Reasons for choosing: A nice calculus linking smoking to food relief. Very innovative, eye catching visuals.

     

     

     

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    3) Indigo Campaign (Weiden+Kennedy)

    Reasons for choosing: Stark, consistent visuals. The colours, space everything reflects the qualities of the airlines. Nice word play that grabs your attention and makes you read the copy. The reference to price is as value and not cheap.

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    4) Nissan Micra (TBWA\ India)

    Reasons for choosing: Simple stark visuals. Driving home the relevance of a small car without talking price, affordability etc. Great, understated use of a celebrity.

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    Reasons for choosing: Great expedient use of Michael Vaughan’s comment. Superb cut through and great visuals.

     

     

    PM Balakrishna, Chief Operating Ofiicer, Allied Media

    “I think this is a wonderful initiative and exposes the fantastic creativity. It is a very different platform as it is more an appreciation of great work rather than a competition as I believe each creative is great on its own.”

     

     

     

    TOP 5 Choices:

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    1) Bajaj Fans (Leo Burnett)

    Reasons for choosing: The best part of this creative is the way it has integrated everyday common issues and weaved them into the core communication of the product. The creative is also very well crafted visually using the very cause of the product making it very effective.

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    2) Birla Cellulose (Salt Brand Solutions)

    Reasons for choosing: The sheer aesthetic treatment to the communication draws you and I like the beautiful and colourful way the creative has used nature and the human body (woman). It brings out the environmental friendly nature of the product in a very soft and appealing manner.

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    3)Fuji(Grey)

    Reasons for choosing: Colour and background are intrinsic material for any great creative and nothing better than drawing inspiration from Mother Nature and wildlife. The beautiful use of the animals brings the message home effectively and creatively and connects with any photographer or photo enthusiast.

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    4)NipponPaints (JWT)

    Reasons for choosing: They say a great picture is worth a thousand words and the effect is breathtaking when it is beautifully woven into the message making the communication very compelling and effective. In this case the product USP, a central factor in the category has been brought home very beautifully for correct impact.

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    5) Zee 24 Taas (Draftfcb Ulka)

    Reasons for choosing: Ganpati Bappa has a significant connect with the India n diaspora and especially with Maharashtrians who revere the elephant God. I like the way the creative has beautifully engaged the viewers in an innovative and personal manner and makes it unique and different.

     

    Punitha Arumugam, Director – Agency Business, Google India

     

    “This initiative continues the long tradition of Dainik Bhaskar – breaking boundaries and setting new trends in the industry.”

     

     

     

     

     

    TOP 5 Choices:

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    1) DNA Mumbai Marathon (Scarecrow)

    Reasons for choosing: The power of long copy. It brings back memories of the old era, which was marked by a great headline and the power of long copy. It inspires and bonds with its audience.

     

     

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    2) Murphy Richards epilators (Contract)

    Reasons for choosing: The power of a picture. The visual intrigues, makes you pause, demonstrates the benefit and brings a smile – all this without a single word.

     

     

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    3) MTR Spicy Pickle (Ogilvy)

    Reasons for choosing: The power of insight. A true South India n like me will see this ad and can only say “How true!” Equating spicy with ‘tears’, the way the ad captures the cultural nuances – awesome!

     

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    4) Parker – Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards (Lowe)

    Reasons for choosing: The power of words. While most entries used the power of the picture, this ad stands out because it uses print for what it does best – leverage the power of words and intriguing headlines.

     

     

     

     

    Click on the picture for larger view

    5) Saffola Healthy Heart (McCann)

    Reasons for choosing: The power of an innovation. A great collaboration between the creative agency, the brand team, the media agency and the publication to convey the brand message interestingly and inclusively so as to trigger an action from the reader.
    Best of Print in Dainik Bhaskar Group’s MOSAIC
     

    Some may see India’s performance of bagging just four Press Lions at Cannes out of the 30 that were shortlisted as a drab effort, but then there are some who would like to think of it as being otherwise. After all, Press Lions as a category managed to get India its largest tally of four metals versus any other category at the awards – a valiant effort considering that India finished 2012 with just 14 metals in its kitty.

     

    While the category may have received its fair share of fame at the pinnacle of creative awards, many would agree that Indian adland has failed to laud the finesse that stems out from Print creatives over the years. While such is not the case in some large international markets where creative works across categories gets noticed and rewarded that gesture seems to be missing when it comes to India. Luckily for the creative frat in India, an opportunity to showcase their best works – besides the awards shows – were given a fillip by the Dainik Bhaskar Group that released the first of its kind creative compilation of the finest works produced in Print in the form of MOSAIC 2011.

     

     

    Elaborating on the initiative, Sanjeev Kotnala, VP & National Head, Dainik Bhaskar Group said, “This has been a first year for MOSAIC, which is a rich collection of 150 creative units part of 77 campaigns that have been submitted by 23 agencies.” The creative showcase has been made special through some individual comments and insights that have been posted by creative leaders of individual agencies.

     

    Elaborating on the thought process behind the compilation, Mr Kotnala said: “As a group, we believe that the Indian creative across mediums and media is of international standards, in its thinking, relevance and in its execution. Unfortunately there has been no single reference point for the same. MOSAIC bridges this gap and we would want it to be referred by the creative, clients, media and trade.”

     

    As for the method that was adopted in getting the agencies to submit their campaigns, Mr Kotnala said that it began with Dainik Bhaskar requesting the creative heads at the agency to send their best Print work. “They know better than us – as by placing it in MOSAIC affirms it to be their best work. Though we did have constraints on the number of campaigns we could place in Mosaic from a single agency. This has all been a by-invitation. On the other side, there were few agencies that sent lesser number of creative units as they felt others were not up to the standard to feature in such a compilation. So it was created and evaluated by the creative teams themselves.”

     

    On how print has evolved over the years as a medium, Mr Kotnala said: “Today print ads are working on all fronts of communication. They are not just for the purpose of awareness building or as a source of providing tactical information; they engage and involve the readers and are very result-oriented in their approach. We always held that the idea is more important than the medium. And it will automatically find its right medium for better efficiencies and effectively delivery of the message.”

     

    In fact, the compilation has been made special with the involvement of four media agency heads who’ve provided their assessment of the campaigns. They include Lynn De Souza, Chairman and CEO, Lintas Media Group, Chairman, Aaaren Inititative and Director, Karshma Initiative; Mallikarjun CR, CEO, Starcom Mediavest Group; PM Balkrishna, Chief Operating Officer, Allied Media and Punitha Arumugam, Director- Agency Business, Google India.

     

    With the first edition already finding appreciation within the industry, the Dainik Bhaskar group have their task cut out for the next year too. On his plans for a sequel, Mr Kotnala said, “We would want to see more regional and language work in the collection – and they still should meet the standards set. We would and could try getting clients and media owners also picking their favourites and definitely may wish to incorporate a section on media innovations. Though we have taken the task and brought out the book, in our mind it is an industry level initiative and we would want to keep it that way.”

     

    Mosaic 2011 can be accessed and downloaded at http://i10.dainikbhaskar.com /dainikbhaskar2010/books/ Final_Book.PDF

     

  • Manas Mishra will be President of Initiative as CEO Sudha Natarajan moves on

    Manas Mishra joins Lintas Initiative as President

    By A Correspondent [updated]

     

    Lintas Media Group has confirmed the  the appointment of Manas Mishra as President of Initiative India. As Lintas Initiative Media CEO Sudha Natarajan moves on, Mr Mishra will helm the agency. Presently Managing Director on the 600 million dollar P&G business at Starcom China, Mr Mishra earlier led Mudra Connext till late last year.

     

    A media and communications professional with 17 years of experience spanning media strategy, revenue growth, successful team leadership, and P&L management, Manas has earlier worked with Mediaedge CIA, and Contract, and also ran the Initiative Mumbai office from 2004 to 2006.

     

    Mr Mishra will be based in Gurgaon, overseeing a national team of 65 people servicing the agency’s blue chip accounts in the country – prominent among them being Maruti Suzuki, Sony Electronics, Voltas, Expedia, 3M, Citizen watches etc.

     

    Speaking on this appointment, Lynn de Souza, Chairman and CEO of Lintas Media Group, to whom Mr Mishra will report, said, “It is wonderful to have Manas back with us. He has grown manifold during the time he has spent with other leading agency networks, while retaining a strong strategic bent of mind. His service on the Technical Committee of the IRS has also been highly appreciated.” Mr Mishra added, “I am looking forward to this new journey with Initiative, building new partnerships with teams and clients.”

     

    Meanwhile, Ms   Natrajan will be leaving the agency at the end of July. “Sudha has been a great asset to Lintas Media Group”, added Ms de Souza. “Her business acumen and affectionate nature have won her long standing relationships in the media industry which will serve her well in future pursuits. We will miss her terribly but respect her desire to try out something new”.

     

  • An exclusive interview with Suresh Balakrishna, CEO of Brand Programming Network, IPG Mediabrands' all-new agency under the LMG umbrella

    Making brand the hero with BPN

     

    Just when you thought that the media agency space is getting crowded in India comes the news of another agency setting up shop in India. Brand Connections that was present in 12 countries across the globe excluding India and the United States, will now be rechristened Brand Programming Network. In effect this will be the official launch of BPN in India. And simultaneous with the rest of the world. This will make the agency the third such offering from IPG Mediabrands in India. It already has two in the form of (Lodestar) UM and (Lintas) Initiative. BPN will work under the LMG umbrella.

     

    Says Lynn de Souza, Chairman and CEO of Lintas Media Group in a communique, “For media agencies thus far, the starting point has always been the advertiser. Consolidation, portfolio management, aggregation etc. are all client focused and to some extent consumer data driven. BPN will focus on the brand. The time has come to turn back several chapters and make the brand the hero of all communication effort, and BPN has developed processes to do just that.”

     

    BPN will take on the service mandate of clients like Jyothy-Henkel, Bajaj Auto, Samsonite, and several other clients of LMG to start up with a billing volume of over Rs. 1000 crores, in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkatta and Cochin.

     

    In India the agency will be led by Suresh Balakrishna, who has assumed charge as CEO of the agency. While BPN will be essentially a media agency, it will play the game differently by focusing on the brand. “Everything that we are recommending is going to be from a brand strategy direction,” assures Mr Balakrishna, as he gave MxMIndia a quick peek of what to expect from the agency in India, hours before it was unveiled.

     

    In conversation with Pradyuman Maheshwari and Johnson Napier, Mr Balakrishnan delves on how BPN will be different from the others, on the increased emphasis that will be laid on social media and digital and the new initiatives to look forward to from BPN in the coming few months. Excerpts:

     

    Is Brand Programming Network old wine in a new bottle?

    No, it is not. The usual answer that comes up about a third agency is that it is created due to a conflict of clients, allowing you to take on more of the similar clients. But with BPN, it is a thought-out strategic decision. If you look at India, there is no immediate conflict business (from network agencies) that is being parked in BPN. If you look at Mediabrands, for the last 10 years it has had a network called Brand Connections in other countries. But as markets have developed, especially a market like India, we find that there are enough businesses out here to have a third agency with a different character, a different way of thinking…and of course help handle conflict in the long run. So it’s not a knee-jerk old wine in a new bottle reaction from our end.

     

    The reason we ask you this question is that you have reallocated some of your existing businesses here. Does this also mean that Initiative and BPN could be in conflict with each other?

    It could be. In our system we can compete for businesses for the same pitch and may the best team win. Therefore we have a Lodestar UM, an Initiative and a BPN; we have three networks here in India and all three can compete for a business if necessary.  We do believe there is enough business out there and why leave some money on the table…

     

    What is it about BPN that differentiates it from others?

    A few things actually. Firstly, we are turning the clock back as an agency. We are going back a little in time and therefore the name Brand Programming Network. The whole idea is to focus on the brand. Earlier, media used to be in one house there used to be much more brand focus, even the media guys owned the brand. But over a period of time, media has become more professional, accountable, larger, etc but somewhere in the process we believe that brand connect has got lost. Therefore, BPN would be an agency that would focus on the brand; everything that we are recommending is going to be from a brand strategy direction. To give an example, in the last four months we have won over four-five businesses and in almost all the business pitches the client fed back to us saying is this a creative agency presentation or a media agency presentation? So you can imagine the extent to which we are spending time to analyse the brand, looking at brand strategy, looking at TG, etc. We are focusing on that aspect of the business and of course at the end of the day media is just a delivery vehicle.

     

    In fact Mr Shashi Sinha even hinted in an interview with us that we need to return to the full-service agency model. Are you in agreement with that statement?

    Half-way house, I would say. We are calling ourselves a full-service media agency in the sense that the touchpoints today have become all-pervading. For example, the touchpoint would be you ride on content. But who creates that content? You have an instance where the customer himself creates content in digital and then you have specialists who create content. So content itself has no owners and therefore reaching out to the customer has become that much more complex and you can only do it of you have the fabric of the brand and what it wants to convey.

     

    But the same thing could even be said by the creative agency bosses like, say, R Balki of Lowe, etc who feel that creative is alright but we also need to add some media to it. They could also be thinking on those lines…

    So what if they think the same, but I think at the end of the day to deliver media, you need a certain size… in fact many media heads today are CFOs; they are not media people. They have a commercial bent of mind and manage money.

     

    So are you saying that a media agency can be a full-service agency but a creative agency cannot be a full-service agency…?

    In today’s context yes, I believe you can say that.

     

    Sorry to be asking you this for for the third time in different ways, but getting back to BPN, in a sense it will be a brand agency…

    Yes, and across the world in the 13 other countries that we are present in apart from India, we have a lot of retail businesses and that is another area of growth that BPN is seeing. That seems to be the character of the agency globally – handling a lot of retail clients on a local basis.

     

    Will you only handle products and not brands in other sectors?

     There will be no category and geographical limitation. What the agency will bring to the table is brand perspective. In many cases, we have seen that clients do not want a brand perspective from a media agency. They get enough of it from a creative agency and want only the media bit from us. So I may not be the right pick. But being part of an agency like LMG I may bring along a necessary clout; I am big enough to matter and small enough to care. But that is not going to be my reason to be.

     

    In fact for BPN, one of the things being discussed is India as the analytics hub for BPN worldwide.

     

    Is it likely to happen soon?

    Yes, it is going to happen very soon.

     

    Wouldn’t analytics have done better as a separate unit like what the other networks offer?

    Maybe if it did well it could become a separate agency but to begin with it will be a part of the service that we are offering.

     

    Somewhere in your press release you have emphasised on laying adequate stress on social media. Is BPN going to be basically a digital or social media agency?

    No. But globally, and in India, I believe that digital and social media has much more mindspace than wallet space. So it really has a long way to go. Having said that, digital is growing very rapidly globally. One of the things that you will hear from us is a tie-up of sorts with a large platform about which you will hear soon.

     

    Will social media be the mainstay for BPN…?

    Not in India but worldwide, yes.

     

    So here you will be doing the traditional stuff plus digital and social…

    Absolutely.

     

    Could you delve a bit on the team that will drive the function for you in India?

    We have Premjeet Sodhi as the COO, Patrick Gomes would be the head in Mumbai, Mahesh Motwani would be head of Kolkata, Vidya Nanda Kumar will be head of Kochi…we have identified a head for Delhi and Hyderabad that we will announce very soon. We have a staff strength of about 70 and about 40 clients till now.

     

    Going forward, will BPN and Initiative be sitting together and pitching for a business?

    All the existing businesses in Delhi, Bangalore etc will belong to Initiative while Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi etc will belong to BPN. We will be having separate offices which ever cities both of us are present.

     

    Any other plans on the anvil for BPN?

    Yes, we would be having a training and consultancy cell for media houses. The other thing will be branded content….

     

    Paid news?

    No (laughs). AFPs, in-film branding etc.

     

    You have always been a print man, do you still have a soft corner for the medium compared to television which is more popular of the two?

    Brands of course want television but I think print also works. Ours is the only country where print is still growing.

     

    But TV is growing a bit faster.

    Yes.

     

    What will the the revenue mix of BPN look like in future… if it’s 99 traditional and 1 digital?

    Going by your 99-1 yardstick, it will be 80 per cent traditional and 20 per cent from other mediums. Possibly even 75-25.

     

    If BPN has business worth Rs 1000 crore, how much will Initiative be?

    It would be the same. LMG as a group is Rs 2000 crore.  All the businesses in Delhi and Bengaluru belong to Initiative while Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi are now part of BPN.

     

    In Indian corporates, there is a tendency to guard one’s fiefdom. Did Initiative feel bad you took away some of its businesses?

    They haven’t expressed anything as yet.