MxMIndia

Tag: RAPP

  • RAPP's mandate will cover the full service spectrum with the mainline as well as digital aspects of the campaign

    Simplymarry.com engages RAPP

    By a correspondent

     

    Multichannel agency RAPP of DDB Mudra Group has been roped in to handle Simplymarry.com. RAPP India will be responsible for bringing the brands new proposition alive. RAPP’s mandate will cover the full service spectrum with the mainline as well as digital aspects of the campaign.

     

    Matrimonial portal SimplyMarry.com is promoted by The Times of India group and offers a superior matchmaking experience for prospective brides and grooms to meet and communicate with each other.

     

    On choosing RAPP, Sanjeev Kumar, Business Head, SimplyMarry.com said, “The online matrimony space in India is quite challenging with many established and new players. Over the years, we have realized that although the space has a lot of big players, the value differentiator in this category hasn’t been cracked just yet. We are re-launching into this competitive market with an offering unlike any the market has witnessed yet. We were looking for an agency that would help us amplify this difference. RAPP, with its unique strategic and media agnostic approach seemed like a perfect fit.”

     

    Venkat Mallik, President, RAPP India said, “The SimplyMarry team has a strategy that is designed to change the convention among Matrimonial sites. A number of new innovations are planned that will change the rules of the game. To be able to disrupt the convention is a challenge that has always got us going. And we hope to do that with SimplyMarry.com.”

     

  • The DDB Mudra Group firm sets up shop with a big client in the bag

    With Mahindra in tow, Interbrand begins India ops on a high

    By A Correspondent

     

    This February-end will mark the completion of a year since the unveiling of a new structure and brand identity by creative hotshop DDB Mudra Group in India. As part of the slew of changes that were planned for the network in India, the management had announced that the network would comprise of eight key agencies as under: DDB Mudra, DDB MudraMax, Mudra, DDB Health & Lifestyle, RAPP, Tribal DDB India, Water and Maatra.

     

    While plenty was reported and written about the performance of the creative, out-of-home, experiential and other units within the group in the past one year, one unit that preferred to stay away from the limelight was Water, the brand consultancy specialist that was rebranded Interbrand India at the time of restructuring. But that is until now. Interbrand India seems to have finally found its footing in the country as it announced the take-off of its operations in India.

     

    Formed by the transition of Water, the brand strategy and design consultancy of DDB Mudra Group, to Interbrand, Interbrand India will offer Interbrand’s complete suite of brand consulting services including brand strategy, audit/evaluation, design, brand management and verbal identity. The operation will continue to be located in Mumbai.

     

    A communique issued to media stated the following: “Joining a client roster that includes Tata and Godrej, Interbrand India is pleased to announce that it has begun consulting for the Mahindra Group. Mahindra, one of the more progressive Indian brands, is looking to establish itself as one of the world’s most valuable brands and as part of the journey has engaged Interbrand on an extensive brand valuation project. The Interbrand offices in Mumbai & London will carry out the assignment.”

     

    “India is one of the most exciting markets in the world for brands today, said Jez Frampton, Global CEO of Interbrand. “We are extremely pleased to have Ashish Mishra and his team join the Interbrand family and to mark the occasion with the start of a relationship with Mahindra, one of India’s most prestigious brands.”

     

    Commenting on joining Interbrand, Ashish Mishra, Managing Director, Interbrand India said, “We want Indian companies to realize that brands are not mere logos or slogans but rank among the most important assets a business owns. Mr. Mishra continued, “As the world’s leading brand consulting firm, our task, quite simply, is to help the Best Indian Brands graduate to Best Global Brands.”

     

    Interbrand’s brand valuation methodology – the first of its kind to be ISO certified – analyzes the many ways a brand touches and benefits an organization, from driving bottom-line business results to delivering on customer expectations. The methodology has been leveraged to build value, inform strategic brand management, restructure and create business cases for investments for some of the best global brands.

     

  • With his background in advertising, brand marketing, Data & Digital communication, Mr Mallik brings a unique combination of skills needed to build Tribal DDB, as well as RAPP, feels Madhukar Kamath

    Venkat Mallik to head Tribal DDB & RAPP in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra Group is pleased to announce that Venkat Mallik will head its Tribal DDB operations inIndia, with immediate effect. Simultaneously, Mr Mallik will continue to lead RAPP India.

     

    Mr Mallik majored in marketing from XLRI,Jamshedpurover two decades ago and has since worked with companies like JWT, Leo Burnett, Euro RSCG and Unilever.

     

    More recently, he was Managing Director for an International Online Game Company. He has held multiple Board level positions and business leadership roles for over a decade. Mr Mallik’s brand experience spans 50 different brands and categories, including leading brands from companies like Unilever, SmithKline Beecham, ITC, Indian Oil, Ultratech, Sara Lee, Van Melle, CavinKare, Standard Chartered Bank, HDFC, Tata Communications and HP.

     

    Over the past four years, Tribal DDB Asia Pacific has expanded rapidly, from five offices to 18 spanning 12 countries, with 450 staff. In 2008, Tribal DDB was the most awarded agency network at Media’s Digital Marketing Awards, in 2009, the most-awarded pure digital agency network, and also voted Media’s Digital Agency of the Year by peers and clients. In 2010 Tribal DDB Asia Pacific was again awarded Campaign’s Digital Agency Network of the Year.

     

    The Tribal DDB India story has been similar with the agency being one of the most awarded and respected digital agencies in Indiasince its inception. In 2011 alone, the agency won around 15 metals across Abbys, Yahoo Big Chair, Campaign Indiaand Digital Media awards.

     

    Commenting on the new structure Madhukar Kamath said, “With around a 100 million internet users, digital advertising is acquiring mainstream proportions and it is important to create a leadership structure for Tribal DDB which understands both digital and mainstream brand marketing communications well. With his background in advertising, brand marketing, online gaming and Data & Digital communication Venkat brings a unique combination of skills needed to build Tribal DDB, as well as RAPP at this juncture.”

     

    Commenting on his new role Venkat Mallik said: “Tribal DDB is among the finest digital networks in the world and has a great track record inIndia. It’s exciting to have the mandate to grow RAPP and Tribal DDB, both of which are leading global new age agencies. We are looking to scale up both agencies quickly while leveraging synergies between them.”

     

    InIndia, Tribal DDB has a blue chip client list including Idea Cellular, Star TV, McDonald’s, TourismAustralia, Emirates among others. Meanwhile, RAPP has seen very strong growth over the last couple of years with its new industry vertical focused strategy combined with its thrust in building new age data, digital and brand capabilities. The RAPP client list inIndianow includes Hewlett Packard, Standard Chartered Bank, Johnson & Johnson, Tata Communications, among others.