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Category: Media Agencies

  • WPP acquires sports marketing agency Two Circles

    WPP acquires sports marketing agency Two Circles

    MUMBAI: WPP has acquired a majority stake in London based sports marketing agency Two Circles.

     

    Following the deal, Two Circles will become part of ESP Properties, GroupM’s newly launched company serving rights holders from the worlds of sports and entertainment.

     

    Founded in 2011, Two Circles employs 55 people and works with leading sports rights holders across 10 markets internationally, enabling them to deliver the right messages to the right customers at the right time and in doing so, deliver commercial growth across all key revenue streams.

     

    The agency’s clients include England and Wales Cricket Board, Valencia CF, Liverpool FC, Lawn Tennis Association, Ascot Racecourse, Harlequins, Bath and Wasps Rugby.

     

    Two Circles will continue to operate as a stand-alone business within ESP Properties and be led by CEO Matt Rogan and managing director Gareth Balch. The agency’s consolidated revenues for the year ended 31 August, 2014 were ?2.7 million, with gross assets of ?1.0 million as at the same date.

     

    This investment continues WPP’s strategy of developing its services in fast-growing and important markets and sectors and strengthening its digital capabilities. WPP’s digital revenues were $6.9billion in 2014, representing 36 per cent of the Group’s total revenues of $19billion. WPP has set a target of 40-45 per cent of revenue to be derived from digital in the next five years.

  • GroupM ventures into sports and entertainment rights under brand ESP

    GroupM ventures into sports and entertainment rights under brand ESP

    MUMBAI: GroupM is expanding its sports and entertainment offering under a new global agency brand, ESP, which will comprise two separate businesses: ESP Properties and ESP Brands.

     

    Both businesses will be part of WPP’s media investment management company GroupM, but remain independent of its media-buying operations.

     

    ESP Properties will be GroupM’s first company dedicated to serving rights holders from the worlds of sports and entertainment, including federations, leagues, events, teams, publishers and venues. It will offer a thorough assessment of their commercial programs, and advise how to grow the revenue they generate through a full range of services across data, digital and content development. It will also offer global partnership sales on behalf of rights holders, both to existing WPP brand clients and beyond.

     

    ESP Properties will be formed through new hires, the integration of existing GroupM business units including leading sponsorship agency IEG, and the acquisition of data-driven sports marketing agency Two Circles. It will collaborate with specialists from the WPP network to deliver a full range of marketing services. It will also work with GroupM Entertainment on new programming concepts and, where mutually beneficial, provide direct finance for new projects.

     

    ESP Properties will launch with over 150 staff in hubs across New York, Chicago, London and Singapore, plus additional teams in Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and Dubai amongst others. It launches with a roster of globally recognised clients including the All Blacks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Valencia CF, England and Wales Cricket Board, Pele, and City Football Group.

     

    WPP CEO Martin Sorrell said, “There is significant and growing demand on the part of clients to invest more in content and sports but few in our industry have had a serious response to this. Our new ESP Properties will bring creative power and commercial insight to rights holders for the first time, providing unmatched opportunities to better tailor their offerings to the needs of today’s brand sponsors. ESP will also work hand in hand with our recent investment in Bruin Sports to provide our clients with access to many high-value media and sponsorship opportunities.”

     

    GroupM is also expanding its support for brands to plan, negotiate and activate sports and entertainment partnerships by growing the specialist teams in its individual media agencies. These specialist teams will be underpinned in key regions by the second business within ESP, ESP Brands. ESP Brands will be an evolution of the former partnerships consultancy GroupM ESP.

     

    GroupM Global president and ESP chairman Dominic Proctor added, “The global launch of ESP Properties brings leading commercial and creative capabilities to some of the world’s most celebrated names across sports and entertainment. Sport is a driving force in media and we want to serve the market better by assisting rightsholders in optimizing their properties and creating more winning partnerships with leading brands. At the same time we will ensure we work more efficiently on behalf of brands by providing even more resources for the specialist sports and entertainment practices that are embedded in our GroupM agencies, underpinned by a central team in key regions, ESP Brands.”

     

    GroupM ESP global CEO John Kristick will lead the new ESP Properties as CEO. Kristick is a senior sports marketing executive with nearly two decades of international experience, including being appointed managing director for the USA Bid Committee to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and previously working for more than ten years in Europe serving as an executive director for Infront Sports & Media from its inception.

     

    The business will be led regionally by Jonathan Hill (EMEA), Laren Ukman (North America) and JinWei Toh (APAC). ESP Brands will be managed regionally in North America by Bryce Townsend and through the individual GroupM agencies in other regions.

     

    Kristick said, “ESP Properties’ offering is truly unique in meeting the changing needs of the world’s leading federations, events, leagues, teams and other rightsholders. We have brought together a range of experts from across GroupM, such as IEG with over three decades of experience in sponsorship consulting, and our new partners Two Circles who have been leading the way in data-driven sports marketing. By combining this strategic expertise with unmatched understanding of how to navigate potential brand partnerships, we can uncover new revenue opportunities for rights holders worldwide.”

     

    It may be recalled that WPP recently invested in Bruin Sports Capital and this move is part of the agency’s growing commitment to content.

     

    Bruin Sports Capital founder George Pyne said, “ESP Properties provides rights holders around the world with a very powerful combination of strategic services and sales expertise. The ability to access the group’s unmatched global resources and corporate client base will be very helpful as we create value for the relevant businesses Bruin operates. We also anticipate collaborating with ESP Properties to jointly deploy capital and create new businesses as opportunities arise.” 

  • Kyoorius unveils debut line up for Melt 2015

    Kyoorius unveils debut line up for Melt 2015

    MUMBAI: Kyoorius has unveiled the event line up its two day festival Melt 2015.

     

    Kyoorius founder and CEO Rajesh Kejriwal said, “With Melt 2015, we’re pioneering an exciting new model where our partners co-curate content with us. Together, we have created opportunities to learn and interact in myriad ways, always keeping our partners’ brand goals and vision in mind. Melt 2015 is a chance for them to showcase what they do best.”

     

    As the knowledge partner, GroupM will empower the event with international speakers, workshops and seminars. GroupM agencies will also showcase new technology in advertising at ‘FutureReady’ in the Hall of Knowledge. Participants of Melt can expect to see the Loop Room by Mindshare, Moribus- the Behavioral Economics Lab by Maxus, great global work by Mediacom and MECFresh by MEC Global.

     

    The festival has a packed schedule of events including conferences, seminars, workshops, showcases, exhibitions and installations catering to a variety of audiences and disciplines.

     

    On 21 May, the HT Osmosis Conference will offer insights into advertising as it exists today and a glimpse into what it could be in the future. Speakers include Chris Sanderson (Future Laboratory), Daniele Fiandaca (Creative Social), Bo Hellberg (Brave and HeyHuman) and Hugh Macleod (Gaping Void). It will be followed by a IAA debate where industry stalwarts will battle it out on whether mobile has taken over TV as the default screen for viewer. Other events for the day include a series of seminars with consumers titled Kinetic Future Citizens.

     

    Zee MindSpace on 22 May will host a stimulating conference for industry leaders to discuss, debate and reflect on issues and challenges facing the industry. Speakers include Sir Martin Sorrell (WPP), Tom Goodwin (Havas Media), Adam Ostrow (Mashable) and Joshua Black (GroupM).

     

    The second day also features THiNK BARC India, a seminar developed by Broadcast Audience Research Council of India that will have global industry leaders presenting key insights into measuring content consumption.

     

    Delegates can get a first hand experience of augmented reality with Happy Finish global chairman Stuart Waplington and go behind the lens with him to create stunning 360-degree visual experiences on screen. A host of augmented and virtual reality tools will also be on display at Nehru Centre during the festival.

     

    YouTube will take over the Hall of Vision at Nehru Centre with a series of presentations hosted by YouTube India’s Satya Raghavan along with a select group of YouTube creators, who will go in-depth into developing a successful YouTube strategy for brands and creators. The seminar also gives room for delegates to sign up for a one-on-one consultation with a YouTube expert on how to develop compelling online content.

     

    Other events and discussions include invite-only workshop for brand managers explores mobile-first branding.

     

    Madhouse India will host a Mobile Masterclass with marketing consultant Tomi Ahonen. Hands-on workshops on branding and idea generation by D&AD Trainers Bo Hellberg of Brave and HeyHuman, and Alex Lampe of A+B Studio will also be held.

     

    Hyper Island Master Class speaker Daniele Fiandaca will lead two workshops discussing the most disruptive trends in digital and the challenges that the changing nature of work holds for modern creatives

     

    The festival will also have The Other Bookstore display its extensive collection of design and advertising books and publications.

  • Five agencies to pitch for Dabur’s Rs 350-400 crore media AOR

    Five agencies to pitch for Dabur’s Rs 350-400 crore media AOR

    MUMBAI: As many as five top media agencies are gearing up to pitch for Dabur India’s beefy media account, which is pegged in the range of Rs 350-400 crore.

     

    According to highly placed industry sources, media giants like Dentsu, Starcom, Lodestar and Maxus are speculated to be a part of this multi-agency pitch.

     

    Top level executives from two agencies that are going to take part in the pitch, confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com.

     

    Dabur India is looking at consolidating its media duties under one agency. Currently, Maxus and Starcom Mediavest handle the brand’s media planning duties, whereas media buying is handled by Dabur’s in-house agency Adbur.

     

    The Rs 350-400 crore media business has opened up for a pitch across all categories of Dabur India and is expected to close in about a month or two.

  • FY-2015: Emami marketing spends up 41%, PAT up 21%

    FY-2015: Emami marketing spends up 41%, PAT up 21%

    BENGALURU: Emami Limited spent 41.3 per cent more towards its Advertisement and Sales Promotion (ASP) in FY-2015 (year ended 31 March, 2015, current year) at Rs 391.19 crore (17.7 per cent of Total Income from Operations or TIO) as compared to the Rs 277.41 crore (1.5 per cent of TIO) in the previous year.

    The company’s profit after tax (PAT) increased 20.6 per cent in the current year to Rs 485.45 crore (21.9 per cent of TIO) from Rs 402.27 crore (22.1 per cent of TIO) in FY-2014. Emami’s TIO in FY-2015 at Rs 2217.25 crore increased 2.18 per cent from the previous year’s TIO of Rs 1820.77 crore.

    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

    Among the brands in Emami’s portfolio are Zandu, Zandu Balm, Himani Navratna, BoroPlus, Fair and Handsome, Emami Vasocare, Emami Mentho Plus, Himani Fast Relief, Zandu Sona Chandi Chyawnprash Plus, Zandu Kesari Jivan, etc.

    Historically, Q3 (the festival season in India) of a financial year has been the best quarter for Emami in terms of TIO and PAT, which peak in Q3. The next best quarter has been the fourth quarter of a financial year before sales and profits dip to the lowest in a year in Q1 (the summer and the beginning of the educational holiday season in India) followed by a rise in Q2.

    Refer to Fig A below for ASP during the 16 quarter period starting Q1-2012 until the current quarter.ASP in Q4-2015 was 66.5 per cent more at Rs 82.47 crore (14.9 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 49.53 crore (11.1 per cent of TIO) spent in the corresponding year ago quarter but 30.8 per cent lower than the Rs 119.25 crore (17.2 per cent of TIO ) in the immediate trailing quarter.

    During the 16 quarter period under consideration in this report, Emami’s ASP was the highest in absolute rupees in the immediate trailing quarter (Q3-2105) at Rs 119.25 crore (17.2 per cent of TIO), while in terms of percentage of TIO, it was 21.3 per cent (Rs 102.84 crore) in Q1-2015. The lowest ASP by Emami in both in absolute rupees terms and as percentage of TIO was in Q4-2013 at Rs 36.6 crore and 9.2 per cent respectively during the period under consideration.

    In Fig A, the slope of the graph represented by the broken maroon line indicates that ASP in terms of percentage of TIO shows a slight increasing trend, and intercepts the Q4-2015 ordinate at 16.26 per cent, as opposed the 14.9 per cent actually spent by the company. The slope of the broken maroon line indicates that the ASP in terms of absolute rupees intercepts the Q4-2015 ordinate at Rs 94.3336 crore as compared to the Rs 82.47 crore actually spent by the company.

    As mentioned above, the company’s TIO is generally the highest in Q3 and lowest in Q1 of a financial year. In Q4S-2015, Emami reported TIO of RS 553.66 crore, which was 24.2 per cent higher y-o-y as compared to Rs 445.71 crore, but declined 20 per cent as compared to the Rs 692.26 crore in Q3-2015. Please refer to figure B below, in which the quarter on quarter percentage change of TIO is indicated by the red line with yellow markers.

    During the 16 quarter period under consideration, Emami TIO was highest in Q3-2015 at Rs 692.26 crore and lowest in Q1-2012 at Rs 299.91 crore. The black broken trend line shows that the company’s TIO is increasing linearly. The slope of the trend line intercepts the Q4-2015 ordinate at Rs 574.948 crore, indicating that the company’s performance at 553.36 crore was lower than that indicated by the trend line.

    The company’s PAT follows the same trend of being the highest in Q3 and the lowest in Q1 during the period under consideration in this report. PAT in Q4-2015 at Rs 138.33 crore (25 per cent of TIO) was 21.9 per cent more than the Rs 111.15 crore (24.9 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014, but declined 24.7 per cent from Rs 183.70 crore (26.5 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2015. Please refer to Fig C below.

    During the 16 quarter period under consideration, the highest PAT both in terms of absolute rupees as well as percentage of TIO was in the previous quarter at Rs 183.7 crore and 26.5 per cent respectively.The lowest PAT in terms of absolute rupees and percentage of TIO was in Q1-2012 at Rs 41.5 crore and 13.8 per cent respectively.

    The slope of the pink broken trend line indicates its intercept of Q4-2015 at 23.52 per centof TIO as compared to the actual 25 per cent of TIO achieved by Emami. The slope of the broken blue line shows its intercept with Q4-2015 atRs 134.6008 crore as compared to the Rs 138.33crore PAT actually achieved by the company. Both trend lines inclinedlinear increments. 

  • Unilever partner Big Sync Music opens Singapore office

    Unilever partner Big Sync Music opens Singapore office

    MUMBAI: On the eve of Asia’s premier music conference, Music Matters, which kicks off in Singapore this week, specialist music agency and global Unilever partner, Big Sync Music, has officially opened its new Asian regional office in Singapore.

     

    The company has appointed Angel Lee as country manager and Marine Cremer as music supervisor.

     

    Lee, who comes from the Singapore Economic Development Board, is now responsible for overseeing all of Big Sync’s work across Asia – supported by Cremer.

     

    Big Sync, with current offices in London and New York, works with brands and creative agencies on global and regional advertising campaigns. It recently announced a global partnership with Unilever, making Big Sync the single supplier for its music services across all 400 plus brands in all territories covering music strategy, licensing, creative music search and amplification.

     

    In her previous role, Lee was responsible for charting and driving growth in Singapore’s music and entertainment industry by successfully establishing music businesses in Singapore for Asia. In her new role at Big Sync, she will drive the company’s business development strategy in the region as well as work with creative agencies on advertising campaigns for some of Unilever’s biggest brands such as Cornetto, Ponds and Lux.

     

    Lee said, “It is a privilege to be joining a young, fast growing, creative and energetic company that is both passionate about music and highly strategic in branded partnerships. It is an exciting time to be joining the company as there is tremendous growth in viewing music as a key building block of brand owners’ content strategy across Asia. I’m looking forward to leading a dynamic team to help different clients across Asia find the best sonic strategies for their brands, the right music solutions for local campaigns and being able to tap into Big Sync’s huge global network of music providers to do that.”

     

    Lee has over ten years’ experience in strategy, marketing and management roles across a range of music companies including digital roles at Interscope Records in Santa Monica and Sony Music in Los Angeles.

     

    Cremer was in-house music supervisor and audio producer at DDB Paris for 12 years and a creative at JWT before that, working on global campaigns from VW and Audi to Neutrogena and Nike.

     

    Big Sync Music CEO Dominic Caisley said, “Angel and Marine form the ideal team to help build on our successful first 18 months in business. Their combined talents in the music and advertising industries and also their local knowledge enhance the overall Big Sync Music offering and with a team firmly on the ground in Singapore. We look forward to helping more brands with their music strategy and also building even better relationships with local music providers. I’m taking part in a panel discussion at Music Matters Live in Singapore on Wednesday 20 May discussing how music is licensed in advertisements and look forward to learning more about the music industry in this region.”

  • Pepsi ropes in Raghu & Rajiv for Crash the IPL TVC

    Pepsi ropes in Raghu & Rajiv for Crash the IPL TVC

    MUMBAI: Rajiv Laxman and Raghu Ram have garnered a cult following thanks to their histrionics on MTV Roadies. Now global cola giant Pepsi has roped in the terrible twins in a bid to stoke the voting instincts of online video guzzlers in India to help it decide which consumer generated commercials (as part of its Crash the IPL campaign) make the cut and make it on broadcast television. 

     

    The duo has produced a commercial under the umbrella of their production house Monozygotic. The TVC is slated to go on air in the next day or two (on MAX and SIX respectively), though it has already made its debut on YouTube. 

     

    Both Rajiv and Raghu have gained notoriety over the past decade as the very hostile audition hosts of MTV Roadies (which they quit late last year) who bludgeon contestants with their nastiness.  

     

    The Pepsi TVC begins with the producer of a show tearing his hair out about the low audience ratings it is garnering. His team informs him that the ratings have fallen because the brothers have been extremely kind towards the contestants appearing for the auditions. And a flashback follows. Almost every participant sails through the brothers with them telling each one “What the Stress Yaar?” 

     

    In the TVC, the producer then schemes with Rannvijay to help them get their trademark hostility back. He hides their Pepsi while they very sweetly select a contestant. When they discover their Pepsi is missing, they flip their lid and their nastiness erupts again to the delight of the producer and Rannvijay. The TVC ends with the tagline “It’s beeping awesome.”

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Laxman says, “When we got a call from Pepsi, we were overwhelmed and decided to be a part of the creative innovation. We decided to play around with our USP and come with something quirky and progressive and that’s how ‘What the stress’ came in.”

     

    Adds Raghu Ram, “We are very excited to partner with Pepsi on the Crash the Pepsi IPL since it is a first of its kind property that empowers viewers to become content creators on both the TV and digital screens.”

    The TVC, which was completely shot in Mumbai has been directed by Bollywood director E Niwas.  “It was made on an extremely shoestring budget as the major departments including the casts, cinematography, music were taken care of by friends who collaborated for free,” says Laxman. “Raghu and I have been in the creative space for more than 20 years and now we want to use our experience to provide creative solutions for brands, which will be interactive and modern and help them develop a strong youth connection. Creativity is evolving every day and as screens start to merge, brands will have to be more innovative and interactive. So I think creative innovations like Crash The IPL have  the potential to become a strong precedent,” he adds.

     

    Speaking about the launch of the new TVC, PepsiCo India Beverages senior director marketing – social Ruchita Jaitley says, “This ad film by Raghu and Rajiv definitely adds more spunk to the campaign and will mobilize consumers to go vote for their favourite ad. We are overwhelmed at the kind of response Crash the Pepsi IPL has seen so far. It has been amazing to see how consumers and fans have taken on the creative challenge and shown their love for the brand. This is an all-important phase for the campaign, as we now hand over the reins to the consumers. India will now decide the next winner of this campaign and we’re keen and excited to see how this will play out.”

  • Dentsu acquires 85% stake in UK’s John Brown Media

    Dentsu acquires 85% stake in UK’s John Brown Media

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired an 85 per cent stake in UK based branded content agency John Brown Media.

     

    As per the deal, Dentsu also has an option that would allow expansion to 100 per cent shareholding after 2018.

     

    Founded in 1987, John Brown Media started out as a publisher of consumer magazines and newsletters, and then evolved into a company that provides its portfolio of high-profile, multinational clients with a range of services such as print and digital publishing, content management, website strategy and film production.

     

    In addition to the U.K., John Brown Media has offices in South Africa, Hong Kong and Dubai, facilitating the expansion of innovative content marketing services on a global scale.

     

    The Dentsu Group has to date provided its clients with services in the digital performance domain through iProspect. The acquisition of John Brown Media will strengthen the cooperative relationship that the company already has with iProspect and other Group companies, and contribute to the maximization of client ROI through highly differentiated value-added solutions.

     

    John Brown Media reported annual revenue of GBP 1.67 million for the year ended March 2014. Established in 1987, the agency has 225 employees and is headed by Andrew Hirsch as CEO.

  • Maxus bags media planning mandate of Shopclues.com

    Maxus bags media planning mandate of Shopclues.com

    MUMBAI: Maxus has won the media planning duties for e-commerce venture Shopclues.com following a multi agency pitch.

     

    The Maxus Delhi team will be managing the account under the aegis of Maxus managing partner Navin Khemka. 

     

    Maxus South Asia managing director Kartik Sharma said, “It is indeed a prestigious win for us and we are thrilled to partner with the Shopclues team and to grow with them as their business scales newer heights. We are particularly excited to bring out the best business-oriented solutions for them.”

     

    Shopclues.com co-founder and chief business officer Radhika Aggarwal added, “We are on a very rapid growth orbit and after careful evaluation we decided Maxus will be an ideal partner for driving this growth engine. We are excited to have Maxus on board and confident that their innovative strategic and creative inputs will create the right buzz that we as a brand need today. We expect a lot of superlative work on our brand.”

  • Havas Media Group wins Integrated Media mandate for iOrderFresh

    Havas Media Group wins Integrated Media mandate for iOrderFresh

    MUMBAI: Havas Media Group has won the integrated media duties of iOrderFresh, a mobile-first commerce venture in the fresh perishable foods and groceries retail space. 

     

    The mandate includes integrated media buying and planning across traditional media and digital solutions for search, social and mobile. The account will be handled by Havas Media’s New Delhi office. 

     

    iOrderFresh, founder and CEO Nitin Sawhney said, “iOrderFresh has a simple promise to the consumer; fresh produce directly from the farm to your kitchen in a few hours. The business is built on the premise of freshness and convenience. It aims to create a whole new experience for shopping for food and groceries available at your doorstep by just downloading the app from any smartphone. Currently available in Delhi and Gurgaon, on both Android and iOS platforms, we are looking to consolidate our presence in the NCR region before expanding to other cities. Havas Media carved out a compelling mobile-first, integrated media strategy to get more people to download the app and also to scale the brand.”

     

    Havas Media Group India and South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar added, “Getting home delivered fresh fruits and veggies in our hurried lifestyle and traffic bound commute is a blessing. The Indian shopper’s attitude to online retail is very positive today so the perishable retail space is only set to grow. Havas Media with its digital strengths and integrated media offering is well geared to engage this shopper and add to the shopper basket.”

     

    Havas Media India managing director Mohit Joshi said, “It is a good win in a challenging category. We are happy that our rich experience in the dotcom domain is helping us get more clients in the category. We look forward to a great association with them.”