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Category: Media Agencies

  • New business wins for Madison Bangalore

    New business wins for Madison Bangalore

    MUMBAI: Madison Media Omega, the Bengaluru office of Madison Media Group, has been on an account winning spree, having won key accounts including J G Hosiery, the makers of Amul innerwear, Metro Cash and Carry, Zivame, Ashirwad Pipes and Total Environment.

     

    All the accounts put together are estimated to spend about Rs 100 crore.

     

    The other accounts handled by Madison Media in Bangalore are Acer, TVS, Bharti Axa Life Insurance, Levis, Cafe Coffee Day and Enamor. Platinum Media handles ITC Foods through its Crest division.

     

    Commenting on this development, chief operating officer Dinesh Rathore said, “Over the last one year our endeavour has been to increase our client portfolio by providing sound strategic advice to our clients and being their trusted communication partners in building their brands and business in the country.”

     

    Madison Media Group had won a host of new businesses in 2014 including Lafarge Cement, Epic channel, Nirav Modi, Senco Gold, Wockhardt Hospitals, Cordlife, Lenskart, DHFL, Viber and the media mandate for BJP for the national elections and for Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and the current Delhi election.

     

    Madison Media Group is India’s foremost media agency handling media planning and buying for blue chip clients including Airtel, Godrej, Mondelez (formerly Cadbury), ITC, Marico, McDonald’s, TVS, Raymond, Piramal Healthcare, Levis, SpiceJet, Domino’s, Bharti AXA, Max Life Insurance, Asian Paints, Pidilite, Tata Salt, Acer, Times Television Network, Indian Oil, Enamor Lingerie, Gowardhan Dairy, HomeShop 18, Café Coffee Day and many others.  The gross billing of Madison Media Group is about Rs 3000 crore.

  • Carat ranked No 1 agency in the 2014 India Business League: R3

    Carat ranked No 1 agency in the 2014 India Business League: R3

    MUMBAI: Carat has been named the number one media agency in India in the 2014 New Business League table, published by R3. Conducted across 14 of the Asia Pacific’s leading media agencies, the New Business League is a market-wise monthly tally of the agencies’ new business acquisitions. In India, the tally was conducted across 17 of the region’s leading media agencies.

    For the record, R3 is a global marketing consultancy, focused on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of marketers and their agencies. Founded in 1972 in the US, and 2002 beyond the US, it works with eight of the world’s top 20 global marketers. Herein, R3’s methodology for New Business League is a compilation of the most recent data supplied by 26 multinational agencies on a monthly basis. The report is balanced against client estimates, Nielsen ADEX (advertising expenditure), discounted to appropriate levels and then converted to revenue estimates.

    Commenting on the announcement, Dentsu Aegis Network south Asia CEO and chairman Ashish Bhasin said, “This is a very proud moment. Carat has been steadily gaining scale in India and I congratulate Kartik and his team for this achievement. New business is the best indicator of the health and vitality of an agency, and this should give us encouragement that Carat is in a good place across the region.”

    Added Carat Media India MD Kartik Iyer, “2014 has been a watershed year for Carat in India. Thanks to the great work by the teams and huge support from our network, we have won quite a few very large and important businesses. With a healthy mix of Local and Global pitches, the wins are a result of some great strategic work by the team and outstanding support from our network. We are absolutely delighted by the response received from our clients on the innovative solutions and strategic thinking we presented to them. We look forward to continuing in the winning ways and a great year ahead.” In India, Carat has added some of the largest accounts of 2014 including General Motors, Microsoft, Nokia, British Airways, Mastercard and Ayurwin to name a few.”

    And it’s not just India where Carat has managed to grab the number one spot in the 2014 New Business League table but has also been named as the number one media agency across the Asia Pacific region. Apart from India, the agency has been adjudged as the number one media agency in Thailand, Korea, Japan, Hong-Kong and Australia.

    Carat, the world’s largest independent media communications specialist, is part of the global operating unit – The Dentsu Aegis Network, which also includes Vizeum, Posterscope, Brandscope, Hyperspace, psLive, PSI, Isobar and iProspect Communicate 2. The network also encapsulates Dentsu and Dentsu Media along with the local brands Webchutney, TaprootIndia and Milestone Brandcom.

    Click here for the entire ranking

  • “Emerging categories are looking at digital as it is cost effective to reach the TG”: CVL

    “Emerging categories are looking at digital as it is cost effective to reach the TG”: CVL

    One of the most awaited report, which brings out the trends of advertising spends for the calendar year, was released by media agency GroupM on 2 February. Called ‘This Year, Next Year,’ the report highlights a marginal increase in the AdEx: from 12.5 per cent in 2014 to 12.6 per cent in 2015.

     

    Inaugurating the report, GroupM south Asia CEO CVL Srinivas said, “With achhe din at the centre, we are hoping that things will only go upwards from here.”

     

    The media agency has forecasted the nation’s advertising investment to reach an estimated Rs 48,977 crore in 2015. Digital, as per the report, will show maximum growth with 37 per cent in 2015, which had been growing at an average rate of 35 per cent over the last two years.

     

    With the whole industry looking very positive, Indiantelevision.com’s Seema Singh and Meghna Sharma caught up with Srinivas to get a few insights on the released report and the way forward.

     

    Excerpts:

     

     

    What is the highlight of ‘This Year Next Year’ findings?

     

    We have just released GroupM’s ‘This Year Next Year’ ad spent forecasting and GroupM is forecasting ad spent growth of 12.6 per cent this calendar year, which is January to December as compared to the previous year. We are in the same level as we were last year, which we estimated to grow at 12.5 per cent.

     

     

    General elections helped increase the ad spent last calendar year. Wouldn’t World Cup 2015, Indian Premiere League and Delhi elections help boost AdEx?

     

    To an extent, the World Cup 2015 and the other opportunities offset the fact that we don’t have the general elections this year. Because last year, minus the general elections, the total AdEx grew at over 10 per cent. So on a like-to-like basis, if we remove the general elections, then the AdEx is growing from 10 odd per cent to 12.6 per cent, and this is definitely a growth with the rest of the industry. But if you bring the general elections into play, looks like we are in the same zone.

     

    We see this year, once again, to be strong for e-commerce. While the base is still small, we expect them to increase their ad spent anywhere upwards of 50 per cent. We also see a good year for segments like auto and BFSI. Not only this, FMCG which is a very big contributor to the AdEx, while will be a bit under pressure, is expected to be steady on their ad spent.

     

     

    The report also highlights the growth of digital. How do you see Star India’s Video on Demand (VoD) platform hotStar and MSM’s Sony LIV adding to the medium?

     

    Digital has been growing, in fact by about 35 to 40 odd per cent year on year for the last many years and we forecast the ad spent growth by about 37 per cent for the current year and I think the reasons for that would be:

     

    1) Lot more penetration of smartphones and we are seeing better infrastructure and hopefully we will see better bandwidth in months and years to come, and therefore using smartphones to connect with consumers with lesser wastage is a trend that will only catch on from here.

     

    2) The other contributor to the digital ad spent will be digital video. The fact that as Indians we love consuming video on content and we are one of the highest consumers of video online, plus there are a lot of platforms opening up for video consumption, large broadcasters are launching their own platforms to disseminate content and hence more opportunities for advertisers on digital media.

     

    3) A lot of emerging categories are looking at digital, because it is very cost effective for them to reach out to the target audience.

     

    So all said and done, digital will see a strong growth.

     

    What about broadcasters who are launching new channels?

     

    TV, despite having a high base already and contributing to 44 per cent of the total AdEx, according to our estimate, will continue to grow at healthy double digits. Also this year, we have opportunities like the World Cup and various programming initiatives being taken by channels. We also have some increase in the supply that is available across newer channels. So overall, we see the medium to grow this year as well.

     

    The report shows a drop in OOH. What’s the reason for that?

     

    We have estimated that OOH will grow by four per cent this calendar year. I think these are estimates of what each medium will do. But the bigger story is that there is huge opportunity to grow across media.

     

    We are still a nation, which is under branded and we are still scratching the surface when it comes to smaller towns, geographies, which are regional and we need to get more and more of those brands and clients to advertise. I think, the more we do that, the more we can open up revenue opportunity for media players in this industry.

     

    The sky is the limit for all media – be it radio, OOH or print and hopefully 2016-2017 onwards, one would see the industry moving at higher growth rate when consumer sentiment improves and one actually sees off takes going up on the ground.

     

    You have also stressed on native advertising being the trend to watch out for. How can one implement this?

     

    It is one of the formats of advertising, which is gaining in popularity because of more consumption of content of digital media of smaller screens. So you cannot always use the same content or format of advertising for different screens and different modes of consumption. On smaller screens content is consumed on the go and is quick and easy. The consumption is very different and so there needs to be a different style of advertising.

     

    Native advertising has been born out of this change in consumption habits. It is one form of advertising and will not override all the other forms of advertising because you will still need the traditional storytelling and brand advertising, but it’s definitely a format which is here to stay and provides opportunities to brands to communicate and connect with its consumers.

     

    Last year, GroupM revised its report. Will you do that even this year? If yes, will it be upwards or downwards? Do you think ‘Achhe Din Aa Gaye Hai?’

     

    The way we do the study is that we put out the number at the start of the year basis all the analysis that we do through our intelligence and analytics team. We get a chance to review our numbers in the middle of the year, because by then we can get real data and numbers. So we are able to go back and test our hypothesis and take a call if we have to revise our numbers.

     

    Currently, it is very difficult to say if we will revise our numbers and if so, upwards or downwards, because it will all depend on the performance of the first five-six months. But if at all, we will need to revise the numbers, we will do it in July and not wait for the end of the year.

  • Indian AdEx to increase by 12.6 per cent in 2015: GroupM

    Indian AdEx to increase by 12.6 per cent in 2015: GroupM

    MUMBAI: India’s advertising investment is expected to reach an estimated Rs 48,977 crores in 2015, up 12.6 per cent from last year. This was revealed in GroupM’s biannual advertising expenditure futures report titled This Year Next Year (TYNY).

     

    As per GroupM, for the calendar year 2014, the ad spending stood at Rs 43,490 crores, which was an increase by 12.5 per cent over 2013. This growth was attributed to the heavy ad spending due to the General and State Elections and industry categories like e-commerce and Telecom. The FMCG sector, which contributes to nearly a third of the AdEx, had a steady year, growing broadly in line with the industry average.

     

    Last year began with uncertainties on the political and economic front. Once a stable government came to power the mood changed to one of cautious optimism.

     

    GroupM South Asia CEO CVL Srinivas said, “With a new Government coming to power the negative sentiment has lifted but there is still some bit of caution amongst advertisers. We continue to operate in the same zone as last year at an overall level. Digital, TV and cinema are expected to be the high growth media channels. We are seeing a lot more confidence amongst local businesses to invest in brand building than before. This is a positive sign for the industry. Penetration of smartphones coupled with the popularity of online video is making FMCG spend more on digital. Another trend is the emergence of categories like e-commerce and the increased competition in telecom both of which are aiding the growth of traditional media channels including print and TV apart from digital.”

     

    As per the report, e-commerce is expected to lead the charge in 2015 in terms of ad spend growth although from a relatively smaller base than more established categories. There is increased competition in this sector and no dearth of funding. The FMCG, auto and telecom sectors are expected to do better than the previous year. More multinational entrants under single brand retail are likely to add to ADEX spending in the retail category.

     

    The report added that the recent rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will stimulate the banking sector, reactions of which are evident on a buoyant stock market. This year will possibly see a number of IPOs as there is a sense of stability in policy and investors are willing to take more risks. The market will also see higher spends from the Central Government as they showcase their new initiatives.

     

    As per GroupM’s research of the Indian media industry, digital media continues to show the maximum growth with 37 per cent in 2015. Digital has been growing at an average rate of 35 per cent over the last two of years. Within digital media, video, mobile and social will be the biggest growth drivers this year.

     

    Television shows a higher growth percentage in 2015 compared to last year with 16 per cent. TV channels will especially be bullish with cross media integration via their own digital platforms. The big ticket event this year is the ICC Cricket World Cup in February and March, with scope for programming and advertising innovation during the tournament.

     

    Even with pressures on advertising revenues, the print medium shows an increase by 5.2 per cent as against the 2014 estimate of 7.6 per cent; however print magazines continue to be on the decline, as several are looking at digital delivery mechanisms.

     

    The surprise element in the media mix has been cinema advertising, which finally closed 2014 with a 25 per cent increase. This year too, GroupM estimates this media category to grow at 20 per cent, as multiplex chains consolidate, leading to a more organised and accountable environment. With technology fuelling exhibition and distribution, especially in smaller towns, consumers will get a better viewing experience.

     

    GroupM South Asia managing partner – Central Trading Group and Mindshare South Asia CEO designate Prasanth Kumar added, “Over the last few years, Indian media has been in a state of change. The next three to five years will be about embracing technology, which will allow both advertisers and media owners to customise distribution to a premium niche audience with very nominal margin of error. In 2015, programmatic buying will see an impetus, as all media in the future will see automation, backed by smart data and analytics.”

  • ZenithOptimedia bags media duties of Junglee Games

    ZenithOptimedia bags media duties of Junglee Games

    MUMBAI: ZenithOptimedia has bagged the media duties for Junglee Games in a multi-agency pitch.

     

    The mandate covers all aspects of the brand’s media planning, advisory and buying across print, TV, digital and outdoor.

     

    ZenithOptimedia managing director Hari Krishnan said, “This is a significant win for ZO with the tech and mobile sector gaining momentum in the overall advertising space. It is indeed a matter of pride for us to be partnering with Junglee Games.”

     

    Junglee Games chief marketing officer Satya Mahapatra added, “We are glad to partner with ZenithOptimedia who have demonstrated excellent understanding of the Internet and mobile audiences. I am sure this will go long-way in the success of our brands.”

     

    Junglee Games’ new multimedia campaign will break this month.

  • McCann WorldGroup tops The Gunn report from India

    McCann WorldGroup tops The Gunn report from India

    MUMBAI: McCann WorldGroup (Mumbai) tops the agency list for 2014 with 13 awards as per The Gunn Report, which is a global round-up of the creative performance of the advertising industry.

     

    JWT India (Mumbai) comes in second with eight awards while Ogilvy & Mather (Mumbai) and Taproot India (Mumbai) tie for the third spot with five awards each.

     

    The fifth spot sees a tie between Grey WW (Mumbai) and Happy Creative Services (Bengaluru) with three awards each.

     

    On the global front, USA retains its top spot. UK follows in second, with Brazil at number three.

     

    The Gunn Report is compiled on the basis of awards won in that year. The report looks at the overall performance in the year January to December and is based on the results of 45 global, regional and national creative award contests.

  • JWT consolidates its 11 digital agencies under Mirum

    JWT consolidates its 11 digital agencies under Mirum

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson Company has consolidated its digital agencies under a new global network brand called Mirum.

     

    Mirum will unite JWT’s 11 digital agencies spanning 17 countries and 40 offices. Former Digitaria CEO Dan Khabie will take the helm as Mirum Global and North America CEO. In this role, Khabie will have oversight of Mirum’s overall growth strategy, including P&L responsibility, managing key client relationships and aligning resources to service clients globally. He will report to J. Walter Thompson Company global CEO Gustavo Martinez, and be based between the West Coast and the East Coast.

     

    Mirum is a new company created with a pioneering spirit, built by bringing together successful regional companies that have a deep understanding of local market needs. Mirum’s principles are rooted in innovation, design, data, marketing and technology to drive business transformation in a world of constantly evolving behaviors and expectations.

     

    Mirum companies include Digitaria (U.S.), XM (Asia Pacific), CASA (Brazil), ActivearkJWT (Finland, Sweden, India and U.K.) and Twist Image (Canada). Lunchbox (U.S.), i-Cherry (Brazil), HeathWallace (U.K.), Quirk (South Africa and U.K.), Clarus (Mexico) and X-Prime (France) will also join Mirum.

     

    “The launch of Mirum is an integral part of our strategy to continue building on J. Walter Thompson Company’s many assets and capabilities in order to drive business transformation,” said Martinez. “Mirum is poised to deliver both the technology and creative solutions that global brands demand.”

     

    “Dan’s natural entrepreneurial instincts and passion will foster Mirum’s startup mentality as he drives growth forward across our global network,” said J. Walter Thompson head of digital worldwide and Mirum chairman Stefano Zunino.

     

    Mirum’s capabilities are organized around strategy & consulting services, creative & content, user experience & platforms, analytics & insight and product development & mobile. Additionally, Mirum has deep vertical service offerings in Digital Retail, Behavioral Media and Financial Services.

     

    Current clients include CBRE, Cyrela, Daum Kakao, Finnair, HSBC, Magazine Luiza, Mazda, Microsoft, Nokia, Petco, Singapore Tourism Board, TD Bank, Walmart and XL, among others.

     

    “I am extremely honored to have been given this exciting yet humbling role in leading some of the most talented thinkers and makers in the world,” said Khabie. “Over the last year we have worked hard as a leadership team to integrate all of these agencies together under one common vision and operational structure while keeping the entrepreneurial spirit in each region. We have become a borderless agency with a collaborative, passionate culture, and it has already led us to win global clients that will be announced on a later date.”

     

    Daiga Atvara will be chief design officer; Matt Webb, chief technology officer; Dave Wallace, chief operations officer; Nick Read, chief financial officer; Sarah Kotlova, global head of agency services; and John Baker, chief marketing officer. Khabie plans on naming a chief creative officer, chief strategy officer and global head of data & analytics over the next six months.

     

    Khabie has also named his global leadership team, which includes Robin Bade and Markus Hakala, Europe; Rob Stokes, MEA; Guilherme Gomide, LATAM; Nanda Ivens, APAC; Mark Goodman, NA; Alex Kavinski, Behavioral Media; and Kevin Weisberg, Digital Retail Marketing.

  • Dentsu Aegis Network acquires majority stake in WATConsult

    Dentsu Aegis Network acquires majority stake in WATConsult

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network today announced the acquisition of WATConsult, one of India’s leading social and digital media agencies, with over 160 professionals in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. WATConsult will become part of  Isobar, Dentsu Aegis Network’s global digital marketing agency and will be referred to as “WATConsult – Linked by Isobar”.
     

    Founded in 2007, WATConsult has rapidly grown to become one of India’s most awarded social media agencies, with more than 48 awards received in 2014 alone.
     
    WATConsult’s growth has been led by CEO, Rajiv Dingra, a digital entrepreneur and recognised thought leader in social media.
    Having evolved from being a social media agency to a full service digital agency, WATConsult also provides its client base with creative and technology services across mobile, digital and video. Other specialist areas include an in-house analytics capability with dashboards and tools for social and digital media. Clients include the Godrej Group, Nikon, Tata Chemicals, Bestseller Group, Bajaj Allianz and more than 70 other national and global brands.

    Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific CEO Nick Waters said, “The acquisition of WATConsult marks another significant step for our group in India.  This is a high quality award winning market leader specialising in one of the fastest growing and critical segments of the market.  Alongside Isobar, iProspect, and WebChutney we have created the largest and highest quality digital services capability in India.  We view India as a priority market and will continue to seek scaled and quality investment opportunities here.”

    Dentsu Aegis Network chairman and CEO south Asia Ashish Bhasin added, “Having WATConsult, a leader in social media, as a member of our family will further enhance our digital offering to our clients and support our growth in the market. WATConsult, will join iProspect, Isobar and Webchutney in making our digital offering the most comprehensive in India.”

     
    WATConsult CEO Rajiv Dingra said, “We are delighted to join hands with Dentsu Aegis Network, and our entire team are looking forward to taking WATConsult – Linked by Isobar to even greater heights. We are confident that by becoming a part of a digital focused network like Dentsu Aegis Network we will gain a competitive advantage in the fast consolidating Indian market. As an agency we see huge growth opportunity in digital advertising, particularly social media, digital video and mobile, and we are geared to capitalising on it.”
    Dingra will continue as CEO of WATConsult – Linked by Isobar, reporting to Bhasin. His key management team, including WATConsult COO Nipun Kapur and CFO Heeru Dingra, will also continue in their respective roles. Dingra will also join the Digital Council of Dentsu Aegis Network India, alongside the CEO’s of Isobar, iProspect and WebChutney. Digital specialists at Dentsu Aegis Network in India will now exceed 600 professionals, making it the only network in India offering end-to end comprehensive digital services in this scale.
  • Lowe Lintas + Partners named Ad Age’s 2015 International Agency of the Year

    Lowe Lintas + Partners named Ad Age’s 2015 International Agency of the Year

    MUMBAI: The year 2015 started off with a bang for Lowe Lintas + Partners as it has been declared by Ad Age as Runner Up “2015 International agency of the Year.”

     

     On a roll since January 2014, when it was declared the ‘Effie Agency of the Year,’ the agency followed it up right through the entire year with impressive performances at APAC Effies, Tambuli Awards, Cannes Lions, AME, Jay Chiat, WARC, Campaign APAC and many more.

     

     The Ad Age International Agency of the Year award is one-of-a-kind that honours the best agencies of the year across the world, regardless of discipline or specialty. With a host of achievements that need to be factored in including business, creative product, in market performance, industry recognition, talent management, culture etc, it’s one of the toughest juries to please.

     

     Lowe and Partners Worldwide global CEO Michael Wall said, “Our Indian agency certainly merits this recognition. Their work is brilliant. They are one of the most effective agencies for their clients on a global scale. They are a really high caliber team. And they deliver in one of the most complex and competitive markets in the world. It is a special group and it is always a pleasure to spend time working with them.”

     

     Lowe Lintas + Partners CEO Joseph George added, “Very rarely does it happen in the life of an agency when so much of its work gets noticed and talked about across the globe in the same year. And add to that, the number of effectiveness awards it won across the world. Considering that we were tested on a spectrum of barometers from product to business to talent to culture, this recognition by Ad Age is truly special and spurring at once.”

     

     After a superlative performance at the just concluded India Effies, wherein Lowe Lintas + Partners won more Golds than all the other agencies put together, the agency’s good streak seems to continue.