'A Bates Grey 141 makes sense'
Yet another rumour doing rounds in the Indian advertising fraternity is that WPP has decided to merge Bates 141 with Grey Worldwide. Some have even added Equus Red Cell to the mix. We are not saying it has happened already, but exchange4media has brought this rumour on the table. And a closer look shows that in the present scenario, the move may just benefit both companies, especially from a human resource point of view.

India is facing a serious talent crunch and it couldn’t be more obvious. Ogilvy & Mather still doesn’t have a CEO. TBWA\India is working hard on finalising an NCD or a CCO. Grey Worldwide doesn’t have an NCD. Amidst all this, there are newer players coming on the scene. One announcement waiting to happen any day now is that of Publicis-backed agency BBH India. BBH is very close to choosing its team and may, in fact, have it in place by the time this story is online, and that means some more senior hands exhausted.
If media reports are to be believed, team BBH India is going to gain from Bates 141 with Subhash Kamath, CEO, Bates 141, headed there. Priti Nair is said to be on her way to BBH as well. So, not only is Grey looking for an NCD, but Bates 141 would soon be looking for a CEO too. The two fortunately have their President and NCD in place at present.
Indian advertising fraternity is very quick in putting two and two together, and in this case, we are looking at a possible Bates Grey 141. Why is Grey in between? Well, Bates does have a reputation of being the lead name when it comes to mergers. Remember, Bates Enterprise (Bates merged with Enterprise Nexus in 2005), and then Bates David Enterprise (Bates Enterprise merged with Brand David in 2007).
We must add here that some of the industry old hands also added Equus Red Cell to the list. However, the quorum of people speculating on Bates 141 and Grey is higher than those speculating on all three.
When Grey Worldwide was contacted on the subject, Grey Worldwide officials stated that no such plans were on the anvil. All mails and calls on the issue to Sonal Dabral, Chairman, Bates 141 India, and Regional Creative Director, Bates 141 APAC, have gone answered.
One sensitive issue in any merger is the possibility of conflicting businesses. Some of the clients of Bates 141 include Radio City, Virgin Mobile, Tata AIG, Nokia, Muthoot Group, Axiom and Khadims, among others. Grey Worldwide’s kitty includes the likes of Deccan Cargo, Bindass, My FM, USL Wines, Fairever, Schwarzkopf and so on. This is not including the businesses where either Bates 141 or Grey Worldwide have been empanelled. Another indication on why the merger would not be such a bad idea.
Industry comments on the subject are interesting. A highly placed official of another WPP company said, “It makes sense to merge a company with another, hopefully a stronger one, if the revenues of the company are very low. In a sense that is what had happened with David.” Another official said, “I don’t think lack of people is ever a reason to merge. If Grey Worldwide or Bates 141 are not bringing the kind of revenues or don’t seem like places where people would want to work at senior posts, then that is another issue.” Yet another industry veteran emphatically stated, “A Bates 141 and Grey Worldwide merger would be the biggest blunder of Indian advertising history!”
Well, we would know soon enough.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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