Ad agencies: Image makers or brand sustainers?
Nothing much has changed in the last 15 years or so regarding what a client expects from an advertising agency. What has changed, however, is the way agencies have evolved themselves to ensure that the right things are done to support the client’s business.
Nothing much has changed in the last 15 years or so regarding what a client expects from an advertising agency. What has changed, however, is the way agencies have evolved themselves to ensure that the right things are done to support the client’s business.
The continuous extension of the role of communication into wider roles encompassing public relations (PR), direct marketing, promotions, events etc., have only gone on to prove what agencies have done over the last decade to address the brands’ macro and micro needs effectively.
The smart ones have branded these offerings calling them Orchestration, 360 degrees, integrated marketing, etc., but all offer the same old propositions in a new bottle, with varied hues. What has become apparent is the need to ascertain what is right for a brand in a given situation, rather than fit a solution into an undefined or a sketchy problem.
The ever-increasing competition in the marketplace, changing consumer preferences and benchmarks, evolving needs and desires, and closer interaction with the world outside has placed a renewed set of consumers in the marketers’ hands. Every learning, presumably every insight, gets questioned, every action relooked and every task redefined. The small luxury of using an altered adage ‘Mistakes can be stepping stones to success’ is completely eliminated.
In such a tough, dynamic marketplace, who is indeed responsible for a brand’s bloodline? Building its rich ancestry and improving its breed for a healthy progeny? Who takes the onus? Who takes the ownership of the brand? Clients define a marketing task and expect the agency to have the most potent creative solution. It could be a promotion campaign, a small or large scale event/s, a simple press advertisement or an endearing television commercial, to entice the consumer to think of his brand constantly.
Herein is the biggest trap a client and agency walk into. Both sides are looking at generating additional revenues for their business — the client to increase his sales and the agency to increase its revenue. This premise has not changed a bit till date.
The point that needs to be driven home is, who takes care of the real need of the brand? Is it an unwritten rule that the agency automatically becomes the brand custodian? Or, does it rest with the company whose entire personnel and manufacturing capacity has given a brand its tangible face? Or is it the prerogative of the nouveau silos of consultancy houses who attempt to be the company’s conscience-keepers?
Why is this question arising today? Does it explain why there are just a handful of brands that have lasted over 100 years? Everyone is into maximising the present — and there goes the long-term vision for the brand.
Brand ownership has been debated quite a bit in the recent years. The conflict between who is responsible for a brand’s long-term health and who is responsible for its growth is a never-ending battle in corporate board rooms. Cases abound from corporates like Coca-Cola to newer entities like GAP.
There isn’t a clearly defined model for the role of a brand owner. This is because the power centre rests with whosoever controls the stakes of an organisation. In an entrepreneur-driven organisation, it’s clearly with the owner. In a trading corporation, it shakes hands with many in the marketing team, the sales team or the finance team, depending on who is a majority power in the board.
However, it would be interesting to ask, can there be a neutral arbitrator who is purely interested in the existence and the growth of a brand, despite changing ownership and corporate structures? One who is purely driven by protecting brand health and growth? More than anything else, staying with the brand with its ups and downs. One who has struck the perfect balance to ensure delivery of the corporate shareholder value and also ensure longevity of a brand till eternity. Could that be an advertising agency? Does an agency have in it the soul and courage to be the real brand owner, to help sustain the long-term value for a brand? Can an advertising agency take on the role of being perceived as not just an image-maker, but a brand sustainer?
In the midst of these myriad silos of experts, it is time to revisit the very building blocks of advertising agencies, which have always been considered brand owners.
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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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ShareSwapan 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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