Advertising in India: Exclusivity breeds confidence
Brand historians always argue that agencies have enjoyed more stable relationships with clients by accepting the condition of exclusivity. Though maintaining exclusivity is a must-do in India, there are instances across the globe where agencies safely juggle conflicting brands. Experts, however, differ in their views.
A conventional argument of brand historians is that agencies have enjoyed more stable relationships with clients by accepting the condition of exclusivity. The flip side to this argument would be that there are clients at an international level who have softened their stance and either hired agencies that they would not have previously considered (due to conflicting interests) or have consented to their agencies working in some capacity for competitors.
In this era of transparency at all costs, there is nothing that can be considered ‘well insulated’ or ‘watertight.’ Then, does the condition of exclusivity make much sense? Why should agencies not be allowed to juggle conflicting accounts?
Says Pratap Suthan, National Creative Director, Grey Worldwide, “In countries like Japan, there is no such exclusivity pact, agencies are allowed to handle different brands within the same category and consequently, they wind up with sufficient expertise in that arena. As it is, there is a lot of buzz that goes on within the brand arena, and an insulated existence is literally an impossible task. There is also something known as corporate intelligence, through which brands are aware of each other’s strategy. As long as there are independent teams within an agency to deal with conflicting accounts, and a system of ethics inherent in the organisation, I see no harm in agencies juggling conflicting accounts.”
Suthan adds, “If the argument is really on the basis of brand warfare, I guess it doesn’t make sense to put globally competitive and at each other’s throat kind of brands (for instance Pepsi and Coke, HLL and P&G) in the same stable. But for brands that are not as aggressive, or huge, I see no harm in it – at least as long as there is a code of ethics involved in the whole thing.”
However, Prahlad Kakkar, filmmaker, Genesis, doesn’t quite agree. Kakker asserts, “A client-agency relationship is like a marriage. Why isn’t courtship with a third person permitted after marriage? Exclusivity and complete trust play a pivotal role. If agencies were to juggle conflicting accounts, it would only lead to a betrayal of sorts and a leak of vital information. Plus, it could also lead of repetition or duplication of ideas. For an agency to handle conflicting accounts, it could mean a 100% breakdown in partnership and trust.”
Then what is Kakkar‘s take on independent units set in different premises or sister concerns? “As long as they are not in the same premises or in close proximity to each other, I think it’s quite all right. Well insulated units or independent entities are justified in the arena of conflicting businesses,” he argues.
Ravi Deshpande, Head, Lemon Communications, prefers to call it a gray area. “I suppose that there are agencies abroad that have been known to handle conflicting businesses, like in Japan, for instance. If all information is kept watertight, different teams that work on brands exist as well-insulated units, preferably not in the same premises, and a stringent code of ethics and discipline prevails, I see no harm in it. But the fact of the matter is that if an agency is handling competing brands, its integrity would be questioned by one brand or the other at some point. With an increase in privatisation and free play of market forces, companies are getting increasingly wary of each other and therefore would not really allow their agencies to handle the competitor’s turf.”
At a global level, consultants like McKinsey have been known to handle conflicting clients all the time. They create groups that handle clients in the same space, and yet are trusted to keep things confidential. Why cannot the same logic be applied to Indian advertising as well?
The debate, however, persists.
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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
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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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