"Beehive brings everything Publicis wanted in digital and new media"

On the back of Publicis Groupe's 7th acquisition 'Beehive', stakeholders Nakul Chopra, Sanjit Shastri, Bobby Pawar & Partha Sinha share their views on the deal & the value it brings to clients

e4m by Priyanka Mehra
Published: Oct 23, 2013 9:26 AM  | 4 min read
"Beehive brings everything Publicis wanted in digital and new media"

Publicis Groupe has been making waves for the last one year. The reasons may vary from global acquisitions to local hires, but the Groupe sure knows how to stay in the news; its latest reason being the acquisition of Beehive Communications, one of India’s foremost independent integrated communications agencies specialising in cutting-edge marketing and communications services for clients across South Asia. This marks Publicis Groupe’s seventh acquisition in the country since mid-2012.

The Groupe has been clearly working in a focussed manner to increase its profile and service offerings in India. Recent acquisitions include Indigo Consulting (April 2012), Resultrix (August 2012), MarketGate (December 2012), iStrat (December 2012), Convonix (March 2013) and Neev (April 2013). Following the acquisition of Beehive, the Groupe may bring all its digital strengths under one roof.

The talks of this acquisition were initiated last year. It is said to give a sectoral balance, bringing Publicis an exposure to tourism, retail and education-based clients. On the other hand, it Beehive benefits from the exposure to scale and talent Publicis Groupe brings on the table. 

In an exclusive chat, exchange4media talks to company stakeholders about the new acquisition, which is rebranded as Publicis Beehive, and what it means for clients…

Nakul Chopra, CEO, Publicis South Asia
Publicis Groupe has been a relatively late entrant, when compared to key competitors in this market. However, the last two-three years have been very remarkable for the Groupe.

Whether it is by way of acquisitions made at the group level, Publicis Groupe did have the mantle of being the challenger brand in India and we have more than lived up to this mantle. We have demonstrated that we are now a player of considerable weight in this market – be it creative agency, media or digital. Most people don’t know, but Beehive is not a small agency, it is fairly large.

On the speed of the series of hires and acquisition in the last one year…
When you want to reach out for bold objectives, you must get your foundation right in the first place. While this is the third acquisition we are announcing in a year, previously we have already consummated four. We had planned what are the blocks we need in place. The amount that we have been able to do in the last year is quite remarkable; Publicis Groupe has clearly focussed and readied itself for the digital world.
 
On more talent acquisitions…
I don’t have an imminent appointment to announce immediately; we will decide together how we want to take digital forward and maybe acquire some talent in that area.

Sanjit Shastri, Founder and CEO, Beehive
Partnering with a brand like Publicis Worldwide will help a lot of people who have worked hard to build Brand Beehive. It will give them a push to grow and drive their own individual careers going forward.

On Beehive’s growth…
We are growing pretty fast. In the last six months, we have shown about 16 per cent growth in revenues and slightly lower growth in operating income. I believe we will reach the strength of 180 people in 18 months. A lot of people will grow in digital and shopper marketing.

Five years from now…
Talent part of Beehive would be heading or be an integral part in the Publicis Worldwide scenario in the South Asia market.

Bobby Pawar, Director and Chief Creative Officer, Publicis South Asia
The acquisition ups our scale; we get to broaden our solutions. Skill-sets in digital, social and mobile powers our media executions. That’s a great value-add to for clients.

Beehive has built an agency with strong entrepreneurial skills. Additionally, they have some great clients. I am also looking forward to Partha and I helping them raise their game every which way possible.

Partha Sinha, Director and Chief Strategy Officer, Publicis South Asia
Increasingly, what we are finding is no client is looking for a uni-dimensional solution. Our first step was getting creative and planning working in a con-current manner, which is happening beautifully. Moreover, clients are asking us to deliver engagement – whether it is digital or media, we need to give full solutions. I can’t give half a solution and then stand up and walk out. If you see our acquisitions, they are quite strategic in nature. They fulfill the things we are not doing.

Beehive brings all we wanted on the table in terms of digital and new media. We didn’t want to be a boutique agency; we want to give a complete solution. To give such a solution, you need full capability. This acquisition is walking the talk.

 

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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

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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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'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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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 by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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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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