Coffee with Mainardo de Nardis, CEO, OMD Worldwide: Let’s talk the ‘new normal’
Global recession has played its part in changing many rules of the advertising business as we know it. However, now as many markets are seeing growth once again, a sense of the new normal is setting in. In a coffee conversation with exchange4media, OMD’s Global CEO Mainardo de Nardis explained that the ‘new normal’ was in the right direction.
Any conversation with Mainardo de Nardis, CEO, OMD Worldwide, always leaves one rethinking aspects of the business that one otherwise either didn’t think of, or took for granted. At least such have been the conversations with exchange4media, whether it was in Cannes or in his New York office. Meeting him in the Mumbai office of OMD was no different. Exuding the same energy he does every time, Mainardo spoke on some of the things in his India office that left him pleasantly surprised.
“Not many agencies, and I mean this worldwide, are very comfortable in challenging the client. Many still believe in ‘Yes Sir, will be done’ approach with the client. But the people I have met from the OMD India operations truly show the OMD spirit of question the client. We are here as clients partners, to dare norms and do something out of the ordinary. I was very pleased to see that in the team here,” he noted.
While this is the first time that Mainardo is in India in his OMD role, he has been a regular to this side of the world. This visit is after a gap of year and a half – “the longest that I have stayed away”, Mainardo remarked. He added, “I was also surprised with the level of sophistication in many aspects of our business, and the communication industry in general, which is at par with the best in the world. I have been saying this, and now I see this happening as well, we are in the space when ideas, tools and thought process from India would be exported to the rest of the world. Especially in domains like mobile. We are talking of 250 million smartphones in India in the near future – that is a big number. And the move from 2.5G to 3G is simply going to really change the market.”
But how does someone like him, as an outsider to the market, view current developments in India like the 2G scam? “Unfortunately reminds everyone that most of the world is the same. There are some problems you find here and some, somewhere else. But these things are not going to change the speed of the way things are moving in India. There are many very positive things happening here. These are incidents that are annoying and one may argue that they affect the credibility of the market, but they are forgotten soon enough because things are moving very quickly in this market. You feel more conscious since this happened in India. I would feel the same if something happened in Italy,” he commented.
Nothing can, however, dampen the digital vision that Mainardo has spoken of in earlier conferences this year – whether it was in China or at the exchange4media Conclave in Mumbai on June 11, 2010. “Digital is the electricity of media, we will soon stop talking about it as something separate or independent, because it would be everywhere. We are getting there very quickly,” Mainardo remarked.
An important point that came from this conversation was the sense of the new normal. Mainardo reflected that during the recession, there was an increased interest in efficiency, which was continuing even now. “But it is continuing in the right direction,” he said. Efficiency today is not just about the buying or discounts, which for Mainardo is obvious and a part of the due diligence that every client and every agency should go through. But today, there is a search for a better understanding of what media delivers.
He asked, “What is the role for owned media or paid media or earned media? How do they contribute to the positioning and awareness of the brand, but much more down the line to business KPIs (key performance indicators) like sales, conversions, new trials and so on? The industry, at least the intelligent part of the industry, is thinking on the lines of let’s create a new currency to evaluate the power of marketing programmes and its real effects on our business. When that it is done – and it can be done – it changes a lot of rules of the game.”
While Mainardo divulged that OMD was doing a lot of work with a number of its clients in that direction, including testing even with clients in India, he didn’t speak on which clients in particular. He said, “The testing tells you that we can do it, and once we have, it changes not just planning, when you can look at the whole conversations which are generated around the brand, but it also changes the rules in buying and it links our job much more to the final business performance of the client. This will eventually change the remuneration system, because if you know how much you are contributing to deliver, you can really incentivise business results.”
That attempt to establish a new currency that measures conversations is a result of the recession. Mainardo noted, “The recession took out focus on the short-term, and in the new normal, clients want the focus on efficiency to go in the long-term.”
Needless to say, he is very upbeat about the work that OMD has been doing on these lines.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
TOP STORIES
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.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
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.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
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.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
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."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
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."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp