‘Economic slowdown is only a temporary phenomenon’

MEC Access, which launched its India operations in April 2008, remains as upbeat and optimistic about the Indian market a year later, the economic slowdown notwithstanding. exchange4media caught up with Mike Jackson, MD - Asia Pacific, MEC Access, and Stephen Li, CEO South and Southeast Asia, Mediaedge:cia for an exclusive conversation.

e4m by Robin Thomas
Published: Mar 2, 2009 6:50 AM  | 3 min read
‘Economic slowdown is only a temporary phenomenon’

With media budgets in the US and Europe getting slashed, emerging markets like India and China, which are still growth markets, are attracting a lot of attention from international companies trying to reduce the negative impact of the global slowdown.

Nearly a year after its launch in India, MEC Access is looking at building up on last year’s growth. On his India plans, Mike Jackson, MD Asia Pacific, MEC Access, told exchange4media, “The area of sports and entertainment partnerships have grown significantly in India in the past 12 months and our aim is to capitalise and build on this in 2009. What has been fantastic from the regional perspective is that there is real desire for this type of engaging content solutions on how we as an agency integrate within a 360 communication plan, and we are going to build on the success of 2008.”

He further said, “The three different verticals under MEC Access – sports, partnership and entertainment – have seen growth over the last 12 months and we are anticipating further growth for 2009 as well. We have seen the growth globally in MEC Access – growth in North America, Europe, and we have launched MEC Access in five markets in the last 12 months in the Asia Pacific. In all markets, we are seeing a real uptake of how we integrate this type of content solution within communications.”

Commenting on the economic slowdown, Jackson said, “From the MEC Access point of view, now more than ever is the time to have a different type of relationship and different type of dialogue with the consumer, and those brands that do continue to spend and continue to evolve their communication in times of a downturn, do tend to emerge stronger eventually. This downturn is going to end. In India, the budgets are under threat and under challenge, but we see that as an opportunity and not a threat.”

According to Stephen Li, CEO South and Southeast Asia, Mediaedge:cia, “We take this area of entertainment, sports and partnerships very seriously. Our associations, our strategies and implementations are based on sound judgments and not on gut feel. We have invested significantly in the area of insights to guide our strategic directions that we give clients. So, our offer is not just based on coming out with creative ideas and in implementing them, but founded on some good strategies and some good consumer insights and good planning.”

When asked about the key trends in the Indian media industry to watch out for this year, Rajneesh Chaturvedi, National Director, MEC Access, observed, “One of the key trends is the role of content. You need to create more platforms and more revenues to connect with your audience, and the most important thing you have to work out is the Return on Investment (RoI).”

The launch of MEC Access and MEC Interaction (digital unit) in India is said to have boosted the MEC operations in many ways, with both not only offering from just a pure revenue perspective, but also as specialists in these areas that allow MEC a lot more confidence to speak to their clients.

Mediaedge:cia (MEC) claims to get consumers actively engaged with their clients’ brands, leading to relevant awareness, deeper relationships and stronger sales. The services include consumer insight and RoI, communications planning, media planning and buying, interaction (digital, direct, search), sponsorship consultancy and activation, branded content and entertainment marketing.

Also read:

Mediaedge:cia India launches MEC Interactions; MEC Access next on cards

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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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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

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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