Guest Column: Advertising in 2015: What would you rather be, a master or Jack? Amit Akali
Amit Akali, explains why the opportunity for the industry in 2015 lies in specialization

For years, we’ve credited mainline advertising with giving us an opportunity to be a part of absolutely any industry. It allowed some of us to work simultaneously on varied categories like financial, telecom and fashion. Mainline advertising has exposed me to so many different industries. Add to that the gift of the gab and today most of us from mainline can hold a conversation on almost any industry. We’re truly The Jack Of All Trades.
Master of a medium:
Over the years some of us decided to specialize in a medium or a craft. Example, some mainline practitioners moved into design, some focused on digital as a medium, others on outdoor. Slowly, these specialized agencies attracted the best of talent. This is reflected in the recent award results too. Geometry’s (WPP’s activation/retail arm - erstwhile Ogilvy Activation) Lifebuoy Roti Campaign and PHD’s Kaan Khajura Teshan have been big winners, the last couple of years. These were the people who decided to be Masters of a medium v/s being a Jack. But this is not the mastery that this article is going to focus on.
Mastering an industry:
This column focuses on specializing for a particular sector or industry. Anant Rangaswami touched upon this in his book - The Elephants In The Room, where he mentioned agencies like Beehive and Happy, which by default or intent are seen as experts and specialists in certain sectors like real estate (Beehive) and e-commerce (Happy). With effect, other clients in these sectors are comfortable working with them. Some of this I presume happens by default. Like I would imagine ANC gets a lot of enquiries from real estate clients, who appreciate what they’ve done for Lodha.
Last year Karan Rawat, launched AutumnWinter, an agency focused on the Fashion and Lifestyle industry. While Karan had over 18 years experience in mainline advertising, fashion is where his passion lay. Over the years he’d built a reputation as a fashion communication expert, attributed with building brands like Killer and Lawman. I spoke to Karan and he explained that the kind of services and expertise he delivers would be difficult for a mainline agency to provide. Example, he actually helps his clients with the product design, working 2 seasons in advance, helping design the fashion-line and then creating advertising for the same. Another agency which has built an expertise in fashion, lifestyle and retail is Makani Creatives – on most days, you’ll find its key number on over 50 per cent of the ads in Bombay Times, be it Metro Shoes, ID Eyewear, Killer, @home and Swiss Eagle. With a team of over hundred people their involvement too goes way beyond advertising to trend analysis, IP Development and visual merchandising.
Then there are sectors that demand mastery and specialisation like Pharma and Healthcare. These sectors have their own laws and requirements, which only a specialized agency can possibly cater to. For example, Medulla, a specialized Healthcare and Pharma Communication agency offers services like claim development, medical content, doctor education, field force training, other than the regular above and below the line communication and digital marketing . To cater to the same they’ve married medical expertise with strategy and creative, with their team made up of an eclectic mix of doctors, bloggers, medical counsellors, marketing experts, social media experts and of course creative people; art directors, copywriters, animators.
Mastery of communications skills:
Just a point of caution, industry expertise by itself is not enough to be a successful specialist advertising agency. You have to be a master at advertising and communication. Any amount of industry expertise can’t make up for the lack of a sound strategy and great creative execution. And none of these specialist agencies would have made it big with shabby creative.
The advantages of being a master:
Clients depend on you for services beyond communication. If you’re seen as an expert in the industry, your fame will spread by word of mouth. Most specialist agencies I spoke to claimed that they rarely pitched and if they did it was because the client approached them. Being a master at an industry, allows you to keep your costs low by building a network of suppliers, at the same time you can charge a premium for your expertise. Also, the fact that the agency might handle a competitive account doesn’t seem to bother most clients – they’re willing to substitute exclusivity with expertise.
The year of the master or the year of Jack?
I have a feeling, at a point where mainline agencies have saturated their growth options and clients are looking for more from their agency, the opportunity for all of us in 2015 (and beyond), lies in specialization.
The author has spent over 18 years in mainline advertising, last as National Creative Director of Grey India.
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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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Swapan 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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