Guest Column: Protecting the most valuable assets
Take initiatives to make work rewarding for employees, improve work-life balance & increase productivity, says Ambika Sharma, Pulp Strategy

“We are an agency”. How many times have I heard this uttered in the early stages of my career and like clockwork have repeated it in the later stages? What does that mean? In simple terms, it means constant pressure and high stress work life. Since the crunch in 2008, agency employees are expected to work harder, smarter and have longer work hours. This has only increased over the years as pressure to deliver and competition shoots through the roof.
I don't think media and communication organisations are under a greater stress as compared to, let’s say, banking or FMCG. It’s a part of modern living which has equal impact across sectors but the free work culture in agencies has felt some strain with the shift in economic trends. While the dynamics of the agency economics are not changing any time soon, there are methods and initiatives that can make work more rewarding, improve work life balance, increase productivity and significantly increase talent retention. This change needs to be a part of the culture in the organisation. Young agencies in particular need to imbibe this culture early on and make it rewarding in order to attract and retain talent.
Young agencies have more to offer for fast tracking individual growth; greater and more frequent opportunities in the workspace come as part of the package. This makes such agencies in the media space appealing to budding talent. On the other hand, the same organisations, when they put employee benefits and assessment on the back burner, lose their luster quickly. Working with a media agency cannot be any lighter on the benefits plan than that of any other industry, and for a young organisation, it should be tilting this balance in its favour.
Agencies at par with their corporate counterparts need to (a few of the large ones already do) provide a strong employee health benefits plan that covers employees and families, insurance cover and other benefits. We are a high stress industry and an additional two weeks paid recreational leave every year goes a long way (when we introduced this, it received an over whelming welcome). Media organisations also need to be aware towards socio cultural changes. For example, closer home we see that our policy of providing safe company transport home after dark to our women employees holds big value.
All employee benefits need not be tangible; in fact it’s the intangible benefits that are most attractive when they mean larger, transparent opportunities for employees. This is where young organisations can gain most ground. In large organisations, the freedom to act takes back stage, making the atmosphere stifling for talented individuals who want to spread their wings. The attraction of a young agency is that it will by default encourage freedom of action. Success depends on innovation, doing all it can to ensure that enterprising people have the freedom to act. At the same time, empower them to make tough decisions, implement new ideas and use their initiative.
Young companies have an advantage of more flexibility, more job diversity and the possibility of high growth. Organisations that have a strong and rewarding compensation structure show they value performance as well as initiative by individual team members. This makes such them attractive for talent. We see that efforts towards opportunity management, mentoring, training and the other initiatives have strengthened and empowered the team and more importantly, led to enhanced organisational productivity.
Media agencies like all industries compete for talent on a common platform. The boundaries that existed a decade ago and saw negligible cross industry movement no longer exist. To attract talent and to build a high-energy workforce, the tools of training, empowerment benefits and reward in the workspace need to be at par with global best practices.
The author is MD and CEO, Pulp Strategy Communications
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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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