Guest Column: Why should brands always look for hybrid agencies for Digital Advertising? – Rajiv Dingra
I truly believe the future of advertising is digital and within digital, it is integrated thinking. Compartmentalization of social, media, creative, data analytics, technology etc only creates complicated team structures that hinder true collaboration and speed of delivery. Specialization without isolation is what is needed in digital and that will only come when people start thinking hybrid, writes Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO, WatConsult

The history of advertising started with Creative Agencies and Media placement was not such a complicated task as there were very few media channels in Print and in TV. So traditionally advertising was more about creating the message than placing it.
As media channels grew the complexities of media planning came into picture and thereby the growth and stature of large media agencies came into being. Today media agencies are larger both in size and revenues than creative agencies. Digital advertising came to the fore almost a decade ago where the agencies were again not split into media and creative and the concept of full service agencies was in picture. But as digital advertising grew in India the mainline media agencies saw opportunity to capitalize on the growth of this new media and expand their prowess across online media channel as well.
Digital media by virtue of having several platforms has always had many websites, mobile sites and apps that one could advertise on and hence media planning was always a specialized task in Digital. Creative too was unique as it was not about one creative format but many formats in social, banners, website and also about multiple messages.
Today many clients have different agencies handling their digital media spends and their digital and social creatives. But unlike mainline advertising which follows an assembly line model where a creative is first made, then approved and then released; Digital Advertising is a whole different game.
Digital has grown into a medium where multiple creatives get uploaded across multiple platforms and the feedback is in realtime. The media spend on these creative also is not static in nature like mainline spends. In print ads or in TV one blocks spaces or spots and that’s a fixed buy, but in Digital one can be flexible to an extent where one can even test a creative for a small budget before deploying more spends on it. For more inventories on search and social, which forms 50% or more of online inventory, the buys are ongoing and not fixed.
The kind of nimbleness possible and demanded for a great campaign on digital requires a hybrid thinking when it comes media and creative. The traditional divide of media and creative duties being separate is not only detrimental to digital success but also creates unnecessary wastage of time in approvals and communication which could have been saved and invested in making decisions.
Though different agencies give the edge of perceived specialization, what it takes away from integrated thinking is loss enough which in turn never helps the campaign.
For digital advertising success today what is needed is a hybrid thinking wherein creative ideators, media specialist and technologists work hand in hand on one table to crack the brief. This can be achieved most efficiently if your agency is a hybrid agency which has these three specialists sitting together.
The challenge is also to get them to work together and agree with each other but that’s an operational challenge. The bigger challenge is that very few agencies can boast of understanding media as well as creative as well as technology. Most agencies have strengths and they play to their strengths. True hybrid full service offerings are rare to find. One of the challenges I face is at WATConsult is to continuously upgrade each of the creative, media and tech teams and to ensure that they collaborate seamlessly together rather than working in an assembly line fashion.
I truly believe the future of advertising is digital and within digital, it is integrated thinking. Compartmentalization of social, media, creative, data analytics, technology etc only creates complicated team structures that hinder true collaboration and speed of delivery. Specialization without isolation is what is needed in digital and that will only come when people start thinking hybrid. It is when a creative thinks media strategy as well while a media guy understands creative mindset and when technologists think beyond code and think advertising. This kind of cross thinking is possible more and more when these different people collaborate more and more.
(The author is Founder and CEO, WATConsult)
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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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