I am more bullish about India than I have ever been: Mark Patterson

On his visit to India, the CEO of GroupM Asia Pacific talks about media agencies leading from the front, tie-ups in the pipeline, focus areas and more...

e4m by Priyanka Mehra
Published: May 22, 2013 8:07 PM  | 4 min read
I am more bullish about India than I have ever been: Mark Patterson

The year 2013 began with a flying start for GroupM India with CVL Srinivas, CEO – South Asia, GroupM bringing a dynamic new energy and focus to the Group, feels Mark Patterson, CEO, GroupM Asia Pacific. On his visit to India, he shares the focus areas for the Group going forward, his belief of clients showing an increased confidence on their media agencies as partners and tie-ups in the pipeline.

Patterson remains bullish about growth in India and talks about replicating successful initiatives of the Group such as the recent MashUp (with Optimystix Entertainment) and Dialogue Factory in other markets. Excerpts:

What are the significant trends you are seeing in the client community globally and in India?
Apart from slower economic times bringing different pressures from clients and challenging conversations on commercial terms, the positive side is that we are seeing more and more clients employing us in out of scope services and using products such as Xaxis.

Clients today are giving media agencies the lead in creative conversations as well as a lead role in overall business, not a classic following role. This emanates from clients placing a great deal of confidence on the media agency. It has been a growing trend we have been seeing in the last 15 years, where clients say my primary relation is my media agency.
  
Are you seeing an increase in risk and experimentation undertaken by clients?
No. Different types of cultures have different clients, but most of them are risk averse. We are in the business of selling clients new ideas and not buying, but providing media. We are very transparent in our manner of working and our job is minimising the risk element. I wouldn’t call our clients risk takers, but they are not conservative as well. Our job is to get them out of their comfort zone; if we are not doing that, we are failing.

In certain areas such as digital, clients are experimenting. We are seeing a new form of risk-taking today. Fifteen years ago, sponsoring a programme was taking a risk. Risk takes different forms as media evolves and learnings get built in the system. Our digital trading initiative Xaxis has received a good response from clients as they see the value it brings.  
        
GroupM India has had a good start to the year. How is the rest of the year looking?
Srini (CVL Srinivas) has hit the ground running and we are off to a flying start in terms of energy, change, re-organisation and focus; not that we didn’t have that before, but we have it in a different way now. This makes me very positive about the rest of the year. I am more bullish and optimistic about India than I have ever been. With the size of the business we have, we need someone orchestrating it from the centre, which is what he is doing now.
 
Besides digital, what are the other areas of focus for this year?
Yes, we are focussing on digital in all its guises. With our size, it is hard to grow share; we are growing horizontally now and offering a broad range of high quality services to clients.  Our focus is also on experiential marketing. We have taken two businesses ‘Dialogue Factory’ and ‘Dialect’ and brought them together; we now have end-to-end experiential marketing solutions, with great clients and a great consumer base as well. This is a great consumer business, but there is potential for business like that in Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia. Over a period of time, we are going to lift that learning.

Within the digital side, we are focussed on content; we have Mash Up – again an unique Indian business. India is leading the way with this kind of business; something that will be replicable in other markets. India, again, will have to move faster, deeper and broader, and because of the market share, we have to push the envelope. On the mobile front, we are constantly learning and trying new things with Madhouse. Our focus is also in the areas of automation in planning, talent, and organising ourselves in different ways.

What are the other tie-ups in the pipeline?
We are in talks about some four – five new ventures and ideas; some more advanced than the others. Some are in digital partnerships and the talent area. While the PR and media part of the deal are the easiest, the tough part is integrating the business. We have a long track record of acquisitions. We’ve learnt not to go in for acquisitions first, but work with the people and get to know them.

We are also wary that other companies want headlines about India and China; we are more Asian and media-centric than any other company. We are in the fortunate position as we have a lot of businesses coming to us.

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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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