I cannot fathom why the advtg industry takes so much time to react: Rana Barua
The COO of Contract India talks about the series of new appointments at the agency, bringing back accountability in the advtg industry, the challenge of speed, and more...

It has been an interesting journey so far for Rana Barua, who joined Contract India in February this year as Chief Operating Officer.
Barua, who has been tight-lipped till now, spoke exclusively to exchange4media about the series of new appointments that will bring back a sense of stability to the agency, his take on the variable model of working that can get accountability to the advertising industry and more...
What are your views on the variable model of working? Do you think it ensures accountability in the advertising business?
Clients are getting into the variable model, which is a great way of working. As an agency, you do great job and at the end of the year, you get a certain bonus. I would like to demand...why not you give me money to maintain a team, provide solutions and allow me the potential to bring a higher value on certain parameters. And then give a bonus for meeting the parameters. It is a win – win situation and the team is charged. This is certainly working for full service agencies; this way the team becomes more accountable, which is ideal in a space where creative work may be completely subjective. Clients are very receptive to this as well.
The respect quotient goes up when you sit for the appraisal at the end of the year and you see the client numbers have grown and you were part of that.
With a series of appointments including Ashish Chakravarty heading creative and Prashant Challapalli heading the digital arm, what kind of restructuring is taking place at Contract?
The appointments that we are doing at senior levels are very talented individuals. The idea is to deliver together. They are younger, with an average experience of 12 to 15 years in keeping with our industry, which is very dynamic. Our restructuring is also about getting people who are aligned to the working style we are trying to create.
While you maybe creatively brilliant, are you responsible? The plan is for people to stay together for a minimum three years for my critical ‘A Team’, which is the senior management. This includes 28 to 30 people across all dimensions who work closely together.
What is the agency doing to foster talent?
The ‘A Team’ I mentioned to you takes on the mentoring of three people across divisions. We have scouted people we want to groom and nurture. This entails training and working on the job. We call them the ‘A Plus Team’ internally. We want them to lead some new business; we want them to lead pitches on their own. This also makes it competitive for others to up their game.
What are some of the un-learnings you had to do to take on your role at Contract?
I am still grappling with the challenge of speed. Why do we (the advertising industry) take so much time to react? I cannot fathom this. In the media world, it is all about speed. When I walked into radio, it took me three months to understand that I have to change my DNA, otherwise I should be back in advertising; I changed my DNA then. I believe it is all about speed and that is the only way forward. It is not about the next half hour, it is about now. People around me are becoming accustomed to this. We need to, as a creative industry, take cognisance of the fact that yes, it is a creative industry but so are all the others such as television, radio, print. One thing that holds all of them is speed, which is vital.
Where do you see Contract Advertising few years down the line?
It will remain a very strong integrated communications agency – a benchmark for the best creative solutions; which is reason why Contract became Contract. I want to be ready for the future. We need to be quicker to respond to the dynamic environment and not only leave it to media agencies. At the same time, being honest to the strengths we have. I am not going to take on something we wouldn’t be able to deliver.
What is your approach for Contract in the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world we are in today?
To take cognisance of the fact that it is volatile; we are not ignoring it. We are aware that things maybe tougher and hence, are in a more proactive gear.
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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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