Lots of me-too-ism among media companies: John Sheehy, SMG
John Sheehy, Prez, Global Ops, Starcom MediaVest believes that SMG India is in a ‘unique’ place & its growth will surpass industry average in 2012 too

John Sheehy, President, Global Operations, Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) is of the opinion that there is too much of ‘me-too-ism’ among media agency brands.
Sheehy who was transferred from SMG’s sister company Leo Burnett, in August last year, is touring India currently. In an interview with exchange4media, he said that till about a year ago, even SMG's offerings in India were too similar to that of other agencies.
However the group has been committed to move beyond a mere ‘media agency’ and become a ‘Human Experience company’, with its three-pillar strategy – focusing on Insights & Analytics, Digital and Content. “Our task, from the beginning of the year, was to develop Starcom and MediaVest as two independent agency brands in India that both leveraged SMG’s global reach combined with each agency’s local expertise,” said Sheehy.
This, he said helped the company create a differentiated media product, attract quality talent and grow SMG's business at a pace faster than the market average. Unlike other agencies in the marketplace that “are still working in the commodified world of planning and buying”, SMG hopes to “become more than an agency that simply releases advertising across a variety of channels, but as a storehouse of research and insights that can help integrate communications plans across media and non-media channels. We feel we’ve carved out a unique place to operate that’s focused on where the industry is headed, not where it’s been”
Doubling Digital Revenues in India
Another focus area for SMG in India in 2012 is the digital space. With clients willing to experiment and more money flowing into digital experiential marketing and events, Sheehy believes that social media and other digital platforms will enable the company connect “with the hard-to-reach youth segment”.
“In India, 10 per cent of our revenue comes from digital, which is a strong performance for this market and I fully expect that percentage to double within the next two years,” Sheehy said.
SMG in India has had a good 2011 with 18 new business wins and revenue growth that, according to Sheehy, was “nearly twice the industry growth rate”. But more than anything, he calls 2011 a building year for India. As is known, the company in India also saw senior team building with the likes of CR Mallikarjundas being appointed as the CEO, Arnab Mitra as the National Digital Director and Amrit Kaur as the Insights & Research Director. Sheehy credits these new appointments to SMG's Chairman CVL Srinivas, who Sheehy believes is a “a world-class operator” and a “talent magnet”.
SMG, like it's done in many other major markets, is also committed to establish a Centre of Excellence in Analytics in India, in 2012.
2012: The Big Year
Are there any signs of a slowdown and will it impact the growth rate of SMG as well? Sheehy agreed that while there's been a “measured optimistic outlook” and clients have fallen into a “watch-and-wait” mode and predictions of 15 per cent growth have been scaled back to 8-10 per cent range, the growth rate of SMG globally should be better. “Regardless, based on our 2011 performance, our large client profile, diverse revenue streams and the changes we’ve made to position us for growth in 2012 and beyond, we expect our agency’s growth to surpass the industry average,” he said. And digital media is expected to contribute to that in a big way.
Much of this growth is expected to come from emerging markets, which Sheehy sees as the “growth engine for the network”. “We expect China and India to be leaders of that segment. While I won’t get into specific percentages or estimates, we expect the overall market to grow by double digits, and we anticipate outperforming the industry average,” he said.
“A short answer” to his expectations from 2012, is that he expects to see a lot of activity from SMG's existing clients, as well as to expand upon the group's current base. “Because our story in the marketplace is so different from what others are offering, we expect to see significant new business action as well. Globally, 2009 was a big year, however, we look forward to 2012 being a big year for us in many markets,” he said.
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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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