Maurice Levy's visit to India triggers speculations
The sudden advent of the Chairman & CEO of Publicis Groupe has the industry buzzing with speculations regarding new digital acquisitions, Madison's sale, & Law & Kenneth joining hands with Saatchi & Saatchi

The $35 million merger of the Publicis Omnicom Group in July this year, touted as the ‘merger of equals’, is easily one of the biggest mergers and acquisitions of the advertising world for a long time to come. Now, the sudden visit of Maurice Levy, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Groupe to India has the industry rife with speculations.
The merger was largely perceived as an attempt to dethrone and take over the No. 1 position from the ruling agency WPP. Incidentally, WPP continues to retain its numero uno position in India.
Making his views clear on the merger, Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP has called it a merger of ‘unequals’ and added that such mergers don’t work in the long-term.
The various challenges and questions raised by Sorrell include: Ambiguity of leadership, he questioned the structure of having two Co-CEOs and whether it can be maintained. Sorrell also pointed out the challenges of having a dual-management structure having two distinctly different cultures function harmoniously – the headquarters of the new CEO, and the merged entity, and ultimately the lack of clear articulation of benefits to clients and security of employees and talent.
Nevertheless, a merger of this scale undoubtedly brings benefits in terms of enhanced power of scale, which is a precious tool in the media business today. If the newly-formed Publicis Omnicom Group were to use this power for negotiation in consolidated buying, it is bound to impact other networks as well.
However, industry insiders maintain that the perceived benefit of the Publicis-Omnicom merger is only in media, wherein execution is easier said than done. Theoretically, media buying should become a strength, but in reality, it is a challenge for both the entities as it involves client conflict.
“Consolidation is easier said than done; the ground reality is different. Logically, my sense is that they will bring the media buying together, but there will be a conflict of clients, it is not easy to bring two disparate companies together. Also, how the media owners accept it is another aspect. This depends on the previous relationships of the individual companies as well. Cross synergies and getting better rates and volumes are some of the facets that will be looked at,” opined Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India and CEO South East Asia, Aegis Media in an earlier conversation with exchange4media.
Meanwhile, Levy’s visit to India has also given rise to the rumours regarding the sale of Madison World. Madison World has completed 25 years in 2013 and remains the largest independent media company in the country. The agency is estimated to have gross billings of Rs 3,000 crore. In the past, Sam Balsara, Chairman and Managing Director, Madison World has affirmed that the agency is not ready for a sell-out, but open to collaboration.
“The impact of the merger on the media industry scenario in India is not going to be very high. It is not going to alter the media scenario in India. WPP will still be number one and far ahead. The world today is getting obsessed with being number one and this merger is nothing besides the desire to be number one,” remarked Balsara in an earlier conversation with exchange4media. He, however, declined to comment on the subject of Levy’s visit to India.
While Madison World has various entities across communication verticals, Madison Media is the star offer of the company. If Madison were to ‘collaborate’ with Publicis Omnicom Group, it would take the former’s media clout and buying strength to a whole new level and scale.
Levy’s India visit is also fanning rumours of new digital acquisitions as well as Law & Kenneth joining hands with Saatchi & Saatchi and coming under the big joint Publicis-Omnicom family. Though this coming together of the two agencies has been speculated upon for the past few months, there has been no formal announcement on the same.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
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.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
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.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
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.
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
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."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
test
test
test
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
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."
Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp