Other networks are going to struggle to hold on to their business: John Ziegler
John Zeigler, Chairman & CEO, DDB Group Asia Pacific, India and Japan talks about his wish list for an ideal client, the challenge of increasing creative commoditization & his optimism for DDB Mudra Group in India
In a candid conversation with exchange4media, John Zeigler, Chairman & CEO, DDB Group Asia Pacific, India and Japan shares his wish list for an ideal client, the challenge of increasing creative commoditization, his optimism for the DDB Mudra Group raring to go in India after core changes and a new direction, and more…
How do you overcome the challenge of the increasing commoditization of creativity?
I have a big problem with that. At heart and at experience I am a client. I fell into this because agencies were not giving me what I needed. They weren’t integrating and as a client we used to integrate. The agency would come along and say , we have a great ad we just need some more money to put behind it and it will be great. The promotional team would come and say we have a great idea but we can’t show it to you till we get paid, the PR people would come and ask what do you want us to write about this week. As a client we would sit there and manage all these diverse agencies. The client was an integrator, thirty years later the industry is still struggling with integration. The commoditization of creativity is being driven by the commoditization of understanding what creativity is supposed to deliver. There are some real breakages in the system.
What are the questions you would ask whilst selecting an agency?
Selecting the agency is the easiest thing in the world, there are two questions I would ask:
1. Why am I meeting with this agency, are they already doing great work for their client?
So many clients speak to agencies that are not doing good work. Why am I wasting my time meeting someone who hasn’t proved they can deliver?
2. When I chose the agency between the top two, I am going to ask how much of the senior management’s time am I going to get?
Why haven’t clients then kept up with the changes in the industry?
A recent IBM study shows an excess of 60 per cent clients are confused. Clients can’t keep up, they need the agency like never before. We are living in a world where everything has been added; but nothing has gone away, digital is now a way of life. Digital as a disciple has huge importance, now everybody has started to realize that if digital alone, is all about connections and clicks, and saying something online and trying to play that up as ‘look at what we achieved’ then when you perform like we did at Cannes this year at the Effectiveness Award. If this digital campaign achieved the equivalent of two years of traditional media exposure, why did we get only two percent increase in sales? My personal view is digital doesn’t work alone, digital in the right row, with an idea that has been brilliantly conceived and has very strong human insights, can make a huge difference.
We shouldn’t think of it as digital but the canvas upon which we bring an idea to life. I am concerned about the focus on digital alone everywhere; we are trying really hard to see how we can bring digital in on very part of our business, just like we used magazine and radio ads work, we also look at online and digital executions. We have just increased the number of areas we look at to bring an idea to life.
What are the qualities you would want in a client?
• You want a client who understands that an agency alone does not create what they need.
• You want a client that wants to be part of the process.
• You don’t want a client that has gone all out with the labour to do a brief that is probably wrong, and then gives it to the agency.
• You want someone who works with you on their business problems.
• Most of all, if I was dreaming as an agency and there was one thing that I wanted from a client it would be time. Time for engagement, time to bring creativity to life in all its forms, and time to discuss options on how we will help them achieve growth.
Are clients as open to experimentation as you would like them to be?
Clients today are more open to experimentation than they ever have been.
One of our biggest clients appointed us as their agency on record because we were the only people who didn’t act like an agency. They came to us with ad briefs and said these ads were done by the agency and they’re not working; we want you to work on a new ad. We looked at the ad and corrected that as opposed to creating a new ad.
We just did it with another client in Singapore and said you don’t need another ad you need to change your product because the customer is never going to buy your product.
The last two years haven’t been best for DDB Mudra for India, how are you going to change this?
Like all change, there needed to be some shifting and pain.
Some of the directions were right from where we used to be. The directions you are seeing now are setting us up for a whole new level of growth, the challenges were obviously reflected in the market place. Going forward, we are in the fantastic position to double the business in the next three years. We are pre – dominantly weighted in local business in the next three to five years. We are going to see an increase in Indian business supporting and investing in branding. We are in the best position for any network agency to do that, also we are a network agency with not as much as network business as most other networks. That puts us in a fantastic path to pick up business. We are going to see wins from both sides the other networks are going to struggle to hold on to their business.
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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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ShareSwapan 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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