Rubecon: Fifteen years and going strong

Chennai-based creative shop Rubecon Communications has recently completed 15 years. The agency has come a long way since the time it had started off with one client (Taj Group) 15 years ago, with 15-plus large and small clients in its kitty today. Alexander Zachariah, Director, Rubecon, tracks the creative shop’s growth path.

e4m by Judy Franko
Published: Jul 27, 2009 7:47 AM  | 4 min read
Rubecon: Fifteen years and going strong

Chennai-based creative shop Rubecon Communications has recently completed 15 years. The agency has come a long way since the time it had started off with one client (Taj Group) 15 years ago, with 15-plus large and small clients in its kitty today.

Speaking about the early days of Rubecon, its Director, Alexander Zachariah, reminisced that when they were doing some hoarding work for Taj Group, someone from ColorPlus had noticed the work and had called them up do some tags for the brand. “We started by doing some specific job for ColorPlus and they moved everything to us. That is how ColorPlus came to us,” he added. Since then, there has been no looking back for Rubecon, which is today 38-people strong.

During its 15 years, Rubecon has done some path breaking works for brands like ColorPlus. According to Zachariah, a lot of the agency’s success could be attributed to the clients, who had supported Rubecon’s structure. Several of its clients have been associated with the agency for a long time. For instance, the agency has been handling ColorPlus since its inception and has created almost all the merchandise for the product and has contributed in every step of the brand’s growth.

The agency’s association with Chennai-based FMCG company CavinKare is also a long-running one. “A lot of my clients came to Rubecon because we were doing different kinds of work. I also felt that being a home-grown kind of entity, there are a lot of things that we bring to the table that might be a little different from the manner other agencies work. That is what that has kept us going in the last 15 years,” Zachariah added.

Being so closely associated with design, the agency has also done a lot of work associated with product designing. Said Zachariah, “We do Mahindra World City, which is a constantly evolving space where you get the opportunity to work with international designers and architects. It is a great space to be in for an agency like us.”

Being a first independent, serious, home-grown agency in Chennai in the early nineties, Rubecon was one of the first few agencies to outsource media buying completely. It was also one of the few agencies to go in for retainer fee structure early.

The agency has an interesting mix of client portfolio – CavinKare Foods, Indica hair dye, Citi Bank, Mahindra World City, Prince Jewellery, and iSteel, to name a few. The agency recently added Arun Ice Cream to its kitty and is on the verge of signing few more clients, which Zachariah refused to name.

Despite being a successful adman, Zachariah is happy with a one office set-up and does not want to set up shops in other cities. He said, “We don’t want to expand. My talent is here. I constantly get young talents coming in, energising us. That is the fun part of life. Rubecon handles Citi Bank NRI business across the world right here from Chennai. The problem with an agency having a multiple branch set-up is that to get a work done from other branches is a nightmare. So, I am not in favour of this network kind of set-up. Of course, there are certain accounts that definitely need it, but there are a lot of accounts for which you can be serviced from one branch.”

Zachariah also revealed that he had a lot of buyout offers from biggies. “There were a lot of big agencies who wanted to part of Rubecon or buy out Rubecon by being stakeholders or a majority stakeholder and run it as a separate entity. They also would bring in a lot of other things. But I felt that if I network with a good planner or a good media house, I get the same result and refused all the offers,” he added.

Zachariah had started off with HTA (now JWT) as an internee after completing Visual Communication from Loyola College, Chennai, and then worked with RK Swamy in 1986-88. He then joined Goldwire (a breakaway from Lintas) and worked there for nearly a year.

He has also had a stint with FCB Ulka (now DraftFCB+ULKA). He was heading creative at Grey Chennai when he quit to start Rubecon.

“I still have a passion for what I am doing. At the age of 47, I still have lot of fun doing my work. The day that goes out of the window, there is no point in being in this business,” Zachariah signs off.

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 on
Instagram, 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

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
Test

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 on
Instagram, 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'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
test

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 on
Instagram, 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 by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
Test

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 on
Instagram, 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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
test

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 on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

test

test

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

test

test

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
khugfu

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 on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp