SMG expects 20% topline in India from new units
Laura Desmond of SMG bets big on practices set around Insights & Analytics, Digital, and Content – the ‘three pillars’ of SMG’s ‘human experience’ positioning

Laura Desmond, Global CEO of The Starcom Mediavest Group is “very pleased with progress in India” and expects substantial billings from the practices set up around Insights & Analytics, Digital, and Content – the ‘three big pillars’ of the company’s ‘human experience’ positioning.
SMG had earlier announced its commitment to move beyond the ‘media agency’ tag to become a ‘human experience company’, and set up these practices. “The progress is terrific. Just to give you an idea, three years ago less than five per cent of our billings came from those new pillars; today we are at about 17 per cent and we think we will be at 20 per cent by the end of the year. So, it’s a transformational change,” said Desmond.
“Our growth rate, which is right now about two times the market average, is a great sign that the changes we have made are liked by clients and commercially relevant in the marketplace. So we are happy with our progress,” she added.
Desmond is also very excited about a global centre of excellence (COE) on data analytics in India, considered one of SMG’s critical top 20 markets. “The COE we are starting on data analytics is a best-in-class opportunity for India. India already contributes to the company’s global growth, client reputation and prestige, and the data analytics COE is going to help us take a big step in that space globally,” she stated.
Commenting on the change in leadership in India and what it has done to shore up SMG’s India operations after a turbulent couple of years, Desmond said, “We were happy to send Ravi (Kiran) off well. He had a lovely career with us and we were happy to see him move on to a new chapter in his life. We are very pleased with our progress in India with Srini (Chairman CL Srinivas) as the new leader and the leadership team that he has brought on – Malli (CEO Mallikarjunadas CR) and the rest of the team. In the last 14 months, we have won 18 pitches out of 20, so that’s a pretty good success rate.”
Calling India a high growth marketplace for many of SMG’s multinational clients and a high growth local market, Desmond said India’s contribution to global SMG is not only in terms of growth, but also by way of talent. “Some of our smartest, most diverse people have homes in India and contribute to the global network,” she added.
With the Cannes Lions coming up, awards are at the centre of conversations. So how important are awards for an agency? “Our focus with awards has really been on measuring the impact or the business result. Where we have done that effectively, we have seen that we have got incredibly creative, imaginative and dynamic media work that does very well in awards right from the Effies to Cannes to the festival in Goa. We have a global product committee that meets three times a year... Srini’s team is on that. We measure and track all of our products on effectiveness measures for our clients. But again, our focus is not on creativity but on business-building work,” concluded Desmond.
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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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