Upbeat David Morgan throws light on the way ahead for Universal McCann
It is just his third week at work and Universal McCann’s recently appointed President APAC, David Morgan, is busy acquainting himself with the Universal McCann’s offices and clients in Asia. Currently in India, Morgan spoke on the strength that Lodestar’s merger with Universal McCann had brought to the group and the focus on India.

It is just his third week at work and Universal McCann’s recently appointed President APAC, David Morgan, is busy acquainting himself with the Universal McCann’s offices and clients in Asia. Currently in India, Morgan spoke on the areas that he thought Universal McCann had scored with the strength of Lodestar in India, the areas of concentration and the intention of launching the global brand philosophy soon that would govern the approach to work.
At the centre of it all, according to Morgan, was the key objective to bring value to clients. “That is what my focus, working with Nick and rest of the global teams, would be. We have to reinforce the difference that we make to our clients,” he said.
Speaking on the India affair, where the group has a unique situation of a merger with Lodestar and the merged entity – Lodestar Universal – Morgan said, “I think Lodestar Universal today, in a manner of speaking, embodies the overall thought process of Universal McCann. We are not in media planning and buying. True traditional media is at the core, an expected norm where one has to plan, buy and execute exceptionally well but that is a small part of what our business interest can now be.”
Morgan stressed on engagement being the name of the game in the process of building brand equity. He observed, “Engagement has become the in-word, but that is in fact what everyone is aiming at. The positive aspect about an entity like Lodestar Universal is that the agency has been able to use innovation to take engagement one step further. We may not be number one agency but we are ahead of the curve in many ways.”
One of the significant developments that can be expected from Universal McCann is the global unveiling of a new brand philosophy. Morgan explained that this philosophy was a positioning approach to planning, to communications thinking and engagement and one about taking traditional media and all the other resources available to the agency and breaking it down to carve out guidelines. He explained that the philosophy would reflect in the Indian market as well.
Continuing on the “engagement” road, he also said that youth media consumption patterns had changed rapidly and one of the fallouts would be news mediums gaining ground in the next five years. He said, “It is very easy to try and be something that one is not. Digital is the buzz word in most markets. In India, traditional media may still be domineering and it may not be appropriate on a particular time to dabble much with new media, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t keep an eye on what is the next change – the next big thing.”
An area that Morgan believes Universal McCann offices would continue intensely concentrate on is gathering insights to understand consumers and educate clients. “Life is moving rapidly, the digital evolution, shifting media consumption patterns and the coming of new ways of communicating mean that you should expect a change in your consumer before it sets in them completely.”
He identified routes like programme generation, branded content and the need to think integrated solutions as the road ahead. “Clients are increasing investments in experiments, whether it is in the digital space, ambient media or any other mediums. Going forward, maybe we wouldn’t say any new mediums are coming up already, but we will see these routes being understood and handled better,” Morgan said.
Speaking on the Lodestar Universal merger, he said, “I see this merger as a critical part of Universal McCann’s growth in a market that is exceptionally important. Universal McCann was facing problem in India and with Shashi’s (Sinha, CEO, Lodestar Universal) team, we are much steadier here and that is very important.”
On a wider note, he said, “The ultimate aim is how we contribute to Universal McCann as the APAC partner of the global network. For me, at present, Universal McCann is an opportunity. We have great group of people and now we have to bring regional connectivity and make the network more functional. There was cohesion for some time due to lack of leadership, but I can already see value come back from what we are doing. I am looking forward to road ahead.”
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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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