We are not far from a reality where mobile screens would be mainline medium: Vikas Mehta

The new CEO of Mullen Lintas chats exclusively with exchange4media on taking on the role, his vision for the agency and more

e4m by Misbaah Mansuri
Published: Jan 23, 2019 8:58 AM  | 4 min read
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Mullen Lintas, the creative agency of MullenLowe Lintas Group, recently announced the appointment of Vikas Mehta as its CEO. Mehta took on the role from Virat Tandon, who was elevated to the position of Group CEO. MullenLowe Lintas Group also merged its omni-channel agency PointNine Lintas with its flagship creative agency Lowe Lintas, forming what it says “one of the largest hyper-bundled agencies of India.”

So as things seemed to be picking up steam here, exchange4media decided to catch up with the new CEO. Mehta, who chatted exclusively with e4m, talked about the genesis of the merger, thought-process behind the move, unlearning the mainline agency and more.


Edited excerpts below:

Can you share the background of the merger and the thought-process behind it? Also, after the creation of PointNine, some critics asserted that it would either cease to exist or be merged, remarking that the structure doesn’t make sense. Your comment?

Critics have a right to their opinions. As far as we are concerned, PointNine was an attempt to create a new agency model. If you want to build a prototype, it is best to do it in isolation. So like we had said, when we announced it, it was the beta model of a new agency operating system. It was an incubation that was delivering on the objective that we started with-- to find an agency model that can work for a hyper-bundled solution. So we built that, tested that and grew that over 18 months. And once it was ready, the logical thing was to add those capabilities to our flagship brand Lowe Lintas. So the idea was to bring together the skill sets in PointNine with the scale that is there with Lowe Lintas.


After a spectacular run at the Effies, Lintas stopped participating. Where did this decision stem from?

It is a group decision. I don’t think that we have given up on Effies, but just took a break.


You’ve always spoken about unlearning the mainline agency. Why is that relevant in today’s day and age?

While there was a time when you would create brand on mass media and build the surround media. I think today’s reality is far more different from that. We are talking to a connected consumer and are speaking to people in an environment where there is an information overload. So, one set of competencies as mainline is an idea that has passed its expiry date. Because if you look purely by device numbers, we are not far from a reality where mobile screens would be the mainline medium for the country.


How was FY18 for the agency and what are your visions for MullenLintas as we go forward?

Mullen is a young and growing agency. We have done spectacularly well from where we have come up from to almost where it is now after three years. We made it in the top ten agencies in a short span of time. Looking ahead, our ambition is very clear: I want Mullen to become one of the top five agencies in India. It doesn’t get simpler or clearer than that.


2018 was all about large-scale agency mergers. What does that say about the industry and the future of advertising?

The industry is going through consolidation. Consolidation is usually the first sign of an industry readying for a pivot. We went through a cycle of separating out of disciplines. If you look back at the last 20 years, it was all about further splitting of super-specialists. And now, the consolidation and mergers of large holding company brands are pretty much the cycle of all those disciplines coming together. So I think as the marketing priority shifts towards giving people an omni-channel experience, agencies which are service-providers of that skill sets are also finding ways and methods to build their multi-channel competencies.

How tough is it to maintain double-digit growth in a market that has faced slowdown and so many challenges?

It’s not easy. But then again an agency like Mullen, which is new and young, doesn’t necessarily have the baggage that the older, larger companies do. But we have to stay true to our ambition of being in the top five. It’s just that now you got to be inventive and innovative about finding new growth engines which is partly business acquisition and partly competence expansion. Our goal is going to stay focused on both and stay on the growth path that is imperative to survive in a market like India.

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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

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

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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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 by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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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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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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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
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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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