We expect the Group in India to do about Rs 3500 crore of billing this year: Ashish Bhasin
Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network shares the Network’s focus India on sustaining its momentum and growing three times as much as the market

The last weekend was an interesting one for the Dentsu Aegis Network to say the least.The Japanese network bagged the media duties for Mondelez International for the APAC region and others including North America. Back home, in India, its account size is pegged at around Rs 500 crore, the brand operates in categories like chocolate, beverages, biscuits, gum and candy, and is indeed a sweet win for the Dentsu Aegis Network.
The Group is very keen on sustaining its momentum on increasing its market share. “We have been able to grow our market share by growing three times as much as the market,” shares Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network.
New wins undoubtedly translate to new hires, and the group is looking at a lot of new hires across levels.
Does this mean a movement of talent from the incumbent agency in India Madison?
“We right now have a lot of good talent coming to us so we will hire as is suitable. At the moment Dentus Aegis is turning out to be the most preferred agency in the business,” he quipped. He also believes that the one P&L strategy has worked very well for the network, while competitors have been busy in silos.
“When I joined we had 45 people. Before the end of this calendar year we will have 2000 people. Considering attrition, we must have hired 2500 to 3000 people over the past year.Our story as a group is gaining a different perspective. Earlier, everyone was a bit indulgent,but now they are taking notice. Most of our hiring is happening in Digital where most of the growth is,” he added.
The aggressive hiring is a reflection of the wins of the group this year which include Nokia, Microsoft, General Motors, Mastercard and Sony.
Excerpts from a brief chat with Ashish Bhasin:
On the Revenue Targets for the Group in India this year…
We expect the Group to do about Rs 3500 crore of billing, which is very significant landmark. Out of Rs 3500 crore almost Rs 1500 crore to Rs 1800 crore has been from accounts brought in over the last 12-18 months.
On how Mondelez is a game changer for DAN in India …
We’ve had a brilliant run of wins over the last year. Nokia, Microsoft, General Motors, Mastercard and Sony etc.
Coincidently or otherwise, most of them had come into Delhi so this gives us a big impetus for our operations in the West.
Second thing is, Mondelez’s is one of the most awarded high profile advertisers so it is great to win an account through which we will get the opportunities to do great work. They have been one of the clients who have been consistently doing good work in the industry.
On the Dentsu Aegis Network’s goal of becoming the number 2 network agency …
We are very seriously looking at that as our goal which we now might be able to achieve before the end of 2017. It will be overturning 80 years of history so to speak. For the past 80 years in India, the No. 1 and 2 positions have been consistently between WPP and IPG. HTA entered India somewhere in the 1920s and Lintas entered in the 30s or so and since that time, the top two positions have been the same.
For us to come from nowhere and in a short span of five years over turn everything is great.
On the one P&L strategy being a deal clincher …
The client is fed up of talking to 50 different people for 50 different services. They want one place they can go to for all their requirements and thanks to our one P&L system we make that possible. Fortunately for us, our competitors are so busy with their silos that they are not able to offer the same. I just hope that we don’t fall into the same trap as we grow. I believe that if we can make sure that our one P&L service is available to clients then I don’t see why we can’t grow ten times as big in a few years.
Scale comes with its own challenges and as you grow bigger it becomes more difficult. Because of this one P&L philosophy we have linked each other’s destinies. For example if outdoor does well but TV doesn’t, then the bonus is not dependent on one sector but on the overall India business. This encourages people to work as a team, help the weaker sections and cross sell.
On tackling the challenges of scale as the network grows bigger …
When you’re growing this rapidly, you need to see that your systems and processes keep pace. One way to keep being successful is to keep removing talent which may not be aligned or may not be of the same excellent quality as you might expect them to be. This is something that we have been and will continue to be ruthless about.
There is no rocket science in this business and you just have to get this right, which is something that most agencies are unable to do well.
One of the other good stories about us is the fact that we are able to bring together a number of services under one umbrella whether it is Digital, Events and Social Media among others. We realised that together we can achieve much more than as individual teams. If all 2000 people can look and work in the same direction there is no other direction than to go forward. But if any of them pull in different directions then overall growth slows down.
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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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