We need to look at Havas per se as an entire concept: Vishnu Mohan and Rana Barua
Integration is key, because you cannot make content & data work together unless you create a structure. Fortunately, at Havas our scale, size and less silos, make it a lot easier, the duo shared in a candid conversation
"What you will soon find is the kind of expertise and the rollout of the integration journey; how we would rollout this working together as a concept, getting the entire strength of this group, which is doing magnificently well outside. We have not even tapped most of it in this country," announces Vishnu Mohan CEO, Havas Group India & South East Asia/ CEO Havas Media APAC as he introduces his one day old India Group CEO, Rana Barua.
As clearly defined by Mohan, Barua’s biggest challenge as the Group CEO is to focus on integration of all Havas business and make maximum out of each. “If you look at Havas Group as a concept, it has advertising, it has media, health and if you look at the group per se, to which Havas belongs, it has Universal Music, which I would like to work closely with. There is also Gameloft, which is another big asset the group has and there is Dailymotion. These are the assets which we can work closely with,” Barua explains.
Mohan explains that the plans to merge and integrate all the group assets started sometime early last year. However, it has formally come to India only now. “Yes, it began last year. But it has been rolled out bit by bit. We are not rushing into a blanket timeline, but we are on the path to making it happen in every single market. Actually in my region, after India, the only market left is Malaysia, all of the rest are under an integrated structure,” he adds.
He further added that while everyone talks about content and data as the two most important things which drive business very few are able to use it in an integrated manner. “If you see, content sits largely with the creative side of things and data sits with media. So how do you make these two important things talk for each other if you do not create a structure that allows them to talk? And this is a big challenge which everyone recognises. All of the networks understand that the integration is key, because you cannot make content and data work together unless you create a structure. Fortunately, our scale, size and less silos, make it a lot easier.”
The media experts, also talked about the burning industry issue of pitches being driven by price discounts and not strategy. “I wouldn't say that this is 100 per cent true, but I wouldn't say that this is not true either, because at the end of the day, for any client who spends millions of dollars in advertising, prices will be key because any client would want to see the most optimised media planning in the best price,” said Mohan.
However, Mohan adds that it must not come at the cost of diminishing the value of strategy. “But I think some clients are doing it, and it is happening everywhere. When we talk about media prices, under-cutting on fees is completely different. If agencies are devaluing themselves by undermining their own value by going low on commission, then that's a completely different problem. But the prices bid is something else. That's a challenge, and if I put it through the lens of a client, then why wouldn't I want the lowest and best price from any agency,” he added.
Barua, who in his previous two stints has spent almost a decade in creative agencies, says the problem exists there too. “Whether you see it from the creative side, or the client's side, it's a common problem. Clients will always try to get the maximum buck out of work. Most of our integrated propositions have always worked on that. But I think the big change that you will probably see coming forward, is that it is getting very tough. I think it's natural that clients will ask for it, so it's up to the group, the network, or the agencies to take a hard stand on it,” said Barua.
Mohan, however, believes, that a part of the solution lies with digital. “Digital is the biggest leveler now where skill has become more important than scale. Therefore with skills, you can outwit the scale. Also, when you look at the level of platform related buying, etc., these are all audience planning where we are trying to marry the inputs to the outcomes. And as the world moves more towards accountable media spending, this whole notion of pricing will actually go away, because what will really matter would not be so much the price of the media, but what it would take to actually get a unit sold. And that is what really matters. What is involved in a unit being sold is a combination of so many things, such as strategy, thinking, planning and targeting. Pricing is just one element,” Mohan said.
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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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ShareSwapan 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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