Whatever we do has to make business sense & be scalable: Prasoon Joshi
Prasoon Joshi, Exec Chairman & CEO, McCann Worldgroup speaks to e4m on the agency’s 2012 agenda, which includes developing alternate revenue streams
 
                                                                McCann Worldgroup has seen a good 2011 and the agency’s success at AdFest has signalled a good start for 2012 too. But McCann’s 2012 agenda is more action-packed than ever before.
 Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman and CEO, McCann Worldgroup India, who was recently also made the President-South Asia for the company, tells exchange4media that apart from focussing on further strengthening its core offering, the company is looking to develop its non-traditional advertising capabilities as well.
Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman and CEO, McCann Worldgroup India, who was recently also made the President-South Asia for the company, tells exchange4media that apart from focussing on further strengthening its core offering, the company is looking to develop its non-traditional advertising capabilities as well.
The aggressive side of McCann came to the fore in 2011 when businesses such as ICI Dulux, Aircel, General Motors, History TV18 and Jaypee Sports International made way to the agency. In all, McCann saw a robust 40 per cent growth in 2011 over 2010. In addition, the Government of India has handed over one of its most prestigious campaigns, which is directed towards malnutrition, to McCann Worldgroup India.
McCann’s growth in the last two years has come from a robust performance from its youngest brand, Tag, which has in a span of three years added businesses such as Videocon, ESPN, Zee News, Jaypee Group and Dish TV amongst others to its kitty. McCann also grew significantly in Delhi, where both in terms of new businesses and work, the market has steadily added strength to McCann.
One area that McCann has been working to develop is its non-traditional advertising streams such as digital (MRM), healthcare (McCann Healthcare) and events and shopper-marketing (Momentum). The year 2012 will see McCann further focus on these areas in addition to bringing other specialities on its radar.
Intensified focus on existing brands
The company’s concentration on healthcare was visible at the beginning of the year itself when McCann appointed creative director Rajesh Rai for McCann Healthcare. Joshi informed, “Rajesh is a very senior creative resource and I have very high expectations from what Sohan (Shah, Country Head, McCann Healthcare) and Rajesh can do for McCann Healthcare. Our unit is already doing very well and it is very well respected in the healthcare community but I look forward to more in 2012.”
Joshi is of the opinion that McCann digital capability, MRM, is headed in the right direction and has a great leader in Mandeep Sharma, VP and GM, MRM Worldwide, India. MRM is contributing in “healthy double digits” to overall McCann Worldgroup revenues. While Joshi is happy with MRM, he admitted that the company also has its eyes open for any inorganic push that it could give to its digital offering. Joshi said, “Acquisition is a route generally taken by those who do not have capability in a certain area. We have a good digital offering with the right talent and capability but that does not mean we would not be interested if something worthwhile would come along. Inorganic growth is faster but it comes at a price. We are neither averse nor desperate for it.”
McCann Worldgroup was perhaps one of the first to have launched its shopper marketing and events capability, Momentum, in India. But Joshi still sees this as an area of investment in 2012. He said, “The retail boom that one was expecting has not come yet. In a way, we launched Momentum ahead of its time but when retail takes off, we would have a good offering there. Momentum is also trying to work on events. You require a very different kind of appetite for events – it is a very tough business. But the unit has been able to make inroads in corporate events. We have to see how we grow Momentum further in 2012.”
Considering new capabilities
Joshi personally is positive on design and its role in an advertising agency. At present, McCann Worldgroup has an in-house design cell in its Delhi operations, which is led by Anil Manan, Vice President and Executive Creative Director, McCann Erickson. However, Joshi’s plan is to invest in a national-level design capability. He observed, “Design has a great future and we are very keen to invest into that. We have to just decide on how we want to go about it. Some companies have done it through acquisition at a parent company level. At times, it makes sense to do these things at a holding company level because the moment you launch it from within the agency, many clients start expecting it for free or as value add. Truth of the matter is that a new capability means fresh investment if you wish to do any justice to it. It becomes difficult to handle such cases then.”
The other area that has become popular conversation is branded content. Given the expertise of someone like Joshi in the entertainment side of the industry, it is a wonder why McCann has yet not considered bringing any capability on this front. Joshi however has a very clear view on this. He stated, “I have worked on branded content quite a bit and it does excite me. But I wear both, a creative person’s and a business person’s hat. Though things like branded content get me excited, at the end of the day whatever we do has to make business sense and has to be scalable. Right now, the demand for branded content is not enough to give me any desired return. But I am very alert on this and the moment I see the demand for this rising, you will see me act on it very quickly.”
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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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