AgTalk | It's not about being International, it's about being good: EMM's Stephen White

London-based EMM International, one of the four global media auditors is independent media auditing and management consultancy. Known for building bespoke media solutions for world-class brands and also evaluates benchmark and monitor their clients' media investments. This means they help to understand the complexities of the media process, measure communication effectiveness and empower to make judgments and enable to save money.

EMM distinguishes itself by being the client's critical friend, streamlining and analyzing data and illuminating opportunities to increase effectiveness of media spend. EMM India is a partnership between EMM International and Indraksh Media & Management Services (IMM), Mumbai.

Stephen White, EMM International's founder and a respected figure in the global media industry, the Chairman of EMM India, shared some insights about the company while speaking exclusively with Adgully.

Adgully (AG): Please tell us a bit about the workings of EMM.

Stephen White (SW): EMM is an international company which provides highly professional approach to all media agencies. EMM helps it's clients to optimize their media investment. It has been providing specified searches to the advertisers from last 18 years. That is done through various steps which includes checking clients latest paid proposals, their activities, their contracts and then we look at whether the client has better activities organizationally. We need to work really fast with all this to get better results for the client which could be: smarter media solutions, enlightened media strategies, greater transactional clarity, rigorous accountability, sharper media efficiencies and protection from expensive mistakes.

AG: Do tell us the services that you intend to launch in India.

SW: The services include: Media Performance Evaluation, Media Agency Contract Reviews, Improving Client Media Process, Auditing Contractual Deliverables (e.g. Financial Probity Auditing), Media Planning and Strategy Benchmarking, Clarification of Volume Rebates from the Media, Media Agency Pitch Management. We have tried and tested all the services and for better results we should be updated on all old and new mediums like, social media, and internet and traditional.

AG: What trends do you see in Indian market and hence where do you place India in your road map?

SW: Firstly, I would say that we were really amazed to see that there is only one player Spatial Access that is playing a significant role in the Indian market providing such services. A market like such can come up with so many consecutives. There is a need to expand the place. The numbers here are really low in terms of media auditing, broadly speaking, there is a 30-35 percent spend in the UK and 60 percent in the US but only about 5-10 percent of the total media spends in India are audited, but the trend is changing, of course not because we are here, but because if there is a slowdown here in India then advertisers will be looking closely either for more value or for expenditure.

AG: Do you think if there is a slowdown, is there an opportunity for you?

SW: Yes, of course I guess there will be a great opportunity for us. In harder situations people will use more out of our company and so even a slowdown looks attractive to us.

AG: Being international media audit agency will it be a challenge to understand Indian client's mindset?

SW: It's not about being international, it's about being good and we retain that position all over then will be great and once we are done with that we think that we will be more comfortable in giving what are clients want and help them their business.

AG: What are your expectations from Indian market?

SW: there are lots of opportunities in the market and I expect a 100% growth in the first year itself. Simply to start here I would say that India is a open market and as long we retain our goodwill we will be there.

AG: How important it is to make your mark in the Indian market and settle down your business here?

SW: I guess it is important. The trust between the advertisers and the agencies and the openness from them is very critical for us. Here to get settled you need to earn your trust. And as I guess as per our research, there is strong need of a, "client's critical friend'. There is a strong need for Indian market for a media audit agency.

AG: how will the India media industry will benefit from EMM and IMM.

SW: IMM has been in the business since 18 years and has been a neutral party. EMM has the international business expertise so we partnered with IMM, who has the right expertise and knowledge about the Indian market. We understand that there is a huge requirement for media consultancy but for such a step you need to have strong pool of local experts. The partnership is expected to be really amazing and effective. The new company will be focused in offering best media practices with in-depth local knowledge and for the first time advertisers in India will have access to specialist media accountability practices and processes which have been tried and tested internationally. | By Aanchal Kohli [aanchal(at)adgully.com]