AgTalk | We have hit the ground running: Anuj Khanna Sohum of ad2c

The world of business abounds with stirring tales of success. One such story recounts the continuing rise of Anuj Khanna Sohum. He began his entrepreneurial journey while still in the second year at college, at a time when youngsters of his age were thinking of no more than internships. His first company, Anitus Technologies, was acquired by the publicly listed Malaysian conglomerate MCSB and rechristened myMCSB. His second company, SecLore, which dealt in information security, was bought by Herald Logic in 2007. He now owns Affle, a Singapore-based mobile messaging and advertising company. He is also the Chairman of ad2c, a full-service mobile advertising and marketing agency launched as a joint venture between Affle and a Japan-based mobile advertising firm, D2 Communications Inc. ad2c has recently ventured into India through its Indian subsidiary which has acquired MobiMasta, a Gurgaon-based mobile marketing startup.

 

ad2c has ambitious plans for India. To learn more about the group’s strategy, Adgully spoke at length to Sohum.  Excerpts:

 

 

Anuj Khanna Sohum (AKS): ad2c was formed with the objective of servicing brands of the traditional advertising agencies. We are solving a significant industry problem.  While more and more consumers are adopting the mobile platform, brands are yet to adopt it as a medium of advertising. So with ad2c, we believe we will transform these massive mobile prospects into mobile advertising opportunities.

 

 

AKS: We were keen on a partnership with D2 Communications. D2C in Japan owns the largest market share in mobile advertising and it is the largest advertising market in the world. This also means that D2C is the largest player as well as a pioneer company in the mobile advertising space. They have a huge amount of knowledge and experience with lots of case studies they have already done with large brands. Whereas when you think of ad2c as an Asian extension of D2C through the JV format, ad2c is bringing in a decade of experience to India and on how to leverage commercial advertising on mobile.

 

 

AKS: India is the first market in Asia that we are targeting. It is very important for us. I am a born Indian so obviously I have affinities with the country. The commercial reason is that India has a massive potential for commercial advertising. India is the first market where ad2c made its first acquisition of another company, that is MobiMasta. We are going to heavily invest in India and the objective for us is to grow the mobile advertising pie here and in the larger Asian context.

 

AG: What is your growth blueprint?  

 

AKS: We are aiming for at least a 10-fold growth in the mobile advertising industry. Today, the industry is around Rs 150 crore and we are aiming at Rs 1500 crore of business in about 3 years. This may sound as dramatic growth. But when an industry is so small it is not difficult to grow 10 times. So numbers are not unrealistic. Mobile advertising spends in India today are a mere 0.50 per cent of the total advertising spends of the industry. There is a huge opportunity.

Our growth plan is that we hope to take the largest market share. In this growth plan, we see ourselves at the core of growth and having the most credibility, and being the most competent player.

 

 

AKS: I am very positive and very bullish in  any economic situation. The reason is that consumers have already adopted mobile and mobile services. There is no way for mobile to go but towards huge growth in usages and applications.

 

 

AKS: ad2c and MobiMasta decided to work under the umbrella of ad2c and merge with ad2c. MobiMasta and ad2c are a team of entrepreneurs and to build a team of entrepreneurs, the only way out is to acquire their company. In MM we found an exceptional team as well as an excellent and innovative technology platform which would really propel ad2c in a very strong way. It has already shown results. For a company that has just announced the launch in India, response we are getting is phenomenal. We are strongly into business in India.

 

 

AKS: We are already strongly partnered with Starcom India, Dentsu, Madison and others. These are full-service agencies and we are providing them with domain expertise in mobile advertising by closely working with them. Our key clients include Samsung, NDTV, Adidas, Reebok and Coke, and we are looking to generate a couple of million dollars in revenues in our first year of operations. It is an indication of having hit the ground running.

 

 

AKS: When the industry is at such a nascent stage and when it is growing at such a phenomenal pace, there is enough for everyone and we are all complementary players who are working together to grow this pie. We are not competing but collaborating. On the other hand the industry is at such nascent stage that the competition is also at a very early stage. There are not many who have the depth and credibility to serve the India market. We hope to lead the way.

 

 

AKS: The Chinese market is a very different market in terms of regulations and legalities. But it is a huge mobile market. Having said that our focus will be India and South East Asia. When we combine all these nations, it is a huge market for us to address. For China market we are looking at an acquisition strategy or partnering with a local firm. There is no doubt about the overall potential of the Chinese market. But it requires a different kind of preparation and strategy.

 

 

AKS: I have always been an entrepreneur in the technology and innovation space. I started my first company when I was still studying in the second year of university and have not looked back since. I see this as a journey and every little step in this journey is progress. I have not looked at it as what has worked and what has not. I carry immense optimism all the time. All the ventures that I started have been successful in their own ways and all are thriving and running. Overall I was very fortunate to come this far in a tough macro environment that has seen two global recessions. But we have been optimistic which has made the future very exciting and the present very inspiring. Our best is yet to come.

 

 

AKS: All I can say is that every one of us is unique with a special talent. We have to encourage the individual. That would lead to a lot of motivation in what they can do best. My advice will be — be unique and have the courage to pursue you strengths.