Ciao'14 | India continues to be a TV dominated market; TBWA's Bajpai

As we all know TBWA Worldwide is among the top ten ranked global advertising network that holds Disruption at its core to develop business-changing ideas for the brands it works with. With over 11,100 employees across 323 offices in 97 countries, TBWA’s global clients include Accenture, adidas, Apple, Energizer, Gatorade, GSK, Henkel, Kraft, McDonald’s, Michelin, Nissan, Pernod Ricard, Pfizer, Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore Airlines, Sotheby’s and Vichy.

Considering the fact that 2014 was a good year in terms of operations/delivery, new client wins, scaling of business and Vineet Bajpai becoming the Group CEO of TBWA Group in India, Adgully caught up with Vineet Bajpai, Group CEO of TBWAIndia and he spoke about the year gone by and achievements and projections for the coming year.
Vineet who leads the TBWA Group in India, including TBWA advertising, MagnonTBWA (digital), Magnon eg+ and The Integer Group, is one of the most celebrated young CEOs and entrepreneurs in India.

For information and records, Magnon Group, founded in 2000, encompassed Magnon Solutions which is a market-leading domestic (Indian) digital agency and Magnon International which is a global digital outsourcing Company. In 2012, Magnon was acquired by TBWA, becoming MAGNONTBWA and Vineet, who has been at the helm of the agency for 14 years, has continued to lead the company in its new avatar.

Adgully: It’s time to welcome the New Year and bid adieu 2014, how have you planned to welcome 2015?
Vineet Bajpai:
The beginning of 2015 is an exciting time for us, as we bring on board world-class talent into the TBWAIndia Group, both from TBWA worldwide as well as from overseas. We welcome Ian Marlowe, one of the authorities in the automobile advertising industry, and he comes into our Mumbai offices with 21 years of rich advertising experience from all over the world. We also recently welcomed Nitin Kumar as Executive Creative Director (ECD) of our digital agency, MagnonTBWA. Nitin comes from Havas, Muscat, and will play a key role in leading our digital creative prowess. Combined with this is the expectation of a big client win, so we are bubbling with excitement about 2015.

Adgully: What was the biggest game-changer in the media/ad-world that you witnessed in the year gone by?
Vineet Bajpai:
I would say the coming closer of traditional advertising with digital and even big data has been the most energizing trend in 2014, and these advancements promise an entry into an uncharted world of techno-advertising. You will see how agencies and clients use digital, big data and data mining insights and transform the advertising framework forever.

Adgully: What would be your strategy for chasing the ‘evolved consumer’ this year?
Vineet Bajpai:
There can be only one strategy for the evolved consumer - media–agnostic uniform brand communication, combined with more social listening and less screaming!

Adgully: The year gone by saw internet penetration curve going all the more up, so with regards to advertising, how can you like to elaborate on the importance of traditional media over digital media? (As we see many marketers still prioritizing TV, print and Radio over digital medium)
Vineet Bajpai:
India continues to be a TV dominated market and agencies and marketers need to be conscious of that. Having said that, it will be absolutely critical for agencies to be future-ready and study the trends internationally. The Indian user-base for digital, especially with the smartphones boom, can change the landscape faster than anyone can predict. So it is important that we work for today, and prepare for tomorrow.

Adgully: What trends do you visualize in the media and advertising space in the next couple of years?
Vineet Bajpai:
Exclusive brand launches, both in terms of collaborative advertising & distribution with digital retailers will be a growing trend, as I see it. We saw several international brands that tied up exclusively with ecommerce giants like Flipkart and Snapdeal, and sold spectacular numbers. Why, even a leading Indian author’s book was sold in an exclusive arrangement with an online retailer. So two things are crucial to note here – the growing significance of online marketing, and the need for agencies and marketers to learn this new model, and execute it with measurable returns for clients. 

Adgully: Which are the new clients that you acquired in 2014?
Vineet Bajpai:
2014 was a good year for us. We won several advertising, digital as well as integrated mandates. Some of the significant wins include Cipla, Haier, Volvo Eicher, Makemyhome.com, San Miguel and Hindustan Times. With the team strengthening and a whole new excitement building across 400 people at TBWAIndia Group, we see 2015 as even more exciting.

Adgully: What is TBWA’s core strength?
Vineet Bajpai:
Our core strength lies in the very fabric of the agency – Disruption. TBWA is hailed as the Disruption Company across the globe, and has partnered iconic brands like apple and adidas. We in India continue to progress this unique and incomparable legacy, and offer disruptive ideas to clients, helping them achieve their immediate business goals as well as long-term brand-visions. Our ability to offer both advertising as well as digital services to clients from under one roof, allows us wider disruption opportunities.

Adgully: What categories of clients will make you stronger if you acquire them?
Vineet Bajpai:
This is a very tricky question, but I would say that high-quality FMCG brands, mobile players and ecommerce/eservices clients would really make our portfolio richer. |By Aanchal Kohli | Twitter: @aanchalkohli
 

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