Exclusive | Our plans are ambitious: Dentsu's Ray

Founded in 2003, Dentsu Communications delivers comprehensive public relations and integrated marketing communications programs that help elevate client reputations and influence stakeholder decisions. They offer the best of both worlds: the agility and entrepreneurial atmosphere of a boutique shop combined with the resources and worldwide reach of a global agency.

After operating from their official premises at Tardeo for eight years Dentsu Communications, the creative agency of  Dentsu India Group, now has a new address. The agency has shifted to the 16th floor of Lotus Corporate Park, Goregaon (E).

In the near future the agency is due to come out with good campaigns informed Arijit Ray, CEO, Dentsu Communications. Presently the Mumbai office   of Dentsu Communications is headed by senior vice-president Sharmila Malekar and Deepak Singh and Vedobroto Roy are  executive creative directors in the creative function of the agency . Seven clients are being serviced by Dentsu Communications which besides Mumbai  has offices in Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi.

Adgully caught up with Arijit Ray, CEO, Dentsu Communications at the inauguration of their new Mumbai office. While in conversation with Adgully, he spoke about their focus on the integrated approach, new events and activation unit, his vision for the agency , and much more.

Speaking about the integrated approach and how they plan to take it further , Ray stated that integration works if you make it work and it is a cultural phenomena . If you are not integrated in spirit or integrated in culture and collaboration, integration cannot happen. He says, “What we are doing specifically  is that integration and capabilities are being built around our clients. He gave the example of their Bangalore operation where they are absolutely integrated . The best example that fits here is their campaign Etios Motor Racing for Toyota. They also have the PR, the digital team and media which is completely integrated and they work around the client’s mandate .

“The other kind of integration is how do we use our capabilities and how we reach out to the resources we have in our system. Everything depends on how well we can collaborate and when this culture is driven from the top it just makes everything easier for everybody,” says Arijit.
Speaking about the new events and activation unit, said, “The idea and the concept is amazing. The entire set is done to show our passion towards the kind of work we produce for our client.”

Dentsu had earlier planned the entire Etios Motor Racing strategy project for Toyota Etios, covering all the vital aspects of advertising, media planning and buying, PR and event, activation logistics planning and execution, which shows the agency’s integrated approach. Ray believes that integration and capability is all about what you bring together for the client. Also integration depends upon how we use our skills and deliver the client’s demand and how  one taps the different mediums.

With Ray coming on board and with his expertise does he have a vision with Dentsu in terms of building a new division or adding more to the existing ones he said, “I think Rohit has structured Dentsu Communications in such a way that we have a national footprint with offices in Delhi , Chennai, Mumbai, Cochin , etc. What we have done is that we have spun out Citizen Dentsu and relaunched it as a separate division which will concentrate on the social and development sector clients . Secondly we have build capabilities and strengthened around our Bangalore offices which is one of our largest offices which have made us win accounts like Toyata and TVS. ”
In terms of growth, he said, “We are also strengthening our Mumbai and southern market and so we are expanding our footprint in Kochi  with Jos Alukkas there . Also there are a couple of other businesses on the anvil .” 

In Mumbai the major task as of now is transformation and he went to say that transformation is happening on the back of talent , people and their new premises and they expect results to be evident within another 6-8 months . According to Ray,  Dentsu Communications will produce a lot of interesting work . He also spoke about strengthening and building properties one of which is the Toyota University Cricket Challenge.  

Sharing about the challenges he foresees at this point of time he said, “Yes most certainly growth. Our plans are ambitious, the resources are there and how we can synergize and integrate and tap into the resources available to make cutting edge combination as far as new business potential is  concerned , as far as fructifying our potential with existing clients and going in for different kinds of businesses.”

With regard to expanding their capabilities going  forward he informed that the capability addition is happening at a group level which is being harnessed at the corporate level so individually the agency can tap into it . Their capability in their Bangalore office too will be leveraged on the activation space. They are presently not looking at individually adding capability but this will depend on the potential of their various clients.

Ray also elaborated on their latest campaigns they are working on .  One being Orangina the new orange drink which has just been launched and which is expected to be fairly clutter breaking and some of their other campaigns are on the anvil which will be revealed soon

He once again reiterates that the core philosophy they are working on is the integrated approach. “Good quality cutting edge work on the back of integrated and collaborative thinking .  It has to come from the top and has to be culturally ingrained in the system. If there is no collaboration which people can imbibe naturally you cannot make it happen and that’s what is fundamental,” concludes Arijit Ray.