Kerala goes Bang in the Middle; Gets Satyan Nair on-board

Bang in the Middle, a relatively new independent agency, has announced its entry into Kerala. It coincides with Valentines Day. Straight from the heart as they say.

After establishing itself in Gurgaon, Kolkata, Chicago and New York, Bang in the Middle has partnered with Satyan Nair, a well known and highly respected advertising veteran from Trivandrum, Kerala.

According to a Bang in the Middle, Satyan has been in the middle of Kerala’s advertising industry since the mid 80s. He was initially the creative head and co-founder of Stark Communications.

Between the late 80s and 2012, Satyan was the lead creative person for multiple agencies in the Middle East. His longest stint was with Young & Rubicam, Dubai. 

According to Satyan “I think Kerala is on the cusp of some interesting changes in the advertising arena. For years, home grown brands have grown in “God’s own cocoon”, so to say, and unfortunately have not been able to upscale their communication to match the growth of national brands.

But there is hope. Bang in the Middle will bring in a new kind of thinking. Besides, we probably will be the only agency that has the capability to address the digital marketing sphere without moving from our traditional platforms.

Personally, teaming up with Pat is amazing. We go a long way back in time. And I am sure he will bring in that breath of fresh air that a new Kerala requires.”

The agency expects its Kerala operation to robustly grow in the coming months. The agency will initially operate from Trivandrum, and will offer a full suite of services to clients across Kerala.

“As a Malayalee, and as someone who’s always been connected to the advertising industry in Kerala, I am thrilled to be able to officially start business in my home state’ says Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer of Bang in the Middle.

“I am especially thrilled that I am back with my first boss ( Satyan Nair ), and I am sure we can together bring great value to clients in Kerala. My relationship with Satyan goes back 25 years, and without doubt, I would put his credibility, craft, and competence on par with the best in the country.”

More than that, I also believe that we would be in a better position than most agencies in Kerala to offer a new perspective, and bring newer advertising and marketing opportunities using the power of the web.

I also believe that my own experience across India and global markets, my innate understanding of Kerala’s culture and people, plus my team’s creative potence would give us a step over current status quo.

Naresh Gupta, Managing Partner and Chief Strategy Officer says “Kerala is a brilliant market for an agency like ours. With its huge literacy levels, pulsing media, and growing digital acceptance, I cannot see why Kerala can’t define itself as India’s most online savvy market.

From fashion, to gold, to real estate, to Ayurveda, to media, to tourism, there are opportunities for everyone. I would think that we have strategic, marketing, and creative strengths that clients would want to gain from in a hurry.”

Bang in the Middle is roughly 8 months old, and handles traditional and digital businesses for Dulux Paints, Vimal Fabrics, Hawktrack, Veen Waters, Tupperware, Zee News, iYogi, IndiaNext etc.