The power of Ajit Varghese's ideas

Ajit Varghese, the MD of Maxus, has held several important portfolios in the ad business, notably the stewardship of Madison Media and Madison Infinity. He is an influential voice and his views reflect the aspirations of the industry's vanguard. In an exclusive interview, Varghese engages Adgully in a discursive conversation. Excerpts from an insightful Q&A:

Adgully: How did you end up in this business?

Ajit Varghese: I was pursuing a four-year degree course in agriculture engineering. But in the third year, I realised that it was not for me, so I started preparing for the IIMs' CAT. I recognised that a management degree would be the right qualification to have. I got through Xavier's, Bhubaneshwar, and at that time, in the early "90s, the economy was opening up. That, according to me, was the life-changing moment; it opened up the mind and vision. I was good at physics and mathematics, so my analytical skills continued to develop. And I continued to be strong at research. I was among the few students in the institute who wanted to be interviewed by a research agency. I was a part of one of the largest surveys carried out at that time: the general consumers' survey on cigarettes. I completed a year at IMRB. Then I started thinking that I should be a data provider or a solution provider, and that's when I realised that media would be the right career option. I did not take media as just another avenue for a job ” I wanted to make a difference. At Lintas, I spent a lot of time on Unilever products. Unilever is an institution in itself and young people should spend at least two-three years there. Anyway, because I had the analytical bent, I could make a lot of early contributions to the industry. Just when I had completed three years at Lintas, CVL Srinivasan called me with an offer: the group head of Coke at Madison. The agency had just won the account and I shifted to Delhi; it was a huge career step in the media for me. I grew as a person under Vikram Sakhuja who is constantly challenging, and constantly innovating. I have been lucky to work with good people.

AG: How did you hone your skills for the business?

AV: The number of pitches we made gave me an opportunity to network with clients and hone the skill-sets to run the business. So those are the skill-sets that Madison Infinity helped me gain. When I came to Maxus, I think it was waiting for me to unlock the potential. So I set up an agenda that can we be the best creative media agency in the country. So even if we are 50-60% there, at least we have an identity. At that time, we were talking about engagement, the 360-degree approach¦and I thought that it was a must. But what will still make us stand out is the power of our ideas. In 2006, we were not even shortlisted for any of the awards; and in 2007, we straightaway jumped to the Number 2 position, winning Emvies. And in 2009, we won two awards at Cannes. I am not saying that awards are the be-all and end-all, but they are a reflection of the recognition you have won in the industry.

AG: What is powering your current strategy? And would you talk about "relationship media'?

AV: We are focusing on the power of ideas. But that is not the only approach. How do we connect the start with the end [of any campaign initiative]? To me, that can be done only by bringing in more accountability. So if you have the power of ideas and accountability as the two pillars on which you stand, you create the concept of "relationship media'. We wanted our product, and not just the execution, to speak for us ” and that is what we call relationship media. In other words, we keep the consumer at the core. If we help our clients build better relationship with consumers, then consumers will be loyal to a brand. For that, we will have to look at our consumers in segments and fine-tune them. Then using the power of ideas, explore ways to connect with them and use the 360-degree approach. India, to me, was the best platform to form this agenda, because Maxus India is at a slightly more advanced stage than Maxus in other countries.

AG: How can the relationship with consumers be strengthened?

AV: In order to do that, I have to spend more time on them, and glean insights [about what they want]. Accordingly, ideas can be developed and attempts made to make them magical. After that starts the measurements, the analytics of input-output co-relations. So that is what our product is all about.

AG: What have been the most challenging moments in your career?

AV: I characterise such moments as exciting, not challenging. I am very lucky that I have always worked under excellent bosses. I have met some of the best people in the industry from whom I have picked up key strengths. And I have worked with some of the best clients. Obviously, sometimes you find people who are challenging but I think that is a part of the trade. A challenge is not to get bored; I hope I don't get bored and exit the industry. I find it challenging to retain people. I feel it is a challenge for the industry too; because of the way our revenues are structured, we are not able to retain talented people after a point.

AG: Tell us about Maxus¦

AV: Once we established the vision for creativity, we wanted to set up a stable structure, which means the ability to drive the practice and run offices. In terms of billing, in Delhi alone, we have touched around Rs850 crores. Mausumi Kar heads the Delhi office. Will set up offices in Kerala and Kolkata by July.

AG: You have mentioned "creativity' a couple of times, what is it exactly?

AV: It is something like a disease, when you have a disease you show symptoms. We said a Maxusite should have a symptom of thinking out of the box, and should also have "Childitis', a disease in which you show great curiosity. Our motto is: "If it is difficult we like it, and if it is impossible we love it." We are extremely passionate people and are committed to our clients' business. And that, according to me, stands out as the Maxus culture today. On the other hand, we are able to cross the table and challenge their hypothesis.

AG: How important is it to provide integrated solutions to clients. Many companies have started to do that of late¦

AV: Integrated media is a given. To me, that is nothing new, we had set this in our group five-seven years back. Again, for me, the difference lies in the power of ideas.