The youth doesn't value the Indian awards: Raj Kamble

Raj Kamble is out to own the name ‘Famous’, albeit in a creative way. The Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Famous Innovations has art as his background, having been an art school graduate. After spending a decade in New York, Kamble returned to India to head BBH in Mumbai. He then bought out Strawberry Frog, which he later renamed Famous Innovations.

In this freewheeling interview with Adgully, Kamble speaks on a range of topics – from the challenges that independent agencies face, taking the digital route, transition from StrawberryFrog to Famous Innovations and more. Excerpts:

Adgully (AG): What are the challenges that independent agencies have to face in today’s market scenario?
Raj Kamble (RK): The challenges are the same for all kinds of agencies – to keep pursuing better and better work. To show up everyday and make sure you manage the process, the budgets, the timelines and every other curve ball that comes your way as long as you end up with good work. Independent agencies have it easier because we don’t have any bureaucracy and can be faster and focused. On the other hand, big multi-national companies have added security from global alignments and resources. In an independent agency, it’s always me and the client. They don’t care about the name of my agency. What they care about is finally who is doing the work. That just makes us work harder and put more passion. Which is a good thing, because I really believe that our business is an individual business.

Leo Burnett and David Ogilvy died a long time back, then who are you working with? I think when David Ogilvy started out, he was an entrepreneur against the big agencies. At that time he realised that the big agencies were not doing what he was doing. That’s why he started out on his own, otherwise he could have taken up a job in a big agency. It all turns out to be a cycle. In India, there was a time when agencies were named Chaitra, Ulka, Trikaya – these started out as small independent agencies that were later taken over by multi-national companies. Now they are called Chaitra Leo Burnett and FCB Ulka. After 50 years, the cycle will repeat itself and there will be new independent agencies once again.

AG: What are the creative advertising trends that you foresee for 2016?
RK: I’m seeing social causes as an upcoming trend and a lot of it is upsetting. 90 per cent of the causes are not real. They just make a logo and everything, but don’t go anywhere. Real work and awards/appreciation are not mutually exclusive. Shooting a documentary in Kamathipura about prostitution can look very exotic, but if you really have the means and talent to go shoot one – do it to make a real difference. Don’t push too hard to package things for a show. When you do public service work use the heart, not the brain, your ad will do better for the society and for you as well.

AG: How do you view industry awards?
RK: I’ll be honest with you. People are not participating. Most of the big agencies are not participating. The game is getting smaller, so who are we winning against? I wish everyone participates and brings prestige back to the awards. The youth doesn’t value the Indian awards. Last year, McCann didn’t enter, even as they participated everywhere else. So my point is that the competition is getting weaker and the joy of winning is not there.

AG: A lot of brands today are seen releasing their campaigns on the digital platforms only. Comment.
RK: That’s fine. I don’t believe in 360 degree. I believe in 1 degree, that is, do only what is required for the brand. It is stupid to spend so much money. All you need to do is spend money on a good idea.

AG: So you are in for anybody who is taking just the digital route?
RK: Of course! My company is named Famous Innovations. I believe in innovative media and am against buying media. As long as it does justice to the idea. Create it, own it, but not buy it. Today, people view the ads on YouTube and even share the links. In case they don’t find the link, they search for it on Google. Let your idea be a light house, so people can come looking for you. Judge your idea by one question: will my Target Viewer forward this. In the digital realm, you are only as good as what you forward. Make something that someone will be proud to forward.

AG: What about long format ads?
RK: As I said, it all depends on the idea. You don’t start with a format. You choose the format that suits the idea the best and makes it effective – be it long format or short.

AG: What do you think about digital and social and the way things are moving?
RK: I always say one thing: Digital is just a platform and the idea is the train. Digital is not the idea. It is another medium like print or outdoor. The good thing is that it allows people to interact with your idea much more easily than before. But the idea is still the core. So the idea should be the focus no matter which platform you are choosing, be it print, television or digital.

AG: Your agency StrawberryFrog was renamed as Famous Innovations 16 months after its launch in India. What was the reason behind the change of name?
RK: I think I was inspired by the Founder of Strawberryfrog, Scott Goodson, and the entrepreneurial bug bit me. As I said in the beginning, our business is all about individuals. It’s not like a McDonald’s or Starbucks which will be similar all over the world and just get people to walk in based on its name. That’s why I decided to buy Strawberryfrog out and change the name. My team and I were also keen to steer the agency more towards innovations. Without the international brand name, I have found that every person at the agency feels a much greater sense of ownership and we are a lot more ambitious. Because whatever we create will be our own legacy.

AG: Did it create any confusion amongst your clients when you approached them as StrawberryFrog on the one side and Famous Innovations on the other side?
RK: No, not at all. All our clients, employees and associates were informed well in advance.

AG: What is your client size now? More than 100 clients?
RK: Inshallah! Soon...

AG: Are you looking for investors or being a part of a larger agency?
RK: No, but we are constantly liasioning with foreign agencies. Just in the last year, we’ve done a pitch with an Amsterdam-based agency and one with a New York-based agency – both for massive global brands. We also keep working with international talent, mostly friends and associates from across the world who want to come and spend time in India.

AG: Any plans to start operations in other cities?
RK: Currently we are present in Mumbai and Bangalore. We don’t target expansion by cities, we are after good people. All we need to start an office is one good leader and one good client. If the people are right, everything else will fall into place.

We truly believe that people that make a company everything it is. So my company card says, “Famous is Raj” or “Famous is Sid” or “Famous is xyz.” We don’t have titles on our cards. My people are my company and my company is the people.

AG: Which category of client would you want to work with in the near future? Any category of clients that you feel you have the strength in and you feel you can work with more such clients?
RK: I would like to work on something like candies or biscuits – something on the fun side where I can make a comedy. I haven’t seen much good comedy on television lately. So, I would want to explore the comic side of a brand, especially chocolates and candies. I would also like to work on a government project or something that can truly impact the behaviour of human beings. For instance, bringing about a change in the education system. We are currently working across very diverse categories from luxury watches to alcohol to television channels to beverages.

AG: What do Government initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Start Up India’ have to offer to the advertising industry?
RK: What does ‘Make in India’ mean? That India should depend on itself. And yet, we depend on a British company for the very campaign of Make in India! I wish the campaign was done by an Indian company. Some may argue that Indian companies are not doing as well as foreign companies – well, then nurture them! We can start there and then implement bigger changes to encourage more Indian advertising agencies.