Recognising the growing importance of the branded entertainment concept in India, leading advertising agencies are now strengthening their entertainment wings to woo new clients.
Madison Mates, the entertainment unit of Madison World, is investing in expansion plans, fresh talent and value-added services to sustain its competitive edge in this niche sector. ?We have just spread our wings to the UK markets by setting up a satellite office in London. We are also expanding our manpower to handle the influx new accounts,? said Darshana Bhalla, chief executive officer of Madison Mates.
While Group M?s Entertainment & Sports Partnership (ESP) is beefing up its operations, Starcom MediaVest Group?s specialist entertainment and embedded marketing unit, The Bridge, is scouting for fresh talent to add muscle to its manpower.
In the midst of such hectic activities, Arc Worldwide, Leo Burnett?s integrated marketing services agency, is planning to take the branded entertainment concept to social media space.
?For the purpose, we are in talks with devise developers, social media platform owners and brands,? said SVS Sharma, director, Arc Worldwide.
Increasingly, Indian companies are looking at brand associations with sports events and Bollywood movies to gain high visibility for their brands. ?As a result, ad majors are beefing up the operations of their entertainment wings to lure advertisers,? said an analyst based in Mumbai .
According to Hiren Pandit, managing partner, ESP, Group M, more advertisers are looking at the branded entertainment concept to promote their brands in competitive markets. ?The concept is gaining momentum in India. As the sector grows, we also grow. For Group M clients, we are providing differentiated services in this sector? he added.
On Madison Mates? growth strategy, Darshana Bhalla said the agency has expanded its operations in various veticals to handle the influx of new accounts. ?We have invested in bringing transparency and integrity to this medium. In London, our clientele includes two banks and local brands. Our core focus is on delivering value to our clients,? she added. Mates has recently integrated its clients brands in Bollywood movies including Kites, Karthik calling Karthik and My Name is Khan.
To sustain its competitive edge in this niche sector, Arc Worldwide is sharpening its focus on manpower. ?We are retraining and reorienting our existing people to further our positions in this space,? said CVS Sharma.
Like Arc Worldwide, Starcom MediaVest?s Bridge has opted for aggressive training programmes to add value to its services. ?We are leveraging the expertise of our existing manpower to handle new accounts. As part of our growth strategy, we are now looking at youth-centric platforms like music to connect with consumers,? said Rajesh Iyer, business director at The Bridge.
According to industry analysts, advertising agencies are increasingly interweaving their clients brands with the content of entertainment properties such as television serials, movies and radio to connect with diverse target audience. ?This strategy has worked well many advertisers. That is why, the concept is gaining momentum in India,?said an analyst based in Mumbai.