I joined the workforce in 2002 with the aim of getting into "marketing". I
had specialized in the field and therefore, becoming a brand manager came to
me as a natural ambition.
With no real idea of where I was headed, during the course of my working
tenure, I happened to set foot into a media conglomerate, Group M. All I
knew from hearsay and HR say was that this was a set up more alike a
treadmill. Either you manage to run with it or you fall. I decided to go for
it. Less said the better on whether I had a choice at the time. I joined the
largest media agency in the country, Mindshare India and am today working
for its largest unit, Fulcrum, servicing the largest advertiser in the
country, Unilever. For those far from the industry, Mindshare and Fulcrum
may sound unfamiliar. At one time, even to me, they did. But soon I realized
that an agency of this size and stature offer immense opportunities to grow
and learn. The objective behind my writing this piece is to give you an
insider's perspective into an industry that few know about and one where I
am happy to have spent my time.
Working at a media agency has its pros and cons. I can immediately tell you
that this treadmill kind of lasts more than 12 hours a day. The treadmill
often becomes thankless with the belt simply stretching you, making you run
faster and faster. And questions being raised on why cant you double the
speed?
Too taxing..well little meetha ho jaye.. Any strenuous exercise gives you an
adrenaline high and so does working in a media agency. Life is mostly on the
edge.
The trough..Deadlines are mostly yesterday's. And a campaign is as dependent
on your client's mom's serial watching habits as with the logic / science
behind the planning. For instance, I still remember the time a client
chalked out his flamboyant frequent flying boss' travel patterns from office
to airport so as to place his outdoor media. It takes patience to explain
logic to some guys who think media begins and ends with them, their boss or
family. Secondly a media agency is a media agency is a media agency. So
while you may be the singularly taking the client's campaign thought and
communication to the next level of thinking and implementation, the kudos
may still remain internal. After all, an agency has to be kept on its toes.
And if you encourage too much, wouldnt the credit be belittled from your
collars?
Lets delve a little into the pros. The pro is at times, the world is running
with blinders on. Most of us are. And the game goes to those who think
outside the box. And its very easy to turn into a me too. Innovation after
all gets easily duplicated. And first time evers become a way of life. So
its highly challenging to stay ahead in the game. Being in the know of the
latest ups in the industry and swinging it to your advantage. Also the
industry like many others plays a lot on relationships and people. Internal
relationships, client relationships, supplier relationships, team
relationships, etc. So once you get your game right in terms of being in the
system with the right rapports / attitude, you can play it big.
A media agency can reach a level of proximity and trust with the client that
very few creative agencies can today boast of. After all, media is
responsible for the next big badge on their client's mantle. At least so is
the case in leading FMCG/telecom companies. Dikhta hai to Bikhta hai. And
dikhate to hum hain. Hence with high risk come high returns. No offence
meant but ever since the division of creative and media as 2 different
compartments, creative agencies get restricted to making ads. A media agency
gets to go beyond by directly bridging the gap between the client and the
consumer. The main difference between a media agency and their advertising
agency counterparts is that return on investment (ROI) is key – ensuring
that every element of the clients’ media investment is evaluated and
accountable.
A pro is definitely that the media world is a small fraternity. Good work is
seen and appreciated real time.
Bas do minute of gyan here. A media agency helps to communicate with current
and potential consumers and/or the general public. Media agencies work with
their clients to understand the business issues, their markets and their
consumers. The media agency then identifies the consumer insights, which can
help to devise a channel-neutral communication strategy which really
connects with those consumers; using channels ranging from influencing media
content, events and sponsorship to advertising, interactive advertising,
social media, word of mouth and direct mail; to build a genuinely integrated
campaign. Media agencies bring efficiency to their clients across media
planning and negotiation points as they have the specific expertise, volume
leverage and deliver economies of scale and therefore reduce per media
booking transaction cost.
Then comes the adrenaline high part. Coups. Ambush. Guerilla. Viral. Take
Unilever P&G. Kingfisher Jet Airways. Coke Pepsi. Some of these are fought
tooth and nail on media. And believe me, it is like you are working under
CIA. Top secret confidential information exchanges hands. Market
Intelligence, Competitor information and so on are passed real time and you
become the confidantes and rock solid partners who ensure that coups are
carried out smoothly, swiftly. If you can replicate warfare in a corporate
set up, then this is it. You get the high of outshouting, killing or pulling
off a fast one. The recent P&G HUL Ambush Marketing case was one such case.
And I was glad to have been in the middle of it. Working overnight on
pulling off a successful multimedia campaign in a matter of 24 hours gives a
stupendous high.
We dont just have client's competition to face. We also have other agencies.
And the turf to play it out is proving your point at awards. Emvies is one
such held every year to honour measurable and significant contributions in
the field of media. Here, you dont just need to write a winning paper. You
also need to present your case in front of an audience consisting of media
fraternity and advertisers. It becomes a place for many to take a dig at
their nearest rivals, making the game all the more fun and exciting. These
award ceremonies are nothing short of a carnival. Its a war out there and
all is fair.
What else? You work on some of the biggest brands in the country. You become
'wanted' / 'hunted' by media sales teams across board. You get power and
control over your brand(s) and get to handle huge levels of media
investment. You plan how people see or think about these brands.
You work in a dynamic world. You tweak and customize basis people's thoughts
and actions. Technology is changing the face of the consumer and his
behaviour. Internet, mobile, congruence, augmented reality, behavioural
targeting, social media have become the new buzz words. What was impossible
yesterday is passe today. It is as dynamic as that. Just look at yourself.
You are not the Lalitha ji of yesterday. You have changed. And so have we to
address you. You spend more time on FB, twitter and gmail. And we understand
that. Today media likes to play smart. It creeps into you. Like telecom
companies have made their signature tune so 'homely'. Global handwashing
day. World Heart day. Did you even know of such days a year or two ago?
So what does it take to become an adrenaline charged media professional?
Passion. Enthusiasm. And Ambition. I think these take you far and are some
of the key skills one looks for while recruiting media personnel. The will
to go the extra mile. The urge to get things done by hook or by... The want
to be ahead of the pack. The want to do something different or to do
something differently. The want to create, innovate and excel.
What will you achieve? You will be acutely aware of what's happening in your
city, your country, your specialist area of expertise. You will understand
brands, markets, communication and media. Most of all, you will understand
other people. The people we live with. The people we work with. The people
we are. For that you will need to be a thinker plus doer, relentless in the
pursuit of success for your clients. You will need to continuously seek -
and find - the perfect connection between your clients' products and
potential customers. An agency does this by using its skill and clout to
plan and negotiate great deals with broadcasters and publishing houses. In
the liberated, unpredictable, spectacular media world of the 21st century,
we use analysis and creativity to commission a group of specialists, not
necessarily us to create a stream of brilliant ideas and control them as we
distribute them around the world.
Its a mad mad world. A treadmill!
had specialized in the field and therefore, becoming a brand manager came to
me as a natural ambition.
With no real idea of where I was headed, during the course of my working
tenure, I happened to set foot into a media conglomerate, Group M. All I
knew from hearsay and HR say was that this was a set up more alike a
treadmill. Either you manage to run with it or you fall. I decided to go for
it. Less said the better on whether I had a choice at the time. I joined the
largest media agency in the country, Mindshare India and am today working
for its largest unit, Fulcrum, servicing the largest advertiser in the
country, Unilever. For those far from the industry, Mindshare and Fulcrum
may sound unfamiliar. At one time, even to me, they did. But soon I realized
that an agency of this size and stature offer immense opportunities to grow
and learn. The objective behind my writing this piece is to give you an
insider's perspective into an industry that few know about and one where I
am happy to have spent my time.
Working at a media agency has its pros and cons. I can immediately tell you
that this treadmill kind of lasts more than 12 hours a day. The treadmill
often becomes thankless with the belt simply stretching you, making you run
faster and faster. And questions being raised on why cant you double the
speed?
Too taxing..well little meetha ho jaye.. Any strenuous exercise gives you an
adrenaline high and so does working in a media agency. Life is mostly on the
edge.
The trough..Deadlines are mostly yesterday's. And a campaign is as dependent
on your client's mom's serial watching habits as with the logic / science
behind the planning. For instance, I still remember the time a client
chalked out his flamboyant frequent flying boss' travel patterns from office
to airport so as to place his outdoor media. It takes patience to explain
logic to some guys who think media begins and ends with them, their boss or
family. Secondly a media agency is a media agency is a media agency. So
while you may be the singularly taking the client's campaign thought and
communication to the next level of thinking and implementation, the kudos
may still remain internal. After all, an agency has to be kept on its toes.
And if you encourage too much, wouldnt the credit be belittled from your
collars?
Lets delve a little into the pros. The pro is at times, the world is running
with blinders on. Most of us are. And the game goes to those who think
outside the box. And its very easy to turn into a me too. Innovation after
all gets easily duplicated. And first time evers become a way of life. So
its highly challenging to stay ahead in the game. Being in the know of the
latest ups in the industry and swinging it to your advantage. Also the
industry like many others plays a lot on relationships and people. Internal
relationships, client relationships, supplier relationships, team
relationships, etc. So once you get your game right in terms of being in the
system with the right rapports / attitude, you can play it big.
A media agency can reach a level of proximity and trust with the client that
very few creative agencies can today boast of. After all, media is
responsible for the next big badge on their client's mantle. At least so is
the case in leading FMCG/telecom companies. Dikhta hai to Bikhta hai. And
dikhate to hum hain. Hence with high risk come high returns. No offence
meant but ever since the division of creative and media as 2 different
compartments, creative agencies get restricted to making ads. A media agency
gets to go beyond by directly bridging the gap between the client and the
consumer. The main difference between a media agency and their advertising
agency counterparts is that return on investment (ROI) is key – ensuring
that every element of the clients’ media investment is evaluated and
accountable.
A pro is definitely that the media world is a small fraternity. Good work is
seen and appreciated real time.
Bas do minute of gyan here. A media agency helps to communicate with current
and potential consumers and/or the general public. Media agencies work with
their clients to understand the business issues, their markets and their
consumers. The media agency then identifies the consumer insights, which can
help to devise a channel-neutral communication strategy which really
connects with those consumers; using channels ranging from influencing media
content, events and sponsorship to advertising, interactive advertising,
social media, word of mouth and direct mail; to build a genuinely integrated
campaign. Media agencies bring efficiency to their clients across media
planning and negotiation points as they have the specific expertise, volume
leverage and deliver economies of scale and therefore reduce per media
booking transaction cost.
Then comes the adrenaline high part. Coups. Ambush. Guerilla. Viral. Take
Unilever P&G. Kingfisher Jet Airways. Coke Pepsi. Some of these are fought
tooth and nail on media. And believe me, it is like you are working under
CIA. Top secret confidential information exchanges hands. Market
Intelligence, Competitor information and so on are passed real time and you
become the confidantes and rock solid partners who ensure that coups are
carried out smoothly, swiftly. If you can replicate warfare in a corporate
set up, then this is it. You get the high of outshouting, killing or pulling
off a fast one. The recent P&G HUL Ambush Marketing case was one such case.
And I was glad to have been in the middle of it. Working overnight on
pulling off a successful multimedia campaign in a matter of 24 hours gives a
stupendous high.
We dont just have client's competition to face. We also have other agencies.
And the turf to play it out is proving your point at awards. Emvies is one
such held every year to honour measurable and significant contributions in
the field of media. Here, you dont just need to write a winning paper. You
also need to present your case in front of an audience consisting of media
fraternity and advertisers. It becomes a place for many to take a dig at
their nearest rivals, making the game all the more fun and exciting. These
award ceremonies are nothing short of a carnival. Its a war out there and
all is fair.
What else? You work on some of the biggest brands in the country. You become
'wanted' / 'hunted' by media sales teams across board. You get power and
control over your brand(s) and get to handle huge levels of media
investment. You plan how people see or think about these brands.
You work in a dynamic world. You tweak and customize basis people's thoughts
and actions. Technology is changing the face of the consumer and his
behaviour. Internet, mobile, congruence, augmented reality, behavioural
targeting, social media have become the new buzz words. What was impossible
yesterday is passe today. It is as dynamic as that. Just look at yourself.
You are not the Lalitha ji of yesterday. You have changed. And so have we to
address you. You spend more time on FB, twitter and gmail. And we understand
that. Today media likes to play smart. It creeps into you. Like telecom
companies have made their signature tune so 'homely'. Global handwashing
day. World Heart day. Did you even know of such days a year or two ago?
So what does it take to become an adrenaline charged media professional?
Passion. Enthusiasm. And Ambition. I think these take you far and are some
of the key skills one looks for while recruiting media personnel. The will
to go the extra mile. The urge to get things done by hook or by... The want
to be ahead of the pack. The want to do something different or to do
something differently. The want to create, innovate and excel.
What will you achieve? You will be acutely aware of what's happening in your
city, your country, your specialist area of expertise. You will understand
brands, markets, communication and media. Most of all, you will understand
other people. The people we live with. The people we work with. The people
we are. For that you will need to be a thinker plus doer, relentless in the
pursuit of success for your clients. You will need to continuously seek -
and find - the perfect connection between your clients' products and
potential customers. An agency does this by using its skill and clout to
plan and negotiate great deals with broadcasters and publishing houses. In
the liberated, unpredictable, spectacular media world of the 21st century,
we use analysis and creativity to commission a group of specialists, not
necessarily us to create a stream of brilliant ideas and control them as we
distribute them around the world.
Its a mad mad world. A treadmill!
