Agency News
WhatsApp Sting: Dentsu CEOs secretly fed chat intel to CCI amid probe
Ad agencies losing ground ? | PNB MetLife calls for an integrated pitch | PB invites applications for vacant MPEG-4 slots
Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
Probation-based mandates are spreading and ad veterans say it’s turning strategic partnerships into glorified vendor gigs. Trust takes a backseat as clients move from retainer-based partnerships to quarterly evaluations, redefining the power balance in India’s ad industry. (Image source: Unsplash)
Storyboard18 presents FAST FIVE ⬇
We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
From Partners to 90-day Probation: Are India's ad agencies losing ground in client negotiations
Muthoot Finance’s quarterly mandate to OMD reflects a growing trend where performance, not partnership, drives agency decisions. As brands now demand trial runs before long-term deals, industry insiders warn of mounting pressure, short-termism, and the collapse of strategic partnerships.
AMFI and PNB MetLife search for new creative partners; BMW wraps up pitch
Several major brands in India have initiated agency review processes, inviting pitches for creative and media mandates as part of strategic realignments.
PNB MetLife has called for an integrated pitch, seeking a single agency to handle both creative and media duties. Sources familiar with the development indicate the account is complex, involving multiple agencies. The pitch is currently underway, and the brand has yet to finalize the agency.
Omnicom-IPG merger gets conditional FTC nod amidst ad boycott concerns
The FTC's green light comes after Omnicom, parent to agencies like BBDO and TBWA, and IPG, which includes McCann Worldgroup, pledged not to collude with other firms to divert advertising dollars from media outlets based on their political or ideological leanings.
Prasar Bharati invites applications for vacant MPEG-4 slots on DD Free Dish
Through 89th online auction, the pubcaster has invited applications for the period from July 11, 2025 to March 31, 2026. The e-auction will tentatively be held on July 2, 2025.
From Wipro to Infosys, India's IT giants see massive pay gap between CEOs and employees
The pay gap between IT company chairmen and Managing Directors and their employees has widened dramatically over the past four years.
According to Storyboard18's analysis of India's top-listed IT services firms, Wipro's chairman Rishad Premji has the lowest pay ratio to median employee remuneration. This means that the gap between Premji's salary and the average employee's earnings is the smallest at Wipro.
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