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Havas has reported a net revenue of €2.736 billion for 2024, marking an organic growth of 1.5% compared to the previous year. This growth was supported by strategic acquisitions, which contributed an additional 2.5% to net revenue.

The company’s adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) hit a record €338 million, reaching the upper end of its forecast range. This improvement led to a rise in EBIT margin from 12.1% in 2023 to 12.4% in 2024, largely due to strict cost management. However, restructuring costs increased from €19 million to €29 million.

Despite these gains, total revenue declined slightly by 0.8%, mainly due to weaker performances in key markets such as the UK and the US. North America faced a 6.6% decline, largely due to the loss of Pfizer as a client, while the UK’s performance was dragged down by Havas Health and Havas Creative.

However, Havas saw strong growth in other regions, particularly in Latin America, which posted an impressive 14.7% organic growth in 2024, led by double-digit increases in Havas Creative and Havas Media Networks. Europe recorded a modest 1.2% increase, supported by France’s Olympic-related momentum, while Asia-Pacific & Africa saw a 1.1% rise, driven by Havas Media and Havas Health.

The company’s financial result for the year showed a negative €37 million, compared to a negative €31 million in 2023. However, interest expenses fell from €8 million to €2 million, easing some financial pressure.

Havas credited its "Converged" strategy, launched in June 2024, as a key driver of its growth. The company is investing €400 million in data, technology, and artificial intelligence through 2027, aiming to merge creativity with advanced digital tools to enhance client solutions.

CEO and Chairman Yannick Bolloré called 2024 a "historic year" for Havas, citing its successful Euronext Amsterdam listing and transformation efforts. "Havas is now in a strong position to drive long-term value and reinforce its standing as a top challenger in the communications and marketing industry," he said.

Havas ended 2024 with a global workforce of 22,610 employees and remains committed to growth in digital, retail, customer experience, and strategic advisory sectors. Having completed six acquisitions in 2024, the company has already finalised three more deals in 2025, underscoring its continued focus on expansion.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/agency-news/havas-becomes-independent-entity-after-demerger-with-vivendi-50705.htm">Read More: Havas becomes independent entity after demerger with Vivendi</a>

Havas reports €2.736 billion revenue in 2024, EBIT reaches record €338 million

When consumer goods company, Lifestyle International decided to call for a creative pitch in 2022, it hired Spatial Access, an audit and advisory agency, specialising in advertising and marketing, as pitch consultant. 


Let us first understand who a pitch consultant is. As the former pitch consultant at Spatial Access, Meenakshi Menon puts it, they are someone who takes into account all the factors that are part of a brand’s business plan. 


They include market launches, relaunches and new product introductions. The consultant needs to work upon the pitch in a manner that doesn't negatively impact the business.

 
Coming back to Lifestyle International's creative pitch, for Spatial Access, it all began with conducting an in-depth meeting with Lifestyle International to understand their priority, the key skills they were looking for in an agency, the type of work they did and the brand’s pain points and scope of work.


Post the meeting, they came back with a ‘long’ list of agencies—almost 20 to 23 agencies — who they felt would meet their criteria. 




<blockquote>The process of pitching has always been a part of advertising, where the partnership between an agency and a client lasted for decades to come. In some cases, the partnership still persists.</blockquote>

 


Spatial Access created a detailed and shared folder, where each agency had an extensive deck, explaining the agency's capabilities as well as a good sample of their work, especially done for retail and fashion brands. 


Along with that, they also shared the credentials of each of these agencies. It included information like ‘Who's the key leadership team there?’ ‘What are the brands that they are working on, or have worked on in the past?’ and so on. 


The brand team went through all of that and then worked together to shortlist three to five agencies it found most suited.


As per Rohini Haldea, assistant vice president - marketing, Lifestyle International—who was a part of the 2022 creative pitch, shortlisting at least four agencies and not crossing the ‘more than five’ and ‘less than three’ boundary is helpful. Because more than five, could lead to a brand being very confused where they see too many things, and arriving at a conclusion becomes difficult. 


Sunil Alagh, managing director, SKA Advisors Bus Consultant, who began consulting in 2004, said, “If you're going in with McKinsey & Company or a Bain & Company or a KPMG, don’t pick more than two or three because if you have five agencies presenting, then you are totally confused.”


Once the agencies were locked, they were called in by Spatial Access, along with Lifestyle International, to brief the creative agencies on what the brand was looking for. 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/high-pitch-drama-the-pitch-process-in-advertising-is-broken-heres-how-to-fix-it-2909.htm">High Pitch Drama: The pitch process in advertising is broken. Here’s how to fix it</a> 


Spatial Access helped the brand build a structure for evaluating agencies in terms of what their criteria should be. Then, at the brand’s end, there was a panel consisting of people from the marketing team. All the criteria were looked at, and agencies rated.


Lifestyle International went on to shortlist two agencies with the highest ratings. In the next round, Spatial Access led the negotiation with the agency. Then they helped the brand close on a commercial negotiation. 



Lowe Lintas under MullenLowe Lintas Group has been their creative partner since November 2022. 


Haldea explained, “In our case, we were very keen to have people who have experience with fashion retail, because it's very different from FMCG. Somebody, who just has an experience of working on FMCG brands, especially from a creative or planning perspective, is not very useful to us because they don't bring any past experience or it becomes like learning afresh.” 


She added, “The big learning is to ask for who are going to be the actual people working on the account, and not who's coming to pitch. We had asked Spatial Access to very clearly communicate that to the agency itself, that as part of the pitch process, we would like to meet the people who will be working on our account.” 


Madison Media looks into Lifestyle International’s offline media, and their online media (Digital) is done in partnership with GroupM. 


The media pitch, which was done before the onset of Covid-19, was facilitated by Spatial Access, and that led to Lifestyle International reaching out to them for the creative pitch.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/pitch-imperfect-social-media-posts-for-pitches-evoke-mixed-responses-from-ad-agencies-18279.htm">Pitch imperfect? Social media posts for pitches evoke mixed responses from ad agencies</a> 


Haldea explained, “This process worked quite well because rather than just the marketing team solely using its collective wisdom in terms of who are the agencies out there, we were able to sample from a much larger set of agencies.” 


For Lifestyle International, the whole pitching process lasted for three-and-a-half months to four months. “When the shortlisted agencies began presenting to us and we got into commercial negotiations, that could also have been a six to eight week period,” Haldea added.


Brief history: Role of pitch consultants in pitching process


The process of pitching has always been a part of advertising, where the partnership between an agency and a client lasted for decades to come. In some cases, the partnership still persists. 


When Eastman Kodak Company shifted gears and shook hands with Ogilvy & Mather in the mid 1990s, it brought an end to the six decade long relationship shared between the company and J. Walter Thompson (JWT).


In the case of DDB Mudra Group, McDonald's, LIC, Dhara, Volkswagen, Royal Enfield, Johnson & Johnson, TTK Prestige, DIAGEO and Hindustan Unilever Limited, are some of its long standing clients. 




<blockquote>Brands would typically want to make sure that the agencies who presented to them were the ones who were going to be handling the mandate. Pitching has assumed greater significance since the 2000s.</blockquote>




As per Meenakshi Menon, a former pitch consultant at Spatial Access, up to the 1990s era, there were the same clutch of 10 to 15 agencies. The key agencies were JWT (now VML), Lintas (now MullenLowe Lintas Group), Advertising and Sales Promotion (ASP), Mudra Communications (now DDB Mudra Group), Frank Simoes Advertising, Ulka (now FCB Ulka), daCunha Associates, Interpub, Chaitra Advertising (now Leo Burnett), Rediffusion among others.


If an agency was hired, there wasn't much difference in terms of rates because they were all parity costs (defined as a strategy in which various vendors, despite their differences in brand, quality, or other features, align their pricing for a specific product or service. costs) especially among the big agencies. 


Brands would typically want to make sure that the agencies who presented to them were the ones who were going to be handling the mandate. Pitching has assumed greater significance since the 2000s.


Newer advertising agencies began to sprout, where over time, processes became more important or a key ingredient in any pitch process. Like, ‘How do we identify our consumer?’ ‘How do we slice and dice the market?’ ‘How do we look at fragmentation?’ ‘What is it that a partner can bring in terms of technology to the table?’ etc.


Some of the newer Indian advertising agencies today are Gozoop Group, Bang In The Middle, Social Panga, Sociowash, Schbang among others.


Spatial Access—established in 2003, acquired by Deloitte in 2020, were the first pitch consultants in the market. Their very first was a media pitch for Hindustan Pencils. OMD, went on to win the pitch in 2010, leading to an association with Hindustan Pencils that lasted almost a decade. 


“That's the beauty of a properly run pitch, where expectations are managed on both the sides. The role of the pitch consultant is not to only organise presentations. They need to be able to get their clients to understand what they should be asking for? They need to get an agency to understand what the client expects,” the former pitch consultant explained. 


In the case of Alagh, brands approached him after doing preliminary research about the services he offered. The marketing team then put their heads together to decide on whether he was a good fit. “I've had clients for 10 years where the renewal of the contract was continuous. Hence, we became a member of their team, as opposed to just being an outsider,” he said.


In the case of AXA life insurance company, for example, the CEO approached Alagh. Alagh quoted his charges and it was a deal. He clarifies though that he is a consultant and not a lobbyist. “There are some lobbyists that say, ‘You got a problem with the government, I will solve it for you’. But, I am into marketing and business strategy and offer services pertaining to that,” he stated.


Brands and pitch consultants


When Menon was associated with Spatial Access, agencies expressed their consent and happiness at the sight of a pitch consultant, because of the fact that it would elicit clarity of expectations. 


During the whole pitching process, she explained, Spatial Access would hand hold the clients and give the agencies enough time to put together their presentations.


A case in point is a German automobile company that does not have a pitch consultant in place. They have a commercial purchase department that defines the entire pitching process and hands it over to the company. They follow the rules and regulations outlined by the global mandate. 


Next, their in-house procurement team negotiates to figure out whether the identified partner has the kind of bandwidth they require in India. The questions include: Do they have offices in India? Do they have manpower in place? And so on.




<blockquote>In the absence of a pitch consultant, the pitching process could become whimsical where the number of agencies who are going to be part of that pitch could expand at the drop of a hat. Then, there's the possibility of the entire system getting distorted. But, when there's a pitch consultant in place, ideally the client stays out of the preparatory equation, and approves the agencies who are being called for the pitch. Once shortlisting is done, then the entire process runs on autopilot.</blockquote>

 


For the brand — which works on an FTE basis, and not on a package basis—it is a tedious process to hire professionals to work for a particular brand on a case-to-case basis. 


Therefore, the company has fixed committed timelines, fixed manpower and fixed structures to work for them in India. That is how the entire process of a global pitch is translated into a local pitch.


The globally identified creative partners are recommended to the local level for only procurement. The in-house procurement team in India will then negotiate with the partners locally and understand their strengths, capabilities, their total team size and if are they in a position to devise a brand new structure to work with the brand in India? Then the procurement team closes the negotiation in terms of cost.


Culinary Brands’ Chief Marketing Officer Mayur Hola echoes’ the German brand’s point of view. Culinary Brands prefers to keep a bird’s eye view on what is going on, than using a pitch consultant.


AXA was the client of SKA Advisors Bus Consultant for three to four years till they shut their office in India. KK Modi (past president of Modi Enterprises) was the other client for 10 years where they serviced every unit of the company right from cigarettes to personal care. 


VIP clothing lasted for a year and GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) was for two years—at SKA Advisors Bus Consultant—when they wanted to get into the biscuits segment. 


Some of the clients Spatial Access has worked with include Goodlass Nerolac, Whirlpool, Saint Gobain, Bajaj and CavinKare etc.


Pitch consultants and their pain points


In the absence of a pitch consultant, the pitching process could become whimsical where the number of agencies who are going to be part of that pitch could expand at the drop of a hat. Then, there's the possibility of the entire system getting distorted, Menon explained.


But, when there's a pitch consultant in place, ideally the client stays out of the preparatory equation, and approves the agencies who are being called for the pitch. Once shortlisting is done, then the entire process runs on autopilot. 


Alagh agrees with Menon. The pitch consultant must work with a team to understand the brand and the overall functioning better. 


He added, “You're not going to work with a CEO. You're going to work with the team, as a member of the team. My learning is that, ‘The CEO may have introduced me, but I'm going to be a member of you all. Therefore treat me as a team member rather than as someone who's come from outside.”


He states an example.


For the first two or three months, Alagh’s team goes into a company to understand what their requirements are. After that, they come up with a policy or a framework that they can follow. But, the catch here is whether the company accepts everything the consultant says, he added. 


The other drawback that Menon highlighted was, “Very often when there's no pitch consultant involved, then it becomes a pure relationship thing. And unfortunately, there have been cases where there was some consideration given by the agency to the client to win the mandate. I know of three cases where the agency actually paid the client to get hold of the account.”


The other pain point is that many creative people say, ‘We won't come into a pitch unless you pay us.’ But, the minute they figure out that it is a client that they desperately want, they're willing to pitch in without any fee. 


“What such agencies would do, would be not taking part in the pitch, but meeting the client separately, buying him or her a dinner, and then feeding ideas, ” says Menon.


The other issue that Menon observed was the serious case of ‘Idea shopping’. In certain cases, clients have said, “Hey, but they came and pitched. We can use this idea. Otherwise, they wouldn't have shared it with us.’



<blockquote>The other drawback that Menon highlighted was, “Very often when there's no pitch consultant involved, then it becomes a pure relationship thing. And unfortunately, there have been cases where there was some consideration given by the agency to the client to win the mandate. I know of three cases where the agency actually paid the client to get hold of the account.”</blockquote>



In such a scenario, Menon has recommended to clients to pay them a fee for using the ideas of the agencies. 

 
The other problem is clients tend to defer decisions, but expect everything to be done overnight when it comes to delivering work. Then, the quality of the work gets compromised.


Pitching process: Established brands v/s Startups


“New age brands or start-up brands are more driven by looking at the clutter breaking ideas that can help them get traction,” said Menon. 


But, they don’t really look at things from a long term perspective.


In the case of established brands, they are in need of sustained communication with common themes running through the brands. The cost of mistakes is much greater. They want agencies who can deliver not only ideas, but consistently deliver them on time. 


According to a source at the German automobile brand, “The brand campaigns run month on month, and change every quarter. Therefore, it becomes important for these agencies to come back with a strong strategy piece. It's not just about creative inputs, but their strategy piece is extremely important for both of the creative pieces”.


Learnings as a pitch consultant


As per Alagh, a pitch consultant needs to be sure that the pitch matches the wavelength of their anticipation. Then, the next step is to offer something more than that. The consultant also needs to figure out whether the client can afford them or not. 




<blockquote>In the case of established brands, they are in need of sustained communication with common themes running through the brands. The cost of mistakes is much greater. They want agencies who can deliver not only ideas, but consistently deliver them on time.</blockquote>




Touching upon the fee structure, as per Haldea, depending on the scope of the pitch, a pitch consultant is paid between Rs 15 lakh -20 lakhs.


He added, “If a company has got 100 crores, they hunt for a big agency. But, if you've got only 10 crores, then you look out for a smaller agency. My learning has been, ‘How much time is the agency going to give you?’ So, you don't go back to the managing directors or the CEO all the time.”


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-pitch-advisors-but-were-afraid-to-ask-16464.htm">Everything you wanted to know about pitch advisors but were afraid to ask</a>

Who are advertising 'pitch consultants' and what do they actually bring to the pitch table?

The maiden public issue of RK Swamy continued to receive strong demand from investors, who bought 25.78 times the offer size on March 6, the final day of bidding. As per the subscription data available with the exchanges, the participants picked 21.22 crore equity shares against IPO size of 82.32 lakh equity shares, reports Moneycontrol. 


Retail investors and non-institutional investors (high networth individuals) maintained the dominance, buying 33.31 times and 34.24 times the allotted quotas, while qualified institutional buyers picked 20.58 times the portion set aside for them, the report states. 


Employees also showed good interest in the issue, bidding 2.46 times the reserved portion.


The Mumbai-based marketing services company launched its initial public offering on March 4 to raise Rs 423.56 crore at the upper price band. The price band for the RK Swamy IPO is Rs 270-288 per share.


Srinivasan K Swamy and Narasimhan Krishnaswamy, the promoters of the company, as well as investors Evanston Pioneer Fund LP, and Prem Marketing Ventures LLP are the selling shareholders in the OFS.


The company will be spending Rs 54 crore out of the net fresh issue proceeds for its working capital requirements, Rs 10.98 crore for setting up a DVCP studio, and Rs 33.34 crore for IT infrastructure development.


Further, Rs 21.74 crore will be utilised for setting up of new CEC and CATI of the company and the remaining funds will be used for general corporate purposes.


"This is a strategic issue" 


In an interview with Storyboard18, Narasimhan Krishnaswamy said the IPO is an evolution of the organisation over a period of time as it has moved from the marketing communication world to the full-service market research world, and to the customer data analytics field. In the journey of a company, the promoters have to consider the future development and growth of an organisation.


The second consideration he said is “Who are we competing with?” "This is a strategic issue. We compete with a large number of international organisations that have come to India over the last two or three decades, and have pretty much acquired many companies in the country and have established their presence." 


The company competes with organisations that are publicly listed companies from their respective geographies. If there is a Japanese company like Dentsu, it's listed in Tokyo. Publicis is listed in Paris and WPP is listed in London. American companies are listed in New York. So, they come in with that scale of capital and are able to then compete at a different financial level.


"We have been competing to the extent we can with our own resources, and I think we need to step up the competition with the multinational companies. That's another reason we need to be publicly listed." 


Krishnaswamy said, "The third reason is that a public profile by itself is a marketing initiative. People don't realise that. Public profiling is financial at one level, but it's also marketing at another level. So, we believe, it will help us a lot in the overall marketplace and initiatives that we're doing." 


He added, Last but not least, here is another strategic consideration. Our clients are all large corporations and institutions. Barring a few, most of them you will find are in the listed space. It is a reality that large companies like to work with other large companies. This is a fact of life. And even from that standpoint, a listing will help us enormously."


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/public-profiling-is-financial-at-one-level-marketing-at-another-rk-swamys-narasimhan-krishnaswamy-on-ipo-and-more-25424.htm">Need to step up competition with multinationals: RK Swamy’s Narasimhan Krishnaswamy on Indian ad firms going public</a>

RK Swamy IPO sees strong demand from retail, HNI investors

Kickstarting its celebrations by bringing together the who’s who of the advertising and marketing fraternity, and unveiling the theme, Goafest 2023 raises a toast to ‘The Future of Creativity’, at a curtain raiser event. Hosted by the Goafest 2023 organising committee, the Curtain Raiser was held on May 5, 2023 in Mumbai and seen participation from agencies, advertisers, brands and media owners. 

Speaking at the Goafest 2023 curtain raiser, Prasanth Kumar, president, Advertising Agencies Association of India and CEO, South Asia GroupM said, “Goafest is known to unite India and South Asia’s creative economy. When we began working on curating Goafest 2023, we were certain that we wanted to present to the industry creativity in a new avatar and our theme is exactly in line with this. While we often discussed the future of creativity, this year’s edition of Goafest will be synonymous to it.  With a stellar line-up of speakers, must-attend masterclasses, and celebration-worthy evenings, we look forward to meeting our industry folks at Goafest, shortly.”

“Year on year we have raised the standard of Goafest and The ABBY Awards making it internationally competitive, increasingly. We believe we owe it to our industry. As we kickstart our month long celebrations, we are excited as we create new opportunities, bring in new learnings, and drive enthusiasm while honouring excellence.”  added Partha Sinha, President, Times of India Group and President of The Advertising Club, addressing the industry at the Curtain Raiser.

Diving into the theme, was a panel discussion led by Amrita Thapar, chief marketing officer, Microsoft India and advertising expert and veteran Agnello Dias. Noted journalist Anuradha SenGupta moderated the panel. The panel discussed the possibilities of AI and creativity, and advancements in technology that will enable new forms of creativity. The panel also threw light upon emerging technologies blurring the lines between the real and virtual worlds.  

Opening up the panel discussion, journalist Anuradha SenGupta said, "AI based tools are becoming available at dizzying speed. As we evaluate the opportunities and challenges they create, we need to understand more, so much more about how they work. We will have to use these tools consciously and listen as much to the scientists and engineers who create them as regulators, ethicists and philosophers who question them. Glad Goafest 2023 has made this the theme. The more we talk the better our choices." 

Sharing his thoughts, advertising expert Agnello Dias said, “AI is a big step in democratizing the access to  raw material required for creative execution but it cannot substitute creativity.” 

“Generative AI is the next big leap in artificial intelligence. It’s an inflection point in terms of how emerging technologies like AI are being used today.” said Amrita Thapar, chief marketing officer, Microsoft India, further adding, “It augments human ingenuity. It's your copilot that helps unlock productivity, unleash creativity and up level skills.” 

In a bid to deepen engagement and drive participation from across the industry, the committee also launched Goacast, as the official Podcast for Goafest 2023. Goacast will offer exclusive interviews and scoop with the best from the industry. Curated and presented by Ideabrew Studios, Goacast is the definite platform for daily dispatches during Goafest 2023. 

The curtain raiser witnessed a performance from one of India’s top three mentalist, Narpath Raman that kept guests intrigued. Raman is a pioneer in mentalism in India and is popularly known as the ‘Next Door Mind Reader’ for his simplicity and fun approach. He uses a mixture of methods - psychology, hypnotism, and storytelling to pluck thoughts out of one’s mind, influence decisions and mess with one’s sense of reality. 

Co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club, South Asia’s biggest advertising festival Goafest 2023 is set to return on 24th, 25th and 26th May at Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, Goa. The fest will also witness the 54th edition of the ABBY’s, South Asia’s Gold Standard, that has been recognszing creative excellence in advertising for over five decades.

Goafest 2023: India’s premier Ad fest kicks off with a bang

A round-up of the agencies who have scored new clients and big businesses. Catch the key business wins and new accounts bagged by the country’s leading legacy and new agencies.


Starcom India and More Retail


Publicis Groupe India’s Starcom India won the account of More Retail, a food and grocery retail chain in India. As per the mandate, the agency will now work on the brand marketing strategy, come up with a roadmap, and bring in valuable, enriching media-led brand experiences and deep insights on the business. 


The agency has been entrusted with the mandate of full-funnel marketing i.e., strategy, 360-degree planning, media-buying, driving awareness and last-mile transactions through the app and footfalls in the hyperlocal geographic locations they operate in.



Tilt Brand Solutions and Kohler India


Manufacturing and hospitality company Kohler India has appointed advertising agency Tilt Brand Solutions, a part of Quotient Ventures, to help build and grow the brand. The agency has been entrusted with conceiving, creating and executing an always-on brand and communication programme for the company’s entire portfolio.


DViO Digital and Chalo


A global integrated, creative-tech and digital-first marketing organisation, DViO Digital has bagged the mandate Chalo, a public transport technology company. The mandate’s responsibility will now include handling, planning and executing campaigns across all social media or digital platforms.


Further, the agency will also build and fortify the company’s image by using the key offline and more extensive marketing and advertising tools and mediums. They comprise of outdoor or out-of-home (OOH) advertising, on-ground activations (above the line (ATL)/below the line (BTL) activities), designing and creating marketing collateral such as – leaflets, flyers, standees, hoardings, kiosks, and tent cards which include the brand merchandise.


Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

Biz Moves: Starcom India, Tilt Brand Solutions and DViO Digital

Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG) and FCB Group India have acquired a majority stake in Kinnect, digital-first creative agency. This move heralds a new era of unparalleled digital capabilities. 


Under the rebranded name of 'FCBKinnect', this partnership will boast a formidable team of over 1200 seasoned advertising and marketing experts. This includes 500+ digital specialists, who offer comprehensive solutions across the entire media spectrum.


This acquisition marks a pivotal moment for FCB Group India, elevating its digital prowess to unprecedented heights. With FCBKinnect at the helm, the group is primed to lead the advertising industry with its unmatched digital-first creative capabilities, scalable content production, and innovative influencer marketing through Kinnect Outreach - India's data-driven influencer and third-party partnership platform. 


Kinnect will also spearhead the group's data, digital media buying and planning, performance production hub, commerce, performance marketing, CX, search engine optimisation and online reputation management offerings, providing bespoke solutions across the entire marketing mix.



Tyler Turnbull, FCB Global CEO, said, “Since our partnership with Kinnect began in 2020, the momentum FCB has experienced across India has been exceptional. Rohan, Chandni and the entire Kinnect team have proven they understand how to deliver growth for brands by unleashing creativity across digital, performance, customer experience and influencer marketing. With Kinnect now an official part of our network, we can help transform brands around India and APAC to deliver timely and timeless results like never before.”


Regarding the acquisition, Rohit Ohri, Chairman and CEO of FCB Group India, said, "Businesses today demand a comprehensive communications solution that seamlessly integrates innovation, technology, and data. In the post-COVID era, digital must be woven into every aspect of our operations and not treated as a separate channel. With nearly 40% of marketing spend now allocated to digital, Kinnect's deep expertise in marketing technology will further fortify our digital experience in India. Kinnect boasts a dynamic team of professionals with a proven track record of delivering truly personalised digital experiences for some of the world's most renowned brands. By augmenting our group's digital capabilities at the intersection of creativity, consultancy, production, and operational services across our vast network, we are poised to make a lasting impact and foster unparalleled growth for our clients."


On the acquisition, Rohan Mehta, chief executive officer, FCB Kinnect, states, “Our growth has transcended to new heights with our inclusion among the global powerhouses of IPG and FCB. We take immense pride in what our Kinnect has achieved in the past eleven years - from the vibrant culture we have nurtured to the exceptional team we have assembled. With this partnership, we are poised to create even greater prospects for our talent and clients as we synergise our expertise in digital marketing with FCB's unmatched creative capabilities. The future holds limitless possibilities, and we are excited to embark on this new chapter of collaborative success."

Chandni Shah, chief operating officer, FCB Kinnect, highlights, "After a decade of trailblazing in the industry, we are thrilled to elevate our game to new heights through our partnership with IPG and FCB - a perfect match for our ambitions. Their unwavering support has unlocked a world of global tools, technologies, and best practices, propelling our growth and opening doors to new markets beyond India. We have found a true synergy of minds and cultures while retaining our unique identity as 'Kinnect'. With the combined strength of their powerful local and global leadership, we are poised for exciting times ahead as 'FCBKinnect'. As entrepreneurs, we relish this acquisition phase and eagerly anticipate the limitless possibilities that the future holds. 


FCBKinnect has delivered integrated campaigns, such as 'Out & Proud @Work', 'TATA Tiago EV IPL 2023', and 'Chatpat', earning a staggering eight Cannes Lions in 2022. 


With a proven track record of securing integrated businesses from renowned clients like ITC, WeWork, Vivo, Vistara, and more, this partnership has set a new standard of excellence in the integrated space.


Kinnect has experienced rapid growth in the past few years, and has won multiple awards for "Digital Agency of the Year '' in India and several global recognition for their creative work at prestigious awards such as Clio, Spikes Asia and Cannes.


FCB Group India picks up a majority stake in Kinnect

When Eastman Kodak Co. transferred its $40 million consumer imaging mandate to Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) in the 1990s, it brought the curtain down on the brand’s 66-year-old association with J. Walter Thompson (JWT). 

 

JWT produced the first television ad for Kodak in 1955 and in 1992 created the memorable Kodak Moments campaign plugging the American photographic giant’s cameras and film. 

 

As former O&M creative director Shankar Nair recalls, after such a long association with JWT, Kodak was less than enthusiastic about the advertising work created by O&M. 

 

Then came the launch of Kodak KB 10, a 35 mm, point-and-shoot SLR camera, and the ad campaign for the product, considered the biggest post Kodak’s move to O&M. The period leading up to it was a test of endurance for the advertising firm. 

 

Kodak KB 10 and the advent of photography 

 

Kodak had a good standing in India, where it was a market leader, and its film rolls sold well. But the company was not much into advertising in India, where it did not strike a chord with consumers, who remembered it from the yellow balloons that were visible outside Kodak studios. 



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That changed with the arrival of the Kodak KB 10, which put photography just an arm’s length away from consumers. 

 

Rajesh Singh, former senior vice president of Kodak India, explained to Storyboard18 that photography was considered too technical a subject then. Few possessed the confidence to handle a camera and click photographs, a task they left to professional photographers. 

 

“India is a country with a large population where a majority of the talent stands untapped. Hence, seeding of the market was very crucial. We wanted to bring photography to the masses where anybody could buy, load the film, click and get good photos,” Singh said. 

 

Seeding is the process of targeting a specific consumer group to encourage the faster acceptance of a new product. 

 

KB 10 cost Rs 995 because, as Singh says, the company wanted to price it below Rs 1000. When the camera was introduced, the general verdict was: “Yeh camera nahi chalega” (this camera won’t run). 

 

That’s because every time the lens cap would slide, the flash would turn on, and it would spoil the prospects of a decent photograph. 

 

Singh hit upon an idea. He instructed his team: “Go to every photography studio, take two photographs of the owner. Click theirs in broad daylight, and wherever they desire. Then ask that person to take a photo with this camera.” 

 

Next day, the photographs were delivered and only after the campaign did the cameras go on sale; the product sold at least in the hundreds. 

 

The photography trade was finally convinced about the ability and potential of the KB 10. But skeptics still felt it wouldn’t survive long in the market. 

 

Kodak KB 10 was introduced with a three-year, no-questions-asked replacement policy that was unheard at that time in India. 

 

O&M was briefed with the task of creating an advertisement that spotlighted how anyone could click great photos with the KB 10. 

 

Band, Baaja and Baraat 

 

O&M’s Nair penned the script for the commercial, which focused on the product’s ease of use. 

 

Because the change of agency was a big step for Eastman Kodak, there would be constant calls with the company’s vice president, who was based in Rochester, New York, and who was very involved in the making of the ad. 

 

The conceptualization and discussions, which took place under the guidance of Piyush Pandey, (currently) chairman of global creative, Ogilvy Worldwide, and executive chairman of Ogilvy India. Ad filmmaker Prasoon Pandey was drafted to shoot the commercial. 

 

The ad showed a couple who are on their honeymoon, have a camera and want to click a photo of theirs. They see a baraat (wedding procession) passing by and stop a man in the procession to ask him to click a picture. The camera is so easy to use that he joins them in the frame. Slowly, the whole crowd joins the couple for a photo. 

 

Prasoon was pleased with the script, and Banganga Tank in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill was chosen as the location. 

 

The team thought the ad “should be shot at a historical place where one could feel that a couple had gone and the baraat happened to be passing from there,” he said. 

 

During a pre-production meeting that also had the Kodak team present, they wanted the ending to highlight Buy a Kodak KB 10 today and show people buying one from a shop. For Prasoon, that sounded terrible. The script had a beautiful story set outside that had a visual texture. But the Kodak stuck to its guns. 

 

Prasoon asked: “What is the intention? Is it because you want to show a Kodak shop?” 

 

The Kodak team responded: “No, no! You don’t have to show Kodak shops.” The question then: “If Kodak shops are not needed to be shown, why show any shop?” The team replied: “We don’t want to show Kodak shops because we don't want people to feel that it is available only at Kodak showrooms.” Prasoon once again reasoned: “Then, it is very simple. Don’t show any shop. Just go and buy it.” 

 

The team once again argued: “Our boss in Rochester looks after the Asia Pacific region. He has asked to us to do this.” For 30 minutes, the argument went on. 

 

Finally, Prasoon picked up his Nokia phone and rang up his mother, who lived in Jaipur, and asked her whether he should go ahead with an ad film that he didn’t agree with. Her answer, he said, was “No”. 

 

His mother had not even understood the question, but he told the Kotak team: “My mother does not know the script but she said No.” 

 

This led to the team bursting into laughter and said they understood his point. 

 

Roping in the cast 

 

The person in the red shirt who requests a photo is Mohammed Asif. Cyrus Pagdiwala, who is a producer now, was cast as the bandwala. 

 

In the commercial, the first person from the baraat who clicks and calls the next person is Sitaram. Prior to acting, he looked after supplying junior artists to film production teams. 

 

The filmmaker got the band, and to recreate the music of the band, he visited the studio to ensure that everything was in place. 

 

Advertising, reception and distribution

 

The commercial was released pan-India, and Doordarshan was the main TV broadcaster then. Kodak India’s Singh revealed, “I bought 1000s of seconds of advertising time from Star News and some other satellite channels. We were fortunate at that time because they were just entering the scene.” 


The ad was shown during ad breaks on movie channels, sports channels, and during cricket was being broadcast. Singh reminisces that although posters were made, not much was spent on print advertising. 

 

After the commercial’s release, it received critical and commercial acclaim, and KB 10 was sold in millions in the first year of its launch. It changed the whole landscape of the photography market, distanced it from being an expert’s domain and made it available to the average user. 

 

O&M’s Nair said: “The success of the commercial improved the client-agency relationship and dispelled the company’s apprehension on the account movement. The first person to react after its release was (novelist and columnist) Shobhaa De. Next day, she wrote about the ad in a positive tone.” 

 

Nair credits Kodak India’s Singh for constantly convincing and reassuring the executive overseeing the ad throughout the making of the film, and dispelling the doubts the Kotak team harboured. 

 

Film rolls then started selling in outlets ranging from photo studios to chemists and gift shops, even paan stalls. 

 

Live events were staged, where a frame would freeze and the inscription ‘Kodak Moment’ would surface along with the sound of the camera. The concept was eventually appreciated and awarded at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. 



Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/simply-speaking-the-rise-and-fall-of-kodak-3970.htm">Simply Speaking: The rise and fall of Kodak</a>

O&M and Eastman Kodak: How the Kodak KB 10 campaign deepened their association

A round-up of the agencies who have scored new clients and big businesses. Catch the key business wins and new accounts bagged by the country’s leading legacy and new agencies.


Wunderman Thompson and Tata Astrum Super


Wunderman Thompson India has won the brand building mandate of Tata Steel’s Tata Astrum Super. As per the mandate, the agency will have to position the Tata Astrum Super brand in a sharp manner. Further, the agency will also need to give the brand a competitive edge so it can command a premium over branded and unorganised players, forge bonds with channel partners and connect with end users.


Wieden+Kennedy and Clove Dental


Independent global advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy will handle the creative duties of a dental clinic chain, Clove Dental. The account will be handled by the agency’s New Delhi branch. Shreekant Srinivasan, who is the agency’s head of business will head the account. 


Schbang and ShareChat and Moj


Marketing solutions agency Schbang has won the social media mandate for social media and short video platform ShareChat and Moj. Among other marketing activities, the responsibilities of the agency would include designing social media and content strategies on ShareChat and Moj’s online channels.


Verve Media and Pragati Warehousing 


Integrated digital marketing agency Verve Media has retained the social media mandate of Indian developer Pragati Warehousing. For the past two years, Verve Media handled the social media account, planned creative strategies and amplified the brand's social media presence altogether. The agency will be responsible for improving brand awareness with social media management which includes campaign ideation and execution. 


The Minimalist and Rio Boom Energy


Creative solutions group The Minimalist will handle the creative and social media responsibilities of Rio Boom Energy drink. The agency will create unique and engaging social experiences for the Gen-Z and young millennial audiences of the brand. Further, The Minimalist will also spearhead the social media channel strategy, social platforms management and deliver topical marketing content and solutions for the brand.


Consult Blanco and Bergner


Digital marketing agency Consult Blanco has bagged the account of Spain based homeware and kitchenware company Bergner. The agency’s responsibility will include developing and implementing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. This is in order to increase brand awareness and drive online sales. Further, Consult Blanco will also leverage a range of tactics which includes public relations, social media marketing, performance marketing, content marketing and paid advertising. This is for reaching and engaging with customers across various online and key offline channels.


Composed by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

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