A. Previously, all the team leaders had their own directions, and it could have been that all of them were working towards a common goal or a different one. But now with a clear leadership, I hope that the team will move towards a common goal and objective, which is also very important for the growth of the agency.

With more than 24 years of experience behind me, I hope to give the team direction and the process has already started. The right kind of motivation is also needed and that also across the hierarchy, be it the senior management or junior level executives. And touch wood, since I have joined, the attrition rate in the agency has been negligible. Perhaps, I have been able to bind the team together. I strongly believe that, as a leader, my job is to drive the team towards consistent growth. Besides, my objective is to attract talent to the agency.

From the business perspective, the last four months have been stupendous because MPG has bagged business worth Rs 100 crore and that too for some great brands.

"I hope that the team will move towards a common goal and objective, which is also very important for the growth of the agency."

Q. How has Anita Nayyar brought about a change in the agency�s image, which was earlier perceived either as a Reckitt agency or a slow-paced one with no sting?

A. First, I would like to say that that we are still proud to be known as a Reckitt agency � there�s no harm in it.

But as you say, MPG was known as a �slow-paced� and �lethargic� agency � I will say that the change has already begun. We are being considered as an aggressive agency now. And this is backed by the business that we have bagged in the last four months, which is worth Rs 100 crore. And I am very hopeful that this year, we will move up the ranking among the media agencies in the country. And with the kind of team we have, it looks very much possible for MPG to compete with any large agency in the country.

Q. And what about its image as Euro RSCG's media agency, while it is a full Havas group agency?

A. No. Not any longer. It used to be. It�s largely got to do with the kind of work we have been doing. There has been a change in the image.

There are very few businesses that we share with Euro RSCG today and that has brought about a change in this image. We have bagged new businesses in the past and also sold the MPG name. We have reached that area where the recognition of MPG as a brand has increased.

"With more than 24 years of experience behind me, I hope to give the team direction and the process has already started."

Q. But there are quite a few businesses that have fallen into MPG�s kitty because of your previous contacts.

A. Yes and no both. While there are a few clients that came to us because of my previous contacts, I would also say that these businesses wouldn�t have come to MPG if it did not have the team and the tools that it has today. Talking about tools, I will categorically say that in previous stints, I have had the experience of working on various tools, but the tool used by MPG actually works. And this has helped us get a few businesses such as UTV�s Bindass.

Q. But you have been blamed for taking away people and accounts from Starcom?

A. Well, if someone comes and says that we want to work with you, how can I say no? But I had clarified with Starcom that I wouldn�t make the first move to get a business. But if some brands or clients insist that they want to work with me because they are comfortable with me, and have confidence in my knowledge of their brand, it would be foolish to tell them no.

If you are referring to the Radico Khaitan business, I will say that I have been handling this business since I was with MediaCom. And if they make me accountable for their brand, I have to respond. As far as the Voltas account is concerned, it was a multi-agency pitch, and we bagged the business based on the strategy and tools that we presented, not merely on the basis of previous contacts.

As far as people are concerned, they left Starcom, but not to join MPG. They moved somewhere else and when they were looking for a job, since I was comfortable working with them, I had them called in. But nothing was intentional.

"It would be foolish to say no to clients who are willing to work with you."

Q. How will you compare MPG India�s performance with the international outfit? How do you plan to leverage MPG International�s client list?

A.MPG India has got considerable success, but we still have a long way to go in comparison to MPG International.

But most of the business that we have bagged in this country is on our own merit. If you are referring to the Reckitt business, there was a proper pitch called in this country and it was not just a fall-out of a global realignment.

It is a common myth that businesses can be won if you have a big daddy sitting on your head. Only a very small portion of international businesses come to any particular agency due to an international alignment. I remember 10 years ago, McCann earned all kinds of businesses from Microsoft to MasterCard through its international tie-ups. But the scene has changed now. No client would give us business because it is our client in Spain or France. International alignments help gain us entry, but in order to sustain the account, we have to prove our mettle in the end.

Q. You have recently got the Radico Khaitan business. Besides, you have experience of handling liquor brands since the early days of your career. What is best way for liquor brands in these days of surrogate advertising?

A.There is a huge struggle for liquor brands in a country such as India. First, there are established brands such as Kingfisher or 8 PM, which has had the advantage of being present in the era of direct advertising and thus has managed to build its brands. Now for such brands, the challenge is to maintain brand recall through brand extensions and surrogate products. For instance, if you say 8 PM apple juice, then people know you are talking about whisky.

I would say that Kingfisher is one brand which has used its brand extensions very strategically and wonderfully, be it mineral water or airlines. This is also because its products have been distributed widely.

But the real challenge is for the newer brands. They are finding it difficult as they have had no previous or historical association in the category of liquor. Then it becomes extremely difficult to reach out to the TG and say, I am a liquor brand. It really becomes difficult for them to cut through the consumer�s mind. And the biggest mistake many new brands make is that they are not consistent with the brand extensions. Ever few months, the surrogate product changes from music cassettes to fruit juice to soda, thus further confusing the consumer.

But overall, I feel that such a ban is unjustified. By not advertising liquor or cigarettes, you cannot make a consumer not buy any of these. I think advertisements of liquor should be allowed with a few riders, say, one can�t advertise during the day or before 9pm or in a kids� block, but advertisement should be allowed.

"There are a few clients that came to us because of my previous contacts, but I would also say that these businesses wouldn�t have come to MPG if it did not have the team and the tools that it has today."

Q. Last year, the Havas Group introduced Havas Sports in India. What do you think is the scope for the growth of sports marketing in the country, considering that India worships only one sport, cricket?

A.Havas Sports is doing really well. We have tied up with a couple of very decent events which I can�t reveal now as the agreement is still in its final stage. We are looking at customising sports as per the needs of our clients. We are doing a lot of interesting stuff in sports after understanding clients� needs, understanding where they want to take the brand. For one client of ours, which is in the area of health and wellness for kids between four-14 years, we went ahead and did research on which sport actually clicks with them. The results were an eye-opener for us as our study found out that the most popular sport among kids that age is not cricket, soccer or badminton, but tennis. So, we actually created a tennis event for a client, which we thought would help them reach their target consumers.

For me, sports marketing is one area where your cash registers don�t start running from day one. It�s an area where you need to invest a lot of time before it actually starts showing some results. So, today, through this tennis event, I am able to connect my client to my audience, actually registering the brand in their mind. And sports marketing isn�t just about sports, but also about all non-conventional media.

Q. Will the Commonwealth Games be of any help to sports marketers in India?

A. I hope so, but then I also have my doubts. The Commonwealth Games is not that happening. It has not been able to build itself as a brand like the Asian Games or the Olympics. I don�t say that there is a great fan following for the Olympics or the Asiad these days, but there is still hype around them and they are stronger as brands.

"I had clarified with Starcom that I wouldn�t make the first move to get a business."

Q. What led to the launch of Havas Media�s B6 Integrated Entertainment in India, considering that in-film placements are just considered to be barter deals rather than actual cash transaction?

A. B6 has just started and, against common perception, it isn�t just about barter deals for in-film placements. What we are trying at B6 is to not just place our product in any or every movie that comes out. In-film placements have to make sense, i.e., it has to be woven into the story line and the brand has to be present where it makes the most sense. For example, Worldspace and �Munnabhai� were a beautifully crafted tie-up.

In �Viruddh�, there were five-six brands woven into the story. At some point of time, the audience does feel it is watching some movie or advertisement. Even though we live with brands right from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, when we watch a movie, we don�t like to see brands that look out of the movie and most in-film placements don�t look part of the story.

Research shows that people who go to multiplexes or malls do not go there only to shop. They go there also to hang out and have fun. This whole area of activity again becomes extremely important to engage people. You will find so many people today in the malls involved in some sort of event. They know that footfalls are there and you are actually connecting with them.

Q. What are your plans regarding Media Contacts?

A. Like most agencies have a digital platform, this is our digital platform. Currently, what we are stressing on is handling the digital requirements of our existing clients. Later, we will move on and handle independent clients. We are in the process of streamlining that. The future lies in handling independent clients. Right now, the focus is on establishing ourselves here. Internationally, Media Contacts has done really well.

"It is a common myth that businesses can be won if you have a big daddy sitting on your head."

Q. Between traditional media and new media, which do you think will rule in the future?

A.I don�t think traditional media will lose its sheen just because new media has arrived. I think the future will see a mix of both traditional and new media. Things have changed drastically today with the consumer taking centre-stage and brands taking a backseat. Earlier, all brands would scream that we are so and so brand, buy us because we are advertising � this is a mundane concept today. Today, branding is all about understanding consumers, putting them in the core, and only then does the brand come into the picture. Earlier, it was about one TV spot in �Mahabharata� and 80 per cent of your audience was taken care of, but today, 80 ad spots would only take care of 10 per cent of the audience. We don�t know who is watching what. Some would say if you are targeting youth, you should better target sports, English movie channels, music channels. At the same time, some research would come and say youth are all plugged into the Internet, while another analysis would reveal that the penetration of the Internet is small and limited to metros and then a story would come up about e-chaupals, where the Internet is readily accessible to rural farmers. So, the market is unpredictable. All media planners and strategists are tearing their hair just to find an answer to the simple question � how to reach your consumers in the most effective way. In other words, media is getting expensive to reach consumers. That is why below the line activities are gaining more and more importance.

The interesting part is that new media, be it mobile, Internet or mall culture, is helping us focus on our consumers. The numbers associated with new media might not be big, but I am getting a quality audience in return. So, both conventional and new media work in tandem.