A Report on India's Ten Leading Ad Firms

chillibreeze writer Sneha Bhat

With globalization penetrating every realm of our lives today, it is not surprising that advertising in India too undergone tremendous growth over the past decade. The 30-second slot between TV shows is a largely coveted space for most advertising companies today. Indian television viewers are very much influenced by visual ads and print ads, thus expanding the product consumer base. Mumbai continues to be the major advertising hub of this country. Here is a quick sneak peek at the top ten advertising firms of India as of today. 1. Ogilvy & Mather is an international advertising, public relations and marketing agency established in 1948.

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This New-York based firm operates in 125 countries across the world, with its Indian operation centreOgilvy Advertisingin Mumbai. Ogilvy & Mather is the creative team behind Indias most successful and renowned brands such as Hutch (Vodafone), Cadbury, Asian Paints and Fevicol. The O&M network offers services to countless Fortune Global 500 companies across the world. Ogilvy Advertising continues to remain Indias number one advertising agency. 2. Popularly known as JWT, J Walter Thompson is headquartered in New York having offices in over 90 countries. It was set up in 1864 and even today, continues to create, innovate and define the world of communication in India. JWT has many feathers in its cap including Nestle, Cadbury, Bayer, Ford, Nokia and Unilever. Among its several accolades, JWT was recently proffered with the Grand Prix award at the 2008 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival for the Lead India campaign. 3. Mumbai-based Mudra Communication was set up in 1980 with the aim of using the art of communication to express ideas that shape its brands. The Mudra team focuses on its consumers and their needs and experiences. Its four agency networks ensure a customized and collaborative approach to create a brand experience for its clients. Mudra Communication has promoted famous brands like Neutrogena, HBO, Philips, Reliance NetConnect, Big Bazaar and Mary Kay in such a way that it creates a lasting impression in the hearts of the its consumers. 4. FCB Ulka Advertising Ltd., since its inception in 1961, has continued to be among the top 5 advertising agencies in India. This companys aim has always been to create advertising that is noticeable and that is most relevant to the buyer, not the seller. Some of FCB Ulkas successful ads include Tata Indicom,

Whirlpool, Zee Cinema, Santoor, Sunfeast and Amul, among others. FCB Ulka is considered as a turnaround specialist that indulges in more than just brand building. 5. Rediffusion DY & R is a Mumbai-based advertising agency that was set up in 1973. It focuses primarily on integrated PR services and media relations. This firm stands proud at number 5. 6. The tagline Thanda Matlab Coca Cola is the brainchild of one of Indias leading advertising agenciesMcCann Erickson India Ltd. McCann Erickson was born out of a successful and profitable merger in 1930, and its offices in Australia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe and India speak volumes about its advertising success till date. One of the many feathers in its cap is the famous brand line For everything else, theres MasterCard. 7. RK Swamy BBDO Advertising Ltd. is one of Indias leading integrated communication services providers, which is committed to developing marketing solutions for its clients. Its focusto offer intelligent, cost -effective and creative solutionshas led it to achieve a remarkable double-digit growth in the past recession-hit period. R K Swamy BBDO is a subsidiary of the R K Swamy Hansa Group, which boasts of over 1000 employees and operations across India and the USA. 8. Grey Worldwide (I) Pvt. Ltd. is a Mumbai-based advertising agency specializing is providing effective advertising and marketing solutions. With offices in Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, Grey Worldwide India Pvt. Ltd. is part of the larger family called the Grey Global Group. Following are some of the brands that feature on Grey Indias noteworthy list of clients: Hero Honda, Maruti Suzuki, Nestle, Indian Oil, Ambuja Cement, UTV, P&G and Godrej. 9. The creative team of Leo Burnett India Pvt. Ltd. has, over the years, successfully offered consumers with powerful brand experiences using ads like McDonalds, Heinz, Complan, Bajaj and HDFC, to name a few. A regular award winner at the Cannes festival, Indias Leo Burnett has been proclaimed as one of the most creative agencies of the country. 10. Since its inception in 1986, Contract Advertising India Ltd. has skillfully delivered successful results to its high-profile clientele including Tata Indicom, Religare, Asian Paints, Dominos Pizza, SpiceJet, Samonsite and American Tourister. Contract Advertising India Ltd. is known for its one-of-a-kind specialty divisions that provide complete advertising solutions. These divisions include DesignSutra, iContract and Core Consulting.

Advertising is a medium meant to propagate ideas to people using any means of communication. Liberalization has empowered advertising and has completely changed the Indian advertising scenario. The major areas touched by advertising are FMCGs food market, cosmetics etc. Advertising is like the two sides of a coin. Sometimes it may seem that advertisements send out the wrong message or impel people to buy certain products. On the other hand, advertising can be perceived as a means to sell a product or a service which can improve by competition. Today, advertising is booming. With the growing markets and competition, it has become an essential tool to reach the target market as well as the target audience. Advertisers in India have reached 75 percent of the population, using television as a media device, and the rest of the population is reached via radio. India, however, favors newspapers, magazines, television, radio, billboards and business publications to convey messages about various products. It is the advertising agencies advertisements which portray ideas to the audience agencies that compete to be ranked as the best. The worlds leading advertising agencies Ogilvy and Mather, J. Walter Thompson, BBDO, Lintas, McCann-Ericsson and Leo Burnett have successfully made a mark in the Indian market. The advertising agencies are ranked in order of their creativity as well as the expertise to deliver the content and message to the clientle. There are many parameters on which they are graded, and these are just a few.

Advertising Companies of India

Advertising is a big business in this era in India. Indian Advertising industry has witnessed a prominent globalisation. With the inception of various divisions,the advertising industry has undergone a sea change. Indian consumer's deepening pocket and blooming markets for adspends have touched new heights in India. The Indian Advertising Companies are creating stories and brand experiences in a way that engages and involves. The Best Indian sites offers the names of the top Advertising Organizations In India. Here is a list of the top Indian websites and a quick glance at them will help you to get the required knowledge about the websites

Top Advertising Companies of India:

Crayons Advertising and Marketing Pvt Ltd: This company is in existence from 25 years and the clients of this company include Air India,Fortis,MTNL,Bank of Maharashtra and many more. Check out the site for more information. Euro RSCG Advertising Pvt Ltd: The company is the global agency network and the largest brand of Havas, the 5th largest global communications group.The company has its presence in Bangalore,Delhi and Mumbai. It ensures to proviide solutions according to the business requirements.

Madison Advertising Pvt Ltd : The company is 23 years old and is famous in this advertising sector.It deals in Advertising,Media,PR,Rural retail,entertainment,mobile and sports,business analytics.Browse the site for more information. Sasi Advertising Pvt Ltd : This agency is 30 years old and is one of the largest South Indian Advertising Agency.The company deals with Branding,Public Relations,Event Management,Direct marketing and many more.See the site for more details. Ogilvy and Mather: This is one of the leading advertising company in India. This organization believes that devotion to the brand defines the profile of their company. This company has offices across the globe. The objective of the company is to build brands. I t is a subsidiary of WPP Group plc. The headquarter of the company is in New York.

J Walter Thompson India: One of the most popular company in the advertising industry is J Walter Thompson India. Their objective is to make advertising a part of the life of the consumers. This is also world's best advertising brand with about 200 offices in 90 countries. This company is the first one to introduce pioneer careers in ad for women,sex-appeal ads and also produced the first ever sponsored -TV program. Mudra Communication Pvt. Ltd: This is one of the renowned advertising company of India. This advertising organization was founded in the year 1980 at Mumbai. Recently the Ad company declared the addition of public relations,rural marketing,events etc. The head office of the company is in Bombay Area.

FCB-Ulka Advertising Ltd: One of the best company in India in the advertising arena is FCB-Ulka Advertising Ltd. In US ,this advertising company ranks third and tenth in the world having about 188 offices in 102 countries. Their aim is to reflect the needs of the brand and not the personality of the brand. It has about 500 professionals and no prima donnas. Rediffusion-DY&R: This Advertising company of India has made a benchmark in the field of creativity. India's 5th largest advertising company is Rediffusion. This advertising agency offers a wide array of integrated pr services for external and internal communications. The primary strength of the company lies in the media relations. McCann-Erickson India Ltd: The prominent name among the best advertising companies of India is McCann-Erickson India Ltd. They define work in relation to the impact that advertising has on the lives of masses. The testimony of the company in which it firmly believes is the campaign of Coca -cola'Thanda Matlab Coca Cola'. RK Swamy/BBDO Advertising Ltd: It maintained the record of remaining consistently among the top ten advertising agencies in India. Established in 1973,this advertising reached great heights. This is also India's No.1 research company in the market sector and is fully run by Indians. Brand Equity is an integral part of the company. Leo Burnett India Pvt. Ltd : It has a significant presence in about 96 offices in 10 countries. This advertising agency was awarded the 'Worldwide Agency of the Year' in 2004.They are proficient in explaining how a single image is worth thousand words and can break the barriers of language but not at the cost of the ad's emotional power.

Leo Burnett roars in India's advertising jungle

Tuesday - Aug 18, 2009 Sumedha Srivastav - Televisionpoint.com | Mumbai

"It is a mistake to change your existing strategy because of a downturn. A better thing is to sharpen your existing strategy," exclaims Arvind Sharma, chairman, Leo Burnett India. And it is this strategy, Sharma says, which has helped Leo Burnett grow by 10 per cent even in a tough environment. At a time when most marketers are trimming their ad budgets or expecting their agencies to deliver more for less, Sharma is glad that his agency's clients (except financial and tourism clients) are doing relatively well. Of course, he is quick to take some credit for it. "Our brands like Mazaa have been growing at 50 per cent and Thums Up is an undisputed number one in its segment." he says. So, while news about loss of accounts and retrenchments are hogging most agencies, market watchers believe that Leo Burnett has been bearing the slowdown storm quite well. Not only have they not lost a single account, they have also bagged new accounts, including Unitech Wireless, Tata Capitals, HPCL and Samsung Touch phones. So, was it possible to achieve this with no real change? Says Sharma, "The change was brought by the environment. For three years' preceding the slowdown, our best people were getting an offer a month. That has now stopped. So our best people have been able to focus on our clients' businesses. It is a joy to see what a difference a little focus can make." But since that would have been true for most agencies, what makes Leo Burnett's dream run special? Rajeev Sharma, national brand planning director, Leo Burnett India, says, "First, our senior-most people have always been closely involved in our client's businesses. Secondly, we've always had a culture of proactive consumer contact and interface by our planners. It's not uncommon even for our senior management to actually meet consumers. And now even clients are realising the importance of these things." Another learning that clients have had amidst the current turmoil is that there is no magic wand that works for all. While TV may work for some, innovating and experimenting with new age media could be just the push that another brand may need. On this front, Leo Burnett has done some interesting work for HPCL at their petrol pumps. Similarly, the Jaago Re campaign for Tata Tea has done well on television, as also directed considerable traffic to their website. As a matter of fact, Leo Burnett's marketing services division, Arc, has been doing some path breaking work in the digital space. It brought home India's

first Cyber Lion last year. This year, Arc's work on Jaago Re even won a webby. Consequently, the agency's digital revenues are up sharply. No wonder, Sharma is keen to continue investing in the high-potential marketing services division, Arc as always. About 30 per cent growth that's Sharma's personal target for Leo Burnett in this fiscal. This Leo is certainly roaring in India's advertising jungle.

MUDRA INDIA PVT LTD From humble beginnings, Mudra India is now one of the leading advertising agencies across the country, its meteoric rise driven by some epochal work. It has a network of six offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Kochi. Mudra India clients include Godrej, Madura Garments, LIC, HBO, UB Group, Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Future Group, TTK Prestige, Federal Bank, Emirates, Malayala Manorama, HCC, Lavasa, Incredible India, Dabur, The Economic Times, Jockey, L&T Mutual Funds, Jos Alukkas, Femina, Lonely Planet, Philips, Jaypee Group, Kalpataru Real Estate, Huawei Telecom, Electrolux and Kerala Tourism.

JELITTA INDIA
Research Any creative that works in the marketplace has to be substantiated by an incisive understanding of the competition. Research and analysis is the key towards this. Our research wing gathers critical data and processes it, cutting through reams of information to arrive at the platform from where the strategic leap is planned.

Strategy The strategy is the foundation of any advertising campaign. The unseen link between the communication and its intended target group. Many an advertising dollar has been wasted due to wrong strategic thinking. Precisely why we invest so much talent and man-hours for this all important tool of advertising

The Creative Process The creative product breathes life into a strategy. It gives it form and meaning. Transforming it from a science to an experience for the consumer. Because benchmark creativity is all about capturing the essence of life and expressing it in an unexpected, humorous or surprising manner. Our creative process is a glove-in-hand co-ordination between the strategic and media teams, thus what emerges is not creativity for its own sake, but a matured, well thought out expression that probes the mind of the target and leaves a lasting impression. So, in the final analysis what matters is not whether an idea is the sharpest, the wackiest or the edgiest. What matters is whether its purpose was achieved.

Media planning In its broadest term any vehicle of communication is media. The mix comprises of press, electronic, outdoor, interactive, below the line and unconventional media. Our planners are equipped with the right kind of information to plan your communication effectively. Giving you the desired impact by talking to the people you want your brand to talk to

McCann Erickson
McC A N N - ERICKSON HISTORY McCann-Erickson WorldGroup was chartered in 1997 as a new model for integrated marketing communications. The WorldGroup was created by uniting best-inclass marketing communications firms in a range of disciplines behind a common mission and vision. In only a few years, McCann-Erickson WorldGroup has emerged as one of the world's leading integrated brand communications organizations--in global size, in professional quality, and in the number of clients we serve with multiple-communications services. Each WorldGroup agency retains the best of its distinctive heritage. Most notably, McCann-Erickson, is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary, representing a century of innovation and excellence in advertising and communications The rich histories of the member agencies of World Group provide the foundation for the WorldGroup's unparalleled expertise and their unique shared culture. In its brief history, the WorldGroup has cultivated a common culture across its global network, based on shared strategic tools and a shared vision for effective marketing communications. WHOS WHO : John J. Dooner CHAIRMAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER McCANN- ERICKSON WORLDGROUP Arther DAngello CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER McCANN-ERICKSON WORLDGROUP Eric Einhorn EXE. VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER MCCANN-ERICKSON WORLDGROUP President, CEO Max Gosling Representative Director McCann-Erickson Japan REGIONAL DIRECTOR Peter Hamilton MCCANN-ERICKSON ASIA PACIFIC CHAIRMAN AND CEO Robin Kent UNIVERSAL MCCANN PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Bill Kolb MOMENTUM WORLDWIDE REGIONAL DIRECTOR, McCANN-ERICKSON EUROPE, Ben Langdon MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA Pamela Maphis

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Larrick MRM PARTNERS WORLDWIDE VICE CHAIRMAN, CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Marcio M. WORLDWIDE DIRECTOR OF MULTINATIONAL ACCOUNTS Moreira MCCANNERICKSON WORLDGROUP REGIONAL DIRECTOR LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN Jens Olesen MCCANN-ERICKSON WORLDWIDE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Dr. Joseph DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & INSIGHT DEVELOPMENT Plummer MCCANN-ERICKSON WORLDGROUP CHAIRMAN EMERITUS Stan Rapp MRM PARTNERS WORLDWIDE Joe Torre CHAIRMAN AND CEO TORRE LAZUR MCCANN HEALTHCARE WORLDWIDE Chris Weil CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 49

MUDRA HISTORY It was a rather humble beginning ;No thunder, no lightning, no guardian angels showering of blessings In 1980, Mudra had one client - Vimal and a 500sq.ft. Office Its objective was very simple To create the best contemporary advertising which Mudra did. Mudra really is not sure if it made the advertising fraternity sit up and take notice But others definitely did which explains how nine years hence, Mudra was the largest Indian advertising agency And today, 23 years hence, Mudra have 125 clients nationwide And 3 agencies, 8 offices and 6 divisions in India and an equity partnership with DDB Worldwide And a capitalised billing of Rs. 7.8 billion And a 70 portfolio of some of Indias best brands And Agency of the Year awards six times And if its words are not enough, here are a few from its clients If youre looking for an agency that can be part of hits own team, that cannot be called an agency, but is a part of its family. That treats its products as their product and whose people will work as if theyre working in its organization, theres only one agency. That is Mudra. Piruz Khambatta, CMD Rasna Enterprises Ltd. Theyre completely involved in the brand. They take an active role and see them as a partner. -Amit Jatia, MD McDonalds Hardcastle Restaurants. Spirit Every brand has a descriptor. Every brand has a baseline. And being in the business of creating them makes Mudra eligible for four Made in India Mudra was created by a group of individuals whose only credentials were being Indian and knowing India Together they took India to the Indian and went on to become the largest Indian advertising agency Mudra (starting with the name) is made in India, for India, by Indians Success is Mudras Oxygen It is constant discontent and craving that has taken Mudra where they are It has forced them to continually raise their own benchmarks thereby helping them stay ahead of the competition. Success is what keeps them going, success is what they keep going for

LINTAS

About Lowe Lintas

Lowe Lintas is one of India's largest and most storied communication groups. Having started operations in India way back in 1939, Lowe Lintas India is today, a star office of the Lowe Worldwide network headquartered in London and a wholly owned company of the Interpublic Group headquartered out of New York. Lowe Lintas India, headquartered in Mumbai is headed by Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, R. Balakrishnan (Balki); and Chief Executive Officer, Joseph George (Joe). The agency has a brilliant talent pool of over 650 people across seven divisions and nine cities all over India to manage its 250+ clients. Over the years, Lowe Lintas through its offerings in Advertising, Rural communications, Design, PR, Healthcare, Film Production and Digital has helped build some of Indias largest and most successful brands. Most of whom, who have been with the agency since their launch.

FUSION ADS INDIA PVT LTD

We would like to think of ourselves as a dynamic battalion of professionals pulsating with a drive to do wonders. A generous amount of keen client servicing, dash of spicy creativity and innovative media solutions mixed together with a dose of enthusiasm and good humor, stirred together and kept on simmer ready for you. Result - Fusion-with nearly two decades of experience in brand building, a member of the AAAI, accredited with Indian Newspapers Society and the Electronic and FM channels. Winner of the Concerned Communicator Award- three years. We call what we do adverti ing. It is based on outthinking and not outspending the competition. Its purpose is to build next day traffic for the client while it builds an image that lasts. We are convinced that nothing makes the cash register ring like zing..

PAMM INDIA
PAMM is a full service ad agency offering end-to-end creative solutions for energizing brands. Combining the agility & speed of a Concorde and the performance & reliability of a Boeing 747, PAMM will take your brand on an enriching journey of aah se ah-a tak. PAMM has been making its presence felt since the last 23 years, gaining momentum with every passing year. The agency has been working at the ground level with some of the leading PSUs in India.

We dont just blindly follow your brand wherever it goes; well think hatke to show your brand the right direction. No wonder then, most of our clients unanimously say, Hmmm PAMM Its different! Leave your brands well being. Just sit back, assured. Lets make things better. We are a bunch of thinkers. Twigging your marketing objectives and requirements; wracking our brains to go beyond known horizons, into the unknown, to scramble ideas that click and coming back to reality to roll-out the ideas and unscramble your business. We are artists. Putting up a great balancing act of acute business sense and intense creativity to deliver winning solutions.

We believe brands are living things. They need to be nourished, nurtured and cared for. That is what we at PAMM do. We are passionate about creating and fostering brands. Our philosophy We try harder. Rings a bell? The year was 1962 when Avis launched an honest and now legendary marketing campaign - We try harder in response to market leader Hertzs number one position. At PAMM, we share similar sentiments. And to achieve that, we work that extra hard. We put in that extra effort. We stretch that extra mile. And it all directly translates into superlative work for you. We follow the old fashioned mantra - your success is our glory.