Tata Chemicals appoints Leo Burnett as creative partner

Tata Chemicals has appointed Leo Burnett as its new creative agency. The decision follows second and final round of presentations on February 21, where agencies – Lowe, Leo Burnett and incumbent Bates, fought hard for the creative account.

The company was on the lookout for an agency with a strong “creative and below-the-line edge” and felt Leo Burnett was the agency for the job. “The involvement of the Leo Burnett team as well as that of its senior leadership in the pitch process was commendable. We could see their enthusiasm and commitment for the brand,” says a company source. 

Leo Burnett gets the mandate to work on all brands of Tata Chemicals.

During the pitch, however, the agency as well as its rivals only made presentations on Tata Salt, which is the flagship brand of the group. 

The pitch process was flagged off in January 2005 when Tata Chemicals silently called seven agencies including Rediffusion DY&R, Contract, Lowe, Leo Burnett, Quadrant, FCB-Ulka and incumbent Bates – for the first round of presentations on January 31 and February 1. 

Subsequently, three agencies were shortlisted for the second and final round in the fourth week of February. 

Now that the creative agency has been finalised, the company intends getting a new media agency on board too. The invitee list for a media pitch will be drawn up today, followed by a call for presentations. 

“Not more than three to four agencies will be called for media presentations,” says the source. Its incumbent media agency is The Media Edge (TME), which does both planning and buying. 

The company, incidentally, has big plans for the new financial year including the proposed launch of a flavoured salt variant as well as a low-priced second brand of salt for the rural market. 

Its total communication budget is set to go up to Rs 15 crore from the Rs 9 crore spends on advertising and below-the-line (BTL) related activities this fiscal. BTL, in fact, will play a major role in its communication plan in the next fiscal owing to the company’s focus on rural markets. 

Interestingly, Desh Ka Namak – the tagline devised by erstwhile creative partner Bates –is likely to be continued in Tata Salt adverts, despite a change of agencies.  

© 2005 agencyfaqs!