Rechristened David will now look at large sectors

rmg david, which started out as ‘the smallest worldwide agency’ five years ago in India, will no longer be called by that name. The agency, which had been considering rebranding since January this year, is now going to be called David. This move is a part of a larger merger of the WPP Group’s three existing agencies in the Asia Pacific region, namely rmg david (in India), rmg (in Singapore) and Results (in Taiwan and Bangkok). Collectively, the network will be called David.

Overall, David will have offices located in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Bangkok, Jakarta, Taipei and Tokyo, in addition to its Indian operations in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Other developments at David include a learning programme for its staff, a counselling programme for people who want to join the advertising business and a knowledge pool cell that will offer information on a variety of products and categories and prove useful to both clients as well as people within David. This knowledge pool will unearth consumer related insights and market analyses.

So, with the expansion of David to other markets, can one safely say that the Davids aren’t small any more?

Josy Paul, national chairman, David, explains, “This move is going to help us keep the ‘David’ spirit alive. David has never been about size – it has always been about retaining the spirit of never giving up, and of learning through example. It is all about how little things make a big difference in life. To me, being a part of the David culture is all about surprising myself.”

Paul says that in terms of new business, this consolidation of the David identity will be of great help. “This is a long-term development that will provide positive reassurance to our clients and build faith across potential ones,” he explains.

Kumar Subramaniam, president, David, says that in India, the agency is particularly eying large categories such as automobiles, financial services and foods and beverages as potential clients. “We are also going to rope in more people and have a more active account planning unit,” he adds.

On the event of Dussehra, the agency sponsored the Juhu Ram Leela festival in Mumbai’s Juhu area, with hoardings in and around the area carrying slogans on David and the David culture. A dummy Ravana was burnt by the people from the agency in a symbolic gesture. “The aim was to portray the triumph of good over evil, and the triumph of spirit over size. Which is what we are all about,” says Subramaniam.

“In fact, this is not an alien concept. I strongly believe there is a David in all of us,” concludes Paul.

At present, David has a staff strength of 300 with over 60 clients across its network, including BenQ, LG, AMild, Carrier and DBS.

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