'Through the line' is the new buzzword for Lintas IMAG

With the market for below the line activities expected to increase, the competition in this segment is likely to get hot. And Lintas IMAG (Integrated Marketing Action Group) is all geared up to give this sector a fresh approach. The company has derived a new term, ‘through the line’ or TTL, which comprises both below the line and above the line activities.

Ashish Bhasin, director, IMAG, Lintas India, expects that the ratio between above the line and below the line activities in a media plan will be 50:50 in the near future. According to him, at present, below the line activities constitute only about 25 per cent of a media plan.

According to Bhasin, “The basic idea of having IMAG is to provide our clients with a single window for their varied market needs. By creating a specialised division for each of our services, we want to give our clients international quality service.”

Lintas IMAG comprises eight divisions: Linterland (rural marketing), dCell (strategic design), Lin Opinion (PR), Advent (events), Lintas Personal (CRM & direct marketing), Aaren Initiative (out of home) Lintertainment (entertainment marketing) and Lintas Healthcare.

One of the major successes of the group has been the Dalda Vanaspati Ghee brand. When IMAG bagged the account, Dalda was losing sales as it was perceived as being harmful for health. IMAG helped it regain its position.

Bhasin says, “The brand was already known to people. Hence, we needed to promote the product through different means. Although we did launch TV and print ads, we concentrated more on other marketing activities.”

The group decided to promote the product by making people experience the brand. It began by cooking food in Dalda Vanaspati Ghee and getting people to taste it. The group also displayed the product at different events (melas).

Recently, Lintas IMAG won the marketing and communication business of Pfizer’s Viagra. Although Lintas Healthcare will play a major role in its advertising, the group will also take care of its rural marketing, packaging, PR, direct marketing and event-related promotion through its specialised divisions.

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