HT Music and Entertainment calls for a creative pitch

Hindustan Times is looking for a creative agency for its newly launched company HT Music and Entertainment Company Ltd. But as of now, the communication will focus mainly on its FM radio channels, which is to be launched soon.

Around five agencies are learnt to be in the fray for this Rs 25 crore business. O&M, Lowe, JWT, Capital and FCB-Ulka are the agencies in the reckoning. O&M currently handles the creative duties for HT Media’s print brand Hindustan Times, while Maxus handles the media duties.

Anand Bhardwaj, vice-president, marketing, ‘Hindustan Times’, says, “Primarily, we are looking at a long-term relationship with an agency, which will understand our vision and match it with their creativity.”

According to Bhardwaj, the agency should also have a deep understanding of the radio market, and partner with them to provide the right kind of communication in this highly competitive market thereby also meeting their objectives.

While a few agencies have already presented their creative strategy, a few more are still to do so. However, Bhardwaj, hinted that a second round of presentations could also take place but a decision will be taken within a month.

For the record, in the second phase of FM radio bidding, HT Music and Entertainment had bid for four stations – New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore, and had won all of them. In December 2004, HT had signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Virgin Radio (Asia), which is a subsidiary of Richard Branson promoted Virgin Radio to enter the emerging FM radio business in India.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!