Starcom bags media duties for the Future Group

Starcom has bagged the media duties for the Future Group (formerly Pantaloon Retail). Carat was the incumbent agency and this development follows soon after Carat parted ways with the Percept Group. The creative duties for the business continue to lie with Percept H and Mudra.

The Future Group was spending close to Rs 40 crore as advertising spends till last year. Sources close to the development state that these spends are likely to increase this year, as a result of the entire marketing budget of the company doubling from the present Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore.

This sudden increase in the marketing budget of the company is a probable counter to the pressure from mega players such as Reliance Retail and Bharti-Walmart, which will enter the Indian market soon.

The Future Group will focus mainly on above-the-line marketing activities to communicate to the target audience. It has already roped in celebrities such as Bipasha Basu, Zayed Khan and Himesh Reshmmiya to advertise its various brands. The focus on below-the-line activities will remain the same as they are believed to be an essential medium to reach out to consumers.

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