Rediff does away with client services department

Rediffusion DY&R has decided to adopt a new way of functioning. It thinks that the client services department has become redundant in creative agencies, and it has done away with it.

The agency feels that the view that the client services department serves as an intermediary between the client and the creative team is old fashioned and needs to be jettisoned. Instead, it wants an account management team to provide strategic and business inputs to the creative process, as planners do. The agency also plans to increase the level of interaction between the client and the creative department.

To begin with, the agency has created seven separate business units in Mumbai and Delhi, which will include professionals from both the business and creative sides. Each team is expected to provide strategic planning inputs, which have so far been a separate function.

Four business units have been set up in Mumbai for four separate sets of clients. For instance, the Colgate and Palmolive businesses will be led by Ajay Verma and Iqbal Raj, while Tata Motors, Franklin & Templeton and Onida will be led by Vinay Kanchan and Rahul Jauhari. The third unit will be headed by Sujay Navavati and Tony Pereira, and they will look after Taj and Reliance General Insurance.

The fourth unit has Ashish Khazanchi from the creative side, while his servicing partner is expected to join soon. Together, they will be responsible for the Indian Oil and Tata Sky businesses.

In Delhi, three business units have been formed for Airtel, large and medium size businesses, and small businesses. The Airtel business will be headed by Amitesh Rao, who recently joined as national business head on the Airtel business.

Amandeep Khurana and Lira Priyadarshi are in charge of the large and medium size businesses, whereas Gopal Krishnan will be responsible for all small accounts.