FCB Ulka rebranded as Draft FCB in India

Speculations on the merger’s possibility in India have been put to rest. Stephen Gatfield, EV-P, network operations, IPG, and CEO, Lowe Worldwide, has confirmed the development

IPG believes that mergers are the way to grow. After the successful merger of Universal McCann with Lodestar Media in India last year (the resultant entity being Lodestar Universal), another merger from the IPG stable has fructified.

FCB Ulka has been merged with Draft Worldwide, IPG’s global integrated marketing, CRM and the retail marketing arm. As a result, FCB Ulka will now be known as Draft FCB. Stephen Gatfield, EV-P, network operations, IPG, and CEO, Lowe Worldwide, has confirmed this development to agencyfaqs!.

FCB Ulka rebranded as Draft FCB in India

Stephen Gatfield

For the uninitiated, IPG had commenced merging its Draft operations with that of FCB in various markets from July, 2006. The development has taken place in India now. Says Gatfield, “Fusing a CRM and integrated marketing company with an ad agency network ensures greater customer databases, and therefore, more focused targeting for clients.” The merger will also enable FCB to gain access to Draft’s intellectual capacities.

There won’t be too many changes in the hierarchy of FCB in India, save for the fact that Anil Kapoor of FCB Ulka will now spearhead the new entity in India and the South East Asian region as its regional president.

For the record, globally Draft has imbibed the philosophy of ‘Return on Ideas’, symbolising accountability and focused targeting.

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