Euro RSCG is good with retaining clients: George Gallate

While Euro RSCG may have built itself a formidable reputation abroad, now India seems to be looking good to the agency. Most of the ad industry here still believes it to be behind the O&Ms, Lowes and JWTs when it comes to creativity.

But George Gallate, CEO, Euro RSCG, Asia Pacific, India and Middle East, and global CEO, Euro RSCG 4D (the design unit of Euro), is not perturbed by this perception. “For us, the client’s opinion matters more than the industry’s,” he says. “And we have been successful in satisfying our clientele over the years.”

In fact, Gallate is quite proud of the fact that Euro has managed to retain businesses for long periods of time, even in India. “Voltas is a fine example of that,” he says. Further, the Dell win is a hallmark achievement for Euro in India, he says.

The study has its origin in two others done by Euro: the Base Prosumer study in 2004 (‘prosumer’ meaning a consumer who is heavily influenced by marketing), and the Remixed Generation study in 2005. These two studies found that people in small towns are as much, if not more, reactive to marketing as those in metros. “Our cricket team today, comprising a varied mix of small townies, represents what the new India is about,” says Suman Srivastava, CEO, Euro RSCG India.

The top 12 Tier 2 cities (those with a population of more than one million, but less than 10 million) were identified: Ludhiana, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Kanpur, Patna, Surat, Nagpur, Vijaywada, Mangalore, Kochi, Coimbatore and Madurai (sample size 2401, SEC AB, 15-30 years).

It was found that this is a generation exposed to, and hence aspiring to, a better lifestyle, and it believes that the impossible is, in fact, possible. Further, this segment believes in ‘work hard, earn more, spend lavishly and spend prudently’ all at the same time. It was further revealed that this is a generation that’s a great believer in the Indian success story, and is willing to wear its success on its shoulders. Eighty per cent of these people believe in raising their kids in India, and not abroad.

This generation is also heavily influenced by movies such as ‘Rang De Basanti’ and ‘Lagey Raho Munnabhai’ and they see their aspirations reflected in today’s cricket icon, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“The trends that define India today are being formed in the ‘chai tapri’ of Ludhiana, not in the pubs of South Mumbai,” says Srivastava, implying that the trends that drive India today don’t trickle down from the urban metros, but are bubbling up from the Tier 2 cities.

The average small townie, labelled Bunty, believes in living in the real world and not the virtual one. Although exposed to the Internet, friends in his world have names and not email IDs. Chat rooms are canteens, not cold, anonymous cyber cafés. “No wonder movies on online relationships, such as ‘Na Tum Jaano Na Hum’, bombed so miserably at the box office,” says Srivastava.

Furthermore, friends are becoming ‘family’ as the joint family system fades away in small India. “However, your roots still define you, which is why a soppy movie like ‘Vivaah’ did better business in small towns,” reveals Srivastava.

Next, there is a sense of urgency, excitement and confidence in Bunty, as he constantly feels the need to be on the move and take risks.

Fitness is of prime importance to this generation, while a marriage partner is decided by the individual, with the family’s consent – an arranged love marriage. Bunty also has a split personality of sorts: For all his need for independence, Bunty still needs parental consent for dating, while Indian kurtas get crossed with Western jeans. “And big city competitiveness sometimes clashes with small town attitudes,” concludes Srivastava.