Scarecrow Communications, MPG win Quikr

Quikr has roped in Scarecrow Communications as its creative agency, following a multi-agency pitch process that involved three agencies in all. The media duties have been awarded to MPG, in another pitch that involved three media agencies. Ad spends for Quickr over the coming year are estimated at Rs 8-10 crore.

The three-year old Quikr (www.quikr.com), a digital classifieds company, that helps its users buy and sell easily online, has for the first time, roped in a creative agency, as well as a media agency for the brand's advertising. So far, it had relied on online marketing alone.

Jiby Thomas, co-founder and vice-president, marketing, Quikr, confirms the development. "We briefed the agencies participating to go beyond online marketing for Quickr, and Scarecrow and MPG best understood that need," he says. The brand shall be positioned on the 'simplicity in transacting' aspect, or the ease of use of the site for its consumer.

"We are in a growth phase," adds Thomas, "And, to meet our current and future brand objectives, it was critical for us to find a partner that would help us in developing strategic and creative communication that is clutter-breaking and relevant. In Scarecrow, we saw such a partner that met our needs."

Says Arunava Sengupta, founder director, Scarecrow Communications, "Though the Indian e-commerce space has seen substantial growth, it's just the tip of the iceberg. The potential is huge and so are the challenges. In this scenario, it's a great opportunity for us to partner with Quikr. We hope this leads to some path-breaking work."

Scarecrow will handle all aspects of Quikr's communication including creative, strategy, design and activation, whereas media planning and buying shall be taken care of entirely by MPG.

Kunal Jamuar, executive director, MPG India, remarks on the win, "Quikr, an established name in the online classifieds space, is poised for a phase of explosive growth and we look forward to partner with the brand through this journey."

Raghu Bhat, founder director, Scarecrow Communications, says, "Quikr is amongst the fastest growing e-commerce companies in India. The team's approach is entrepreneurial, decision making fast, processes non-bureaucratic, and it is open to new ideas. This cocktail of virtues will help facilitate great work and build a great brand, in the long run."

Manish Bhatt, founder director, Scarecrow Communications, adds, "We had created some interesting communication on Yellow Pages in the past. But, the era of offline yellow pages has now significantly changed. In today's technology-led digital world of mobiles and tablet PCs, the consumer is seeking every solution online. Working with Quikr, we will have to learn and explore a whole new chapter of communicating to the end consumer."

For the record, Quikr offers a web and mobile-based classifieds platform that addresses local needs in 40 cities across India, and offers consumers a platform to sell, buy, rent or find things, ranging from laptops to mobile phones, cars, furniture, real-estate, and jobs. The company is backed by Matrix Partners India, Omidyar Network, Norwest Venture Partners, Nokia Growth Partners, and invested in by eBay Inc.