Alliance Advertising wins the media duties for Vishal Mega Mart

Alliance Advertising has won the media duties of retail brand Vishal Mega Mart. The agency won the business sans any pitch, based on its understanding of the retail market in India.

Confirming the development to afaqs!, Pravahan Mohanty, head, marketing, Vishal Mega Mart, says, "With the Indian retail market growing rapidly, we were looking for an agency that reflected the understanding about the Indian retail market in its work. We found that Alliance Advertising has both the understanding and the knowledge about the retail industry."

"We will develop the media plans for the retail brand and will partner Vishal Mega Mart in its process to gain back its position in the retail market in India," says Jogesh Bhutani, director, Alliance Advertising.

Earlier, the media duty of the retail brand was handled by Portrait. Vishal Mega Mart has not appointed any creative agency - the creatives are currently managed by an in-house team that reports to Mohanty.

The company started as a retailer of ready-made apparel in Kolkata in 2001. After tasting instant success, the brand expanded its presence across the country and opened other formats of retail outlets. It operated through brands such as Vishal Megamart, Vishal Retail and Vishal Fashion Mart.

In 2011, San Francisco-based private equity firm TPG acquired the wholesale arm of the business, along with Chennai-based Sriram Group, which acquired the retail operations. So, while TGP Wholesale operates back-end sourcing, merchandising and logistics, Airplaza Retail, a Sriram Group Company, runs the retail shops and other franchisee partners operating Vishal branded stores.