Yamaha Motors consolidates media account with Optimum Media Solutions

Yamaha Motors India (YMI) has consolidated its media duties with Optimum Media Solutions (OMS), the media specialist wing of Mudra Communications. The account is estimated at Rs 25 crore and was earlier split between OMS and Optimal Media Network, the media division of TBWAAnthem.

Confirming the development Nalin Kapoor, chief manager, marketing and product planning, YMI, told agencyfaqs!, "Many big agencies showed interest in the media account of Yamaha. But OMS' presentation was far superior in terms of their understanding of the category and their relevance to our needs." For the record, the three ‘active' brands in the YMI portfolio are Crux (along with sub-brand Crux R), Enticer and Libero (which is being launched today).

agencyfaqs! diehards will remember the story we ran in May (Mudra, Delhi, sweeps entire Yamaha portfolio) where we had mentioned that the company had moved its entire creative account to Mudra and split the media duties between two agencies. While the media planning function was vested with OMS, media buying was left with TBWAAnthem affiliate Optimal Media Network.

As it turns out, the company kicked off a protracted assessment process thereafter to identify an AOR. While both the agency and the company refused to comment, it seems there were three Top 10 agencies vying for the business, including FCB-Ulka media affiliate Lodestar. "The whole process was well engineered and conducted extremely professionally," comments Sandep Vij, president, Optimum Media Solutions. "The very idea behind the media pitch was to unbundle the media and the creative parts of the Yamaha business."

On his part, Kapoor gives full marks to "what OMS brought to the table". "While the fact that Mudra's creative contributions did play a part in their getting the media business, that was not the sole factor. What we assessed OMS on was the strength of their media solution," says Kapoor.

The task before OMS is clearly cut out. "Given the highly competitive structure of the motorcycle market and the huge growth that the motorcycle market is experiencing, it is expected that Yamaha will get extremely aggressive in the marketing front," adds Vij. And it has to. The 3.5-million units per annum motorcycle market is growing at 38-40 per cent, and has seen erstwhile scooter players (like LML and Bajaj Auto) jump into the fray to take advantage of this growth.

"The past few months have seen a rash of brand launches from almost all the players in this market. And each one of them has unleashed high profile advertising to support their efforts. A key differentiator in such a scenario would be how the media vehicle is used by Yamaha to drive maximum advantage," says an executive close to the development. © 2002 agencyfaqs!