Mudra, Chennai, scoops up Rs 2-crore worth of new business

Mudra's Chennai branch seems to be in the midst of some hectic activity these days. To begin with, it has a new branch head in Ashok Vidyasagar and this has been followed up with some new business gains for the agency branch. All in good time as the agency steps up work to meet its year-end targets. The branch has bagged two new local clients that will definitely add that much-needed sheen to the festive season.

Vidyasagar took charge from Aurobindo Mohanty, who quit some three months ago "to pursue his own interests". But clearly, the change of guard has brought some good luck for it too. To begin with, the Chennai Silks account has shifted from Sasi Advertising (a south-based agency) to Mudra. "We have been proactively pursuing the account for the last one year and have finally bagged the business. Silk saree advertising in the retail segment is very active in Tamil Nadu and the client has been extremely aggressive on this front," Vidyasagar, branch director, Mudra Chennai, told agencyfaqs!.

In fact, Mudra had actively wooed the business last year, when, after a round of hectic pitching, the business went Sasi's way. Mudra, it seems, will work on the print campaign only as the television campaign will be orchestrated by an in-house team, in conjunction with a local film-maker Bala Shankar. "We won the business purely on the strength of our splendid creatives. This kind of work calls for good copy and good visuals. We have used the print media quite exhaustively in Tamil Nadu and the brand is visible all over - in dailies, magazines and outdoors," said Vidyasagar.

The other new business is local as well - in the form of Kerala Fashion Jewellers. "This account was earlier handled by a local agency. Again, we pursued this business on our own volition," Vidyasagar said. Jewellery advertising is another area in Tamil Nadu in which local agencies have come up with some stunning work. In fact, most of the print media here is flooded with ads from jewellers and retail brands."

agencyfaqs! readers would recall the story we ran last year which detailed how Chennai Silks created a stir in the local market when it splurged close to Rs 2 crore on television on the day of its launch. Chennai Silks, which started out from Coimbatore, has presence in Erode, Tirupur and Chennai. With Christmas and Pongal just round the corner, Mudra has got down to brass tacks without delay.

The two new businesses will add upwards of Rs 2 crore to the billings of Mudra's Chennai branch. © 2002 agencyfaqs!