MPG gets Rs 30-40 crore Kejian mobile media duties

In a significant development, Media Planning Group (MPG), the media arm of Euro RSCG India, has won the media duties of Chinese mobile handset company, Kejian, which has recently ventured into the Indian market. Confirming the development, V Ramani, CEO, MPG, says, "Yes, the account came to MPG last week." Speaking about the size of the win, Ramani says it would be around Rs 30-40 crore in capitalized billing. Anjan Roy, vice-president, north, MPG, would be heading the team on the Kejian account, he reveals.

Although the identities of the other agencies that pitched for the account could not be determined, Ramani informs that some "major players from the industry" had participated in the pitch. For the record, the creative duties of the Kejian account is being handled by Delhi-based agency Mindspace. The mood at MPG is understandable upbeat. "We are quite excited about bagging this account as we would be Kejian's first agency in the country," says Ramani. "Our biggest channel would be to change consumer perception towards Chinese products as the mobile handset market is ruled by European players. Although a Chinese company, Kejian has a global presence, and we would be successful if we can generate the initial consumer response in the country."

Ramani is, however, reluctant sharing details pertaining to the media strategies MPG has in mind for Kejian. All he reveals is that both television and print would play a significant role in the media plan. "While outdoor advertising is also the part of the media plan, interestingly, the web would also play an important role," he added.

Kejian, which is leading mobile handset marketer in China, has recently forayed into the local market in a tie-up with the Rajgharia Group, and the JV partners have floated a new privately held company - Trust Telecom Technologies. The company apparently plans to target the mass-market with a low-end model having a colour screen at a price-point below Rs 5,000. Simultaneously, Kejian plans to plug the top-end segment with top-of-the-line mobile phones priced at roughly Rs 17,000. As per PK Rajgharia, chairman, Rajgharia Group, "The company hopes to first become a leader among the new entrants, then take on the established brands and be among the top three providers of consumer communications solutions to Indian consumers." © 2004 agencyfaqs!