/afaqs/media/agency_attachments/2024-10-10t065829449z-afaqs_640x480.png)
Follow Us/afaqs/media/post_attachments/e2e29e75b224803f272989fbbfcc0e7eacde09edbfa48b801fc49b4c35156670.jpg)
At 50, Pratap Bose feels he is too old for any kind of animosity with anyone. Though the former COO of the DDB Mudra Group didn't land the CEO's job at the agency as promised, he leaves the premises with his head held high.
The other role he held during his six year stint at the agency was that of CEO, Mudra Max, the group's media, outdoor, retail and experiential division.
A glaring contrast to today's job-hoppers, Bose has spent the last two and a half decades working for just one more agency besides Mudra, namely, Ogilvy, which he joined in the early 1990s, went on to lead as CEO in 2006, and quit in 2008.
Recent news of DDB Mudra's group CEO and MD, Madhukar Kamath's four year extension, and Bose's consequent decision to move on, has put him in the spotlight.
So we tried to ask him in an interview, questions that most of the Indian advertising industry is discussing at large. Questions he fielded quite sportingly.
Edited excerpts.
Edited Excerpts
You have taken the decision to move on instead of waiting another four years to get the top job. How does it feel?
I am super excited. Once a decision is taken, it's like a great weight's been lifted off your shoulders... it's a relief. It's very easy to hang around, cocooned in a nice eco-system, but sometimes you're forced to act. Sometimes these events just fall in place at the right time. If I were 35 or 40, I probably would have waited for four years for the job. But not today.
And sometimes it's good to take a U-turn or move to something else, especially when you're secure in life. And I'm leaving with a sense of accomplishment. There's no bad blood. I am looking forward to my third innings.
And what will this innings be like? Have many people approached you?
Yes, people are approaching me but I am not in any hurry this time. I am not going to jump at the first option. I haven't taken a call yet. I may not even be in the advertising business. Of course, chances are, I will be. But I am very open.
I am looking forward to an environment that I am happy in - one in which I can contribute to the strategic framework. It can't be a place that says, 'Pratap Bose brings loads of money and business so let's go hire him'. That doesn't work for me.
Will you ever join another network?
Yes, there's a high probability that I will.
You were promised something and it wasn't delivered. Do you feel you were treated unfairly?
Not really. I've kind of reconciled myself to the fact that these things happen in corporate life. Not just in advertising agencies. It happens across companies.
Yes, it is true that I was in the running. There's no doubt about that. But I accept the fact that it didn't work out. It's behind me now. I know the media is fishing for a story about broken promises. The honest truth is: Yes, I would have liked the job. Yes, I am disappointed. And yes, I have moved on. But it ends there.
In life, some things go your way and some things don't. This has obviously not gone my way. But I am not going to bemoan this. I've gone through far bigger lows than this. I've had situations where we've screwed up and lost face with clients... those are lows. This is not a low. This is just moving on. This is like sidestepping a big puddle on the road and moving on.
That is well said. Were you forewarned or was it a total surprise when this was announced?
The decision about Madhukar's extension was taken around a month or two back. When I was told, I accepted it straight away. I don't turn things over in my head or have sleepless nights about a decision; I go with my gut instinct.
When Madhukar and I made the announcement on the DDB Mudra Max floor at the Mudra House in Mumbai, I completely broke down. I was in tears... I was choked with emotion looking at all the people who worked for me. Organisations come and organisations go, but people matter the most. On your deathbed, you're not going to think, 'Did I win a Cannes Gold?' or 'Did I become CEO of Mudra?' It's about how many lives you've touched, how many people love you and how many people will miss you.
Recently, we saw a digital guy get the top job at an advertising agency. But rarely does a BTL guy get that post. Is that what happened in this case?
First of all, I am not a 'BTL guy'. I'm probably a better appreciator of creative work than most creative people. I understand strategy, I understand brands. I come from a non-traditional advertising background, which is close to my heart, but at the end of the day I think I am an all-rounder or a generalist. I know people try and slot me as a 'BTL guy' but I think my credentials are far more than that. I love the creative process.
Do you think there exists a 'caste system' within agencies, wherein ATL always trumps BTL?
To be honest, it's there because we're still struggling to get out of the vestiges of the old regime, the old way of what an advertising agency was. But I personally don't believe it's going to last long.
And background aside, ultimately, it's about the individual and whether he is right for the job. After all, I was CEO of O&M, right? Though I was from the non-traditional part of the business, they picked me for the job. So if you're good at what you do, it doesn't matter which background you come from.