MEC bags Flipkart's media mandate

The agency won the account following a multi-agency pitch called in December; the account will be handled from MEC's Bengaluru office.

MEC has bagged its first account of the year -- the media mandate of Flipkart. The business will be handled out of the agency's Bengaluru office.

The three-year old e-commerce portal, Flipkart had called for a creative and media pitch in December. The creative duties were subsequently awarded to Happy Creative Services.

Commenting on the win, Manjiri Kamat, managing partner, MEC tells afaqs!, "It was our understanding of the business that helped us win the account. This is a category that is unconventional and required such ideas. The approach we presented, along with ideas to actively engage with consumers, struck a chord with Flipkart."

Kamat further adds, "The company has aggressive growth plans for 2011. We look forward to adding value to the business through our unique active engagement approach."

The Bengaluru-based portal - which initially sold books and has now expanded its offering to include music, movies, games and mobile phones - expects its creative and media partners to work towards increasing brand awareness.

"Flipkart, as a start-up brand/service, has been built entirely by word-of-mouth. It is our service that has led people to recommend us to others. A move from that buzz culture to a mass media campaign is a big shift for us, and we wanted an agency that understood these nuances," says Sachin Bansal, chief executive officer, Flipkart.

"MEC, with its track record and all-round capabilities, is the right partner for our business needs. Given the challenges we face in reaching our prospects, we needed a partner who can also offer unconventional and media-neutral customer engagement solutions," he adds.

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