Lintas' new media arm acquires UTI; plans to shake up western India

Insight, the third media arm of the Lintas group, has acquired the Rs 35-crore UTI AOR. The business was bagged in a multi-agency pitch involving Madison, MindShare, Lodestar, Starcom, Universal McCann and Insight.

The first round, which had these six participating agencies vying for the top honours, was narrowed down to three in the second round, involving MindShare, Madison and Insight. The business, claims S Yesudas, executive vice-president, Insight, was acquired due to the agency's ability to counsel the client on an overall communication plan rather than providing mere media solutions. "The need of the hour was not just to provide media solutions," says Yesudas, "but to advise them on the overall communication process. Media specialists have the potential to be true consultants to clients, taking up the role of brand custodians," he states.

Formed on January 1, 2004, Insight derives its vision from the attribute of brand custodianship, which Yesudas maintains, is the heart and soul of the agency. "A visible trend about media is that it comes at the fag end of the communication process. At Insight, we are keen on reversing this procedure by functioning as a true communication consultant to the client."

Businesses that Insight will scout for, typically, will be large enterprises where the agency is assured of its role in the overall communication process. "Smart clients are seeing merit in enlarging the role of media agencies," explains Lynn de Souza, director, media services, Lintas India Ltd. "Insight will seek those businesses where clients are savvy enough to understand what it has in mind, and where there is potential for the agency to do the kind of work it has envisioned," she adds.

To add weight to its roster, the agency has invited some clients from Initiative to partner with it, which Yesudas maintains, has met with a positive response. "Bajaj Auto, Parle Agro, Pantaloon and IDEA have been invited," he says, "and most of them have confirmed that they are keen on joining us," he says.

To put things in perspective, Initiative, the flagship media brand of the Lintas group, handles independent AOR businesses as well as group clients. Key AOR businesses of the agency include ICICI Prudential, HSBC, Britannia, Weekender and Maruti. The agency is headquartered in Delhi under the stewardship of Kartik Iyer, who was recently promoted to the post of president.

Interactions, the second media brand of the group formed in April 2003, is centralised in Bangalore, and is led by Sudha Natarajan. The agency handles brands such as ITC, Godrej Sara Lee, Reynolds and Sony Erickson, while Insight, the third media arm, is based in Mumbai, and plans to go whole hog in terms of exploiting business opportunities in the western region. "The west zone is the largest media market in India," states de Souza, "and though we are leading in other markets, in the western region, we are trailing behind at No 4," she says. "At one level, I was keen on nurturing a true media independent spirit, and, at the same time, set up a separate brand that could go after big businesses, with a difference," she states.

The targeted billing for Insight in 2004 is Rs 400-500 crore, and plans are in place to recruit a team with an edge in brand management." Traditional planners and buyers will be there," says Yesudas. "But we are looking at people from sectors such as research, services and so on," he adds. © 2004 agencyfaqs!