On March 22, 2024, media agency Wavemaker India, along with Mondelez International, stood tall with their trophies at the 24th edition of the Emvies, hosted by the Advertising Club. With Mindshare and EssenceMediaCom as tough contenders, Wavemaker emerged the winner as The Best Media Agency of The Year’. with 665 points, while Mindshare and EssenceMediaCom grabbed the second and third spot with 460 and 325 points, respectively. Mondelez India was adjudged as The Best Media Client of the Year’.
Wavemaker’s campaign ‘Cadbury #MyBirthdaySong’ for Mondelez also stood out in the Grand Emvie category for the usage of generative AI to transform the classic birthday song into personalised harmonies.
Storyboard18 caught up with George Kovoor, chief creative officer (CCO), Wavemaker India, and Ajay Gupte, chief executive officer (CEO), South Asia, Wavemaker, on the sidelines of the Emvies. They discussed what it takes to be a winning agency, the mood of the clients during peak advertising seasons (IPL and elections), the media trends of 2024, and a lot more.
Edited excerpts
What’s required to be a winning agency?
Gupte: A lot of hard work. What we are seeing here is a culmination of a year of hard work by a lot of people across the board. The first thing is to have supportive clients who appreciate good work. We are lucky as we have a wide set of clients who encourage us, and want good work from us.
The second thing is the kind of people one has. I think Wavemaker is really fortunate to have an incredible leadership team. All of us including my leadership team of 13 are all committed to Wavemaker and its clients doing well. Along with these 13, I have 700 Wavemakers who drive our vision of doing great work for our clients.
The third thing is investing early in areas that we identify as important, or areas that will help our clients going forward. Whether it is content, e-commerce performance marketing, first-party data, etc., in all these areas, we have been investing ahead of the curve. Because of those investments, today we’re able to take it to our clients and make it work for them in a way that delivers results. We don’t believe in innovating for the sake of it. We believe in innovating to deliver results. I think that’s what we’ve been able to do brilliantly, and it’s showing.
Kovoor: The secret of our success is a process that combines strategy, data and an in-depth understanding of the media landscape. Media creativity is in our DNA and it is what sets us apart from other agencies. We have a fantastic team of experts who come together and drive our client’s growth across all aspects of marketing and advertising solutions . Solutions that not only encompass traditional media platforms but all across the spectrum of digital, social and content. All backed by data, technology and creativity. That’s our secret sauce.
How long has Mondelez India been Wavemaker’s client?
Gupte: Since 2018.
I hear that the relationship between a client and an agency in the age of digital is short-lived. What is your take on this?
Gupte: Clients want results irrespective of the medium, right? Today, what is not digital? Television is digital. Print is becoming digital. OOH is becoming digital. Anyone who can bring everything together to deliver a result will be successful. I think that’s what clients are looking for. Clients are not looking for specialists, they are looking for an agency that can bring together the best of everything.
The equation shared between Mondelez India and Wavemaker India is a very good example of that. What are the factors that have led to this success?
Gupte: A fabulous and supportive client followed by an incredible and motivated team is the most important. Cadbury is such an endearing brand that is so close to everyone’s heart. And that has added to the magic too.
March 22 marked the start of the IPL, and elections are going to begin next month. What is the mood of the clients?
Gupte: It’s quite positive. IPL has done extremely well. There’s a lot of positive vibe around the event. The year has started well and we hope it continues that way. The overall sentiment is rather positive, and clients are looking to capitalise on that.
Kovoor: I think the IPL is definitely a big opportunity for clients and agencies to showcase their brand, as the whole country is watching. It is a chance for us to go beyond just media buying and go into showcasing our media creativity.
Besides Mondelez and Colgate, our other clients are also interested because this is the time for brands to showcase new work, new technology, innovation, etc. And, I don’t think they will want to miss out.
What are the media trends that you are seeing this year compared to 2023?
Kovoor: I think digital media is picking up, especially long and short format videos. AI too is picking up, followed by the use of technology and data, which has doubled this year compared to 2023. A lot of work done for Mondelez, Pernod Ricard, and various other clients showcase tech, data, and creativity, along with media planning and strategy. We will get to see all of this in play during the IPL.
Do you think television is still a good medium?
Gupte: Absolutely. TV is still a strong medium. It still has a very important role to play. We are still talking about 90 percent of the population being exposed to television. So, television is not something to be played down. But yes, it’s an omni-channel and a multimedia approach that is most important.
Kovoor: Yes, it is. TV still remains the number one medium for reach, and one cannot ignore this medium. But, digital spending is going up. Especially with streaming and connected TV, the use of digital media is growing.
What are the steps your agency is taking in terms of media planning while crafting campaigns?
Gupte: We are not looking at media planning separately in a silo. Our teams are totally integrated in order to drive better results.
There have been layoffs in advertising, as in other industries. What is your advice to freshers who want to enter the industry today?
Kovoor: I think it’s still a great profession to be a part of. We’re shifting from traditional advertising to more experiential, tech and data-driven advertising. The younger generation is already native to digital platforms, and I think it is a great opportunity for them to get into media, content, technology, data, and create a career for themselves. Traditional agencies will always remain attractive. But newer agencies are also sprouting up, and attracting young talent.
Read More: Emvies 2024: Wavemaker India and Mondelez India win big