THE PEOPLE
SHRIPAD KULKARNI CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
MANCOM MEMBERS
PM BALAKRISHNA COO
MILIND DEWULKAR CFO
AMOL MOHANDAS BUSINESS HEAD, FUTURE GROUP
SURBHI C MURTHY VP, NORTH
SURESH SHAH VP, INVESTMENT
RASHMI RANJAN PATNAIK VP, INVESTMENT, NORTH
SHILPA DHANU GM, STRATEGY & RESEARCH
V CHAKRAPANI BUSINESS DIRECTOR, SOUTH
MRITYUNJAY KUMAR GM, PSU & REAL ESTATE
VIRAKTI RUSTOGI BUSINESS DIRECTOR, HPPL
NITIN PANSARE MANAGER, HR
KEY CLIENTS
Canon, Fedex, Future Group, Sahara Group, Panasonic, Toyota, Toshiba
THE STORY
Allied Media Network Pvt. Ltd. Is the media planning, evaluation and buying arm of Percept Limited. It is the youngest Media AOR in India, formed in December, 2007, and is one of the fastest growing too. People are at the core of everything that Team Allied Media does. Total ownership of everything, for the sake of the brands handled, is hard-coded in every member of Team Allied Media. “True 3600 is our USP,” says Shripad Kulkarni, CEO of Allied Media. “We have a capitalized billing in excess of Rs 1000 crore and that too within just a few years of inception. We are growing at a speed of over 40% and in spite of a slowdown in the overall economy, there is no sign of our slowing down and the team is as bullish as ever. We have stepped up our new client acquisitions efforts and have managed to bring in Rs 150 crore of fresh business in the last quarter, which is a great momentum going forward.”
THE APPROACH
At Allied Media, ROI and accountability are important cornerstones of the solutions framework at all levels. ROI has been taken to a level beyond just rates and all campaigns are assessed across multiple parameters for ROI. Strategic tools have been taken to the next level with the M3 market simulation model in collaboration with Pointlogic, Netherlands.
THE BUZZ
The award we cherish is the regular encouraging feedback given by our clients. The only study which rates media agencies based on a proper research among the advertisers has consistently rated us in the Top 5 – way ahead of so many established and older AORs. Among our achievements are: 2009- fourth most admired agency in the agency reckoner by Brand Equity, The Economic Times; 2011- fifth most admired agency in the agency ranking by Brand Equity, The Economic Times.
THE REACH
Allied Media has a total of seven offices in cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai and Lucknow, in which 120 employees work.
THE FUN
The initiative is ideated and coordinated by one office every quarter. This encompasses team activities, individual talent show, group games, national tele-housie, CSR initiative, etc. Regular posts on the “Bring it on” webpage by all India staff keep all the offices connected. Activities include Friendship Cup, the annual tennis ball cricket match held annually with Future Group, Percept Box Cricket, the annual underarm softball tournament, potluck lunch during special festivities, Cake Bashing Day, when all those who had their birthday during the month get a cakebashing and sweets, Happy Newcomer day, when newcomers are introduced to all colleagues and welcomed into the organization, as well as initiatives such as ‘Employee of the month’.
THE ESSENCE, ACCORDING TO SHRIPAD KULKARNI
Q] What is the USP of Team Allied Media?
We eat, breathe and think 3600... 3600 is in our genes! In the 3600 marcom space, Percept is by far No 1 in India. We ideate, integrate and implement like nobody else in the 3600 integrated marcom space.
Q] How does the road ahead look like? What are the new frontiers the agency is looking at?
To partner marketers in facing new challenges, media AORs need to reinvent themselves. We are reinventing ourselves as smaller rapid action teams. The teams will deliver next generation bespoke marcom solutions to our clients. We have formed five independent rapid action teams: Team Future Group, Team Panasonic, Team PerceptH, Team HakuHudo Percept & Team Dart to dedicatedly service the Rs 200 crore plus client groups. These will be selfsufficient teams customized and stationed in a location closer to the client office for enhanced response levels. Each vertical will be headed by a Business Director with planners and buyers. A central world-class strategy & analytics team will support the rapid action teams. Technology-centric processes unheard of in media have been initiated.
Q] What is the one word that sums up the essence of Allied Media?
OWNERSHIP! Complete ownership of the brand task assigned is the hallmark of every person at Allied Media. This is a big asset which will see us go places.
Q] What is the fun element that employees enjoy here?
Fun is a parallel track which runs on its own steam – driven bottom up! And, not to forget that in our unique business culture, dizzying speed is fun, space to grow for every person is the adrenalin and every person has a voice! So, Work at Allied is Play too!
