Joshi, Executive Chairman & CEO, McCann Worldgroup India, asks his team to compete with him in creativity even as he turns the agency into a lean, mean machine ready to take on the world
For years now, McCann Worldgroup has found mention amongst the top creative agencies in India. Much credit for this can be given to the work done by the agency under the creative captainship of Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman & CEO, McCann Worldgroup India, who was recently also made the President- South Asia for the company. Even as Joshi has been one of India’s most celebrated creative directors year after year, McCann has seen its share of highs and lows. The year 2011, however, came with much good news for the agency. The aggressive side of McCann came to the fore with businesses such as ICI Dulux, Aircel, General Motors, History TV18 and Jaypee Sports (owners of F1 in India) making their way to the agency. In all, McCann saw a robust 40% growth in 2011. In addition to that, the Government of India has handed over one of its most prestigious campaigns, which is directed towards malnutrition, to McCann Worldgroup.
BOUNCING BACK
As was the case for most companies in the communication industry, the year 2008-09 was slow for McCann Worldgroup as well. But that was the time when Joshi decided to add another agency to the network and Tag was born. Recalling the launch of Tag, Joshi says, “I had decided very quickly to launch a second agency and that turned out to be a very good move. There was talent, both on the creative and business side, that was looking for meatier roles and we decided we would create it for them. Tag grew very fast and it helped us in the slowdown period specially.”
Tag has businesses such as Videocon, ESPN, Zee News, Jaypee Group and Dish TV amongst others.
McCann also grew significantly in the Delhi market. Both in terms of new businesses and work, Delhi was steadily adding strength to McCann India. Joshi remarks, “The year was good in that sense but it can always be better. We are expecting 2012 to be tough year again but we will keep trying to make the best of it, like we have so far. Everyone was expecting 2011 also to be tough, but we grew significantly.”
Another area that McCann has been working to develop is its non-traditional advertising streams such as digital, healthcare and events & shoppermarketing. The year 2012 will see McCann further focus on these areas in addition to bringing other specialities in its network.
MORE FOCUS ON EXISTING BRANDS
The company’s concentration on healthcare was visible at the beginning of the year itself when McCann appointed creative director Rajesh Rai for McCann Healthcare. Joshi informs, “Rajesh is a very senior creative resource and I have very high expectations from what Sohan (Shah, Country Head, McCann Healthcare) and Rajesh can do for McCann Healthcare. Our unit is already doing very well and it is very well respected in the healthcare community but I look forward to more in 2012.”
Joshi believes that McCann digital capability MRM is headed in the right direction and has a great leader in Mandeep Sharma, VP & GM, MRM Worldwide, India. MRM is contributing in “healthy double digits” to overall McCann Worldgroup revenues. While Joshi is happy with MRM, he admits that the company also has its eyes open for any inorganic push that it could give to its digital offering. “Acquisition is a route generally taken by those who do not have capability in a certain area. We have a good digital offering with the right talent and capability but that does not mean we would not be interested if something worthwhile would come along. Inorganic growth is faster but it comes at a price. We are neither averse nor desperate for it.”
Shopper marketing is another area that is on McCann’s to-do list. Earlier this year Omnicom announced the launch of Integer and TracyLocke in India. JWT also announced its intentions of bringing shopper marketing expertise to India. McCann Worldgroup was perhaps one of the first to have launched its shopper marketing and events capability Momentum in India. But Joshi still sees this as an area of investment in 2012. He says, “The retail boom that one was expecting has not come yet. In a way, we launched Momentum ahead of its time but when retail takes off, we would have a good offering there. Momentum is also trying to work on events. You require a very different kind of appetite for events – it is a very tough business. But the unit has been able to make inroads in corporate events. We have to see how we grow Momentum further in 2012.”
CONSIDERING NEW CAPABILITIES
Joshi personally is positive on design and its role in an advertising agency. Design has been a talking point for a few agencies in recent times. Lowe Lintas has shown interest in the domain and WPP had in fact even acquired design firm Ray+Keshavan a few years back. At present, McCann Worldgroup has an in-house design cell in its Delhi operations, which is led by Anil Manan, Vice President and Executive Creative Director, McCann Erickson. However, Joshi’s plan is to invest in a national level design capability. He observes, “Design has a great future and we are very keen to invest into that. We have to just decide on how we want to go about it. Some companies have done it through acquisition at a parent company level. At times, it makes sense to do these things at a holding company level because the moment you launch it from within the agency, many clients start expecting it for free or as value add. Truth of the matter is that a new capability means fresh investment if you wish to do any justice to it. It becomes difficult to handle such cases then.”
The other area that has become popular conversation is branded content. Given the expertise of someone like Joshi in the entertainment side of the industry, it is a wonder why McCann has yet not considered bringing any capability on this front. Joshi however has a very clear view on this. “I have worked on branded content quite a bit in fact and it does excite me. But I wear two hats – a creative person’s hat and there are things such as these which I get excited about like a child. But I also wear a business hat. Whatever we do has to make business sense and has to be scalable. Right now, the demand for branded content is not enough to give me any desired return. But I am very alert on this and the moment I see the demand for this rising, you will see me act on it very quickly.” Joshi adds here, “Unfortunately some people launch specialized units just so that they can charge for it. But I don’t want nomenclatures and then give old wine in new bottle. You have to have someone with exceptional talent to nurture it as a business as well.”
GETTING THE TEAM RIGHT
For a long time, McCann has suffered the allegation of being unable to nurture a strong creative team. But the agency has worked in the last few years to specifically address this. “I have put the team together gradually,” admits Joshi, “I have not gone to the market and paid exorbitant price for people. I believe in myself first. If people leave, I will run the company but I will never do stopgap filling of people. I want the right kind of people, who have long-term commitment, are willing to learn and are not just taking advantage of the fact that there are agencies throwing money right now. I want people looking for growth, who can work in a team and believe in the McCann vision.”
As Joshi puts it, McCann has brought in experts at the agency and the intention is to focus on quality talent across levels. McCann has charted a vision for its growth both globally and in India. Joshi is of the firm opinion that the agency right now needs a team that works with that vision. He explains, “There is a vision Nick Brien (Global CEO, McCann Worldgroup) is setting for this company. I am in complete alignment with what he wants for the company. He is throwing all that he has. When I see that kind of commitment, I have to support him completely. I have made more than 30 trips abroad last year and that can be very taxing but when I look at Nick and see the hard work he is putting in, I cannot tell him, I cannot do it. When it is time to throw yourself, you have to throw yourself. I need a team, which buys into the same vision and works with the same passion.”
Joshi believes that even though it took McCann some time, it now has a set of people who are believers. He says, “There may be one or two who are not fitting in and they will have to leave if they don’t but mostly everyone is aligned. Sometimes, it is very counterproductive to have contrarian visions. No one is god or the final word; everyone has a way of looking at things. Nick is honest, committed and has integrity and I have no reason not to support it. And I expect the same thing from people working with me.”
MCCANN INDIA SHINES FOR MCCANN GLOBALLY
Even as McCann is facing its set of challenges globally, India is one of the strongest markets for the agency. India’s stature for McCann’s global operations was reasserted when McCann Worldwide chose Prasoon Joshi to lead its global creative leadership council as its first chairperson, when it was set up in 2010. Over the years, McCann India has steadily contributed to McCann’s global revenues.
According to Joshi, what McCann Worldwide has been aspiring to do, McCann India has already done in terms of creative reputation, stature and bringing in solid and stable leadership. McCann India too has faced leadership challenges in the past. Some of the biggest names of the Indian advertising industry have been at the agency only to leave it in a short while. The list included stalwarts such as Alyque Padamsee, Vikas Gaitonde, Freddie Birdy and Naved Akhtar amongst others. McCann had a reputation of being unable to hold on to creative leaders. Even at the time when Joshi took charge at the company, the media was abuzz with rumours of his exit to another agency or to Bollywood.
Joshi recalls, “I remember there was a headline in a national daily suggesting that I was heading to JWT, then HTA, for Pepsi. It may be because McCann did not have stable leadership before that. But I stayed on. I am passionate about what I do but I also have patience. I realized that a company has to be built bit by bit. I get married to the commitment. I am not someone who gets into a relationship, gets bored after some time and then leave when realities hit. I have changed my job only once. I don’t understand the hop, skip and jump game that some people seem to play.”
Stability in leadership has played a key role in McCann’s growth over the years and in the agency’s ability to earn the trust of advertisers in India. Joshi remarks, “We play the role of a solid growth engine for McCann worldwide, so that the global team can focus on other growth opportunities. They have high expectations from us, and that is alright. All we had to do after the change in global leadership was to make India more aggressive and we have done that. We have hired top level talent, restructured our creative unit and it is showing results. I find us much more ruthless with aggressive targets. Our creative reputation was always good but we have to up it. We want our revenues to come from digital and other alternative means as well. I was looking for a newer challenge. McCann wanted to change itself and make itself a leaner, meaner machine and that was something that India aligned with.”
OF BEING EXCELLENT
On the perception front, McCann has managed to find mention among the top agencies in India and Joshi believes that in revenue as well, the agency would be amongst the top four or five players. He states, “More than being a large company, I would much rather be excellent. Look at the kind of prestigious projects we get. The Prime Minister’s biggest project till date, which is on malnutrition, is given to us. They wanted the best star and they signed Aamir Khan. They wanted the best agency with heart, commitment, integrity and creative prowess and we provided that. There is something we are doing right.”
He is also quick to point out that unlike some of the other large agencies in India, McCann is one of the youngest multinationals. “We have a 15-year history and we don’t have the legacy of long-term clients. I am very proud that 75% of the businesses we handle are from local blue-chip Indian clients.”
Joshi’s ambition is to build a “solid agency that has the best talent, deep down”. He states, “Even if you speak to the youngest planner or creative person in the agency, you should feel that. I don’t believe in hire and fire. When you hire, hire very cautiously and hire someone who fits in your standards and in your overall plan. Take your time but once you hire, give the person a solid career growth. And we give that to them here. All McCann creative people have long term plans. You can’t buy a McCann person by throwing Rs 5-10 lakh on them. I tell my creative people that they are in competition with me and they are up to that. This industry has very few right people and I am very fortunate that McCann has a few of them. I believe that is our ticket to work our way to be the best creative agency in India.”
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