Interviews

As Head Search what does your role entail?

I'm responsible for bringing in revenues by providing clients with perceptive online marketing solutions, which includes search, branding and multiple other avenues that can position our clients and their business at par in the global market.

How different is Neo@Ogilvy from the main Ogilvy and Mather?

We are completely on the Online Media and Planning side of the business. Ogilvy and Mather known for its creative advertisements started two subsidiaries Ogilvy One Interactive and Neo@Ogilvy at different times in the last decade, to channelise its services and meet its clients needs better. Started in 2006 Neo@Ogilvy handles the entire digital side of the business, from planning online promotions to implementation.

Tell us something about the clients you handle.

Neo@Ogilvy handles some of the most prestigious clients such as IBM Worldwide, Cisco, DuPont, Economist and British Airways to name a few. I take care of the complete IBM, India account at Neo@Ogilvy. From planning to media spends my team and I work in consonance with IBM to ensure that their innovations are provided the best online branding platform. Other than IBM I also take care of a few other prominent brands in India.

You've been with Neo@Ogilvy for close to three years now. What keeps you there?

For one it is the brand. Ogilvy is a huge brand to be associated with but if you ask me the real reason for me continuing to be a part of this organisation, I would without a flicker of a doubt say that it is the freedom I've been given here. I report only to the CEO of Neo@Ogilvy who sits in Mumbai and whatever the magnitude of the decision, I've been given complete freedom to make my own choices. At Ogilvy campaign decisions can have worldwide implications and when we're given complete freedom, it only reflects the organisation's trust in its employees' capabilities.

What does it feel like being part of a brand like Ogilvy?

Ogilvy's brand legacy needs no introduction. And this in itself is a great plus point when you're in the media planning and branding business. Yes, the bigger the role and the brand, the bigger the responsibilities but so are the opportunities that we've been given here and that is the primary reason that makes work enjoyable, even if like every role there are bound to be the usual bottlenecks.

The first thing that any business cuts-back on during a financial crunch is the advertising spends. So how bad was the impact during last year's recession?

Last year's recession affected businesses globally as expected but what made it distinctive for us is the way online marketing was affected, which was quite different. The web is incorrectly assumed to be a cheap medium for advertising. Building brand equity online up to a certain limit is cost-effective but that cannot guarantee accountability. Outcomes are measurable only up to a certain limit; a user might not choose to buy a particular product after seeing the campaign but might remember the product because of the campaign and come back later to buy, which cannot be tracked making it a constraint. However during a financial crunch every business that spends on campaigns would want every penny to be accounted for and this can be a tad impossible. But interestingly dynamics are changing now and people have started paying more attention to Performance Management and moving more towards Social Media Optimisation (SMO)

And do you consider that a good transition?

It is definitely good. Today promotions have become more interactive which is good. The opportunities are greater and most importantly the potential to publicly discuss your brand has become a possibility. With dialogues happening across the board, people are more aware and perceptive. Today everyone is on Facebook or Twitter enabling greater exchange of ideas.

It sure looks like campaigning online is big business but have you always been part of this section of the advertising world?

Nope. Although I've mostly been part of advertising agencies, my online career began in 2004, the year when people actually started exploring the online space. I was always in the account planning side of the business, which involved market research and customer insights. My move online was more accidental than predisposed, however I would say it was a good accident that brought me online and I'm glad I made the move at the right time.

Your take on an advertising career

It is unquestionably a great field but one should be prepared to slog initially. The first five to six years are the most crucial like any other field, however no one should get into it assuming it to be a cool job and there is no accountability. Misconstrued to be nothing more than glitzy, the ad world, offline or online calls for hectic schedules, most people who are part of this industry will second that. Yes, there is definitely the glamour, kick and publicity of awards that lures most people, but no one who hopes to make a mark in this field can get to that level compromising on the hard slog.