Advertising Conclave at GoaFest: Sam Balsara calls for media agencies to be recognized as part of AAAI
Sam Balsara of Madison and immediate Past President of AAAI raised the issue of recognizing the role played by media agencies and made an active part of AAAI to reflect the ground reality.
Sam Balsara knows a thing or two about how to get to his audience(s) and create an impact. After all, as the chief evangelist of Madison Media, his clients swear by his ability to do this. Speaking at the AAAI-IBF-INS organized Advertising Conclave a day before the Goafest; Balsara raised the issue of media agencies being recognized as part of AAAI.
Speaking at a session moderated by Ambika Srivastava of Zenith Optimedia, Balsara urged and requested the current President of AAAI, Sundar Swamy of RK Swamy/BBDO, to make this happen. Balsara also said that though he felt the need last year, he did not want to force the issue as that might have led to a split in AAAI which is the last thing he would ever want.
Balsara observed that media agencies were doing business but “how long can we deny their existence?” He said that a lot of times AAAI had to invite large media agencies as special invitees, but with no role in decision making. “It’s high time they are an integral and formal part of the association,” he said.
exchange4media readers would recall that three years ago, at the exchange4media Conclave, the issue of forming a ‘Media Agencies Association of India’ was mooted in a panel discussion of which Balsara was a participant alongwith other media agency CEOs.
It will be interesting how AAAI responds to this ground reality. Media agencies like Mindshare, Maxus, Madison, Insight, Starcom, Zenith Optimedia, OMS, Carat, Dentsu Media (Media Pallete) are already large businesses independently and would definitely be looking closely at developments post Sam Balsara's call.
