LKSS performed better after Rohit & I were made Jt. NCDs: Kartik Smetacek

He is known for campaigns like Airtel ‘Express Yourself’, Tata Manza ‘Tanuka San series’, Pepperfry ‘Diwali’ and Renault Kwid ‘Live for more’, and over a year ago, found himself in the top creative role at LKSS, along with a partner, Rohit Malkani. Kartik Smetacek, Joint NCD, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, in a conversation with exchange4media, says that the agency has performed better after the duo’s elevation.

Edited Excerpts

What was your first reaction when you were told that you are going to be made the ‘Joint’ NCD of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi?

To be honest, the ‘NCD’ part resonated more than the ‘joint’ bit. If I recall correctly, it was surprise, joy and terror, in that order.

When you were climbing up the corporate ladder, did you ever factor in the possibility of having to share the top role with someone?

I think creative departments have often been led by more than one individual, just that in the old days it was art-copy teams that took on the role jointly. So yes, I’ve always seen the NCD function as a shared responsibility.

How do you divide responsibilities at the agency, who takes care of what?

From the very beginning, there’s been a clear division of accounts between Rohit and I, which are largely the clients we already handled as ECDs. This alignment extends to the business leads as well, so we function essentially as independent units that lean on each other whenever required.

Are there any shared duties and what happens in the event of a difference of opinion between the two of you, who wins?

Of course, there are various shared tasks, whether it’s mounting a big pitch where multiple teams are working, or making joint presentations on behalf of the LKSS creative department. Honestly, there’s never been any difference of opinion we couldn’t thrash out and resolve after a discussion. Guess we’re both persuasive people.

Who bells the cat between the two of you if something goes wrong?

While we are very different as personalities, we actually agree on most things when it comes to creative, and there’s nothing we almost always fight about. But if there was ever a cat to be belled, we’d have to turn to ace cat-beller Paritosh Srivastava (our MD).

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a partner at the top in the same seat?

The biggest advantage is having another pair of hands to do the heavy lifting. Besides, we live in the era of playing captains, and I don’t think it’s possible for one individual to handle this spread of accounts. His life would be one endless zoom call. I can’t think of any obvious disadvantages, perhaps that your remuneration could be twice what it is.

Would you say L&K Saatchi and Saatchi has performed better after the two of you were given the joint responsibility vs. when you had one leader leading it?

Well, no surprise, I’m going to go ahead and say yes. I think having two NCDs makes us doubly accessible, both to our clients and our people internally. Today, any creative person, irrespective of office or designation, can pick up the phone and talk to one of us. And this applies to planning and account management as well. This access to the creative heads has helped streamline the way we work. We’ve been successful in dialling back some of that legendary LKSS chaos.

How have the clients reacted to this power sharing system considering it was the first time such a model was adopted in L&K Saatchi and Saatchi?

As I mentioned earlier, the clients we work on are largely the ones we already handled as ECDs. So apart from some mumblings of congratulations and well done, it was business as usual, at least in my case.

They always say for the team members it is always easier to follow the vision of one leader, how do you overcome the confusion that comes with having two different ways of functioning?

As co-leaders, I think our different personalities complement each other. As far the department goes, the clear-cut demarcation ensures we’ve never had a problem with mixed signals. Every member of the creative team reports to only one boss – either Rohit or myself.

Which leaders in a power sharing role do you look up to?

Prashant and Zarvan, who were my bosses for many years, both at Rediffusion DYR and at their own shop ideas@work. If there’s one lesson I took away, it’s that ideas trump ego.

Personally, do you think other creative agencies should have one CCO/ NCD at the top or a joint leadership like in your case?

I guess it depends on the size of the agency and the way it functions. Even agencies that have a single CCO or NCD, usually have a set of ECDs who handle many of the business independently.