Ambika Srivastava, CEO, and Mona Jain, EVP, Zenith Optimedia

We are focused on delivering "growth" and "consumer connect understanding" to our clients and all our research and tools are focused on doing custom specific rather than generic research for our clients. The challenge today is to develop a currency that addresses the use of holistic planning and we believe that this approach helps us maximise the ROI for our client's communication.

Ever since its relaunch in 2004 Zenith Optimedia has been moving from strength to strength. With two ladies at the helm CEO Ambika Srivastava and Mona Jain, EVP, Media Buying and Diversified Services the media agency has added several key clients to its kitty. These include Hewlett-Packard, Nestle, Hyundai, Allied Domecq, Fidelity, British Airways, Sansui, Puma, Open Universities of Australia, and Emaar MGF, among others.

Srivastava is a communication and media management specialist with over 25 years' experience in some of India's top advertising agencies like McCann Erickson, Lintas and HTA. At McCann she was the executive director of Universal McCann and had played a significant role in the agency's development as one of the top five agencies in India. During her years with India’s top agencies, Srivastava had launched and established brands for several clients that include Unilever, Nestle, Gillette, Reckitt Benckiser, J&J, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Smithkline Beecham, HSBC, General Motors, Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda, and L'Oreal, among others.

Prior to joining Zenith, Jain was VP-Media at Cheil Communications, where she was chosen as 'Cheil International Employee of the Year'. Jain, too, has a rich experience across leading media agencies like JWT, Mudra, FCB Ulka and Cheil. Her experience extends to clients as diverse as Samsung, Nestle, Whirlpool, Pepsi and Glaxo SmithKline. She has over 16 years of experience in the media sphere.

In conversation with exchange4media's Pallavi Goorha, Srivastava and Jain share Zenith Optimedia's success story, especially after its relaunch as well as its future growth plans and the media scenario in India.

Q. How has the run been since your relaunch in India?

Ambika: We've had a fantastic run since our relaunch in India. Last year was particularly rewarding. We benefited from organic growth as well as new businesses. We won key clients like British Airways, Nestle, Puma and Emaar MGF, and early this year we won the Hyundai business. It was extremely gratifying given the competitiveness in the market .We invested in people, tools and strengthened our positioning of a “the ROI agency”. We are looking at investing in this market to become one of the top five players in the next three years.

Mona: We have grown from a small agency to one that is growing the fastest in the market .We believe that there is room to challenge some of the big players, specially for advertisers who are looking for a more integrated media team on the business, stretching the buck for better ROI solutions.

Mona: Our strategy is to raise the bar and offer our clients greater value – key to this is to bring in new tools, techniques and new ways of doing things. We are focused on developing innovative ideas that are relevant in today’s changing media scenario.

Ambika: In terms of new initiatives, we have aggressive plans this year. We plan to launch Zed Digital our new media offering in the second half of this year. We have just set up our Strategic Resources Unit that will spearhead our efforts to drive great consumer and media insights. Our other plans will be revealed closer to the time of launch. Apart from this, we are investing in ensuring that we have a great talent pool in our agency.

Ambika: There are two things. One is that the Internet and digital media will acquire critical mass in the next few years. Secondly, the interactivity aspect will change the way we communicate with consumers, especially the younger audiences.

Mona: We are already seeing a high level of interest in the online media with most of our existing clients. We believe that this will see huge growth like everywhere else in the world.

Ambika: Our view is that the Indian advertising market will continue to see growth of 15-20 per cent, which will be driven by the strong economic performance in the country.

Ambika: Nestle, Hyundai, Bisleri, British Airways, Petronas, and Emaar MGF, Puma, etc…

Ambika: While we want to drive new business, we are clear that we need to consolidate and deliver to the high expectations of our existing clients. We are happy to be part of a quiet revolution (If you can get away with that in this business).

Mona: We like lying low. We want our work and clients to do the talking.

Ambika: We will be launching our digital initiative, that is, Zed Digital in the second half of this year. We will be adding other additional resources for our diversified services, as well.

Ambika: In India, we have estimated the ad spends would grow by 15 per cent. However, recent trends in the market indicate that it may be closer to 20 per cent.

Mona: Both the print and TV media seem to be growing around 15 per cent and new media is growing even faster. At the GoaFest, most of the key players felt that we would see an average growth of about 20 per cent in the next three years.

Ambika: Zenith Optimedia is a part of Publicis Groupe. Our ambition is to become the second largest player in the Indian market.

Mona: We have aggressive growth plans and these, we believe, can only be achieved if we invest in creating new standards for adding value to our clients. Our focus will be to drive greater ROI for our clients.

Ambika: It’s a very unfortunate thing that the turnover is so high. Clearly, we aren’t able to cope up with the demand. New talent needs to develop rapidly. We need to develop a larger pool of talent.

Mona: The important factor here is recycling of people. Different people are making different choices. Not enough people are entering advertising field. Not enough time spent on training people.

Ambika: Some key initiatives we took for HP and Nokia last year generated great visibility and high response rates for our clients at very low costs.

Mona: The Kit Kat Laughter Challenge shows we made Kit Kat part of the content of the show and not extraneous to it. Kit Kat comes to be associated as a moment to cherish in the programme. Secondly, there is a complete value of money for the client through the integration. The ‘Pepsi huddle’, where the entire cricket team comes together on the field and Pepsi captures it in its communication and sponsoring the same in the tournaments. I liked the way Samsung got associated with IIFA. It was a complete 360-degree association and, therefore, although the event has a new sponsor yet Samsung’s association with the event will be difficult to break.

Ambika: We are focused on delivering “growth” and “consumer connect understanding” to our clients and all our research and tools are focused on doing custom specific rather than generic research for our clients. The challenge today is to develop a currency that addresses the use of holistic planning and we believe that this approach helps us maximise the ROI for our client’s communication.