Pranay Anthwal, Group Head, Starcom Digital

We employ two constructs that are working quite well. There is Keiretsu and the TCV Matrix. Keiretsu from the Eastern (Japanese) principle of collaborative strength and TCV is an SMG property, where TCV stands for Technology, Content and Vehicles.

Q. How do you place Internet as a medium for promotion today?

It is restrictive to consider the Internet, as a medium for promotion alone. That's just 5% of the story. Internet is the most measurable medium. It goes much beyond a reach-frequency bind and allows us to 'market'. Whereas most other media can only help you advertise.

Q. Do you have put in extra efforts to increase client awareness of the Internet?

Yes, to an extent. It's a journey. Many of the Starcom clients do not really need 'awareness'. They are quite clued about what the medium has to offer. Our job and opportunity is to take it from here to the next stage. Get the net to deliver the clients objectives.

Q. What position does the Internet command in a media plan in the current scenario?

Broadly, the net occupies two positions in any media plan. The first when it occupies tactical space. The reasons for this can be 'straddling media spaces' or 'relatively lower cost bases of the net'. These plans talk about the classical banner advertising, animation on homepage, targeted advertising, etc.

The second and the future position of the net is in weaving into all elements of the media and business plan. Here the digital space is used for community aggregation, conversation and growth, continual feedback and community interaction, research, pre-sale through the net through creative, contact opportunities and post-sale servicing, hence increasing future repeat sale opportunities.

This second type of net usage within the media plan extends beyond the 'classical media plan'. Today increasingly most of the good media teams think this way. Like in Starcom we firmly believe, 'business before media'. I think and want to believe that other agencies too believe in this.

Q. And how far have these initiatives developed?

We are already working on two huge and live projects integrating some of what I just mentioned into real-time hybrid media plan. But for a more holistic change these early attempts have to deliver the value it promises. Once that happens, clients automatically will seek it. Best ideas don't need classic selling. We need to just ensure that there is no vision dilution during implementation.

Q. What is your role towards your clients in helping them with online space media planning?

Simply and precisely put, my role begins with understanding client objectives, translating them into e-media and e-marketing expected deliverables, defining milestones, bearing the goal and budget in mind. Now going on the more technical side, there is constructing the Keiretsu and identifying the TCV Template for the activity. That leads to kickstart. Then if required, there is review, which involves changing or tweaking the template to reach optimum returns Then there is tracking, audit for and communicating with the client. Closing the activity also, as a matter of fact is a part of my role and then reporting the balance sheet on the activity.

Q. Can you name a few entities you share this 'co-opetition' relation with?

There are large and serious industry players like Indiatimes, Mediaturf, etc - we work closely with them and other technology specialists like Mr. Patel of KIPL.net, etc. We are learning everyday. We might be competing on a few areas but the good part is that when it comes to the client: everyone's on the same side.

Q. Alright, so now coming back to the TCV Matrix . . .

TCV matrix is an exhaustive exercise once the media objectives are in place. Over the years we are in a position to put our finger on 'what' works on the net and 'how' to make it work. For any given product/service there could be X technologies, Y content creatives and Z types of vehicles.

The science behind such a matrix is not only exhaustive but also rigorous. Between Starcom Digital (India) and SMG IP (Worldwide) we have hundreds of case studies. These formulate into templates that are industry or category based. Every campaign is tracked, studied and learnt from. The cumulative learning is compiled into a matrix, what we call "The TCV Matrix". And we use these constructs for all our clients.

Q. What kind of client portfolio does Starcom currently have that includes online media planning?

All Starcom India clients are Digital clients too. Too mention a few there is Western Union, a very keen, aware and proactive client in regards to online media. Then we have MTV. For Hero Honda Roadies, they picked the apt net property Whassup. We consulted Mid-day for downloadable property. Then of course there is The Factory, a client who is willing to experiment within the Matrix and beyond.

Q. How do you see Internet interaction and usage evolve in the near future?

The future lies in "Communities". People have strong passions. It could be movies or cricket. Beneath each passion a huge populace thrives. Sometimes the group knows it and cherishes it like The Harley Davidson Club. Sometimes there isn't a formal forum or association for the passion but people feel strongly about it. For instance, even in India there are die-hard rockers. And then sub-groups within them right from Metal Lovers to people only listening to Don Mclean. Or take Ram Gopal Varma film lovers. There is a huge community out there who identify with his films. Even within the film-buff community they form a distinct lot.

On the net such groups are defined as communities. If the net was earlier explained by the three C's of communication, content and commerce, then today communities is the fourth C. These communities construe an excellent platform for marketing. We, at Starcom address it as "Passion Group Marketing". Currently we are firming up the first set of 20 community groups that need to be spoken with and eventually leveraged for our clients.

Q. Starcom is one of the few agencies, which is actively tapping on the digital medium to offer more to their clients. How has this helped the agency?

At Starcom, it's not about how the mother ship benefits. Our energies are towards our clients getting more value. That said, yes, we winning The Factory account has opened more avenues of synergy.

Q. And what are the methods or techniques that you use for planning?

Simply and precisely put, my role begins with understanding client objectives, translating them into e-media and e-marketing expected deliverables, defining milestones, bearing the goal and budget in mind. Now going on the more technical side, there is constructing the Keiretsu and identifying the TCV Template for the activity. That leads to kickstart. Then if required, there is review, which involves changing or tweaking the template to reach optimum returns Then there is tracking, audit for and communicating with the client. Closing the activity also, as a matter of fact is a part of my role and then reporting the balance sheet on the activity.

Q. Let's take them one at a time…

Sure. Looking at Keiretsu first, it grows exponentially as compared to competitive manoeuvring. The latter brings more negativity than good. Today if you analyse business environments across, you will see one stark reality. Co-opetition, that is, co-operation and competition. We keep our clients business objectives as sanctum sanctorum and then devise an online media construct. If the construct requires an offline component or an international element to it, we add that too. There are some benefits of being a part of the world's largest media network and we leverage that to our client's competitive advantage.