MAM
Martin Sorrell pegs WPP’s India biz at $600 mn; thrust on organic growth
MUMBAI: Just a few days after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York, WPP CEO Martin Sorrell, in his visit to India was bullish about the market and pegs the company’s business here at $600 million with a strong thrust on organic growth.
“We are very aggressive in terms of growth here in India and this year we are expecting to grow by 10 per cent, which is double of the global growth rate (4.8 per cent). Net sales growth in India is roughly same as the revenue growth, which is 10 per cent while globally it’s three per cent. So overall, we are doing very good across the board and have no complaints,” he said.
“Our business in India is just under $600 million in revenue. We are proud of our business here and we have a very large market share,” asserted Sorrell.
He further added, “Though we will have acquisitions, organic growth will be key in India. If your business is $600 million and you are growing at 10 per cent per annum, you can’t find acquisitions in India in $60 million. So organic growth will continue to be the principle way that we grow in the Indian market.”
Events to watch out for in 2016:
Sorrell is of the opinion that the 2016 Rio Olympics will be a major event. “The backdrop in Rio de Janeiro will be one of the best backdrops to be in,” Sorrell says.
Apart from the Olympics, the US presidential elections as well as the UEFA European Championship will also be key events to watch out for in 2016 according to Sorrell.
Key for advertising industry:
Sorrell predicts that the key for the company would be to grow at the rate of GDP growth with little or no inflation.
“The thing that worries me the most is not the geo-political issues, be it Greece or US deficit, or the Middle East, but the failure of companies to invest long term,” he emphasised.
Importance of People:
Sorrell believes that people are the most important part of a company and clients choose agencies on the basis of that.
He said, “Our revenues are at $19 billion around the world and at $23 billion including associates. Of the $19 billion, $12 billion is invested in people because I believe that the key differentiator between agencies is people. That’s how clients choose one agency over the other.”
BARC and TAM JV
The biggest outcome of the team up between two Indian television measurement agencies, as per Sorrell is both companies accepting each other’s business models. He was also of the opinion that TAM should have been more flexible in terms of number of meters. He said, “I think we will get to one equilibrium that gives some consistency and validation, which is really important.”
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
