MAM
What’s the glue to make clients stick to an agency
VUCA. Millennials. Gen Z. BANI. Digital. Traditional. Phygital. AI-ML. In the jargon-full world of marketing that we live in, clients seek more answers than ever before. It’s just not easy to navigate businesses and brands in these highly complex and connected times. So, I tried putting myself in the shoes of the ‘client’ to go about this.
Outcomes
Yes, I’d like an agency that talks the end result with me – the business outcome. For me not to think of them as an easily replaceable vendor, they need to understand what makes my business tick. And live it. Not in powerpoints, in reality.
My agency got to put their skin in the game. More than the skills and the means, they need to have this mindset that looks beyond a campaign or a launch or a content series. How is every single rupee that my brand is spending, is getting invested back into it. That’s what I’m looking for my agency to be thinking – both creatively and operationally.
And we are talking agreed outcomes here, that are measurable. If that’s the currency my agency has got, chances are, I am not going anywhere else.
Sustainable outcomes
It’s not about cracking something once, or twice, and then putting it aside. Outcomes are only as good as how long their impact lasts. When the agency is linked deeply with my business, they can’t take their foot off the pedal, just as my business can’t.
Now that takes something. It won’t come by asking or waiting for a brief. It will come by investing in my business, by acting like my extended team, and by continuously playing the role of a partner. Again, not as lip service, in reality. Actively tell me, guide me, challenge me in decisions of consumer segmenting, media spends, creative strategies, tech interventions, digital efficiencies, resource optimisation and the like.
For my business to grow, they need to play a part in every critical discussion that touches my business. As that will directly impact the outcome. So, the longer my agency keeps achieving the outcomes, the longer I stay with them. It’s that simple.
Mutually rewarding outcomes
One-sided relationships rarely last. So, if the agency is joined with my business at the hip, it has to work for both. And it should work both ways. Such that the commercial model mirrors my business performance, as long as it’s based on agreed outcomes. It can’t be just about getting their retainers, but adding value in the real sense. So I can truly see them as partners.
Which brings ‘chemistry’ into the equation. Mostly, I see people talk output. It’s transactional. It’s short-sighted. An idea, a campaign, a media deal, an influencer package… these are all means to an end, not the end by themselves. There needs to be this DNA match with my agency people.
If the people at my agency are someone I can relate to, exchange thoughts and ideas openly with, and know are operating with an ‘us’ mindset instead of selling their services, why would I want to talk to anyone else!
The article has been authored by IdeateLab chief creative officer Raman R.S. Minhas.
Brands
Big Bowl appoints Lyxel & Flamingo as social and media partner
QSR brand eyes next growth phase after crossing Rs 100 crore ARR milestone
MUMBAI: Big Bowl, one of India’s largest bowl-format quick service restaurant brands from Lenexis Foodworks, has appointed Lyxel & Flamingo (L&F) as its social and media partner as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The partnership comes after the brand crossed the Rs 100 crore annual recurring revenue milestone in 2025 and aims to help accelerate its journey towards Rs 150 crore ARR in its fifth year since launch.
Big Bowl currently operates more than 250 kitchens across 50 cities and has emerged as a major player in India’s organised bowl-format food segment. Built around hearty portions and delivery-first convenience, the brand offers a wide mix of Indian, Chinese and fusion bowls designed for quick, affordable and portable consumption.
As urban consumers increasingly gravitate towards easy-to-carry and value-driven meal formats, the company sees the bowl category as a scalable format aligned with modern eating habits.
With the appointment of Lyxel & Flamingo, Big Bowl plans to consolidate its social media and digital media operations under a single partner. The move is intended to sharpen its digital reach, strengthen youth-focused storytelling and improve performance marketing outcomes.
Lyxel & Flamingo, one of India’s largest independent digital-first agencies, manages more than 350 brands and oversees advertising spends exceeding $100 million across its network.
Under the mandate, the agency will handle Big Bowl’s social media strategy, content development, digital performance marketing, media planning and buying, as well as campaign amplification across platforms.
Commenting on the partnership, Lenexis Foodworks founder and director Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal said, “Big Bowl has scaled rapidly to cross Rs 100 crore ARR and established itself as one of the largest bowl-format brands in the country. As a delivery-first, digitally native brand, our next phase of growth will be driven by sharper performance systems and stronger brand storytelling. Consolidating social and media with Lyxel & Flamingo allows us to integrate data, creativity and media precision as we scale towards our next revenue milestone.”
Lenexis Foodworks marketing head Vikas Iyer, added that the delivery-led category requires content, media and performance marketing to work closely together.
“With Lyxel & Flamingo, we aim to build a sharper social voice, stronger acquisition systems and measurable impact, ensuring the brand scales not just in presence but also in precision,” he said.
Lyxel & Flamingo chief executive officer Dev Batra, said the agency will combine data-driven marketing with creative storytelling to support Big Bowl’s growth. “Big Bowl brings the flavour, and L&F brings the fire. Our strategy combines data-led performance with engaging storytelling to help build a strong digital brand presence while delivering measurable business results,” he said.
With this partnership, Big Bowl is looking to strengthen its position as a digitally driven QSR brand, blending brand-building with performance marketing as it scales within India’s rapidly growing organised food delivery market.
