MAM
THE GROUP M BUYING PHILOSOPHY
Group M Central Trading Group National Director Lakshmi Narasimhan is the most powerful buyer in the Indian media space. Known as a tough negotiator, Narasimhan reveals his buying philosophies which the Group M agencies utilise as a common pool.
CTG’s entire buying department is divided into five clusters; every cluster working across regions specializing on a particular segment. Every buyer also has an added client servicing responsibility. “Every team handles large volumes but smaller set of suppliers. If a buyer is not rooted with the client, he will not able to customize the buys. This system helps leverage volume and fine tune into a client’s needs. The CTG follows a matrix structure where every buyer is responsible to a client for all buying issues, but accountable for a certain set of channels.”
Mindshare leverages volume in two areas:
1) Market knowledge derived due to the volume of clients handled by all the Group M agencies. “Hence we have a good sense of the market and an operating sense.”
2) Bulk buys which yield a better rate from media owners.
The five buying clusters of the CTG are as follows:
- Print & radio
- Unicontent (Niche channels)
- Regional channels
- Sports & DD
- Hindi Satellite
CTG’s Philosophy: “Our buying is analysis based and is not done by plain arm twisting. We follow stringent implementation processes via our MIS systems and most importantly we test the bottom of the market . We never tell a client that we have got deals below the market price. Our rates are benchmarked on real rates by striking the right price-value integration.
“In group M, buying is not a back line but a front line function.”
Profile of people: ” We prefer to hire people with a well rounded background. Most people have been planners in the past and are buyers now or have extensive experience with media companies. We take on people with an average experience of 6.5-7 years.
Brands
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
