McCann chief pictures India as export hub

McCann Erickson India is turning into an export hub for the group's worldwide advertising services and this includes the creative side too.

The Indian unit has already created ads for confectionery giant Perfetti Van Melle (commercials featuring Kajol) that are now being used globally.

This will increase, says McCann Worldgroup Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John J Dooner Jr. He is in India for the company's global board meeting here. Worldgroup is part of the Interpublic Group.

India is a maturing market and the time has come to export ideas out of the country instead of importing them, Dooner told Business Standard.

With this in mind, Prasoon Joshi, the chairman of McCann's India operations, has been included in a special global group comprising 13 members who brainstorm across nations.

This recognition of India as an important emerging market has led McCann to hold its Asia meeting in India for the first time, like some other multinationals have done recently. McCann Erickson handles advertising for such top global brands as Intel, Coca-Cola and Microsoft.

McCann, however, will not be looking at acquisitions in India, says Dooner. "We do not need acquisitions as we have already established our presence across a multitude of disciplines including advertising, digital communications, healthcare and event marketing. We are looking at developing capabilities."

The board will discuss the company's strategic plan for Asian countries, with India high on the priority list. McCann has identified digital media as one of the emerging areas in India due to its high density of technology.

"Online media is the reality of today," says Dooner. He says that though digital media will be an important growth area, it will not dominate the scheme of things.

Dooner points out that the digital communications branch, MRM Worldwide, was is doing pioneering work in digital media research. and the company has a head start when it comes to expertise in digital media.

Prasoon Joshi, creative director of McCann-Erickson for South Asia & South East Asia says, "The country needs to digitally orient itself. There is a need to change the mindset."

Digital would have to be included in the DNA of the system."