MAM
Media agencies depend heavily on flagship clients
MUMBAI: Single flagship clients account for over one-fifth of revenue for many media agencies, showing a symbiotic long-term relationship between them.
Mindshare earned 20.3 per cent of its revenue in calendar year 2011 from Hindustan Lever, the largest advertiser in the Indian market. The FMCG major’s media spend in 2011 was $214.7 million, handled entirely by Mindshare which had total billings crossing the $1 billion mark in the year, RECMA’s (Research Company Evaluating the Media Agency Industry) global billings report shows.
Incidentally, HUL has marginally scaled down its media spends in 2011 due to the slowdown in the Indian economy. The company had spent $241.9 million in 2010 to promote its rich and diverse reach of brands cutting across all segments.
The GroupM agency’s other clients in India include Pepsico, GSK, Nike, Ford, Star Network, ICICI, Lenovo, Kellogg’s, IBM, Nestle, and Aditya Birla Capital.
| Brand | Media Expenses* | Media Agency | Total Billing*2011 | % contributed by Brand | |
| 2011 | 2010 | ||||
| Hindustan Lever | 214.7 | 241.9 | Mindshare | 1050 | 20.30% |
| LG | 56.2 | 77 | MEC | 300 | 18% |
| Maruti Udyog | 61.3 | 65.5 | LMG | 430 | 14.25% |
| Nokia | 58.7 | 58.5 | Maxus | 570 | 10.20% |
| Pantaloons Retail | 65.6 | 74.2 | Allied Media | 235 | 27.90% |
| Reckitt | 64.7 | 80.2 | ZenithOptemedia | 295 | 21.90% |
| Samsung | 81.8 | 60.2 | Starcom | 275 | 29.70% |
ZenithOptimedia, which had grossed a billing of $295 million in 2011, got 21.9 per cent of its revenue from Reckitt Benckiser. The company had spent $64.7 million in 2011 as compared to $80.2 million in 2010, according to RECMA. It has brands like Harpic, Air Wick, Calgon, Veet, Boots Healthcare, Nurofen, Strepsils, Clearasil, Adams Respiratory.
The Samsung business accounted for 29.7 per cent of Starcom’s billing of $295 million in 2011. The Korean company spent $81.8 million in 2011, up from $60.2 million in the previous year.
Allied Media, with a net billing of $235 million, made 27.9 per cent of its revenue from Pantaloons Retail, RECMA report shows. Pantaloons Retail had a media spend of $65.6 million in 2011, down from $74.2 million a year ago.
GroupM’s MEC derives 18.73 per cent of its revenue from LG Electronics. Out of MEC’s billings of $300 million in 2011, the consumer electronics major shelled out $56.2 million towards media in 2011. LG has also cut its media spend by almost 27 per cent ($77 million in 2010), according to RECMA.
Lintas Media Group got 14.25 per cent of its revenue from Maruti Udyog that spent $61.3 million on media in 2011. This was lower than what the company had spent in the year 2010 which was 65.5 per cent. Maruti Suzuki, Magyar Suzuki, M-800, Omni, Alto, WagonR, Swift, Dezire, Esteem, Zen, Estilo, SX4, Grand Vitara and Versa are the brands that run under the brand.
GroupM’s Maxus earned 10.26 per cent of its total billing of $570 million in 2011 from its Nokia account. The mobile phone handset maker Nokia spent $58.7 million on media, almost the same ($58.5 million) as in 2010.
Brands
FSS names Anand Krishnamurthi head of global digital delivery
Tech veteran to drive AI-first, cloud-led transformation in payments globally
CHENNAI: Financial Software and Systems (FSS), an AI-first payment infrastructure company, has appointed Anand Krishnamurthi as head of global digital delivery.
In his new role, Anand Krishnamurthi will lead FSS’s global digital delivery capabilities, focusing on AI-first and cloud-led transformation while ensuring predictable, high-quality outcomes for customers worldwide. He will be based in Chennai and report to V. Balasubramanian, CEO of FSS.
Bringing 28 years of experience in technology and digital transformation across banking, capital markets, financial services, and insurance, Anand has held senior leadership positions at Cognizant and NuSummit. He is recognised for scaling multi-geography delivery teams, leading mission-critical platforms, and embedding AI-driven automation in complex, regulated environments.
“What drew me to FSS is its deep payments expertise, strong product DNA, and the scale at which its platforms power real-world financial ecosystems,” said Anand Krishnamurthi. “I aim to strengthen delivery predictability, execution rigor, and engineering quality, building empowered teams that deliver measurable customer outcomes. FSS has a unique opportunity to create real-time, AI-infused payments infrastructure that is resilient, secure, and globally scalable.”
V. Balasubramanian added, “Anand’s track record in leading multi-geography delivery programs and AI-first operating models makes him the ideal leader for FSS as we accelerate our AI-driven digital payments business. His leadership will help us raise the bar for outcomes globally.”
This appointment is part of FSS’s broader push to build an AI-powered, cloud-native delivery organisation capable of meeting the evolving needs of banks, fintechs, and financial institutions worldwide.
