MUMBAI: IPG Mediabrands has launched its third media agency network in India, in line with its strategy of operating across 14 countries.
Titled Brand Programming Network (BPN), it will be under the Lintas Media Group (LMG) umbrella.
Ending months of speculation on what Suresh Balakrishnan‘s designation will be at LMG, the agency has named him as the CEO of BPN.
The other two media agencies of IPG Mediabrands in India are Lodestar UM and Lintas Initiative.
BPN will operate in 14 countries around the world, including North America, Scandinavia, Latin America and Europe. It has a start up billing of over $900 million, the agency said.
The new agency will be focusing on promoting brand health and success in this social and consumer driven media landscape. It will handle clients like Jyothy-Henkel, Bajaj Auto, Samsonite, and other clients of LMG to start up with a billing volume of over Rs 10 billion in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Cochin.
Lintas Media Group chairman and CEO Lynn de Souza said, "For media agencies thus far, the starting point has always been the advertiser. Consolidation, portfolio management and aggregation are all client focused and to some extent consumer data driven. BPN will focus on the brand. The time has come to turn back several chapters and make the brand the hero of all communication effort, and BPN has developed processes to do just that."
The agency is already pitching for large MNC brands and has recently acquired Henkel in Mumbai, Yepme.com in Delhi, OCL in Kolkata, and Jayalakshmi Silks accounts in Cochin.
Balakrishna said, "The team and I are very excited to be energizing an all new way of approaching media, yet using the best of data, insights and creativity that LMG and IPG Mediabrands have globally and here in India. BPN will focus on promoting brand programming using social media as a key source of information to reach consumer at every touch point. We will work closely with Reprise Media, the digital offer, and Lintas Initiative Outdoor to offer brands complete media solutions. This agency will be characterised by its agility, creativity and understanding of new avenues like the digital medium, branded content, mobile telephony, apart from the conviction to be able to deliver the best media product through astute planning and aggressive buying."
