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ADVERTISING QUADRANT: Good Karma? Her first attempt at running an ad agency was a disaster. But the second time round, Geetanjali Kirloskar's critics are mum. By Roop Karnani
What's up? Unlike Pratibha, which miserably failed, Kirloskar's two-year-old agency, Quadrant Communications-where the Inter-Public Group Worldwide has a 49 per cent stake-seems to have found its niche. Its client roster sports names like Bajaj Auto, Tata Honeywell Security Systems, Tetrapak, Sansui, and TVS Tyres, apart from Kirloskar Oil Engines. And making money-a big problem with Pratibha-is not an issue that keeps Kirloskar awake at night anymore. Take a look: in the first year, Quadrant's billings jumped to Rs 32 crore (Pratibha's Rs 20-crore business had been transferred to the JV). The second year, it again grew by 50 per cent, touching Rs 48 crore, and this year, Kirloskar is targeting billings of Rs 68 crore. Says she: ''Quadrant is doing a brand of advertising that ensures both the topline and the bottomline of our clients grow.'' Adds Prem Mehta, CEO, Lintas Lowe: ''(Quadrant) is possibly the most successful mid-sized agency in the country today.'' A clean slate The fact that Quadrant was founded when the recession of the 1997-98 was bottoming out helped. For one, it allowed the agency to build its cost structure from a zero base and also hire people who were willing to think out-of-the-box. Quadrant's clients themselves were undergoing tremendous changes. The consumer's buying behaviour was changing rapidly, new brands were hitting shop shelves everyday, and there was tremendous pressure on the advertising rupee to generate sales. Since Quadrant had no historical baggage unlike some of its competitors, it was a flatter and faster set up, moving quickly to fulfil the client's needs. Says Sanjay Mathur, Executive Director (Creative), Quadrant (he moved from Lintas): ''We have all the systems and disciplines of a larger agency, thanks to our tie-up with IPG. At the same time, we have all the nimbleness of a mid-sized agency.'' Kirloskar has also tried to make Quadrant more than just a creative outfit. It already has a toe-hold in the fast growing media-buying business. Its 'Millennium Media', set up in association with IPG, offers complete communication channel planning. Says Kirloskar: ''Lintas, HTA, and O&M are the only three other agencies to have their own media-buying arm.'' Being relatively small, Quadrant is also able to spend more time per client. For instance, back in 1998, when its client Sansui gave it a clear mandate of growing volumes, the agency came up with several marketing ideas. One of them involved selling Sansui CTVs, washing machines, and refrigerators as a package to consumers. Says Anil Khera, CEO of Sansui India: ''They have always acted as part of our sales team. We have never felt that we were dealing with an outside agency.'' Adds R.L. Ravichandran, Vice-President, Bajaj Auto: ''Geetanjali is personally involved in all concepts, creative, copy, and media execution. And that's very reassuring.'' Instead of adding more clients, Kirloskar wants to focus on growing with the existing clients. Still, by 2001-02, she expects Quadrant to touch Rs 90 crore in billings. They may call it Quadrant, but Kirloskar sure seems to know how to keep a happy circle. |
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Barely
three years ago, Geetanjali Kirloskar was busy handing out pink slips at
her former loss-making agency, Pratibha Advertising. In fact, in just two
days, she's supposed to have sent home a hundred of her employees. Today,
a much happier and wiser Kirloskar (who is married to Vikram Kirloskar of
the Kirloskar Group) is pushing a 12-hour workday and talking of moving
offices from a 900-sq. ft shoebox in Bandra to a larger, more central
property in Worli.