54th EPISODE. During my stint in agency side of the business, I had the misfortune of servicing few Public Sector Clients. Here is a list of reasons (not in order of importance) for me hating them.
1- You are an empanelled agency.
2- Every assignment is a pitch or is given out on rotation and not on merit.
3- Best of the creative solutions find way to dustbin.
4- Media plans are dictated by internal policies.
5- You do not get the feeling of owning the brand
6- Corruption.
On a particular PSU account we at LINTAS were not getting much business though the client seem to be releasing enough ads. We were in a fix. Bribing was something we had no experience with and no money was asked upfront. In my over-the-tea chat with one of the friendly administrative staff I came to know where we were going wrong. He laughed that we were unable to read the signals that were being sent out repeatedly. His suggestion listen carefully in the meeting if we wish to do business.
At ‘Lintas’ our stance was clear. We will not bribe. But still I wanted to understand what was happening. In the very next meeting I and the copywriter ( No names) with me. We presented the campaign and then were doing normal rapport building when discussion took off on a tangent.
CLIENT: OH Raj (dummy name) that is a lovely watch you are wearing.
RAJ : Thank you Vermajee ( dummy name)
CLIENT : Brand
RAJ : Sir BRAND X
CLIENT : Khan Market
RAJ : Nahi sir, Bhai came back from Paris. He brought one
CLIENT : Kitney ki ( how much)
RAJ : Sir 23,000
CLIENT : Dekhey ( show)
( Raj gave the watch to Vermajee. Vermajee addressed us while admiring it)
CLIENT : Now see kotnalajee, yeah bacchey hai, 6-7 saal ki naukari aur eitni aachi gadi. That’s working in pivate company. Eek mai hu, eis Public company mai hai, eisey watch kaha afford kar sakey hai. Humarey bhi koi subchintak hotey toh humey bhi yeh gadi toh miljaati- unka kya jata. (kotnala. These kids, they would have worked just 6-7 years in a private company and they have such nice watch. And me, I am in a public company, I can’t afford this. If only there were people who thought well of me, they could have got me such a watch)
I knew we had lost the assignment. It was the watch he wanted something that we were not willing to do. Realising the situation with time our focus on the client dropped. There as no point in playing a game with someone else’s rules.
……….. OTHER ADVERTISING MARKETING EPISODES …
IRRATIONAL DEMAND – how clients expect agencies to do things ● DOUBLE SURPRISE– Never walkin a party not knowing the occassion ● DING DONG EXCITEMENT AT MACAU – the addiction to casino ● HOT RIDE AT PUSHKAR – adventure ● THE WALK : How we discovered the culture at Macau ● The Jump – a team of 7 go sjyjumping during annual conclave at Pattaya ● HIGH SEA GAMBLING – the merry making in international waters ● KOTI ANGLES: Gambeling in Goa ● MISSING LIPS : How friendship develops to create different expectations ● The Trap: How the AE searching for adventure got duped ● Equal Opportunity to Indulge: How HR finds itself ina spot in Pattaya ● THE LOST HAUNTING MUSIC– An experience ● UNNAMED SPIRIT- A SPOOKY EXPERIENCE at Mcleodganj ● PUNJABI LINTAS – Amrit Puri takes over Lintas ● DELAYED LAUNCH – Why HT Delhi Colour supplement launch was delayed ● UNDERGROUND – Printing fake currency could have led to jail ● STRATEGIC RAIN BREAK – How ZID KARO DHONI film was shot ● THANK YOU ● RAIN CLAUSE – I – The fight with Whitelight film over Maruti film ● LETHAL COMBINATION ● APPETITE – It does not matter where you get the appetite till you eat at home ● Puncture – how not to get caught ● ADULTERY- THE MOMENT – Its all for you to decide how far you would go ● ASSET – how a famous Indian model was rejected ● I AM SANKAR – soft ragging of new trainee ● THE COUNT ● INTRODUCTION ● TIME BOMB – How to avoid embarrassing situation ● SMALL TILE – eye for detail ● SHOOT REPORT – junior saving the issue by innovative process ● SARDAR KHUSH HOGA – the agency reaction to a demand ● SHOOT AT MUD ISLAND – shooting with Denzil ●KAALI PEELI PICTURE – what do you do you’re your model is featured in Debonair ● UPGRADE – Bangalore ITC ● JUHI EFFECT– there is something called lady luck in gambling ● POWER OF PUNJAB ● OUT – let game be game ● TWO MORE – how not to pay for the drinks ● ELEVEN MINUTES – client tackles late agency ● THE CHERRY WIN –Team plays a prank ● THE PRESENTATION – junior takes revenge for last minute changes ● BLACK GOLD – A lesson on TVC presentation ● BUFFERED –delivery at airport ● CONTINUE WITH CLIENT – The management supports a high pitched battle with client ● NOT FIRED – just in time action by agency ● ONE LESS DECISION – a campaign thought represented umpteen times● HIGH JACKING THE GOAFEST DELEGATES – a ground event that took Goafest by surprise ● THE GHOST OF 35 RANI JHANSI ROAD JHANDEWALAON – The unsiad stories ● THE PROBLEM – Agency tackling a no-brief from client ● IMPORTED ART CARD – a quick retort to finiky client ● BANYAN TREE AGENCY – Agency tackles cost issue on unapproved estimates
