THE YOUNG TURKS

Indian ad professionals are in demand to lead businesses in other growing Asian markets.

What is the implication of the one-child policy on the value system of Chinese mothers regarding baby care?
Should we hammer out creative differences in the meeting room or take people aside and discuss it privately?
While Sanjai Srivastava, senior business director, Lowe is figuring out the former in Shanghai, Santosh Menon, general manager, FCB Indonesia is trying to understand what is the most sensitive option for the latter issue. Srivastava and Menon are not alone in learning and savouring the thrill of working in foreign markets.
In fact they represent the growing club of young, Indian ad pros who are being increasingly sent by their global networks to head operations or significant accounts in Asian countries. A trend that has caught significant momentum in the past one year has these managers go to markets ranging from Sri Lanka to Bangladesh and China in the neighbourhood to Vietnam, Indonesia and Hong Kong further east. The move has meant growth, learning and overall upward movement in an exciting format. As the Indian economy booms, the Indian ad pros are in the spotlight for the working ethos and talent they can bring to the table. International recognition for its work at awards has helped immensely as the networks are looking this way for global leaders.
The Indian agency is becoming the rising star of its network and can command such appointments. Lowe India is one of the 11 "lighthouse" agencies of the network and is looked at for showing the way. Lowe India is among the top three agencies in its network on most parameters.
Also, there is clear ‘regionalization’ among clients who are getting out of country -centric marketing models. The agencies are mirroring this change. As Pranesh Misra of Lowe India explains, "As the managers at the client's end move from one market to the other, they seek out the ad professionals they worked with here."
Also, India is the center for advertising creation for specific international brands, for instance Unilever brands like Fair n Lovely, Surf Excel and Clinic Plus. Indian talent is hence being increasingly spotted and perceived as hard working, analytical with enviable adaptability. In India you learn to treat every region as a separate market so the learning is wide."

Not the last or least, they speak English. "We are both strong leaders and yet great learners", observes Vaishali Sarkar of OgilvyOne.
Says Colvyn Harris, CEO, JWT, "Our training exposes them to MNC brands, a wide range of product categories and adapting to different time zones." Adds Kalpana Rao, talent director, O&M, “We see international exposure as a part of the career planning process for these senior employees.”
Credit goes to the senior Indian professionals who are running meritocracies and churning out these well trained young `uns. Harris says that this is akin to outsourcing of talent at a price point beneficial to international players.
However as these professionals are growing in strength this price gap is also closing. And that will be the next significant development.

(This article appeared as the lead in Billboard, the weekly advertising and marketing page of Hindustan Times in Sept `06)