News: TBWA toasts entry of Tequila in India

(DNA 29/11/2006) Mumbai - Salut to this potent launch. Tequila Worldwide, the $1.5-billion-plus global marketing services network, 100% owned by global ad network TBWA, has now rolled in here.

Awanish Kumar, who brings over a decade experience in the field with innings at Solutions Integrated Marketing Services and Euro RSCG, will head the unit. To begin with Tequila will operate out of three branches of Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi.

TBWA India is looking at an 80 growth in billings, which is currently Rs 250 crore-plus, with the entry of Tequila.

Like its global parent, Tequila India will operate in non traditional advertising areas like direct marketing, customer acquisition and relationship, lead generation, events, promotions, direct marketing, interactive, retail channel development and management, activation and audience development.

Tequila’s major global clients include Adidas, Canon, Nissan, Sony PlayStation, Nivea, HP, and it is speculated that some of these may align with the new outfit here for some of the above areas of communications. Tequila’s India roster already includes Standard Chartered Bank, Bajaj Allianz, and all the clients of TBWA India. The unit will be looking at acquiring a client base beyond the captive client list of TBWA India.

Says George John, CEO, TBWA India, “Tequila is fully owned by TBWA and hence it shares the same P&L (profit and loss) sheet. We did set up a representative office of Tequila in India in 2001, primarily to coordinate local activities for a regional client of Tequila. This was increased to a team of four people in 2005 to support BTL activities of Standard Chartered Bank.’’And now a full-fledged Tequila India has just opened its doors here.

Global marketing communications networks are tapping the fastest growing engine of the ad business-non traditional and integrated. John and TBWA are obviously on similar track; “TBWA has been our jewel in this space,” says John.

The marketing network of Tequila was launched in Paris in 1986 by Jean-Marie Dru, the world’s father of creative disruption and president & CEO, TBWA Worldwide, and has since become one of the world’s fastest growing marketing networks with 48 agencies in 34 countries.

Tequila’s Asia network includes regions like Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, Philippines, New Zealand Indonesia and South Korea.