New Agency Madras Weaves Creative And Content For Continuous Brand Experiences
Agency's business model makes it financially easier for clients to do more
in an 'always-on' marketing era.
Longtime Ogilvy ECDs Bill Davaris and Andrew Ladden join as Chief Creative Officers
to bolster existing global offering.
NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Madras Brand Solutions (www.madrasglobal.com), a global creative and content agency combining high-touch, near-shore creative with high-volume, far-shore development and delivery, launches today with offices on three continents and more than 1,100 people dedicated to 'always-on' marketing.
Madras aims to overcome the prime obstacle faced by marketers today – developing marketing solutions that are both innovative and cost-effective – by replacing the linear agency-client model with a continuous engagement.
Madras believes agencies today are designed to be too front loaded, meaning that by the time strategy and ideas come to life, there is little time or budget left over for amplification. When consumer behaviors shift or competitors pivot, as they always do, brands struggle to find the funds to react quickly and effectively.
"We believe great brands are leaving too much value on the table," said Fred Schuster, CEO of Madras. "Whether it's due to cost, timing or inefficiency, there are brilliant tactics and ideas that deserve to be seen and experienced, yet most of them are left behind."
Madras' continuous engagement model takes a different approach. Whereas top creative directors typically disengage after delivering the initial big idea, Madras creative leads stay connected to address clients' changing needs fluidly. And by focusing on longer-term engagements, Madras enables the heavy creative investment to be amortized over the course of evolving campaigns.
"It's not the thinking we do once, it's the thinking we do every day that makes a brand relevant," said Schuster, an accomplished creative director and former CEO of RedWorks (WPP) and Craft Worldwide (IPG). "And by partnering at an enterprise level, we make it financially feasible, too."
Award-winning creative team Bill Davaris and Andrew Ladden have joined Madras from Ogilvy & Mather, where for the past 17 years they led business-building work for such clients as American Express, IBM, Barclays, Cabela's, Shark/Ninja, and Vodafone. Together they will lead the Madras Global strategy and creative teams in New York and London, as well as an expanding content creation and delivery unit out of Chennai and Bangalore, India.
"We're done abandoning great insights and ideas because the budget was spent already,' said Davaris. "All creatives want to do is good work, all the time, not just a couple times a year."
"That's really what clients want, too," added Ladden.
Madras represents the continued expansion of its parent company, The Ad2pro Group, into the agency space. The Ad2pro Group has built a premier, tech-enabled, content delivery business providing high quality, high volume work for such elite brands as Macys and Lenovo, as well as the world's leading media companies. In 2015, Ad2pro acquired UK-based digital agency, Somewhat, which will be rebranded as Madras.
"We are thrilled to continue to attract world-class talent into our expanding team," said Gopal Krishnan, co-founder and CEO of The Ad2pro Group, "Fred, Bill and Andy combine talent, experience, and unique understanding of clients' needs that is rare in this industry."
"Madras Brand Solutions, and our existing 2adpro Media Solutions, represent two real disruptive offerings in the Brand and Media Space," added Todd Brownrout, co-Founder and President of The Ad2pro Group, "And a new definition of what a modern marketing company looks like."
About The Ad2pro Group (www.thead2progroup.com)
Established in 2006, The Ad2pro Group (ad2pro Media Solutions Pvt. Ltd.) is a leading global marketing services company that develops and delivers strategic creative, low-cost implementation and technology solutions to the world's leading brands and media companies.
The Ad2pro Group (www.thead2progroup.com) is comprised of 2adpro Media Solutions (www.2adpro.com) and Madras Brand Solutions (www.madrasglobal.com). 2adpro partners with prestigious media companies such as Tegna (US), Gatehouse (US), Fairfax (AUS and NZ), and Newsquest (UK), to offer on-demand creative and technology automation services. Madras works with global brands such as Macys, Lenovo, BBC, Tesco, Clarks, French Connection, Manolo Blahnik and American Outdoorsman to provide full-service capabilities in strategy and planning, traditional brand communications, websites, social and mobile campaigns, experiential and engagement, content fulfillment and execution.
2adpro Group also offers integrated Ad Ops technology platform and proprietary workflow and automation solution, JDX. Together they have global offices in Bangalore, Chennai, Los Angeles, Austin, New York and London.
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