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“Delhi is the Madina of Indian advertising…”

Pallavi Srivastava August 27, 2010
 

Nikhlesh Jhingan has recently joined Mudra North & East as Group Director Brand Communications. Jhingan shares his early days experience in the agency, his views about Delhi’s ad frat and much more in a conversation with MediaWorldBuzz’s Pallavi Srivastava…


Nikhlesh Jhingan, Group Director-Brand communications, Mudra North & East

MediaWorldBuzz: How have your early few days at Mudra been? How is the work culture at Mudra different from that at Publicis?

Nikhlesh Jhingan: Exciting. Nevillish. Reverberating with energy & contagious. Mudra offers freedom and the opportunity to do great work is very evident, and this is across verticals & amongst every stakeholders.

MediaWorldBuzz: In your opinion, what is the extra edge that you bring to Mudra, considering your valuable past experience?

Nikhlesh Jhingan: My pedigree so far has been different to most. I have been an Advertising Executive, a Banker, an administrator and a marketer. I have worked in both national and international markets. And I have worked in some of the biggest corporate in their field.

What I will bring to the table is the perspective drawn from them. And that will act as a devil’s advocate to all endeavours.
   

MediaWorldBuzz:  Being the Group Director - Brand Communications at Mudra, what are the key things on your priority list?

Nikhlesh Jhingan: My priority at this point is to get the category introspection on brand I handle, to be a great brand custodian, energize the brand to progressive movement, lead from the front & partner as ‘one’ team and look for avenues of organic growth.

MediaWorldBuzz: What are the major brands will you be working on here? And how do you plan to give the communication for these brands a fresh perspective?

Nikhlesh Jhingan: I am working on Philips, Wrigleys – Orbit and HBO. By looking at disruption in the category, dig deeper for relevancy amongst the audience and with that try build stature.

MediaWorldBuzz: Among the brands that you are working on right now, which one is your personal favourite and why?

Nikhlesh Jhingan: All three. I have no prejudice towards any. I need to love all of them otherwise I will not be doing justice to the role and will not be able to infuse energy in to my team.

MediaWorldBuzz: What is your take about the Delhi Advertising Industry? Many industry veterans believe it hasn't been exploited to its full potential? Your take on the same.

Nikhlesh Jhingan: First, I’m quite new to Delhi, it will not be fair on my part to judge or question the experts’ view on this city. Having said that, the market is gearing up, there is lot of buzz and this city is truly the Madina of Indian advertising.

MediaWorldBuzz: What do you think is needed to make this more dynamic?

Nikhlesh Jhingan: Professionalism is the need of the hour, what needs to be address in the ‘chalta hai’ attitude on a war footing.

MediaWorldBuzz: Creativity is said to be the soul of any communication. How important do you think is brand communications?
Nikhlesh Jhingan: It’s the mind.

MediaWorldBuzz: In the coming one year, what according to you will be the biggest challenge for the ad industry?

Nikhlesh Jhingan: Brain drain. Knowledge vacuum. Lack of passionate partnership. All leading to a major shift from being strategic, creative, system driven to finance lead. Really worrisome, as moneys are important but if we focus on core strength, it will automatically flow.

Shift to real work, efficacy of only real work. Giving no room for “patli galli’s” – which leads to surreal virtual space, far away from reality.

MediaWorldBuzz: What do you think are the biggest opportunities for the advertising industry in near future?

Nikhlesh Jhingan: World eyeball on India and it’s blooming purchasing power.