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“There is absolutely no need for controversies!”
Pallavi Srivastava June 18, 2010

Ajay Naqvi, Executive Vice-President and Head of Mudra North and East, speaks to MediaWorldBuzz’ Pallavi Srivastava about his new responsibilities, his priority at the agency, his take on competition and his ambitions for the agency…
Ajay Naqvi, EVP & Head, Mudra North & East	MediaWorldBuzz: How have these early few days at Mudra faired as per your expectations? Ajay: Mudra is a place with great momentum, people and intent; all elements are instrumental in creating an indomitable force when it comes to developing simple working solutions for brands. I also think the knowledge quotient amongst planning and account management guys is fairly high as they go through a well designed friendly rigour of understanding the passion called communication. After all that’s the pivot around which an agency stands or falls. MediaWorldBuzz: What are the first few things in your priority list for the agency? Ajay: To bring the goodness in people, passion and knowledge that exists within the agency to the fore. We need to demonstrate that through great creative work. We have to design our thinking around bringing the best out of the talent pool that exists and will become a part of us, thereby, ensuring more and more brands benefit from us.

MediaWorldBuzz: How are you working on getting new clients on board? What kind of clients are you scouting for?

Ajay: Clients who value relationships, clients who value ideas and solutions that help brands to evolve from strength to strength. We are focused on developing our expertise across categories. We are strongly placed to offer holistic solutions to clients. Our group companies specializing in digital, design consulting, retail, relationship marketing etc. have been continuously delivering exceptional solutions to clients.

MediaWorldBuzz: How do you think the advertising industry is going to shape up in the next 6-12 months time, especially considering the fact this will be sort of post slowdown period? Where do you see Mudra in this entire scheme?

Ajay: Advertising cannot sustain if it is looked upon as a business. It’s a passion that feeds. In advertising, our end delivery has to be communication that stems from our understanding of people/consumers. The tastes and preferences of consumers today have changed. One needs to keep them engaged at different places with relevant messaging. In the near future one can see agencies offering project based solutions through their boutique offerings. Clients could get increasingly aligned to working with multiple outfits ; creative, media , retail, rural marketing, digital etc. The trick is to have them all under one roof so you have a collective knowledge base where people benefit from each other through the process of knowledge migration. Mudra has an advantage over here and hence, it will rein supreme. We have clarity about our craft and what it takes to continuously delight brands and its owners, the consumers.

MediaWorldBuzz: In your opinion, what is Mudra's biggest strength as an agency?

Ajay: As I said, Mudra is a place that has great forward movement; a place where people, knowledge and intent fuse to become an invincible power. It is because of these qualities that Mudra demonstrates an indomitable force when it comes to developing simple working solutions for brands.

MediaWorldBuzz: What is the biggest challenge for the agency?

Ajay: Talent remains a challenge not just for agencies but for Delhi as a city overall. Unfortunately apart from a few exceptions, it’s the same story on the client’s side, hence, forming a vicious circle. Agencies are doing sub-standard work and clients are not paying the agencies and that goes on! Delhi still has to witness the glory of Mumbai fully. Advertising industry needs to engage with clients on a different level here otherwise it will be a collective doom!

MediaWorldBuzz: There is always a debate on creativity vs effectiveness in ad frat. What is your take on this? And which is higher in your priority list as the agency's EVP?

Ajay: Creativity leads to effectiveness. Prioritizing between the two is a trap agencies usually get into. At Mudra, it’s about being able to liberate creative forces and allowing account management and planning people to channelize this creative freedom into delivering great creative solutions that work!

MediaWorldBuzz: One year down the line where do you see Mudra as an agency?

Ajay: Hopefully, in some time from now we will be able to hold our own. I would personally like to earn respect and integrity from current clients by raising our output benchmarks and thereby, giving enough reasons to brands that are not engaged with us to think about us! This year will be about quality consolidation from both people knowledge, and business POV.

MediaWorldBuzz: Your take on controversies regarding awards?

Ajay: There is absolutely no need for controversies! Controversies generate unnecessary news. Great work has and will always get recognized. Forums, awards cannot be about self promotion or camps. Like minded people will have to take a lead here and not allow vested business interests to spoil the craft that we all found pure, magnetic and the one for which a lot of us have compromised many things in life.

MediaWorldBuzz: You must be aware about Delhi's alternative ad club idea that is catching up fast on Facebook. What are your views on the same?

Ajay: Great intent! I would be shallow if I were to say anything beyond it. However I would like to partner the initiators and am intending to call and understand how I could contribute to the same.