The Hindu Business Line : SSC&B Lintas eyes new areas to boost growth

SSC&B Lintas, a Lintas Group agency, is targeting new areas such as telecom, banking, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, to give an impetus to its business.

Having bagged new accounts in these areas, it is getting into specialist products to add value to the work being done for these sectors.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Ashish Bhasin, President, said: "We have been doing extensive worldwide research in emerging markets for these new areas. Today we have got a stronger account planning team which has also been initiated into training programmes."

The agency has of late been restructuring its functions across its client servicing, creative, and account planning functions.

It now has a common creative head with its below-the-line outfit - IMAG (Integrated Marketing Action Group) and itself.

Ms Usha Bhandarkar doubles up as the creative head for both SSC&B and IMAG.

SSC&B has been beefing up its client roster with big-ticket accounts such Union Bank of India, MTNL, BSNL, the UB Group, and Scotia Bank, among others.

It now believes in having an integrated product offering and recently roped in IMAG to offer an array of services. Mr Bhasin said: "Today IMAG is helping SSC&B give a 360-degree solution to clients with its eight units."

IMAG also services Lowe, its bigger sister agency and Quadrant, another Lintas Media Group company.

In the recent past, IMAG has also been on an account-bagging spree.

Mr Bhasin, who doubles up as Director of IMAG, said: "Through the tie-up with IMAG, it is possible to offer an integrated product offering. We do pitch independently and then, depending on the client's need, offer a range of services."

Linterland, its rural marketing division, continues to be the largest division within IMAG.

Lintertainment, its film marketing division, has also been gaining in size, bagging the work for the about to be released film called Babul starring Amitabh Bachchan.

"Through Lintertainment, we help brands in getting placed within films. In future we may also take up some amount of celebrity management; we have already helped actors such as Shahid Kapoor," said Mr Bhasin.

SSC&B is currently working on a few developmental brands of HLL.

Having worked on its confectionary brand, Max, and its recently sold hair oil brand, Nihar, it is now looking forward in helping the FMCG giant with some of new brands. Making projections for the year, Mr Bhasin said: "We expect to grow at three-and-a-half times the current growth of the industry."