The Hindu Business Line : TBWA India to re-launch its second agency Radeus

TBWA India is getting ready to re-launch its second agency Radeus. "All this time we have kept the second agency alive and we might re-launch and revive it in the next few months," said Mr Kurien Mathews, Director TBWA India.

TBWA acquired Radeus and subsequently merged it with Anthem, when the company existed in its earlier avatar as TBWA Anthem in the country.

Set up primarily to take care of conflicting business, Radeus in its heydays handled big-ticket accounts such as Limca, Amul Chocolates, LIC and till recently LIC Housing Finance.

TBWA also plans to grow its parent brand. "We intend to grow TBWA in India and have managed to grow at 100 per cent in the past two years. This year we are looking at growing at 120 per cent," said Mr Mathews.

In fact, the new businesses acquired in the past two years such as Bajaj Allianz, Pedigree and Apple, have helped the agency increase its growth rates. Its global network business through international alignments such as the Allianz Group has also aided growth.

TBWA India's revenues have scaled up due to MNC clients such as Standard Chartered and Samsonite, with global network business contributing nearly 30 per cent. With the German company Beisdorf (the manufacturers of the Nivea brand of products) setting up a subsidiary in the country, the size of the Nivea account has also increased from the days when it existed as a licensee brand of J.L Morrison.

The Nivea brand is expanding its portfolio in the India market with haircare, bath care and baby care products, giving TBWA India more categories to create advertising for. "There is a lot of action happening with the Nivea brand and it should now be able to compete with bigger players such as HLL and L'Oreal in the Indian market," said Mr Mathews.

TWBA's below-the-line services for the Tequila brand are being consolidated and additional services such as direct marketing, customer relationship management, promotions and events will be offered.

In the past TBWA had intended getting into healthcare marketing but has shelved its plans for now. "We are not eyeing healthcare right now," said Mr Mathews.

TBWA does not want to have a separate media brand since there is a possibility of OMD (the media buying outfit of the Omnicom group) entering the country. "We will continue to have our in-house media division - TBWA Media, since there are still discussions on OMD coming to India," said Mr Mathews.