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Omnicom group's multi-channel marketing agency network RAPP (part of DDB Mudra in India) is building on a verticals-based model it initiated in 2010 to fuel growth. The agency claims to have added 12 businesses across categories in the last 18 months.
RAPP adopted a global positioning of ‘Where brands Live' two months ago, and the vertical-based model is an ongoing global process that has borne results in India over the last year and a half, informed Mr Venkat Mallik, President, RAPP (India).
“Since 2010, we focused on creating verticals to develop specialised knowledge and more focused and comprehensive solutions in each vertical. Growth has come from the financial services vertical and also the technology and telecom verticals we created,” explained Mr Mallik. He added that revenues have doubled over the last two years, but refused to divulge numbers.
B2B vertical
RAPP is in the process of carving out a separate B2B vertical, drawing out the B2B portfolio from its existing clientele, and also adding newer B2B clients. Globally, RAPP has created eight specialised verticals by industry.
“We're also considering creating retail, automobile, healthcare and consumer goods verticals in India, all of which exist within RAPP globally. We would add on at least two in India this year,” he said.
For RAPP, which offers integrated media agnostic communication solutions, the part of the business has grown significantly in the last 18 months, informed Mr Mallik. From being a negligible part of the business in end-2009, he noted that digital work contributes 40 per cent today to RAPP India's revenues.
Integrated model
The RAPP official holds the view that the integrated model has worked for RAPP, which in 2004 launched in India as RAPP Collins, then a direct marketing and customer management specialist.
“De-aggregation of the different agencies' work (DM / CRM / Digital / Creative, etc.) has made the process cumbersome for the client, having to connect with different specialists. We see the re-aggregation being welcomed by the client today, and in many cases we serve as the lead agency for integrated campaigns,” added Mr Mallik.
RAPP has two offices in India, one each in Mumbai and Bangalore. It plans to open an office in Delhi soon, building on an operational set up to service a new client it has acquired. “Delhi is an important market; it is a core part of our agenda now,” he said.
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