In Conversation with Divya Karani, Dentsu X

Agency Reporter interacted with Divya Karani, CEO of Dentsu X. Having 30 years of experience in the media industry, she talks about the changing times and consumer demands and how her company is coping up with this shift.

1. Forrester has recognized Dentsu X as one of the most significant media agencies in “The Forrester Wave™: Full-Service Media Agencies, Q1 2019.” How is the feeling in the team and how instrumental were you to drive this success?

Ans. We are absolutely elated and proud to be recognized as the most significant full-service agency by Forrester! This accolade clearly signals our clients’ and market’s acknowledgment and appreciation of our meaningful design, strategy and market presence. Yes, India is a critical and amongst the fastest growing markets in the network. Our India clients, our practice, accomplishments, and growth, were very much an integral part of the thorough Forrester Wave research methodology.

2. According to Forrester’s report, clients like your company’s strategic thinking for paid, owned and earned media environment. What do the current trends indicate about our customers? How would you respond?

Ans. Current trends are dynamic, ever-changing! Dentsu’s sincere efforts have always been to identify emerging significant and impactful trends. Today’s digital economy is a disruptive force, but it is the human need which is at the heart of the digital economy. Think about it. Dentsu’s Digital Society Index clearly indicates mistrust in the digital world is growing, beyond its usefulness. Consumers are now guarded, want to regain control and privacy. This is not healthy. The higher people score on self-fulfillment and societal needs, the more likely they are to buy digital products and services. This means there is a business case as well as a moral case for taking action. Dentsu is engaged in squarely addressing this emerging truth to our clients’ consumers benefit.

3. The advertising game is changing, and keeping up with the dynamic market is a new challenge altogether. How is Dentsu X coping up with this industry shift?

Ans. We are enjoying, thriving in this dynamism. Yes, it is a game-changer; size and incumbency no longer guarantee success. Take a look at the COMvergence 2018 New Business Report; Dentsu X India is the number 1 new business agency. Or the Brand Equity Agency Reckoner 2018, where Dentsu X has catapulted to #3 position. We are leading this change, disrupting by design. Our client partnerships, strategic outlook, proprietary investment systems focusing on business outcomes are disruption drivers.

4. Do you think the changing requirements of the consumers and brands is re-shaping the models of the advertising agencies?

Ans. We, agency partners, are very much a part of our brands’ ecosystem and yes, we need to respond to these dynamic demands. Marketers are increasingly relying on agencies partnering them in serving consumers. Dentsu X has developed and just launched our new planning framework MAP “Motivation & Attention Planning’ which is a fresh approach to communications planning. With Dentsu X’s mission of delivering ‘Experience beyond Exposure’, MAP enables us to take our brands to places where they delight, inspire and add value to our consumers’ life.

5. In the past years, DAN has acquired multiple other companies. Acquisitions appear to be a big part of your growth plan. It is said you’re more focused on acquisitions than on growing your existing assets. Comment.

Ans. Make no mistakes, we are growing; the Campaign India New Business Reports or the COMvergence 2018 Report. Yes, strategic acquisitions are an integral part of stitching up our strategy to serve our clients. What typically happens, is that acquisitions make headlines whilst Dentsu X being client-centric, serving them, growing with them is not in the public domain. I do believe Dentsu X is lucky for our clients’ prosperity. A tall claim, of course, there is so much more that goes into clients’ success, but we, Dentsu X participate and play our part. So, we are growing, and we are keepers. Testimony to this is the fact that Dentsu X has not lost a single client these past 7 years!

6. How according to you will digital and big data transform advertising in the coming years?

Ans. Data is gold; enables brands to create a cohesive marketing eco-system, with the consumer right in the center. Well harnessed, it accrues huge benefits, increasingly so. Enables one-on-one marketing, communication, at scale. Yes, this gold needs to be well extracted. Today there is data deluge. Insights and inferences need to be very astutely, strategically drawn from this. Ultimately big data, real-time makes communication that much more addressable. 

7. You have been conferred the Women Leadership Award by the World Women Leadership Congress. What message do you have for women wanting to strike a work-life balance?

Ans. Love yourself. Warts et al.

There is nothing like work-life balance. Very simply, you do what you need to do, when you need to. I often hear the narrative, of taking care of your life because without life there is no work. To my mind, the converse is equally true; without work, there is no life. And work ceases to be work when you enjoy it.