COMMON INHERITED CULTURE

Several planning pioneers established this culture in India during the 70s and 80s.

Working manually and painstakingly without desktops, laptops, sifting through tonnes of data and research to develop well-structured, media objectives, rationale and comprehensive executions which empowered brands.

These included reputed professionals like Suren Chawla, Paul Nayyar, Helen Anchan, Roda Mehta, Tapan Pal, Indrani Sen, DK Bose, Ketaki Gupte, Lynn de Souza and Ambika Srivastav. Many of the media specialists and agency-planners currently working in Malaysia, would have interacted with these seniors and/or benefitted from their legacy. Ogilvy’s Roda Mehta remains the iconic representative of this rare cache of media professionals, who redefined the critical distance between operational buying and the sophisticated planning approach. Enhancing the recognition and respect for this specialised art – first within the agency, then in Bombay (Mumbai) and in the wider national level.

Later today, July 14, Roda Mehta is being honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI). Perhaps the first time that a media planning professional is receiving this coveted recognition.

Prashun Dutt, theSun CMO, is a former Regional Media Director. After 14 years with top tier advertising agencies JWT, McCann Erickson, O&M and Bozell, he has since leveraged this strong foundation in the global media industry with Times Publishing, Forbes, CNBC, MTV and The Economist.

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