ZenithOptimedia bags Yatra.com's media mandate

The marketing spends are pegged at Rs 30 crore. Earlier, Motivator was in charge of the account's media duties.

Online travel company Yatra.com has awarded its media mandate to ZenithOptimedia. The agency will handle all media planning and buying duties for the account, henceforth.

Yatra.com looks at a marketing budget of about Rs 30 crore for the year.

The development is the result of a multi-agency pitch that was conducted in Gurgaon recently. Madison, Maxus and Universal McCann were also part of the pitch process.

The incumbent media agency on the account was GroupM's Motivator.

It may be recalled that in January, afaqs! had carried an exclusive report to announce that McCann Erickson had won the creative duties for Yatra.com. The agency had won the business following a multi-agency pitch; the other agencies in the fray were TBWA (the incumbent) and Ogilvy India.

Pratik Mazumder, head, marketing and strategic alliance, Yatra.com, says in a press note, "We zeroed in on ZenithOptimedia as it showcased some really interesting and disruptive ideas with a strong ROI-based media strategy. I am sure the association will be mutually rewarding."

Mazumder adds that Yatra.com aims to increase its focus on marketing and communication. "We at Yatra.com look forward to working closely with Zenith to bring alive some innovative ideas of communication," he says.

Commenting on the win, Navin Khemka, managing partner, ZenithOptimedia, says, "We look forward to creating a stronger consumer pull for Yatra.com through holistic solutions that are media-neutral and innovative. We are committed to deliver measurable ROI."

Satyajit Sen, chief executive officer, ZenithOptimedia, says, "The digital space in India is witnessing high growth. This partnership will ensure that we are able to leverage our clout and experience for Yatra.com in meeting its business objectives."