Aegis' Carat retains BMW India business

A few months ago, the brand had called for a media pitch in Delhi that saw the participation of several leading media agencies, including ZenithOptimedia, Maxus and BPN.

Auto major BMW India has retained Aegis' Carat as its media AoR (agency of record). A few months ago, the brand had called for a media pitch in Delhi that saw the participation of several leading media agencies including ZenithOptimedia, Maxus and BPN.

The pitch process had four phases, namely, the credential round, a strategy round and a couple of value evaluations. Finally, Carat, the incumbent media agency, retained the account.

Addressing the win, Ashish Bhasin, chairman, Aegis India and CEO Aegis, SE Asia, says, "BMW is a client we are committed to in the region and globally. We work with it in more than 22 countries and are delighted that it found our offer exciting. We look forward to a long relationship with BMW India wherein we continue to contribute positively to its rapid growth plans."

Christian Saffer, marketing director, BMW India, says, "After the pitch, we found Carat to be the most suitable and capable of handling our business. Carat came up with solutions focused on our business needs and went beyond traditional media planning. We have worked with Carat for a number of years now and are delighted with the way it came in with a re-energised perspective on BMW's media approach in India."

Speaking on the category and the brand's plans in the Indian market, Saffer adds, "India is a very important country in BMW's global portfolio and we needed to ensure that we were getting the best that the market could offer in terms of media planning and buying. In line with this, we invited agencies to present their point of view on our business."

Kartik Iyer, managing director, Carat India, says, "BMW is a very important client for us in India as well as globally. We are committed to BMW India and are delighted that it gave us an opportunity to re-look at the way its media was being implemented."

Iyer informs that Carat's solutions focused on the brand challenges. The agency delivered a solution package that would enable the brand to continue on its leadership path in India.