Maxus wins media mandate for Janalakshmi Financial Services

The agency has also announced the brand's first association with BCCI as its official sponsor.

Maxus, a media planning and buying agency of GroupM, has won the media mandate for Janalakshmi Financial Services (Jana). The account will be handled from the agency's Bengaluru office.

According to a press release by Maxus, it has, along with ESP Properties, GroupM's specialised team on entertainment and sports, orchestrated the first association of Jana with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as an official sponsor for a period of three years. Jana will be the official financial services partner of the Indian cricket team besides granting ground rights, which will give the financial services firm visibility on the field. According to the press release, the agreement also gives Jana benefits of prominence in stadium branding and on-ground advertising for 68 matches in three years across the three formats.

Commenting on the win, Kartik Sharma, managing director, Maxus South Asia, says, "We firmly believe in crafting unique associations for our brands to garner greater visibility. We are happy to partner with Janalakshmi Financial Services and help it sign up with the BCCI as the official financial services partner of the Indian cricket team. We are confident that this three-year-long deal will help build great saliency for Jana."

Commenting on the partnership Vinit Karnik - business head, ESP Properties, says, "We are elated to have stitched the entire deal for Janalakshmi Financial Services. Cricket is a religion in India, cutting across masses, and with the National team on the verge of regaining the Numero Uno spot in tests, being the 'Official Sponsor' of the BCCI serves as an ideal launchpad for the brand. We believe the partnership with the BCCI for the next three years will help garner great visibility during India home series and establish a prominent presence for the brand in the marketplace. Besides, what better way for a brand to embark on a relationship with the sport than with India's 500th test!"

Puneet Narang, chief marketing officer, Janalakshmi Financial Services, says, "We welcome Maxus on board and look forward to create unique campaigns together. Given the scale of our operations, we were looking for a property that resonates across various segments of the society. And, for that, what's better than cricket? Maxus had introduced us to this significant series, which happens to be India's 500th test which we felt was a significant platform to commence our brand journey."

Elaborating on its recent association with the BCCI, Narang says, "Standing true to our philosophy, we went ahead and instituted an award called 'Jana Bankable Player' which will be given to the most bankable player who shows consistency and performance through the match as decided by the audience votes and commentators analysis. This is a metaphorical representation of how dependable Jana is as an organisation to its customers, just as a player is to his team."