After Mindset and Hungama, JWT acquires majority stake in Social Wavelength,

This is the second digital agency that JWT has acquired in India. Would you like any more? Or is this it?

We are transforming the JWT group of companies to be future-ready. And digital is an important part of the mix. We have a definite roadmap on digital and while Hungama has been doing well, when it came to social media we were looking at a good agency and Social Wavelength was the answer. So, in future, if something good comes along and if we find that we are unable to develop skills and build capabilities and if we think it's better to acquire, we will do that.

Social Wavelength is known more for work on the implementation and execution than strategising for brands and corporates. Will it stay that way?

If you look at a specialised space like social media, the strategy that you develop is what you need to execute. Typically, the creative agency will look at the brand and its personality, while Social Wavelength will look at the social media implementation. Now that it is part of JWT, if we identify opportunities for our clients, Social Wavelength will definitely be able to deliver on that proposition. Also, they have their own clients for which they have been doing work and will continue to do so.

Would you see India becoming a hub for servicing digital deliveries for other JWT offices?

Across the globe, JWT has many digital offerings. In fact, there's a major global push that we have on digital. On being a hub, it all depends on what are the skills we can offer and if there is a requirement for then from within the JWT or WPP fold...

As an advertising industry veteran, do you think we are headed in the direction where all agencies will turn full-service?

That may not happen. Media agencies have gone far ahead of the curve. Both media and digital agencies have developed and invested a fair deal expertise. But the client is central to our work so if it means working within the JWT or within the WPP fold, we work very seamlessly.

You acquired Mindset in Hyderabad two years back, Hungama after that and now Social Wavelength. Would JWT be looking at any other acquisition?

In JWT, we believe in planning and we have considerable depth in that. Encompass is part of JWT which takes care of activation and big events. But yes, there are areas like mobile and analytics which are growing. We put the client's business at the centre of what we do and where we identify a gap, we will definitely try and close that gap.

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