MEC turns 10, celebrations begin

Across 150 MEC offices in 84 countries, 4000 employees will celebrate the media agency turning 10 today, 15 May. In India, where the agency was launched in 2004, the 125-member team spread across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai will bring in ’MEC@10’ over the next few weeks.

Speaking to Campaign India, T Gangadhar, managing director, MEC India, said, “It’s a good time to celebrate because it’s been a very interesting last couple of years in India. We’ve won some key accounts. We won most golds at Goafest 2012. It’s time to renew our vows and deliver more consumer impact through active engagement.”

The agency's accounts wins in recent years include Colgate Palmolive, Reliance (Mobile), Mercedes Benz, Zee and Flipkart; and the only 'significant loss' has been Pidilite. But the occasion is not being viewed as an opportunity to flaunt its wins.

The agency has planned get-togethers with  clients and partners, and for the first time, with its former staff. The reunion is scheduled for later in the week of the anniversary.

Shubha George, Chief Operating Officer, South Asia, MEC, has been with the agency since its launch in India. In a statement, she said, "MEC's culture is both unique and infectious and on this day when MEC turns 10, I thank all my colleagues - current and those who have helped build the agency in the past - and wish us an even more successful decade to come."

Besides wins at Goafest 2012, the agency was also picked up accolades at the Festival of Media Global for creative of media.

Gangadhar explained, “We are very focused on the award profile, but not for awards’ sake. The work meets business objectives first. We have demonstrated strategic rigour through our analytics capabilities; yet also remain, very clearly, an ideas agency.”

MEC, a partner of GroupM, has two specialist divisions in India. MEC Interaction (digital services) and MEC Access (entertainment, sports and partnerships) were launched in 2008.

See also: "MEC celebrates 10-year anniversary, predicts greater role for media agencies" from Campaign Asia-Pacific.