Q&A: Avantgarde India's Isabelle-Jasmin Roth

Avantgarde, the Munich-based communications agency specialising in experiential marketing, recently set up shop in New Delhi. Founded in 1985, the agency has 400 employees at 16 locations around the globe including London, Paris, Vienna, Brazil, China and Russia. Campaign India spoke with the managing director of Avantgarde India, Isabelle-Jasmin Roth, to know more about their India plans.

What were the reasons for Avantgarde to set up an office in India?

Avantgarde is growing with its key clients into the BRIC markets. With established offices in China (Shanghai, Beijing), Brazil and Russia, India was the missing spot and it seems that there is a lot of interest in the market for the kind of services which Avantgarde delivers. With an 8% domestic product growth, along with half of the country's population at an age below 25 years, India is set to be an innovation hub setting trends for the future. We are excited to start our Indian operations.

Where will you be based? What are the expansion plans in India?

We are based in Delhi, with our headquarter in Hauz Khas Village; Delhi’s most hip and creative area. We are happy to work at a place, where the pulse of India’s creative, young and dynamic scene is flowing. We will open up an office in Mumbai within the next one and a half years and hope to grow constantly, but with quality.

What does the India team look like?

The core team is me, Benedikt Grosse-Jaeger (Business Development), Sachin Soni (Creative/Project Execution) and Dwarka Nath Sinha (Designer). We are all experienced working in the Indian environment and all of us have vast project experience. It is great to have a team with different nationalities, backgrounds and mindsets. This helps us and our clients to come up with creative, new and innovative concepts and ideas, but at the same time always delivering according to international standards. 

Do you come with a portfolio of clients into India? Who are the clients on the roster as we speak?

In 2011, Avantgarde Dubai already launched the AUDI A7 in Delhi and executed the “Never Hide”-Campaign for RayBan in India. Hence, we already successfully executed projects for key clients in India.

For 2012, with the setup of the Indian office, we are targeting all existing key clients, Avantgarde is working with in other markets, especially international companies from the automotive, lifestyle and luxury sector.

What are Avantgarde's USPs? How will you compete with network agencies offering similar services?

In India, you already find a lot of good and big agencies and, thus, doing this in India, is nothing special anymore. Avantgarde’s USPs, however, are: our big understanding of brands from an international point of view; the local understanding of branding requirements; the translation of brand values into live events; the detailing of conception and execution; the qualitative approach; and long-term-client-relationships. Hence, the competition is obviously there, but we do not need to hide. Well-known brands have been putting their trust into Avantgarde's work and partnership

for years due to the constant engagement with target groups. Through all relevant channels, Avantgarde's mission is 'Creating Fans'.

What kind of digital offerings are you offering to the Indian clients?

We offer, with the help of key suppliers, all varieties of digital services for activation programs and events. This starts with designing and programming applications for Iphone, Android and Facebook to digitalization of content, e.g. for the purpose of viral marketing or event screenings. Another feature are projections (e.g. On walls) or 3Dmappings e.g. On cars.