VIDEO: SapientNitro looks to service key global business out of India

SapientNitro has been present in the country for quite sometime but their team was largely R&D one, servicing their global roster of clients. In the last few months, however as the agency has been steadily looking at Asia for growing their business, they have been looking to build their creative teams in Asia to service business in the region. SapientNitro's Freddie Laker moved to China in the role of director of digital strategy for Asia a few months back. Laker travels often to India and during a recent visit, spoke to Campaign India about his expectations from their India creative team.

Explaining that SapientNitro was currently working on a substantial global pitch in the region, Laker was of the view that if the pitch is successful, it will see that particular business being led by an India based creative team.  "We have got an established global brand that we hope to see being led by an India based creative team. That will be a first for SapientNitro," he said. 

Laker is keen to build the creative profile of SapientNitro's Asia offices, and says he wants to see them competing at global awards shows like Cannes Lions and holding their own against digital work from more mature digital markets. We quiz him about award shows and the problem of working together in collaboration with other partners and Laker is of the view that award shows today are recognizing that need to be inclusive of the various partners who have worked on a particular campaign. He recalls that funnily enough, the reason for the problem cropped up right in the beginning when awards show did not have enough slots to fill up credit details. 

"The funny thing is- when this problem began to crop up, its because awards shows didn't used to have enough slots on the form to accommodate more names. Thats a hilarious reason for agencies not to be credited. When we first started submitting digital work at a time when it was very much a traditional media and marketing world, they were used to having only about six people on a team. I would say, 'Look man, I have about 14 flash guys sit on this thing.' The simplest thing that awards shows can do- and this is a technology fix for them- they can make a difference and absolve themselves of any guilt by making a little investment in their platform and their submission process." 

Watch the Interview here.