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SAM BALSARA, founder of MADISON WORLD, is one of India's leading advertising lights. "I don't have a role model," declares the sprightly, spiffy Sam Balsara, founder and head of Madison World, a Rs. 13 billion group with 15 specialist units and employing over 500 communication professionals. Sam is thrilled to assert that Madison World can be called India's largest homegrown communications group "because all the other agencies in the country's 'Top 25' are either internationally owned or have an international affiliation". MEETING CHALLENGES So, how did he get here? Sam laughs, "As I said, I don't have any real sources of inspiration! I'm a man of average means, and from the start of my career until now I have merely continued working hard and meeting the challenges as they appeared." However, his challenge at the moment is unusual. He confesses he's the worst student at his Sunday yoga class. "One of these days, I'm going to have to prove I'm not!"
While Sam does not acknowledge any fixed sources of inspiration for having taken him to such heights - Brand Equity Ad Agency Reckoner 2005 and 2007 ranked Madison Media as India's number one media agency, while Sam has been voted India's most influential media person in 2006 and 2007 - he does concede that all of this hasn't come out of thin air! What has guided him along are a strong set of values, which he outlines as edicts for his organisation: BALANCE: "We're modern and progressive in our outlook, but old fashioned in our value systems." NO COMPROMISE: "We will be fiercely competitive in the market place, but at no stage will we compromise our values..." HIGH STANDARDS: "We will adopt the highest standards of honesty and integrity, professionally and personally, individually and collectively." TRANSPARENCY: "We will be transparent in our dealings with both our clients and suppliers." CLIENT FIRST: "We will place our client's interest ahead of our own." FORESIGHT: "We will conserve our resources to meet unforeseen circumstances." A DEVOUT PARSI Having laid down the code of conduct, Sam confesses these aren't empty words but a way of life for him as an upright and devout Parsi. "I live at Malcolm Baug and every morning I do go to the agiary as far as possible. I'm proud to be a Parsi and love speaking to young Parsis to motivate them into cashing in on the enormous Brand Equity we have in terms of our integrity and reputation as pioneers in industry and trade," he asserts. "I'm old fashioned and conventional," he adds, "I want both my daughters to be married to Parsi boys." Sam began life in Valsad (or Balsar - from where the family gets its name). His father was a timbre merchant, but when the business got nationalized he was left with nothing. Nothing - but the will to start again. The family relocated to Bangalore, where his father bought and ran a hotel. This gave Sam the opportunity for better education. After his Bachelors in Commerce, he decided to go off the beaten track. Both his elder brothers had chosen conventional careers: engineering and accountancy. But those were the days when management colleges had made their debut and a MBA degree was coveted. Sam got admission at Jamnalal Bajaj and moved to Mumbai. Once he came, he never left! PROFESSIONAL ZEAL Sam started his post-MBA career with a stint in Marketing at Sarabhais. They used to make the famous Swastik hair oil. He recalls, "As Brand Manager at Sarabhais, I used to travel at least 10 days a month. This gave me a very good grounding as I have been to virtually every town in India." He then moved to Cadbury's as Brand Manager for their chocolates business and Bournvita, and four years later decided that advertising was where the buzz was. So he joined the legendary Mohammed Khan at Contract, heading Client Servicing. Together, they created the Charms (cigarette) campaign and brand. Sam then went on to head Mudra in Mumbai. The Ambani's agency taught him several things, and the most important was getting the job done! He says, "The job always had to get done, no matter what, and it had to get done double quick. Those were the days when ad agencies were laidback and nobody worked on the weekends. But at Mudra we had to work on Saturdays. There were many instances when I'd invited people over for dinner at home on a Saturday night and couldn't make it back on time!" But it was an exciting phase in his career. Reliance had bought the World Cup rights, and he was responsible for pulling the advertisers in. TV had just started 'happening' and he worked on getting his clients' commercials into all the top programmes like 'Hum Log' and 'Buniyad'. And, then, he decided it was time to go solo! GO FOR IT Sam recalls how he had taken a few days off for the 'navjote' of his daughters, Tanya and Lara, in January 1988. "I was a bit relaxed after a long time, and the thought of starting an agency entered my head. On March 21, I started Madison," he beams. Success, he declares, lies in doing things right here and now. "I don't believe in pontificating or procrastinating. In fact, don't think too much - just do it!" Fortuitously, he recollects how a friend introduced him to an existing agency called Madison - and he acquired it. "That way, I did not have to bother with renting office space or accreditation. Breaking out was not a huge struggle." He took two of his loyal clients from Mudra with him: Nelco and Godrej. And he was in business. "The first few years were easy," he smiles, "I ran Madison according my definition of a good agency, which is a small agency with a few big clients. I believe that if you grow too big you end up becoming a manager instead of an advertising man!" However, a few years down the road his perspective changed. "In 1993 Godrej signed a JV with P&G and we signed up with the international agency, DMB&B (we chose to call it Doesn't Madison Get Bigger and Better!). I began to realise why a big agency is necessary, so that we could offer clients all the resources they needed. I reviewed my original philosophy and decided to change. In any case, consistency is the virtue of fools!" he guffaws. But things went sour and Sam started feeling the pressure of doing business with a global partner. "At some point my Parsi spirit surfaced and I said enough, I will not be bullied any longer. We decided to go solo again, but the break cost me 70 per cent of our income, which was lost along with the Cinthol account. That was when I learnt my biggest lesson in life: real success can come only after real failure." EMERGING VICTORIOUS Madison World turns 20 on March 21, and offers both integrated and specialized services in different areas of communication, through its various units. "Today, I have reverted to my original philosophy of having a few large clients, but we have structured Madison World such that we offer a series of super-specialisations that global companies are looking for. We have ventured into all kinds of areas from Media to Rural Advertising to Event Management. My mantra is simple: If it's safe, it's risky. I always tell my team that taking risks is the safest thing we can do in today's ultra competitive world. Perhaps, you could say, I'm one of those fools who rushes in where angels fear to tread!" No fool, Sam Balsara has carved a unique niche for himself in the world of advertising, where he is considered one of our brightest and best home-spun gurus! |
