The pitch saw participation from Ogilvy, JWT Mindset, Mudra, Rediffusion-Y&R, Bates, Euro RSCG and TBWA, besides Orchard
BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | May 21, 2012
In a fiercely contested pitch among eight agencies – Orchard, Ogilvy, JWT Mindset, Mudra, Rediffusion-Y&R, Bates, Euro RSCG and TBWA – Orchard Advertising came out on top to win the WaterHealth India business.
WaterHealth India, headquartered in Hyderabad, is a social enterprise in the community water space, with operations in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. WaterHealth India is a 100 per cent subsidiary of WaterHealth International Inc. which also has operations in Bangladesh, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and the Philippines. They have a unique 7-stage filtration process with a proprietary UVW (Ultra-Violet Waterworks) filtration system. Through their brand, Dr. Water, they have a vision to make clean, hygienic water accessible to all of rural India.
Commenting on the win, Thomas Xavier, Chairman and National Creative Director, Orchard Advertising, said, “This is a great achievement for the agency, and we’d like to acknowledge the faith WaterHealth India has bestowed upon our abilities. I think we were able to immerse ourselves completely into the category, and consumers, which led to a thorough understanding of the business. We’ve acted in character, and have been rewarded for it.”
Anish Daryani, Vice-President and Branch Head, Orchard Bangalore, commented, “We’re extremely excited about the win, especially when it comes against so many agencies. This wins stands testimony to the fact that we’re in the ‘ideas business’, and the best idea wins. My team has displayed that with hunger and passion, the biggest battles can be won. What’s more exciting than the win is the opportunity to do work that is real, where we see many case studies in the making. The win also instils confidence among our existing clients, reinforcing the fact that we have the best talent in the industry.”
Daryani added, “The win has displayed once again that HumanKind, the proprietary planning tool of the Leo Burnett Group, helps you create winning insights."
Vikas Shah, COO, WaterHealth India, said, “WaterHealth’s business is a confluence of social and commercial objective plus the business is based on a decentralised public utility model. Given these complexities, the conventional advertising and marketing techniques don’t work in this space. We found Orchard to be appreciative of these challenges and willing to work within these boundaries; also, their approach to consumer centricity and questioning of the established business practices appealed to us.”
Arup Bansal, Marketing Head, WaterHealth India, added, “Orchard had a compelling and differentiated approach towards positioning our brand, Dr. Water, in the rural markets. The brand strategy proposed by Orchard resonated well with our business strategy and through this partnership we are geared to create a memorable and effective brand for rural India.”
For the record, Orchard Advertising was formed in 1999. It is one of the three agency brands of The Leo Group in India, belonging to the Publicis Groupe. Some of its clients include Wipro, SAB Miller, Essilor, Via.com, BlackBerry, Colors, Godrej and Piramal Healthcare, among others.
