MullenLowe Lintas is rewriting the full-service story; Can it revive the model?

New Delhi: Somewhere between the rise of performance dashboards and the fall of patience, the term “full-service agency” quietly became uncool. Once the pride of ad land, it started to feel like a CRT television in a 4K world. 

Brands find themselves in a quicksand-like situation with digital, social, influencer, performance, and a flurry of acronyms, making them feel like they are running an orchestra without a conductor.

Now, brands are discovering that fragmentation wasn’t the dream it looked like. Too many agencies, too many decks, too many meetings, and still no one taking responsibility for the whole picture.

So here we are, in 2025, with MullenLowe Lintas trying to stitch the story back together. Not as a nostalgia act, but as a response to the chaos. Sitting across the table with BestMediaInfo.com,  Krishna Iyer, Executive Director - Marketing, MullenLowe Lintas Group, explained it with the calm of someone who has seen the pendulum swing too far. 

The plot twist in the conversation? The “full-service” agency is back, trying to rebrand 

When too many partners spoil the story

For over a decade, the advertising industry has celebrated the rise of specialists. There were separate agencies for digital, influencer marketing, content, media, performance and reputation. The logic was clear: more expertise would bring more efficiency.

Except, it didn’t.

What it brought was a web of silos. Campaigns looked inconsistent, reporting cycles stretched endlessly, and creative ideas often lost their spark between departments.

Summing it up, Iyer said, “We’re not trying to be everything for everyone. We just want to be relevant across the brand’s journey, not limited to one touchpoint.” That shift in perspective is crucial. Lintas is not trying to control every piece of a brand’s marketing puzzle. It is trying to ensure all the pieces fit together in a way that drives business results.

For MullenLowe Lintas, this means reshaping its internal ecosystem. Cross-functional teams are no longer a nice-to-have but the backbone of delivering integrated solutions. Iyer added, “It is not about being all things to all people. It is about being all the right things for your client.” The line is fine but decisive; being selective, yet comprehensive.” 

Serving the ecosystem, instead of owning it

Inside the agency, a phrase keeps resurfacing: “serving the ecosystem.” It sounds like corporate jargon at first, but Iyer insisted it is a mindset. “Serving the ecosystem means collaborating with everyone who shapes the brand experience. It could be media, tech or commerce partners. The goal is to make sure the brand voice stays consistent,” he said. 

The difference lies in intent. Traditional full-service agencies wanted to own the entire pipeline. The new model wants to make the pipeline more coherent, even if it involves working with multiple players.

This approach has found traction in what Iyer calls India’s “sunrise sectors.” (Industries like fintech, healthcare, healthtech, D2C, mobility and emerging FMCG) These are fast-evolving categories where the marketing playbook is still being written.

“These sectors don’t have fixed rules. They look for partners who can move fast and help them make sense of brand, business and distribution together,” he told BestMediaInfo.com. 

In other words, full-service today is less about being a one-stop shop and more about being a one-stop perspective.

Evolving economics

Redefining full-service also reshapes how agencies make money. The old model, heavily reliant on retainer fees for creative output, is being complemented by performance-linked gigs, data-driven services, and consulting projects. 

MullenLowe Lintas is experimenting with combining brand-building budgets with PR, design, and consulting fees, an approach that allows the agency to take shared responsibility for business outcomes.

Highlighting that creative service still is the mainstay, Iyer noted, “It is essential to remember that we function as an ideas company. The core value we provide, whether it is realised through creative production, public relations, design, or film, is the idea itself.” 

According to Iyer, the question then becomes how that initial concept is effectively manifested in the marketplace. While clients predominantly look to the agency for creative solutions, its Public Relations (PR) and design divisions are achieving comparable success.

Iyer noted that in some areas, the agency may even be operating with superior margins. Fundamentally, its entire operation is dedicated to the delivery of ideas and the mechanism by which those concepts are executed across various specialised disciplines.

Integration over expansion

The shift also influences agency growth strategies. Rather than chasing more clients or adding teams, the focus is on integration, capability building, and deepening client relationships.

“We want people who are curious about how clients make money, not just how they advertise,” he explained. 

That has led to a new kind of talent strategy known as ‘T-shaped’ teams. These are made up of professionals who have deep expertise in one discipline but enough curiosity to collaborate across others.

Inside the organisation, silos between strategy, creative and digital need to be dismantled. 

“The idea is not to do everything, but to connect everything. That is where the value really lies,” Iyer said. 

This strategy aligns with the broader industry trend where clients prefer fewer partners with wider expertise. Agencies that can deliver a seamless experience across creative, media, performance, and insights stand a better chance of long-term relevance.

What makes the new full-service model compelling is its human element. Iyer emphasised that understanding clients is as much about listening as it is about delivering. “We spend time understanding the business beyond marketing,” he stated. 

It is also about managing expectations. Fragmentation often arose because each partner guarded its turf, making collaboration difficult. By consolidating responsibility, agencies take on both the rewards and the risks of integrated campaigns. This humanised approach contrasts sharply with the old model of distributing blame across multiple agencies.

Looking ahead

The question is whether this full-service renaissance is scalable. Iyer remains pragmatic. Yet, the market seems to be nudging in this direction. Fragmentation fatigue, demand for measurable outcomes, and the need for speed make fewer, broader partners more appealing. 

For the industry, it suggests a hybrid future where creative agencies do not abandon their heritage but evolve to meet modern expectations. Full-service is no longer about breadth for the sake of breadth. 

It is about targeted integration, strategic thinking, and delivering value that resonates beyond the advertising brief. Somewhere between the chaos of fragmented partners and the allure of efficiency, MullenLow Lintas is finding a second act. 

It seems that the full-service agency is back, but it is leaner, smarter, and decidedly more human.