The "he needs no introduction" line is one that in today's world of hype over substance is oftentimes abused. But there are always exceptions. Sam Balsara, Chairman and Managing Director of Madison Communications most definitely falls into that category. Sam as he's known in the industry is not just one of the most influential voices in the advertising fraternity, but in fact his name is synonymous with the growth of the Indian advertising industry itself.

Known for his quiet aggression, many within his organisation also swear by Balsara's strong leadership qualities as well as hands-on approach.

Careful is one word that immediately comes to mind about the man - in thought, in words and in action. Weighing his words carefully, Balsara says, "The story of my life is really all about the growth of Madison. From a mere three clients and very few resources, we've grown to a 1000 crore (Rs 10 billion) company." That this home grown media agency has caught the envy of many a rival affiliated with global advertisers & marketing groups speaks for itself.

"When I started, I never really thought I had any business acumen. I also did not dream too big. But, today it's been a rather satisfying journey," says the understated Mr Madison Media.

So, here goes, Sam Balsara, on building his company, his philosophy and his family.

Tell us a little bit about your early life?

I was born and brought up in a small town called Balsar. I have some beautiful memories of the place and incidently that's where I get my surname from. My father owned a hereditary business. He was a forest contractor and dealt in timber, but that business folded up and we moved on to Bangalore; where he took the bold step of venturing into the hotel business.

So, entrepreneurship and risk taking runs in your genes?

Well, frankly I never thought I had any business acumen. I was all set to become a CA but since management education was supposed to be a big thing then, I got into the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute. I started off my career with Sarabhai's under Pran Chaudhary, and later spent a good four years at Cadbury's. After eight years in marketing I branched out into advertising. After heading the successful Mumbai office of Mudra, an affiliate of DDB Needham in India, in 1988 I decided to start on my own.

It took me more than 18 years to branch out on my own by taking over an ailing agency called Madison. Today, I am amazed when youngsters with just two or three years start off on their own. It still gives me the feeling of how slow I must have been then.

How has the advertising world changed now? And how has the journey been?

Those days, the advertising world was not such a competitive place. Today, it's a dog eat dog situation. I must confess, during the initial period, my sights were not that high, so the transition from working to starting off on my own was pretty smooth.

It's been a long journey of almost 18 years. It's been fun, exciting and a very satisfying journey.

What was the turning point in the life of Madison?

In the early 90s, when Manmohan Singh liberalised the economy we started looking outward. I realised that life is going to change in India, and so we slightly changed course and decided to partner in equity with an international firm called D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB & B). But for some reason we parted ways after five years.

But did the tie-up help Madison in any way?

Yes, we did grow as a company. They also helped us acquire a few strategic clients at that point in time. But more than that, it exposed us to the world of how multinationals work and function. It also exposed us to the fallacy of their thinking.

I think Indian by nature, learn to achieve a lot more with a lot less. Even with very little resources, one can start something and grow it, without getting into the other trappings like a huge AC office and a huge workforce. This could actually be driving the business in the wrong direction. Even before you've started, one is sort of putting pressure on oneself.

What philosophy drives your company's growth and strategy? Get the right people?

Madison's growth is really the growth of our clients. I tell my people to concentrate on the task in hand. Madison's growth is a byproduct of the client's growth. So, we focus more on our clients than on our own growth strategy. If I look back to the first five years of the company, we had only three clients, so that doesn't mean we didn't grow. We evolved because our clients grew.

Coming back to your personal life, what sort of upbringing did you have and what things have stayed with you that helped along your journey?

I was the youngest in the family and was pampered, but at the same time my parents also instilled discipline in us. One had to always do the right thing at the right time. Also, because of my upbringing, I always respect the value of money and to use it prudently.

I'm pretty religious and visit the fire temple in our colony every morning. Also, I try to live by the basic philosophy of the Parsee religion which is good thoughts, good words and good deeds.

How do you get your people to be aggressive?

At Madison we don't believe in achieving success by hook or crook. We are very strict about our value system and it's definitely not about wanting success at the price of honesty and integrity. I believe that one should never ever venture on a wrong path. If you lie once then you'll keep on lying. Or in business when you've got used to evading taxes, then you get used to doing it.

I've noticed all of us are normally good as individuals but we tend to get naughty in a group. There has to be transparency as well as fair play with out clients. We also try to conserve our resources since we know that we're not a thousand million dollar multinational company.

So, every Madisonite believes in our value system which is all over the walls of our office. We don't just say we want to be the best but we also say how we want to be the best. Also, at Madison we believe in nurturing the best talent and constantly challenging the intellectual ability of people.

How do you get the best out of your people?
I make sure that all my managers think like entrepreneurs. So, when they come to me with a statement like 'we don't understand money' I tell them it's all about understanding the concept of money. It's really as simple as managing your household expenses. Managing your office money or your client's money is no different from that. I think we Indians make very good managers.

What are your personal strengths and weaknesses which have stood you in good stead?

I am hot tempered but only with people who are close to me. I think my wife has to pay a price for this while I am very sugar and sweet to many others in the business. I also try to emphathise with the other person's problem, but sometimes in work situations, this stands in my way.

How do you handle stress?

As an advertising man who goes through so many highs and lows in a day one doesn't really feel stressed. In fact, our system gets used to that level of frenzy. So, if I am relaxed, I feel uncomfortable. It's also the way your body gets conditioned.

Where do you derive your strength from?

I derive my strength from my two daughters. My younger daughter, Lara, works with me and is in charge of business diversification. Someone just told me that there's not much luxury that one can have than having your daughter to work with you. Unfortunately, my elder daughter Tanya is visually handicapped. So, if I ever have any sort of problem, business or otherwise, I just have to look at her and I get my strength. If Tanya, doesn't really let her disability colour her perspective towards life, then I ask myself what am I complaining about?

She's computer literate, loves to party. We've set up an institute for the visually handicapped. It's a constant reminder that life has its problems and how you deal with it. Life is all about appreciating what you have but somehow we get caught up in what we don't have.

About the Author - Anand Bhaskar Halve has over 25 years of experience in advertising and is a founder member of chlorophyll brand and communications consultancy, Mumbai. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA), he also conducts advertising workshops there, and has been a visiting faculty a the Mudra Institute of Commnciations, Ahmedabad (MICA)

About the BookWith more than 50 million mobile phones beeping around the country, mushrooming brands at the supermarkets, and sprawling shopping malls all over, the challenge clearly for advertisers is to create powerful advertising that helps brands stand out in the crowd.

The book is step-by-step guide to producing a sound foundation for advertising : one that will serve as the springboard to inspire powerful creative expressions. Rich in cases from the living Indian context, Planning for Power advertising offers an understanding of how strategic advertising is created. It takes the reader through cases and analyses of what worked or did not work in the marketplace.

Anand Halve involves the reader throughout in exercises with Action Points at the end of most chapters - an approach that brings alive the concepts within, and helps readers discover the theory in practice.

Participatory and pragmatic in its approach, the key issues discussed are competition and the changing nature of the markets. Understanding differentiator and motivators - discovering what changes the consumer's mind. How to look, bend positioning and identify what can make your brand unique.

With a robust advertising brief, for students of advertising and marketing, planning for power advertising is a stimulation exercise from which they will learn how to apply the principles that will help them in their future careers.

When I ask him for his favourite biz mantra, he goes, 'sab kuch ho sakta hain, karne wala chahiye.' "Afterall, life is all about pressing the `refresh' button all the time, " says an upbeat Mahesh Ramanathan, COO, Percept Picture Company (PPC), a part of Percept Holdings, a Rs 16 billion capitalized billings media & entertainment conglomerate.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Ramanathan, brings with him close to 15 years of sales, marketing and general management experience. And though, this is really his first assignment in the entertainment business, Ramanathan is all set to change the rules of the game, as he gears up to take a pie from the country's most profitable brand that is Bollywood. He says, "this business is really about people and ideas. And ideas can come from anywhere. Also, people need a lot of hand holding to implement those ideas. Once, we implement the idea, then like a sugarcane juice vendor, our aim is to extract maximum profits from the venture."

Here, in an interview to Exec Life, Ramanathan talks about how he loves to take on challenges, grow companies to a critical mass and drive people towards their creative limits. So, here goes lights, camera and action.....

This is really your first assignment in the media and entertainment field? What lessons have you carried on from your earlier jobs here?

I like to join companies at the initial stages and grow them to a critical mass. To cite from my earlier assignments - Baygon grew from two sub-brands to a mother brand with seven line extensions in two years. SHV Energy (Calor Gas in U.K.) grew from scratch to a 100 cr topline in two calendar years-in a commodity market a brand was established. AirTel-Kolkata saw three brand transitions & trebled revenues to 120 cr in two and a half years and gained a leadership position over Hutch.

So, it's all about understanding the market, strategy and planning. The initial period here has been a learning experience. PPC has all the ingredients required for growth. Systems and processes backed by a relatively de-risked business strategy in Motion Pictures aggressive content creation for General Entertainment channels on TV will see the company reach a critical mass this year.

So, what's the fun part of the Media & entertainment business?

The business is really about people and passion. So, along with the right strategy, it's all

about getting the right team together. I might have a 1000 member team but they might not be able to deliver. But, sometimes a small team with the right chemistry can drive the business. Also, hierarchy or a corporate structure doesn't matter as it's all about creativity.
Apart from hugely investing in talent, we are also open to ideas. And ideas could germinate even from outside.

So, what you're saying is that you can drive only if you get the right people?

Yes, it's all about managing people. Ideas are intellectual property and savvy exploitation of rights differentiates one from competition. It's similar to the telecom business, where you are selling an intangible product and marketing is the key business driver. However, content creation in Motion Pictures that straddles all delivery platforms, requires a much more in-depth understanding of audience's tastes & preferences.

So, how do you ensure your team delivers to their full capacity?

You might come up with the best idea but implementation is the key. So, I believe people need a lot of hand holding in this business. Here, we are a family of 75 committed & talented individuals. While systems & processes are important, I believe creative minds cannot be boxed up or compartmentalised. We entrust our employees with agreed deliverables at the beginning of the year. A hands off decentralised management approach ensures employees take ownership of results & deliver.

Tell us a little about your script shop?

PPC invites scripts from talented writers across various age groups & across the country through our website www.perceptpictures.com .We receive 10-12 scripts a day and a team of dedicated creative resources process each one of the scripts received. Eventually, we want to make available select scripts to filmmakers across the world.

How are you doing it differently?
We want ideas to germinate from the masses. Also, we're trying to pre -test the scripts, and not just depend on a good star cast. Hanuman, was more than just a film, it signaled a coming of age in local content creation by Indian animators. We've just announced the making of Hanuman 2 and a Documentary on Mother Teresa.

How do you plan to scale up the operations for the business to achieve critical mass? Do you have any strategic alliances up your sleeves?

PPC has the best talent working on creation, production, marketing & distribution of Motion Pictures. So it's natural for us to scale up. We are committed to produce 30 motion pictures (Hindi & International) in the next two years. Strategic alliances would be formed to secure a platform that would deliver growth. Recently, we have sold a five per cent stake to Bennett & Coleman to bring in marketing synergies.

But, is there a method to the madness, cause entertainment can be a highly risky business? How are you changing the rules of the game?

Our aim is always to de-risk the business. We spend at least 35 per cent of the time taken from start to finish of a motion picture in pre-production (against 10 per cent by industry) we do our homework to ensure our scripts are in tune with the audience's sensibilities. Researching the script ensures that we better the law of averages of Hindi Films succeeding at the box office. Our marketing campaigns are mounted with specific pre-scales objectives in mind, but we ensure our channel partners too profit due to a strong script, selection of the Director & appropriate casting. We believe, if the industry does it's homework before narrating a story, it is sure to strike a chord with audiences and a higher success ratio is bound to follow.

You've mostly been in Delhi for the most part of your life. This is really your first assignment in Mumbai. How do you like the city and the people here?

Mumbai is not just the commercial capital, but even an intellectual capital of the country. It also has the best brains in the world. Above, all the city has a soul. I quite love being here.

What is your greatest indulgence?

I love playing mind games. I am totally hooked on to Sudoku, a Japanese, fun puzzle game. (for the uninitiated Sudoku requires the player to fill in the 9x9 square grids with the numbers one to nine. The numbers should be arranged in such a way that each row, column and mini-grid contains one of each number.) A single error in a Sudoku can throw the whole game out. I think, even life is really like that.

Apart from this, I love driving. Inspite of the heavy traffic and distances in the city, I make it a point to drive down from Powai to Lower Parel to my office.

After a remarkably successful career in the advertising industry, as CEO, Pratibha Advertising, Senior Vice President (South), Mudra, and Executive Director R K Swamy/BBDO, in 1998, Sridhar went on to launch brand.comm. But apart his advertising acumen, many in the industry have also been exposed to Sridhar's writings by way of his popular column `third umpire' (in the Business Line) which talks about the game of media and advertising

Here, in an interview to Exec Life, Sridhar talks about his first book - One Land, A billion Minds. Written in a light and engaging style, the book is a first person account of the writer's experiences with different brands along with insights into the country's vibrant market.

After a career in marketing and advertising, you went on to launch brand.comm, and now you've written a book. Is this your second labour of love?
When I realised that there's far more to life than a 30 second TV commercial, I launched brand.comm. Then, I got hooked onto 'total branding' i.e a mix of brand consulting, advertising and public relations. And now, with this book I wanted to share my observations, about consumers, advertising, communication and life with people. Also, I love to write.

Is One land, One Billion minds an inspirational outcome?
This book as such has not been inspired, but yes, the idea of writing on something like this came to my mind by just looking around me. India lacks skills and this book has been written with a motive of sharpening the claws of individuals in different fields.

Tell us a little about the book? "One land, A billion minds - Insights on branding in India?
This book gives an overall and in-depth view about the Indian market and the consumer. I've tried to look at brands from a consumer point of view. Afterall, the consumer is not a moron, she is your wife. The book is full of examples like how a brand like Mohun's benefit from the advertising prowess of Kellogg's. I've also illustrated with the help of anectodes and experiences.

Who can relate to your book?
This book has been written to cater the needs of three slots of people. First of all, for Management schools because there is hardly anything Indian that is taught to the students today. The second target readers are going to be sales and marketing professionals to give them a broader perspective. And thirdly for, advertising individuals.

Are you working on any other writing projects?
Yes, I am working on a book which basically deals with small brands which are good but have not been recognized so far.

What do you prefer to read, fiction or non-fiction?
I don't read any self- help books but yes, management books help a lot.

Who is your favourite author?
I don't read much but my favourite author remains, David Archer.

What kind of research have you done for the book?
For everything materialistic there has to be a base and research helps build a strong base. So, I did study the demands of the consumers before writing this book.

How did you find time to write the book?
With the kind of schedule I keep, it took me around three years to complete the book. I had to manage my office, along with my teaching assigments, so it was difficult. Also, it took me quite some time to research and write.

What made you choose such an unusual title?
The title very well fits the book, as I have talked about those one billion Indians staying in one nation and that is India.

Mukesh Khanna is a perfect blend of `creativity and business acumen.' As he narrates us the story of his life, along with his various hits and misses; what strikes out is Khanna definitely knows how to position himself and his company for that matter.

With a wonderful smile on his face, as he continues to munch on some cool cucumbers to beat the summer heat, he says, "people still call me Bheeshma Pitamaha and of course my home production Shaktimaan continues to have a very high recall value."

While flipping through some of his favourite books he continues, "I simply love to juggle my life as a actor and producer, but I also make sure that I don't take on too many projects at a time. Currently, I am planning a daily soap on DD and also an animated film based on Shaktimaan."

I grew up playing marbles & hututu

Born and brought up in Bombay, I studied at Marwadi Vidyalaya, a Hindi medium school near Opera house in South Mumbai. I had a wonderful and carefree childhood. After returning from school, I used to just throw my school bag and rush out to play marbles and hututu. Life was different then, children had to face no stress. Nowadays, it's all about tuitions, studies and computer classes.

I feel very sad for children in today's environment who are unfortunately caught up in the rat race. Even mothers are caught up in the syndrome - Teri saree meri saree se safed kyon hai.' I strongly feel that children should be allowed to do what they are good at. It's important that children are prepared for the exam of life than school exams.

I never wanted to be an actor
After school I went on to do my BSc from St Xaviers college. I had also applied for admission in an engineering college from Kanpur. But, I lost the seat due by a mere 0.5 per cent. Since, I was free for a year, my brother suggested that I try my luck on stage. In those days, Kader Khan and even Amrish Puri used to act on stage. So, I managed to bag a role and got a chance to perform on stage.

On turning a producer
Producing Shaktimaan was very hectic and left me very little time for my acting assigments. Now, I am also planning a daily soap on DD which is almost ready for telecast. Besides this, I am also in the process of planning an animated film based on Shaktimaan. But then, I love acting and in fact I even had an offer to act in Bhojpuri film.

It was in my destiny to say Ayushmanbhav
I had read Mahabharat at a very young age, so I was familiar with all the characters in it. One fine day, I got a call from Gufi asking me to act in Mahabharat. Since, it was one of my favourite subjects, I said would love to take it up. I was shorlisted to act as Duryodhan but somehow, I felt that I was not meant to be a villian.
Later it was Dronacharya, but then it was in my destiny to say Ayushmanbhav. After 15 days of shooting, I was asked by the Chopras to play the role of Bheeshma Pitamah. I knew, it was a strong role but that time I was unaware that it would be a pillar of the whole serial.

Now I live two lives
After playing the role of Bheeshma Pitamah, I also got associated with the BJP. Now, I live two lives. Whenever I go for campaigning for the BJP, they introduce me to the crowd saying Badon ke Pitamah aur choton ke Shaktimaan aa gaye.

My health mantra
Nowadays, I am on a strict diet, trying to reduce my weight. Nomatter what time I get up, I make it a point to finish my exercises. I also prefer to have homemade vegetarian food. i've a small kitchen in my office where we often prepare lunch and dinner.

I hate pubs and parties
I don't like to drink or smoke. I hate pubs and parties. In fact, I prefer to spend my evenings at home and Sundays sleeping.

My Lifestyle
I lead a very simple life. I am not very fond of gadgets. I believe in simple living and high thinking. But the only thing that I would like to buy someday is my dream car i.e Mercedes.

There was a time not so long ago when suits, ties, and sharp looking clothes were the preserve of a select few: those in the highest echelons of management. No more however. With the economy opening up, and an increasing number of foriegn companies coming into the country, and more Indians travelling globally, dressing sharp has spread. No longer are the Armani and Hugo Boss suits the preserve of the super rich or those in the glamour biz. Today even senior executives don a Ferrigno suit or wear a Givenchy perfume along with a Lanvin tie. The idea is to look good at work, to look competent and efficient, to look sharp, to look like an achiever.

Also a lot more care is being taken on ones overall appearance, on the frills and accoutrements, hair, skin, accessories and footwear. As long as it adds to that power Greek God look.

"Power dressing is here to stay," says Chirag Dattani, a fashion designer who runs a studio by his name at Laxmi Plaza in Andheri. "The best part about the whole exercise is that it is not so expensive as there are different ranges available in the market to suit different budgets. One doesn't have to hire a fashion consultant for furnishing one's wardrobe. All one has to do is befriend a salesperson at his/her favourite store to know about changing trends and get valuable suggestions that would enable one to pick up the right stuff. Being a loyal customer would also ensure that you'll be the first to know when new merchandise comes in, or when a big sale takes place," adds the man who has trained from Parsons School of Designs at New York.

More and more men have started building a 'correct corporate wardrobe' as it helps them to give the right signals. Chirag offers some pointers :

GOAL: Are you looking for a raise? Are you looking to impress your boss? Are you looking at giving your colleague an inferiority complex? Are you looking at making a client feel at ease with you? Are you looking at charming the lady client? These are questions you should mull over before making your sartorial choices.

JOB: Cut your cloth, tailor your clothes, depending on your job. Clothes definitely make a man - or a woman. If your job is in administration or finance in the back end of a company, don't dress like you are a yuppy film star. Even if you can afford it. Even if dressing down is in.

That is if you are working in a conservative job, dress conservatively. Mostly, this is to put your clients at ease and to build up their trust. Will an old lady entrust her life's earnings to a man in a bank who dresses up in frayed jeans (even if they are Ralph Lauren) and a crumpled shirt (no matter how snazzy it looks).

There are careers which call for a cool dressing approach. For instance in cinema or television, even CEOs such as Sameer Nair and Peter Mukerjea or Kunal Dasgupta don't go the whole hog in their daily corporate attire. Nair can be seen in a nice white shirt, with a smart jacket (no tie) and smart trousers in the corner office at Star House. On other days, one spots him in extremely casual attire, especially on weekends. Dasgupta and Mukerjea don't overdress themselves.

Says a fashion consultant: "Nair - though he looks like a lawyer - is one of the brightest creative professionals in the country and he deals with creative, business, legal, distribution executives in his company. His dress sense does not put off the creative programming guys nor the serious executive in Star India."

On the other hand, writers, directors, and actors are not taken seriously if they dress too seriously. Jeans, tight T-shrits, floral or striped shirts, with casual floaters or sneakers complete the look. The days of the jola and khadi kurta pyjama look have essentially gone.

BE BOLD WITH TIES
Ties, broad at the base rather than thin and slender ones are in. The colours: don't go for loud ones, dark blues, blacks, greens - as long as they match or contrast your shirt and jacket will make you look sharper. Striped ties too work well though full coloured ones are in these days. If you want to be more aggressive, pick out designer ties or funkier patterns. But be careful not to appear to be pretentious. Like there is this journalist turned entrepreneur in Delhi who claims to live in Los Angeles who normally sports a Marilyn Monroe tie no matter which shirt or jacket he is wearing. This definitely is making a statement but it leads to sniggers. Often time, colleagues and clients have remarked, smiled and guffawed loudly when he is out of ear shot about his strange sartorial sense.

ACCESSORIES
The package may look good but what's in it makes it look even better, more complete. Exercise is essential to make you look fit, stand erect, look like a man oozing power. But what makes you look more complete is the embellishments. Your cufflinks, your tiepin. Nice gold ones or black links can add to your appearance.The tableau of colognes and eau de toilettes and parfums has expanded in shopping malls. You have a variety of fragrances to choose from: be they woody or citrony. Take your pick depending on the occasion and your mood. Remember your cologne should be subtle and not be screaming for attention. Make sure your wallet is made of real leather not of a smelly plastic; everytime you pull it out people will appreciate your fondness for the finer things in life. Similarly, an elegant watch should complete your outfit. Brand names always leave an impression, but think sophistication first and foremost.

RIGHT SHOES
Again, your shoes must be stylish through and through. While comfort should definitely be one of the deciding factors, aim for leather footwear. If possible, avoid rubber soles and opt for leather ones instead. Black, brown and oxblood (i.e. burgundy) are your colors. Always make sure they are properly shined

Last but not the least, the air of confidence, elegance and comfort is what makes a man a winner all the way!