Prathap Suthan ropes in Satyan Nair to launch Bang In The Middle in Kerala

For Suthan it is “straight from the heart as they say”, as it is a “homecoming” of sorts for the Malayalee in him. And Nair happens to be his first boss

Shachi Tapiawala | Mumbai | February 14, 2013

After establishing itself in Gurgaon, Kolkata, Chicago and New York, independent agency Bang In The Middle, founded by Prathap Suthan and Naresh Gupta, has announced its entry into Kerala. For Suthan it is “straight from the heart as they say”, as it is a “homecoming” of sorts for the Malayalee in him. The agency has partnered with Satyan Nair, a well known and highly respected advertising veteran from Trivandrum. Nair will be Managing Partner - Kerala Operations, for Bang In The Middle.

Nair has been in the thick of Kerala's advertising industry since the mid-80s. He was initially the creative head and co-founder of Stark Communications. Since the late 80s, he was the lead creative person for multiple agencies in the Middle East. His longest stint was with Young & Rubicam, Dubai.

Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer, Bang In The Middle, is elated. He said, “As a Malayalee, and as someone who's always been connected to the advertising industry in Kerala, I am thrilled to be able to officially start business in my home state.”

Suthan further said, “I am especially thrilled that I am back with my first boss, Satyan Nair, and I am sure we can together bring great value to clients in Kerala. My relationship with Satyan goes back 25 years, and without doubt, I would put his credibility, craft and competence on a par with the best in the country.”

The agency expects its Kerala operation to robustly grow in the coming months. It will initially operate from Trivandrum, and offer a full suite of services to clients across Kerala.

Said Satyan Nair about his new role, “I think Kerala is at the cusp of some interesting changes in the advertising arena. For years, homegrown brands have grown in 'God's own cocoon', so to say, and unfortunately have not been able to upscale their communication to match the growth of national brands. But there is hope. Bang In The Middle will bring in a new kind of thinking. Besides, we probably will be the only agency that has the capability to address the digital marketing sphere without moving from our traditional platforms. Personally, teaming up with Pat is amazing. We go a long way back in time. And I am sure he will bring in that breath of fresh air that a new Kerala requires.”

Suthan claimed that with the Kerala launch, Bang In The Middle would be in a better position than most agencies in the state to offer a new perspective and bring newer advertising and marketing opportunities using the power of the web. His experience across India and global markets, his innate understanding of Kerala's culture and people and the team's creative abilities would help the agency take a leap over the current status quo.

Naresh Gupta, Managing Partner and Chief Strategy Officer, Bang In The Middle, commented, “Kerala is a brilliant market for an agency like ours. With its huge literacy level, pulsing media and growing digital acceptance, I cannot see why Kerala can't define itself as India's most online savvy market. From fashion to gold to real estate, Ayurveda and media and tourism, there are opportunities for everyone. I would think that we have the strategic, marketing and creative strengths that clients would want to gain from.”

The agency claims that it its conversation with some clients in Kerala and hopes to announce some wins shortly. With regard to creating awareness about its launch, Gupta added, “Social media is a big tool for us, we use our community to reach out. We did posts on our page for every office opening, we will do the same for Kerala, check it out tomorrow on our Facebook page.”

Bang In The Middle is around eight months old, and handles traditional and digital

businesses for Dulux, Vimal Fabrics, Hawktrack, Veen Waters, Tupperware, Zee News, iYogi, IndiaNext, to name some.

Shachi@BestMediaInfo.com

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