JWT India partners Japan's ADK to focus on Japanese business opportunities

Mumbai: JWT India has announced a partnership with ADK of Japan (formerly Asatsu-DK), one of the world's largest communications groups, and Japan's third largest agency.

The alliance between JWT and ADK in India, will focus on Japanese business opportunities in India.

Established in 1956 in Tokyo, Japan, ADK is the world's ninth largest agency with a total billing of $4.35 billion and revenues of $518 million. Listed in the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, ADK has 13 offices in Japan and 31 overseas offices spread across 14 countries. It employs around 3000 people, of whom 2000 are in Japan. ADK boasts a very impressive client list, that includes Mitsubishi Motors, Suzuki, Subaru, Toshiba, Hitachi, Sharp, Sanyo, Pioneer, Nikon, Bridgestone, Hisamitsu, Shiseido, Kirin, LVMH, Mercedes Benz, AIG, McDonald, VISA, and Unilever, amongst others.

The JWT-ADK partnership aims to align with the brand Fortune Communications Ltd., which is a fully owned subsidiary of JWT in India, and will focus on common areas of interest, including marketing communications, content and business communications, to support the fast emerging Japanese investments in the country.

ADK brings to the alliance a deep understanding of Japanese brands, business ethics and practices. JWT will provide its understanding of the Indian market and its 360-degrees solutions approach, to offer Japanese clients seamlessly integrated marketing and communication services.

Commenting on the alliance, ADK CEO Naganuma said, "This is a momentous step for us. This allows us to launch business operations in the growing market that this country offers in partnership with an organisation that is the leader in India. JWT is synonymous with benchmarked quality internationally, and we at ADK are proud to be associated with it."

Adding further, JWT Worldwide president Michael Maedel said, "The alliance will strengthen our capabilities by building our focus in a particular area of business opportunities. As a global economic leader Japan is second to none in its enterprise and innovation and JWT will benefit from the partnership with ADK in developing Japanese business."

JWT India CEO Colvyn Harris added, "The partnership with ADK will augment the already considerable strengths of JWT India, focusing our capabilities to address the specific needs of Japanese enterprise in India. Japan has long had large and varied interests in this country and it is part of JWT's forward-looking strategy to build the competencies required to address the particular 360-degrees communications needs of Japanese brands."

JWT, founded in 1864, is the fourth largest communication agency network in the world, with over 8,500 employees across more than 300 offices in 87 countries, serving over 1200 clients. WPP and ADK entered into a joint venture agreement in 1998, and took cross shareholdings in each other at that time. As at the date of this announcement, WPP holds a stake of 22.9 per cent in the share capital of ADK and ADK holds a stake of 2.7 per cent in WPP.

JWT India is one of the leading integrated communications companies with interests in advertising, digital, activation, public relations, direct marketing, design, social and rural communications. It operates through offices in six cities and partners India's best and most admired blue chip clients including Airtel, Bharti Retail, Pepsico, FritoLay, ITC, Hindustan Lever, Hero Honda, GSK Consumer Healthcare, Hero Honda, Sony Vaio, Sony Bravia, Nike, Nestle, Levi's, Pizza Hut, Diamond Trading Co., Kellogg's, Tisco, Exide, Ford and GE, among others.