Philips India hands $6m brief to JWT affiliate

<p>NEW DELHI: In a departure from its global ad agency arrangements </p><p>with DMB&B, Dutch electronics giant Philips India has given its consumer </p><p>electronics business to Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA), J. Walter </p><p>Thompson's affiliate in the country. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ambience D'Arcy won the lighting and domestic appliances business, but </p><p>it retained Carat India in line with global media agency </p><p>arrangements. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The account is reputed to be worth US$6 million, but Sunil Gupta, </p><p>HTA's Mumbai-based vice-president and general manager, added: "Since the </p><p>category is highly-active and competitive, the spend will be </p><p>commensurate." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Sources said client conflict issues cost DMB&B's Indian affiliate, Mudra </p><p>Advertising, the fourth-ranked agency in India, the Philips' </p><p>business. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mudra, which handles competitor Samsung, is understood to have offered </p><p>to launch a "made-for-Philips" second agency, an offer which Philips </p><p>rejected. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A Philips source said the solution was unacceptable with the current </p><p>market situation and the competition in the sector. "We didn't have the </p><p>luxury to wait that long," said the source. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>HTA's chief executive Mike Khanna said the agency's handling of 12 of </p><p>India's top brands was a deciding factor. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>