Anand Mahesh, Mavcomm, Brand Communications Firm, Only Indian member of International Public Relations Agencies Network

Having worked at top firms like Ogilvy, AdFactors and Mutual PR for over a decade, this experienced campaigner, Anand Mahesh knew what exactly the system lacked. There was something which the consultancies weren’t being able to provide to their client. Aspiring to bridge this gap, Anand started Mavcomm with a few other highly experienced personnel in the winter of 2006. With almost 5 years into existence, Mavcomm has grown from strength to strength and today is the only Indian member of International Public Relations Agencies Network (IPAN). Jubin Mehta for YourStory.in caught up with the owner to know more about the insides. Edited Excerpts:You call Mavcomm as a brand communications company. Please shed some light on it.

Mavcomm’s strength is creation of effective communications strategy and on-ground implementation of plans. Through a combination of Strategy, Public Relations, Digital Media, Events and support services, Mavcomm supports its clients in complete brand communications. We started with a vision of helping brands in communicating their essence to its audiences and decided on building cohesiveness into clients various mediums of communications enabling them to strongly project their message.

Tell us about your background and the team at Mavcomm.

I am a Post Graduate in Communications Management from Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Pune with an experience of more than a decade in the Public Relations, Corporate Communications and Consulting sector. I am also interested in academia and am on the advisory board of Entrepreneurship Development Council at MICA, Ahmedabad apart from being a guest lecturer in top media communication institutes such as SIMC and ISB&M. I co-founded Mavcomm along with my partner Siddhartha Upadhyay. Siddhartha is a thought leader on Marketing Communications and Public Affairs. Chhavi Golmei is our Head of Content & Strategy. Chhavi brings with her an experience of over a decade in journalism and communications. Neeraj Atri is our Vice President - Operations with cumulative experience of about 15 years in the field of Public Relations and Advertising and has well acclaimed PR campaigns to his credit in the varied industry verticals like fashion/lifestyle, financial services, infrastructure and IT, to mention a few of them. Apart from the above, we have a young team assisting all of us.

How did the idea of Mavcomm come around? Why was Mavcomm started?

Mavcomm started operations in December 2006 to bridge the gap between what clients desired and consulting companies offered. We had the conviction that we will take the industry forward with our approach to communications. Mavcomm Consulting is today the only Indian member of International Public Relations Agencies Network (IPAN), a network of European and American PR agencies.

You mentioned your interest in Academia, do you feel the need for more institutes providing quality education in this field apart from the likes of MICA and SIMC?

We definitely need more quality institutes imparting education that makes the students industry ready. Internships and industry interaction need to be an integral part of the course so that students get to understand the real world.Back to Mavcomm, who are your target audience and what is the size of the market you are trying to capture?

We are targeting a cross-section of companies from various verticals who are facing problems with their corporate and product branding. Currently, we are working with companies such as DLF, Yamaha, ibibo and IndiaFirst Life Insurance apart from a host of other companies. The size of Indian PR industry is likely to be over US$ 10.56 billion by 2012 according to a random survey carried out by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) on “PR & Its Future Prospects”.

Who are your competitors? What sets you apart from them?

There are no competitors for Mavcomm in terms of the complete bouquet of services that we offer though we do face competition from companies in various segments. Our focus on creating specific strategies, dedication to implementation and internal processes and systems sets us apart from other agencies.

What is Mavcomm's revenue model?

Our revenue model is retainership fee driven. We also undertake specific assignments on project basis.

Where do you see Mavcomm in few years down the line?

We see Mavcomm being present internationally and handling global assignments in next few years apart from growing organically and inorganically.

Do check out www.mavcommgroup.com for more details!