The Media Planning Buck Stops Here – Roda Mehta

June 27, 2017

‘Mad Men’ is a popular American show about advertising in the 1960’s. The show was highly appreciated also because it brought out the sexism women faced at their workplace in the advertising industry. But the story of advertising in India is different.

Roda Mehta, a name synonymous with the Indian advertising industry, is her own boss. As the Media Controller of Ogilvy & Mather (then Ogilvy, Benson & Mather) in 1975, she rose to prominence for her work in scientific media planning and buying in India. She later became a member of the O&M board and retired after a 23-year-stint with the company.

She is to be conferred the Advertising Agencies Association of India’s (AAAI) Lifetime Achievement Award for her significant contribution to the Indian advertising industry in a few weeks from now.

Mehta was born and brought up primarily in Delhi. She secured her bachelors in Economics from Miranda House, Delhi University. She later took an MBA course and was chosen by Hindustan Thompson Associates in 1971 in the media function department.

“I was chosen out of at least seven candidates. At that time, I knew nothing about advertising. But the field was more accepting of women because at the end of the day, the consumer is the Indian housewife. It was highly clerical as well,” she explains.

With her background in economics and marketing, Mehta worked on ground to conduct research and surveys. “I went to several rural villages to find out the impact of Indian cinema on them. It was done to broaden the perspective. I became a working encyclopaedia. By the time I made the transition to O&M, I had a free hand. It was a non-political agency wherein I had the freedom to work. In fact, my boss used to tell me that I am my own boss!”

After she retired from advertising, Mehta dedicated herself to work for social causes. She is a trustee of the Lila Poonawalla Foundation as well as the board member and treasurer of Nagrik Chetna Manch, a citizen’s rights organisation that aims to bring transparency in governance as an active pressure group.

“When you’re in advertising, there is a natural orientation towards people. You think about issues from various angles because you get to the very heart of it. All the social marketing projects like the National Literacy Mission campaign in 1992 or a project from the Indian Cancer Society just came to my desk. I know that the power of communication can be used to bring about change. I had several opportunities to go abroad and work but I thought that I’d rather contribute here, in India.”

Mehta believes that the current functioning of the Indian advertising agency has changed dramatically and remarks, “Media and content is constantly changing. I don’t see much brand building in the advent of technology. However, this has changed the way the client views advertising. We did a lot of in depth research and analysis. We also expanded our rural coverage. The old patterns are still continuing and the industry hasn’t moved smartly. Clients are imposing stringent remunerations on agencies. I’ve been away for long while but this is my perception.”