Top media agencies in the country are all set for a fierce battle as automotive giants Tata Motors (Passenger Vehicles) and Hero MotoCorp have put their media accounts up for grabs. While Tata Motors' account is valued at approximately Rs 450 crore, Hero MotoCorp's account stands at around Rs 400 crore. Together, these accounts are worth Rs 850 crore and have attracted keen interest from multiple media agencies.

As earlier reported by exchange4media, Tata Motors (Passenger Vehicles) has invited pitch for its overall mandate, comprising OOH, digital, media and creative. Hero MotoCorp is looking for a partner only for its media mandate. Hero MotoCorp’s incumbent agency is Publicis. Tata Motors’ duties are handled by different agencies.

According to sources close to development, all big agencies, including Wavemaker, IPG Mediabrands, Madison World and Publicis, are participating in the pitch.

Sources shared that Omnicom Media Group, Publicis, IPG (which is the incumbent agency), GroupM and Dentsu are participating in the pitch for Tata Motors’ media account. For the digital mandate, the number of participating agencies is higher.  

Industry experts, however, suggest that Tata Motors may continue with their incumbent agency because of the strong performance it has delivered. “This is more of a routine exercise than actually looking out for a new agency. However, the automaker remains open to disruptive pitches,” said a source from an agency vying for the account. 

Sources claim that only four agencies-Publicis, IPG, Dentsu and GroupM, are participating in the pitch for Hero Motocorp.

According to Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2024, Hero MotoCorp spent Rs 500-600 crore on advertising in 2023. Tata Motors spent Rs 300-400 crore on advertising in 2023. The report also highlighted the fact that the automobile sector is the third largest AdEx category, because of a booming demand for mid-level cars and SUVs. The category has increased their traditional spends by 18%.