Reminiscences -- In more praise of the legends

In his column, Third Umpire, published in Catalyst dated Nov. 8, Ramanujam Sridhar had written about two stalwarts of the advertising industry, R.K. Swamy and S.R. Ayer. In these responses to that article, two readers write about their association with these ``two fine gentlemen with brains'' as Sridhar describes them.

A graduate from the Ayer School

OCTOBER 11, 1976 - Ogilvy & Mather (OBM then) lost three senior people from its Chennai office in a air crash. I was the only survivor from the account management team. Thats when I saw an extraordinary leader, teacher, coach and above all a compassionate person in action.

Mr Ayer came from Mumbai every week initially and thereafter once in 15 days till we found the next head of office. He met clients, spent time with us and stood by us in those difficult days. The manner in which he did this was what differentiated him from anyone else. He showed tremendous sensitivity to everyones feelings, but never lost focus on what had to go on.

He used to push relentlessly for very high standards of work. Not just the creative product, but every step that led up to it. So writing a strategy document and getting it past his gruelling standards was a feat in itself. I remember how I used to write drafts for various clients and send it to him for his comments. It was like a correspondence course in thinking, logic and writing. My drafts used to come back with copious notes, remarks, suggestions and corrections. Not realising the immense value that I derived, I used to dread sending the material and worse still getting it back with his sharp comments. The toughest thing was the So what? test. (Try asking So what? to anything anybody says. It brings in such power, relevance and clarity.) The day I got one document which merely had a remark Go ahead, I felt like celebrating.

Another instance was when he pushed me to put together a position paper on instant coffee. I started work in March and finished work on it in September.

I was amazed at the patience he showed in spite of his other commitments. It was because of his vision for the project that the work sizzled. But he made me look like a hero in front of the client.

Similarly, it was he who pushed me into becoming a faculty member in our internal training programmes. My very first session was on account management. He sat right through the session to encourage me.

He was forever ready to back a good idea. In 1984 we did a bit of research amongst clients to find out how else we could serve them. Direct marketing was not a priority for clients. I was disappointed. So in 1985 I almost gave up my job to set up a direct marketing agency. He would not hear of it; instead he gave me the opportunity to do that for Ogilvy.

In Ogilvy & Mather Direct he allowed us to experiment with several new ideas. A full page ad to announce the new division. Evangelistic presentations even to other agency people. A syndicated database effort where Ogilvy invested a substantial amount. And many more.

He also stood by me in bad times. A mistake that I made while I was in Chennai cost the agency a lot of money and caused a lot of embarrassment with the client. I wish I could handle other peoples mistakes with such trust, grace and understanding. The way he converted that into learning was brilliant. I cant forget the way he used to handle my diffidence, with an interesting combination of humour and understanding.

Every time he travelled to Bangalore he would talk about a new book. It could be a business book, a biography or anthology. It was a pleasure to hear him analyse the book and give the essence or the core theme in a couple of points. He also taught me how to buy books! Out of my 25 years with Ogilvy he was the MD for 18 years and my direct boss for 14 years. Therefore I can quote several instances and fascinating anecdotes about my studentship with him.

His devotion to work and people are remarkable. Very few could match his energy, clarity and ability to direct things. Above all, his loyalty. There are several of us who have been nurtured and shaped by him. All graduates of the Ayer school.

I am so happy that my friend Ramanujam Sridhar wrote that piece about the legends. And made that suggestion in the last paragraph for more of us to write about the legends. It is probably a sign of the times that the industry does not have such people of stature any more. We were all really lucky to work with them. Whats more, we were paid to learn under such masters.

And here are some of his thoughts:

On how people think: The obvious is always overlooked.

On training thoroughly: There is nothing more ludicrous than a half-trained dog.

On building a profitable business: You dont build a profitable business by cutting costs. New revenues is the real oxygen for growth.The pressure on overheads is good for business. Thats what will drive a manager to chase growth.

On efforts & results: I appreciate your efforts but shall admire your results even more.

On advertising: Problem-solution is as good a definition for advertising as any.

Finally, heres an interesting titbit. It is probably a coincidence. Mr. Ayers birthday is September 5. Teachers day.

R. Sridhar

(The writer has had a long stint in O&M and is now partner, IDEAS-RS, a professional service firm that promotes corporate innovation and creativity.)

Swamy and colleagues

Mr. Ramanujam Sridhar in his article In praise of two legends in Catalyst paid rich tributes to two legendary advertising professionals of our time. I had the opportunity of not just working for R.K. Swamy / BBDO but the rare privilege of interacting with Mr R.K. Swamy himself on a number of occasions.

Mr Swamys well-known liking for economics and information relating to key aspects of the economy and my own background in economics were responsible for these brief but intellectually stimulating interactions.

At a time when interest in economics is disappearing fast, even among those who are supposed to champion the cause of the economy, Mr Swamys enduring interest in the discipline breathed a new life into my own interest in the subject. But what amazed me was not just his passion for the subject, but his depth of knowledge and understanding of critical economic issues facing the country.

Mr Sridhar has mentioned the kind of pains Mr Swamy takes whenever he embarks on speech preparation or article writing assignments. My friend Ms Latha Ramaseshan, who has been helping him for a long time in this area, will vouch for this. Mr Swamy never makes even a single observation or statement, if he is not able to support the same with sufficient statistical support.

We all know that David Ogilvys phenomenal success was strongly rooted in his own research about the products and markets for which the campaigns were run. But Mr Swamy extended that productive obsession with research to all his intellectual pursuits.

Mr Swamy never takes his public speeches or writing assignments as mere time- or space-filling exercises by sprinkling applause-winning phrases and quotes here and there. As a successful professional in the business of communication with excellent command over the language and literature, he can do that in a commendable fashion and still manage to attract the target audience. But he always takes these assignments with missionary zeal and considers them opportunities to delve deeper into the subject, demonstrate his deep concern and make a positive contribution to the issue under focus.

Mr Swamy understood too well that economics was too serious a subject to be left to economists alone. As if to prove that, he wrote a well-researched book called India: How to Succeed Without Tears nearly a decade ago. This work can be considered a standing testimony to his enormous concern for the Indian economy - not just Indian advertising - and his undiminished faith in its hidden potential. Like all great men, Mr Swamy is a multi-dimensional personality and people associated with him derived immense inspiration by just understanding and appreciating a sliver of that. Let the Almighty shower the choicest blessings on him by giving him long years of healthy living and the organisation he has created a vibrant future.5

(S. Gnana Haran, Madurai.)