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Grey Worldwide, the advertising company has decided to consolidate its interests in Sri Lanka. Grey has taken over the entire equity of Trikaya and called itself Grey Worldwide (formerly Trikaya Grey) India, the global group decided to flex its muscle by showing its seriousness and commitment to its Sri Lanka operations.

Grey Worldwide is the number one Agency in the US of America and the number one in New York, the Mecca of Advertising. With a global presence of more than 10,000 employees, spread over 92 countries with 450 offices, it is the sixth largest agency across the world and the largest independent communications company in the world.

The agency set up operations in Sri Lanka six years ago, as the first Board of Investment BOI approved advertising venture with a three-way partnership between Grey Advertising Trikaya (India) and the local partner First Serve Entertainment. Hence the name Trikaya Grey First Serve.

Initial accounts comprised British American Tobacco (better known as Ceylon Tobacco Company) followed by Procter and Gamble. In time, the Agency also picked up other MNC businesses such as Glaxo SmithKline, Holiday Inn, Standard Chartered and Standard Chartered Grindlays Bank and Celltel.

The agency has a well diversified portfolio with a host of prestigious local accounts that include companies from the John Keells group, AMW, Scan Products and DI shoes. Today it has made its way into the ranks of the top five agencies in Sri Lanka.

In Grey's plans for the future, Sri Lanka has a very strategic role to play. By virtue of its size and its blend of cultures, it has been identified as an important test market for the region.

Transfer of learning across markets has been a key strength of Grey in finding the edge for its clients brands. Grey-Sri Lanka is one of the few agencies whose global networks formally help in the collection and acquisition of brand experiences.

The agency has already demonstrated its strength in two key areas - Below The Line activity and Media.

Its strong Below The Line division has a proven track record on leading brands such as John Player, Gold Leaf, Keells and Celltel the company said in a press release.

Grey Media operates as an independent entity under the MediaCom banner: MediaCom currently manages two major multinational 'AOR's (Agency on Record) - that includes the entire media planning and buying across all brands in a clients portfolio - Procter and Gamble and Glaxo SmithKline.

This ensures that in a portfolio of brands, the weaker brands also get well supported at no incremental cost while over spending on the larger brands is rationalised to answer the question 'how much is enough?'

Mediacom is perhaps the only independent division of an agency to handle two prestigious AORs of leading MNCs in Sri Lanka. Considering that in most cases, clients spend over 90% of their resources in conventional main-stream media, Grey provides better 'fire power for the buck.'

As the first gesture of goodwill since becoming Grey Worldwide in Sri Lanka, the agency has decided to donate a fair sum towards the welfare of the war-affected people of the country.

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