Putting success in its context

Evolution is the key to survival as well as success in the business world. Take the example of Communicate2. It started off as a full service interactive advertising company in the latter half of 1997. It had an excellent clientele. But that was then.

���The current avatar of Communicate2 is very different. It focuses mainly on Search Engine Marketing (SEM). We started off through an offshore contract from an SEM agency based out of UK that comprised of 15 people and still continue to work with them. Today we work with the largest search agencies in the world,��� informs Vivek Bhargava, Founder & Managing Director, Communicate2. Of course, evolution does not mean that a company���s vision also changes.

���Communicate2 was started with a simple vision ���to help Indian corporate houses use technology to make their advertising effective��� ��� one of the few things that have not changed,��� he notes.
It is interesting to see how Communicate2 evolved. ���As we got introduced to paid search through an offshore process, we got to learn the Best Practises from the best guys in the industry,��� says Mr Bhargava. It is through these partners that Communicate2 was exposed to multiple bid management and analytic products. ���This has allowed us to gain a tremendous competitive advantage,��� adds Mr Bhargava. Incidentally, his team today works with the world���s biggest search agencies.

Being in a different industry has its advantages and also its disadvantages. While Communicate2 has clearly succeeded in leveraging the advantages, it also had to deal with the disadvantages. The biggest problem was, and continues to be, low awareness. Initially, this obviously would have resulted, as Mr Bhargava says, in most advertisers spending very small percentage on SEM. ���The other challenge has been the paucity of talent.

The career prospects in this industry are the best in the world. However, lack of awareness prevents a lot of people choosing this as a career option,��� he says. Today, Communicate2 is a top Indian search marketing firms. ���My vision is to make it the best contextual advertising agency in emerging markets and be the best offshore advertising firm for the developed countries,��� adds Mr Bhargava.

Dreaming big is the mark of a true entrepreneur. Communicate2 plans to set up international offices across various global locations with staff strength of at least a 1000 people in five years from now. ���I don���t see why we would not be managing an outdoor campaign at Times Square, New York sitting in our Mumbai office,��� he remarks. It is indeed a big dream for a person who entered in this field when most people including many from his family wouldn���t have put their money on him. ���During the dotcom bust days, nearly everyone in the family had given up on our business. My father was the only one who not only stood by me but also supported us financially to survive during those times,��� he recalls.

It���s been quite a successful journey for Communicate2. But Mr Bhargava feels that he still has a long way to go. He shares some of things that he has learnt so far as an entrepreneur. ���Be passionate, be persistent and be focused. It is very important to stick to one thing until we get there. During the dot com days we did everything under the sun and failed miserably but our focus has led us to where we are today,��� he says on the concluding note.
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