Tribal DDB inks deal with Mudra

Tribal DDB Worldwide, the digital interactive arm of the DDB group, has entered into a strategic alliance with Mudra Communications to set up a new entity 'Tribal DDB India.' The company also launched a logo competition, inviting people to design a logo for the new company.

Matt Freeman, chief executive officer, Tribal DDB Worldwide, said, "The strategic alliance mutually benefits the agency as well as our company. It will strengthen the Digital Branding Solutions arm of Mudra and help us enter the Indian market, which has a huge potential."

According to R Lakshminarayan, executive director and head, total branding solutions, this agreement will help Mudra align with the global company for interactive branding solutions, leverage on the skills and knowledge of Tribal DDB and use it to enhance their services to existing clients.

Lakshminarayan said the existing clients of Mudra would be served under the agency's digital services arm "" Digital Branding Solutions. However, new clients would be served under the Tribal DDB India name.

Also, Tribal DDB has ruled out any acquisition of stake in the agency because its holding company DDB Worldwide has already a 10 per cent stake in the company. However, Freeman said they would be open to such possibilities in the near future.

The partnership is the newest thing in Mudra's kitty after the Rapp Collins tie up announced last year and acquisition of Kids stuff Promotion company. All these developments were intended to strengthen the agency's below-the-line service offerings.

However, DDB's plans to start another advertising agency along with Mudra, were put on the back burner last week. Tribal DDB is a specialist in interactive communications and offers digital services from online branding to media buying and web design.