TBWA India -- which, so far, did not have a digital marketing arm or a dedicated digital team -- has decided to partner with digital agency, Ignitee Digital Solutions. The aim is to offer digital marketing solutions to its clients through Ignitee Digital.

As per the partnership deal, both agencies will work together and TBWA India will utilise the digital marketing capabilities or resources of Ignitee Digital, to offer complete digital advertising solutions to its existing and future clients.

A small team, mainly for client servicing, will be created at TBWA Indias office. This team will coordinate with TBWAs clients and work in association with the team at Ignitee Digital to service the digital requirements of its clients. A dedicated head will be recruited or assigned to look after this team.

Speaking to afaqs!, Shiv Sethuraman, chief executive officer, TBWA India points out that unlike various traditional agencies, TBWA does not follow the model of having a separate digital agency. Instead, it believes in an integrated structure, in which both traditional and digital marketing offerings will be made available to marketers from a single agency. The agency follows this model globally.

Sethuraman adds, "From now on, TBWA India will be capable to tender solutions such as display and search advertising, social media marketing, website development, web analytics, mobile marketing, online media planning and buying for its clients, apart from the traditional advertising services."

To begin with, both agencies will work together to handle the digital marketing for Visa, a TBWA India client.

Both Sethuraman and Atul Hegde, chief executive officer, Ignitee Digital Solutions declined to comment on the duration of the deal. Hegde says, "It is a long-term partnership and is based on the revenue sharing arrangement."

In an official communiqué, Keith Smith, president, TBWA International, says, "Digital is at the heart of everything that we do, be it advertising, events or retail activation. As such, it is essential that we have the strongest possible digital operation available in the market. This partnership should enable us to do that throughout our India Group."