"Emvies is like the Oscar for the Indian media agencies. And for us at Madison Media, it is at par with the top awards in any field. It gives talent within the media realm its due and brings in far better and greater output for clients."

The media story is a story of intangibles. Given that fact, you still have an awards ceremony that seeks to sift through the intangibles, and makes way for a more open approach among peers. In conversation with Anushree Madan Mohan of exchange4media, Punitha Arumugham, CEO, Madison Media (West) shares her views on Emvies. Excerpts.

What is the weight of the Emvies vis-a-vis any other awards ceremony?

Emvies is like the Oscar for the Indian media agencies. And for us at Madison Media, it is at par with the top awards in any field. It gives talent within the media realm its due and brings in far better and greater output for clients.

How has Emvies evolved with time?

It has obviously become a large-scale affair in terms of the number of entries, quality of entries and the final presentation ceremony.

What kind of contribution does Emvies make to the media industry?

A creative agency has a tangible product -- the final ad. On the other hand, the final product from a media agency is full of intangibles -- be it research, strategy, the plan or the execution. The Emvies hence provides a perfect forum for each agency to bring these intangibles to the forefront, to table their achievements and more importantly to share their approach with the rest of their counterparts

Which are the aspects that you feel ought to be incorporated within Emvies? What kind of improvisation can be brought about?

Just like the other awards, it would be great if it is possible to also motivate and recognise young individuals for their outstanding contribution during the year to the media industry - be it in terms of the Best Planner of the Year, Best Buyer of the Year, and Best Creative Mind in Media, etc. It is going to be extremely difficult to identify these youngsters but an attempt to start doing so would be welcomed by all.

Last time around, there were new categories included such as Best Media Innovation - Never been Used Media. What’s your opinion about these categories?

Any new and relevant category is always welcome. This category is welcome, especially as it opens news avenues of communicating with the consumer

What’s your expectation from the Emvies this time around?

My only single expectation is that it will continue to be a great learning ground on best media practices both for me as an individual and for all at Madison Media as a whole.

According to you, what kind of weight does the Emvies hold in the marketer's mind?

The same as any award. It is a great feeling for a day especially if the marketer's work in media wins, if not well it is work as usual.

How would you categorise your showing in the previous years?

Well, we could have done lots better.