Adgully Exclusive | Exploring QBIQA - the strategy and design house

The needs and demands along with the expectations of clients are evolving with the changing times. This leads to the mushrooming of agencies in specific segments for a better and more focused service. One such company would be QBIQA, a strategy and design house that plan on providing a complete marketing solution to their clients.

In an exclusive interview, Aditya Shakalya, Director- Branding & Business Strategy, QBIQA speaks to Adgully about the recently formed company, QBIQA.

Formed on the collaboration of two separate entities called QBIC and Chiqa, a consulting and a digital agency respectively, QBIQA is a young company with an even younger work force. "QBIQA's services include integrated (online + offline) strategy engineering for our clients, followed by timely execution of the same. The range of offerings covers all aspects of designing-from Corporate Identity and print ads to Website and FB page designs. Providing Press Releases in various news papers and tying up with popular media like FM Stations, organizing events, SMM, SEO for websites, Corporate training for staff members," said Shakalya.

"Just with the view of being a one stop solution providers we also have tie-ups with various printers and manufacturers so that whatever we have envisioned and communicated to the client we give him the same finished product instead of asking him to do the finishing bit by himself," he further added.

There are so many companies of similar nature co-existing in the market that it is important today to design your differentiating character with care. "QBIQA dislikes being categorized as an "ad agency". Unlike some of the prehistoric yet established names out there in the market who are still getting mass production benefits, we do not prioritize media buying and space selling. Usually we do not make a "cut" out of selling paper ads or Radio or local cable spots. Our aim remains that the client should flourish because that in-turn will make our business prosper; keeping that in mind we do not unnecessarily pursue our clients to buy ad space in newspapers or put up expensive hoardings," Shakalya said

He further explained, "Every strategy that we chalk out keeps in mind the interest of the client at hand and this is what differentiates us from the vultures out there. Just trying to sell too much to the client to make profits is a bad for longevity of business."

On one end of the spectrum QBIQA has aquired fixed clients like Country Inn by Carlson and Mansi and on the other Ara, a design studio by celebrated designer Purva Kumar. "We plan monthly strategies for offline and online activities and execute it. These include exclusive communication and Social Media Management as well. Despite the possible margins, we do not want her to give newspaper ads as we believe it will dilute her niche market segmentation requirement," stated Shakalya.

Commenting on some of the best works that have been done, Shakalya said, "Every project challenges us differently and after evening out the kinks all deliverables become memorable. Shopping bag and in-store design for Kooka Kids- a store that sells kids-clothing, a fantastic logo for a Canadian prospect, Ara's exclusive mailer to the elite clientele and our own stationary and website are some of those that excited us the most."

Shakalya exclaims that there is a lot of rawness in the way the team works as it is a very young vibrant team. "No one is bound by old silos. Many employees are taking important decisions on their own stand for the first time in life. Those might work or backfire, life is a school after all but we do not like sticking to tried and tested methods of doing things. It's a flat organization, anyone can tell us anything, mutual bashing goes on in the blackberry group in free time, and everything is permitted. Pat on the back and a beer or a kick on the behind, literally, all is taken in good taste and keeps everyday worth looking forward to," said Shakalya with a smile.

Shakalya believes that QBIQA follows the mantra of "Grow or die!' "We started with the money we had saved, no investors, and no big backups. Every client is important for us. We try to deliver something unique, put forward a new idea, accepted or not. People say they want something different but when you give it to them you realize they want the same old. However, that does not mean that we entertain anyone and everyone. We have learnt to say no," he further added.

The past year has been a huge learning experience at QBIQA. One of the most things that the team at QBIQA has learnt to appreciate is the value of time. "We refuse working for clients who we think tax a lot of labor and pay little or pay with few unkind words. Such old school businessmen are still at large in this country. There have been cases where people have "disliked" the logo designs that we had mailed them and we have later discovered that they got an identical logo, not similar, identical logo done by someone else thus cutting us off completely. Shit happens. We have learned to move on. Getting just money for our services and thinking laterally and not yielding to rotten practices in this bureaucratic environment is what we have learnt," Shakalya further explained.

QBIQA's goal for the current financial year is to grow and to keep growing. "We are looking towards having an integrated website now but that means all the SEO done on our old sites will be wasted, which is a bummer really. We are sizing up our staff, adding in designers, developers, salespeople and followers on Facebook," he said with a quick smile.

QBIQA has already taken up an office and colored it in funky Orange and blue. "Managing budgets is still a challenge but surely we will thrive and by 2012 we will be on a freeway up," Shakalya said. By the end of 2011, they aim to be present in one or maybe even two cities besides Indore. Expanding their portfolio is another focus area. | By Janees Antoo [janees(at)adgully.com]