OMD begins operations

Omnicom Media Group’s agency, OMD will be opening its 15th office in Asia Pacific following its partnership with the TAL Group.

The affiliation will see OMD partnering with Total Media Direction (TMD) a fully owned subsidiary of the TAL Group, to provide media communications solutions in Sri Lanka.

The TAL Group has been in operation for over 39 years with a rich heritage of innovations in both the creative and media industries in Sri Lanka.

Total Media Direction which was originally the ‘media department’ of the TAL Group was incorporated as a fully owned independent subsidiary in 2006.

Total Media Direction will now be known as OMD Sri Lanka and the new partnership, OMD Sri Lanka, will operate from Colombo.

OMD’s Asia Pacific Chief Executive, Maggie Choi said: “We have been looking at Sri Lanka for a while now, largely due to the country’s potential as part of the N-11 league of emerging economies in Asia.

The establishment of OMD in Sri Lanka will bring together two great cultures to form an even more dynamic team.

This partnership is a significant development for the group and will mark the start of a new era in OMD’s operations in the emerging markets”.

The agency’s new management structure will be led by Shivanka De Zoysa as CEO of the local operations.

His work experience transcends the FMCG, Consumer Durables and the Services industries in Sri Lanka as well as other markets in the Middle East and the South Pacific.

“We are delighted to be able to partner with OMD. There is a distinct synergy in the way that we work. OMD is a well-known brand in the industry and TMD has excellent local knowledge.

“This partnership is a right fit for us as it will bring together TMD’s experience within the local network,” De Zoysa said.