25 years of Fountainhead MKTG

Last month, Bandra rocked the night away at the 10th edition of the Mahindra Blues Festival. That wasn’t the only reason to celebrate; it also marked the 25th-Anniversary celebration of Fountainhead MKTG, the ubiquitous name behind this landmark music festival. Most of us know Fountainhead as one of India’s premier experiential marketing agencies, but few are aware of its humble beginnings and the journey behind its success, inextricably linked to Bandra. I caught up with two of Fountainhead’s co-founders, Brian Tellis and Neale Murray to discover the untold story of these self – professed Bandra boys; their insights into what it takes to stay the course in business and how they define professional success contextually for the next generation.

Back in 1995, offering brand experiences, formerly called ‘event management’, wasn’t a mainstream career option. It certainly wasn’t an obvious choice for 3 young men with promising careers and families. So what made them quit their comfort zones and start navigating relatively uncharted territory? “Confidence in a solid friendship. More importantly, community involvement; parochial initiatives such as the Zonals and collectively having spent a lot of time in the Arts had a lot to do with it…” recounts Brian, of himself, Neale and Otis D’Souza, who made up the co-founding triad. Additionally, they humbly acknowledge the support from their families, and for those of us who have the privilege of personally knowing them, it is the undisputed truth.   

There are places I remember
They attribute much of their early success to Bandra, a suburb that generously offered a confluence of opportunity to explore unbridled passion, a launchpad to fuel ambition, and a talented pool of resourceful youngsters who formed an early part of their team. Of course, there were naysayers who questioned their entrepreneurial dream. Not just because of its elusive pay-off but also because back then most events were managed internally by corporates; there was very little incentive to partner with an outsider. Competition could strike at any time due to this industry’s low barrier to entry, which exists even today.

Don’t stop believing
The next hurdle meant having to articulate this venture to their incredulous parents. “Part of it stemmed from our ambition. The challenge in our jobs was dying and we wanted to do more. And that’s where Bandra came in. The exposure we had growing up and the fact that we were de facto event organizers even in the community made this decision seem like the natural way forward” says Neale of their decision to strike out on their own.

So, after a few ‘test the water’ events in the early ‘90s, they took the plunge with a thought that if it didn’t work out, they would cut their losses and move on.

On 10th February 1995, Fountainhead Entertainment was born in a 10 x 12 rented room of a founding partner’s home. They’re often asked about the story behind the company name. “It defined what we were setting out to do” smiles Neale with a nostalgic smile “Fountainhead was destined to be a source of ideas and energy; the implied reference to Ayn Rand’s famous novel was a happy coincidence”. Over the years, even though the original logo underwent some adaption, it has always retained its integrity to the original message, while evolving into “ideas that build communities” – their current tagline.

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
What’s really interesting is how their upbringing taught them to prioritise relationships in business. “Over the years, we’ve mindfully protected our roles in each other’s lives as friends, brother-in-laws (they’ve married sisters), and partners. This called for maturity and in many cases, sacrifice” says Neale when he explains how this is the bedrock of the Company’s value system, percolating down to every layer of the organization. The true test of a value doesn’t show up in good times; it does in tough times.

During 2008, the catastrophic global meltdown saw many agencies downsizing. At Fountainhead, the leadership believed that going through this ordeal together was its priority. In a strategic move, the leadership took a pay cut; but they ensured the team stayed intact. And the result? A team that emerged stronger than ever.

Over the next two decades, as the Company grew beyond local events to claim a global presence, it has attracted specialists in multiple domains. From an original operations team of 4, they are up to a 300 team strength today. In 2015, Bandra finally bade sad farewell to ‘The Fountainhead’ at 38, Pali Village, as the company moved mid-town to be able to consolidate its 5 specialized business divisions under one 17,000 sq.ft. space when it was acquired by international advertising giant, the Dentsu Aegis Network and became Fountainhead MKTG.

Celebrating Bandra
Amidst all this growth, it would have been easy to forget its roots. Instead, the focus continued on giving back to our vibrant little hamlet. ‘Celebrate Bandra’ was conceived by Fountainhead in 2003 and continues to date. A festival that brings people together through world-class free entertainment, accessible to all, while showcasing Bandra’s talent and supporting social projects in the local community. “It’s important for us to surround ourselves with people who are grounded, find the joy in reality and never forget our humble, yet valuable beginnings. Not because we want to be projected as virtuous but because it really works for us.” admits Brian, who attributes this as their ‘secret sauce’ to not getting carried away with the trappings of success. 

In 2015, Aadyam Theatre, another initiative by this company, brought world-class theatre to St. Andrew’s Auditorium, putting Bandra on the city’s cultural radar once again.

We don’t just create jobs, we help people find a passion for life
“As leaders, we acknowledge that we don’t know everything. That isn’t our job. Our job is to spot opportunity and then find people who have domain expertise, even if they know more than us in that space so that collectively we stay progressive” says Brian speaking on behalf of the entire senior leadership. Their foray into digital marketing in 2012 was one such example. Not being 100% conversant in this area didn’t stop the leadership from acquiring a boutique agency run by a former intern and growing it to what is now an established business vertical – the Texperiential space.

Consistently creating stakeholder wealth – on the outside and inside is another non-negotiable. Today, two of the 6 senior partners and co-founders, Owen Roncon and V.G. Jairam, worked with the company before they transitioned into leadership roles. “No one can create passion. So we look for its presence when we hire and we reward it when it’s demonstrated” says Brian when asked why they continue to do what they do. They believe that it’s been this passion for what they do that’s kept them energized as they learned to enjoy the “journey” over the “destination”.

“There’s much to be achieved. I’d like to be able to leave a legacy as one of the people who helped create a Company that’s truly admired” says Neale when asked why he continues to do what he does. “By admiration,” he clarifies, “is to have left a mark in the community.” Their website states “We don’t just create jobs, we help people find a passion for life”. “From our clients, who consider us strategic partners, to our team members past and present; we aren’t afraid to surround ourselves with stars” admits Neale.

Notes to my former self
The obvious question on our minds was what they could share, especially with the younger members of our community, who nurture similar aspirations. “A quarter of a century ago, you asked yourself what you wanted to be professionally and went ahead and followed that with the hope that it would all work out. In hindsight, there’s an inevitable question each one of us will likely have to answer honestly to ourselves and reach some level of acceptance with: who am I, and what makes me happy? And then having the courage to act on it. The ride won’t always be linear, especially in the dynamic experiences industry and you need to learn very quickly to take the smooth with the rough. It’s what builds sustainability, focus and resilience to see your ambition through and helps you shape your perception of events as they unfold” reflects Brian.

At the heart of it, they continue to do what they really enjoy every day, and in that process have learned to marry it with business opportunity, ideas and fuelling other’s interest in similar belief systems. That pretty much sums it up. Both of them leave younger entrepreneurs with their learning – paying attention to the community in which you are operate is critical, no matter what it is you are doing. This is often an overlooked part of the entrepreneurial journey where the focus is so much on the client, especially if these don’t happen to be one and the same entity, as in their case. 

Where do we go from here
Neale believes there’s still much to be achieved within the experiential community. To move up the value chain calls for tremendous commitment on everyone’s part within the industry to shift perceptions of finally being seen for the holistic value companies like Fountainhead create for all their stakeholders. 2021 will see another major milestone event as the company will be acquired a 100% by the Dentsu Aegis. Will the dream fade? “Certainly not” confirms Brian. “We are very invested in weaving our core beliefs into processes so as to protect our company values for posterity”.

To end this happy journey and from all of us Bandrites, we would like to think there’s a little Bandra woven into that beautiful story because there’s a little Fountainhead wrapped inside all of our hearts.