Microsoft and ZIRCA expand partnership, to accelerate Bing advertising growth in India

Mumbai – January 10, 2017:  Zirca Digital Solutions, announced that the company will expand its current partnership with Microsoft and in addition to Display Ad Sales will also act as Bing’s sales partner for search advertising sales in India.  ZIRCA will now work on showcasing Microsoft Bing’s strength as a credible challenger in the INR 3000 crore¹ search market bringing in new audiences and new searches. Bing Network’s business success is growing fast with 28 straight months of profitability and revenue growth; powering nearly 1 in 3 searches in the US, over 25% of searches in the UK and over 10% in ten additional markets including and 1 out of every 7 searches in Asia. With a 6% share of search in India, Bing has grown by 70% in the last 2 years ⁵.  In 2015, search advertising contributed to 29% share³ of the total online ad market in India.

The Bing Network connects advertisers and consumers; powering search for Yahoo to Aol, Apple to Amazon and including Microsoft’s Cortana, voice search in Xbox One and Windows 10, Bing intelligence brings deep insights to marketers and valuable opportunities to reach the right audience at the right time.  Zirca’s strong network and understanding of the Indian market will enable Bing with the best advertising options carefully identified through the company’s talented campaign management and media planning professionals. The fact that the Bing engineering team operates out of India, makes new formats and executions more relevant to the market. The proximity of the coders to market characteristics results in a better yield on investments. Bing’s robust strategy to target mobile users and savvy customers in Tier 2 cities, along with Microsoft’s global strategy to grow search is resulting in Bing increasing its share of wallet in India and from India.

“Bing’s increasing popularity in India, especially among well-informed audiences, provides the perfect catalyst for marketers to engage with a large, diverse population,” said Grant Watts, Regional Director of APAC, Microsoft Search Advertising. “Zirca’s strong heritage in providing smart advertising and marketing solutions to brands with great strategic frameworks will support our mission of increasing our presence in the Indian market and deepening our relationships with customers in the country.”

“We’re extremely proud to exclusively represent Microsoft Bing in India. We have seen Bing gaining significant momentum and adoption among the Internet users in the country and a major uptake amongst brands for their domestic and international search marketing. In the last 6 months we have seen a significant 150% growth in wallet share,” said Neena Dasgupta, CEO, Zirca Digital Solutions. “This win fortifies our relationship with Microsoft, further demonstrating our expertise in bringing successful digital partnerships to India,” she added.

“We are delighted to partner with Microsoft Bing search advertising business in India. This partnership will provide advertisers and marketers with a unique opportunity to make the most of one of the world’s most innovative global search platforms. Additionally, it will also help us understand how search is powering next- generation technology solutions”, said Karan Kumar Gupta, Managing Director, Zirca.

About ZIRCA Digital Solutions Pvt. Ltd:ZIRCA is an independent digital media and brand solutions company that helps brand custodians achieve digital excellence via custom advertising and content solutions. In 2012, Zirca’s sister company Aidem Ventures decided to create a separate entity to service its digital businesses and foray into content solutions. ZIRCA today represents multiple Indian and global publishers and platforms, and enables them to monetize their digital assets through digital media and sales evangelization. Their extensive client roster includes Microsoft, Bing, MediaMath, The Economist Group, Outbrain, Adform, Fast Company &Inc.com among others. For more details, please visit: www.zirca.in

About Microsoft India:Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft set up its India operations in 1990. Today, Microsoft entities in India have over 6,500 employees, engaged in sales and marketing, research and development and customer services and support, across nine Indian cities – Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. Microsoft is committed to touching and transforming lives and businesses in India through technology.