In the past few years, the ad arena has undergone a sea change. The means of communication have expanded & multiplied. It is new distribution channels and additional product & consumer categories that have forced this change.
In this hyper-productive market, a new product is launched almost every day. The change & rise in awareness among consumers is witnessed across all socio-economic strata, regions & towns. The consumers are evolving fast. As a result, they have started dictating market trends. To be the custodian of the brand, one would have to reach out to future consumers before they demand a new idea to match their lifestyles.
Agencies would have to rethink their roles. They must realize that they are not here to tell consumers what they must consume; instead, they are here to keep consumers interested in a particular brand by breaking through the clutter with interesting concepts.
Although approximately 70% of print & TV advertising is admittedly run-of-the-mill & repetitive, brands such as ITC Bingo & IDEA are reflecting a new form of communication. About 10 years ago, communication was far more polite, but today, to break through the clutter & take control of things, creative are sharp. They have to be like this to communicate benefits & to value consumers’ time & needs.
To capture the consumers attention, the ad agencies need to revise the old model of consistency, which revolves around showcasing the same idea or thought for as long as possible. The agencies can now go interactive via digital media. Example: Parachute ad by McCann Erickson (It won Yahoo! Big chair award). It gave consumers an opportunity to send a “gorgeous” wish as video greetings through the Internet. It received over 200,000 hits on its website in the campaign period (Jul – Oct’07), about 66,000 views of the video greetings & 55,000 audio & video mobile greetings in 1 month. These initiatives were reflected in sales, too, which went up 96%.
New media is far more complex in terms of technology & reach. Ads communicated via the Internet & cell phones have a shorter life. Consumers guide the terms of new media. They decide if they want to see a particular pop up ad on their computer screen, or read a promotional message on their mobile.
The trick lies in creating a commercial that will transit from one medium to another, keeping the basic idea intact. For instance, JWT’s gang of girls commercial was created to intrigue & evoke curiosity about the product. It offered a platform for consumers to interact, by guiding them to a website, which was promoted through outdoor, TV & print ads.
The new media road is largely less traveled in India. Though the mobile phone is now emerging as the 4th screen, ads are still restricted to SMSes.
“To accept this new form of media, we need to be more confident about ideating for something that will cut across all forms of media. Secondly, our infrastructure & mechanism needs to be in place,” says Ashish Mishra, VP Strategic Planning at Mudra.
Acording to industry estimates, BTL(below the line) ad is growing at the rate of 22-25% & is expected to reach 50% in the next 2 years. At present BTL media stands close to Rs 10,000 crores.
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