Brands annually spend billions on their marketing budget.
For one minute ad on a TV Channel with less than 2% viewership it is not a big
problem for the Brand Manager to pay a hefty amount. They are also happy to
invest large sum of their budget on outdoor & print advertising (the lifespan
of advertising on these platforms in smaller than goldfish's memory time span).
But when it comes to digital (OH MY GOD THAT MONEY SUCKING PHYSCO KNOW IT ALL
MEDIUM) Brand managers have to even consult their company's gatekeeper to spend
even a penny on this mode of advertising.
Digital is one of the fastest growing platform worldwide.
In Pakistan only we have more than 31 Million Internet users and a staggering number
of more than 150 Million subscribed mobile users. Not only digital platforms
are giving brands a large number of audience but it also allows brands to be
very selective about their target audience. Brands can pick and choose who they
want to talk to, what should be the habits of their audience, their age &
gender, almost everything about the target audience can be customized. And
unlike traditional media, digital gives the brands exact numbers how many
people viewed their ad, talked about it and were engaged.
Digital is the only two way communication platform for
brands where the audience can give their negative or positive feedback. Through
digital only brands can learn exactly what their customer wants. The views of
the customers allows the brand to grow in a positive direction.
So if digital is doing so good to brand why are brands so
nervous to pay their digital agency the money that they deserve? Recently I
came across this post of Nirala Sweets in which the agency has taken a drastic
measure against the brand and put up a cover photo stating that the brand has
not cleared the dues. Well I do not support this kind of activity but this is
an eye opener for all the brands to not treat your digital agency as trash. When
brands are willing to pay their traditional creative agency millions for a plagiarized
jingle they should feel comfortable paying their digital agency (which is monitoring
their page 24/7, making at least 30 visuals with unique copies, media planning,
creating kick ass strategies, and doing what not for the brand) without any
hesitation because digital agencies are complimenting their sales, brand image
etc. But usually what the digital agency gets in return is what my dear friend
Siddhu says Baba ji ka thulu (peanuts).
Brands, digital is nothing to be afraid of. Worldwide
digital advertising has matured and is doing so well that brands have started
to allocate more marketing budget for digital than print. Some of the brands
are thriving only through advertising smartly on digital. In Pakistan also brands need to understand
that digital is not a short term gimmick but a long term plan. It is the future
and only who are prepared for it will be able to master it.
Be nice to your digital agency because once it goes on
internet it will stay online forever (unless there is a Zombie apocalypse in
which people would only be tweeting and posting status about the Zombies but
wait even then your digital agency will be making Zombie related posts for the brands).
The campaign is of newly launched Engro Onaaj. After a long
time I feel Engro managed to pull off a campaign that is not only visually
strong but emotionally connects with the target audience. Playing on a very basic
yet strong insight that households in Pakistan start everything with the name
of God, the brand team & their creative agency has come up with an appealing
concept. Flour is staple food yet the ad makes it quite fancy so hats off to
the team for managing to do that. However I still feel there is more room of
improvement in terms of creativity when it comes to outdoor advertising (I sincerely
hope they have good BTL plans for near future). 
