Digital Agency: The Step Child

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).