The Hindu Business Line : `Indian advertising must carve a niche for itself'

THE advertising industry in India should take a leaf from the software industry and carve a niche for itself, rather than hanker for the West's approval, said Mr Ramanujam Sridhar, CEO, brand-comm.

He was speaking on `Globalisation of Indian Advertising Agencies,' organised as part of the Advertising Club Madras' felicitation to Mr Srinivasan K. Swamy, CEO, R. K. Swamy BBDO Advertising Pvt Ltd.

Mr Swamy was recently elected the President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI).

Mr Sridhar said the Asia-Pacific region held plenty of potential for Indian advertising, as the country not only had the talent but also offered a cost advantage..

Advertising agencies should remember that neither they nor their global partners are God but as Indian entities, they had a significant contribution to make. Indian agencies can offer integrated communication, he said.

Nobody can depict changing India as well as the Indians, said Mr Sridhar. Indians are different and need to be persuaded in a way that is different from global standards. Further, Indians can conceptualise in the language of the West as well as their own.

The Indian advertising industry needs to fashion a unique position and show the rest of the world that India is a creative nation, Mr Sridhar said. He emphasised the importance of advertising that pleased and entertained a billion Indians rather than that which aimed for a Cannes Lion. This is more challenging and creditablethan trying to catch up with the West, he said.

Replying to the felicitations and recounting his association with the AAAI, Mr Swamy said he would adopt the middle path and resolve issues through dialogue. Acknowledging the speakers' observations that the AAAI had a South Indian President after 20 years, he said, "It had taken a while for the Advertising Agencies Association of Bombay to become the Advertising Agencies Association of India."

Incidentally, the earlier south Indian President of AAAI was Mr Swamy's father, Mr R. K. Swamy.

Mr N. Murali, Joint Managing Director, The Hindu; Mr R. Seshasayee, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland Ltd; Mr R. V. Rajan, Chairman and Managing Director, Anugrah Madison Advertising; and Mr D. K. Srinivasan, Secretary, Hindu Mission Hospital, felicitated Mr Swamy.