From ad to add, it’s been a changing world

I am a bit appalled at the gall of this proposition. Whoever wrote this proposition needs to get their head examined.

I find it amazing that two of my industry peers have been brave enough to defend the indefensible.

Sameer is a respectable client, but I am going to tear his arguments apart. The most powerful argument I heard from him was about distribution. But we are in the communication business and not the distribution business.

Your problems in distribution would not have been there if Madison was involved with distribution. Unfortunately, we are involved only with communication. It has become fashionable in many client circles (hopefully not Madison’s clients) to pass on the blame to agencies. And agencies are ever so ready to accept the blame.

Take whatever time frame from the last 30 years to the last one year.

I am going to demonstrate that no other business in this country has changed as much as advertising agencies have.

When I joined advertising in 1979 from Cadbury’s, do you know what qualification was required for a media manager in an ad agency?

It was familiarity with the few media representatives, the ability to use the calculator and an ability to type the estimate in case the typist was absent.

The account executive’s role changed way back in 1979 for the full service or creative agency when agencies hired a client like me as they realised that things were changing.

A brand manager became a client services manager and things changed way back then.

Cut to the media agency of today. You have highly experienced and well-trained people who are specialising in the diverse skills, like strategic planning, data mining, consumer research, tactics, negotiations and what not.

Dramatic shifts If we look at what other agencies are doing, I find it appalling that Ashish Bhasin fights for this proposition when I had the pleasure to listen to a global executive from his agency who was waxing eloquent about how the Dentsu of today is dramatically different from the Dentsu of yesterday. I am now confused.

What else has changed?

Tell me what has not changed? Agencies now provide content, they have social listening rooms.

They offer search marketing solutions, entertainment integration and so on.

Specialisation has developed a cadre of people who, by virtue of doing the same job over and over again, are in a position to offer highly technical specialised service at a cost that clients could not dream of.

Advertising has moved from information and exposure to engagement and story telling.

I rest my case.

Sam Balsara is Chairman and Managing Director, Madison World

COMMENT NOW