Stop selling yourself short

Advertising is in a good place. The future is also in good hands as the younger lot is promising. The advertising industry is also attracting a lot of interest and the perception of advertising being a profession for those living in large metros is changing. The profession is getting increasingly enriched by more and more people from the smaller towns of India.

However, there will be significant changes in the pattern of advertising. Certainly, digital will grow. But will it change the world of advertising in five years? I do not think so. The prominence of the TV commercial will not change for another 10 years, looking at the nature of media proliferation in our country. However, the digital revolution is a reality and we must live in the present and not ignore it.

I do not believe in gloom and doomsday prophecies. I only believe that this industry will grow from strength to strength. The story of declining margins is an ongoing thing and the clients who keep negotiating must understand that if you pay your agency peanuts, you will only get monkeys.

The smarter clients understand that and see the picture from a longer-term perspective. And the ones who are only worried about the next quarter will get lessons from others in the long term. Once they see better advertising from others in their industry and ask the question, why is my brand not getting the same quality of work, the answer will be apparent.

The advertising industry should also stop short-selling itself. Otherwise, we will fall into a downward spiral. We should get up and challenge the problem of shrinking margins rather than accept it. Otherwise, sooner or later it will show on the work. If the advertising business prides itself on persuading the customers of our client’s products, I cannot see why we cannot persuade our own clients.

Agency structures are also going to change from the ‘digital vertical’ mindset, digital will become an integral part of the agency. The larger agencies also need to start behaving like entrepreneurs so that it shows in their work.

There are many clients who are talking about the requirement of a single window to meet the diverse needs of advertising. I would agree that agencies should stop sending 10 people for a meeting. If this is the case, then what happens to productivity? Also, I would feel that the client should have one person to deal with. The apt person should be a captain who will deploy his best player depending on the occasion. However, if a client chooses to have two or four windows, it is his prerogative. Or if he chooses to deal with multiple agency partners and open multiple windows, it is again his choice to have a Hawa Mahal.

(As told to Prasad Sangameshwaran)

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