What started off as rough sketches seemed to often translate into startling works of art (and advertising) as Erik Vervroegen, International Creative Director, Publicis, made his presentation to a packed seminar hall at Goafest 2012. Though Vervroegen later said he didn't think of advertising as art at all because it had to satisfy many demands, and often in a very short time, his presentation did seem to reveal a bit of the magic that the seven-year-old Goafest attempted to discuss last week with its theme ‘Let's Talk Magic'.

It needs hard work and perseverance, the ability to “see the butterfly behind the caterpillar”, he said. Simon Wardle, Chief Strategy Officer of sports marketing company Octagon Worldwide, spoke on how passion could be channelled into great advertising. “Passion endures and engages a large number of consumers all at one time.” Magic happens in the hearts and minds of the consumers, so start with them, he said.

The consumer's the boss

The consumer came in for much attention. While Jean Yves Naouri, COO, Publicis Groupe, said it was time to begin seeing consumers as ‘persons', Tim Love, Vice-Chairman, Omnicom Group, pointed out that the consumer was the ad industry's real client.

Lucas Watson, Vice-President (Global Sales & Industry Marketing), said brands that helped people participate in their creation stood a good chance of making it big. Singer Lady Gaga, he said, spends almost none of her own money on marketing but has the courage to open herself up to allow people to build her brand.

Inclusive brands

This phenomenon of inclusion found a place in discussions on brands. Publicis' Naouri sought a new role for brands: blends. They have to blend with people's lives and experiences, he said, and not be pushy. About ten years ago, Octagon's Wardle said, marketers in the US realised consumers didn't care passionately about toilet cleaners or life insurance but did care about other things, such as sports, and began to engage consumers in that context.

The theme of the advertising conclave, held on the first day of the three-day Goafest, was ‘Ideas that Impact the Full Circle'. Above-the-line advertising accounts for only half the marketing spends, said Srinivasan K. Swamy, conclave Chairman, introducing the subject.

Getting more from consumers involves staying in touch with them all through the buying process right up to post-purchase – a process that's as imperative as it is complex, multiculturalism, cost-control and social media adding their own dimensions to it.

Networking with consumers

The role of people as gatekeepers of content in a fast-changing, socially networked world had the fraternity discussing how they could put social media to the best use. Inevitably, digital marketing came in for much discussion. “We're up to our eyes in it. Digital is in the air we breathe. People who are able to contextualise in that environment are becoming more and more valuable,” said Omnicom's Love.

“By the time you write the rules, they're already old-fashioned,” said Jonathan Mildenhall, Vice-President (Global Strategy & Creative Excellence), Coca-Cola, adding that one needed “creative radicals” to break the mould. Successful advertising should be a massive cultural hit and a massive commercial hit. TV, he reminded delegates over and over, is only one slice of the advertising strategy. From insight to provocation, bigger thinking is necessary at the heart of a creative brief, he said.

However, brand guru and author Prof John Philip Jones, struck a different note. The Internet, he said, has not yet become an efficient advertising medium. Even after 20 years of being around, it accounted for only 10 per cent of the advertising in the US. It would become the third biggest medium by 2025, after TV and direct mail, he said, and was unlikely to be important for low-involvement goods. In fact, advertising as a whole is only 41 per cent effective, not something the industry can be very proud of, he said.

A special feature of Goafest this year was the participation of South Asian countries. Ad agencies from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh entered their work for the awards. To encourage them, Goafest had a separate category, and the organisers are quite happy with the turnout.

All agencies great and small

An equal chance for agencies of all sizes to have their moment in the sun underlined the awards ceremony this year, according to organisers. The Grand Prix were extended to all the categories and not just a few. (Ultimately, only three were awarded.) The idea behind this was to get a wider range of ad agencies and creative outfits to participate, said Arvind Sharma, Chairman, Goafest 2012. The number of sub-categories was increased as well, leading to more awards being handed out this year, 332 against 224 in Goafest 2011.

Questioned about the non-participation of some prominent agencies such as McCann Erickson, Nagesh Alai, President, Advertising Agencies Association of India, said that as the process (of screening entries and judging them - a sore point in previous Goafests) improved, more agencies would not want to stay away.

Some delegates at the Goafest said that this time around, “enthusiasm is down, somehow”. For a couple of Sri Lankan delegates, their first time at the convention, it was an exciting opportunity to listen to and catch up with other creative minds. “But there are too many people, it's going to be difficult to meet everyone I want to meet,” said one, while the other sighed about the heat.

The free beverage counters by sponsors/partners Kingfisher, Vladivar and Coca-Cola were in great demand, stocks running out pretty early. Google put up an air-conditioned ‘house' where one could get a foot massage and a drink, a welcome relief in a sprawling venue. Other sponsors ran games and contests, some counters sold clothes, hats and other paraphernalia, besides Ad Katha , a book published by the late Bal Mundkur's Centrum Charitable Trust. As convention and carnival merged, it seemed that this was one tradition that is not about to change in a hurry.

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