May slowdown become an obsolete word.
May clients see better value in their agencies and reward them better.
May agencies see clients as their brand partners and vice versa.
May advertising awards be shorn of tomfoolery.
May the award jury members practice what they preach.
May some honourable men stop making advertising into a song and dance tamasha.
May we progress beyond the 30-second spot and the 60-cc ad.
May we walk the talk when it comes to digital.
May we as an industry get back the sheen to attract brighter talent.
May advertising once again become the profession where you can have most fun with your clothes on.
Posted by Murali.
I know there are a lot of people who go around sounding the death knell for mass media advertising. Digital is in, they say. Few among them are likely to have done a digital campaign on their own. Their opinion is often skimmed off reports compiled by others who just quote some others. It works for them because they get invited for seminars where they can continue the masquerade. If you see another digital media expert munching a microphone, I have a simple tip for you. Visit the website of his firm. Most often there isn’t one. Or if there is a URL, it is likely to be under construction. And in the rare event there is a website, it’s likely to be a web version of a brochure. What’s my point? There is a Digital revolution happening out there. A few pioneers are creating the trends. But the larger crowd of trend-watchers is killing it by prematurely exaggerating its prowess. The fact is, in a country like
Meanwhile mass media advertising is still the most effective way ramp up the recall and reputation of a brand.
Else, why would one of the world’s largest brands, a digital one, spend tens of crores in mass media, on re-launching itself in
Which is what Tata Docomo has done.
A few months ago nobody knew them. Today they are literally on the nation’s lips. With a real innovation called One Second Billing, and a creative idea that builds on this, they have achieved national fame in no time. This is mass media advertising at its best.
Of course, a great creative idea can also make an old product difference look new.
Extracted from an article by Thomas in Financial Express.
We are in the communication business. But how much do we communicate both internally in the agency and externally.
And I am not talking about ‘job status’ meetings, and ‘target & finance updates’; talking about real solid conversations that will help keep us the title of ‘advertising is the art of communication’. How much are we tuned into the new way of doing stuff? How well do we know social bookmarking; the difference between Delicious, Digg, and StumbleUpon?
Has anyone read or twittered ‘baked in’? What are the most efficient, cost effective OOH options coming up? Wake up guys, we the so called experts and know far less that a 19 year old. Any ideas on how to keep everyone abreast or one step ahead of the curve?
Posted by Monica.
Walking out of college and into a workplace is a massive step! When I entered Orchard at 9.15 on Monday morning (early as usual for my first day!) I wasn’t sure what to look forward to. There were a whole lot of expectations about advertising, things I had heard plenty from cousins and uncles in the same field, and had thus chosen advertising as a career path- but still, walking into an office for the first time was a rather intimidating experience!
But the Orchard environment in itself is a lovely friendly place. I spent my first hour waiting for Thomas Xavier to arrive. During this time Lauren, who must have been aware of my awkwardness, took me around the office, starting at the bottom- introducing me to everyone-except everyone wasn’t there! Monday morning meeting I wondered, as I went back to the Thomas’ office where I immersed myself in his library of advertising books of all shapes and sizes. Once Thomas arrived, every ounce of discomfiture slipped away. He made me feel at ease, and talking to him reminded me of my first interview at Orchard, and why I had wanted, so desperately, to join the advertising business only at Orchard. He took me through a presentation that he had made the previous week in P to a batch of clueless MBA students, about a career in advertising- what it entailed, and what was required of them to be successful in the field, (a fantastic idea to do it at the beginning of the semester rather than the end as they normally do!) This presentation was directed to people with my mindset and wavelength exactly!! It talked about what went into a good ad, and Thomas is a great orator, so even though the audience he was addressing consisted of only one person (me!) he still kept the tone light but information heavy, and I'm fairly certain I learnt more in that one hour talk than in a whole year in college!
He first explained the Orchard story to me, it's founding and growth, and then walked me thru each of Orchard's main ad campaigns, explaining the conception and development of every advertisement in great detail. What made me feel comfortable was that I was actually familiar with most of the advertisements! Especially the Manhattan credit card advert had been so popular amongst my classmates that constantly squeaking “Dinku” in that adorable baby voice had become a thing of regularity when I was in the 12th standard, just to annoy our teachers! And the Himalaya throat lozenge commercial had been a point of reference when a friend of mine tattooed his girlfriends name onto his forearm!
When ankur called me back, he finished the presentation completely, after which he gave me the option to knock off early, because it was my first day, or to use this opportunity to walk around and talk to people and introduce myself properly. I had no intention of leaving early-not on my first day ( what sort of impression would that create?? ) also- I really didn’t want to leave yet! So I regained a little of my awkwardness and walked up to all the busy, busy people and attempted to introduce myself. Most of the people on my floor had gone out for a meeting, so I spoke to Rekha, who I was supposed to shadow starting the next day. She was nice, and explained to me that shadowing her would be difficult and that I was better off just starting with some work- and just learn as I went along. I spoke to Jessy, who explained her role to me, as a link between client servicing and the studio. I went downstairs where I found Manju, an intern from Brown University, who was my age, with lots to say about everything. I relaxed a lot more meeting someone of my own age. I then met with the other copywriters and creatives and spent awhile talking to Shane, who by cracking jokes at my expense, made me feel much more relaxed and at home.
Thus ended my first day at Orchard . A landmark day I’ll remember for many years to come!
Posted by Aliya.
