At the 2nd Annual Brand Communication Conclave hosted by Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication (PG), Pune, on 4th October 2015, the branding industry’s wizards came together to discuss and present key issues, trends and solutions pertaining to the industry.
These top marketing professionals, advertising and media honchos deliberated upon the theme ‘Advertising at Crossroads’, striving to find answers to the impending question – ‘Will the suits, mavericks and right brain ones find new, path-breaking ideas to overcome the several uncertainties the industry is facing today?’
The experts speaking at the event were Josy Paul, Chairman and CCO, BBDO; Suman Srivastava, CSO, FCB Ulka; Colvyn Harris, Executive Director Global Growth & Client Development, JWT; Ravindra Pisharody, Executive Director (Commercial Vehicles) and member of Board of Director, Tata Motors; Jitender Dabas, NPD and VP, McCann; Bharatesh Salian, VP and Head Strategy, Razorfish; Michelle Suradkar, HR Director, Lintas; Ravi Deshpande, Chairman, CCO-Whyness; Kapil Arora, President, Ogilvy North; Hari Krishnan, MD, ZenithOptimedia; Debarpita Banerjee, Executive VP, MarComm-Fox International; Vikas Mehta, Consultant & Ex-GM, Havas Worldwide; and Sumantra Sengupta, CEO, PI Communications.
Colvyn Harris opened the conclave by observing several issues the industry faces today like the deficient noticeability value in print. He further mentioned, “The digital opportunity is amplification and engagement. Apps is a new thing, website will be fading and apps will be flourishing. App aggregates your information and makes your work easier. Since 2008, there have been 100 billion apps that you can download and on an average 119 billion apps for iOS users.” Expounding on need to adapt to the changing scenario of the industry he said, “Anything you knew yesterday is no longer valid, as something has changed while you slept. Creativity and ideas are no longer the preserve of advertising agencies. It is the clients as well. The clients are thinking innovation, performance and that’s where change comes from. As advertising agencies, we have to see it as an era of new opportunities and new horizons. Make it simple, keep it simple and communicate in the simplest possible terms.”
The address of the keynote speaker was followed by the first panel discussion ‘Traditional Advertising- What about thou?’ Ravindra Pisharody said that the ever-changing nature of advertising may result in every new medium of today attaining the status of being traditional tomorrow, mentioning that “change will be continuous.” Taking this discussion further, Hari Krishnan said, “First we need to understand there isn’t traditional or non-traditional media. The moment you take positions, dissonance happens. There is media and there is a lot of intertwining of media.” Josy Paul believed that there is no single medium to address the cultural and social tension. It is about harnessing collective energy to solve problems. Speaking about reaching consumers effectively, Suman Srivastava said, “It is true that there are multiple (consumer) personas. Humans are like smartphones, having multiple dimensions, each having a different persona. Therefore, media is becoming more exciting and challenging.” All the panelists echoed similar thoughts about the necessity of traditional media, perpetuating its indomitable existence in the present as well as in the future.
Steering the conclave to one of the most important phenomena in the industry today, the second panel discussed the topic, ‘Consumers don’t spend time with the technology, they spend time with emotions.’ Bharatesh Salian mentioned, “It is not about what the client wants, it is about what the consumer needs.” The panelists also acutely focused on creating an emotional connect with the consumers. Jitendra Dabas remarked, “Idea along with technology is a wow factor for consumers” and Sumantra Sengupta further elaborated, “The idea was always there but the format changed and that is technology… Technologically driven and bright people are needed to drive the big idea.” Ravi Deshpande elaborated on how consumers need to be tapped in the digital space, “The consumer has moved way ahead and his response to brands is changing. In digital, if the experience is not smooth, people will move away. The emphasis is on creating great content and whether people can engage and spend time on content rather than the frivolous parts of it. For moneycontrol.com, we simultaneously created content as the finance minister spoke. It was real time and a great success.”
The third panel of the conclave explored the topic, ‘Talent Management: Honey you shrunk the talent.’ Deliberating on how the industry of advertising can recapture talent, Debarpita Banerjee said, “20 years ago, (advertising) culture was the tipping point. Now a lot of youngsters are looking for impact and the difference that they can make.” On the other side for aspirants, Kapil Arora emphasised the importance of specialised learning, “If you can show them (more) value, that will make the difference. People with specialized learning will shine more. It’s not all gloom and doom. Both sides are still discovering. If you bring talent to the table then the conversation goes upstream.” Michelle Suradkar expressed the excitement the advertising field brings to one’s life through the opportunities it presents to work on a plethora of platforms, clients and products. The added exhilaration comes from seeing one’s work everywhere out there, influencing and changing behaviour and choices. She advised the aspiring brand communication professionals that, “Some passion for what you do, curiosity, and a hunger to learn will take you places.” Colvyn Harris, resonating with Michelle Suradkar quoted Jerry Della Femina’s famous quote “I honestly believe that advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.”
The conclave also witnessed the finale of SIMCatalyst, an intra-institute competition which had the senior MBA cohort fight out fiercely in order to give the winning marketing and communication strategy presentation for the iconic American brand, Indian Motorcycles. The panel of judges comprised Runa Ahlawat, Marketing Communications Manager, Polaris India; Vikas Mehta, Consultant & Ex-GM, Havas Worldwide and Colvyn Harris. This proved to be an ideal platform for the student teams, who got to showcase their talent to the industry professionals and gain their expert advice. The different ideas ranged from installing digital kiosks and engaging with the target audience using experiential marketing, to holding an AHI biking tour from Assam to Bangkok. Other unconventional ideas included a Wall of Legends, to showcase the engravings of the first hundred Indian IMRG (brand club for the Indian Motorcycles) members, and a bike route calendar that would feature a map for all the luxury biking tours.
Each team devised a unique approach to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. The winning team, ‘Marketing Maestros,’ brought before the judges a strategy that had a well-defined target audience, a factor that set them apart from the other teams, while team ‘Does Gray Matter?’ came in a close second. The judges were extremely appreciative of the efforts made by all the teams and were impressed by their well-defined marketing plans. They went on to enlighten the audience with handy tips that could help the students in their professional lives.
The Brand Communication Conclave was a platform of vital and informative discussions, aimed at future brand managers.
Speaking about his experience at the conclave, Karthik CP, a senior MBA – Brand Communication student at SIMC Pune, said, “The conclave was an enriching experience as it provided us with dual perspective of digital and traditional and how we can achieve a symbiotic relation between the two.”