The Indian advertising cauldron is witnessing an ocean-size shift. Thanks to really low 4G data rates and affordable internet tariff plans, consumption of entertainment has moved from television to mobile phone. This shift has meant a challenge for conventional advertising agencies, as they have the implied onus of scaling up to communication that’s tailored for audience hooked to their favourite handheld gadget. And as we’re much familiar, for the last five odd years this shift has catapulted the proliferation of a new genre of advertising agency – the Digital Agency.
Interestingly, this has paved the way for three categories of creative setups – the ‘Digital Advertising’ vertical of a big agency network; the ‘in-house agency’ of a big brand that can afford to have its own creative hub; and fist-sized digital boutiques taking up all things and any-thing Digital. What’s also to be observed is that with Print advertising taking a backseat and Digital media taking the driver’s seat, the need for niche digital content and formats has arrived. Because today, a brand’s presence on Social Media (primarily Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn) has become more of a necessity than being part of a media plan. Given this change, today there are more setups ready to handle the Digital or Online communication of a business. Let’s also consider the fact that Digital as a medium is more measurable and versatile than conventional media. But then, there’s more to Digital than just Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Digital is fast beginning to take different forms and formats in India giving us various marketing opportunities:
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- Emergence of OTT: Over The Top (OTT) content is pushing video consumption on the mobile.
- Non-English Language Consumer: By 2025, about 9 off every 10 new Internet users will prefer vernacular or regional language.
- Rise of Gaming: Mobile Gaming is being touted as the big new marketing opportunity, with close to 250 million users in India alone.
- mCommerce: eCommerce is giving way to mCommerce, with the mobile phone becoming the preferred interface for shopping.
All of the above has meant that traditional advertising agencies need to change their avatar, or at least add a new vertical to their existing setup. That said, we at White Thoughts & Branding are clearly bracing ourselves to what the world is moving towards – for our clients and their consumers.
