AgVoice | 2012. The year of Doom or Dhoom?

The Mayan calendar was all Maya after all. Looks like things are actually looking up rather than it all ending in an inferno. Finally the realm of communications has broken away from the vice like grip of the so-called traditional mediums. And what is interesting is that newer mediums are using existing vehicles to build traction towards itself. Stereotypes of the Indian crab mentality is thankfully not expressed in the Media business! Finally the potential of the Internet is coming to expression. Banners are slowly moving out of the digital vocabulary and hybrid terminologies like digital ecosystems are emerging. Whatever the semantics, brands are getting tremendous leverage in integrated platforms. A great time to be for strategists and creative talents as the landscape is getting more robust and the terrains well worth a ride. The laments of the ad folk who had seen the glory of the late 80’s and early 90’s are petering down. Excitement in back the air, like the first drops of rain in the Masai Mara.

The drag of consolidation in the advertising industry is being challenged by the dichotomy of smaller, more sharply defined creative and strategic banners. Optimism is driving this change. Proof that exciting times are back and advertising communications are moving out of factories and shop floors. Branded content is upgrading the skill sets of lyricists and scriptwriters. Reality videos are milking the creative minds of the average Joe. Social media is empowering the audience to change brand deliveries. 30 seconders are giving way to Coke studios and The Dewarists. Digital activations are stitched into newspapers and we see Alive TV staring at us. Fragrance and music comes out of print mediums. Products talking to you while you browse in the super market. If this is not the time, then what is? Technology is ensuring your dreams come to reality. Its safe to say what is limiting today is the Dream itself and not the limitations of bringing it to reality.

The other interesting fact is the categories that are emerging as big advertisers. Jewelry, Online retail, Live streaming content on digital platforms, Vagina gels!!, Malls, Birthing suites,  Baby Worlds and the list is endless. These new categories are actually rebranding the categories we are used to, as ‘traditional categories’! Then there is the merger of sports and entertainment. Travel and global economy gave rise to mixed cultures. Now it is the time for a mixed race in products, categories, entertainment, communication and media. Lets look forward to a hybrid that is vastly superior to the limits of our current sensibilities. Isn’t this what we call evolution? It took centuries for the Neanderthal to evolve to Man. So is the case for advertising to become communications. Time to fly. Time to Dhoom. | By Anil Rajgopal, Chief Operations Officer, Push Integrated Communications