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As products and services become increasingly tech-heavy, how important is it for advertising to convey the message while 'keeping it short and simple'?
Thereafter, it is the agency's responsibility to get into the consumer's head, figure out what role the product is playing in his life and communicate that in the simplest of words. A good creative person should be able to understand any product.
The solution lies in the media mix. Television should be used for reach and to create a need for the product in the consumer's life. The call-to-action can then bring them to the website or other information sources, where the technology can actually be explained. If you try to do too much with the TVC, you'll end up doing nothing.
Ashish Virmani, AVP - marketing, FreeCharge
In India, TV is still indispensable for building a mass brand. But, now that digital is becoming prominent, brands can come up with long-form explainer videos that can be amplified on digital channels at lower costs. Print ads can also carry detailed info, but as the medium is high on cost, it should first be used for experimenting and validating.
Rajiv Dingra, founder and CEO, WATConsult
Digital finds relevance here. Its relevance extends beyond product positioning because, in addition to creating awareness, it allows more detailing compared to a TVC or a single print ad.
The agency and client share the responsibility of simplifying the product for the consumer. But digital spends of most brands hover at 10-20 per cent. Since the client has to take care of the larger budgets, details are lost. The challenge for the agency is to ask the right questions and get relevant information.
Harish Bijoor, CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults
A TVC is like a page-turner, it is an encouragement to find out more. If looking at it excites you, you might also want to explore what's there on digital. Tomorrow there might be an even more detailed message that comes on your phone via WhatsApp! Hence, a multimedia approach is important.
Although advertising language needs to evolve along with the trend, it is primarily the client's responsibility to ensure that a customer is kept hooked beyond the initial excitement. Advertisements are essentially meant to begin a conversation, they do not tell the complete story.