Soon the media landscape in my “native” Kerala will undergo a huge metamorphosis with the media monolith BCCL stepping in with a strategic partnership with Mathrubhumi, the second largest media group in the state. For the record the other English papers in the state are Indian Express, The Hindu and recently the Deccan Chronicle.
Kerala, as I have known it, is an enormously large retail market with unbelievable spend levels thanks to the ever-increasing penchant for buying jewellery and clothes. You need to see the size of these shops to believe the kind of money this market sees, be it festival, wedding or just flaunting precious metal.
I remember staring in awe at an entire floor with men’s jewellery, and then deciding to take a look at what this may be… From watches to pens to wallets encrusted with gold and gems, you have it all here!
Kerala has the highest curiosity levels and every single person in the state has a nose for news, be it through print or just a cup of tea at the roadside vendor. The local papers have done very well to fuel this passion and today have readership figures which the English market envies. Cover prices are among the highest you see in the print market and yet they sell huge numbers, despite even lower pagination levels.
The market psyche and the media model is unique, and you have categories like obituary advertising occupying multiple pages. No, it’s not because too many people are dying. It’s simply because everyone wants to know who’s dead, since in all probability you are related in some manner.
Wedding advertising is still prevalent in this market and you will see pages of boxed ads showing mugshots of couples with captions that say “Wedding Today”.
I wonder if soon the streetside vendor will have a copy of the TOI as opposed to the local newsy Malayalam papers to go with his “kapi” and “bonda” (coffee and potato vada, the kind you see in a vada pav ). Will the wedding photos get replaced with new page 3 celebrity couples now sporting designer jewellery and holding dainty canapes?
Will my favourite “borotta” (Malabar paratha in local lingo) joint become the next big hangout for the new audience?
We will have to wait and watch, but for the media entrants it’s going to be a challenge to get the local pulse in content since, unlike other markets, this one needs micro news, from the little fight in the alley to the politician’s remark at an obscure district function!
If you can stay English, think Malayalam and market like a non-resident Malayali (who loves his state), you probably have a winner from day one.
God’s own country… may you always remain simple, elegant and much like paradise.
Q: Dear Sir, I am an MBBS and am interested in advertising copywriting. What are the career prospects for healthcare communications and advertising?
I presume you have weighed your options before leaving the active profession. You would have been in major demand, I’m sure, if doctors were allowed to advertise! But to answer your question, indeed the prospects are good in healthcare advertising and you must zero in on leading agencies with strong healthcare divisons.
The healthcare industry is probably the safest bet since nothing affects them, be it a slowdown or a recession, hence it’s a great option for you to pursue your passion as well as keep in sync with your medical education. Mumbai would be the place for you and most of the big agencies have a good bouquet of clients in pharma and healthcare.
Q: I recently came across analysis which said that there will be consolidation in the television industry. Like in many other industries, will this impact jobs in the media too?
Consolidation in the TV industry has already started, and so have big acquisitions. It will also encourage more non-media corporates to invest in TV and other media. I don’t see the jobs really coming down, though some amount of rationalization does happen in manpower when a new company or owners take over. The critical performers will certainly not be impacted and I see the trend only pushing up salaries to enable better motivation, since targets would get higher. New owners would expect good ROI, hence their people will be kept happy but on their toes!
Q: I am studying for my graduation and am very interested in product and advertising design and how it can make a difference to consumption. I have two questions:
a. What are the right institutes to study?
b. Is there any career scope for designers in ad agencies?
a. There are numerous options for you, and NID (Ahmedabad/Bangalore), MICA (Ahmedabad) , Symbiosis (Pune; both SIMC and SID) are all safe bets. MIT and DSK also offer courses in product design if it’s Pune you are targeting as the city to pursue this.
b. Indeed there are bright prospects for designers in an agency, and you can mature into a good visualizer and then work towards getting to the creative head level. Advertising is greatly dependent on the design element and more so now with the advent of online, mobile media etc, so the options are numerous and there is no dearth of prospects.
Yes – entry level salaries greatly depend on the institute you pass out from, hence the MICA graduates (for advertising design ) and NID (product, advertising etc) get a great start. The others work their way up and if you are good, the salary will keep pace. So work on your craft, build a great portfolio and soon you will have jobs coming to you. All good wishes ahead!
Take care and be good, folks, and we will be back next week!