By Ritu Midha
I had a delightful experience the other day. My neighbours’ grandchildren are down from Delhi, and as is common up North dropped by to meet me and my ‘family’ (consisting of two small dogs and a maid). As I usually work from home, I am found on my laptop for the large part of the day, and same was the case that day too. The elder one – a ten year old girl had some interesting queries about Internet, however, it was the younger one, a boy about seven-eight years, who bowled me over, “Aunty aap computer pae Internet karti ho?” Me: “Haan beta.” He,”Aur Internet pae?” Me: “sab kuch.” He: “Sabbb Kuchhhhh? You are even crazier than papa!”
Well!
Makes me realize that I spend most of my waking time in front of the computer – and more than 70 percent of it on Internet – Googling, researching, mailing (increasingly lesser and lesser – long live smart phones), and the biggest chunk on social media. Some time goes on news websites also – especially to follow up on news I find on Facebook updates, or in early morning newspapers. The biggest calamity is television – and though it sounds ridiculous – barring IPL. I do realise I am an exception rather than a rule – untypical of my age and gender. My being in the digital space for more than 15 years, being an extremely nuclear family and staying in Mumbai, can be blamed for it.
But then, there is another generation – addicted to the Internet.
The irony, however, is that one still notices the ads on television the most – clutter be damned, remote be damned – and even if the creative is not that good, most of the ads I remember are audio visuals. Some print ads too seldom go unnoticed – electronics – when they are full page and offering discounts, and of course, automobiles. Here, I guess, I am more typical of my generation if not my gender.
Coming back to the Internet, what was the last ad you noticed on Facebook – and when was that? Caught you there! A highly involved environment – engagement at its best – but the users are engaged with each other, and not with Facebook. And so, notice what other people are saying much more than what the advertisers are saying there.
If not today, in less than a decade – one would notice that quite a few audience-dense media options are not effective advertising vehicles – and those that are, would suffer from thinning audiences. A catch 22 for advertisers!
Not trying to be prophetic, and predicting doomsday. Just thinking out loud! Are the advertisers and media professionals not realizing this? Am sure the concerns are being raised in many a boardroom. But, sadly, we would keep looking outwards – wait for another region, another country, another market to find a solution – and then adapt it to Indian market.
But this time around it might be a recipe for disaster – we would be the youngest country in the world by the year 2020. And the solutions we need might be mighty different from what other countries are looking for. Is it time to spread media budgets thin – and ‘hope’ to take a person by surprise by being at a place least expected? Or, to go extremely mass once again – at least someone would take note? Or, to really plan a strategy that enables you to reach your target person – and not target group in an effective manner?
The solution lies in making advertising more effective in high involvement environment, and in making effective advertising media more audience-dense. How? If I knew the answer I would be working in a media agency of repute!
Ritu Midha is a senior journalist and web strategist based in Mumbai. She is also Consulting Editor and Editor – Special Projects, MxMIndia.