ABHAYA PANDEY 

Advertising Professional

 

How is media convergence affecting Nepal’s advertising industry? 

Online Media is an example of the impact of Media Convergence in Nepal but it has not been able to make a significant impact yet. There are very few Internet users. We are still relying on the digital media as the prominent source of advertisement. 

 

How has Social Media Education (SEM) changed over the years? 

While social media education advertisements were mostly like BCC (Behaviour Change Consumerism) previously, today ad literacy has increased. This also requires more ad communication experts to convey social educational messages in an entertaining manner. The challenge today is not only giving information but also persuading consumers to buy the product or the message. While traditional media required information education, today information has to be conveyed through entertaining ads that can easily grab the people’s attention. Education is possible through entertainment only. Functional value is changing. Humour, fear campaigns, sensationalization etc should be embedded into ads to make them both entertaining and educational. Only educational ads will make people switch between TV channels. The government, NGOs and INGOs should be more responsible towards SME. 

 

How is the “Brand Personality” of a company reflected in its advertisements? 

Sixty per cent of the total cement consumed in Nepal is produced in Nepal; only the remaining 40 per cent is imported. This clearly suggests a lack of competition in the domestic market. Many companies are trying to establish their brand names in the cement industry but special emphasis has not been placed in making better advertisements for those brands. The richest organizations of Nepal, the banks are limited to the urban areas and are yet to reach the villages. Hence, there is not much competition in the banking sector as well. Brands are classified in terms of the advertisements that they demand. Clients should think long-term. They should focus on building brands and not only on selling units. The market of instant noodles can be called competitive and this is reflected in their advertisements as well. People can easily associate more with the noodle brands than with others. 

 

What is the biggest challenge in the advertisement sector today? 

The biggest challenge for Nepali business companies is to use advertisements to grab the people’s attention first and then to convey the message of the brands. Some ads are very descriptive which makes them absurd instead of creative. This can lead to a disconnection between the brand message and the advertisement message. It’s only a tool. Ideas combined with technology are necessary to create better advertisements and awesome brand images. The market is changing from supply-oriented to demand-oriented. More competition and professionalism is required in the corporate houses. Only after these basics are met, the companies can focus on creativity and design of their brands. If the brands and production companies start focusing upon brand image today, they will be able to stand out even 25 years from now. Glossy ads are not always creative ads.