SANJAY GOLCHHA 

Director 

Golchha Organization

 

What is an example of media convergence in Nepal due to the advent of new communication technologies? 

Digital media is the most useful form of media for the advertisers. Online marketing has not been fully explored in Nepal. Although social media sites like Facebook have high usage in Nepal, advertisements on facebook are not very effective. Media convergence has only recently started making some impact. People do not understand the power of the digital media. Only international contents can be found in online ads, not the local content. 

 

What has been the most useful communication technology convergence in the Nepali media? 

To make use of communication technology in Nepal, e-commerce should develop first. It is not developing due to social and technical inefficiencies in Nepal. Online digital ads will be prominent on the Internet or on the websites only after we have a developed e-commerce business. 

 

What has been the impact of media convergence on Nepal’s media industry? 

The impact of media convergence will come slowly. This requires economic development and political stability in the country. This can provide a platform for the ecommerce businesses to develop more content. People are not using the online media to buy things online. Due to the poor financial situation of the country, people are not in a hurry to buy anything. They want to use their time to choose the products they want to buy. Another thing is, even if the people were interested in buying products online, the online payment system has not yet come into practice. Firstly, they cannot pay and secondly they cannot trust buying products online. Hence, there are many pending issues with regard to media convergence. First, the Nepali commerce and media industry should develop; the ads will follow later. 

 

How long shall it take to make a full impact? 

The impact of media convergence can be seen soon. But, for this the Internet bandwidths should be cheaper and the Internet should be more accessible to the people. Online payment systems should also be developed and promoted. Due to the conservative financial system, online payment is difficult. Domestic payment systems should be prioritized and the international payment systems will automatically develop. The world is globalized today and lack of an online payment system is a major disadvantage to us. Businessmen should invest in e-commerce development. More pioneers are required. E-commerce websites like Thamel.com and Muncha. com are well established businesses. Airlines have also advanced in this sector. Buddha Air, Yeti Air and others as well have already started providing online reservation service to their customers. 

 

What are the changes required in the media industry to adapt to the changes of media convergence? 

They can also be explored for business development but this has not been done at all. 

 

If providing Internet on the phone brought a lot of profit to the mobile phone companies, then development of online payment system will be even more profitable. Nepal is a tourist destination. The tourism industry flourishes throughout the country. But, it is difficult for the tourists to learn more about Nepal before their visit. Tourism related websites are advertised in the international online media to attract tourists. However, when they want to make a hotel reservation to ensure that they already have a place to stay before visiting the country, it is not possible. Similarly, products like coffee and carpets that are exported abroad cannot be advertised properly. The major reason for this is the lack of an online payment system. 

 

What can the advertisers do in order to benefit from the changes of media technology convergence? 

We need to invest in e-commerce. This can help local businesses to reach customers around the world. Lack of an online payment system is a loss for tourism-dependent businesses like hotels and travel agencies as well as the exporters. The payment taking mechanism is difficult which is why the online advertising is not fully developing. 

 

The Paradigm Shift

There has also been a shift in terms of media’s target consumers. Traditionally, the primary market was the target of media companies. The primary market included television viewers, radio listeners, website surfers, and newspaper and magazine readers. While the secondary market includes the marketers, the competing companies and other media as well. There has been a convergence in these two groups as now they both are targeted equally by the media companies. 

 

Sanjay Golchha is also involved with Mindshare Nepal, which is a digital marketing company, the first of its kind in Nepal. It is the authorized agent for GOOGLE in Nepal and works in close relation with the businesses companies of Nepal. They are involved in Search Engine Marketing (SEM), which is the biggest source of online advertisements. They are also focusing upon social engineering, advertising the tourism and travel websites as well as promoting export products online. Currently, their major focus is upon providing email-marketing services to the local businesses. Mindshare Nepal Pvt. Ltd. collaborates with two companies who are experts in Software (IT Nepal) and marketing (Linez). Email marketing allows the businesses to reach thousands of people with a single message and see their response instantly.