Be campaign ready, always

Suresh Chouksey

Advertising as a profession has all the flair a job can promise. However, with the blitz, comes responsibility, rejections and learning. Talking about the same, Ambi Parameswaran, ad-guru and author of Sponge, Leadership Lesson I Learnt From My Clients gives us an insight into the world of advertising. Paramsewaran has spent 40 illustrious years in the field of advertising. A popular Ted-X speaker, he is the founder of Brand-Building.com.

Tell us about your journey.

I was looking for an internship in Kolkata when I met representatives from the new agency, Rediffusion Agency. It changed the course of my life. They explained the power of advertising. Their passion had a rub-off affect on me. If you are passionate about your work, you can move mountains.

Advertising agencies often suggest their clients to grab the moment, take a risk and start a campaign around an important event. Don’t you think this can be way too adventurous a step for start-ups?

Paytm’s CEO saw an opportunity in demonetisation. He started a campaign immediately and it worked so well for the start-up. In business, you can’t avoid taking risks, so you have to manage these. Not every time, a risk will reap success, but you have to take chances to prove your point. 

How do you tackle rejections in the advertising agency?

Rejections will always be there. Ideas are rejected for the benefit of the client. After you have completed your side of the draft, let the company take the call. Detach yourself. And, immediately  start working on other ideas.

Who do you prefer as your clients?

Your clients should not only trust you, but should have the competence to disagree with you. I was working with Tata Motors. Ratan Tata, the chairman of the company, arrived soon to the venue, to assess the preparations. He taught me the value of understanding your company.

Inclusion of technology has affected the print and banner advertising. What do you have to say about it?

It’s a myth. In fact, 90 per cent of the times, the top campaigns are flagged by the print industry. The internet advertisements are less effective and require repetitive posting. The change is not bad, but to say that print has become redundant is incorrect.

What is the difference between dealing with foreign clients or MNCs and Indian brands?

MNCs teach you marketing communication way better than Indian companies. They have a process, which the advertising agency must follow. In simpler terms, foreign companies run on method and Indian brands run on passion. Indian firms are more intuitive in taking decisions. We have examples of Amul, Wipro, Tata where the decision-makers and leaders themselves gauge the impact of ads on society, and intervene. 

What are your suggestions to the advertising students?

Advertising contributes about 4 per cent to the GDP of our country. There is still a lot of scope for improvement. It’s an exciting field to be in, but at the same time, you constantly need to update yourself. Always, be ready with creative ideas.