Promotion

“Promotion compasses all the tools in the marketing mix whose major role is persuasive
communications.” There are three goal of promotion; to inform, to persuade and to remind the target
audience. According to Stanston, “Promotion includes, advertising, personal selling, public relations,
sales promotion and other selling tools.” (Kotler, 2010)

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC):

The coordination and integration of all marketing communication tools, avenues, functions, and sources
within a company into a seamless program that maximize the impact on consumers. (Kotler) Brands like
Starbucks, Vodafone and Louis Vuitton have used IMC in the best possible way. IMC is when the same
message is put forward with a single positioning idea/theme, across all mediums of promotions. Ways
of promoting a product or a brand are:
i) Advertising (above the line and below the line),
ii) Sales promotion,
iii) Direct Marketing,
iv) Digital Marketing,
v) Personal Relations and
vi) Personal Selling.

Advertising in Pakistan
Advertising is any paid form of non-personal, presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by
an identified sponsor. [ CITATION Kot10 \l 1033 ] In general, advertising is a form of communication
intended to persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to take some action. It usually includes
the name of a product or service and how that product or service could benefit the consumer, to
persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume that particular brand. Modern advertising
developed with the rise of mass production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
We want the consumers to say “that is a hell of a product” instead of “that is a hell of an ad”-
Leo Burnett
Advertising has come a long way in our part of the world. From just two television channels (PTV/
STN) and one radio channel (Radio Pakistan) to myriad of television (satellite and cable) and radio
channels, not to forget the numerous digital communication methods available, Pakistani media
landscape is thoroughly fragmented. For advertisers/clients, the evolution has certainly brought not only
opportunities, but a lot of challenges as well, that need to be addressed in order to effectively
communicate with the target audience, to have satisfactory Profit and loss accounts and also to make
the presence felt in the international advertising/brand world.

According to the American Marketing Association, advertising is “the placement of announcements and
persuasive messages in time or space purchased in any of the mass media by business firms, nonprofit
organizations, government agencies, and individuals who seek to inform and/ or persuade members of a
particular target market or audience about their products, services, organizations, or ideas.”

According to TV monthly industry report of December 2016:

1. Compared to the last year’s trend for the same period, there has been an increase of 9.5% in the total
minutes of advertising.
2. (Beverages, detergents and personal products remain the top three categories enjoying the highest
share of advertising minutes on TV.
3. Unilever tops the list of most advertised company on TV. Alone, it enjoys a share of 31% which is a
cumulative of the other three (P&G, Nestle and Coca Cola).
4. The top three brands that advertised the most on TV are Surf Excel, New Ariel Blue and Coca Cola.
5. Ab Takk tops the list of top TV channels getting the most advertising. This also applies to prime
time slot of 7pm to 11pm.
6. News and entertainment remain the most preferred segments for advertising with music, movies,
sports and kids programmes attracting the least advertising.
7. The top three time slots for advertising include Prime time (7 pm- 11 pm), Afternoon and Morning
time band. (Pakistan Advertiser's Society, n.d.)

Changing face of advertising: Has it really come a long way in Pakistan?

The answer to this will be discussed by taking into consideration the following perspectives:
1. Changing consumers
2. Advertising Agencies
3. Advertising content-relevance, simplicity and unexpectedness.
4. Emerging vs. Traditional media
Changing Consumers
Increasing consumer base: Over the next few years, emerging market economies specially
V8( velocity 8) which includes Pakistan are expected to grow three times faster than developed ones.
Alongside this growth comes the emergence of the so-called “Rising Billion,” as technological and
economic changes increase the power of bottom-of-the-pyramid consumers worldwide. [ CITATION Eri \l
1033 ]

These consumers are already beginning to influence the global marketplace in great numbers, enabled
by widespread mobile connectivity that provides access to the world’s wealth of information and the
digitized global marketplace. Indeed, the juxtaposition of advanced technological enablement alongside
a paucity of other essentials can be quite jarring (there are more mobile phone subscriptions globally
than toothbrush owners).

Many consumers are driven by an aspirational desire to experience the brands and lifestyles they’ve
seen streaming through their TVs and smartphones. This ambition for more and better, paired with
improving economic and technological circumstances, renders the Rising Billion a powerful force to
impact the behavior of the world’s most influential companies – many of which have previously ignored
or underserved developing markets. [ CITATION Eri \l 1033 ]. Many companies have now created brands
that cater solely to the bottom of the pyramid in Pakistan e.g. Sunlight, and introduced Lower Unit
Packs (LUPs) of brands such as Sunsilk, Lifebuoy Shampoo, Lipton, Supreme, Colgate, Tapal, Surf Excel,
Ariel, Fair & Lovely, and Rin. Changes in the socio cultural sphere have also been creating women consumers as
an under explored market space. Higher female labour force participation rate is not only creating various needs
that did not exist in the past but is even leading to higher diposable incomes.

Informed Consumers: With the rise of internet and its killer search engine ‘Google’, searching for and
finding the information is at the click of a mouse. For those in the ‘researching’ mode, things become
quicker and easier in the form of official brand websites, downloadable brochures and price comparison
websites. Every stage of purchase decision is online and the beginning is now probably a search on
Google and a gander at a film on YouTube. Smartphones have collapsed the division between digital
and real worlds. People roam at will – looking at pictures and videos, sharing links on social media and
finding information. The digital and physical worlds are now one. A buyer may be in a dealership with a
smartphone in hand (using the free Wi-Fi of course) looking at a YouTube product demo film about and
checking prices. And that smartphone in the buyer’s pocket is as powerful as that laptop he or she first
owned 10 years ago. (Saunders, 2014)

Consumers have become smarter and more discerning. The notion that consumers are gullible no longer
holds true, courtesy of the information revolution. Especially, at this time of downturn the consumers
have become more suspicious of what is being offered to them. In fact, because of the rising inflation
they have become more price and value conscious. "It's more important than ever that you get closer to
your consumers and how they are thinking at this moment in time, and, even more importantly, where
you think they are heading." Brands must adapt to people's new consumer mantra of "stop, look, listen",
in order to reconnect. (Cleft, 2010)

Moreover, consumers have the knowledge, power and authority to challenge the present advertising.
Consumers decide how they want to see, relate, network, interact, sift and shield themselves from the
advertising bombarded at them. (Lucas, 2009).

More choices: A few decades ago, there were only one or two choices in each product category for the
consumer to choose from. Now, there are unlimited brands available and some of them even provided to
us at our door steps. This situation has put the marketers in a predicament, making them muse over and
over and come up with the right mix for their target market. The risk of an unsatisfied consumer shifting
to other brands has increased drastically with the increasing choices.

Millennials or Alpha Teens: The sharp, smart and tech savvy young consumer which makes up more
than fifty percent of our market presents an enormous opportunity for the marketer. Without having any
doubts in mind, marketers do realize this colossal market. They are using two methods of encashing this
opportunity:

1. Marketing to Kids: Making brands catering especially to this kids/tweens segment. Example:
chocolates, candies, biscuits etc. One particular example can be Gluco biscuit which advertises
 solely to children.

2. Marketing through Kids: Considering the level of influence (Pester Power) kids exert on the
family decision-making process, from toothpastes to cars, we see almost every category
advertisement with kids singing, dancing and smiling in them. Apart from the pester power factor,
another major reason that marketers give for using kids in their ads is that the present influencers
will be the future consumers and it is better to remain in their awareness set from the earliest part
of their life. Surf Excel largely markets through kids.

For marketers the key to winning the hearts of these alpha teens or any age group is experiential
marketing i.e. making them experience your brand. Today, it's a two-way conversational world.
Effective marketing means participation and interaction of the consumer with the brand. (Precourt,
2009)

Shopping smarter: The new consumer mantra is "look, stop and listen" before buying. People's habits
have been modified in terms of both frequency and quantity of purchases (Warc). Because of the
escalating inflation rates people have become more price conscious and value conscious than ever
before. The challenge here for the advertisers is to create a fine balance between the emotional and
rational elements that they use in advertising in order to get the right level of consumer response.
What can the marketers do?
History will see advertising "as one of the real evil things of our time. It is stimulating people constantly
to want things, want this, and want that." ~ Malcolm Muggeridge.
The best way to come up with great advertising content and to stay relevant to the target audience is to
conduct research. Research means not only obtaining facts but also identifying the truth behind those
facts. These insights would be “The Nuggets” that would help to connect with the target audience and
strike an emotional chord. The critical question to ask while doing research is “why” for every behavior
in the target audience. This will be helpful in not just grabbing consumer attention but will also make
them respond.
Secondly, make the consumers experience your brand and interact with your brand. (Please also see
Martin Linstrom’s Brand Sense and Brand Activation for creating the brand experience). This has led to
the emergence of the concepts of Brand Play & Brand Enthusiasm both of which are essential to capture
consumers’ attention in today’s competitive world.
In doing so, marketers should not forget to be present in the digital world. Being active on all digital
mediums is the best way to be on top of the mind in this tech-savvy world.
Advertising Agencies
There are two interlinked issues that undermine the ability of Pakistani agencies to produce work that is
consistently good, if not always outstanding. The first is their revenue streams that have been
compromised and the second is a lack of vision among agency owners.

Clients have put the squeeze on their advertising and media agencies, pressurizing them to cut
commissions and lower fees. Furthermore, long-term client agency relationships are a thing of the past
and clients have little compulsion to hire hot shops on an ‘as and when’ basis; added to this, pitches are
held at the drop of a hat, forcing agencies to spend time and money on pitches, which are often notional
in intent. The issue is that agencies have given in to these practices. Rather than stand firm, they have
opted to undercut one another in order to retain their client’s business. (Baig, 2016)

Some other challenges that advertising agencies face are:

1. Lack of professional management:
Firstly, ownership should be separated from the management. The Seths or the owners do not
necessarily have a creative flair for advertising. It is imperative that people having the required
credentials are given the task to manage these agencies. Secondly, every person has a
specialization and a field. Advertising is not a one man’s job. However, we have commercial
directors playing the role of creative directors and so on.
2. Attracting and retaining the top talent:
People are moving to greener pastures. It could be because the advertising profession is not given
the desired level of respect. Most of the talented people in the industry move to the client side.
Secondly, the right level of compensation is extremely important to retain the talent.
3. Training and development:
The industry does not have a penchant for training and development of its resources by holding
seminars, workshops, and discussion forums. The preconceived notion is that creativity cannot be
learnt. However, all these are required in order to come up with the world class campaigns and
original work, and to help that creativity flow.
4. Greater flexibility and speed requirement:
Flexibility and adaptability are required in order to survive in this fast paced environment. Clients
have become more demanding and at the same time they want things to be completed in a very
short time span.
5. Obdurate Clients:
Sometimes agencies have abundant ideas available but they are unable to convince the clients to
adopt the idea either because of the heavy budget requirements, risk evasiveness of the clients or
the clients dictating the concepts to the agencies. This is also a major challenge that agencies in
Pakistan face.
6. Agencies need to change their mind sets.
Advertising agencies need to think beyond the conventional forms of advertising both in terms of
content and media, and learn from their more developed counterparts in other countries.

Advertising agencies can no longer prosper just by creating ads and choosing media. There are so many
new ways to communicate today. Smart ad agencies will transform themselves into full-service
communication agencies. They will work with their clients to choose the best messages and media
vehicles, whether these are in the form of ads, press releases, events, sales promotions, sponsorships,
direct mail, email or telesales. With the emergence of media buying houses, agencies were not needed to
buy revenue and therefore their source of earning through commission went away. In this time of
difficulty, agencies discovered a source of revenue; software houses weren’t good at creativity so they
hired interns fresh out of college to handle digital media. This is how blue-chip companies began to take
interest in social media.

Some advertising agencies have added these communication capabilities—they have created them or
networked with public relations firms, sales promotion firms and direct-marketing firms in a move to
becoming total communications firms.

Ogilvy called its system "Ogilvy Orchestration" and promised to deliver integrated marketing
communications. In practice, however, the dominant voice in this comprehensive agency is still that of
the agency's advertising group. These agencies still make most of their money from their advertising
billings. So how can they be fully objective when advising on the best mix of communication tools? Yet
advertisers are demanding more communication effectiveness. They want to shift more of their
promotion dollars into direct marketing, public relations, and newer promotion tools. Advertising
agencies would be wise to transform themselves from being narrowly defined advertising agencies into
broad communication agencies. (Kotler)

An Agency of Record (AOR) is the authorization by an advertiser for an agency to buy advertising
space and/or time on its behalf. The relevance of an AOR depends on what the customer (advertiser in
this context) needs. They are usually required and preferred by multinational clients based on regional
or global agency alignment. Since there are media buying houses and agencies both, brands often
choose a single or few entities to benefit from economies of scale. Therefore, support for AOR in case
of media continues to grow. However, sometimes a question arises. Is AOR relevant in todays fast-
paced digital, ideas-driven world? AOR is common in traditional advertising, the digital landscape and
its operations are entirely different. Digital savvy advertisers develop their own online assets that either
managed internally or through an agency who manages the creative and content element as well. Global
communication groups are trying to stay in line with the technological pace by investing in technology
driven companies with different areas, including data analytics and insight, digital creative agencies, ad
serving networks and content platforms including e-commerce sites.1

Advertising Content
Creativity in Advertising: Ever wondered why foreign ads are better than the Pakistani ads? The
answer to this is two-fold. Majority of the client side in Pakistan tends to be very risk averse. They want
to try the clichéd, mundane and tested formulae in order to ensure success for the brand. Sometimes,
new ideas are not tried because the brand managers underestimate the target audience’s intelligence
level and a major concern becomes that “they won’t really understand this piece of communication”.

On the advertisers’ side, it is because of the sheer lack of creative talent. Either we see ads with the
same banal appeal to them or the good ones which are mostly “inspired” by the foreign versions. There
are only a handful of advertisements that are original, creative and relevant at the same time. Creative
ads can do wonders to attract and hold attention, but the fact is that most ads are not very interesting for
the target audience (Beal, 2007).

1
https://www.dawn.com/news/1398497
What elements in the ad would do wonders, both for the client and the agency? According to Saadia
Qutubuddin (head of ideas at AdCom), ads need to be simple, relevant and different. And a creative ad
(by having these elements rightly put in place) could be ensured only by getting the right insight.

Dearth of the BIG IDEA: As media and messaging fragment then the requirement for some kind of
campaign glue increases. The best modern campaigns have at their heart one simple big idea based on a
truth about the brand, an idea that can be articulated in a whole host of different ways across media and
geography, against different product needs, internally and externally (Carroll, 2005). A prominent
example is the Coca-cola’s core creative idea of “Open Happiness”. The campaign was successfully led
in all Coke’s regions with regional customization and had a message that was synced across all
platforms, be it digital, print, TV, radio or below-the-line activations. Zelbury

Breaking through the clutter: More information (CLUTTER) leads to more confusion which results in
lesser retention and lesser chances of getting into the consideration of the target audience. Reduced
attention spans, lengthy ad breaks during primetime and intrusive pop-ups have all led consumers to
either disregard or avoid advertising altogether by switching channels or installing ad blocking software.
No wonder then, marketers globally, and in Pakistan to an extent, are increasingly using content
marketing to reach their ever elusive audiences. content marketing is a subliminal way of creating
higher brand recall and loyalty and encompasses a variety of initiatives, which include – but are not
limited to – branded content on TV, programme integrations, native advertising, articles, blogs, white
papers, e-newsletters, events and magazines (print and digital). (Amber arshad, 2016) Examples: Miss
Veet Pakistan 2016, Coke Studio, LUX Style Awards, Ariel Maa (a talk show celebrating mothers, aired
in 2012), etc.

Other ways to break the clutter and deal with advertising wear out are:

1. Developing clutter cutting ads: novel and unconventional ideas required to break through the
clutter.
2. On ground activities not only create some level of entertainment for our entertainment starved
nation but also help to demonstrate and explain product attributes. It helps the consumers to
come in direct contact with the brand and makes them experience the brand. infotainment
3. Product placement: placing your product in movies, dramas, and soaps in a subtle manner.
You must have seen BMW, Nokia, McDonald’s, Coke and other brands either being used by
the actors or in the background somewhere….directly hitting our subconscious! No zipping
and zapping!

4. Other unconventional marketing techniques: branded human skin, Graffiti, reverse graffiti,
branding trees, parking lots, stairs. There are numerous ways through which you can get your
message across and in an unconventional manner. Imagination is the key and sky is the limit.

5. Use of PR: The PR industry in Pakistan is at a very nascent stage and unfortunately the
significance of PR has not been properly understood by our marketers. It is only related to the
press releases, articles, stories or networking. However, PR has the ability to spearhead the
 entire brand communication platform based on its core strengths and the position it wants to
carve inside the audiences’ minds. It has the capacity to create news that works towards
achieving the brand objectives (Hashmi, 2006)

Endorsements: Celebrities/Endorsers should be an essential component in the advertising campaigns

as per the BBC Sigma 1 model. Endorsers create hype for the brand, their popularity and star appeal
draws people to watch the commercial (and potentially buy the product) and they come with a certain
level of credibility attached to them (Andrew, 2010). However, the biggest challenge for the Pakistani
marketers is the dearth of celebrities. This is the reason because of which we see the same faces in
dozens of ads and as a result they lose their credibility and make the consumers feel the commercial
motive behind their endorsements. Another important thing that the marketers fail to realize is the link
between the celebrity and the brand. The celebrity has to be the right fit for the brand; the brand and the
celebrity should have the same personality, beliefs and basic values (Andrew, 2010). Another
important challenge is the link between the brand and the celebrity itself, any negative news about the
celebrity would also hurt the image of the brand. This is more relevant in the case of brand
ambassadors. Celebrities can do wonders for the brand, however, a lot of attention to these details is
required in order to avoid any kind of brand catastrophe. For example, recently boxer Amir Khan was
involved in a scandal, the boxer is the face of the energy drink Sting. This negative image of the
celebrity may also affect how consumers perceive the brand. Local example of gone wrong?

The Birth of DOOH

One of the major challenges faced by advertisers using OOH is the lack of measurability. This along
with oversupply of billboards led to an initiative to “explore the potential of digital in creating new
synergies, since conventional OOH practices had become redundant”. This was initiated and
undertaken by Unilever. The initiative game birth to DOOH. DOOH meant videos playing on OOH
screens. It was defined by Unilever as “a dynamically-served visual medium that reaches consumers on
the move, with advertising that is targeted, cannot be avoided and always above the fold.” There are
two main benefits that have been observed for DOOH; Consumers are exposed to a message whenever
they are on the move (for example, internationally DOOH installations are a common fixture in metro
and bus stations) and it helps advertisers in serving content without intrusion. It also reaps all the
benefits that are usually enjoyed by digital advertisers such as reaching the right target at the right time
with the right message. You can also guarantee that people are actually going to see your ad. As per the
Global head of Innovation and Kinetic Worldwide; a brand’s message through DOOH hinges on
creative impact and timing only. However, there is a long way to go before DOOH becomes as
profitable and lucrative as OOH. Especially in Pakistan.2

2
https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1143033
Print Media
Magazines have been widely used for advertising purposes, however, over the decades the focus of magazines
has shifted towards one particular industry i.e. fashion. In Pakistan, there are two main categories of magazines
available; standalone magazines (For e.g. Newsline) and those that go with a regularly published newspapers
(example; Daily Times). Magazines allow marketers to target a specific audience because the readership is
usually those who are specifically interested in the specific topics that the magazine focuses on. One advantage
of this segmented readership is that it allows for targeted advertisement. However, this comes at a higher cost
and a time lag before an ad can be published. Newspapers, on the other hand, offer lower rates, wider reach
and greater frequency of publishing. Newspapers are published daily while magazines are usually weekly,
fortnightly or monthly. In Pakistan, magazines published with newspapers are known to do well compared to
standalone magazines. Apart from this, there is also a difference between broadsheet and staple magazine
format, the latter are known to do better. The charges for a regular ad placement in magazines differ with
respect to their popularity and reach like all other modes of advertisement. A regular ad in fashion magazines
costs around Rs. 50,000 while for Paperazzi magazine, the advertising rates start from 40,000 for an ordinary
page and go up till Rs. 350,000 for the cover. In contrast, an ad in a business magazine (for e.g. Profit) cost
would range from Rs. 50,000 for a double spread advertisement to Rs. 200,000 for a gatefold ad.
It is not just other traditional formats that are facing challenges since the inception of digital marketing channels
but magazines as well. With regards to the fashion industry, social media, especially Instagram has become the
de facto platform for posting pictures. This online free of cost platform has posed a great challenge as Instagram
allows people to run different accounts, some of which are primarily for advertisement purposes. In
comparison, Facebook and Twitter etc. require advertisers to pay the platforms to publish their advertisements.
But now, Instagram also has applied the condition for its users to disclose if a post is a marketing move. There
are some magazines, however, that have both online and offline presence that helps them reach both audiences
and cater to all kinds of corporate demands.

From the perspective of advertisers, the choice primarily lies in terms of target audience. Newspapers are for
reaching a broad geographic audience but with short exposure span. On the other hand, magazines offer a
longer time of exposure due to glossier and attractive platforms along with targeted advertisement (offering a
particular product to a specific category of reader). 3

Advertising Wear out

No matter how much we love an ad, we get sick and tired of watching the same ad over and over again.
Advertising wear out is another major challenge for the marketers of today. What is the right number of
spots? This is where a very important role of media planning and buying agencies comes in. There are a
number of media buying houses in Pakistan such as MindShare, T- Media, Orientedge and many others
which can help the marketers in overcoming this issue by picking the right channel, time and frequency
for the ads.

Another important factor through which marketers can overcome this problem is through cosmetic and
substantive variation. Cosmetic variation is the use of different background, print type, and advertising
spokespersons. Substantive variations are changes in the advertising content across different versions of
an advertisement. Example stressing two different attributes of the same product (Kanuk, 2004)

Ethics in Advertising

1. Advertising to kids
Advertising to kids is considered to be very lucrative. The various reasons behinds it. Firstly in
Pakistan kids make up more than fifty percent of the market. Therefore, developing products specially
catering to the needs and requirements of this segment would fare maximum revenue in terms of
volume. Secondly, exposing kids to the brand at an early age would result in them using this later on
their life also. But kids are very much gullible; they don’t know what is right or wrong for them. So
advertising to the kids poses a very big question mark. (Source: Genmark Conference: March 2010)

2. Obesity rules in Pak?

Fast food/ junk food with zero nutritional value have become a very important part of our lives. The
obesity prevalence rates for adults aged 25 to 64 years, moving from low to middle to high
socioeconomic status (and rounding to the nearest whole number): for rural areas, 9%, 15%, and 27%;
for urban areas, 21%, 27%, and 42%. These figures are alarmingly high for rural and urban areas but
especially for urban areas. This implies that the health burden from overweight and obesity in Pakistan
is currently underestimated.
3. Emotional well being
Can you think of brands that affect your perceptions about yourself, belittle you, and ridicule your
looks /your personality? From fairness creams to height enhancing medicines, to luxury brands, the list
goes on.

3
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/08/27/in-the-dying-world-of-pakistani-magazine-are-fashion-magazines-the-
only-survivors/
4. Financial self-control
Lease, credit cards and other such things make the consumers want goods which they otherwise were
not in a position to afford. And then finally, there comes a time where consumers are suppressed by a
huge mountain of debt.

5. Stealth marketing
Stealth marketing is undercover marketing whereby people don’t realize that they are being marketed to.
A paid celebrity could be asked to use a certain brand visibly at a place where people congregate which
results in the creation of BUZZ for the brand.

Deceptive Advertising
Following are the examples related to the deception in advertising:

 Up to 75% percent off?

 Photo manipulation: Big size, scrumptious burgers or food and what do you get in actuality?
 Pay only Rs. 50,000 down payment for the plot!!! No hidden charges disclosed
 False labeling and illustrations: Rooh Afza had to change its packaging for the Saudi market
because the picture on the bottle claimed that it was made up of different fruits. However the
lab test revealed no such ingredients.
 Fillers and oversized packaging: big packet of crisps with few chips inside
 False claims: Zedol hair oil failed because of the false claims that it had made regarding hair
growth

Beyond the 30 second spot….A question of which medium should be used?

The 30-second spot is in decline for four primary reasons: there's too much clutter; creativity “sucks;”
consumers are a lot smarter than we give them credit for, and they're able to find what they're looking
for without our help; and finally, it represents unacceptable levels of wastage, resulting in a lack of ROI
and overall accountability. The 30-second spot no longer tells people things they don't know about, but
rather things that marketers think they need to know about. It's all quite twisted and certainly not
consumer-centric. (Feld, 2006)
Have the Pakistani marketers understood this changing phenomenon? The answer is both yes and no.
The leading local companies are trying to follow their MNC counterparts. Marketers need to change
their mind sets when it comes to the digital media, activation, product placements etc. However, the
majority of the Seth organizations need to come out of the orthodox mind set.
Although in our part of the world TV will remain the major medium of communication, however, the
importance of emerging media cannot be overlooked. Use of social networking media as Facebook,
Skype, LinkedIn and other online promotional methods are fast gaining popularity. In order to reach the
right consumers, it is important not to overlook these important touch points. According to Muizeh
Senai of City FM 89 (Aurora), radio is far more affordable and accessible (thanks to the widespread
usage of cell phones). It is even considered to be the most intimate of advertising mediums
 Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is a form of advertising that reaches its audience without using traditional formal
channels of advertising, such as TV, newspapers or radio. Businesses communicate straight to the
consumer with advertising techniques such as:
1. Catalog Marketing,
2. Online Marketing,
3. Direct-mail Marketing,
4. Face-to-Face Selling,
5. Telemarketing,
6. Kiosk Marketing &
7. Direct-response Television Marketing. (Kotler)
American Marketing Association defines Direct marketing as: “A mass or quantity promotion, not in an
advertising medium, but issued by mail or personal distribution to individual customers or prospects.
Also, it is the advertising literature appearing in folders, leaflets, throw-aways, letters, and delivered to
prospective customers by mail, salespeople, dealers, or tucked into mailboxes”.

There could be various reasons for using Direct Marketing. It could be beneficial for businesses with
lower level of resources, for increasing sales to existing customers, for building customer loyalty, for
identifying new customers, for targeted advertising, or launching campaign for testing or simply breaking
away from the traditional media and using something rather unconventional.

Direct Marketing Issues

Invasion of privacy: The most contentious issue of direct marketing is the consumer feeling an invasion
in his/her privacy. Ever experienced a situation where you bought a suit/dress for yourself and had to fill
in the form for the company and later on you ended up receiving monthly updates of the brand/store, or
ever experienced a voice calling you in the mall, “Ma’am, please try this xyz brand, you might win a trip
to Malaysia?”, or noticed an email in your inbox which says: “your inbox is oversize limit” or received a
call from the insurance company?

Unfairness, deception, and fraud: exaggerated information, deceptive product claims, oversized
product pictures, over pricing and under performance are some of the examples which the marketers use
to lure customers and can instill a feeling of betrayal by the brand when time of actual experience arrives.

Direct Marketing in Pakistan

As far as the success of direct marketing in Pakistan is concerned, the biggest challenge is the prevailing mind set
of the marketers as well as security concerns. TV, print and radio are the only media options that marketers
consider to communicate their message. The components of direct marketing are usually the last thought that a
marketer considers.
Digital Marketing
A very important component of direct marketing is digital marketing. Digital marketing is fast gaining
popularity in Pakistan. According to the Morgan Stanley Report, Pakistan is within the top 5 countries
with the highest addition of internet users (Zaffar)
Role of Data and Technology in Advertising
Availability of Big Data has completely changed the pace of marketing, “What is good today is done-to-death by
tomorrow”. Therefore, marketers now need to be very careful when choosing their budget and its allocation. It’s
not about selling the product anymore. Previously, it was about establishing an emotional connection with the
audience. But now, with wide availability of data, the CFO asks, “are smiles and tears bringing in the sales?”.
With people having an all-time access to smartphones, social media accounts, content and so much data, attention
spans have reduced significantly. In such fast-paced cluttered space, making someone smile leaves no lasting
impact for a brand. “If you talk to Facebook, they will tell you creating an ad for TV and running it on mobile is a
waste of budget, talent and brainpower. If your audience is going to scroll up within 15 seconds, a 30-second
video with a message that appears in the 16 th second is an absolute waste. This is the reality and the challenge we
are facing.” ((Khan, 2018)

For the agencies, this means there is no way they can think they have mastered the art of targeting customers
through digital platforms. The medium, the audience, the message and the landscape is changing by the day. In
the current times, context, relevance, timeliness and lower cost trumps all.

According to the Head of Emerging Markets, Google South East Asia, there are immense digital marketing
opportunities in Pakistan. However, online marketing should be looked at along with the rest of the marketing
plan and not as an independent ideology. Today’s consumer is a connected consumer who is both online and
offline at the same time, greatly due to availability of smartphones and cellular network. Brand managers need to
shift their focus and make digital the epicenter of all communication plans. However, to achieve this the industry
will have to overcome one of the barriers. There is lack of Urdu interface and brand communications need to be
localized to cater to 68% of the population (Muslim, 2013)

Digital trends in Pakistan [ CITATION Pak17 \l 1033 ]

Digital trends globally (Pakistan Advertiser's Society, 2017)

Small digital marketing agencies have grown considerably in past 5 years and they are adding valuable
disposable personal income. The success of local startups like Rozee.pk and Zameen.com is a good
indicator of the growth. The big international players like OLX, and Rocket Internet (Daraz.pk,
Kaymu.pk) are investing heavily in Pakistan's e-commerce space and many global investors are willing
to open their e-commerce operations in Pakistan.

Besides that, a large number of outsourcing digital marketing firms taking many big international clients
projects and they are also playing a major role in the growth of Pakistan economy. One example of
fastest growing digital marketing agency operating in Pakistan is DestinySEO.com. [ CITATION
Fai16 \l 1033 ]

Social Media use [ CITATION Pak17 \l 1033 ]

Social media use surged by more than 20% in 2016, with Facebook in particular posting impressive
increases, despite already being the world’s most popular social platform for the past decade.
In previous eras, the consumer was always on the listening side. Digital is giving consumers the
platform to speak their hearts out , talk about the brand, and is putting the power into their hands. This is
leading to a change of products and services based on what consumers actually want.

Digital Marketing is helping brands build not just a bigger consumer base but also identifying the loyal
ones and ensuring brand growth too. Thus, the results are coming back in the form of a multi-trillion-
dollar annual growth opportunity created, as customers switch products and services. One major
example is the addition of cameras in smartphones, and then later, these becoming an integral
component of a smartphone purchase decision.

Challenges in Digital Marketing

1. No clear definition of digital: Internationally, it is a conglomeration of internet and mobile but in
Pakistan it is only synonymous with the internet. Also, very few people know about the exact
importance of this medium. There are people who accidently ventured into it and there are others
who are still unconvinced and unsure about what they would achieve from this medium.
2. Decision makers did not grow up with the internet: Majority of the CEOs and key decision
makers are those people who were born during the Indo-Pak partition period and this technology
came in much later in Pakistan so naturally there is a certain level of hesitation towards the
usage of this latest technology.
3. Paucity of data regarding the internet users: In Pakistan a lot of work is still based on
guesstimates. There is very little information in black and white. The exact data of the number of
internet users or their profiles are unavailable. It is the biggest reason because of which
marketers are reluctant to invest their money on this medium. They are not sure about the exact
number of people they would be reaching through this medium. The internet users figure varies
between 9 and 20 million. Nine million is the figure claimed by the Pakistan Telecommunication
Authority (PTA) and twenty million is claimed by the mobile operators, which PTA feels is an
exaggerated figure. The burning question is that why the exact figures are not known for a
medium where exact IP addresses are logged.
4. Lack of websites catering to the youth: Majority of the population that is online comprises of the
youth. So, digital medium could be the best touch point for this target audience. However, there
are very few local websites that are catering to the youth. So if youngsters want to go for their
social networking they choose sites like Skype, Facebook, etc. and for emails they choose sites
like Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail. The local websites that are commonly accessed are the likes of
Geo or sites from which pirated music could be downloaded. These sites are popular but
obviously the brand managers would never like their brands to be associated with such sites.
5. Lack of clear goals and improper planning: Internet is usually a last thought of option and does
not receive the deserved level of strategic thinking as compared to other media. The marketers
need to first identify what objectives would be accomplished if they go digital. Then they need
to ensure that the digital strategy is in line with the brand strategy. Going digital is much more
than sticking a banner, it is about portraying your image. It should have the same look and feel
and shouldn’t be a mere replica of the print advertisements.
 6. Having a proper content strategy: The important thing to consider is that who is the target
audience? Is the content of the website relevant/appealing to them? The brand should not be
forced on the consumer. Marketers feel that if they just stick the banner ad, their job is done. A
major problem with these banner ads is that clicking the banner ads either leads to no page or the
company website which is full of information; which is obviously of no interest to the reader.
The approach should be to create “sticky content”. Now the world is working on two-way
experiential dimensions: understanding the language and group dynamics, associating with
communities and opening up the brand for interaction i.e. having interactive and engaging
websites are some of the key elements that need to be considered when designing the web
content. Remember, you as future marketers should select the most appropriate website not the
most popular one and develop the most attractive hook (reason to click the banner).
7. Tussle between the digital agencies and the advertising agencies: there are digital agencies like
Symmetry, Creative Chaos, E Techsol and Bramerz working to provide digital branding
solutions. However, clients go to the ad agencies for the development of ads and the same
agencies then work on the digital content also. Also, since the ad agencies do not fully
understand the significance of digital media they usually recommend other media. All of this
leads to the digital agencies getting lower number of accounts. It is the job of the digital agencies
to strengthen their creative side and prove their worth and exclusivity in front of the clients.
8. Not enough bloggers: Firstly, there are very few bloggers in Pakistan (especially the senior level
employees) who can write about brands or the prevailing issues in the country. Mostly, these
bloggers are youngsters (college and university going students). Secondly, companies hire
bloggers i.e. the positive bloggers to write good things about their brands. Imagine what will
happen if people start knowing about them. Up till now, the credibility level is high because
people believe that the person sitting on the other side of the computer is just like them.
9. Be vigilant: Marketers need to be vigilant when online because any bad thing said or written
about your brand can actually spread like a virus. We have examples from the international
world such as the kryptonite locks, dove evolution campaign and locally the easy paisa
campaign. However, there are brands that have benefitted majorly from these viral campaigns
also….. Can you think of any such campaign?
10. Measurements: How many people accessed my website/clicked my banner ad, how many people
saw my banner advertisement. What is the best measure? Is the number of clicks a perfect
method of measurement? What measurement techniques should be used to identify whether the
marketers are benefitting online or not is also one key consideration.

Mobile Marketing
Internationally, Mobile marketing is a very important promotional tool which is also steadily gaining
popularity in Pakistan. Just imagine the immense potential of this small gadget by considering the level
of its penetration in the country; with over 90 million subscriber base (Andrew, 2009). Lots of untapped
markets for the mobile operators and lots of opportunities for the brand managers to get their brand
voice heard in areas where there is no access to TV/Radio.
In 2016, we’ve seen mobile completely redefine how people interact with one another as well as with
brands. And while social and mobile have had an indisputable impact on marketing, communications
and business, in 2017, we’re going to see old dogs with new tricks in areas such as content mixed with
new dogs who want to change the game all together. (Pakistan Advertiser's Society, n.d.). Recently, a lot
of business have ventured into app development which also comes under mobile marketing, e.g.
Careem, MCB etc. Mobile app development is not only gaining traction in Pakistan, it is edging more
and more to cater to the local market. The best mobile apps are invariably those that interweave with the
way that people lead their lives and fill a basic need. Showtimes, which claims to be Pakistan’s first
smartphone app that lists movie schedules for cinemas in the major cities and enables users to book
cinema tickets, is an apt example of this.  [ CITATION Yas14 \l 1033 ] According to Digital in 2017 Global
Overview report, more than half the world now uses a smartphone; almost two-thirds of the world’s
population now has a mobile phone; more than half of the world’s web traffic now comes from mobile
phones; more than half of all mobile connections around the world are now ‘broadband’ and more than
one in five of the world’s population shopped online in the past 30 days. In Pakistan, the annual mobile
subscribers were 137,095,352 as of January 2017. (PTA, 2017).

Pfizer’s ‘Anne French’ was the pioneer in using games for the promotion of their product. This was the
first time the Pakistani Audience. The game was played over app available for smartphones and
integrated on Facebook as well. The results in terms of engagements were quite encouraging and it also
generated positive WOMM for the brand. Brands also use Short Codes for creating awareness and for
lucky draw promotions. Brands such as Nestle Milo and Engro Foods use entries via SMS for lucky
draw promotion. Unilever also used it for their lucky draw with Magnum for a prize of Mercedes. In the
arena of mobile marketing, missed call mobile marketing is also used. Lifebuoy used a combination of
SMS, social media and missed calls to a short code (4474) for their Mother’s Day campaign in 2014 and
2015. Generating over one million missed calls, the campaign resulted in a market share increase of
17.6%, reversing sale declines recorded in 2014.4

Challenges
1. Telecom companies are hesitant to tell about their subscriber base and therefore, the work is
majorly done on the basis of guesstimates. Almost all the mobile operators make tall claims of
having millions of subscribers. Nobody has ever disclosed their exact figure which also includes
their number of inactive users.

2. Illiteracy limits the ability of people to understand and comprehend the message. So it would be a
matter of squandering your budgets if the message does not reach the intended target audience or
the TA is unable to comprehend the message in the intended manner.

3. In order to have a successful mobile marketing campaign, proper planning is required. Target
market identification should be a very important component of the planning phase. There are cases
in which people delete messages even before reading them. Can you recall any beauty salon, shop
opening and exhibition messages that you simply deleted without reading the entire message.
What do you think could be the reason behind it?

4. Understand consumer behavior and craft experiences that resonate with the target audience and
integrate with other channels (digital media marketing blog)
4
http://aurora.dawn.com/2013/11/02/the-sell-phone-revolution/
Telemarketing
Telemarketing is a very common form of marketing companies use to connect with potential customers
of their products or services. Historically, telemarketing consisted of companies making telephone calls
to existing or potential customers. With new technology, telemarketing has expanded to include video
conferencing calls as well, although those are typically conducted with existing customers.
Telemarketing is often used to try to sell a product or service, but it can also take the form of surveys or
information gathering. For instance, political campaigns use telemarketing heavily prior to elections to
inquire about voting preferences.
When companies call new customers, the activity is referred to as cold calling. This means the consumer
has not purchased from the company before nor have they requested a call from the company.
Companies can buy a list of potential customers to call from a list service, which will provide a list of
consumers who have similar interests or purchasing histories who fit the company's target market.
There are many industries that rely heavily on telemarketing, such as:

 Cable and Internet services

 Home security systems
 Financial services
 Vacation and time sha
 Charitable organizations

Some of the issues related to telemarketing are listed below:

1. Ineffective/ untrained call centre employees

2. Proper systems are not in place
3. Lack of proper planning regarding who to call
4. Cold calling is considered intrusive and usually does not leave a positive image with the
customers.

All in all direct marketing can be very useful if it is carefully planned and given its due importance.
Agencies working in this field need to play their role in making their presence felt and make the
marketers understand as to how this emerging medium could facilitate in enhancing their
communication messages and building effective strategies.

A good chunk of advertising spend is now moving to digital instead around the world. Digital TV will
overtake traditional broadcasting in the future as an integrated digital marketing and brand awareness
platform alongside mobile and outdoor signage. As such, brands will need to make the transition from
traditional advertising to digital, which will mean working alongside agencies that were born in the
digital era and thus understand how to harness the power of this technology. Digital disruption has
already occurred in a variety of sectors and TV is no exception. When it comes to advertising,
traditional TV is on the decline, albeit a slow one. Brands, therefore, need to adapt their marketing
strategies accordingly to ensure that they are agile enough to react to further changes and opportunities
as they arise. (Nielsen, 2017)
Public Relations
PR consists of many tools: publications, events, news, community involvement, identity tools, lobbying,
and social investments. When a customer sees an ad, he/she knows it is an ad, and an increasing number
of customers are tuning ads out. PR has a better chance of getting a message through, however it is
undone.

Furthermore, the message can be fresher and more believable. PR is better equipped to create "buzz"
about a new product or service. The field of public relations has become increasingly integrated with
digital channels of communication. With the advent of social media, PR has taken a 360-degree turn in
the way it addresses consumers and helps companies in maintaining good public image.

In professional terms, the digitalization of public relations is called PR 2.0. Much like the newer version
of the World Wide Web, PR 2.0 incorporates a different dimension to the way PR is conducted today.

Traditionally, PR relied on tools like newsletters, media releases, advertorials etc. Now, in the 21st
century, all of these tools have become digital. PR 2.0 came into being through the exploration of how
the multimedia was redefining PR and marketing communications with the help of the internet.
According to a statistic, there are more than 156 million blogs on the internet, which tends to highlight
the significant impact they have in forming opinions.

Pakistan is also edging towards the digital bandwagon with full force. The urban population has become
aware of digital media’s strength and has heavily incorporated social media in their daily lives. There
are many bloggers in Pakistan who reach out to public here and globally with their blogs; through which
they try to promote their ideas and innovative thinking to transform the lives of people who follow
them. Few opinion leaders in Pakistan have their own blogs.

1. Sarosh Waiz’s blog: As he claims on his blog, Sarosh was born with entrepreneurial instincts; this
blogger has made it big through many ventures in the past year. SaroshWaiz is an avid digital
marketer and is a seasoned media person.
2. Javed Jabbar’s blog: Imminent writer, proactive thinker, diligent leader and a broadminded
critique, JavedJabbar’s blog talks about Pakistan in its entirety from a global perspective and a
domestic outlook. He is a former Senator and Federal Minister; hence he has deep roots in the field
of media and communications. His blog talks about the political situation of Pakistan and its place
within the region. 
3. Teeth Maestro: A dentist by profession and an avid blogger, Dr.Awab Alvi goes with Teeth
Maestro as his blog name. He has been blogging since 2004, earlier on orthodontist.blogspot.com
and then through his own URL. He speaks about the most favourite topic of Pakistan i.e. politics and
gives his opinions about how the situation in the country is coming out. 
4. Ashraf Chaudry’s blog: The head banner claims him to be Pakistan’s No. 1 Sales Trainer and that
is exactly what is showcased on his blog. His blog usually features announcements of sales
workshops, seminars, and conferences which take place around the country.  [ CITATION Osa171 \l
 1033 ].

PR has been present in the fashion and film industries, before the release of films, there are press
conferences and PR events where celebrities engage with the media and consumers. A recent example
would be of a new drama serial: Sammi on HUM TV, PR events were held both in Pakistan and Dubai.
Today, PR is used even in other sectors such as politics and military.

PR events are also held to raise awareness for social causes around the world. The most popular
example would be The Ice Bucket Challenge that was conducted to promote awareness of the
disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as motor neurone disease). The challenge
encourages nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and
then nominating others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated participants have 24
hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation. It went viral in July-August 2014
involving famous celebrities like Shakira, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. In a month of slow news,
ALS took over news outlet and social networks for weeks this past August, educating an entire nation
on this somewhat rare but fatal disease.
References
Amber arshad, M. M. (2016, jul-aug). Aurora.
Baig, M. A. (2016, May-June). Aurora. Retrieved from http://aurora.dawn.com/news/1141505
Brand Synario. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.brandsynario.com/12-pakistani-tvcs-of-2016-that-
made-waves-this-year/
Kotler, P. (n.d.). Principles of Marketing (13th ed.).
Nielsen, J. (2017, January 25). Digital TV: What It Means For Advertisers. Brand Quarterly.
Pakistan Advertiser's Society. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pas.org.pk/tv-advertising-analysis-
monthly-report-december-2016/
Pakistan Advertiser's Society. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pas.org.pk/6-digital-trends-in-2017-
that-will-redefine-influence-and-interaction-for-marketers/
Pakistan Advertiser's Society. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.pas.org.pk/digital-in-2017-global-
overview/
PTA. (2017, January). Retrieved from http://www.pta.gov.pk/index.php?Itemid=599
Cleft, J. (2010, February). The UK Consumer Outlook for 2010 - Insights from The Futures
Company. WARC Exclusive .
Feld, J. (2006). Resuscitating The 30-Second Spot. The Advertiser .
Lucas, O. (2009, November-December). The Butterfly Effect. Aurora .
Precourt, G. (2009, November). Method Cleaning Products: The New "Method" Marketing Model.
WARC Exclusive .
Andrew, M. (2010, jan-feb). Pied pipers or pretty faces. aurora .
Shaukat, O. (2017, January 17). PUBLICIST’S NEW TOOL FOR PUBLIC INTERACTION BLOG.
Synergizer. Retrieved from http://synergyzer.com/publicists-new-tool-for-public-interaction-
blog
Eric Turkington, S. S. (n.d.). Innovating For The Changing Global Consumer. Brand Quarterly.
Retrieved from http://www.brandquarterly.com/innovating-for-changing-global-consumer
Jamal, F. (2016). Quora. Retrieved from https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-scope-of-digital-
marketing-in-Pakistan
Kotler, P. (2010). Principles of Marketing: A South Asian Persepective (13th ed.). Pearson.
Malik, Y. (2014). Made in – and for Pakistan. Aurora. Retrieved from
http://aurora.dawn.com/news/1140856
Malik, Y. (2016, Nov-Dec). When branding power meets mobile. Aurora.
Mohsin, U. (2014, April 9). midigital. Retrieved from http://midigital.co/mobile-marketing-pakistan/