Like many other industries, the advertising industry too faced a major setback during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many brands paused their communication and even cut their marketing budget. One of the biggest lessons that the pandemic has taught is that even in the worst of times, communication between brands and consumers must not break, Rohit Ohri, chairman and CEO, FCB Group India, told BrandWagon Online. “It is important for brands to walk with the consumers and partner them in their time of need. Brands that have done this during the pandemic have seen a positive impact. This is because consumers have realised a sense of partnership, gratitude and an understanding that this brand din’t stop talking to me in my darkest moment,” he added on the sidelines of the Goafest 2022.
According to Ohri, this is the age when creativity is the most important thing for brands. “It is only through creativity, finding connections and relevance, that brands can cut through in this world. Just bombarding consumers with communications is useless,” he said. As more and more brands turn to digital to put their messages across, Ohri believes that it is important to create relevance that are aligned with the evolving consumer needs, in order to stand out.
Furthermore, he added that the next big trend in the advertising industry is creativity powered by data and technology. “It is important to do that in a way that is truly meaningful and makes a difference to consumers’ lives. As an agency, our philosophy is about creative ideas that are both timeless and timely. We want to create timeless ads that stay for a longer period of time, and build brand equity. With data and technology at the forefront, the aim is to create ideas that are then delivered at the right time, place and to the right consumer,” Ohri stated.
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