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The fast changing creative landscape

With the online world catching up fast and fragmentation of media, modern marketing is gradually emerging and taking shape in the format of data-driven consumer engagement. However, creativity in messaging is finding all the more significance in order to grab consumer eye balls.
Consumer insights to shape an advertising message that grabs attention and directs the audience to know more platforms where more information, data, and endorsements can be seen is the emerging way forward. So only emotional pitching is not sufficient for the purpose.
Scientific data that caters to the consumer need for information is a must have. For every purchase decision, the consumer can easily compare products, brands with their features and prices online. The entire marketing landscape is witnessing a sea change over past decade.
Affiliate marketing is gaining significance as consumers are looking at user experiences and trust before trying out a new product or service. Social media influencers are playing a big role in getting a product into the consideration set of a consumer.




One way product spiel from the company or a brand is getting redundant. Touch and run advertising is a passé. More data, more emotional appeal, more endorsements by the influencers and opinion-makers are the buzzing mantras today.
Unlike the good old days, a single piece of a message needs to cover variety consumer touch points both online and off. That makes the work for traditional creative and marketing companies all the more complex. The message has to be scaleable and adaptable across various media platforms to garner consumer attention and interest.
Digital literacy among the creative people is a must-have trait. That makes the old world creative folks redundant in today's creative landscape. However, there are a few creative people who have learned and upgraded themselves with time. They are the best of the lot.
The youngsters today are in a hurry. They do not have the time and patience to ponder over a creative brief for long. Most times they walk away copy pasting in the name of creativity. That mars originality and downgrades advertising standards helping no one.
The creative process is getting complex and challenging every day. Needless to mention, there are few real creative people in advertising agencies with the passion and the drive to come up with original ideas and solutions for marketing problems.
The agency factories are the places where creative people are chasing deadlines and are being forced to get 'inspired'. They can't help it. There is no time, as the remuneration for creative agencies is not that lucrative anymore, and the agencies are cashing on their age-old reputation to get in more work than they can chew. After all, they have to survive and post some profits too.
Small and midsize agencies that are not in the race for building a great looking balance sheet, are better off perhaps. They have lesser liabilities, lesser clients and more time to think over a brief. This trend is catching fire globally. Clients are getting aware on the realities.
Marketers are gradually learning and understanding the under currents and calling small agencies too for new business pitches, a trend which was unheard of just a decade ago.
Behemoths are splitting themselves and creating smaller creative units to remain relevant and profitable.
In this fast-changing marketing landscape, a lot needs to be seen in the next 10 years as the broadband makes complete inroads in semi-urban and rural areas all over.
TV and print are at the receiving end too. They are trying to redefine themselves both in terms of content and delivery platforms.
It will be wonderful to know your views on this changing trend. Please write back for the benefit of all the marketers.

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