Mr. Asad, who has worked in some major ad agencies before switching to OLX and now Jazz, is one of the most experienced communication experts in Pakistan.
In his session, he emphasized that even though advertising was considered glamorous, he wanted the students to appreciate the strategic part and the thought process behind it that led to the finished ads that we see on TV and in other media touch points. Asad also mentioned his projects which included repositioning the No 1 fintech brand in Pakistan; JazzCash, so that it was also be perceived as the leader brand in its category in Pakistan.
He explained the basics of what is required in making an ad such as the brief (in which the client explains what they want), the timelines, budget, TVC script, duration (30s, 60s etc. because it is important for media investment), format (smart phones now are vertical), logistics and delivery.
One cannot simply go to a shoot; one needs a PPM (a Pre-Production Meeting) in which the brand and the agency along with the director and the production house go over thoroughly the agency’s script, treatment note, the director’s board, graphics, animation, props, casting, music references, locations etc. etc.
Then comes production. If the shoot was on Monday, then one day before there would be a document from the Production House termed as CallSheet, detailing the time (sunrise or sunset), pick up timings, shoot timings, etc. During the shoot client & the agency would be provide step by step approvals for the shots being taken (because reshoot is a hassle and a cost intensive exercise), hence on-the-spot approvals help. Plus, there is also a still shoot organized in parallel to the film shoot to get all the pictures which later are to be used for campaign development for the TVC. Then comes post-production which includes data processing, color grading (a neutral palette is done first), offline editing (low resolution but quicker), online editing (heavy files), animation, music/voice over, master film and release link.
Asad also discussed measurement of the ad effectiveness. It was easier to measure the impact of tactical interventions (such as offers) but difficult to measure the thematic communication which promotes the brand part.
Asad discussed the JazzCash Hai Na ad which had as its objective convenience, empowerment and trust leading to usage of financial services. To measure the impact of this ad one could ask “Does it resonate with fintech users?” or “Do viewers remember the taglines and offerings?”. “The ad was enjoyable.” “Was the actor a good fit for the ad?”. Some impact in terms of financial numbers can also be measured.
Asad explained that TV still has 94% reach and thus was a very important medium in context of the Pakistani customer base.
In terms of repositioning OLX and JazzCash, he noted that OLX did not have any serious competitors, but JazzCash had a strong one and needed a different approach.
Asad also made a point about the changing role and structure of an ad agency. Decades ago, an ad agency had departments around media, client service and creative with administration and finance as support functions. Now he had to deal with 7 to 8 agencies around creative, digital, media, PR, out of home (billboards) and event management and activations.
The session was very well received, and students asked a wide range of questions. Regarding what it takes to work in advertising, Mr. Asad’s reply was ‘passion’.