Year-ender 2022: Don't want to see brands focusing only on performance marketing for short-term conversions - Abraham Thomas

Like every year, Campaign India is celebrating the last month of the year by engaging with industry leaders and asking them about the year gone by.

This is what, Abraham Thomas, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Network, had to say:

What do you not want to see in advertising next year?

I would not like to see brands focusing all their strengths on performance marketing for short-term conversions, as it will harm the company’s growth potential. I would like to see them find the right balance between performance marketing and brand marketing which leads to long-term success. 

A smart marketing strategy combines both long-term brand awareness and short-term acquisition. While brand marketing is focused on building awareness and creating an emotional connection with the customer, performance marketing, on the other hand, is focused on generating leads and sales. And the right mix will maximise Marketing ROI. 

Your favourite ad campaign from 2022? 

The ad campaign that stood out the most for me and instantly captured my attention was Spotify India’s 'music makes life better' during the IPL. It was fun, quirky and used the brand’s strength of music most innovatively. Within a few seconds, the ad created a massive impact, sent the right message across and its new-age story-telling struck a chord of relatability. Its multi-language approach was a great marketing strategy that grabbed eyeballs making it a wonderfully integrated campaign. Also, in the age where there’s a remarkable rise in blue screen fatigue, the audio takes the spotlight; which the ad campaign brilliantly communicated.

One learning from this year?

Moving from output to outcomes. The outcomes are what the business wants or need to achieve while outputs are the actions or items that contribute to achieving an outcome. Evolving from efficiency to effectiveness, from doing things right to doing the right things. 

What is the overused marketing jargon of 2022?

Let’s make it viral!

Were you able to maintain your work-life balance this year? If yes, how? If not, how do you plan to correct it next year?

Striking the correct balance between work and life has been a learning curve for most. For me, the silver lining that came out of what we collectively went through as a society during the pandemic, was the chance to pause, reflect and appreciate the little things. I am extremely passionate about my work, but I also do realise that while it is a critical part, there’s more to life that I’m passionate about. It's about seeking joy in little things like spending time with friends, family, travelling and my mantra of ‘M’ – music, movies, malts, meats and masti (fun) – which is quite precious to me. Now maintaining a work-life balance has become a way of life.