The Big Debate: The good, bad and ugly of Indian Advertising: Kartik Iyer

There is a genre called Indian Advertising

Our inability to grow talent in this industry, and more so not being able to give them the guidance is Ugly

The Good in Indian advertising

There is a lot going for Indian advertising. For starters, the overall intelligence levels of our consumers (thanks to our movies) are far higher than many markets in the world. We have achieved certain creative standards that people from everywhere in the world have grown to love and appreciate. It is a great thing that there is a genre called Indian Advertising. At a national level, I think our own legends from the industry have successfully built dominant and respectable Indian brands over the years. Thanks to the constant few who are constantly pushing the envelope, we can win awards that we only dreamed of few years ago.

The Bad in Indian advertising

The lack of leadership. Hence the lack of passion. Hence the lack of belief. Hence the lack of importance. Hence the lack of accountability. Hence the drop in quality. Hence you lost the account. And you always had the option to join the client / start a restaurant for gypsies / enlist at a call centre.

The Ugly in Indian advertising

Our inability to grow talent in this industry and more so not being able to give them the guidance to grow their talent or their career. If winning awards were the only yardstick to making the larger packet in the creative department, big brands would never have been built. We forget that this was a business for people with passion. Not a transit lounge for wannabe film makers and mar-comm heros.