Advertising In Times Of David & Goliath: A Marketer’s Musings

The CMO has been devouring the A&M news. He has been speaking to his colleagues in the advertising and media space. What do they think? What do they know? More importantly what do they believe?

He pauses in deep reflection. How about his own belief system on these massive mergers? Why is it making him uneasy he ponders? The self-introspection continues: is the size that was bothering him? The “too muchness” of it? The scale of operations?

Oh, wait (pauses for dramatic effect!) – the “creative output”, the “customisation”: would it all cease to exist?

Gosh – the red tape! Oh, the SOPs that it will drag in! The slow of it all! The lack of show! And too much pomp!

Now wait a minute, he absently sipped his Americano and contemplated. Was he being too extra? Jumping the gun, perhaps!

No, he considered himself to be a reasonable laddie, with a sensible head on his (sometimes worked out!) shoulders.

So, then what was this feeling, this gnawing tug at the pit of his stomach? Why was it lingering around like “Pushpa” and creating so much flux in his head?

Costs? Gosh – the odds were just stacking up. Again! Let’s look at the bright side, he told himself sternly. Hmm...another sip of the (now almost cold) coffee! Spoilt for choice. Nice. He liked the sound of it. Everything under one roof. Fun, like a visit to the mall. Set processes. Good, no reinvention needed. Media might. Excellent for big campaigns. What else?

So many escalation points, he chuckled evilly at this point. Man – that can’t be it! Focus Bruh, think harder. Find the inner goodness. Technology access. Mind-blowing. Data expertise. Fantastic. AI in all it’s avatars first preview. Goody, good. Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. And that moment, he knew what was really bothering him. The most critical reason for agency selection – its good folks. They make or break the brand, it’s image, it’s aura, it’s perception, it’s positioning.

Who will now have skin in the game? Who will brainstorm with him like the brand were their very own? Who will randomly WhatsApp him ideas because they just thought of something? Who can he call to rant about his misgivings? Who will pull him out of his creative rut and show him the mirror? Who will laugh and cry with him when the brand goes through its highs and lows?

That fantastic culture driven by the people who absolutely adore and enjoy working on his brand will perhaps cease to exist?

It was all very confusing almost like a Norse Myth. Were these “consolidators” as he had termed them in his head be like the Giants who weren’t allowing the world to open, or would they be like the Gods who made the world a magical place?

Would this lack of choice be useful like an Udupi menu with set options or would it make it claustrophobic, repetitive and oh so very boxed? He was feeling weighed down and saddened, almost like he needed comforting at that moment.

He realised that he liked the array of options small, boutique agencies offered. There was a hunger that drove the desire to produce some fascinating pieces of work that truly stood out. Work that was unique, personalised and created with pride!

The smaller firms were like handcrafted pieces – may have that slight flaw or a crack even. But there was beauty in that slight brokenness. Like the Japanese concept of Kintsugi that repairs broken pottery with gold. The broken beauty. He was being rather nostalgic, he knew, holding on to something he knew and had come to love.

He sighed. Nothing is permanent. Nothing lasts forever. Change is inevitable. Change is the only constant that propels the humankind forward.

This was, is change that was taking place rapidly from all sides and he knew he couldn’t stop it. He needed to accept and eventually learn to appreciate it. Wabi-Sabi – finding beauty in impermanence.

And who knows, maybe there was space for all. Big large MNCs may find it favourable to work out of a toolbox model that these consolidators would offer while the SME’s, the startups, the private companies may continue favouring the a la carte super specializations offered by the boutique outfits and mid-sized agencies.

It does not have to be viewed as a dog-eat-dog world but a world with space for all diversity in all its vagaries with equal opportunities for growth and flourish for all!

Wasn’t that how it was intended to be? Another idea crossed his mind – even larger organizations – need quick renditions, quick fixes, hyperlocal services and may continue reaching out to the ones who exist and can provide things at lightning pace with beautiful quality. Likewise, a start-up going the IPO route may rope in the consolidator to do that big bang surround sound Diljeet concert-like campaign.

The CMO felt lighter, brighter, better with the self-coaching session that he had just had – he had cracked the what, how and the why. It was a warm fuzzy feeling. The CEO tapped him on his shoulder – ‘Hey, what do you think of these mergers in the advertising space?’ The CMO gave him a broad grin – Only Time will tell, Sir. David vs. Goliath or David & Goliath. ‘Picture abhi baaki hai’

Samyukta Ganesh Iyer

Guest Author The author is a Brand Consultant & Executive Coach| Former CMO Sephora, Baskin Robbins, Kaya