Prathap Suthan, the chief creative officer at Bang In The Middle, has boldly called for action on social media on the catastrophic situation of independent, smaller advertising firms in India.
Suthan called on the advertising community to get together and establish a representative body in order to protect their rights and guarantee fair treatment, pointing to cases of client exploitation, late payments, and unfair tactics.
Suthan provided a sobering illustration of the difficulties faced by smaller agencies by citing the case of an agency head who had to sell his automobile to cover a production house's expenses after a customer stopped making payments.
The current ecosystem, according to Suthan, is unaccountable and permits customers to coerce agencies into unfair contracts, unpaid pitches, and excessively demanding deliverables.
Although the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) does exist, Suthan noted that smaller players cannot afford its expensive membership dues. He underlined that "We need minimum fees, agreed standards, and a system that finally says, enough is enough," advocating for group action similar to that of other creative professions like filmmakers and composers of music.
The tweet has caused significant conversation, with many in the business resonating with Suthan's stance. One user wrote, "Prathap, sorry to say, AAAI is a dysfunctional body which is diplomatically astute, talks politically correct but delivers zilch for its members. Haven’t seen a more inept industry body than AAAI." Another user added, “AAAI and even the IAA have become impotent. Most of us are on our own.”
"It's time to get organised and organizized," Suthan concluded, urging smaller agencies to band together and reclaim the dignity of their craft before it's too late.
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