Winds of change
Change is the only constant. That suits the Indian advertising industry to a T. The Indian advertising industry is doing well and might do better tomorrow with the economy gathering momentum. But, there is something that is causing foreheads furrowed.

Editorial -- Winning recipe
Advertising clients are demanding integrated marketing services from their agencies and are looking at them more as brand custodians. All these changes are redefining Indian advertising.

The agency-client equation
For advertising men, life has never been easy. And now it has become tougher. Thanks to the setting up of separate media buying agencies, commissions earned by advertising agencies have now been split into two: 13.5 per cent for creative work and 1.5 per cent for media-buying. That means, where agencies offer only creative services and clients source media buying themselves, agency commissions have come down to 13.5 per cent.

The new media challenges
Media planning is fast becoming a tight ropewalk. With technology changing so fast, media planners and media-buyers are finding a plethora of delivery channels at their doorsteps. And it has become all the more challenging to balance these media options and work out a winning media combination for clients. There are now 100-odd channels to advertise in and online advertising is throwing open a cornucopia of advertising options.

Gearing up to face challenges
Indian advertising industry is alive, kicking and growing. Forget the head-banging growth of 49.5 per cent logged during 1995. That growth was after all triggered off by fresh waves of liberalisation. Even the current growth rate of 18 to 20 per cent is okay considering the fact that it is thrice our GDP growth rate. There are more reasons to cheer about.

Advertising on the Internet: emerging issues
Internet might be a catchy advertising medium. But, there are quite a few issues that need to be sorted out. Advertising on the Net is slowly catching on. In developed economies, advertising on the Net accounts for anything between seven and 7.5 per cent of the total advertising cake. Fine, how large is online advertising in India?

"Even their ideas are ethnic"
Ranjan Kapur is the managing director of O&M India. Kapur is upbeat about the prospects unfolding for the Indian advertising industry. He speaks to FE-Thinktank on the industry, the advertising agencies and the changing times.

"We are benchmarks for Asia"
As the chief executive officer of Trikaya Grey, Nirvik Singh has his eyes open to the emerging opportunities in the Indian advertising industry. Excerpts from an insightful interview with FE-Thinktank.