Pakistan Consumer Boom Driving Media Advertising Revenue

Rising buying power of rapidly expanding middle class in Pakistan drove the nation's media advertising revenue up 14% to a record Rs. 76.2 billion ($727 million), making the country's media market among the world's fastest growing for FY 2015-16. Half of this ad spending (Rs. 38 billion or $362 million) went to television channels while the rest was divided among print, outdoor, radio and digital media.

Media Ad Revenue by platform. Source: Aurora











Digital media spending rose 27% in 2015-16 over prior year, the fastest of all the media platforms. It was followed by 20% increase in radio, 13% in television, 12% in print and 6% in outdoor advertising, according to data published by Aurora media market research

HUM TV channel had the highest revenue at Rs. 3.84 billion, followed by ARY Digital's Rs. 3.802 billion, PTV Sports Rs. 3 billion, Geo Entertainment Rs. 2.93 billion, Geo News Rs. 2.6 billion, Urdu1 2.5 billion, PTV Home Rs. 2.5 billion, Samaa Rs. 1.9 billion, and Dunya News, ARY News and Express News Rs. 1.8 billion each.

The television channels with the highest revenue increases in 2015-16 were: Samaa (88%), Geo News (82%), Geo Entertainment (81%) and ARY News (76%).

Global Advertising Growth 2016. Source: Magna



The current media boom in Pakistan started in early 2000s when Pakistan had just one television channel, according to the UK's Prospect Magazine. Today it has over 100. Together they have begun to open up a country long shrouded by political, moral and religious censorship—taking on the government, breaking social taboos and, most recently, pushing a new national consensus against the Taliban. The birth of privately owned commercial media has been enabled by the Musharraf-era deregulation, and funded by the tremendous growth in revenue from advertising targeted at the burgeoning urban middle class consumers.

Pakistan has managed to significantly reduce poverty and rapidly grow its middle class since 2001 in spite of major political, security and economic challenges. The foundation for the rise of the middle class and the electronic media boom was laid on President Musharraf's watch by his government's decisions to invest in education and infrastructure projects and deregulate the media that led to the expansion of both human and financial capital. My hope is that the continued improvement in security situation and implementation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related projects will bring in higher long-term investments and accelerate Pakistan's progress toward prosperity for all of its citizens.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Credit Suisse Wealth Report 2016

Pakistan: A Majority Middle Class Country

Pakistan Mass Media Boom

State Bank: Pakistan's Actual GDP Higher Than Officially Reported

College Enrollment in Pakistan

Musharraf Accelerated Development of Pakistan's Human and Financial Capital

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Comments

Riaz Haq said…
#WorldBank sees #Pakistan FY17 #GDP #Growth at 5.2%, best in 9 yrs. Forecasts 5.5% in FY18, 5.8% FY19 http://reut.rs/2pW7072 via @Reuters

May 20 The World Bank on Saturday forecast Pakistan's GDP growth in fiscal year 2017 to climb to 5.2 percent, the highest expansion rate in nine years, boosted by consumer confidence and fiscal reforms.

Growth is expected to accelerate to 5.5 percent in FY18 and 5.8 percent in FY19, according to a World Bank report released on Saturday.

But it warned that weakening trade and fiscal balances made it crucial to continue reform efforts and to develop skills to find jobs for the country's growing youth population.

"Pakistan's accelerating growth is good news and reflects the country's success in building confidence. But the pace of reforms has slowed and it is important for the structural reforms to accelerate," said Illango Patchamuthu, World Bank country director for Pakistan.

The World Bank forecast came the same day as Pakistan's central bank estimated slightly higher real GDP growth in FY17 of 5.3 percent, which would represent a 10-year high.

Private sector credit showed a net expansion of 503 billion rupees ($4.81 billion) during the nine months through April, well above the 334 billion-rupee expansion recorded in the corresponding period of last year, the central bank said in a statement.

The World Bank's twice-yearly report was released in Lahore on Saturday in collaboration with Lahore School of Economics.

It said a moderate increase in investment was expected to supplement growth, driven primarily by public and private consumption.

The report said there need to be more technical and vocational training programme to boost job prospects for the "youth bulge". Sixty percent of Pakistan's estimated population of 190 million is under the age of 30.

It emphasized that federal and provincial governments must work together on reforms, since many policies are handled at the province level.

"Effective collaboration between federal and provincial governments will be crucial if Pakistan has to deliver on its growth potential" said Muhammad Waheed, World Bank senior economist for Pakistan. (Editing by Andrew Roche)
Riaz Haq said…
Ad spending seen growing at 15.5% in 2016, driven by digital
GroupM estimates show digital advertising will account for 12.7% of all ad spending in 2016, up from 9.9% in 2015

http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/LjI3ZO4nYkN8DNdyMIlJlJ/Ad-spending-to-grow-at-155-in-2016-higher-than-2015s-14.html

Print advertising will expand 6%, compared to 5.2% last year. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint

New Delhi: Ad spending in India will grow 15.5% in 2016 to Rs.57,486 crore ($7.5 billion) with digital advertising expanding at the fastest pace of 47.5%, media agency GroupM, part of global advertising group WPP Plc., said in its This Year Next Year report released on Tuesday.

Last year saw ad spending grow by 14.2%, higher than GroupM’s estimate of 12.4%, to Rs.49,758 crore.

Digital advertising will account for 12.7% of all ad spending in 2016, the agency estimated, up from 9.9% in 2015. Print media’s share will shrink from 32.4% to 29.7%. And TV will remain the dominant medium with a 47.1% share, up from 46.3%.

“India is the fastest growing ad market among all the major markets of the world. 2015 was the best year for ad spend growth we’ve had in the last five years,” said C.V.L. Srinivas, chief executive at GroupM South Asia. “While global headwinds are building up in the new year, there are a number of positive factors that will help the Indian ad sector grow at higher levels in 2016.”

Consumer product, automobile and e-commerce companies will continue to drive growth (as they did in 2015) and telecom, banking and finance, and the government sector will join the party, according to Srinivas. Growth is also expected to get a fillip from events such as the T20 World Cup cricket tournament, Indian Premier League (IPL) and state elections. “While digital media will remain the fastest growing platform, India is one of the few large markets where all traditional media platforms will show positive growth,” added Srinivas.

Riaz Haq said…
Key Highlights:

The overall total minutes of advertising in 2016 decreased by 17.75% compared to 2015.
Comparing the quarter-wise total minutes spend; the trend remains mostly similar across Q1, Q2 and Q4. Whereas Q3 of 2016 witnessed an increase of 4% over 2016.
Top 10 categories have maintained their positions in year 2016 with minor change in % share in total minutes of advertising in each category.
The top advertisers on TV for 2016 were Unilever (20%), P&G (7%), Reckitt Benckiser (6%), Pepsi Cola (6%), Coca Cola (5%) and Nestle (4%). There is a increase of 6% seen in advertising of Unilever brands in 2016.
Coca Cola remained the top brand in 2016 with increased of 1% as compare to 2015.
In both years top three channels including Abb Takk (4%), News one (4%) and Tv one (4%) remains at the top.
The most significant increase of share of advertising across news channels is witnessed by Express News by 2%. Abb Takk has dropped its first position in 2015 and secured third position in 2016.
Similarly, for Entertainment channels, major change is seen across Express Ent which came from 10th place in 2015 (4%) to 2nd place in 2016 (8%).
In 2016, channel Jalwa remain the top position and increased its advertising spend share by 14% compared to 2015.
Health Tv and Nickelodeon has visibly lost its % of share spent while Filmazia has maintained a top spot position with an increase of 8%.
News and entertainment segments remain most popular with their share of 40% and 42% respectively throughout 2015 and 2016.
The most popular time band for both 2015 and 2016 remains prime time slot (7pm to midnight) and afternoon (12pm to 5pm).

http://www.pas.org.pk/tv-advertising-yearly-industry-report-2016/
Okara said…
This mean government is the biggest commodity in Pakistan as PMLN lead government is spending minimum of 60% of total money spent on advertisement in Pakistan.
Riaz Haq said…
Okara: "This mean government is the biggest commodity in Pakistan as PMLN lead government is spending minimum of 60% of total money spent on advertisement in Pakistan."

Given that in the FY 2015-16, the Government of Pakistan was the fourth largest advertiser in the print media in terms of product categories (source: Aurora Fact File November-December 2016), the importance of the Government as a client for newspapers cannot be overestimated.

Traditionally, governments have always advertised heavily in the print media, particularly during the 80s and 90s. A major reason is that tender advertising, as per the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules must be published in print, and tenders constitute a considerable chunk of the total government advertising. However, since the late 90s, the share of government advertising in print has reduced considerably. According to Umer Mujib Shami, Secretary General, APNS, “the television-print break-up at one point used to be about 50-50; however, in recent years it has changed, with print’s share going down to 25 to 30%.”

There have been ongoing negotiations between the APNS and the Government to rectify this situation. Dr Tanvir A. Tahir, Executive Director, APNS, believes that the importance of newspapers as a medium cannot be ignored. This is particularly true when it comes to information dissemination and influencing opinions of key decision-makers in diplomatic and bureaucratic circles. It is on this basis that the APNS has asked that the Government increase the share of the pie by fixing its advertising spend at two percent of the cumulative development budget. Furthermore, the APNS has asked that the budget allocation between media should follow a 50-40-10 proportion, for electronic, print and digital respectively, as is done in other countries such as India. The APNS stance is that this will ensure that these policy changes will continue to allow the print media to play its role in informing, educating and influencing public opinion.

http://aurora.dawn.com/news/1141941
Riaz Haq said…
From Seeking Alpha by Bader Al-Hussain


https://seekingalpha.com/article/4056008-facebook-higher-growth-digital-ad-spending-compels-high-valuations


Summary

Global digital marketing would grow to $335 billion.

Facebook has a market share of 14%.

Base case warrants for 23% upside.

(Facebook) Revenue would lead the valuations

My narrative for double-digit growth in the future revenue of FB stems from the following arguments:

The ability of the company to pursue aggressive growth by partnering with local mobile network companies of large developing nations such as Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Brazil.

For instance, in India, which is one of the largest populations with an increasing broadband penetration rate, Facebook has partnered with Reliance Communications and Airtel to offer basic Facebook internet services for free. Similarly, in Pakistan, Facebook partnered with Telenor, which is the second largest operator in the country. In Indonesia and Brazil, FB has partnered with XL Axiata and Oi respectively. Further, Facebook has similar arrangements with TMN in Portugal, Three in Ireland, Vivacom in Bulgaria, Bakcell in Azerbaijan, SMART in the Philippines, STC in Saudi Arabia and much more.

It is to be noted that more than 3 billion people of the world reside in these countries, accounting for ~40% of the world population. I expect a large portion of expected growth would come from South Asia and Asia-Pacific region.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pizza Hut set to open 75 new outlets to double its restaurants in #Pakistan - The Express Tribune #FastFood
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1414386/pizza-hut-set-open-75-new-outlets-pakistan/


KARACHI: American fast food giant Pizza Hut has decided to double its presence in Pakistan, the company and its local partner announced on Friday, adding that they would open 75 new outlets at an approximate investment of $3.4 million.

During a ceremony at the US Consulate in Karachi, a new franchise agreement was signed between Yum! Brands – a Fortune 500 company that owns Pizza Hut – and its local partner MCR. The deal was aimed at expanding Pizza Hut’s presence in Pakistan and adding to its network of 75 outlets over the period of next five years.

Robot waiter serves food in Multan’s pizza outlet
While the official press release stated that the agreement commits to an expansion of “150 new Pizza Hut units in Pakistan”, Pizza Hut (Middle East) General Manager Randall Blackford confirmed that the company is targeting a total number of 150 outlets across the country.

“We are currently operating at almost 75 units in Pakistan and we are going to double this number in the next four to five years,” he told The Express Tribune.

“Pizza Hut has a long list of first milestones, which include the first food product to be sold over the internet and the first food product to be delivered to outer space. Therefore, it is natural that we want to reach the milestone of first restaurant chain to have 150 outlets in Pakistan,” he added.

Inaugurated in December 1993, Pizza Hut was the first international franchise to enter Pakistan and also the first one to expand its presence in all four provinces of the country. It currently operates under MCR, a Pakistani company that is part of the services sector for the past 25 years.

“Pakistan is a great market for us and we have made so much progress over the years that we want to double it again,” said Blackford, when asked about the motivation behind expansion. “Additionally, Pizza Hut is a massive revenue-generating brand especially in this part of the world, hence our eagerness to capitalise on the market.”

Meanwhile, MCR President Aqueel Hasan said that the agreement presents a massive opportunity for Pakistan, adding that the country was looking at approximately $3.4 million on average in investment alone from the deal. “The amount of investment varies between the size of the proposed outlets, but the figure is anywhere from $300,000 to $600,000 per unit,” he said. Moreover, the agreement has been slated to generate around 3,500 jobs, excluding the spill-over effects from the expansion.

Social media battle erupts over pineapple on pizza

“This is a huge investment not only in monetary terms, but also it terms of skilled labour force available in the economy,” said Blackford. “Each outlet has a couple of dozen people working, so hiring them and training them – that is a massive investment in time.”
Riaz Haq said…
Ogilvy #India, #Pakistan co-create #Ramzan ad for spice #brand #Shan Foods. #advertising #Ramadan

http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/8j3UNzkKpZzW72dolTE6CL/Ogilvy-India-Pakistan-cocreate-Ramzan-ad-for-spice-brand-S.html

Shan Foods, Ogilvy India and Pakistan will also set up ‘neighbourhood tables’ in two cities of Pakistan where people will be invited to share a meal

Food opens the door to people’s hearts, breaking barriers of language, culture and nationality. Ogilvy India and Ogilvy Pakistan highlight this in a heart-winning campaign for Shan Foods, one of Pakistan’s biggest brands of spices and recipe mixes. Set up in 1981 by Sikander Sultan, Shan now has a presence in over 65 countries, including India.

The campaign, rolled out weeks before Ramzan, aims to bring new neighbours together using the power of food. Shot in Lahore, Pakistan, the film opens with a Chinese couple who has recently moved into the neighbourhood. The wife, still adjusting to the new place, complains she cannot make new friends locally considering they don’t even eat the same food. Minutes later she asks the husband to drop her off at the supermarket where she buys biryani masala and prepares the flavoured rice dish to break the ice with her neighbours. Surprised at her skill (aided by Shan, of course), the women in her neighbourhood open their homes and hearts to her with great warmth.

“The neighbourhood comes alive by sharing food. It was a nice concept to bring back in today’s busy world that we live in. There are many Chinese expats living in Lahore hence we decided to tell the story from their perspective. The product is weaved in the story beautifully and highlights how Shan Foods brings out the ease of cooking. We collaborate on lot of projects with Ogilvy Pakistan and the credit also goes to the client (Shan Foods) to believe and own the work we do,” said Sukesh Nayak, executive creative director, Ogilvy Mumbai.

Apart from television and digital, the campaign will look at on-ground activation. The brand along with its agency will set up “neighbourhood tables” in two different cities of Pakistan where people will be invited to share a meal.

Noting that the space of food eliminating cultural differences has been explored, Deepak Singh, chief creative officer, The Social Street, said, “The insight of neighbours connecting over food is quite true and relevant to us Indians as well. I also quite like the plot, the cast and particularly the music.” Singh also noted that since food is an integral part of any festival, and Ramzan being the holy month followed by Eid which is one of the biggest festivals in Pakistan, the on-ground activity to set up “neighbourhood tables” will connect the brand with consumers.
Riaz Haq said…
Top ads in Pakistan

Basking in the spotlight
Updated Apr 24, 2017 09:43am
By Amber Arshad
The winners of the PAS Awards 2017.

http://aurora.dawn.com/news/1141985

The big winners were Adcom Leo Burnett who received six awards, Soho Square got five, while J. Walter Thompson, IAL Saatchi & Saatchi and MullenLowe Rauf bagged four awards each.


Here are the winners of the PAS Awards:

Category: Agriculture & Related Industries
Brand: Refree
Campaign: Lambay Aur Mottay Gannay!
Company: Evyol Group
Agency: Aray Wah

Category: Automotive & Transport
Brand: Shell Rimula
Campaign: Shell Rimula Real Destinations
Company: Shell Pakistan
Agencies: J. Walter Thompson, Azaad Films

Category: Banking & Financial Services
Brand: Bank Alfalah Islamic
Company: Bank Alfalah Limited
Agencies: MullenLowe Rauf, Azaad Films

Category: Beverages - Cold
Brand: Coca-Cola
Campaign: Zalima Coca-Cola Piladay
Company: The Coca-Cola Export Corporation
Agencies: Soho Square, Starcom, Digitz, Kinetic, The Vision Factory

Category: Confectionary & Snacks
Brand: Oye Hoye!
Campaign: Oye Hoye! launch campaign
Company: United Snacks
Agencies: Ogilvy & Mather, Hashtag tribe, Maxus Global, Addynamics, Stimulus Productions, Soho Square

Category: Construction, Real Estate & Allied Industries
Brand: Diamond Paints
Campaign: Dil Deewar Saaf
Company: Diamond Paints
Agencies: Adcom Leo Burnett, Adcom ZenithOptimedia, Echo Digital Marketing, ID Creations

Category: Cosmetics and Personal Care (Men, Women and Children)
Brand: Lux
Campaign: LUX White ReLaunch
Company: Unilever Pakistan
Agencies: J. Walter Thompson, TML Activations, Mindshare, Creative Chaos, Arrows

Category: Culinary
Brand: Mezan Cooking Oil
Campaign: Mezan Ramadan 2016
Company: Paracha Textile Mills
Agencies: Adcom Leo Burnett, Adcom ZenithOptimedia, ID Creations

Category: Office Furniture
Brand: Interwood – Office Furniture
Campaign: Space Workstation Launch
Company: Interwood Mobel
Agency: IAL Saatchi & Saatchi

Category: Events
Brand: FPCCI FocusPK 16
Campaign: Focus PK 16 Entertainment & Production Conference
Company: FPCCI Focus PK
Agencies: Bond Advertising, Aikman Studios, Talking Point, Mind Map Communications

Category: Fabric Care, Home Care and Furnishing
Brand: Surf Excel
Campaign: Madad Ek Ibadat
Company: Unilever Pakistan Limited
Agencies: Lowe Lintas, Mindshare Pakistan Limited, Mullen Lowe Rauf, Kinetic Pakistan

Category: Food and Dairy
Brand: Nurpur
Campaign: Nurpur Corporate Thematic
Company: Fauji Foods Limited
Agencies: Fishbowl, Stimulus Productions

Category: Hospitals, Healthcare and Hygiene
Brand: The Indus Hospital
Campaign: Rishta Nahi Ehsaas Zaroori Hai
Company: The Indus Hospital
Agency: Manhattan Communications

Category: Ice Creams and Desserts
Brand: Cornetto
Campaign: Cornetto 2016
Company: Unilever Pakistan Limited
Agencies: BBPR, Empact Activations, Mindshare

Category: Public Service & CSR
Brand: UN Women Pakistan
Campaign: #BeatMe
Company: UN Women Pakistan
Agencies: BBDO Pakistan, The Videographers, Azad Film Company


Category: Telecommunication Hardware & Consumer Electronics
Brand: Haier
Campaign: Sirf DC Nahi, Haier Ka Mukammal DC Inverter
Company: Haier Pakistan
Agencies: Synergy Dentsu, Marketing Works


Category: Telecommunication Service Providers
Brand: Telenor
Campaign: Sacha Saath
Company: Telenor Pakistan
Agencies: Adcom Leo Burnett, OMD Pakistan, Stimulus Productions

Category: Textile, Fashion & Accessories
Brand: Borjan
Campaign: Join the Fashion Walk
Company: Borjan
Agencies: Adcom Leo Burnett, Adcom ZenithOptimedia, 9.8 Films
Riaz Haq said…
Telecom Revenues Reach to Rs 234.9 Billion (US$2.24 Billion) During Last Six Months...about $5 billion a year


http://www.pakistankakhudahafiz.com/news/telecom-revenues-reach-rs-234-9-billion-last-six-months/


The telecom sector of Pakistan has witnessed a huge boom after the launch of 3G & 4G services in the country. In 2004, Pakistan had just 5 million mobile phone users whereas presently the figure has exceeded to around 139 million. Who could have thought of such a mind blowing increase in this figure? Today, Pakistan has over 39 million 3G/4G subscribers and an annual 70% cellular tele-density rate, according to PTA. Telecom Revenues Reach to Rs 234.9 Billion During Last Six Months.

Due to the increasing demand and potential of telecom services in the Pakistan, the telecom revenues from the sector have reached around Rs. 234.9 billion during first two quarters of current fiscal year.

Telecom Revenues Reach to Rs 234.9 Billion During Last Six Months

As the availability of 3G/4G services has enabled the development of new applications and m-services for the people of country. Additionally the public is also quickly adapting these new technologies and services.

Similarly, during first two quarters of 2016-17, telecom sector contributed estimated Rs. 53.76 billion to the national exchequer in terms of regulatory fees, taxes, initial and annual license fees, activation tax and other charges.

Riaz Haq said…
Big Brands Stage Raves in #Pakistan to Attract Young Money. #EDM #Art #Music #Coke #Telenor #Zong

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-12/big-brands-stage-raves-in-pakistan-to-attract-young-money

Electronic dance music pulsates as revelers wave their arms in unison and colored spotlights crisscross the ceiling of a lakeside wedding hall. It’s Saturday night in Islamabad.

Armed guards stand at the entrance to the Elements Music Festival, an invitation-only affair sponsored by wireless carrier Zong. They frisk guests and sniff bottles for traces of alcohol, which is banned among the nation’s Muslim majority. Inside, local DJs Faisal Baig and Fuzzy Nocturnal play sets of bass-heavy, looping music that end Sunday morning to chants of “One more song!”
China Mobile Communications Corp., which owns Zong, is one of several foreign brands trying to grab Pakistan’s young consumers by their ears. Coca-Cola, Telenor, and PepsiCo have also sponsored raves. About two-thirds of the population is under 30, and the economy is projected by the International Monetary Fund to grow at more than 5 percent annually over the next five years. Household consumption’s contribution to gross domestic product hit 80 percent in 2015, higher than the global average of 58 percent, according to the World Bank. A July 11 report by Moody’s Investor Services said that while Pakistan’s medium-term growth outlook is strong, the economy is also showing signs of vulnerability, noting “the government’s debt burden is high, and fiscal deficits remain relatively wide.” Fallout from a probe into corruption allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could also dampen growth. Sharif has denied any wrongdoing.
Although annual GDP per capita is just $1,561, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the country of more than 200 million is home to a sufficiently large cohort of young, liberal, and affluent consumers willing to pay the 2,500-Pakistani-rupee admission (about $24) to the Elements festival. “There’s no nightlife here, there’s no clubs,” says Bilal Brohi, 30, a Karachi-based DJ and producer. Pakistanis “want to just have a crazy night out. They just want to disassociate.”
Many young Pakistanis developed a taste for house music, techno, and other Western genres while studying abroad. They’ve been able to support their habit after returning home thanks to the growing availability of cell phones, coupled with better internet service. Smartphone shipments increased 28 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, says International Data Corp.
China Mobile’s Zong says it has a 20 percent share of the smartphone market. The company declined to comment on its involvement in the April 1 Elements festival. Djuice, the local mobile phone brand of Norway’s Telenor ASA, sponsored the Liberate Music & Arts Festival on May 6; more than 4,000 people were drawn to a Lahore water park by European DJs such as Nick Muir and Teenage Mutants. Coca-Cola Co. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google were co-­sponsors. Telenor’s goal was to reach 18- to 29-year-olds with limited entertainment choices, said Saad Warraich, an Islamabad-based spokesman, in an email.
----

And sometimes popularity gets in the way of the music. Police shut down the Liberate festival at midnight—before some of the acts could perform—because of concerns about the size of crowds gathering outside the venue. —
Riaz Haq said…
Hush Puppies hires Pakistan digital agency The Lahore-based digital agency will enhance consumer engagement experiences and digital marketing efforts through an innovative application of advanced engagement and marketing performance analytics.

Read more at: http://www.campaignasia.com/article/hush-puppies-hires-pakistan-digital-agency/439996

Hush Puppies has named Wakhra Studios as its digital agency in Pakistan. Firhaj Footwear has the manufacturing and marketing licence for Hush Puppies in Pakistan and hired Wakhra Studios to for its knowledge of digital platforms and marketing experience. "I strongly believe that in today's world, digital marketing is becoming more and more important and content is the backbone that drives your digital strategy," shared Meshaal Danish, senior brand manager for Hush Puppies at Firhaj Footwear. She cited the depth of Wakhra Studios in understanding the brand and helping to create the branding positioning and strategy as a key differentiator. "We are extremely excited to be partnering with them and can't wait to show the work we will do together," she added. Established in 2013 by Daniyal Noorani, Wakhra Studios has leapt into the spotlight for using emotional messaging in campaigns around products normally marketed for their technical benefits. "I think the reason why Wakhra won is that we work to ensure that each and every piece of content that we create for digital is well thought out and designed." shared Noorani, founder and CEO of Wakhra Studios. "In addition, we really work closely with clients to understand their needs and also work with them to improve their marketing strategy." Danish Hasan, creative director at Wakhra Studios, said the digital strategy outlined for Hush Puppies includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and digital videos. "We will be looking after Hush Puppies complete digital presence from social to media buying," he said. "Our goal is that with Hush Puppies we generate content that starts more conversations around the brand and that people want to engage more and more with Hush Puppies on digital platforms."
Riaz Haq said…
#US State Department buying #Facebook ads to influence opinion in #Indonesia, #Pakistan, #Iran and #Russia.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sd-me-russia-facebook-20171013-story.html

Sure, America’s top spies are convinced the Kremlin unleashed legions of fake Facebook accounts and booked $100,000 in ads on the social media giant to tamper with the 2016 presidential election, but “likes” cut both ways.
American agencies have turned Facebook into a battleground for the hearts and minds of Russians, too.

In a pair of information campaigns that spanned 2010-2011 and 2015-2016, federal agencies that aim to spread America’s message abroad spent $59,541 in ads wooing Russian speakers, according for federal spending records.
That was part of a $1.6 million spending pool used by the State Department, the Voice of America and the U.S. Agency for International Development over the past eight years on overseas social media campaigns linked to Facebook. The Russian ad buys may have been a small portion, but that nation was one of the Washington’s top foreign policy targets, according to an analysis of government purchase orders by The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Moscow trailed only Indonesia ($136,217), Pakistan ($127,684), Iran ($87,381) and Afghanistan ($61,176) in Facebook-related spending by the agencies.
But there the similarities end. While American spy agencies insist that Russian attempts to alter the 2016 presidential elections involved hacking Democratic Party computers and mobilizing an army of bots to amplify often anti-immigrant and racist messages, U.S. agencies mostly use Facebook to promote diplomatic initiatives or drive readers to consume Voice of America and other media outlets sponsored by Washington.
Although State officials declined comment, the agency’s $3,166 worth of ad purchases in Russia appear to have been designed to raise awareness about the American consulate in Yekaterinburg, the nation’s fourth-largest city.
And Voice of America spent $56,375 promoting Russian-language television, radio and digital programming in Russia.
The agencies also used Facebook to reach audiences in the former Soviet republics of Armenia ($33,187), Uzbekistan ($19,275) and Georgia ($40,100).
Voice of America, run by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, is blocked on Russian news outlets so the overseas propaganda network employs what it calls a “digital-first strategy” to provide viewpoints rarely heard on Moscow-controlled media.
The agency and its consulting firm that appears to have purchased many of the ads — Washington, D.C.-based Chaise Management Group — did not return messages seeking comment, but experts in internet messaging say the investment is worthwhile.
“I think western governments should spend on advertising in ways like these — advertisements for news services, consular services, humanitarian assistance programs, etc.,” said Philip N. Howard, a professor of internet studies at the University of Oxford. “Election interference, and backing particular candidates, should be against the rules. The government is not allowed to advertise for political candidates in our elections; it shouldn’t advertise for its favorites overseas.”
In a written statement, USAID said that nearly $25,000 spent on Facebook and other social media-driven campaigns over the past six years in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Southeast Asia were successful because they matched the agency’s global mission, raising awareness of its public health initiatives, humanitarian assistance programs, scholarships and research opportunities.
For example, a three-month campaign this year targeting Cambodians created 25,000 new followers on USAID’s Facebook page. The featured ad was a Cambodian pop song that celebrated International Women’s Day.
A $30,000 Facebook ad blitz in 2015 that focused on war-torn Libya boosted social media posts for six civil society organizations there and helped the “broader effort to promote peaceful dialogue and reconciliation during the political transition in Libya,” according to the statement.
Riaz Haq said…
Ogilvy India and Ogilvy Pakistan collaborate for this brand

http://www.afaqs.com/news/story/52408_Ogilvy-India-and-Ogilvy-Pakistan-collaborate-for-this-brand

The ad is centred on two characters - a working mom and her school-going son.
What is it with Indian creative agencies making ads for Pakistani brands? Lowe Lintas Mumbai has been making ads for Surf Excel Pakistan for quite a while now. In the past O&M India and O&M Pakistan have collaborated to make ads for Shan Foods (Ramzan Mubarak and Food opens the door to our hearts). This time around, the two agencies have collaborated to make an ad for EBM's (a Pakistan based company) cupcake brand, Peek Freans Cake Up. One would also notice that the actors in this ad are all Indians. The digital ad was released on YouTube on February 16. The same ad is also being run as a TVC in Pakistan.

The ad film has been produced by Curious and directed by Vivek Kakkad.

The ad is centred on two characters - a working mom and her school-going son. The mother teaches her son good values via small letters that she keeps in his tiffin box along with the cake. The son ends up leaving half the cake with a letter of his own to his mother indicating that he is following the values she has taught him. It ends with one value that stands out - 'when you share a dessert with someone, it becomes even sweeter'. This puts a smile on the mother's face as the ad ends with both the mother, at her clinic and son at his school, each eating a share of the cake.

Talking about the collaboration on this particular ad and how it came to be, Sukesh Nayak, chief creative officer, Ogilvy West (India), says, "Ayesha Janjua, the marketing head of EBM (promoter of Peek Freans Cake Up), was the marketing head of Shan Foods when we made two ads for them and when she moved here, she just wanted to continue the relationship."

Adding about how a good piece of content can become borderless and get shared, Nayak says, "Content has to be inspiring enough to reach out to the people. The context of the storyline is just like something that comes across the world to us and we see it and say "wow!" I presume a film like this will reach out to a whole lot of people because this story is true for anybody. The story is beautiful and inspiring. It is about humanity and about what we want to achieve in life as a parent and that's the cultural truth they have gone after. Over the weekend, the ad was circulated among mothers in Mumbai and it just shows that a good piece of content is borderless and it will go from one mother to the other and people will talk about it and share it."

Sharing a little about the client's brief to the agency, Nayak says, "They were launching something for the first time, a unique product and they wanted to be in the world of relationships because it is a product that is consumed. They wanted to find strategic insights and we came up with real goodness inside, which exactly describes the product and human emotions that we are trying to capture in the ad."

In the past, ads focusing on family sentiments have been overdone. So we asked our experts if it is a well-executed ad and could the branding have been done subtly?

Veneet Bagga, an ad film director, founder and creative head, Onions Creative Media, says, "Sure, it seems done to death, if you look at it as a formula, but I won't discredit the sentiment itself. One emotion that drives every human is that of belonging somewhere and a film on family tugs at that very emotion and puts a smile on your face. So, yes, overall it's a good film and well executed but predictable in bits and a tad overstretched. Having said that, credit must be given to the finer details that got through to me, like the casting, unobtrusive music and the lovable kids."
Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan Radio Pioneer FM100 Continues Growth
The country’s first commercial FM station now covers 80 million people in nine areas of the country
WILL JACKSON9 HOURS AGO

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/pakistan-radio-pioneer-fm100-continues-growth

From its beginnings as one of Pakistan’s pioneers of FM radio, with broadcasts in three cities, FM100 has grown to now cover nine separate cities and continues to innovate across multiple platforms.

The station was founded in 1994, launching on-air in March 1995 as the country’s first commercial FM station, bringing a new, more youthful style of radio to listeners. Prior to this, only the national public broadcaster, Radio Pakistan, had begun FM transmissions.

NEW STYLE

FM100’s General Manager Operation Qazi Ahmed Mateen explains: “Initially we launched FM radio in three cities — Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad — on 100 MHz. The medium wave and shortwave radio industry was almost dead in our country. We were going to launch FM radio, which was very tough. At the time, there were no smartphones, and no in-car radio — only transistor sets at home. Our station grew more popular day-by-day, and gradually FM radios were installed in cars by auto makers, and also on public transport.”

With new licenses issued by the local regulator, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), FM100 now broadcasts in nine cities, adding Hyderabad and Rahim Yar Khan in 2012, followed by Gujrat, Abbottabad, Multan, and Jhelum. Around 80 million people can now receive the station, and in total, there are around 145 licensed commercial FM stations across Pakistan, and a further 45 noncommercial.

Mateen believes they brought a completely new style of broadcasting for Pakistan. “The entire package and style of the shows on FM100 was catered towards the new generation of listeners in the country,” he said.

--------------

As well as traditional FM transmission, the station’s audio is available via phone lines. Mateen explains this service is popular in the areas where there are no radio signals and no internet. “Different mobile and landline operators provide these services through their IVR (Interactive Voice Response) services; the user has to dial the number provided by the operators and they can listen to the live radio. The station must have the contract with the operators and the service is not free — the user has to pay the charges at a set rate per minute. It also provides revenue to the radio station and the operator.”


Alongside this, the station has now expanded its reach through the internet. “FM100’s social media activities aim to engage the maximum audience. We update Facebook and our web pages to provide all the information to the audience and clients about the station — daily schedules, presenter profiles and archives. Live streaming is available to those who are not in the range of the airwaves making the radio station global, where it can bring the station and Pakistan to the world,” he concluded.
Riaz Haq said…
The dawn of advertising in Pakistan (1947-2017)
AURORA
THE 21ST CENTURY: THE AGE OF THE MILLENNIAL
HARMONISE OR GO BUST


https://www.dawn.com/news/1398497


WILL MAINSTREAM AGENCIES SURVIVE THE ONSLAUGHT OF BIG TECH COMPANIES?
In the digital advertising space, business models for creative agencies are under increasing threat due to the entry of the big technology companies, says Amin Rammal.

An Agency of Record (AOR) is commonly defined as an advertising agency authorised by an advertiser to buy advertising space and/or time on its behalf (businessdictionary.com). While this is still relevant from a media buying perspective, the adaptation of this concept in the creative, strategy and execution space may not be so intuitive in a digitally-driven, highly fragmented communications environment.

The relevance of an offering (AOR or any other relationship) depends on what the customer (advertiser) needs. The traditional agency model was a strategic partner relationship with the advertiser to manage their brand communications providing strategic planning, creative idea generation, production, execution and media planning and buying.

The AOR has been a prerogative of multinationals and large national clients. In Pakistan, multinationals adopt brand strategies developed at the global or regional level, with an aligned AOR. Major thematic campaigns are beginning to move in a similar direction, where the trend is towards global and regional creative.

So the selection of AOR agencies by multinational clients is based on regional or global agency alignment. The local agency affiliate is more execution or tactical focused. It is unlikely that this will change in the near future as multinationals are able to better synchronise and manage cost with globally or regionally aligned AORs.

Very few local advertisers invest in strategic planning and the focus tends to be more on execution. In many cases, large local advertisers appoint AORs, but the selection is often driven by price or triggered by new decision-makers in the marketing department. They also tend to maintain flexibility by keeping a roster of execution agencies.

In Pakistan, similar to the rest of the world, media planning and buying has become a specialised area thanks to the advent of media buying houses. Whether an advertiser selects a full-service agency or a media buying house to plan or buy media, economies of scale support the consolidation of media buying to a single or few entities. Hence the support for AOR in case of media, continues to stand for now.

However, some media buying houses are offering creative services, particularly in the content area, by partnering with content producers or smaller creative agencies. While they act as a single AOR for the advertiser, they are forward integrating with smaller entities and freelancers.

There are different permutations of AORs when dealing with specialist areas such as mass media versus digital, versus PR, versus activation. The decision is driven by the advertiser’s legacy system, the organisational structure and capabilities, the agency’s offering in the marketplace (full-service versus specialisation) and the cost structures of the industry.

Although in the short term, the AOR model seems to be working in Pakistan with different variations, the debate brewing globally is will the concept of AOR continue as digital’s share of advertising grows? The answer depends on several factors.
Riaz Haq said…
The dawn of advertising in Pakistan (1947-2017)

https://www.dawn.com/news/1398497

Pakistan’s first digital companies were born from small departments, developing websites within larger software development companies. From thereon, until as late as 2006, two years after the entry of Facebook and a year after YouTube came into existence, it never occurred to anyone how user-unfriendly these websites were.

They were fully functional, but they lacked aesthetics and did not even attempt to make the user experience easy. The flaw was that technology people are very good with coding but useless at design and communication.

In 2008, the multinational companies began to wake up to the opportunity and did the smart thing – they asked their advertising agencies to develop their websites or at the least, design them so that the software houses could build a better user experience.

Oddly, most agency owners failed to spot the opportunity this presented. However, along the way, something happened independently that forced the advertising agencies to look at digital as a viable source of revenue.

Between 2000 and 2010, agency revenues had started to shrink. Revenues from print jobs had gone as clients preferred to work directly with the printing presses. Then came the media buying houses and the agencies lost their commission revenue on media. Finally, as more and more film directors started to work directly with clients, TVC production also went, resulting in the closure of in-agency AV departments.

Desperate, the agency owners looked for anything that seemed like an opportunity and the fact that the software houses were so bad creatively, was a good way to generate some revenue.

Of course, in typical Pakistani agency tradition, they did it in the most unprofessional way. Interns, fresh out of college, were hired to handle their clients’ digital requirements. By 2010, blue-chip companies began to take an interest in social media.

Although the first digital agencies had started popping up in early 2000s, it was not until 10 years later that they began receiving serious business propositions. Along the way, clients experienced many frustrating moments, not least because if the software houses lacked creativity, the agencies lacked technological know-how in equal measure.

It has been a long journey. However, today, the frustration has shifted from the client end to the digital agency end, which, to their credit, eventually managed to evolve at a breathtaking speed. It was the clients that were lagging behind.

Even as late as 2015, 26 years after the birth of the World Wide Web, most clients still thought a digital presence meant only having lots of ‘likes’ on Facebook posts; quite astonishing, considering that the version of the software I am using to write this article will be outdated in less than six months. So imagine the frustration digital agencies experience when their clients are still living in 2006.

So, while during the late nineties and early 2000s, agencies spent much of their time trying to catch up with their clients’ digital requirements, today, the clients are the ones who need to catch up with global trends. And they must do so quickly. There was a time when each country could conceivably choose to adopt technology at their own pace; today, this is no longer practical, simply because the speed in the evolution of technology does not permit this any longer.

What is required is the rapid synchronisation in the digital capabilities of the digital agencies and of their clients in Pakistan.
Riaz Haq said…
Ad revenue in Pakistan


https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1144596#:~:text=OOH%20ad%20revenue%20increased%20by,Rs%200.07%20billion%20(5%25).


Total Ad Revenue Rs. 88.73 billion in 2021-22

Total ad spend (revenue) has increased by Rs 13.09 (17%); in FY 2020-21, it increased by 17.04 (29%).


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In FY 2020-21, the combined revenues of Facebook, Google and YouTube accounted for 85% of the total ad spend on digital; this year, they account for 87%.

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TV ad revenue increased by Rs 4.64 billion (14%).
Digital ad revenue increased by Rs 3.15 billion (19%).
Print ad revenue increased by Rs 0.21 billion (2%).
OOH ad revenue increased by Rs 3.7 billion (44%).
Brand Activation/POP ad revenue increased by Rs 1.26 billion (50%).
Radio ad revenue increased by Rs 0.07 billion (5%).
Cinema ad revenue increased by Rs 0.06 billion (60%).

TV percentage share decreased by 1.4.
Digital percentage share increased by 0.27.
Print percentage share decreased by 2.19.
OOH percentage share increased by 2.51.
Brand Activation/POP percentage share increased by 0.93.
Radio percentage share decreased by 0.17.
Cinema percentage share increased by 0.05.

------

TV percentage share decreased by 1.4.
Digital percentage share increased by 0.27.
Print percentage share decreased by 2.19.
OOH percentage share increased by 2.51.
Brand Activation/POP percentage share increased by 0.93.
Radio percentage share decreased by 0.17.
Cinema percentage share increased by 0.05.

-----------------

Compared to FY 2020-21, the rankings of the Top Three newspapers remain the same.
Most newspapers have registered slight increases in their revenues.

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Compared to FY 2020-21, the Top Five channels have retained their positions.
In FY 2020-21, Radio Awaz Network was #7; this year it is #9.
In FY 2020-21, FM 105 was #9; this year it is #7.

-----------

Compared to FY 2020-21, the rankings of the Top Seven channels remain unchanged.
In FY 2020-21, PTV Home was #8 and Samaa was #9. This year, their positions are inverted.
In FY 2020-21, PTV Sports was #14. This year, it is #10.


-------

In FY 2020-21, the combined revenues of Facebook, Google and YouTube accounted for 85% of the total ad spend on digital; this year, they account for 87%.

-------------

Compared to FY 2020-21, the rankings of Lahore (#1), Karachi (#2) and Hyderabad (#8) remain the same.
In FY 2020-21, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Islamabad and Multan were #3, #4, #5, #6 and #7, respectively. This year, they are #4, #5, #7, #3 and #6.

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Product categories that were introduced this year are Real Estate (#1) and Retail/Online (#5).
In FY 2020-21, Beverages, FMCGs and Telecoms were #1, #2 and #3, respectively. This year they are #2, #3 and #4.
In FY 2020-21, Fashion and Electronic Appliances were #4 and #5 respectively. This year, they are #6 and #7.

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Compared to FY 2020-21, the rankings of all the elements remain the same.

Riaz Haq said…
TV Viewership Trends
FY 2021-22

https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1144667/tv-vieweship-trends-fy-2022-23

Compared to the previous fiscal year, the average number of viewership hours decreased by 14%.

Viewership ranges between 3.3 and 2.7 hours a day; it is highest in Karachi (3.3 hours) and lowest in Non-Metro Punjab and Urban Balochistan (2.7 hours).

Compared to the previous fiscal year, viewership has decreased across Pakistan, except in Non-Metro Sindh.


Entertainment channels (40%), unmatched channels (26%), and news channels (19%) have the highest market share. Last year, unmatched channels had the highest share (40%), followed by entertainment channels (36%) and news channels (14%), respectively.

All Genres:

Viewership has decreased among all SECs:
SEC A: Viewership has decreased by 13%.
SEC B: Viewership has decreased by 12%.
SEC C: Viewership has decreased by 9%.
SEC D: Viewership has decreased by 15%.
SEC E: Viewership has decreased by 19%.
Viewership is highest in SEC E; this was the case last year.

Entertainment Channels:

Viewership has increased or decreased among most SECs:
SEC A: Viewership has increased by 2%.
SEC B: Viewership has decreased by 3%.
SEC C: Viewership has increased by 1%.
SEC D: Viewership has decreased by 9%.
SEC E: Viewership has decreased by 9%.
Viewership is highest in SEC C; last year it was highest in SEC E.

Unmatched Channels:

Viewership has decreased among all SECs:
SEC A: Viewership has decreased by 49%.
SEC B: Viewership has decreased by 47%.
SEC C: Viewership has decreased by 38%.
SEC D: Viewership has decreased by 45%.
SEC E: Viewership has decreased by 41%.
Viewership is highest in SEC E; this was the case last year.

News Channels:

Viewership has increased among all SECs:
SEC A: Viewership has increased by 15%.
SEC B: Viewership has increased by 17%.
SEC C: Viewership has increased by 17%.
SEC D: Viewership has increased by 35%.
SEC E: Viewership has increased by 11%.
Viewership is highest in SEC B; this was the case last year.

Children's channels:

Viewership has increased or stayed the same among most SECs:
SEC A: No change
SEC B: No change
SEC C: Viewership has increased by 22%
SEC D: Viewership has increased by 12%
SEC E: Viewership has decreased by 8%
Viewership is highest in SEC E; this was the case last year.

Sports Channels:


l Viewership has increased among all SECs:
SEC A: Viewership has increased by 167%.
SEC B: Viewership has increased by 120%.
SEC C: Viewership has increased by 100%.
SEC D: Viewership has increased by 150%.
SEC E: Viewership has increased by 125%.
l Viewership is highest in SEC B; last year it was the highest in
SECs B and C.


Movie Channels:


Viewership has stayed the same among most SECs:
SEC A: No change.
SEC B: No change.
SEC C: No change.
SEC D: No change.
SEC E: Viewership has decreased by 33%.
Viewership is highest in SECs B, C, D and E; last year it was the highest in SEC E.


Regional Channels:

Viewership has decreased or stayed the same among all SECs:
SEC A: No change.
SEC B: Viewership has decreased by 50%.
SEC C: No change.
SEC D: Viewership has decreased by 50%.
SEC E: No change.
Viewership is highest in SEC E; Last year, it was the highest
in SECs C, D and E.


Cooking Channels:

Viewership has stayed the same compared to the previous year.


Music Channels:

Viewership has decreased or stayed the same among
most SECs:
SEC A: Viewership has decreased by 33%.
SEC B: No change.
SEC C: No change.
SEC D: Viewership has decreased by 50%.
SEC E: No change.
Viewership is highest in SEC A; this was the case last year.


Religious Channels:

Viewership has decreased in all SECs by 100%.

NB:

Figures in this section are based on data collected from Medialogic’s Hybrid Panel which covers 100+ cities and towns and 3,000+ reported households.

Cable penetration in Pakistan’s urban areas stands at 97%.

The data is primarily based on urban regions in Pakistan, and the target audience is limited to C&S individuals only

Numbers have been rounded up in certain instances.*

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