How refreshing! How Heineken!

Effective advertising, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. On occasion, as at the 5th Goafest—the annual jamboree for adfolk on the southern beaches of Goa—advertising also lies in the glazed eye of the beer holder. Last fortnight, it was that cheery time of the year—when hot water comes out of both taps—when everybody, right from agency honchos to the junior-most copy hack, trades pinstripes and ripped jeans for the bare necessities in beachwear. The theme this time around was Survival of the Freshest, appropriate certainly against a backdrop of a recession in 2009 and, perhaps, also for the ability to live and tell the tale after three days of bathing in the burning sun and three nights of professional, social and often anti-social lubrication.

There was serious stuff, too, to survive, like the Business Conclave themed Time to Grow. India, pointed out one of the delegates, contributes 17 per cent of the world's population, but makes up only 0.7 per cent of the world's advertising market... hmmm. Veteran adman Sam Balsara summed up the poignancy of the conclave's theme: "After growing at nearly 20 per cent year-on-year for the past five years, the advertising market dipped in 2009 by as much as 10 per cent. It's 'Time to Grow' now and make up for lost time..."

That set the tone for more debate and discussion. Is creativity rising to the occasion to drive and grow brands in India and Are agencies building adequate competencies in resources and processes were some of the burning questions raised. To provide answers were present a galaxy of speakers (see interviews). And, yes, those listening weren't just seeking shelter in the AC confines of the seminar halls. Of course, there were the awards. Ogilvy India took home the maximum metals (as they're known)—43 of them, including one Grand Prix for the all-pervading Zoozoos. There was no agency of the year award. May the freshest win that one next year.

THE INTERVIEWS

"In China, the clan is more important than the individual"
— Tom Doctoroff, CEO, JWT China

Doctoroff has spent over a decade in China and is the author of Billions: Selling to the New Chinese Consumer. Excerpts from an interview with BT:

On the Chinese Advertising Market: The Chinese ad industry, worth $30-35 billion, is 30 years old, but it came to life only since 1992 when the country embraced a consumer-driven growth policy. There are 100,000 agencies and the market is moving from chaos to order.

On Branding: The Chinese market boasts of 500 million consumers and is one where scale counts, big brands count, being present in every corner of every retail store counts. For the Chinese, the 'clan' is more important than the individual. This denial of the individual is an opportunity for brands, which can become surrogate indicators that project identity, and thereby, touch hearts.

On Challenges: The biggest challenge is overcapacity: From 65 car models in 1999, there are now over 400; the supply of colour television sets is 250 per cent that of their demand, resulting in a seven per cent drop in prices over the last three years. Another challenge for brands is the fact that they are awareness-focussed, as opposed to being brand equity-focussed. Some Chinese ads are straight out of distribution catalogues and make use of manufacturing jargon, as opposed to consumer insights.

"It is Definitely Not Business as Usual"
— Michael Maedel, President, JWT International

Maedel reckons India is a vibrant market for advertising because people are open to looking at things differently. BT caught up with him at Goafest 2010. Excerpts:

On the Effect of Recession: It is definitely not business as usual, but the emerging markets like India, China, Brazil and Vietnam are still showing good growth and hence their role will be more significant in the future. While there have been pressures on margins, there is no reason to panic. The challenge, however, is to see how we can find the right balance to react to this economic pressure, but at the same time continue to build the base on which we build our business. We have to look at costs and curb our expenditure and at the same time provide value in the service we provide to our clients.

On the Biggest Challenge Agency CEOs Face Today: Our single biggest challenge is attraction and retention of talent. Opportunities are galore today. Talent will not sit at one place. So, we have to have a method of attracting and retaining them in the virtual world. Clients won't remunerate us for the number of people we have, but for the value we bring to the table using talent from across the world. It is the same situation the world over.

On Indian Advertising: India is a very vibrant market. There is a high level of entrepreneurial attitude and people are willing to walk the uncharted path, which makes the business here even more interesting. India is now the third-largest market for JWT, after the US. and the UK. Compared to China, India has a much stronger and self-sufficient skill base. Over the next three years, I believe 50 per cent of the revenues of JWT will come from the emerging markets, with India playing a significant role.

"Brands Have to Go Naked to the Consumer"
—Will Collin, Partner, Naked Communications

Collin co-founded Naked Communications in 2000 as an international business built on a media-neutral approach to communications. Eight years later, Naked Communications was sold for approximately $36 million to Australian marketing communications company, Photon Group. Collin maintains that this has not affected the company's independent thinking and vision. Excerpts from an interview with BT:

On the Name 'Naked': It was driven by the desire to be objective and to give an emotional touch to a brand. Today, the consumer is questioning everything and does not take anything at face value. The power has shifted from brand owners to consumers and that means brands have to go naked to consumers, credit the consumers with intelligence and let them make their own choices.

On the Potential in India: There is good understanding of branding and marketing amongst clients here and we believe we can enhance this still further by dwelling deeper. We will bring objectivity to Indian clients and their brands. We aim to find solutions to client problems that might not end up in a TV commercial, but rather in a rigorously planned communication based on an idea that resonates strongly with consumers through touch points that are engaging and inclusive.

On What Makes a Great Idea: A great idea is one that is useful to the consumer. Generally, I pick up little nuggets of ideas from reading articles, book reviews and so on.