How far is advertising, as an agency relevant today in a world of modern technology where communication modes are at one’s fingertips and also ‘word of mouth’ carries a lot of credibility? Are the advertising agencies losing their relevance?

The answer will be a ‘yes’ or even a ‘maybe’.

However, Chris Thomas who is the Chairman of BBDO Asia, the Middle East and Africa and also Chairman of Proximity Worldwide is clear in his answer. He says, “Advertising agencies are more relevant than ever.”

Chris Thomas who is in Sri Lanka currently to attend the third anniversary celebration of BBDO Sri Lanka had an exclusive chat with adaderanabiz.lk last evening.

While stressing on his point of view, he added, “What’s interesting is that we are not living in a world of websites or social media. But we are living in a world of content. Hence, the brands and businesses which create the most interesting contents, whether it journalism, the process of writing news or any communication, then there are many, many different ways of presenting them.

“Specially, the digital world, it has a vast space. One is, it is not another distribution channel for instant communication the way that television commercials were. Instead of being restricted to a 15 second or 30 second, we can create three minutes, five minutes or even 10 minutes stories about our brands if we want to. So this is a great communication channel. It is also a great search channel. If one picks and stimulates interest in a particular brand then that a great way of finding out about the particular brand and of course serving the contents serve is also very important. This is important in building new business people who keep coming back. Communities could be built for a particular brand where consumers keep coming back to the brand, where they want to engage with the brand. So, advertising agencies make it a more interesting world through advertising.”

Sri Lanka’s advertising industry is doing a remarkable job through hard work, according to Chris Thomas and he says BBDO too wants to be a part of it through more and harder work to reach the number one spot in the field.

He added that though Sri Lanka had faced severe problems, especially during the war, when he too had visited the island, Sri Lanka now has its own very good and creditable Road Shows, which is a good way of raising standards. Likewise, working really hard and effectively is really important and the effectiveness of the Road Shows would be reflected in winning at the Effies, any advertiser’s dream, which awards ‘ideas that work’ and stands for ‘effectiveness in marketing communications, spotlighting marketing ideas that work and encouraging thoughtful dialogue about the drivers of marketing effectiveness.’

“Creativity is no really art, but we are in commerce. We are in the business creating communication to suit economic multipliers. So effectiveness is the objective. So we believe the more creative we are the more noticed and talked we would be. What is important is the digital and online have become a multiplier after the impact of creativity.

“If we look at the benchmark pre-2004, the most creative work in the world or the creatively awarded work that also won the effectiveness award was on average of five or six time the profitable market share worldwide. However, post-2004 that effect has increased to ten times. The reason for this is the work that creates great conversation, work that get famous get talked about. In the olden days they talk about it in offices but today they talk about it on websites, they share it with friends on social media. So online is becoming a multiplier for the impact of advertising.”

The Asian and African markets are very similar, says Chris Thomas who adds that there is a lot of ‘cross fertilisation’ between the two.

However, when asked about corruption etc that businesses have to face, Thomas says that it is an issue in the developing market and they should stay away and cannot engage or be ‘black and white’ while working with multi-national companies. There is no balancing the issue, since it should be ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and the answer is ‘no’.

Most importantly, Sri Lanka has been able to deliver infrastructure facilities faster than any other countries within a five year period and this he has noticed after his trip during the war and now. This makes a real difference in the country, says Chairman of BBDO Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Chris Thomas.