I entered advertising only after I could not sell my poetry: Prasoon Joshi

Advertising industry veteran Prasoon Joshi

“Gone are the days when you would get a passive consumer and an active advertiser,” said industry veteran Prasoon Joshi who wears multiple hats of a poet, a lyricist, a scriptwriter and an ad man at the sixth Forbes India Leadership Awards (FILA) 2016 held in Mumbai.

The contours of advertising have changed in the past few years with increased digital penetration across the country. “In today’s market, the entire delivery mechanism for companies has changed as consumers are better informed, thanks to the penetration of social media,” he said.

True, as people embrace the digital wave to stay better informed and connect with others at the click of the button, it has become absolutely mandatory for corporates to strengthen their technology to build a more direct relationship with their customers.

Take for instance the Maggi fiasco that made headlines last year. The problem got aggravated and the brand value took a beating since there was no communication from the executives in the beginning. “Communication is absolutely key in today’s world. You can no more afford to keep quiet,” said Joshi, who was roped in by Nestle to create the re-launch campaign of one of its best selling products – the 2-minute Maggi.

When a similar crisis of brand erosion had hit Coca Cola a few years ago, things were still different as the digital penetration was not as much. After all, it’s a fast world today where companies need to act fast, says Joshi who forayed into world of advertising only after he did not succeed in selling his poetry in Uttarkhand where he spent his initial years. “At one point in time, I did not have any exposure in advertising,” he says. And, all we can say is, it is definitely a gain for the advertising world!