Below are the steps which are followed by those who have made a difference in this world. Any field, any era, any continent; the steps remain unchanged.

1. Ask yourself, do I give a damn about anything?
2. If the answer is yes, then proceed to step 3
3. Observe constantly, see what’s there and what’s not there.
4. Ask questions; ask the right questions. If no answers are given then find your own answers.
5. Those answers might appear in the shape of ideas (Warning: Please don’t be scared of them).
6. If you have found the courage to embrace those ideas, then comes the hardest part of making them happen.
7. Be prepared to face ridicule, rejection and resentment.
8. Ignore what happened to you in step 7 and keep at it.
9. If you follow all these steps, then one day you will also be celebrating the 15-year anniversary of an idea like Synergyzer.
10. If this is not for you then go back to step 1.

15 years ago, before Synergyzer’s typeface was set in ink, we followed the same steps and created Pakistan’s first magazine dedicated to advertising and marketing. More than 65 issues later, in a mood to reminisce and relearn the core lessons, we went back to our Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Ahmed Kapadia aka AK, who is also the Founder and Managing Director of Synergy Group, to know his views on the performance of the industry.

Question: Where do you think the advertising industry in Pakistan has gone wrong in the last 30 years?

AK: The advertising industry has not evolved with changing times in the last three decades or so. I strongly believe that advertising and communications is a reflection of the nation. Unfortunately, there has not been a lot of positive development in the country, particularly with reference to industrial and economic growth. Hence the advertising industry has also shown a regressive trend and performed below par.

Question: How would you evaluate the role of the Advertising Association of Pakistan in the development and growth of the advertising industry?

AK: The success of any trade body depends on multiple factors. However, one of the core factors is dependent on the financial strength and unity of the Association. It is not any of the associations that make advertising agencies, but it’s the other way around. If the member agencies are willing to commit resources to the PAA and in turn demand development of the advertising agencies to align with systems and structures, then change is possible.

Instead, if our intent is only to have the PAA to show that we have a trade body and do not even understand its role then we can’t expect to get any benefits from it. The irony is that it is not rocket science, but more of learning from other countries with effective similar advertising associations. To me, it is the misaligned intentions of advertising agencies that is not strengthening the PAA. Unless we are committed to the cause of mutual benefit, we cannot make headway.

Question: Marketing personnel regularly complain that Pakistani advertising agencies are not creative. How would you respond to that?

AK: My answer to that is partially related to the compensation highlighted above. The other half relates to the fact that marketing and advertising are two sides of the same coin. What I mean from that is that they don’t exist independently and need each as partners. Unfortunately, the relationship is hardly ever seen by both sides as equals.

Marketing mostly believes that they are paying for the cost of advertising, therefore, they have the major stake in what is right or wrong. When they become the authority in the relationship, then there is no partnership. If marketers truly wish to enter into a partnership with the agency, then they should be willing to share rewards through increased compensation or bonuses when a campaign exceeds targets. I have never seen a client coming to me and saying here’s an additional Rs. 2 million for outstanding results from your creative campaign.

Question: Improvement is a result of deliberate effort in the right direction and not a coincidence. With this reality staring us in the face, how would you encourage advertising professionals to play an active role in developing talent?

AK: A society is made of people like you and me. No one has greater rights over the other if we truly believe in the rights given to us by the constitution of Pakistan. If we truly believe in this, then we must also believe that we need to give back something to the society. Some people do this through financial support or volunteering for a cause; as professionals we can contribute by sharing and learning. We have the platform of the PAA available to us. There are so many accomplished professionals in the industry, with tons of experience. We are powering the Cannes Lions’ See it, Be it platform for their first ever event in Pakistan along with other industry stakeholders. This is a program designed to accelerate the career of women in advertising by inspiring and mentoring them. Once again, we have the full support of PAA and PAS and we have included mentors and speakers of global repute. These are industry issues and until we tackle them holistically we will not be able to raise the bar for the whole industry.

Above is an extract from the article “HOW TO PUT A DENT IN THE UNIVERSE”, as originally published in Synergyzer 15-Year Annual Special (Issue 1 – 2018).

Two of the leading brands, Pepsi and Careem have united in a creative coup to give their loyal customers in Pakistan an extremely memorable experience.

TURNING YOUR EVERYDAY RIDE ALL THE MORE COOL!

In a dynamic partnership, the powerhouses have gone old school to launch an amazing array of retro rides, providing its fans with the ultimate experience of the 60’s.

Starting from April 3rd, Careem users will be able to book some super-cool cars under the ‘Pepsi Retro Ride’ tab. This will allow you to hail a funky vintage vehicle to pick you up from your destination and drive around town with your sass mode on.

This new feature also supports the ride-later option, giving you plenty of time to plan your journey before you hit the road and your groovy ride picks you up.

THIS IS TOTALLY LEGEN-WAIT FOR IT-DARY!

A few weeks back, Pepsi won the internet with it latest ‘Pepsi Generations’ campaign, leaving its fans nostalgic with the journey through the ages.

The throwback to our favorite Pepsi stars and cans, past and present reminded us why we love the beverage all the more.

At the same time, Careem has always gone the extra mile to keep its customers hooked to the service, by announcing exciting offers and promotions. Taking its routine rides to next level, the retro-themed cars will provide Careem-ers a ride of a lifetime.

That being said, you better not miss the chance to avail the Pepsi Retro Ride service while it is available because you might never have your favorite vintage car at your disposal like this, ever again.

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more updates.

What do you do when you realize that it’s right about time that more than 5 decades of Pakistani advertising finally needs an echoing voice to help it step into a brighter future; to become the spark that will light the torch for the advertisers and marketers of Pakistan?…Well if you are committed to an idea and goals like these, you just might end up with something like Synergyzer in your own hands.

I still remember when first gazed upon a copy of Synergyzer back in the early 2015; it was something that clearly stood out for someone who already read a lot of magazines and literature. It was different; a compilation of wonderfully vibrant and relevant content that made me go through and across each page with great interest and detail. That first issue I received was an inspiration for me to join the team and so I did…

After spending about three years with Synergyzer, witnessing an overwhelming response to a magazine I can call my own and seeing the impact it made in the industry professionals and students alike over the course of 1.5 decades; I present to you the 15 Years Annual Special. We have worked around the clock to concoct a masterpiece comprising of insights, comments and views of some of the golden personalities and organizations that certainly put their mark across the Pakistani advertising and corporate landscape.

And without further a due…let me present to you some of the featured must read articles and interviews of the latest Synergyzer.

STRIKING A CREATIVE BALANCE

Sanna Malik, our Editor, gathers opinions of gurus, maestros and veterans of the advertising and corporate world to analyze what tipped the scales of insights and concepts for advertising in Pakistan and how we could again achieve balance between the two forces of creativity.

FOLLOWING THE THINKING, UNDERSTANDING, ANALYZING LEGACY

Here we sit down with Adnan Syed, the Chief Innovations Officer at AdCom LeoBurnett, to talk about the nuances of developing an integrated business model within the creative industry and creating thought leaders out of the plethora of young blood among the workforce.

BULLS EYE BIOGRAPHY: THE 15 YEAR STORY

Come sit around an allegorical campfire as we hand the mic to Shoaib Qureshy to tell the 15 year chronological story of how Bulls Eye rose from just an idea into a nationally recognized 360 degree agency.

JINGLES NOT ALL THE WAY

From the era when evergreen jingles dominated the transmitted commercials down to a drastically decaying quality of the genre, join Omair Alavi as he tracks the moments and missteps on a vividly nostalgic journey.

AD PRODUCTION EVOLUTION

Emaad Ishak talks from his professional experience 15 years within the advertising and ad film production industry and how it has evolved over the years; along with its limitations and possibilities for now and the future.

IN SEARCH OF CREDIBILITY TO OUR CREATIVITY

Join Musharaf Raza Shah as he talks to creatives Saqib Malik, Atiya Zaidi, Yawar Iqbal and Taimur Tajik to find the answer to a question that every so often buzzes across our professional collective consciousness… “Who should be held responsible for flaws that we see in our advertising today?”

VOICING IT OUT: MOVING FORWARD

In 2017, we gathered opinions from leading people in the radio industry about the challenges being faced by the industry and the importance of setting up a yardstick mechanism to gauge real time listenership. So a year later, today, we go back to them to find out how the radio industry fared and how they moved ahead.

HUMAYUN SAEED: BORN TO BE A STAR

Talking about evolutionary journeys, it would be a shame not to include the awe inspiring climb of Humayun Saeed from a commercial model to one of today’s leading actors and producers. So we sit down with him as he tells his brilliant tale.

HOW TO PUT A DENT IN THE UNIVERSE

Owing to the nostalgia we come wandering back to our roots; to reminisce and relearn our core lessons. We sit down with Ahmed Kapadia a.k.a. AK, the founder and Managing Director of Synergy Group to ask how he feels the industry has performed.

And this isn’t all… So grab a copy of Synergyzer 15 Year Annual Special and read on!

The post first appeared on Synergyzer.com

Contributed by: Ahmed Saeed