It is that time of the year again as Goa AdFest is all set to return. This year, ABBY Award claims to have posted an increase of 280 new entries The number of total entries stood at 3,301 when compared with 3,021 in 2022. This includes the participation of 63 media agencies and 181 creative companies. Additionally, the entries from media agencies and creative companies count has also increased to 1,019 and 2,282 respectively when compared with 1,014 and 2,007 entries last year.
In a conversation with BrandWagon Online, Ajay Kakar, managing committee member, The Advertising Club and co-chair, The ABBYs Award Governing Council and Partha Sinha, president, Times of India Group and The Advertising Club, talks about how the awards have evolved over the years. (Edited Excerpts)
How is The ABBY Awards different from last year?
Ajay Kakar: We have retained seven key categories. The Abby Awards have always endeavoured to remain contemporary to the ever changing times. So Print is now replaced by two Still categories – Still Print and Still Digital. Similarly, the TV category is now rechristened as Audio Visual, in recognition of the many new forms of audio visual, beyond just TV. This category is also extended to two – audio visuals with a duration in excess of a minute, and below a minute. This is in recognition of different needs of different media. The Radio category has been replaced by Audio, which is not just a nomenclature change, but a widening of definition, to include new channels like podcasts. We have also included a new category, the Young Maverick Abby. This gives the spotlight and recognition to youngsters and the work created by them; the young generation of 30 years and below.
Given there is a muted ad spends environment, what is going to be the area of discussion for marketers?
Partha Sinha: I have been discussing some stuff with clients because today pretty much everybody is my client. What I’m hearing from marketers is that the power of creativity is an antidote to budgets, so this realisation is becoming stronger. There was a time about four-seven years back, when it was all in all how to distribute a message but now that’s not working. People are going back to the power of creativity, ideas and thought, which actually creates a desire. Therefore, it actually reduces spends. Contrary to popular belief, by stoking desire, you actually reduce your spend, and that conversation is gaining a lot of traction.
To what extent, technology including AI/ML is expected to help the industry in driving growth? Is it a boon or bane?
Partha Sinha: No technology is actually a new technology, because people can reorient in a manner in which the technology works in the best manner. Generative AI, which is captivity or GPT, people are not using it to replace ideas, but using it to get ideas. So, it will have an impact, and will make things more efficient. But at the same time, it will not be a bane for the industry.
Ajay Kakar: In case of the categories which we have redfined, we have made sure that still digital stands out. We have a separate category for digital and a separate category for mobile and technology, respectively. These categories have gained us immense recognition as we are moving with the times. The new emerging categories where artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are very powerful tools to build brands creatively.
How can marketers and agencies overcome tough times when one has to achieve growth in less money?
Partha Sinha: There is only one word that comes to my mind, which is creativity. If you have a stronger idea, if you are using your brain to find solutions, which are outside the convention, that’s the only way to counter this. I think marketers need to embrace the value of ideas and the value of creativity much stronger than they were doing before, because that’s the only way out.