In Bangladesh advertising market, social communication, i.e. development communication (those were pre-FB times), used to be a big business. At one point UN agencies were spending millions through us advertising people along with a host of other local and international clients. But the business dried up. It boiled down to direct wheeling dealing between the client and the vendors/media, pre-decided media and vehicle choice, zero emphasis on ideas and so on.
Development communication aka social communication (because many of the practitioners still don't have FB) does not communicate... and, does not make a lot of business sense. Though millions of dollars are spent, they are by design spent by rank amateurs like partner NGOs, community organizations... and, the media (primarily TV stations and newspapers), because they are closer to the government.
How did this happen? Why?
Pretty simple. The development sector DOES NOT want professional communication campaigns. Because they are not professionals. Their jobs are not about making money, which is the primary criteria for professionalism (call it capitalism if you wish to). They are social movers, do-gooders, and change makers. They CAN NOT in any way believe in what professional communicators do.
So, what does the professional communicator, i.e. the manipulator, the filthy salesman of useless consumerist junk do?
Let's see. There's insight mining, behavior analysis, perception mapping, communication mapping, media and market tracking to begin with. There's brand ideation, idea testing, integrated communication design, impact projection and so on. Did I mention investment efficiency, communication efficiency measured in attention grabbing quality, likability and memorability at the very least, brand and communication property development, or cognitive disruption?
Well, since us profit-making scum-of-the-earth engage in all that, the development sector MUST stay clear of them. It is only natural that they form their own communication strategy departments, and then hire strategists who has never heard of brand tracking or NGRP or any of the basics. Mind it, they know their own set of concepts like focused communication, cross-cutting issue, stakeholder participation, and service providers. All good concepts. But it is difficult so see how they replace the concepts used in the professional circuits (i.e. brand idea etc.).
Ironically, after reducing the role of agencies from consultants to vendors the development sector still wonders why their most carefully designed communication is less effective than the average soap or shampoo commercial.
So far it's all good. The biggest losers are us. And, probably communication effectiveness along with creativity.
But, I really can't ignore the fact that people still remember the big campaigns developed by professional agencies for the development sector. Decade old campaigns are still getting high top-of-mind recall, including some low frequency short duration campaigns. I also can't help noticing that Asiatic JWT has been the agency (for strategy, creatives, media and activation) for many of them like Vitamin A campaign for UNICEF (i.e. "rog balai toh ase duniya-i") or early learning campaign for UNICEF (i.e. "mon cholo jai ishkool-e"). There also are Sisimpur (US-AID), Lagba Baji (SMC), Shobuj Chata (BCCP) and others. Ahem.
Interestingly, they can't recall any of the recent campaigns (not to mention their messages, made with all the right intentions) even when aided. Proliferation media leading to audience fragmentation is definitely one big reason. Gives me reason to think that we need more insights for the fragmented audience, we need to plan for media more professionally in this day and age of high proliferation. It also gives me reason to think that a professionally crafted campaign with all the necessary components like idea, media, activities, properties and creative execution is an absolute need. Cases in point - our little campaign on skill development training for Swiss Contact, or our campaign on avian influenza for Academy for Educational Development.
And, I have a light apprehension that, in many of the cases, the urge to move away from the salesmen was so great that the campaign forgot to target what any shampoo or soap maker is bound to target for their own survival - the people. Many of these campaigns do not target the people (defined as beneficiary, participant, audience, TG and so on). They target the donor, the government, the media and the parent offices.
Sad but, from what I see, true. Ignore all conspiracy theory and just check out the semantics. The words, concepts, promises, images, and invites these communication use are more friendly towards the client and its partners. The notions were by the communication science of a thousand differing activists (all running high on the adrenaline of field experience in running community programs) forging complex non-binding documents in conferences around the world (generally nice locations like Cannes, Rio, Venice, Dubai and Amsterdam).
When consulting doctors, the same client does not visit a folk doctor, or for legal advise does not go to the local tea stall. But, when it comes to communication folk wisdom and anecdotes from around plays VERY important roles. I can try to guess why that happens, but that will be all conjecture. I have nothing to prove for those guesses.
So, I guess it is time to wrap. Just remember, we the baddies have a few things going for us - expertise, experience and excellence in execution. Do not not sale your campaign short. Seek out professionals to do your work for you. The money you save by flying blind is only money wasted.
We may not be god's gift the communication, but we try. Often with success.
Development communication aka social communication (because many of the practitioners still don't have FB) does not communicate... and, does not make a lot of business sense. Though millions of dollars are spent, they are by design spent by rank amateurs like partner NGOs, community organizations... and, the media (primarily TV stations and newspapers), because they are closer to the government.
How did this happen? Why?
Pretty simple. The development sector DOES NOT want professional communication campaigns. Because they are not professionals. Their jobs are not about making money, which is the primary criteria for professionalism (call it capitalism if you wish to). They are social movers, do-gooders, and change makers. They CAN NOT in any way believe in what professional communicators do.
So, what does the professional communicator, i.e. the manipulator, the filthy salesman of useless consumerist junk do?
Let's see. There's insight mining, behavior analysis, perception mapping, communication mapping, media and market tracking to begin with. There's brand ideation, idea testing, integrated communication design, impact projection and so on. Did I mention investment efficiency, communication efficiency measured in attention grabbing quality, likability and memorability at the very least, brand and communication property development, or cognitive disruption?
Well, since us profit-making scum-of-the-earth engage in all that, the development sector MUST stay clear of them. It is only natural that they form their own communication strategy departments, and then hire strategists who has never heard of brand tracking or NGRP or any of the basics. Mind it, they know their own set of concepts like focused communication, cross-cutting issue, stakeholder participation, and service providers. All good concepts. But it is difficult so see how they replace the concepts used in the professional circuits (i.e. brand idea etc.).
Ironically, after reducing the role of agencies from consultants to vendors the development sector still wonders why their most carefully designed communication is less effective than the average soap or shampoo commercial.
So far it's all good. The biggest losers are us. And, probably communication effectiveness along with creativity.
But, I really can't ignore the fact that people still remember the big campaigns developed by professional agencies for the development sector. Decade old campaigns are still getting high top-of-mind recall, including some low frequency short duration campaigns. I also can't help noticing that Asiatic JWT has been the agency (for strategy, creatives, media and activation) for many of them like Vitamin A campaign for UNICEF (i.e. "rog balai toh ase duniya-i") or early learning campaign for UNICEF (i.e. "mon cholo jai ishkool-e"). There also are Sisimpur (US-AID), Lagba Baji (SMC), Shobuj Chata (BCCP) and others. Ahem.
Interestingly, they can't recall any of the recent campaigns (not to mention their messages, made with all the right intentions) even when aided. Proliferation media leading to audience fragmentation is definitely one big reason. Gives me reason to think that we need more insights for the fragmented audience, we need to plan for media more professionally in this day and age of high proliferation. It also gives me reason to think that a professionally crafted campaign with all the necessary components like idea, media, activities, properties and creative execution is an absolute need. Cases in point - our little campaign on skill development training for Swiss Contact, or our campaign on avian influenza for Academy for Educational Development.
And, I have a light apprehension that, in many of the cases, the urge to move away from the salesmen was so great that the campaign forgot to target what any shampoo or soap maker is bound to target for their own survival - the people. Many of these campaigns do not target the people (defined as beneficiary, participant, audience, TG and so on). They target the donor, the government, the media and the parent offices.
Sad but, from what I see, true. Ignore all conspiracy theory and just check out the semantics. The words, concepts, promises, images, and invites these communication use are more friendly towards the client and its partners. The notions were by the communication science of a thousand differing activists (all running high on the adrenaline of field experience in running community programs) forging complex non-binding documents in conferences around the world (generally nice locations like Cannes, Rio, Venice, Dubai and Amsterdam).
When consulting doctors, the same client does not visit a folk doctor, or for legal advise does not go to the local tea stall. But, when it comes to communication folk wisdom and anecdotes from around plays VERY important roles. I can try to guess why that happens, but that will be all conjecture. I have nothing to prove for those guesses.
So, I guess it is time to wrap. Just remember, we the baddies have a few things going for us - expertise, experience and excellence in execution. Do not not sale your campaign short. Seek out professionals to do your work for you. The money you save by flying blind is only money wasted.
We may not be god's gift the communication, but we try. Often with success.
