We continue our series where we asked industry leaders in our April issue:: ‘If you had the power, what’s the ONE thing that you would change in adland, and why?’ 

Here’s what Famous Innovations’ Raj Kamble and thinkstr’s Satbir Singh had to say on shaking things up in the industry...

Raj Kamble, founder and chief creative officer, Famous Innovations

One thing I will change is removing the phrase ‘this can be done cheaper’ from marketer and agency conversations. 
Of course, it can be done cheaper—everything can be done cheaper. But there is a reason why creative talent costs a certain amount of money, a reason why ideas have value, and a reason why every market-leading brand in every industry has been built on consistent investment in marketing—not on something ‘cheaper.’
Ten years ago, when we started Famous Innovations, an INR 10 lakh retainership was the industry standard. A decade later, despite the evolution of media, communication, and the perception of big ideas, this figure has remained unchanged. The industry, in many ways, has stood still.
In the early days, we saw many IIT and IIM graduates entering advertising because agencies could afford to hire them. But ten years from now, I doubt this will still be possible. Talent follows the money, and if we don’t value creativity appropriately, we risk losing the brightest minds to other industries.
Every agency brings a wealth of ideas to the table—360-degree solutions designed to create impact. Yet, many clients don’t take these ideas seriously because they are perceived as free extras. However, the same ideas, when pursued with passion by entrepreneurs, can become million-dollar ventures.
The biggest mistake I see in marketing today is treating creativity as an expense rather than an investment. I’ve seen clients choose mediocre agencies to save a few lakh rupees, only to receive mediocre work—leading to mediocre results. The truth is that good ideas are expensive because they deliver results.
As the saying goes, ‘If you throw peanuts, only monkeys will come.’ There are good ideas, okay ideas, and big ideas. Big ideas take time, effort, and expertise—and they come at a cost. Clients must start seeing agencies as partners, respecting their time and creativity with fair remuneration.

Satbir Singh, founder and chief creative officer, thinkstr

For over two decades, I’ve been thinking of what I’d like to change about our industry.
Funnily, to use an oft-quoted sentiment, the more things have changed, the more they’ve remained the same. So, while the second oldest profession will continue to pine for the written brief, idea over celebrity, at least as much time for creatives as for the planners, the odd weekend off, there’s something I’ve been seeing a lot more of in the last few months: ghosting.
In the pre-Covid era, there was the CEO-is-travelling response that covered everything from no decision on pitches to no payment on time.
Now, ironically, when one’s eyeballs and thumb are sutured to the screen, there’s a deathly silence greeting even on the most important message or email, even as the recipient is ‘online’ across SoMe (social media).
Here’s hoping this changes and we’re back to the good old days of ‘CEO-is-travelling’.

This was part of a feature in the April issue of Manifest. Get your copy here.

Also read:

Pitching for change (part two- featuring Anusha Shetty and Navin Khemka)

Pitching for change (part one - featuring Anupama Ramaswamy and Devaiah Bopanna)