Digital marketing emerged in India since 2004-05. During those days, there was no YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or any other social media platform. All the ads were Google search ads and display banners across web sites such as Yahoo and Rediff. Those were the early days for digital marketing.

As the industry and technology evolved, many new options arrived. In the last decade,we have seen rapid progress of this medium from  text-heavy advertising to video-heavy advertising. Many new formats have appreared, but the challange is the creativity in messaging.

To begin with, print ads were adapted for digital advertising. That led to the creation of digital banners. TV ads were similarly adapted for YouTube. TV has a history of 35 years in India, and digital is evolving in the 15 years. Digital has thrown up a large number of options. That becomes confusing for ad creators.

TV ad brief was simple. Create a 60 seconds commercial, capable of being adaptable to 30 and 10 seconds. Print ads must have applealing visuals that could be recalled. In a digital campaign, a 480×60 banner looks very different from 250×250 banner. YouTube bumper ad is very different from a YouTube pre-roll ad. These minute details confuse the creator. They end up sticking key visuals, as they used to do in print. Therefore, digital specialist agencies are required, rather than the traditional agencies.

Companies spend more time with a mainline agency making a TV commercial. They spend comparatively very less time with a digital agency which has to design a month’s content for social media. Creative suffers from lack of time. Ultimately, the client complains that digital does not work for his or her brand

Clients must use the digital medium effectively. They should understand the medium. Great digital ideas can come in an instant, but great digital execution requires planning and meticulous production so that the message fits the medium.