IMS-Bhubaneswar organises Seminar on Advertising

Bhubaneswar, Nov 3: Advertising started with the need to sell and word-of-mouth advertising was the oldest mode to advertise. With the advent of social media, it again has become a focal point of advertising. Social media has also altered the trend of one-way flow of information to interactive sessions where consumers have also become a part of the process. So instead of being force-fed advertisements, users are now getting empowered to choose, said eminent communication consultant Debasish Bhattacharjee on Tuesday.

He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Growth and Development of Advertising’ organised by city-based premier media academic organisation Institute of Media Studies (IMS) on its campus.

Bhattacharjee also said whether it is a celebrity who is promoting or a mere mortal, Indians want value for their money. Some of them might have learnt to spend without analysis but majority of them want ads to convey whether the product is worth their attention.

Speaking on the occasion, head of Prelude Live, an advertising agency, Sameer Hans said Internet has revolutionized the advertisement world. It has introduced international trends and made them more acceptable, especially in urban centres. Also, it is one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise, he added.

Attending the seminar, Shashanka Pattanaik of Aditya Birla Group emphasized on the historical perspective and growth of advertising since pre-Independence era. Advertising is about striking the right note on those chords of the brain that most often are in sync with the heart. When this happens, a need is generated and brain directs to buy, be it a product or a service or an idea. Indian advertising too follows this rule but here age-old advertising trends are still thriving along with the latest innovative trends, he said.

Among others, director of IMS Prof Upendra Padhi, faculties and students of various departments were present.