Juan Guillermo Vargas, who came up with the concept for the cover of El Espectador’s 125 years, talks about the advertising industry in Colombia.
How do you perceive the advertising business in Colombia?
Evolution forces to find strategies beyond the development of their products or services and the way in which they create and spread their messages requires more and more creativity. Every time the consumer has more power and is more demanding when making a purchase decision.
What advances has the advertising industry had in Colombia?
The plurality of dissemination options in the media, to reach more and more particular consumers, has forced the specialization of measurement and research tools by media and advertising agencies to know habits and detect opportunities to link brands with your consumers.
How does this industry look from Bucaramanga?
Although the characteristics and size of regional advertisers result in reduced budgets, the strategic and creative work is more demanding. When comparing the creative quality, we note that we are on the same level as large agencies in the country.
How do you perceive current media innovation?
More and more particular consumers require means directed at their habits. Now we see more alternatives to expose messages in new places. Even the air and the sky can be useful, online strategies, SMS, advertising on platforms, in sewers … the limit is respect for the rules and avoid being intrusive with the consumer.
What elements must creatives assume to make the Colombian advertising industry more competitive?
Losing the fear of daring more and without a doubt having more access to books, cinema, culture and mixing with the daily lives of the target groups.
How do you see online advertising and digital marketing?
Every day advertising investment in digital media grows, but I do not consider it to be “magic”. Digital marketing is a great tool, it allows companies to catch up with their customers by humanizing relationships and understanding our users more and more. In this way we can focus our strategies by maximizing advertising investment and generating a greater return on it.
You created the cover of the 125 years of El Espectador. How did it come about?
When you are a publicist, ideas come up suddenly, the newspaper was making the call and my trill was: “my idea is to use the photo of Colombians who witness the growth of El Espectador in the 125 years” and that’s how it was.
Currently there are specialized advertising agencies only on the web. Does this suggest that the future of advertising will only be the internet?
Yes, there has been a very important growth in this sector, however, I do not think that in the future advertising will be exclusively inclined to the internet. Online advertising is complementary to a traditional media plan. In this way there will always be space for different media.
Are there creative elements that die with the arrival of new technologies?
When radio was born, the death of the press was prophesied, the same was thought of radio when TV arrived. When a medium is born, similar hypotheses are generated, but over time it is found that the ways of conquest multiply to seduce consumers, that the media become complementary, not exclusive.
What challenges await advertising in Colombia?
Creative leadership in Latin America, the organization of a local festival of creativity at the height of the international ones, strengthening the national industry against the multinationals that will enter with greater impetus due to the FTAs.
Source: El Espectador
JULIO 3, 2012