The cable revolution is rapidly expanding with more penetration in the villages now. According to figures published in Aurora magazine, now we have over 2.5 million cable connection with 80 % houses in the urban population while rest in semi urban areas. Now it has changed our attitude towards our social life with more impact of news and sports. Geo is the most favorite news [...]

Annoying telemarketing calls, especially in the middle of business meetings, hospital emergencies and overseas trips that refuse to spare even kids, are becoming a big concern, violating the privacy and piece of mind of cellular subscribers. More terribly, the tele-sales person will have complete personal and private information about you, including your name, business and personal contact details, the bank where you have maintained your [...]

For the last two years, Nadra had been working hard to introduce stat-of–the-art facilities for its consumers. I would like to discuss one of its public related facilities in the country, called e-Sahulat Centers. Before I go to e-Sahulat thing, let me mention here that Nadra is the largest IT based organization in our country exporting its product to various developing countries like Bangladesh and [...]

For the last few months we have been reading a lot of different news items about PTCL and its lack of quality services. People are getting frustrated due to lack of proper customer care support and now they are trying to get rid of their frustration by writing letters to the Chairman of PTCL and expressing him their agony. Couple of weeks back we reported [...]

After a severe decline, at last recovery signs are sensed in the advertising world. We have seen, right sizing, dismissals in advertising and blacklisting of the companies and clients during the last few months. Public sector was not clearing their liabilities while advertising agencies were in deep trouble with deepest cash crisis. The public sector is dying with budget drought and only those clients are [...]

Nadra E-Sahulat Centers are turning out to be a big scam in the country, as these centers collect utility bills and then wrap up their offices without submitting the dues to concerned departments, told us a high level official at Nadra. Nadra has received more than 500 complaints against such fake E Sahulat Centers from Punjab and Sindh, source confirmed that these evil minded people [...]

We have over 20 billion Rs (all below figures are in Pakistan Rupees) annual business of advertising in Pakistan – out of which 70 percent is shared by multi-national and other private sector while rest of 30 % comes from the public sector. Multinationals companies advertise to capture the market in Pakistan as per their products and business plans. They come up with allocated budgets [...]

We have discussed various mediums of advertising showing slow trends in Pakistan. Today, I will focus specifically on outdoor media; where the situation is not different than other channels. As per a survey that we conducted regarding empty hoardings revealed that at least 31 % hoarding and billboards businesses has fallen due to recession. On Murree road in Rawalpindi, from Fiazabad to Saddar, there are [...]

In lush green valleys of Abbottabad, during my childhood, I bear sweet memories of the radio programmes with no advertisements to enjoy the melodies of Medhi Hassan and Noor Jehan. In spite of just 40 kilometres away from the great Terbela Dam we had no electricity in our village – hence we were limited to radio devices only. Our relation with Radio was not confined [...]

In my recently published columns, I had predicted that the war of advertising in mobile sector will increase and companies will fight for every customer. During last two weeks, we can sense the growing competition reaching a level where cellcos’ are fighting for Paisas now and everyone is claiming lowest call rates. Zong Aims to beat the Big One We know that Zong is engaging [...]

It is not a secret anymore than our economy is in trouble, having moved from a rapid growth to a state of crisis. At a time when even Microsoft, Sony, Citi Bank and all multi-nationals are cutting jobs, Pakistan advertising industry is also shutting all possible cost which may hurt the flow of companies. As I have discussed earlier that our industry needs a bail [...]

In 1998 when I was working in a Karachi based advertising agency, all the time we had to focus on print ads and a rare TVC or intro was produced for a big client like PTCL. At that time, graphic designers were very important and they used to have a prominent value in an advertising company. They even had better salaries. These designers worked day [...]

These days the hotspot word about our economy is “recession”. Every one is talking about it and in such times consumers think twice while spending and consuming, as a result, companies have to respond accordingly. Two areas where the highest impact is expected are sales and the cost of incurred in generating sales, in other words even more media cost justifications will be necessary. As [...]

Recently, mobilink has launched new package “Jazz Budget” with tag line “No Samajhota”. The package is no doubt great deal for Jazz customers and good step to achieve value for Mobilink once again. Ad developed by Mobilink is also catching to viewers and Mobilink users all over the Pakistan. But, unfortunately; in the context of brand management they did blunder mistake in the ad, if [...]

Editor’s Note: This article is published while eying advertising budgets for both days, and bears no political cause. Pakistan is now 61 year old and every year, we have been celebrating Quaid day as a national day at least up to the media with print ads in newspapers. But, this is the unfortunate year in the history of Pakistan that we are not celebrating Quaid [...]