Financial Times

JWT-Sri Lanka recently launched a cutting edge global tool for advertising in a new era where consumers choose how to spend their time, joining the group’s worldwide launch of the product.

JWT’s Chief Executive Officer, Thayalan Bartlett said consumers are spending time very, very carefully and each day they are spending less time with traditional advertising. “Advertising is now competing with life. It’s TV, Radio and print advertising versus movies, sports, love affairs, scandals and political movements that are drawing away consumers from traditional advertising time,” he said adding that the JWT breed will cease to be advertising professionals and begin to think like the entertainment industry.

“If we don’t entertain our consumers we will not be in the running to retain consumer attention in favour of our brands.

A 30-second commercial will have to hold audiences longer than 30 seconds and a print ad will have to linger in the mind long after its used as wrapping paper should it still want to be within the scope of an effective advertising method,” he said.

Chandini Rajaratnam, Vice President & ECD of JWT, presented the new briefing format, which is designed to encourage a 360-degree thinking process right from the start.

There is greater collaboration and involvement with the client, who is also inspired to become a part of the creative process. The new process has taken into account many things.

“The fact that consumers are picky about the way they spend their time, and that they wouldn’t usually choose to spend it with advertising. Also the fact that we need to be wherever the consumer’s lives may take them, but in a non-intrusive way. It’s all about creating ideas that result in people choosing to spend more time with our clients’ brands,” she said.