Mark and Comm Ltd, a self-described integrated strategic marketing, reputation communications consultancy and boutique think tank, has - in a report titled "Digital and Social Media Study (Agency side) in Sri Lanka" released in August - alleged that local advertising agencies "run their Digital arm with a team of freelancers who either are entrepreneurs or having their own startups."
Further alleged, "when it comes to speaking and doing Digital or any other Social media campaigns, agencies bill up clients with huge, massive amount of bucks which is deemed to be deceiving and shows that there is an unfair leverage."
Additionally stated, since "agencies have no resources and does the Digital thing just for the sake of it, the whole digital or social media campaign and plan is mis-managed and not given the proper attention it deserves. And clients finally blame the whole new media that it’s a scam, not profitable, not effective, and not giving the proper returns as expected."
The report also indicated that many "executives and brand marketers or even their agencies who handle their whole branding and digital integrated marketing communication campaigns in Sri Lanka have no idea of view and consideration, or even have the necessity to hear out to what’s been said in the online world."
Mark and Comm Ltd also stated that it had "been watching many brand pages from Sri Lanka, and concludes that the trigger given is some promotional game such as ‘Win tickets and reloads’ or ‘Like us and stand a chance to win’, etc. As consumers move towards preference and likes apart from promotional materials being bombarded at them, these pages are being taken as a motive of increasing short term revenue and platform to carry out promotions, etc."
Said to encompass a survey of 22 respondents comprising "senior key executives throughout agencies in Sri Lanka such as Chairman, CEO’s, COO’s, and directors and managers involved in branding and client services" and including quotes by personnel top agencies; the report further highlighted the local "future scenario" as pertains to the use of traditional and digital marketing concepts by stating that "new media – Social media, Online advertising, and Blogs and Forum along with Email marketing was highly scored yet with traditional such as Outdoor, Television & Radio, sponsorships and endorsements, as well as print still remaining high."
Elaborating, the report noted that "Social media scored 95% as important; Blogs and Online forums hitting up 82% as important followed by 14% stating it’s somewhat not important and 4% stating not applicable; 86% responded that online advertising is important with 14% stating it’s somewhat not important; 69% stated Email marketing is important followed by 23% stating it’s somewhat important and 10% stating not at all important or applicable; Outdoor caught a 86% importance rate with 4% stating its somewhat important; a 95%+ stated that Television and Radio as well as the Print medium will continue to remain as a priority tool along with sponsorships and endorsements gaining a 83% importance rate with 18% stating it’s somewhat not important." |
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