Fragmented media scene lifts role of below-the-line

Today's fragmented media scene has cast aside the long-held view that TVCs and full-page newspaper ads rule the creative roost. Because of the explosion in the number of television channels and print titles and the increasing number of people taking to the Internet, it was no longer true to say that below-the-line plays second fiddle to above-the-line, speakers at the MarCom Asia 2000 conference said. They said that advertising has always been about "the big idea" that generates sales for a client, and conveying that idea to a specific target audience has normally been through the television and print media. "The difference between now and just five years ago is that today we have so many media channels open to us and that means we can target much more effectively than ever before. "For one client, above the line might be the way to go. For another, it might be below the line. It all depends on which channel is deemed the best to reach a set target market," M&C Saatchi CEO Ian Thubron said, Ms Kitty Lun, a 20-year veteran of the advertising industry who recently became CEO of women's lifestyle portal Miclub, said that in the past the lion's share of an advertising budget would normally be earmarked for the television or print media. "Right now, clients are asking for a more thorough analysis of his media options. Just saying, 'Let's do a TVC' is not good enough anymore," she said. Saatchi & Saatchi regional ECD Craig Davis agreed, saying that in today's environment, ideas rule more than ever before. "We're all in the business of making connections between brands and people," he said. But he added, "You have to always ask yourself, 'Does it (the ad) make you laugh, cry or interested?' Reward people with interesting ideas and they reward you with their interest in you. Think out of the box, the TV box, the computer box."

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