Can a brand be built exclusively on digital in 2018?

Digital has been the dominant narrative across sectors for quite some time now. Digital tools are redefining marketing strategy and brands are leveraging the medium to maximise their reach. With digital becoming quite the buzzword, the next obvious question that comes to one’s mind is: Can brands have a digital-only marketing strategy? Is it possible for companies to overlook traditional advertising mediums such as TV & print and opt for only digital platforms?

Well, we explore the possibility through the opinions expressed by some experts.

According to Sai Narayan, Associate Director & Marketing Head, Policybazaar.com & Paisabazaar.com, while the manner in which users consume content may have undergone a change, when it comes to marketing, TV is the medium they still trust more.

“Indian audience has a psyche that still makes them believe more in brands that appear on TV versus an online platform. While the manner in which users these days consume content on mobile and digital mediums may have brought about some changes (in the dynamics), people still have a lot more trust for what they watch on TV. Hence, established brands may not feel the need to adopt any other medium of advertising,” said Narayan, while speaking at an event recently.

Also, with new companies mushrooming up in the advertising space by the day, competition is getting stiffer. In such a scenario, Narayan feels, generating revenue is a bigger concern for companies irrespective of the medium involved.

“Be it TV or digital, whichever platform a brand invests in, it is crucial that it drives RoI. Everything a firm spends has to have a clear RoI, which is then linked back to sales. And so, we may not get involved in indoor or outdoor campaigns or invest a lot in digital for that matter.”

Shubho Sengupta, a digital marketer and advisor to brands & industry associations, believes that a brand should have a strong motive to invest in digital platforms. One should not adopt the medium just because others are doing it.

“A company should be well aware of the facilities it can avail of by being on a digital platform. There should be a strong motive behind going digital. It should not be done just because competitors are into it,” he said.

Sengupta said that till a few years ago, marketers were hesitant to engage with digital too much. “And even now, some brands do not exactly know why they are investing in the medium.”

While a lot has changed when it comes to accepting digital as a medium, it remains to be seen if brands are ready to take up the fast-growing digital space exclusively, he added.

Apurva Chamaria, influencer, investor & Chief Revenue Officer, RateGain, meanwhile, has a different take on the whole issue.

According to him, “In today’s time, the role of advertising is diminishing with time. What is crucial is to build a strong and great product for it to connect with the consumers. Going big on marketing and advertising on any platform will not help if the product does not speak for itself.”

Expressing his views on how impactful brands on digital can be, Saurabh Uboweja CEO, Brands of Desire, said, “Every business is a different case study. There is no one formula that can help crack businesses on digital.”

However, Uboweja believes that with rapid digitisation, digital becoming traditional could be the next trend.

“To a large extent, it seems digital could turn traditional soon. This is not only because everyone is going digital these days, but because everyone is claiming to be knowing the platform inside out. However, I believe that the RoI factor doesn’t let one experiment much, which is very much the need of the hour. But to explore more options and generate awareness regarding one’s business, sticking to just one medium wouldn’t be of much help.”

“Hence, it seems like companies today do not really need a working model to follow. They should rather build one for themselves. At the end of the day, to stay relevant in today’s changing market, it is crucial to know how to defend what one is doing,” said Uboweja.