AAN is leveraging advertising as a force of socio-economic development: Nirmal Raj Poudel

NIRMAL RAJ POUEL is the president of Advertising Association of Nepal (AAN), the umbrella organization of Nepal's advertising agencies. Managing Director of the Welcome Advertising & Marketing Pvt Ltd, Poudel is a well-known personality in the advertising sector of the country.

In order to constructively reorient Nepalese advertising industry, AAN has launched a number of initiatives. Poudel spoke to NIRJAL DHUNGANA of Nepalnews on various aspects pertaining to the country's advertising sector. Follows excerpts of the interview:

First of all, how do you assess the overall outlook of Nepali advertising?

Since the beginning of peace process in the country, Nepali advertising, like other sectors, is on a growth trajectory. The gradual dispersion of clouds of uncertainty hovering over the entire business sector with the restoration of peace has also helped Nepali advertising to grow. However, it does not mean that everything is going pretty well in the advertising sector. We still have not been able to leverage the available opportunities to the fullest.

So, what are the major factors inhibiting the advertising sector to surge ahead at a full speed?

A number of factors are stifling the potential growth of the advertising business. One of the chief reasons is that Nepali advertising business is yet to be recognised as an industry. The annual turnover of Nepali advertising approximately stands at Rs 3 billion. In the light of this fact, this sector is significantly contributing to the national coffer. The state has long been myopic in its perception of advertising sector. We have never been entitled to any sort of institutional support on the part of the state. The role of Nepali advertising entrepreneurs and professionals are often overlooked when the state devises any governing and regulatory mechanisms related to the advertising business. And, of course, there is an obvious absence of a comprehensive legal framework to efficaciously govern the sector. Nepali advertising professionals are not clamouring for special privileges but they are just seeking for positive gestures and supports from the concerned authorities.

The second biggest problem we have been facing is the lack of well-skilled human resources and cutting-edge technological infrastructure. This has created obstacles in effectively aligning Nepali advertising sector with the evolving trend of the global advertising realm. Unhealthy competition and the lack of awareness about the significance of advertising in today’s communication driven world are some other key challenges Nepali advertising has to overcome.

How do you predict the future of Nepali advertising?

Despite many challenges, the future of Nepali advertising is, of course, highly promising.

Nepali advertising has come a long way, thus accumulating a great deal of robustness as well as resilience. That the sector is managing to keep its financial reputation intact in the wake of any sort of adverse circumstances attests to the mentioned fact. With the notion of liberalisation and globalisation gaining currency at a breakneck pace, Nepali advertising sector is also gradually witnessing a paradigm shift in its entire function. I firmly believe that that in tandem with the improvement in political scenario, the economic growth will see an upward spiral. Subsequently, many business sectors including advertising business can safely be expected to gain a whole new boost.

How smoothly and effectively is AAN moving ahead?

In order to expedite the growth of Nepali advertising in a sustainable fashion, the incumbent composition of the association is working with a great deal of team spirit and vigour. It is not a blurred fact that the AAN has been taking various initiatives for the greater good of Nepali advertising as well as media industry as a whole. The association has been imparting well conceptualized training programmes to ensure quality manpower in the entire Nepali media industry. Remarkably, the AAN and the Media Society some time back, reached a momentous five-point understanding to ethically govern the relations between all the stakeholders involved in advertising cycle.The concept of Crity Awards is yet another landmark step taken by the AAN to upgrade the creative quotient of Nepali advertising. The AAN strongly believes that advertising revenues ensure an independent, pluralistic and affordable media with competing channels of information for consumers, which gain ensures that individuals have choices. Additionally, the AAN is striving to provide Nepali advertising professionals with an international, multi-industry forum for the global exchange of knowledge, best practices, professional development, experiences and ideas. To sum up, the AAN is championing advertising as a catalyst for the socio-economic development of the country.

[How do you find the interview? Please send your comment/feedback to nepalnews@mos.com.np]

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