Scholar-Journalist of the Week: Make way, ‘Mad Men’, AI will now rule advertising

Pursuing a Post-Graduate Diploma in Advertising and Marketing Communication from the Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC), Aakash Mishra  is an avid reader who loves to watch World Cinema. He believes,  “Films carry a certain reflection of the society we live in and it’s important to study them rather than just watching it.” And why he chose to pursue a course in Advertising and Marketing Communication is because he feels ad films have the power to impact and persuade people into buying or believing the legitimacy of a brand or a product. This is what encourages him to work on this commercial art form. In an interview, Aakash explains how emerging technologies are bringing a change in the advertising world. Edited excerpts:

Why did you choose to write on this topic: Make way, ‘Mad Men’, AI will now rule advertising?

As Machine Learning, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence and other technologies gather momentum, most of the sectors are adapting to these changes. Advertising isn’t left behind. I have often observed that the things I search on the web are shown as ads in various social media platforms. So this inspired me to write on this subject and as we are the generation of social media and virtual technology, I thought this would be something that would connect with the readers strongly.

What interests you about the advertising sector? Any anecdotes you wish to share?

Advertising is one of the most interesting commercial art forms present in the world. My three-year-old nephew watched the Jio ad during the IPL season and started singing the jingle of that ad. This was the first time he actually sang something after just listening to it once. I wonder how a 30 to 40 seconds of advertising leaves a big impact on the minds of the viewers. This particular incident made me more interested to learn about this field.

How do you think integrating New Age technologies in the advertising sector can help agencies?

New Age technologies will be a boon for the advertising agencies as advertisers will get to know more about the consumers of a product or a brand. This will further help them to understand the psyche of a buyer as to what goes behind the process of buying a particular product or choosing a specific brand.

Data is the new king. Do you think it’s helping advertisers to create more impactful ads or brand campaigns?

The advertisers are leveraging the power of data to know more about the needs of the consumers and what can they actually do to attract more people towards a certain product or a brand. Certainly, data analysis is playing a key role in each sector including advertising. Today through data, advertisers are able to curate ads based on the desires of the consumers that is also transforming the consumers’ buying experience. 

You are an avid reader, so what kind of books do you like to read? Who is your favourite author?

I love reading fiction books and mystery novels. My favourite author is Agatha Christie. I like the way she blends the right amount of suspense, characterisation and emotions in her novels.

Any story or article you are working on currently? 

At the moment, I am reading more about the emergence of the art of storytelling in the advertising industry as well as how the industry has evolved since the golden age of 1960-1970. There are huge differences yet somehow history is repeating itself and I am trying to connect the dots.

Do you aspire to publish any book in the future? What are your career plans after completing your education from Apeejay?

After completing my education from Apeejay,  I aspire to become a skillful copywriter and also plan to publish my novel which I am currently working on. The novel is based on: ‘Memories with objects and the anxiety they create.’

What does writing mean to you?

To me, writing is a way of organising thoughts and liberating the feelings that are trapped in my mind. It’s like a therapy session that is free and happens organically.

Any key learning you have adapted through writing?

Yes, I have learnt to research about any topic and how important it’s to patiently read about something before jumping to write on it.