Introduction to Media and Advertising in Pakistan

Throughout Pakistan’s 70-year history, the advertising sector has undergone significant
changes, reflecting changing global consumer patterns as well as the development and
evolution of local trends. Pakistan’s changing advertising landscape is a witness and an archive
of changing mindsets and practices, as well as of wider socio-economic trends.

From 1947 to date, Pakistan has witnessed the growth of radio stations and outdoor advertising
options, in addition to the mushrooming of private TV stations in the last 20 years, as well as
the more recent explosion of digital advertising. Indeed, as internet penetration continues to
grow, particularly on mobile devices, Pakistani consumers are now irrevocably linked to the
wider world.

Throughout these tectonic shifts in the media industry, the ability among audiences to access
content relevant to their interests (and increasingly on the go) continues to expand further,
facilitating the flow of information and ideas.

Pakistan’s print and electronic industry – has continued to maintain its position not only as the
source of news and analysis, but as the mediums of choice for advertisers seeking high-impact
and high-visibility solutions.

As Pakistani consumers have evolved over the last 70 years, the advertising industry has kept
pace, providing brands with new and innovative opportunities to target consumers. Throughout
all this, with the introduction and mass availability of TV (initially restricted to a few terrestrial
channels but now expanding to a multitude of cable channels) as well as the growth of digital
advertising options, Pakistan’s oldest advertising mediums continues to flourish.

Advantages
 Advertising provides economic growth and support
 It creates a way to set brands and products apart from the competition
 It reaches multiple demographics simultaneously
 Social and moral issues can be promoted with ease
 It inspires people to act

Disadvantages
 It costs time and money
 Messages get lost in the white noise of information overload
 Results are never guaranteed
 It is very easy for the wrong message to be consumed
 The intended targets of the advertising campaign may never see it
In Advertising field you are handling multiple clients from different industries, all of whom are active and
demanding. You meet market leaders regularly to understand how they think and this is an education in
itself. The only thing you have to do is to keep an open mind and try to grasp everything happening
around you. Advertising is all about Time and People management. You are not paid to work your hours;
you are paid to get your job done, whether it requires two hours or 2 continuous days. The secret is to
work smart and not waste time doing tasks that are unimportant or which can be done later. Things will
go wrong, your ability to make it right and how the speed at which you do it will make a difference in
your career. In advertising every day is a new day. You have to keep yourself motivated by breaking
down your tasks into small goals that you achieve and look for the next challenge.