Nazia Andaleeb Preema, Founder & Managing Director, Bangladesh Creative Forum is one of the most prolific and prominent visual artists of Bangladesh with a career spanning 25 years. She is driven to inspire and empower the creative community of Bangladesh as well as the Creative Director of Bangladesh Brand Forum and its initiatives. Her extensive career in the field of art and the creative industry has seen her represent Bangladesh across the world in various prestigious international exhibitions. She is also the President of Women In Leadership – WIL.

With the much anticipated Commward 2021 being just around the corner, Nazia Andaleeb talks about the significance of creative communication, the industry, and the role that Commward plays in influencing the growth of the creative industry forward.

BBF: How would you compare a perfect creative communication to an art form? 

Nazia Andaleeb Preema: Art is one of the biggest tools of communication. Hence it is the most effective way to communicate. Think about a child, a person with special ability, or a person who cannot speak. Yet they communicate with their instinctive act, react, and response. So “a perfect” creative communication is also an art form. It is not comparable rather it creates a different contextual intersection to understand art and to know what is creative communication. Art is a core tool to a creative process and creativity is what makes anything feel like a piece of art. Art is a perception that triggers through our inherent emotional and imaginative expression. It’s not only visual, it is to feel, to taste, and also to think. If a creative can make people think it can really become an art piece.

Research shows that consumers seek greater connection and a feeling that brands genuinely care about them during this pandemic. Do you think brands have been able to deliver on that promise through their communication and activities?

Well, branding is all about connection through its authentic essence which would trigger the emotional string of the consumer. It is a very prolonged yet simple trajectory to fulfil. To create and maintain a brand is a lifelong process. Hence the process depends on the promise or vice versa. See, everything is inter-connected, research-oriented, and data-driven. We need to build a magical experience through a logical procedure. To understand a brand is like understanding a human. Unless and until we know the brand accurately we would never keep the promise lifelong. That’s why some become great brands, super brands and some brands are yet to thrive through understanding their core to actively communicate and be a loved brand.

What are some of the key trends that you notice taking shape in the marketing arena in terms of evolving communications?

In Bangladesh, we have come a long way in terms of communication. It has always been a trial-error process, not only in our country but everywhere. There are a number of trends happening in recent years that are reshaping the industry,

• Pandemic is shaping the industry in a way that we have never witnessed before.
• Digital platforms are having a big impact in terms of reshaping the evolving communication space as the digital space has become central to most people stuck indoors.
• The new generation of creative minds are also a trigger to shape it up in a different dimension through blending technology and a humane approach.
• Socio, economic and environmental causes have impacted a great deal to shift the communication industry from a narrow product-centric focus to a more holistic society and people-centric one.

As we began to embrace the 4th IR, big changes and disruption became a part of our lives. But the pandemic has accelerated that shift manifolds. We may have jumped 4-5 years of change in just 1 year as pandemic changed our lives as we know it. Along with that big shift, we are witnessing multiple changes in the communication arena such as:

New lifestyle

Earlier the trend was more prominent with the new generation – Gen Z, but the pandemic has severely limited everyone’s movement and options for entertainment. Entertainment through any online platform has become the norm – whether it is via Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, or Snapchat – to more traditional members of the household.

Embracing Empathy

As people faced increased mental stress and anxiety – they were looking for communication that reflects this sensitivity.

Purpose and Harmony

This is the time for brands to rise and be true to their purpose – people expect brands to do more in their own way for the community and the people – this has been the time to truly demonstrate that we are all part of the same ecosystem.

Creative Compatibility

As online spaces have become a central space for entertainment and information consumption – a majority of brands focused on their communication in digital space. Brands needed to focus on creative execution to stand out in the sea of options. Creativity will continue to be a major strategic force for brands as we move deeper into the 4IR era.

Collaboration Is Key

Brands are creating different types of partnerships previously not explored to reach out to people or deliver their products and services.

Innovation

New formats came and became boring very fast. Brands tried live engagements extensively as the pandemic forced everyone indoors – but overuse of the trend and without the right adaptation in execution soon made this trend very stale. New innovations in engaging with people are in order.

Treasuring Hope

One of the most powerful trends which some of the brands embraced is sharing hope. As people struggled to cope with this unprecedented time, giving hope through communications played a big role and will continue to do so as life becomes normal.

In this day and age, there is great debate over privacy and how our information is shared to develop targeted creative communications. What is your take on this debate?

It is not a debate but rather it’s a problem that needs to be taken seriously. Again, one cannot teach values; it needs to be acquired. Here again, I have to talk about creating a sustainable ecosystem. Because when we will really be serious about our own work, ideas, information- we will be able to secure our privacy. It’s also a constant process of learning to understand everything. Life is a serious matter. However, we don’t take it as seriously as it should be taken.

I feel we need to reorient our concept of privacy in the digital landscape from the physical context. As it is the early stage of embracing digital in every form of our lives – we are yet to define what privacy means in this new space. Starting from taking one’s information to using one’s personal information to market to an individual to also using all digital footprints and constantly marketing an individual is not only wrong but also defies basic decency, which is defined in our physical space. We badly need to define what is acceptable and not acceptable in this new landscape and respect those when we try to communicate for any purpose.

What do you think it takes to create an award-winning communication?

Authentic and Effective communication with a purpose is really essential. Having said that, one should also keep in mind that winning an award is not a prerequisite to creating great communication. There is, of course, the core fundamentals of creating effective communication that must be addressed, but the real sizzle for communication lies in whether it has a soul – which is only possible when it reflects the soul of the creative. Without “soul”, a communication cannot touch the heart and without connecting the heart, no communication can lead to behavior/perspective shift which is one of the major goals for most communications. In the end, creative people should realize that powerful communication must embrace the soul of a brand it is working on. Only through blending that with one’s own values and creativity, an authentic and effective communication can be developed which I call successful, soulful, and effective communication.

All the pieces of logic need to be aligned but most importantly, if we reflect, we will know all world-class, great communication, per se winning communication has one thing in common and that is the soul of communication. Without the soul, communication can’t touch the heart and without connecting to the heart, communication is not possible. Because in the end all of us creative people should realize that the power of communication lies in knowing the soul of a brand. That is a lovely relationship and that is what I call a successful, soulful, and effective communication.

What implications does 4IR have in the evolution of Communication and Advertising in this new decade?

The fundamental shift which the 4th IR is bringing, is evolving scale and scope of technology which is redrawing the way people have lived, interacted and managed their lives. We need to shift our entire model and structure of communication from the way we deliver the message, to its content, to how we engage to keep it aligned with this new reality. Failing to do so would make our communication irrelevant for the new evolving consumer for whom the reality of a world shaped by 4th IR will be the only world they know.

How does Commward ensure that the best creative works are chosen and what impact does it create in the creative and communication industry?

Commward follows a rigorous jury process and follows a clear methodology to create a process which ensures the selection of the deserving communication. It’s a critical task.  Hence Commward, on a regular basis, revisits its process, consults global best practices and brings relevant changes in its approach so that it continues to choose the deserving works every year. The right strategy to choose the deserving work is therefore the core philosophy of Commward. Because the winning works not only celebrate the efforts but also set an example to inspire others to embrace the gradual evolution and evolving mentality of the industry. Owning an award is a big responsibility and therefore selecting the right type of work is just as crucial. It is always about building a bridge and synergy to keep the bridge connected to its destination and in between having a holistic journey to help and support each other to learn, grow, and therefore thrive to communicate better.

One of the newest additions to this year’s Commward categories is “The Best Use of Branded Content”. Could you tell us why Branded Content has become so relevant in this day and age? 

Branded Content consists of creating content that really connects with consumers, transmitting values, emotions and elements that may be less tangible but still is able to generate that connection through some good storytelling. Branded Content has existed for many years, but it gained relevance with the appearance of digital media since it is an ideal technique for Social Media dynamics. Branded content is about relevance, meaning and truth. People forget what brands promise, say or do. But they never forget what brands make them feel. Embracing the commitment to represent society and daring to transform the culture as the catalyst for a broader conversation that is more people-oriented and less product-oriented. Telling relevant stories where the hero and protagonist is the audience. Stories can never be boring; it’s all about storytelling as we all are suckers for storytellers. And that’s where branded content lies, we cannot avoid but to relish.

By Khondker Faraz