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Exceptional Care Without Exceptions

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Exceptional Care Without Exceptions

We mention Pakistan and usually talk about despair all around. What we don’t realize is the fact that if Pakistan was as hopeless as we believe it to be, we wouldn’t have survived till now. There is a fraction of us who are spending their lives for the benefit of humanity. The Indus Hospital is one such healthcare center providing quality care without charging anything from the people benefiting from it. Synergyzer talks to Dr. Zafar Zaidi, Medical Director and one of the founding members of The Indus Hospital to know more about the vision and mission behind the noble cause.

Synergyzer: How does the Indus Hospital stand out amongst other hospitals and social welfare run set ups?

Dr. Zafar Zaidi: The Indus Hospital is a state-of-the-art tertiary healthcare center providing quality care, free of cost to our less privileged brethren, which makes the hospital stand apart from the rest. There are absolutely no cash counters at the hospital.

The patients are catered to at the first come first serve basis. The people who can afford the treatment do not supersede the ones who cannot so there is no discrimination of class, color or creed.

The hospital has a progressive outlook as we want all specialties and research to be at par with international standards. The Indus Hospital Research Center (IHRC) is a well equipped facility where research is carried out with the objective of policy change and patient care.

The Indus Hospital is a paperless hospital where all the data, whether clinical or non-clinical, is stored electronically. Patients are given an MR (Medial Record) number which is used to access any information regarding them saved in the hospital’s records.

Synergyzer: What is the business model being followed?

Dr. Zafar: It is a faith based business model. From the day we started The Indus Hospital we knew that it is the right thing to do and Allah will help us on each and every step. Currently, we don’t have endowments, but very soon we will expand the hospital’s allied services, introducing off-site revenue centers which will sustain the hospital’s operations in the long run. Till then we aim to be transparent, perform well and let the people know about the kind of work we are doing. We have treated more than 1.8 million patients since 2007, all with the constant support of our well-wishers and benefactors.

Synergyzer: What are the challenges that you face with the Indus Hospital?

Dr. Zafar: The biggest challenge for us are quaity human resources and we are developing that aspect. Besides, we have space constraints that we are mitigating through expanding the hospital. Currently, The Indus Hospital has 150 beds which become inadequate for the 40,000 patients that visit us each month. Keeping this in mind, we are expanding our capacity to more than 1500 beds so that we don’t have to turn down people merely due to lack of space. This process will take a decade but we have divided it into phases and the first phase will be complete within four years, making the hospital a 600 plus bed facility.

Synergyzer: What kind of projects does the Indus Hospital Research Center (IHRC) undertake? How extensive is the relevance of these projects?

Dr. Zafar: The IHRC largely looks after public health issues focusing on devising methods of providing free, high quality preventive and curative care to vulnerable communities through our community outreach programs.

The relevance of these projects reside in the fact that if we can diagnose and prevent the disease in its early stages then we can help the community nip the disease in the bud.

Synergyzer: What was the idea behind creating a paperless environment and what are its mechanics?

Dr. Zafar: When we were establishing the hospital we knew that computerized operations were the order of the day in developed countries. Our leadership hence decided that this was to be the way forward and we adopted the paperless environment from the day we started functioning.

We put together our own information system team and developed our software that was patient friendly and could be easily used by doctors also. The technical aspects of it are entirely taken care of by our Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) which include all clinical, non-clinical and administrative operations.

Synergyzer: How does the paperless mechanism work for patients?

Dr. Zafar: The paperless environment is the most beneficial for patients. They are not burdened by carrying their information each time they come for a check-up. Everything is stored in the system and the doctors can easily access all their information from the day they step into the hospital to the current date through a single click. Hence, there are no chances of losing any record, no matter how minute it seems.

Also, the information of both patient care and patient flow can be administered, audited and improved upon. We know the patients’ treatment status and can judge the improvement in their health which becomes the basis for further treatment. This way, it is feasible for both doctors and patients.

Synergyzer: How do you deal with superstitions in ensuring health care that are carried by most less affluent and uneducated patients?

Dr. Zafar: I think it has more to do with the financial condition of the people than education. If a person can afford quality treatment they will not be concerned how much money they spend on their health but if a person lacks the funds then they  turn towards mausoleums and other such outlets where they do not have to worry about expenses.

We deal with this situation by providing them free of cost quality healthcare and winning over their confidence. When they come to us, they realize that we are treating them well and not depriving them of their earnings so they listen to us and show faith in us. Of course, as they get better their trust in the hospital strengthens and they tend to go to hospitals and not mausoleums the next time they face any health hazard.

Synergyzer: How do you run a financial check on patients to assess their affordability or the lack of it?

Dr. Zafar: We have a Welfare department that asks pertinent questions about any patient’s status in society. We tell them that their treatment will be absolutely free but the questions will help us decide whether their treatment will fall under Zakat or Donations. Since they are sure they would not be charged a single penny and would still be provided premium healthcare services, they rarely lie about their credentials.

Do we run a background check on them? Rather we take the patients’ word and don’t send our staff to their houses to check their socio-economic status. We believe them and help them accordingly.

Synergyzer: What are the development stages of the Indus Hospital based on? How will the progress be through each stage?

Dr. Zafar: Initially, we needed to start the hospital and make an impact that we can deliver. For this, we took difficult cases on board and proved ourselves through the type of care we provided. This started garnering attention and more and more philanthropists joined our cause.

We have known that the space we are occupying currently will become insufficient after a while but we wanted to gain the knowledge and experience of running a free of cost hospital. Now we have learned the dynamics and have embarked on the path of expansion. We have also learnt that we can be more effective by having smaller sub-units within Karachi and beyond so that patients don’t have to travel long distances to come to us. They can be catered to by their nearest healthcare center and can be referred to the main unit if need be. This will save them the travel cost and the pain of traveling long distances also.

We have started a unit in PIB Colony in Karachi for our kidney patients, a healthcare center in Muzaffargarh and will soon start one in Bhong and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Synergyzer: What are your views about the scope of philanthropy prevalent in the Pakistani society?

Dr. Zafar: It’s amazing! Pakistan is one of the highest ranking philanthropic countries and Karachi one of the highest charity giving cities of the world. With so many humanitarians in our country, our dream of 1500 beds doesn’t seem impossible either.

We will continue to be transparent in our functions and we are sure our well-wishers will continue to help us achieve our dream of 1500 plus beds in no time.

For Zakat and donations contact
Tel: +92 (21) 111 111 880
Tel: +92 (21) 3511 2220
The Indus Hospital
Korangi Crossing, Karachi -75190, Pakistan.

Interview conducted and written by Fatima Zakir,
Assistant Manager Marketing at The Indus Hospital.
She can be reached at fatimazak@hotmail.com

 

Corporate Social Responsibility for Health

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Corporate Social Responsibility for Health

By Hiba Moeen

Corporate Social Responsibility plays an important role for companies to give back to society. As part of brand image and reputation management, CSR plays a vital role in maintaining the competitive edge. According to Forbes, Microsoft ranks number 1 among companies with the best CSR reputations; this is followed by Google and then Walt Disney. CSR is thus a means of enhancing customer value and company image.

While this phenomenon is gaining momentum in Pakistan, many companies are coming forward with strategies meant for the development of society, especially those who are under-privileged.

Ufone recently collaborated with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) through its product, Upaisa to generate donations for a hospital being constructed in Peshawar. This collaboration enables people to donate money directly through any Upaisa retail outlet and mobile valets. Head of Financial Services – Ufone, Mr. Noman Azhar, stated that contributing to society, technological advancement and innovation hold utmost importance to Ufone’s core business values. The impact is expected to be quite magnified with 25,000 Upaisa outlets located throughout the country.

Similarly, United Energy Pakistan (UEP) aims to create a positive impact in areas where it operates. Keeping its philosophy in view, UEP built the Kario Medical Centre (KMC) in 1988, and later spent USD 200,000 in 2006 for rehabilitation and renovation of the facility. Growing into a 24 hour emergency service centre, it caters to the day to day needs of patients. Besides this, serving humanity with special needs is something that United Energy Pakistan gives priority to. By donating an ambulance to Thalassemia Care Centre in Badin, it has eased many deserving patients out of their miseries, and the centre has over 300 registered patients from different districts of Sindh, the critical ones of whom are now easily transported to Hyderabad and Karachi because of this ambulance.

Service Industries Limited inaugurated Shalamar Hospital in 1982 in Lahore with great effort and contributions made by the founders of the company, Chaudhry Nazar Mohammad and Chaudhry Mohammad Hussain. Owned by the Business Hospital Trust (BHT), it caters to patients from different income groups while special emphasis is on middle and lower income groups so as to make treatments affordable. In 2013 alone, Service Industries Limited made a donation worth Rs. 19.3 million for the medical facility. Their philanthropic endeavours are not just limited to this as an amount of Rs. 9 million is also allocated for various other NGO’s and entities serving humanity.

Fauji Fertilizer isn’t left behind when discussing a range of social work for the betterment of society. Having imported and donated a 10 seat eco-friendly electric shuttle worth Rs. 1.3 million to the National Institute of Heart Diseases (NIHD) it has also fulfilled the purpose of a responsible company which is also highly motivated to go green. Saving on the tiresome walk for patients and their attendants, the shuttle provides easy transportation within the hospital. Their commitment to provide pediatric facilities totaling Rs. 12 million at the Military Hospital Rawalpindi have ensured effective and efficient treatment for young patients. Moreover, FFC constructed Sona Welfare Hospital in Mirpur Mathelo accounting for state of the art, high end equipment for the treatment of common and rare medical conditions alike.

Emphasizing and maintaining the highest level of corporate standards, Unilever Pakistan sets prominent philanthropy benchmarks with its socially responsible employees. Over the years, they have collected contributions for Aga Khan University Hospital, the UN World Food Program, The Citizen’s Foundation, Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre (MALC) and The Layton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust, thus, creating a great impact on the lives of the less affluent members of society.

In 2006, Merck Pvt Ltd renovated the Accident and Emergency Ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad in the shortest time possible, not long after the massive Earthquake that displaced several people. Later, recognizing the Baba Bhit Islands as an opportunity to lend their support, a medical facility was built by the name, Baba Bhit Medical Facility. These islands are a kilometer away from Keamari and Boat Basin and though within Karachi harbor, they provide abode to poor fishermen. Considering the need for medical assistance, Merck constructed a 12 bed hospital incorporating various in-house facilities while transferring the equipment through boats. To add further support to the cause, Sir Syed College of Medical Sciences Trust will make doctors available to the hospital. In the meanwhile, Merck is also busy in the uplift of health facilities in Balochistan with the expansion of OPD and Casualty Blocks at Civil Hospital, Quetta.

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has undertaken a variety of projects to add to its CSR initiatives serving humanity at its best. Other than providing financial assistance to the National Institute of Cardio Vascular Diseases, Karachi, starting from 2006-07, it has been giving an annual donation to the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre (MALC) for their leprosy centre in Gawadar that caters to patients from Gawadar itself, Pasni, and Ormara. In order to have the fleet of ambulances enhanced, PSO also financially assisted Chhipa Welfare Association to purchase a fully equipped air conditioned ambulance. The company has also supported the Dowites Operation Theatre Society (DOTS) for the construction of a state-of-the-art operation theatre complex at Civil Hospital, Karachi, thereby, also funding for the equipment and utilities. This consequently provides free of cost treatment for the underprivileged patients.

Shell Pakistan, on the other hand, very generously reconstructed the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre of Bani Passari in Azad Kashmir after it was completely destroyed by the Earthquake in 2005. While shedding light on the rarely discussed issue of HIV Aids, the company has been creating awareness about the disease and the disgrace associated with it and in 2009 Shell Pakistan’s HIV/AIDS program in 2009 got recognized as one of the best programs in Shell Group. Partnering with Ghadeer Consultants, high risk areas were identified in 2010 which included Karachi and Mahmood Kot. Establishing various Service Delivery Points/Outlets, trainings have been conducted and precautionary factors have been discussed. Moreover, under the Project Village setup, partnering with Health and Nutrition Development Authority (HANDS) and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), the villages on the outskirts of Karachi have been enhanced by Shell. This includes their transformation into a model settlement with housing taking account of health, sanitation, and medical facilities.

One of the major CSR initiatives taken by Yousuf Dewan Companies is their donation of four hundred bed medical facilities to the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) that caters to a great initiative undertaken by Dr. Adeeb Razvi, the dearth of dialysis facilities enticed the organization to contribute towards this cause. Under the Dewan Farooque Trust, the contributions in Sajawal and Thatta are noteworthy than just Karachi alone, other than providing financial support to mosques and government school teachers on a monthly basis, it has a school and hospital functional in Sajawal under the name, Dewan Farooque Welfare Hospital. With 4 to 5 free of cost dialysis conducted every day, this hospital aims to support people other than the company’s own employees.

Engro Corporation Limited is one of the few local companies that have diversified into several businesses and collectively pen down a story of success; it is also the only Pakistani company that has made it to the top 50 Asian companies in the Asian Sustainability Rating (ASR). It contributes 1% of profits before tax towards social development. The company, with the help of Rs. 3.5 million, established a dialysis centre at District Head Quarter Hospital Mirpur Mathelo in 2004. Being operational since 2005, it has carried out 75 dialysis cases. While paying heed to location specific issues, Engro has also been offering the treatment and administration of Anti Snake Venom (ASV) at their plant site clinic in Daharki which is operational 24/7. Meanwhile, The Eye Care Centre established in the same district has treated more than 45,000 patients till date. Other initiatives by Engro Corp include Engro Thalassaemia Center in Sukkur, the Tele-Medicine Project for rural areas and the support provided in the establishment of the Oncology Unit at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.

P&G Pakistan, has been running several health and hygiene programs towards the improvement of lives of children and mothers. The Pampers Hospital Education Program that operates in 500 hospitals educates mothers about baby care practices which include practices related to immunization and vaccination. This initiative is channelized by 1,200 nurses with about 300,000 mothers in reach. Likewise, the Pampers Baby Care Clinic Program also educates young mothers about practices associated with baby care by going to their doorsteps. So far 700,000 mothers have been reached in 30 cities. While there seems to be no end to P&G’s CSR activities, the company thrives to facilitate the youth in various sectors, with Ariel Help the Needy Program, the company provides medical equipment to about 30 institutions for disabled children.

 

10 Philanthropists Who Have Made A Difference In Pakistan

Synergyzer
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10 Philanthropists Who Have Made A Difference In Pakistan

As originally published in Synergyzer Issue 4 – 2014

Synergyzer has compiled a list of people and organizations that are making a difference in the Pakistani society with their philanthropic efforts. A lot of efforts are left undocumented; however, the list of known organizations working to improve the condition of the deserving is endless. We have highlighted some of them, in no particular order.

Perween Rahman
(January 22, 1957 to March 13, 2013)

perween rahman

The Joint Director of Orangi Pilot Project (OPP), Director of OPP Research and Training Institute, architect and urban planning expert, Perween Rahman dedicated her life working to develop low-income housing, teaching, and youth training until her last breath when she was murdered. She also founded the NGO, Urban Resource Centre that worked to modify the urban planning process which was getting adversely affected by vested interests; Saiban, an NGO which works to develop plot settlements and OPP – Orangi Charitable Trust, the microfinance branch of the project.

Major Geoffory Douglas Langlands

Geoffrey-Langlands

A British citizen, Major Langlands has lived in Pakistan ever since partition dedicating most of his 90 plus life to social work. Agreeing to stay back in Pakistan after the Britishers left the subcontinent, he knew Pakistan will have great difficulty in establishing itself and wanted to help the country, which was his way of making use of his life and doing good as he himself lived a difficult initial life as an orphan, yet got help from people in his upbringing.

Having set up the Langlands School and College in Chitral 24 years ago, he has spent quite some time educating thousands of children in the region. The educationist was also the Principal of Cadet College Razmak for 10 years in North Waziristan from 1979 to ’89, transforming the college into a fine institution of education even in the most difficult to govern areas. A die-hard lover of Pakistan than most Pakistanis, he understood the tribal mindset and helped the locals in every way he could. According to him, the tribals are totally on their own with no laws or police to guide them and as he was able to understand them he was always able to get along with them. The issue of terrorism has not shunned his belief in the coming generation as he continues to be optimistic regarding their abilities.

Master Ayub

Master_Ayub

Master Ayub waited for no infrastructure or fancy development while thinking of imparting knowledge nor is he a wealthy person yet has plans for a greater future for the children that he teaches. Starting without donations 25 years ago, he continues to hold night school for underprivileged children at the F-6 public park in Islamabad providing them with stationary and books out of his pocket as well.

Ansar Burney

Ansar Burney

President Asif Ali Zardari conferring award of Hilal-i-Imtiaz upon Mr. Ansar Burney at the investiture ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadar, Islamabad on March 23, 2013

Born on August 14, 1956, Ansar Burney is precisely renowned for introducing true human rights in the 1980’s fulfilling the gap that had existed for a long time. Being the founder and chairman of Ansar Burney Trust, he has undertaken many responsibilities with the aim of providing justice without discrimination in Pakistan and beyond. The commencement of such a cause dates back to 1980 through the establishment of the “Prisoners Aid Society” when he initiated a mission to bring reforms in prisons, police stations, and mental institutions. His welfare work includes advice, release, aid, and rehabilitation of the illegally and unlawfully detained prisoners and mental patients. Among Ansar Burney’s many achievements are the Sitar-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s National Civil Award and an honorary Ph.D. in Philosophy.

Dr. Adeeb Rizvi (Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation – SIUT)

dr adeeb rizvi

Source: Pakistan Zindabad

Dr. Adeeb Rizvi, the backbone behind the creation of SIUT started off treating kidney patients in a simple 8-bed ward in the Civil Hospital of Karachi. Having grown in a state of the art medical facility since 1971, the hospital is now one of the most reputed medical institutions in the South Asian region.

Thriving on the philosophy that no one should die only because they can’t afford to live, it provides free of cost medical care for kidney and liver-related cancers and ethical transplant procedures for the deserving. The year, 2005 witnessed the creation of SIUT Trust with the same purpose. Over the years, it has expanded with facilities named after philanthropists who made it possible; these include the Dewan Farooq Medical Complex and Hanifa Sulaiman Dawood Oncology Centre. Now SIUT has 500 beds and facilities spread over 400,000 square feet.

Gul Bahao

gul-bahao

Chandi Ghar exhibition at Karachi Press Club

Gul Bahao has been operating since the past 15 years, initially starting under the leadership of Nargis Latif, to collect municipal and industrial waste with the purpose of recycling it to provide home facilities for the poor. The provision of a clean environment and cost-effective living are the main considerations and the assumption of nothing being useless in nature is the basis of this research center. It has also participated in relief work for disaster-affected areas for the last 10 years.

The Safai/Kamai Bank and Chandi Ghar are the commercial wings of Gul Bahao; the former operates with the concept of the 21st century trash collection while Chandi Ghar is a prefabricated housing plant. Up till now Rs. 50 million have been spent on development projects out of which Rs. 15 million were loan and funds. The Gul Bahao complex is also being planned on a 2000 square yard plot located on Rashid Minhas Road.

Saylani Welfare Trust

saylani

Operating since May 5, 1999, Saylani Welfare Trust has emerged as a provider of a diverse range of social welfare facilities some of which include Meal & Legal Aid to Prisoners, Saylani Medical Camps, Milk & Bread Service which sells breakfast items at a subsidized cost, Free Medical Equipment, collective Qurbani, Asan Rozgaar Scheme etc.

Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre

 

Shaukat-Khanum-Memorial-Cancer-Hospital

Inaugurated on December 29, 1994, this hospital is the biggest cancer hospital in Pakistan, operating on an annual budget of Rs. 6.8 billion, out of which Rs. 14.723 billion is generated through philanthropy. The hospital provides curative and supportive care to cancer patients irrespective of their ability to pay, educates healthcare professionals and the public as well as conducting research on the causes and treatment of cancer.

Muhammad Ramzan Chhipa – Chhipa Welfare Association

muhammad ramzan chhipa

Muhammad Ramzan Chhipa hands over an abandoned baby to a childless couple

The man behind the Chhipa Welfare Association, owns a fleet of ambulances equipped with first aid box and paramedics that has now expanded beyond Karachi. The aim is simple; saving human lives irrespective of their caste, creed or association. Other than the ambulance service, the welfare organization provides free food for the poor and for people falling under the low-income bracket.

The idea of such a welfare organization materialized in 1987 when Karachi received a serious blow as a result of two bomb blasts in Bohri Bazaar causing hundreds of casualties. Chhipa’s emergency centers are present in various places that include government hospital vicinities and roundabouts. With the response time stated to be 7 minutes and patient carrier vans and ambulances present 24/7 the society can count on these services when needed. Together with the help of philanthropists comprising mostly of businessmen, the welfare work has been an ongoing activity.

SOS Children’s Village Pakistan

sos

SOS Village provides orphan children with a sense of belonging through care, love, and security in the form of a household comprising of siblings and a dedicated mother. Therefore, it operates under the four basic principles, that is, a ‘mother’, ‘brother and sister’, a ‘home’, and a ‘village’.  Setting realistic targets, the organization only inducts children who are either complete ‘orphans’ or ‘social orphans’ which means that their mother could have expired, remarried or might be suffering from a fatal disease, as a result of which she is unable to provide for her children. SOS stands for ‘Save our Souls’ and the organization is now active in 133 countries under the umbrella organization, SOS-Kinderdorf International and the head office is in Austria.

Starting with the first SOS Village in 1977 in Pakistan, it now is operational in 12 cities across different provinces. Comprising of the SOS Youth Homes for older boys, the organization maintains discipline and uniformity in standards in all setups.

The Art of Brand Placement

Sanna Malik
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The Art of Brand Placement

As originally published in Synergyzer Issue 3 – 2014

Product placement is a USD 25 billion industry globally, according to the Marketing Tech Blog and is expected to grow by 9.2% in 2014. This strategy is gaining more ground than any other as consumers become more and more indifferent to advertising. Brands appearing as a part of movies and TV shows, sponsoring written content through blogs and micro-sites, and carrying out digital and social media integrated campaigns are becoming more choice forms of promotion.

While through product placements advertisers integrate their brands into any selected media like TV, movies, music videos or digital media; brand integration is a special type of product placement which has the brand central to the program’s plot. It is interwoven into the script; showcasing it onscreen to a high degree and highlighting its features and functions. In the articles that follow, we have majorly covered brand placements, yet have used the terms interchangeably at certain places.

The brand integration and product placement industry has been around for the past 100 years now. The earlier forms of placements were mostly carried out in the publishing and print media. Jules Verne was approached by a number of transport and shipping companies when his story ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ was being published in serial form and later, as a novel in 1873. Other examples include publications and magazines being placed in the hands of prominent personalities while photographing them to increase the perception and reputation of their periodicals. Similarly, the practice of brands being made a part of movies has been as historic: The Corona typewriter appeared in the film, The Lost World, in 1925.

The film E.T. (1982) is remembered for its placement of Hershey’s Reese’s Pieces. Hershey’s promoted the film in its ads doing a dual integration of sorts that worked for the brand and the movie.

Currently, social integrations vary vastly in example. Through its #itsfallwhen campaign, Starbucks got its customers and Instagram followers to capture examples of how warm Starbucks drinks and fall go together. This was an incentivized campaign that strengthened the emotional connect between the brand and its customers while employing crowd-sourcing to gather compelling images.

Locally, QMobile in Bulbulay is a popular example of brand placement being carried out on Pakistani media these days. In one of the articles published in this issue by Ahmer Rasheed, ‘Product Placement Impact: Globally & Locally’, the author got a research conducted that illustrated the impact of QMobile’s verbal placement in Bulbulay. When the 300 or so respondents were prompted about the perception of the brand as a result of the placement, 68% said that it has improved their opinion of the brand. There were a whopping 32% who said the brand placement did not change their perception in any way for QMobile. While the brand may be getting a lot of recall and favorability from its target audience, those who believe in aesthetically using the brand as a part of content are not too excited about the loud way of branding QMobile is following.

The possibilities of integrating or placing brands into content are countless; as obvious from the image on the title of this article as well as the magazine. As Shoaib Qureshy puts it, it is important to carry out such strategies with a maturity of approach; tying up with content that will enhance the brand value and making the creative custodians of the brand central to the strategy to optimize impact.

 

Nueplex Cinemas ‘The Place’ to be in Karachi

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Nueplex Cinemas ‘The Place’ to be in Karachi

By Ghazala Suleman

Karachites are in for a big treat as the largest cinema complex ever built in Pakistan comes to the city of lights. In all its glory, Nueplex Cinema stands magnificent and enthralling at the entertainment center called The Place in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase VIII.

Unlike the existing digital cinemas, located in shopping malls, Nueplex is a cineplex dedicated to movies and houses five cinemas together with a few food outlets. Three gigantic screens are something worth drooling over.

It is located on the second floor of The Place and its five cinema halls can hold up to 1200 people on its 21-inch seats. By way of seating capacity, Cinema 1 has 270 seats, Cinema 2 can hold 360 people, there are 275 seats in Cinema 3, and Cinema 4 is capacitated for 148 people while cinema 5 has 48 seats since it is a luxury cinema.

Equipped with the latest 3D technology, state of the art sound systems and ultimate theater digital organization, the exquisite entertainment complex will surely bring a revolution in the cinema industry in terms of novelty, technology and ambiance.

Nueplex Cinema’s lavish design has been laid out by the Canadian architectural firm, Mesbur & Smith, while the 4K digital projection system is custom modeled by Christie Digital Canada and installed by Asia’s top cinema integration company, Eugenetek Corporation. Also, the theater boasts of the first custom designed acoustic system in Pakistan, planned and fashioned by Canadian acoustic designers, Valcoustics.

From comfortable accommodation, high security, spacious car parking, thrill rides for kids, large waiting lounges, a day care centre and an extravagant Food Court, this new cinema enterprise has left no stone unturned to create the ultimate entertainment hub for Karachites. Also, the residents of Clifton and DHA are being offered the privilege of free movie ticket delivery.

It surely seems that Nueplex is going to change the way 2D and 3D movies are enjoyed and viewed in Pakistan. What remains to be seen is how much this venture will be able to conquer the cinema loving crowds in the city.

Article courtesy brandsynario.com

 

Brand Placement Impact Globally & Locally

Ahmer Rasheed
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Brand Placement Impact Globally & Locally

’Boring long ad break again! Let’s switch to the sports channel for a few minutes till the break is over.’

A typical scenario that happens to millions of ad spend since consumers have a vast choice of TV channels available at their fingertips. This phenomenon not only triggered the significant shift of revenues from ATL – above the line – to BTL – below the line – but it also worked as a catalyst for finding new and creative touch-points for tapping into our target markets. Marketers’ smart counterattack to this shifting behavior resulted in creative BTL and accelerated the growth of PRODUCT PLACEMENT in various ways through almost all key communication vehicles.

Product placement or embedded marketing is defined as “any form of audiovisual commercial communication consisting of the inclusion of or reference to a product, a service or the trade mark so that it is featured within a program”. The three main types of placements are visual, verbal and signage.

  1. Visual placement is recognizing the product and the brand’s logo clearly while it’s on-screen. For example Toyota Corolla, Samsung mobile, iPad shown commonly in almost every other drama.
  2. Verbal placement is when a character mentions the brand by name or discusses the product’s characteristics. For example characters discussing QMobile features in drama serial Bulbulay.
  3. Signage placement is when the actual product is not on-screen, but an ad or branded item is clearly visible. For example paper cups on Pakistan Idol judges’ table having the Pepsi logo.

Product placement dates back to the nineteenth century but it started to become a source of revenue for film and drama producers in the early ‘80s prior to which product placement was more of a barter against the product supplies in bulk quantity for the film/drama crew or for the scene requirement. According to PQ Media Reports – a leading provider of global media econometrics and pioneer in emerging media research – published in Dec 2012 the product placement industry today stands at US$ 7.4 billion where

  • USA is the world’s largest market at US$ 4.3 Billion
    • China is the fastest growing market with 27% expansion
    • TV is the largest media category at US$ 4.8 Billion
    • Internet and mobile phones are the fastest growing media with 28% surge

There could be several questions on the authenticity of the above mentioned estimates yet the probable size of investment in product placement can be highlighted through an example from Hollywood. The James Bond movie, ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’ (1974) got a historic investment of US$ 5 million by American Motors for their brand AMC to be exclusively used in the movie. Later on, “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997) and “Die Another Day” (2002) both earned US$ 100 million against product placement. The latest movie in the Bond franchise, “Skyfall” (2012) tied up with Heineken at US$ 45 million, estimated to be approximately one-third of the total production cost of the movie. Coke Zero, Sony, Caterpillar, Omega, Macallan Whisky, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Tom Ford Suitings & Glasses, Walther Pistol and several other brands also placed themselves in the movie, adding to its revenue stream.

Product placement has also carved its niche into the small screen. I believe everyone recalls ‘Knight Rider’ starrer Pontiac Trans Am, KITT. General Motors gave the show’s makers models of the then new 1982 Trans Am, which was decked out as KITT. With that one show, the Trans Am became one of the most desirable cars of the early 1980s. These days those following “Modern Family” may be able to recall the episode that revolved around the iPad; as the character, Phil Dunphy, wanted just it for his birthday. For 30 minutes the family was shown trying to get the hot product; standing in Apple Store lines, and singing praises for the iPad.

Now let’s have a look at media that Pakistani consumers get exposed to. Starting from Bollywood, one of the early examples that we found is from the movie, ‘Taal’ (1999) in which a whole song, Ishq Bina revolves around Coca-Cola. Some other prominent placements included; Singapore Tourism in ‘Krrish 3’, Tag Heuer watches in Don and Don 2, Verve Magazine in Dostana and BMW bikes in Dhoom 3.

Along with visual placements, brands are also making in-roads through lyrics in Bollywood songs. The famous item song of Dabang 2, “Mere photo ko seene se yaar, chipka le saiyan Fevicol se” ruled the top charts in India and was also used as the launch ad for Fevicol in Pakistan, marketed by ICI. Though not validated, but it is reported that product placement in Bollywood measures up to US$ 0.6 million to US$ 45 million. Even if a fraction of this is true, one can estimate the revenue stream size of product placement in Bollywood.

The Indian small screen has caught the wave too. While soap operas are flooded with major jewelry and saree brands, the core focus is on reality shows including, Pepsi placed in Indian Idol, Vodafone being a part of Bigg Boss 4, and Axis Bank generating revenue for Kon Baneyga Crorepati.

While Lollywood may not be full of integration examples yet, Pakistani dramas have certainly showed strong potential for product placement; however the tool still needs to be taken more seriously by advertisers and their agencies as a potential investment for revenue stream. Bulbulay remains an exception here which exhibits QMobile and Qarshi Jam-e-Shirin very loudly and explicitly unlike the international norm which calls for brands to remain as non-intrusive as possible. Although considering the plot and treatment of this particular series, Bulbulay is unconventional in any case!

Like India, Pakistani marketers are also focusing more on reality shows like Inam Ghar, Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz, morning shows, and cooking shows for integrating their brand.

Measuring Impact

Unfortunately there is no standard measurement process for evaluating the impact of product placement. Brand Channel is the only organization that holds Brandcameo Product Placement Awards on a yearly basis but this award is limited to Hollywood films that spend a weekend at the top of the U.S. box-office. Also, Brandcameo Awards are given on the total number of appearances each brand makes in all the top box-office movies during a particular year. This highlights brand performance rather than measuring the impact of product placement directly. In 2013, Budweiser and Apple were the two most frequently appeared brands: They were in 23% of all box-office hits or top 10 films out of 34.

In 2012, Mercedes Benz had this honor with its different sub-brands placed, all over the map. ‘Think Like a Man’ and ‘Taken 2’ featured prominent placement of new models. ‘Act of Valor’ propped a Mercedes in the background. The ‘Argo’ Mercedes was a Tehran-dusty, age-appropriate placement. Then there was ‘21 Jump Street’, in which the “greened” vintage Mercedes diesel ran on used cooking oil. ‘Twilight’s’ Cullen patriarch Carlisle drove a black S55 AMG, while only James Bond would drive a Mercedes as an airport rental, as Daniel Craig did in ‘Skyfall’. Mercedes made several other big-screen cameos in 2012, such as in ‘Jack Reacher’. For more interesting brand placement facts on how Mercedes Benz preceded Apple in that year, you can visit www.brandchannel.com and read more details on Brandcameo Awards.

Moving further with our discussion, there are three possible ways to measure the impact of product placement:

  1. Economic Impact

One way to measure product placement is to measure the economic effects it has on a certain product or in particular, how product placement affects the stock price of a company. It has been found that companies that place products in upcoming box office movies tend to have an increase in stock price starting 10 days before the movie’s release and lasting three weeks after. However, for our case this method can’t be adopted as brand appearance in reality shows or in a TV serial cannot impact the stock value of the respective company.

  1. Implicit Memory

Product placement is also measured through implicit memory. One way to measure implicit memory is to see if participants chose a certain product over other products after seeing a product placement. This usually results in increased product sales. For example, Heineken’s manufacturers claimed that their sales are up by 5.3% (Over US$ 1.3 billion) after Heineken placement in ‘Skyfall’ and London Olympics.

  1. Explicit Memory

A third way to measure product placement is by measuring one’s explicit memory. A common method of measuring explicit memory is product recall, where an experimenter asks a participant what brands he or she can remember from a film, drama or reality show.

I undertook an exhaustive search for any possible data source that can help us understand the current market situation prevalent in Pakistan on product placement but unfortunately there is no such data source or study that exists – to the best of my knowledge. Eventually I decided to conduct some primary research specifically designed for this purpose, one of the advantages I have of owning a research agency. The study was conducted on the following target audience who watch TV at least 3 to 4 days a week.

  • Both Male & Female – 50% each
    • Aged between 18 to 45 years: 18 to 24 – 35%, 25 to 34 – 42%, 35 to 45 – 24%
    • Living in Karachi – 36%, Lahore – 32%, and Islamabad/Rawalpindi – 32%
    • Belonging to all SECs: A: 18%, B: 38%, C: 22%, D & E: 22%
  1. Program Recall with Brand Placement

On an unprompted level, half of the consumers recalled one or more programs with brand placement. ‘Bulbulay’ was the only drama serial respondents could recall with a brand made a part of it as well as it being the most recalled program with branded content. Reality shows particularly game shows, morning shows and cooking shows gained consumer retention on that front. I believe that Bulbulay is so much more noticeable in terms of product placement versus other dramas because of QMobile’s loud and explicit ways. Other drama serials with non-intrusive and implicit integrations didn’t make it to the consumer active memory.

  1. Unprompted Recall of Brands that Practice Content Integration

A total of 44 brands were mentioned out of which QMobile topped the list due to its appearance in Bulbulay, Inam Ghar and Utho Jago Pakistan. Dalda, Qarshi and Shan appeared as distant followers.

It is interesting to note that majority of those who recalled any brand have positive remarks for product placement. 69% consumers claimed that their impression of the brand improves after watching it integrated in any program.

  1. Prompted Recall for Brand Placement

A total of 44 brands were mentioned out of which QMobile topped the list due to its appearance in Bulbulay, Inam Ghar and Utho Jago Pakistan. Dalda, Qarshi and Shan appeared as distant followers.

It is interesting to note that majority of those who recalled any brand have positive remarks for product placement. 69% consumers claimed that their impression of the brand improves after watching it integrated in any program.

More than half of the respondents – 53% – recalled QMobile. In contrast, only 4% respondents recalled Qarshi Jam-e-Shirin. There could be several reasons for this huge gap, i.e. number of placements, timeframe of a placement etc.

The impact of product placement on QMobile’s brand image has turned out to be quite positive as 68% respondents are of the opinion that their perception of the brand has improved. 32% do say that it has not made any difference while 1% say that it is worse than before.

  1. Why Does Brand Placement Improve Brand Image?

Underlying reasons indicate that whether we, as marketers, may not always agree with the way any brand is being integrated within any content, consumers do have reasons for appreciating and recalling the brand!

It is evident from this effort to measure the effectiveness and impact of product placement in Pakistan that it can be explored much more as a booming consumer touch-point. Marketers should start thinking about weaving the brand in the plot or script of drama serials in addition to the usual intrusive placements in reality shows.

Ahmer is the Founder and CEO of Markematics, and the first elected President of Marketing Research Society of Pakistan (MRSP). He is a leading marketing, research and strategy consultant in Pakistan and abroad with over 18 years of experience. He was instrumental in establishing Nielsen and MEMRB in Pakistan and has rich experience with GlaxoSmithKline and Eli Lilly.

 

Branding a Nation through Integration

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Branding a Nation through Integration

Brand image building is one of the most important aspects associated with marketing and crucial for the brand’s survival as its true value is judged by the target audience it serves. Similarly, a mature brand would consider having integrated content for top of mind recall and repeat sales. When it’s done to compliment ‘nation branding’, a lot can be done to include existing national and international brands operating within to reflect the very essence of the brand, that is, the country itself.

This could later translate into competitive advantage over other countries while a serious consideration must be given to the notion that a brand is more often known for what it does for its consumers than what it says. It’s time to get Pakistan identified for its unique selling propositions and shun the negative branding away because of being maligned as an exporter of terrorism and eventually personified as a terrorist hoarding state. For us and at this point in time, it is important that our country’s brand value is communicated to our brethren within the country as well as to an international audience to project what the country holds.

Having mentioned this, portraying a country as an integrated brand leads to personification, thus, attributing moods and personalities to it. For instance, MasterChef Australia reflects a humble image of the country thanks to the judges and their approach towards assessing a candidate, similarly, having contestants from various nationalities reveals a more open minded society that leverages a blend of cultures and provides them room for professional growth. On the other hand, there are brands that are valued so highly that they are considered a part of national identity and pride, one such perfect example is Kraft Food’s Vegemite, a popular Australian spread made from yeast extract (originally launched in 1923 and owned by Fred Walker & Co. Pty. Ltd.) and named as a result of a crowdsourcing campaign.

As far as integration through tourism is concerned, the filming of ‘Lord of the Rings’ integrated New Zealand’s image as a result of which the country developed complimented promotional material, aligning it with the movie’s international releases. Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) made use of organic images from the movie for their advertising material on the tourist website, TourismNewZealand.com, running it as part of the campaign, ‘100% Pure New Zealand’. Ever since the movie, the country has witnessed a 50% increase in visitors contributing to NZ$33 million.
The campaign itself, ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ was launched in 1999 with a focus on the 100% visitor experience. This includes, international PR, advertising, sponsorship activity, event, and online marketing. One year after the commencement of its activities, visitor numbers had increased to 10% and spending by 20%.

Considering the efforts put in for marketing and resulting perceived image, in the World Travel Awards of 2012, it was awarded the Best Destination Marketing Campaign.

Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a character brought to life through local and now global stardom and hence a source of British national pride so much so that when his death was revealed in the novel it resulted in public uproar and the queen requesting the author to bring him back to life. It’s actually the integration of culture and societal norms that are woven into its literature cherished as a reckoning force of their identity that brought the character so much fame that he became famous for his typical British ways. Talking in the local context, Anwar Maqsood’s satirical shows and Haseena Moin’s TV plays have projected a strong image of Pakistan in the past, be it a play shot within the country or abroad, in the form of ‘The Castle Aik Umeed’ or ‘Des Pardes’, they were always a source of image building.

During the time period when we rarely get to see the positive side of the country, we often find ourselves struck by nostalgia, a time frame characteristic of cultural resplendence aired inspite of a limited number of media channels. Among quite a few local programs and shows was one such adventure cum reality show directed by Shoaib Mansoor, ‘Gulls & Guys: Voyage of Discovery’ shot in various destinations of the world in 1999 sponsored by John Player Gold Leaf while traveling in a yacht. Pakistan was depicted in it while going to different countries and cities around the world, documenting their culture and comparing them with our own.

Morven Gold’s TVC, ‘Rhythm of Unity’ shot in Lahore Fort, is a rare classic. Who can forget the melodious tune amidst Eid gatherings during those childhood days? Ending it initially with the brand name but later into words ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ created a sense of patriotism among all.
On the other hand, Shoaib Mansoor’s directorial excellence and ISPR’s production ‘Alpha Bravo Charlie’ after the much acclaimed ‘Sunehrey Din’ won the hearts of the audience by highlighting Pakistan Army’s heroic image in Siachen and Bosnia.
The depiction of the British Royal Family through brands in the UK when it comes to celebrating their events is noteworthy. One of the brilliant creations was Tetley’s Royal Family character tea bags. In a brand study published by Huffington Post, it is noted that the British monarchy’s brand value is worth £ 44 billion.

In his article, ‘Countries as Umbrella Brands’, Tom Nightingale mentions that America is a unique umbrella brand and has words associated like ‘entrepreneurial’, ‘meritocracy’, ‘innovative’, and ‘resilience’ to it. He has also mentioned that when it comes to technology, their country has some of the most respected and widely used sub-brands in the world while 88% of all mobile phone operating systems are also of the American origin. Apple is an example with their proudly labeled products such as ‘Designed by Apple in California’, similarly, Switzerland can be associated with chocolates and watches while Germany with high end automobiles.

Brands in developed countries have become strong enough to help build their countries as brands through international recognition and increasing foreign exchange. Comparing this ideology to Khussa’s, Ajrak, mirror embroidery, our mangoes, textiles, and Basmati rice; it can be realized that these are unique selling propositions of the country that need special recognition as being exclusively Pakistani. International consumers often confuse them with being Indian. For instance, there is the ironic reality of Pakistani Basmati rice being exported to Dubai and packaged as Indian produce, which may be because of the existing gap in terms of taking and vouching for ownership and consciously integrating the produce as our own.

In the recent campaign called ‘Hur Dum Pakistani’, Coca-Cola conveyed a positive image of Pakistanis as an optimistic nation, highlighting strong willed individuals across social and traditional platforms.

Furthermore, diversity could also be used as a statement in brands. For example, it has become a communication shift for brands like Cheerios and Coca-Cola airing their advertisements during the Super Bowl. Cheerios focused on a small mixed race family and their future endeavours while Coca-Cola went an extra mile to integrate a diverse image of the USA through ‘America the Beautiful’ sung in different languages.

Heather Schmid, an American pop singer was seen wearing a Khaadi top which means a subconscious endorsement for the brand and integration of our country’s image. This is something that Khaadi itself has acknowledged on their Facebook page, striking a good conversation around it. While the brand can further utilize such a medium, it can further capitalize to plan endorsements on cooking channels and morning shows, especially with their Mughal prints and other SKU’s that reflect loyalty towards the country.

A great source of pride for the nation are the Brazuca footballs manufactured in Sialkot for the FIFA Football Tournament 2014; a much needed recognition in these testing times and something for the entire nation to feel proud of despite not being part of the tournament. Not only does it contribute to foreign exchange but also towards brand building.

Integration should be reflective at such an angle that local brands find themselves being in demand around the globe; Shan Foods is one such example. However, what may come as a surprise is Karachi’s public bus, W-11 (pronounced ‘dublew gyara’), in Melbourne, Australia, being run as a tram decorated in signature Pakistani truck-art style. . Melbourne artist, Mick Douglas wanted to represent the goodwill existing between the two countries and Australian W-11 was the outcome during the Commonwealth Games 2006. Pakistani truck/bus art decorators thus got a chance to highlight their talent, not to mention the same caliber of poetry witnessed locally. Projects like these are the founding pillars of cultural leverage and friendship.

As far as small scale entrepreneurship is concerned, Veranda at Five and K for Karachi are a few of the amazing examples of Facebook based businesses that sell merchandise quite readily related to the country and flaunt of a touch of vintage imagery in everything.
Eventually, politicians are the brand team that needs to construct a strong brand architecture alongside acceptance and harmony within the organization which though difficult to achieve is not impossible.

Content Integration: Needs Greater Attention From Marketers

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Content Integration: Needs Greater Attention From Marketers

Shoaib Qureshy

Brands and content continue to merge together with increasing pace these days. In the past few years, there have been very successful business and brand building content integration examples like Lux Style Awards, Commander Safeguard and Hero Bannay Ki Tarang which did more than one season runs. Recently, we saw Pepsi and HBL integrate with Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi. Whether this spelled success for these brands or not is debatable. We saw Pepsi, Clear, Mobilink and Q-Mobile integrate with Pakistan Idol, yet other than Pepsi, no other brand was able to make much of it despite them all trying. As I write this, Knorr, Shan, 7-UP and Ariel are integrating with Master Chef and only time will tell which brand made the most of it. By the look of things, chances do not seem very high for any.

These examples raise many questions that must be answered: What content works for what brand? What works best when it comes to balancing brand and content? How much brand exposure within any piece of content is too much? And at what point does the brand lose its utility and become an annoyance to the very audience it is trying to reach?

You would be surprised to know that content integration has a long history, arguably as old as publishing itself. The Lifesavers brand was integrated into the 1932 Groucho Marx movie ‘Horse Feathers,’ and Spielberg’s ‘E.T.’ featured the first paid candy integration, Reese’s Pieces. National Geographic had a starring role in the 1946 movie ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. Given this long history, the answers to the questions above should be with marketers but the truth is they’re not.

Why?

Because the usual process for developing content integration is quite haphazard and not at all strategic or creative driven, given the time it deserves. This often leaves a lot to be desired and hence the brand doesn’t completely benefit from the marketing investment behind it. The process is something like this: The channel or producer sends a script or proposal to the agency which then breaks it down into what it considers relevant for the client based on brand demographics. The agency then provides the options to the client about the availability of TV shows or movies, giving details of certain actors, director, or producer after which the client decides which show or movie they want to sign up with.

Is this really the way companies should be deciding to spend Rs.10 to 80 million on a content integration opportunity that will be on air for several months?

Appalled by what I see, I want to highlight what really drives brand integration results and what marketers must consider as they plan for it?
There are four keys to making Content Integration work for your brand:

Choose the Right Content – Movie or TV Shows

The best way to get high brand recall and brand opinion shift from your content integration is to pick a content (movie/TV show) that compliments your brand. The problem in Pakistan is that not many products are really brands because they don’t have a brand idea or a clear positioning. This is the reason why Lux, Safeguard, Tarang and Pepsi have been successful if you look at the examples I stated earlier as these brands are focused, clear and consistent and thus they could find the right fit for themselves. This is also the reason why other brands struggled despite some attempts.

You should never try to force fit your brand into the wrong TV show or movie simply because it’s the top rated show or is bound to do well based on any other predictive model. It is always better to create your own fully funded content like what Lux, Safeguard and Tarang did and no wonder, benefitted from it.

Design and Plan the Most Impactful Integration

Having selected the right genre and program or movie for your integration, don’t just rely on the network and the media agency to tell you what your integration should look like. You need ‘creatives’ to work on this as content is a creative space not a media bean counters domain. This is the area that requires the greatest attention but in reality it is given the lowest attention and that’s why we see many failed attempts of content integration. I know of many personal examples whereby the client sent us a brief for content integration ideas after they were already on air with their so called integration deal (in reality read it as sponsorship) as that’s how it’s usually viewed and done here in Pakistan. Just for the perspective here, when we worked on the Hero Bannay Ki Tarang project, we stepped out to execute it after immense planning and designing worth 6 months. Ironically, I mostly see brand managers giving us a 3-4 day lead time brief for content integration and no wonder it’s just a thing to be done and not something that will create an impact.

From my experience I can tell what really works:

  • Involve Your Brand Longer –The duration and frequency of the integration makes a big difference; longer is better and if it’s a TV show, your brand should be visible in every episode.
  • Visualize Your Brand Icon –Don’t accept just an audio appearance; your brand needs to be visualized and should therefore make a physical entry.
  • Have Your Product Touched or Worn –It’s key to have characters physically interact with your product somehow and this needs to be creatively done rather than in a lackadaisical way. A very bad example is QMobile in Bulbulay.
  • Connect Your Brand to a Main Character –Physical interaction is good but interaction with a celebrity is even better as that brings greater fame to the brand.

These factors have been proven through research to be the most important creative factors in determining brand integration recall that leads to positive brand opinion shift. Make sure that your execution includes them.

Advertise Your Brand during the Program

This seems obvious but is often overlooked. Nielsen IAG research shows that ads aired during a program with the same brand integration generally score better for recall, branding and likeability than the same ads aired outside the branded integration program. Simply put, there really is ‘synergy’ between your branded integration and your ad in the same program, but what works even better is if you can create a special topical campaign around the content that you are integrating with as that connects a lot more with the audience. Pepsi was an excellent example in Pakistan Idol.

Execute Branded Integration in Multiple Shows in a Season

Continuity is the key. If possible, negotiate for a series based branded integration instead of an episode. Branded integration in previous episodes of the same series raises brand recall and brand opinion by about 1% per previous episode – for example, take QMobile’s integration in ARY Digital’s Bulbullay which happens on a continuous basis and everyone around who has seen Bulbulay recently can recall QMobile being a part of it.

The next time your media agency calls you with their next ‘BIG’ branded integration opportunity, do your brand a favor, ask the tough questions: ‘Why is this the right show or movie?’ ‘How will the execution optimize impact?’ ‘What’s the proposal for integrating my ads or how can I create a topical campaign around it?’ ‘Is this part of a longer deal?’ Get the creative involved into the project to design and plan the integration and then negotiate from this position of strength.

Shoaib Qureshy is Chief Executive BE DDB/Bulls Eye Communications. He can be reached at shoaib@be.com.pk

 

Lights, Camera… Documentary?!

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Lights, Camera… Documentary?!

“…top art facilities don’t make great films, top stories do.”
Mohammad Naqvi, Filmmaker and Emmy Award Winner

Synergyzer: Please give your educational and professional background.

Mohammad Naqvi: I grew up in Karachi before I went for my Bachelors in Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, USA, in 2001. I kicked-off my career by founding B.L.A.H productions, an off-Broadway theatre company in New York, producing and directing a number of plays that paved my path towards international acclaim and helping me win twenty-five awards and honors in total.

In 2004, I founded Mu-Nan pictures, where I was Director Development, and I developed more than twenty films, documentaries and series. I then moved on to producing premium online content, including webisodes and interactive content, for my new business, Tight Media and have had the opportunity to work in collaboration with industry giants such as; Paramount, Disney, CNN and MTV.

My short-film portfolio includes Terror’s Children for Discovery Channel, Shame; Chronicles from the life of Mukhtaran Mai, Big River and Shabeena’s Quest. Several of my films have been showcased in international festivals held in Toronto, Berlin and United Nations in New York.

Synergyzer: You won an Emmy for your film Shame, a documentary on Mukhtaran Mai. How has that boosted your career?

Mohammad Naqvi: It had a huge impact. The documentary was close to my heart and reflected the true morals of our society. There are only 9 Emmy awards presented each year and winning it whilst competing with television legends like Christian Amanpour, David E. Kelley and Oprah Winfrey was an achievement of its own.

Synergyzer: What kind of stability does winning an Emmy provide documentary filmmakers?

Mohammad Naqvi: Internationally, Film and TV is an outrageously competitive business and it may take a lot of time, effort and good fortune before you fall in the line of stability. Professional accolades only help you up to the point of getting a studio or the producer to listen to your project proposal.

Synergyzer: What is your inspiration for choosing your topics?

Mohammad Naqvi: I choose films which deal with socio-political issues or stories driven from human rights where the character I portray is in a crisis situation, their rights demeaned and are left astray.
Ultimately, my films are about my own journey of self-discovery just as much as they are about expressing human beauty or truth in the most impossible and unexpected location.

Synergyzer: What other projects are you working on?

Mohammad Naqvi: Currently, I am working on two feature length documentaries, Two Children of the Red Mosque and Pride; which is about the former President and ex-General of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf. Additionally, I am working on the scripts for two other feature fiction films and experimenting on several multi-platform ventures including video games, children programs and lifestyle programs.

Synergyzer: How can documentary filmmakers earn revenues internationally and how good is the return on investment (ROI)?

Mohammad Naqvi: To be financially sustainable, filmmakers need to expand their scope of work beyond a single genre. In documentary business you can earn money through different windows of distribution like; Pay TV, International TV, licensing, DVD and home video, educational markets and special screen tours. The digital revolution has also introduced added platforms for revenue via online libraries such as iTunes, Amazon and Netflix.

Ironically, documentary genre is fast becoming the most lucrative film genre with USA’s domestic and global revenues averaging twelve to twenty seven times the original budget, respectively. The reason is that documentaries have cheaper production costs in comparison to feature fiction films and often attract funding from different institutions.

Synergyzer: What avenues are there for promoting documentaries, internationally?

Mohammad Naqvi: There are a multitude of factors that influence documentary promotion, most importantly the genre of the documentary you are releasing. Since my genre is usually feature documentaries, I get my films released in limited theatres, followed by screenings and channel broadcasts. For my realm, it is imperative to launch at a major film festival months beyond its commercial release, venues such as Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca, Berlin and Cannes are popular choices.

Additionally, one to one consumer engagement through status updates on social media, releasing production stills and small trailers organically grow your target market.

Documentary endorsement with institutions such as NGOs, private groups and cultural organizations that are a complimentary fit to your work enrich the commercialization aspect.

Synergyzer: How do you rate the documentary film industry in Pakistan?

Mohammad Naqvi: Pakistan’s film industry is in its infancy as film makers and funding are almost non-existent, and local documentary producers are looking for sponsorships abroad. The local audience and media do not have the courage to accept controversial topics that form the basis of many documentaries produced here. A rallying cry from many local audiences and media regulators here is, “Why are you washing our dirty laundry in public?” or “Why do you always have to show this side of Pakistan, why not make a film about our local fashions or beautiful mountains?” and other such ridiculous stuff.

It is this attitude and denial that is pervasive throughout Pakistan and it inhibits a lot of quality work from ever being promoted or showcased in the country. In my defense, I would say that I have never shamed Pakistan, rather celebrated its people and its resilience, which is truly astounding given the socio-political climate of the country. Having said that, some of my work’s biggest supporters and its inspiration are Pakistanis as well!

Synergyzer: What do you feel about Pakistani filmmakers and production facilities in and what needs to be done to put them at par with international standards?

Mohammad Naqvi: There are some incredibly talented people here – it is amazing what they accomplish with limited production facilities. However, a lack of formal film education and global market understanding are major reasons we are lagging behind.

The first step is to stop blaming the lack of technological resources available to us. It is not mandatory to have top art facilities to make a great film, what is important is a great story structure, script, art direction and acting. The facilities and technological advancement are secondary and will come on their own accord. After all, why should we deserve a top art facility when the content we make is not able to sustain the investment?

 

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