Mass Communication Talk

Advertising Agencies in Pakistan

In 1947, the advertising industry was in a very miserable condition in Pakistan. Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and Delhi were centres of advertising in the sub-continent, but all these cities became part of India.

Before independence British and American advertising agencies had hold over the business. Malani and Co. was one of these advertising agencies working in Pakistan but the owner of this agency was also a Hindu. The first advertising agency in Pakistan was Wilintas International Karachi. After some time a number of international advertising agencies opened their offices in different cities of Pakistan. These agencies promoted the business of their international clients in Pakistan. The international advertising agencies dominated the local agencies because the local advertising agencies were suffering prior shortage of resources and well skilled staff was not available to them.

The position of helping departments of advertising was also very miserable at the time of independence. At that time industrial production was almost mil. Therefore there were no advertisers. Advertising depends on media but the media was very limited at that time. There was no TV centre. Only two radio stations were working. A few newspapers and magazines were being printed but their circulation was very little. The advertising rates were too little. There were about 400 cinema halls in both parts of Pakistan and these cinema halls were also the media of advertising.

due to governmental policies. This was a point of benefit for local advertising agencies. These agencies have well established with the passage of time and now these are recognized throughout the world. There is also an association of all the advertising agencies of the country which is called Pakistan Advertising Association (PAA). In September 1979, first advertising congress was held in Karachi. The representatives of almost all the advertising agencies participated in it. The data presented in this congress was a follows:

“There are about 60 accredited advertising companies in the country, 45 in Karachi and the rest in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta. The estimated total size of advertising turnover in the country is about Rs.20 crore. Total number of personnel directly working within advertising companies does not exceed 1000 people”.

Now the total number of advertising agencies working in Pakistan is about one hundred. Almost every advertising agency has its branch offices in all the big cities of the country. The quantity as well as quality of the work of advertising agencies is being enhanced. The industry and business is also developing. Therefore we can say that future of the advertising agencies in Pakistan is bright. But the agencies should be prepared to face the challenges of the every day changing world. The executives of the agencies should be aware of the new trends and developments which are taking place in advertising business throughout the world.