ARAZ MAMEDOV: "CULTURE IN AZERBAIJAN IS NOT ONLY ON THE LOW LEVEL, BUT ALSO DEGRADING"

Today.Az
July 18 2008
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Araz Mamedov, producer of the Night of the Ad
Eaters in Azerbaijan and founder of Flexible Solutions company.

– As is known, the next festival of the Night of the Ad Easters,
whose official producer in Azerbaijan is you, will be held in Baku
in late this year. Which country is the world fashion-maker in the
world of ad production?

– Thanks for an interesting question. Frankly speaking, I find
it difficult to give an exact answer. Advertising is a product of
consumer culture. The higher the consumer culture is, the higher the
demand of ads. On the other hand, economic development and economic
freedom of any country influence the development of advertising both
as an art and an industry, as advertising is one of the main tools
in the competitive struggle of market participants.

I think there are several centers, conditioning ads development. One
of them is, undoubtedly, the United States, where there is the most
developed consumption society, free market and developed film industry.

The second center is Europe or the EU countries. Among the EU countries
I would especially single out Netherlands, Great Britain and France.

The third center is Chine and India. I would not draw a line between
these countries, advertising of these countries has national features,
but at the same time assimilates the best characteristics of global
advertising.

The forth center of visual ads are the Latin American countries. I
would like to single out Mexico and Brazil here. So, advertising is
best developing and make laws in the economic centers of the world.

– Which ads are of especial demand in the world?

– Advertising can be commercial and noncommercial (social). Today
special accent is made on social advertising. There are social problems
in the world and in each country and social advertising is an effective
method of reminding of them and mobilizing public forces for their
settlement. Thus, I think this advertising segment has not exhausted
its potential and social problems in the world have a tendency to
grow. Therefore, I think such advertising would be of special demand.

– How do you assess quality of Azerbaijan produced ads?

– Let’s assess it together. Not on bare words but reasonably. Let’s
start with the level of consumer culture, which is a part of social
culture. Social culture is not only on a low level, but it is rapidly
degrading. This is promoted by many factors but the key ones are low
quality of education and pop-message brain washing via mass media.

Another element, influencing advertising development is free and
competitive market. Here, something is also out of order. I will not
speak of problems of monopoly. But in the context of the discussed
question, if exactly, the quality and level of our advertising, it is
a crucial factor. Therefore, we have great many of ads of festivity
houses and banks, as there is competition in these two sectors,
which breeds the need for advertising.

The third factor is a production base. Where and who in Azerbaijan
can make a high quality audio-visual product? There are no schools
and no specialists and no work is carried out in this direction.

Azerbaijani advertising reminds me of Azerbaijani football, which
consists of legionaries and local ones do not comply with the world
level.

– Yes, the picture is pessimistic. Let’s be optimistic and ask:
what can become a smash brand of Azerbaijan via advertising, which
would raise the inflow of tourists, willing to see this "Eighth
world wonder"?

– I am not an expert in the sphere of advertising, but I think tourists
should be attracting with something unusual. It is now difficult to
cause admiration of a rich tourist, but nevertgeless, in our case
this task is possible to fulfill. Thus, our "friendly" neighbors
offer the tourists follow the way of Noah and taste ancient Armenian
fruit-apricot and the logotype of their tourist is pomegranate. At
the same time the video materials of Armenia advertising is filled
with ancient Albanian temples. Why not use the same brand and attract
tourists from Europe and America, who would be happy to spend their
dollars to touch Gemi Gaya? On the whole, among artifacts, related
to Noah, there are only two Ararat mountain and Gemi-Gaya, which were
hit by Noah’s ark and both bear no relationshup for Armenia.

But this requires huge work, restoration of infrastructure and
logistics and only then invitation of foreign guests. For example,
I have an American friend, whose hobby is such an extremal sport as
kite-serving. He states that there is the best combination of wind
force and wave height in Azerbaijan. He visits Khizi region with
foreign friends once a week to spend time on his favorite sport. Why
not use it for attracting tourists-extremals?

– It is a reasonable question. Which goods and services can Azerbaijan
promote to the markets of Near and Far abroad countries via correct
advertising?

– It is a good question, but it is a sphere of foreign economic
policy. We have much to offer, for example, black caviar, pomogranate
juice or fig jam. Though, only oil and gas are priority now, while
agriculture and local production are not able to meet even the internal
needs. Thus, let’s return to this issue when we have no oil.

– Good answer, a diplomatic one. Do you think professional advertising,
plus professional PR campaign, will improve the image of the country?

– Sure. Only professional, coordinated and purposeful with application
of due medias and communication channels. If advertising or PR do
not comply with an exact plan, it is not worthy of spending money,
as it will be senseless.

– And the resuming question: are the local ministries and departments,
responsible for creation of the positive image of Azerbaijan in
the world and for creation of conditions for raising the number of
tourists in the country, aware of the importance of such works?

– Do we have a ministry or a state committee on agitation or
propaganda? Each ministry or department settles its problems in this
sphere independently and not the best way, therefore, it is possible
in Azerbaijan to come across a billboard, which reads "Good way"
or a booklet in English, full of grammar mistakes and nonsense.