Ever since the birth of Pakistan’s first ‘digital’ marketer, no media and advertising landscape presentation has been made without showcasing the ‘unprecedented’ growth of digital media in Pakistan. For the last decade or so, I have met several ‘sage-level’ digital marketers prophesying the death of TV, print, radio and OOH (at least the ones that do not feature a QR code). Their marketing belief system never appealed to me, despite the double-digit growth in internet penetration and platform monthly active users (MAUs) we see year-on-year.

As a platform-agnostic marketing fundamentalist, I could always see the numbers they did not show. For instance, they tell you Pakistan’s internet penetration rate is 45.7% of the total population as of January 2024, but they never talk about why, despite that growth, over 130 million people still do not use the internet. They ask for 100% of your media budget to target the 110 million+ online population, but they cannot tell you why 40 million of them do not use social media. They are excited about the increase in Facebook’s potential ad reach in Pakistan to 7.2 million users (+19.3%) in the last year, but they don’t tell you why the same Meta report shows that the number of Pakistani users that marketers could reach with ads on Facebook has decreased by 1.5 million (-3.2%) between October 2023 and January 2024. (Source: DataReportal.)

However, this article is not about the march to professional insanity. Any brand owner with brains will do their due diligence, look at the data and make informed decisions on their media investment strategy. This is about what digital growth in Pakistan actually translates to and the key challenges we often overlook.

For perspective, an analysis by Keipos indicates that internet users in Pakistan increased by 24 million (+27%) between January 2023 and January 2024. This means that a population the size of a country like North Korea or Taiwan just came online for the first time. It’s a monumental shift that signals a seismic change in how information is accessed, shared and consumed across the country. According to a report in Dawn last year, the actual figure stood at 59.3% instead of the 60%+ quoted in the Economic Survey 2022-2023.

For a country that spends less than two percent on education and flaunts the highest number of out-of-school children, what is going to be the impact of this growth in internet penetration?

If you are an optimist, you would see the profound implications for Pakistan in terms of newfound opportunities for connectivity, education and economic empowerment, particularly for rural and underserved communities where access to information was previously limited. You would be thrilled to know that more Pakistanis now have the potential to use the internet to improve their lives and livelihoods. But I am a pessimist…

The media landscape in Pakistan is undergoing a seismic shift, altering the way we consume information and engage with brands. Against a backdrop of constant political turmoil and economic volatility, the scramble for information has reached a state of maddening fervour. For almost 50% of our population, social media platforms have become the primary source for news, entertainment and opinion. However, this democratisation of information comes with a price tag: the proliferation of fake news and the erosion of the credibility of traditional media. If you were to look deeper into the intricate relationship between these shifts and our national anxiety index, it would scare you too. Here is a trailer.

Scramble
It’s no secret that the recent increase in the state’s censorship of the news media has positioned platforms like YouTube and TikTok at the forefront of information dissemination. This shift, powered by user-generated content, is a double-edged sword. In the absence of regulations, governments end up choosing to block or ban a platform, thereby creating a breeding ground for misinformation and disinformation campaigns. Additionally, social media algorithms designed to curate content based on user preferences trap users in echo chambers, where they are exposed only to information that reinforces their existing beliefs. The result is rampant political polarisation that hinders access to unbiased reporting, ultimately impacting national sentiment and voting behaviour negatively.

FOMO!
The often fake yet aspirational lifestyles of celebrities, influencers and micro-influencers that are meticulously crafted and showcased on social media fuel a pervasive fear of missing out. The never-ending barrage of seemingly perfect lives creates constant pressure on all strata of the online population to keep up with the latest trends. This translates into impulse buying even when their budgets are strained by massive inflation, adding another layer of complexity to consumer behaviour. Devoid of any regulations in place for brand endorsements, we see the promotion of substandard or even harmful products that pose risks to consumers.

Turbulence
Inflation has reached unprecedented levels, forcing consumers into a spiral of price sensitivity. Social and mobile commerce, along with online marketplaces, have become tools to hunt down deals and compare prices and this has led to a decline in brand loyalty. Bargains reign supreme, and consumers switch brands based on the best deals and promotions on social media.

Boycotts
Social media stands as the most powerful platform to mobilise and rally support. Brands perceived as being aligned with unpopular political figures or policies are facing online boycotts and reputational damage. The lines have blurred between political discourse and consumer behaviour. This is a global issue now, fuelled by crises of faith in world leadership, where even a seemingly harmless social media post can trigger a PR nightmare. Brands are treading very carefully.

The Way Forward

1. Cultivating Media Literacy: There is not much we can do to move the needle on the national literacy rate. Perhaps we, as an industry, can work on making our nation more media literate. The deluge of information and misinformation on social media necessitates the development of critical thinking skills and information verification habits among Pakistani consumers. Discernment is key to navigate the digital landscape. Equipping individuals with the ability to identify credible sources, analyse information objectively and recognise potential biases is crucial.

2. Traditional Media, the Bastion of Fact-Checking: While social media holds immense power, traditional media outlets still retain influence. A lot of reputable media names have made significant improvements in their online offerings by leveraging their credibility. These institutions can act as bastions of fact-checking and unbiased reporting by upping their game on social media rather than by just putting their offline content online. They can play a critical role in countering misinformation and providing a much-needed counter to sensationalised narratives shared aggressively online. This can only happen if state censorship is off the table.

3. Responsible Online Behaviour: Pakistan’s media terrain is transforming consumer behaviour faster than a rickshaw driver dodging potholes. Social media reigns supreme, offering a buffet of information and entertainment, but with a generous sprinkling of ‘fake news’ and FOMO. The good news? There is a massive opportunity for brands. I can see a corporate campaign from Jazz aimed at educating people on fact-checking the online circus, reminding everyone that critical thinking is not a lost art (yet). Imagine a smartphone brand running ads that highlight the importance of limiting screen time. Or a campaign by Cerelac on the negative effects of glueing your toddler to the mobile screen just so you can stuff food into them. Wouldn’t you like to see public service campaigns by provincial police departments on the hazards of riding motorcycles while using a mobile phone? I would love to see the Punjab police win their first Effie and Cannes!

The solutions require both a dash of media literacy and a dollop of responsible online behaviour. Despite the existence of very fragmented audiences, I would like to believe Pakistani consumers can navigate this digital maze and emerge empowered, informed and maybe less susceptible to the latest viral craze. Agreed, this looks like optimism… Perhaps I am better off at it than the pessimist in me thinks?

Umair Saeed is Chief of Strategy, Surpass Consulting Group. umairsaeed.vf@iobm.edu.pk