Just Saying: Hitting the Road (please wait)

Pakistani consumers are enthusiastic, but not necessarily earlyadopters. If something appears that makes sense to themeconomically and improves their lifestyles, they are likely, afterdue consideration, to adopt it. What is currently happening with solarpanels is proof of this, if any is needed.

The same enthusiasm will apply to new energy vehicles – eventually.New energy vehicles – hybrid, electric and even biogas-run (see ourinterview with Hiroshi Kawamura, MD, Pak Suzuki) – area very good thing. Good for the environment and good for the pocket.Furthermore, given the inadequacies of public transport systems, thedemand for cars surges as soon as the macroeconomic conditionsimprove. In fact, according to data posted by the Pakistan AutomotiveManufacturers Association, car sales rose by 38% to 112,203 units inFY 2025 compared to 81,579 units last year.

There are, however, significant concerns in terms of EVs; the charginginfrastructure, long-term battery life, affordability and resale value. Formanufacturers, the concern is scale – particularly cars. Scale, because onlywhen sales start to move the needle can investments become a viability. Atthe heart of these concerns lies the inconsistency in government policiesand whether they are indeed implementable. Pakistan is littered withpolicies that have failed because they are often drafted without consideringthe ground realities and robust stakeholder buy-in. The 2019 Auto Policyhas come and gone without achieving much, and there are misgivings thatthe new policy too may fall by the wayside. As it stands, the new policyhas been divided into three phases: building the infrastructure, supportingmanufacturers, followed by a full-scale transition from 2035. Missing isthe implementation roadmap. This said, there is definite interest (andsome investment) from manufacturers in both the two- and four-wheelersegments. No one doubts that the transition to new energy vehicles isinevitable, and everyone believes it is desirable. But how and when thiswill happen, no one can say for certain. In the meantime, Pakistani consumers are sensibly adopting a wait-and-see policy.

With this issue, Aurora will be taking a pause. Disruption hasfinally caught up with the magazine; as eyeballs migrate online, so doadvertisers. Aurora had favoured print because it prioritises a large-formatdesign and display. But times have changed, and the hope is that eventually Aurora will resurface with a strong online presence.

For the Aurora teams (present and former) who gave each successiveedition their dedication and passion, this is a sad moment. Part of thejoys of working on Aurora is the support we consistently receive fromthe advertising and marketing communities, particularly in the form oftheir contributions to the magazine. When Aurora appeared in 1998,coverage about advertising, marketing, and brands was a rare occurrence,except for a few dense articles in academic journals. Aurora changedthis, and we are both immensely grateful for, and proud of, this. Fromthe get-go, senior and experienced professionals across the spectrumof the advertising, marketing and media functions lent their supportto Aurora and demonstrated an exceptional (totally unexpected andwarmly welcomed) willingness to contribute their ideas and opinions tothe magazine. In turn, their example encouraged young people in theindustry to put forth their ideas and insights, creating the unique mixof opinions that we see in Aurora’s pages today. This is what has keptthe magazine relevant, engaging and alive right up to this edition – andwhat makes Aurora the authentic voice of this industry. A big shout-outto every single one of our contributors; Aurora is as much a product ofyour support as it has been the team’s. Thank you.

To our readers, you have kept Aurora on track for 27 years with yourpresence and support. From a niche magazine with the remit to coveradvertising, marketing and the media, our readers today are drawnfrom an increasingly wide cross-section of occupations and interests;start-up entrepreneurs, economists, policymakers, academics, studentsand thought leaders. We are overwhelmed and grateful for your timeand attention, and we are particularly proud that our pages have foundresonance across generations, from Boomers to Gen Zers.

Twenty-seven years is a long time, especially in today’s time-compressedworld. Looking back at our coverage, it is quite amazing to see the changethat has taken place and the pace of it. A cliché, but a reality too. Themagazine’s coverage has been vast, not only in opinion and commentary,but hard stats and data – which will be available in our archives online.

A final word. In a recent interview, Mark Zuckerberg spoke aboutMeta’s ability to use AI and eliminate the need for creatives, marketersand agencies. Instead, businesses would be able to connect their bankaccounts to Meta, and their AI would then handle everything fromcreating ads and videos to audience targeting and performance analysis.How this will unravel in the future remains to be seen. But for sure, had Aurora’s special annual edition been published later this year, the question we would have asked our Talking Heads would have been: “In light of Zuckerberg’s statement, what is your response?”