Standing out from the Crowd
The digital marketing industry has become saturated to the point that companies have multiple options to promote their brand. However, not being forgotten as a white noise among all the advertisements takes passion and vision. COLORS Business’ Assistant Editor Arka Dev Biswas speaks to Towsif Ur Rashid, co-founder of Brandmyth Digital, on the philosophy of uniqueness.
The Myth that began
Digital marketing is currently the most active industry in Bangladesh. From promoting international brands, collaborating to create content that catches attention, to be different, the industry is built on creativity. To sustain in an industry that thrives on creativity means that one must have a clear vision of how one wants to be different. Towsif Ur Rashid embodies this philosophy and wears these narratives on his sleeves. “The whole journey of marketing and branding is mystical. If you look at history and talk about various brands, they started from unimaginable places. These stories sound ‘mythical’ to everyone. These stories are what made us name ourselves as Brandmyth. We wanted to promote these very narratives that are surreal. And that is how our image came about.” It is quite a unique approach to marketing. Most marketing firms concentrate on statistics, numbers their content reached, how their content has a different palate, and other selling point jargons that firms use. Brandmyth takes a 180-degree turn on such thoughts. The principle that Brandmyth lives by is passion, patience, persistence, and productivity. The narrative that everything is heralded by an army of creative visionaries, with titles bestowed in line with Roman mythology.
Visions beyond Imagination
Adverts tend to get an off reaction from individuals. The inundation of adverts in general content consumption has made people tired of adverts in general. “To break the monotony of adverts, content has to be catchy. People have a short attention span, and we must be able to deliver the message within that short time. Content that is of quality and has a story to tell, is what people seek. The story and the relatability bind viewers to the content.” Towsif pushes Brandmyth to see ideas from a different lens. Perspectives are tried from a 360 degree, as everything is different when you see it from a different angle. And people read or watch what they like. For Brandmyth, that is how adverts are to be, content that connects people’s preferences.
Towsif and Brandmyth, live by certain principles. “No compromise in quality, no compromise in service,” these lines echo how Brandmyth and Towsif work as a well-functioning army. The team takes responsibility to create vivid imaginations into a spectacle. This push to take risks and break barriers of imagination has led Brandmyth to expand within a short time.
Expanded Horizons
Brandmyth Digital has expanded its visions that are not limited to Bangladesh alone. Brandmyth Digital Nepal is an extension of the Bangladeshi edition. Towsif sees this as an aggressive approach to growing in the digital marketing sector. “We expanded to Nepal, and we have seen significant growth in the country. Upon entering the market, we gained traction and collaborated with big brands. Within months of entering the Nepalese market, Brandmyth created its own position among the digital marketing elites. They also plan to expand into other countries when the time is right.
The pandemic has accelerated the growth of digital marketing. Businesses have transitioned to the digital space to create a greater presence, and there has been a significant rise in e-commerce and f-commerce sites. “As soon as the pandemic hit, we were buzzing with clients. Everyone started to find a digital marketing agency to ensure that they can create a market presence for themselves.” With many entrepreneurs entering the market, the digital marketing sector must level up in terms of its approach, technology, and innovation.
Future of Digital Marketing
Statistics suggest that only a fourth of the Bangladesh population have access to the internet. Furthermore, Bangladesh has a fraction of the global internet speed. Bangladesh ranks 135th out of 137 countries in terms of mobile internet speed and 98th out of 181 in terms of broadband speed. These stats show that Bangladesh lags in terms of connectivity. Internet services have been improved significantly and formal institutions must be established to upskill future generations. This would create demand for new products, as well as create opportunities for consumers and producers.
An exceptional feature of the digital space is the rise of content creators and influencers. “The pandemic has allowed us to use influencers and content creators to channel what general consumers want to see. We have connections to these figures as they cater to the current consumer base.” This nuanced understanding of the market and how consumer behaviors direct advertising, make Towsif Ur Rashid’s vision and Brandmyth’s vision work parallely. Towsif also believes that to understand the digital ecosystem, individuals must work to understand how the digital space functions. Making the content organic in nature and letting the content speak for itself.
The digital marketing fraternity is a tricky sector to operate in. One must always be willing to learn and grow while asking for help from the other members of the industry. The ever-changing landscape means that one must be adaptive and learn from those leading the market. “Reaching out to others in the industry does not mean you would be seen as someone incapable of performing. Rather, it allows comradery to prevail in the industry. Working with veterans allows us to explore and understand the market, and what it was. Working with peers means the direction in which the market will move in the long run. These scopes of learning are what really matters.” The future of digital marketing will see a lot of technological upgrades. From the integration of artificial intelligence to various concepts, the possibilities are vast. At the heart of the work, is to learn and understand what resonates with the people who watch the content. Becoming a known quality, upholding the mission, and vision, being a self-sufficient institute, and creating a presence in more countries than current. The boundless vision of an individual who entered the arena not because he had to, but rather because his passion and desire brought him to the world of digital marketing.
