UK House in Bangladesh

On Wednesday (17th November), the UK and Bangladesh’s advertising industries came together to meet and share ideas at UK House.

This event is part of UK House on tour. Bangladesh is a fast-growing market. Prior to Covid, GDP growth in 2019 was +8%,  making it the biggest in the Asia-Pacific region – more than India and China.  Despite Covid, IMF/WB now predict growth of +5-6% this year.  There was a fantastic line-up of high-profile speakers who discussed the opportunities/gaps for UK advertising.

First up, Khalid Gaffar, Creative Lead, DIT British High Commission, talked us through doing business in Bangladesh, what the opportunities are for UK creative sector firms, and also the business culture differences to be aware of when starting out in the market.

Tanzeen Ferdous, Marketing Director, Unilever Bangladesh, presented a client perspective, diving into what works and what doesn’t in Bangladesh and where he sees any capability gaps and potential opportunities for UK advertising over there. Creativity and the process of creative advertising is still in its infancy in Bangladesh.  The older generation of advertising was focused more on melodious promotions,  while the  younger generation have been being exposed to up to date and latest forms of advertising with advances in tech.  This has resulted in a skills gap for the advertising sector. Tanzeen and other speakers commented on UK advertising’s commitment to training and the professionalism of the industry. It is felt this is one of the reasons why UK advertising is a global hub – CPD is what is required to attract the best and brightest talent and continually nurture people’s skills to keep up with the changing market.

Bangladesh has a population of 170m, making it eighth largest country in the World by population. The demographic is young, middle class 35m+ and this is expanding fast. However,  Unilever Bangladesh are responding to the skill shortage and have launched ‘Unilever Frontliners Academy’ to provide training for those seeking to join the advertising industry.

Sharif Islam, Managing Director, Bangladesh Brand Forum, followed and presented an overview of the advertising industry in Bangladesh, current market characteristics and future trends to be aware of, such as the development of digital advertising and the importance of climate change to an emerging market.

The last session of the day was delivered by Asiatic Marketing Communications, one of the biggest agencies in Bangladesh.  Farooq Shams, presented the company credentials and Ferdous Hasan Neville, Managing Director, Asiatic Marketing Communications expressed his interest in looking for partnership with British brands and explained the benefits of partnering with Bangladesh, reinforcing the fact the UK House is all about making connections globally.

All sessions will be available via our UK advertising YouTube channel. If you wish to find out more about UK House or our global showcasing opportunities contact Aisling Conlon, International Trade Director.