In a recent Pakwired article, Umair Aziz was mentioned. Umair, a young US college graduate who moved back to Karachi and setup digital agency Creative Chaos, openly explained that on first impressions, his company appears to be head quartered in US, even though the vast majority of staff work from the Karachi office.
Saying this is primarily due to the stigma associated with Pakistan, Umair proudly detailed that no clients have cancelled contracts once they were aware of the agency’s actual base.
A clear insight into the fact there is still a stigma associated with working with companies in Pakistan, particularly with regard to the digital industry, how do we move forward and remove it? How do we navigate away from some having a negative view of an industry, workforce, or even the country in general?
1. Deliver quality work
It may sound simple, but the simplest answers are usually those that are most true.
Everyone bases their judgement of anything on how much of an impact it has on them or their requirements. In terms of work, this generally means whether it’s ticked all the right boxes, met the original criteria and delivered to at least the given expectations. If it does this, everyone’s satisfied.
When this happens, reputations are built. You complete one project and satisfy one client, and they’ll not only come back for more, but they’ll refer you to others. And with this one client, you can use them as a showcase for when you’re pitching to potential new clients.
Of course, we’re going on the assumption you can get your foot in the door initially, but that’s a challenge all companies face, not just those where there may be an associated stigma for whatever reason.
And importantly, it does pay off – Creative Chaos proudly show off their client list of eBay, Pepsi, Groupon and many more well known brands.
2. Don’t be dishonest or ashamed of your location
In the UK, there’s often considered to be a clear difference between the north and the south. Traditionally, the south has been the most economically-driven, prosperous and lucrative, whilst the north has been the more industrious, but struggled with unemployment and non-labour skills shortages.
Whilst that stigma does still exist today, the reality of the situation is becoming anything but what many still believe. What’s more, instead of wallowing in the fact the north doesn’t have a fantastic reputation purely because of its past, many companies are practically alluding to it.
For example, as living costs are considerably lower in the north than in the south, salary requirements aren’t as high, something that impacts on the rates agencies can charge to companies. The standard of work can be exactly the same, but with more and more companies looking for true value from their spend, the fact a north-based company can provide the same services as a southern counterpart for a fraction of the cost is becoming a no brainer.
Often the best way to deal with a stigma is to tackle it head on, and this is exactly the approach Pakistani companies should consider.
Sure, you may be rebuffed because you’re not based in the US or UK, but at the end of the day, do you really want to be working with companies who are this narrowminded? Is it really a loss to you if you’re not working with a company who doesn’t see the considerable benefits in collaborating with people who, although may not be available for daily in-person meetings, can communicate just as well via remote technology and deliver the required project within budget, ahead of timescales and above expectations?
3. Educate, educate, educate
For organisations based within Pakistan, there’s somewhat of a requirement to promote the country. It may not be a set requirement and it may not be one you’ve considered before, but it’s one that’s needed to pro-actively remove the discussed stigma.
You see, a lot of stigmas are based on hearsay or mis-understandings. There may have been some truth in a comment at some stage, but it’s likely to have snowballed so much it’s almost become the end result of a large game of ‘Chinese Whispers’.
For example, it’s guaranteed not many will know that the majority of Pakistan’s workforce are under the age of 30. Throw this statistic in front of most Western digital startups and it’s one they’ll fawn over, wishing they had access to such a huge, young talent pool.
Due to this reason, organisations need to showcase the benefits of working with companies in Pakistan. Perhaps as huge-thinking as this is, there’s a responsibility to change the view of Pakistan in the world, and that responsibility comes down to the people who are going to be most affected by it.
This isn’t to say you need to spend millions advertising the benefits in New York’s Times Square or have someone meet with as many CEOs as possible in London, presenting to them the benefits of Pakistani companies.
Instead, it’s simply about sharing success, news and information. Although Pakwired is often seen as a resource for those within Pakistan primarily, we strongly believe we’re helping with this on-going education. We’re often discussing Pakistani companies who have received high levels of funding or how entrepreneurship is not only alive and well, but thriving in Pakistan, and it’s these types of pieces that can change perceptions.
We understand fully it’s not an easy process altering people’s views of anything, never mind doing so to remove a stigma that is ingrained in so many people’s minds, but who wants easy?
Pakistan has a thriving digital industry, and one that is only going to become more and more successful. The discussed stigma will reduce over time, but with a little pro-active approach, it could be completely removed in a few short years.