A long question and a longer response to start the work week. So let’s dive right into the June 14 edition of Das ka Dum with Dr Bhaskar Das. Read on..

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Q. This is the time when media agency networks announce their mid-year adspend forecasts. If one could get you to wear a soothsayer hat, what would you think spends would increase given the state of the pandemic and the economy?

A. So you want me to be soothsayer! This has never been my strength. But if a journalist asks, I must try to answer. So here it goes: the average growth vector for the year would be negative for most of the sectors with varying degrees of percentage, except technology companies and digital media companies like Google and Facebook. Having said that I must add that the third and fourth quarter would experience upward trajectory as more vaccination would lead to the economy opening up and there should be a surge in consumption sentiment. The trickle down effect would benefit all sectors, in some way or the other. Hence while the last two quarters would experience positive growth, but the poor sentiments of the first two quarters of 21-22 would affect the overall percentage growth.

Here is a caveat: I don’t know if my intrinsic wish and positivism have biased my soothsaying ability. Hence I didn’t provide for any negative fallout of Delta 6+ variety on health and business.