Perfect the advertising game

For a number of months here is in South Africa we have seen Social Media light up with rage over racial campaigns run by well-known institutions. We have seen Dove International headquarters deliver on the most distasteful adverts regarding skin tone and early in 2018 we woke up to an advert by H&M International that had people rioting and looting stores across our beloved country. We also still have adverts where black women are dancing as if that’s all we do all day.

But let’s take a step back a little bit. What is advertising? The way I see it, it’s a tool to reach far and wide and sell the product or services you have to offer. So from really dry and dead advertising that looks like it was done by a 5-year-old on a word document to aesthetically pleasing adverts with all the correct language and well-researched adverts. Advertising had been a form of reaching us anytime as long as the setting or platform is right ie: TV and radio.

On the brink of political turmoil, disappointment and recent events and what Social Media is calling being ‘Woke’ (a reference to how people should be aware in current affairs according the urban dictionary). We have people sitting in brainstorm and strategy sessions forgetting that the research, stats and figures are there to assist them to come up with the best campaign possible and executing that campaign the best way possible. Can the gatekeepers of advertising get together in a bar and chat about how they can speak to the buzzword ‘black’? How do you talk to that buzzword? Who do you get in a room and research? Where do you find black people? (we are everywhere really) And start to formulate a new way to speak to us that is not just about our curves, or hair, or skin tone or how much we love dancing. Speak to us like you speak to your mother. Speak to us like you speak to your lover. You will respect those people in your world, why can’t you respect us? 

Wait for ‘us’ to give you a round of applause. There are these amazing awards ceremonies that applaud how agencies executed the campaign and from there, agencies get to stroke their egos and get big headed and start colouring outside the lines and get surprised when people don’t buy into what they are selling. We are no longer bubbleheads in the room nodding to everything marketing and advertising campaigns have to offer. We want to know that the places and spaces that we spend our hard earned cash understand and respect us. I’d love to name and shame some brands however that would make other brands feel that they are exempt from doing their homework. However, a good example of good advertising is the latest Jet adverts. They speak to black people on all levels. Also, speak to the everyday dynamics of the young working class.

As I always say in most of my overly opinionated blogs, if you have read so far well done. I appreciate you hearing me out and I appreciate you taking me in. We can always continue this conversation and start to do the hard work of finding the solutions; after all, we all want the same things really.  I hope all that I have written strikes a chord with the gatekeepers of marketing and advertising and we can begin the process of understanding who really lives in South Africa and how do we speak to them, because everyone wants to be heard.