I’ve just been introduced to the empathy movement by a friend
who’s in advertising. Because these terms swop and change all the time. After
listing here are reasons why I agreed it should be useful in conceptualising
the ads, we see on TV. I went on to find the direct points as to how
strategists should and must master the skill of talking to black people. Grab
your gum guards, these blows will be harsh.
There are theories that I think I’ve come to realise about
black people. We love spending and we do not want to justify it. I believe we
sit at night and we think about money. Where to shop and why? We think of
joining Stokvels (if you are a South African and reading this and you don’t
know what a Stokvel is close this blog. If you are not South African a Stovel
is basically a group of people who settle on an amount of savings and save
together for a duration of 12 months. When the duration is over each person
gets there to share and it’s seen as a communal way of saving). We think of how
we can make our money multiply so that we can get more money.
We want stainless steel pots just so we can display them. We
want our kids to wear branded clothing and have it smell like fabric softener
just so that people can smell we made it. We want to watch TV on a big screen
just because the latest trend is to have a big screen and there is no reason
why we shouldn’t have it. Black people are the types of consumer that want to
feel great and look great and showcase how costly great is, without saying a
word. When we said we are coming for all
of it, we meant it.
Campaigns shouldn’t have the following:
●
Basetsana Kumalo and Thapelo Mokoena as influencers for
detergents when we all know they have helpers to wash their clothes.
●
Dancing or singing black people – I don’t even need to
justify why not, unless there is relevance
●
We shouldn’t have to distinguish what you are trying to
say. If you are giving us homework on our leisure time best believe we are not
going to buy that product unless you are a Unilever Product. Tried and test. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
●
Yellow bones are not the only black demographic there
is. We like our skin types, all the skin types. Our dark brothers and sisters
are gold and they have the buying power too. Don’t miss the chances of getting
more for your buck.
●
Leave the spandex tight clothing out of the game. We
are sick of seeing those Cambridge Foods advert where a grown man is in
spandex. No, it’s not for us.
●
Use the right slang/tsotsitaal with the write English
terms and examples. Throwing a word or two of slang doesn’t mean we are in it
to win it. It’s won’t end well.
Our emotions and egos are very involved in how much we spend
and how much we are willing to go into debt so that we look like we have money
to spend. But mostly we also know when we are being taken for fools. A certain
number of us who are 'woke' are starting to cultivate 'woke' family members who
previously may or may not have seen this. And as you would know as marketers’
word of mouth travels.
The political parties are also hoping to use your shortfalls as
leverage on their campaigns. You get how crucial it is that you don’t end up
with egg on your face. So as I said before, take care of your brand. Go back to
WHO are your customers and HOW do they wish to be spoken to. Then form HOW you
will speak to them.
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