Ad Focus 23 11 2023

ADFOCUS 2023

FINANCIAL MAIL EDITOR

Rob Rose

ADFOCUS PROJECT DIRECTOR

Jadi Tillim

SPECIAL PROJECTS MEDIA EDITOR

Les Tilley

ADFOCUS PUBLICATION

Lynette Dicey

SUB-EDITOR

Danni Marais

ART DIRECTOR

Thinola Pillay

LAYOUT

Colleen Wilson, Thinola Pillay

SALES MANAGER

Kay Naidoo

SALES

Debbie Montanari

PHOTOGRAPHER

Ruvan Boshoff, Paul Elliott

COVER DESIGN

Thinola Pillay

CONTRIBUTORS

Musa Kalenga, Kerushan Govender, Dean Oelschig, Fran Luckin, Peter Khour y, Sydney Mbele, Ana Carrapichano, Chris Botha, Ivan Moroke, Herman Manson

ADFOCUS AWARDS

CO-ORDINATOR

Danette Capper

ADFOCUS JURY

Foreword

The robots are coming! (Should we panic?)

PAGE 12-33

Awards/winners

This year ’ s winners have set the bar high, inspiring us to reclaim our confidence

PAGE 53

Recma rankings

OMD continues to dominate, followed by PHD Media and The Media Shop

PAGE 62-66

Rankings

All the industr y award tables and revenue rankings for 2022/2023

PAGE 6 -8

Cover story

Client-agency relationships: What’ s the secret to a lasting par tnership?

PAGE 34 -38

Jury comments

Jurors share their thoughts on the state of the industr y and where it’ s heading

PAGE 54 -55

Creative challenge

Demographica takes first prize for a series of punchy print ads for SANBS

PAGE 10-11

Research

It’ s been a year of recover y, and an upbeat industr y is showing strong growth

PAGE 39-52

Commentary & insight

The exper ts weigh in on this year ’ s hot (and bot) topics

PAGE

56 -59

Corporate prof iles

Key information on some of South Africa’ s top agencies

Luca Gallarelli, group CEO TBWA\SA and 2023 FM AdFocus Awards chair; Firdous Osman, MD, Saatchi & Saatchi SA; Wandile Collis, founder, BlackSwan; Ana Carrapichano, founder and CEO, Mediology; Merissa Himraj, CEO, Wavemaker SA & SSA; Nimay Parekh, director, Accenture Song; Dean Oelschig, MD and founder, Halo; Vicki Buys, MD, Ogilvy CT; and Sadika Fakir, executive: digital marketing and paid media, Absa; Pepe Marais, co-founder and chief creative officer, Joe Public; Nicole Ravenscroft, group executive creative director, Rapt Group; Zanele Zwane, MD, HaveYouHeard

STUDENT JURY

Luca Gallarelli, group CEO TBWA\SA and 2023 FM AdFocus Awards chair; Thule Ngcese, executive creative director, Boomtown; Raphael Kuppasamy, ar t director, Joe Public; Tian van den Heever, film director at boneshaker co za, ex-ECD; Kagiso Tshepe, executive creative director, Grid Worldwide; Nicole Ravenscroft, executive creative director, Rapt Creative; Noelle Hardy, creative director, commercial, Tukio Media/Arena; Suhana Gordhan, independent; Pepe Marais, co-founder and chief creative officer, Joe Public

PFK AUDITOR

Byron Mitchley CA (SA)

The industry has always been an early adopter of machine thinking, says Rob Rose, but this is on steroids

THE ROBOTS ARE COMING! (SHOULD WE PANIC?)

The spectre of AI, it seems, is coming for us all Journalism, academia and adver tising are all fair game for a scar y technology that threatens to wipe out millions of jobs as fast as it’s meant to “revolutionise” all these industries.

It doesn’t really help to point out that AI, as it exists now, is deeply imperfect and is as likely to get it wrong as right, because those kinks will be ironed out in future So, in something of a twist, I asked the face of AI ChatGPT to explain how it thinks AI will change the adver tising industr y

Within a nanosecond, it spur ted out an anodyne answer, rich in slack-jawed jargon Phrases included “audience targeting and personalisation” , “ad content optimisation” , “content generation” , “customer insights” and “voice search optimisation”

“Overall” , ChatGPT concluded, “AI is transforming the adver tising industr y by enabling more efficient, data-driven and personalised adver tising strategies As AI technologies continue to advance, adver tisers need to adapt to remain competitive and ethical in their practices ”

That’s nothing you don’t already know Within that axiomatic , murky MBA-style blurb, that near-sentient bot has distilled a critical moment in the trajector y of an entire industr y to a tepid, grey diagnosis

Needless to say, ChatGPT didn’t capture the mood: designers awake at 3am, panicking about being outsmar ted by Leonardo AI, assistants stressing about Xembly replacing them and copywriters fretting about being run out of town by Writecream

This year, the AdFocus team had an advanced look at data on the topic coming out of Agency Scope 2023/2024 This research found that AI appeared to be the third-most mentioned challenge for marketers in South Africa, with mastering the technology the biggest challenge agencies will face. And 53% of the marketers think their current agencies are not suitably ad-

vanced digitally to tackle this challenge

The risk, of course, is that it will be beguiling for marketers to build in-house digital skills rather than relying on agencies. If savvy clients can do the work themselves, quickly, to a high standard and at a lower cost, it’s surely a temptation

But while it’s easy to catastrophise, this data by no means indicates we should all just shut up shop If anything, there are many ways the industr y could use AI to become more relevant and more indispensable than ever Provided we act quickly, and do it the right way The impor tant question is how to do this

To provide answers, this year’s AdFocus publication is themed around the topic On the following pages you will find, besides this year’s award winners, some rather divergent takes on the subject But one thing is clear: as The New York Times said: “It really doesn’t matter if you are fearful or not: The tools are here, so what do we do? ”

Or put another way: stand still and get washed away by the wave, or learn how to ride it

The adver tising industr y has always been an early adopter of machine thinking, such as programmatic adver tising This moment is like that, but on steroids

Watching our FM designers trial Photoshop’s Generative Fill on our covers shows there’s reason to believe this new frontier can be an enabler, not just a destroyer Our designers already have the skills to create provocative, powerful visuals; AI just lets them do this faster, easier, and with greater finesse It frees them to be more creative, less administrative

And, as using AI on our FM covers illustrates, there’s much the technology can’t replicate, like humour. Qatalog, and other “intelligent” machine systems, aren’t (yet) up to replacing the “soft knowledge” and intuition you get after working for years.

Take, for example, the judging of this year’s AdFocus awards Luca Gallarelli and the panel of industr y top brass who sat in the FM’s boardroom discussing the entries must together have more than 200 years’ wor th of industr y and client experience. Sure, this comes with some flaws, but it’s also packaged with a sensibility about the ways in which adver tising businesses work, what can be improved and what should be celebrated.

The judges asked tough questions, skir ted no issues and could flip between quantitative and creative reasoning with dexterity They bought a level of skill and hear t that no robot has yet mastered

Likewise with this year’s Creative Challenge entries In several cases the teams that put these engaging print ads together used AI, but it was the sense of context, topicality, fun and braver y that gave the winners the edge

In the FM’s 33 years of producing AdFocus, this isn’t the first time a new development has shaken up the industr y Computers, the internet, streaming, even influencers, have required adaptation (Hand-rendered Peter Stuyvesant back page, anyone?)

But your endurance illustrates the essential characteristic that has allowed South Africans to prevail through ever ything from blackouts to state capture and water-shedding: a quite remarkable resilience And for that we are thankful your suppor t is why the FM still exists, in our 65th year, and is even enjoying an upswing in circulation

As terrifying as the incremental rise of the robots is, you can be sure they’ll never be able to replicate that extraordinar y resilience, which continues to make your industr y one of the best

❒ Rob Rose, editor of the FM

Client-agency relationships often start out strong, but tensions creep in as misunderstandings and money get in the way

WHAT ’S THE SECRE T TO A L ASTING PARTNERSHIP?

working, red flags tend to be overlooked in the hope that by the time we get to the ‘performing’ stage, these issues have resolved themselves ”

The relationship between the ad agency and its client is often key to the quality of work produced When the relationship is fraught with challenges, it’s unlikely that the work coming out of the agency moves the needle in a meaningful way AdFocus asked agencies where the biggest challenges lie and what their strategies are to ensure good working relationships with their clients

Many client-agency relationships became transactional in the wake of the pandemic , says Mike Abel, co-founder and executive chair of M&C Saatchi Group South Africa Vir tual meetings replaced in-person collaboration and relationships suffered More businesses became risk averse, choosing shor t-term tactics at the expense of longterm brand building

“In a world where clients were becoming increasingly conser vative and relationships were increasingly transactional, the ability of agencies to create meaningful impact subsided,” says Abel.

The biggest problem with settling into a transactional relationship, he explains, is that it waters down the impact an agency can have on a client’s business

There’s also a risk with some client-agency relationships that marketing is seen as an execution arm for decisions made elsewhere in the business which can cause both client and agency to settle into a holding pattern where little tangible value can be unlocked, he adds

The Odd Number CEO Xola Nouse defines the evolution of the client-agency relationship as the “forming, storming, norming and performing” stages

“The ‘forming’ stage of the relationship is the exciting phase with high expectations from both par ties But, in the haste to get

It’s the “storming” phase which is the most challenging, says Nouse “Poor or inadequate briefs [and feedback], misaligned expectations, lack of clear and honest communication, and unworkable timelines are just some of the hallmarks of a relationship that will be in trouble before it has an oppor tunity to morph into the ‘norming’ phase ”

Cultural misunderstandings can also become an issue if they are not addressed quickly and sensitively, driving a lack of trust and respect in the agency-client relationship

Revolving individuals in the position of chief marketing officer is one of the biggest challenge, says Vicki Buys, MD of Ogilvy South Africa Cape Town

“Many client organisations are structured with specific lengths of ser vice in key roles Ambitious clients are rightfully working the system, which means that agencies often work with key clients for between 18 months and three years at a time Re-establishing relationships and proving one’s wor th become critical aspects of the relationship ”

Another challenge is the threeyear procurement contract cycle Buys says it can take 18 months for a client-agency par tnership to really hit its stride, leaving little time to capitalise on that investment While the agency may retain the contract in the next cycle, the disruption to the head space of both the client and the agency navigating the procurement process is detrimental to both sides. And if the incumbent agency is not successful, the client has to take on board a new agency and star t the cycle all over again

Clients now tend to instruct agencies about what they want rather than let ting agencies deliver a sound creative resolve. This af fects the morale, the tone and the essence of the relationship – and ultimately, the outcome of the work

Mike Abel, co-founder and executive chair, M&C Saatchi Group South Africa

For Adam Byars, Grid Worldwide co-CEO, one of the biggest issues is the commercial value of an agency-client relationship “While both client and agency go into a relationship with the right intentions and in the spirit of par tnership, the relationship gets derailed when outside stakeholders such as procurement or finance teams on both sides get involved to tr y to find an amicable commercial agreement, devaluing the core essence of bringing an agency on board ”

The problem, he says, is that agencies don’t stand up for their work or fight for what they believe in He doesn’t believe clients appreciate or value great creative work anymore “While agencies thrive on build-

ing a compelling creative offering, agencies, at the end of the day, are a business with specific targets to meet ”

Mzamo Xala, group CEO of Avatar Agency, says a successful agency-client relationship is when both par ties are aligned with the need to achieve measurable results. To achieve that requires that clients provide a clear and well-defined brief, with the right key performance indicators (KPIs) in place The agency’s responsibility is then to reimagine the brief in a way that meets expectations and also surprises the client

Problems, he says, arise when the skills and exper tise within either the client or agency group don’t align properly The challenge is to not allow a single mistake to jeopardise the par tnership “Both par ties need to be able to distinguish between shor t-term errors and the overarching par tnership goals But if you allow the issue to affect the relationship dynamic , there will soon be a gap between what is expected and what is being brought to the table

These challenges can be overcome if there is open communication, a sense of flexibility, as well as a shared commitment to achieve meaningful results

Johanna McDowell, MD of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and par tner in Scopen Africa, is not convinced these more transactional relationships benefit either client or agency when what both par ties need is the time to focus on creating really big brand ideas “I’m hoping that the need for a return to bigger ideas will see a return to a greater emphasis on the closeness and chemistr y within the relationship that is essential to drive creativity all around,” she says

Agencies have had little option but to accept these more transactional relationships, says Byars “Fewer big pitches and less clients who value the contribution of an agency means that agencies are forced to accept any jobs on offer to keep their offices open and businesses running When a ‘desperate’ deal is done, it’s almost impossible for agencies to make a small margin, employ credible talent or maintain a credible creative product,” he says

Client-agency relationships often star t out with a strong connection, but then become more transactional when it comes to day-to-day deliverables, says Xala

Project-based work, on the other hand, tends to star t out with more of a transactional bent but the relationship can evolve, par ticularly if the work is strategically impor tant, he maintains

“In our experience the degree to which relationships evolve often depends on the specific context and strategic impor tance of the work we’re doing The key lies in finding the right balance that best ser ves the objectives and needs of both par ties ”

RAPT Creative founder and CEO Garreth van Vuuren says the biggest challenges his agency has encountered with client relationships are when clients find themselves out of their depth, they don’t trust the agency’s capabilities, they are being micromanaged by senior staff or they attempt to take control of the creative process themselves.

“Each par ty needs to understand their respective roles and the reasons why the client and agency are working together When these roles and expectations are clear, they foster stronger personal connections and ultimately lead to better outcomes,” he says

McDowell says the biggest gripe clients have with agencies concerns the high volume of agency staff changes and a lack of an efficient handover process to new

Adam Byars, co-CEO, Grid Worldwide

Vicki Buys, MD, Ogilvy South Africa Cape Town

Johanna McDowell, MD, the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) and partner in Scopen Africa

Xola Nouse, CEO, The Odd Number

agency staff Other complaints include the outdated agency billing model which is focused on managing time, hours and rates “Clients don’t want to be looking at these kinds of things. At the same time, they want their agencies to spend time understanding their business and to regard that as an investment.”

From an agency perspective, she says, the biggest complaints are around client budgets, with agencies expected to deliver more for less Other complaints include the fact that marketers have become more junior, resulting in slower decision making, and the way some of these junior clients are allowed to abuse their agency

There has been a shift in the way clientagency relationships are managed in recent years, says Byars “Clients now tend to instruct agencies about what they want rather than letting agencies deliver a sound creative resolve This affects the morale, the tone and the essence of the relationship and ultimately, the outcome of the work ”

Clients have bigger expectations of their agencies, maintains Xala While they still value the creativity and marketing communications exper tise offered by agencies, they also expect data-driven insights and a bigger return on investment

Buys disagrees, saying that clients still want the same things from their agencies they’ve always wanted, which are creative solutions to solve real business problems She concedes, however, that the landscape of communications has changed vastly

“If you overlay this changed landscape with consumers being more complex than ever to target, let alone understanding what it is they want from brands, it’s not as easy a problem to solve today as it was a decade ago Some agencies and clients are rising to the challenge while others are finding it tricky to navigate.”

THE SECRET SAUCE TO SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS

A strong agency-client relationship and where the best work is delivered says Byars, relies on absolute trust, honesty and a spirit of par tnership, aligned to a common vision.

The key to enduring client relationships, he adds, is knowing what keeps your clients up at night, making their business problems your problem, for agencies to take themselves and their work more seriously, not being afraid to think outside the box of

Bridget Harpur, head of marketing at Volkswagen South Africa, says a working agency and client par tnership is based on deep trust, as well as a belief that consistent creativity can drive business results

“Most people recognise the value proposition in their personal lives and the same is true for human capital Clients need to understand that you ‘get what you pay for’ While we all want to be more efficient, your agency team needs to be adequately resourced to meet your expected deliver y or outcome ”

succeed It’s an approach, she adds, that sets aside all ego and personal ambition, ser ving the brand and, in turn, its consumers best

“At Ogilvy, we have a saying, ‘do the right thing’ . If you do right by the brand, then ever ything else falls into place. These relationships are special; they’re bigger than us, and we’re for tunate to be a par t of the tapestr y of their stor y It’s our responsibility to hand that brand over to the next person in the best and healthiest position ”

Byars’ advice to agencies is to get close to clients “Understand their business, ask questions and, most of all, ensure that the work you put on the table will deliver the desired business impact ” Her advice to clients is to take their agency into their confidence “Let them understand the whole picture Let them help you and your brand succeed ”

Successful client-agency relationships depend on the intentions and qualities of the people involved, says Van Vuuren “Create an environment of open communication and growth and encourage a solutionsdriven mindset People seek validation and gain motivation in many ways Understanding this and modifying your behaviour appropriately fosters a work environment that benefits ever yone ”

traditional adver tising, and being prepared to take risks

Communication failures and a misalignment of expectations can be disastrous, which is why building strong, trust-based relationships with clients is so impor tant, maintains Abel “The courage to make big decisions is possible only when there is an authentic and trusted relationship in place ”

Buys believes the relationships that place the brand at the centre are the ones that

Nouse says the most successful relationships are those that adopt a long-term perspective from the outset, unlike those that scramble and ultimately fumble for shor t-term wins that can’t be sustained “Relationships that don’t work are often the result of a mutual lack of trust,” he says

The secret sauce to a strong, enduring relationship between an agency and client, he believes, is about going above and beyond the scope of work and proactively solving the client’s problems “Agencies with a good understanding of their client’s business will always stand out,” he says.

McDowell’s advice to both agencies and their clients is to focus on the business of the brand and providing business solutions “Be prepared to share highs and lows, positives and negatives Don’t wait for the six-monthly relationship review tick box process designed to repor t on the quality of the relationship The relationship has to be worked on ever y day ”

Building brands goes way beyond clients, building economies and driving employment, says Byars “As an industr y, we should not lose the core essence of why we do what we do and what we love doing ”

Garreth van Vuuren, CEO, RAPT Creative

Mzamo Xala, group CEO, Avatar Agency

Bridget Harpur, head of marketing, Volkswagen SA

Despite the economic pressures of the past year, the advertising industry is positive, with most respondents reporting growth and more than half saying that’s been helped along by AI

UPBE AT INDUSTRY STILL MOVING FORWARD

If 2022 was the year of the bounce-back, that positive trajector y has continued in 2023 with the majority of respondents in this year’s AdFocus sur vey repor ting that business has continued to improve (77%) A total of 53% of respondents said business is much better or somewhat better compared with the past 18 months and 73% repor ted that they’re feeling positive about the adver tising industr y

These positives are despite the significant obstacles facing businesses in general this year Respondents said the biggest impacts on their businesses in the past year have been pressure on spending power (91%), load-shedding (70%), soaring interest rates (66%), political uncer tainty (56%) and talent loss due to emigration (47%).

Asked to provide one reason for business improving this year, 54% attributing it to building positive client relationships Other reasons cited were continued good ser vice

deliver y (45 8%), resilience (33 3%), a flexible business model (27%), an accelerated digital transformation (18 75%) and keeping the brand visible (18 75%)

While the overall take-out from this year’s AdFocus research is positive, not ever yone is feeling the same degree of optimism Compared with the past 18 months, 22 95% of respondents said business is the same, while 25% said it’s worse, 17% said business has not improved this year and just over 4% said they believed fur ther ground has been lost A total of 13% of respondents said they are feeling negative about the industr y

When it comes to transformation, 78% of respondents said they are on target and only 12% said they are not

Three-quar ters of respondents said they had recruited junior staff in the past year, with 34% repor ting that the calibre of these junior staff members was good Of concern, however, is in the area of top talent, with 56% of respondents believing the industr y is not attracting highly skilled talent

Just over a third of respondents said their companies have an AI strategy in place, while 56% don’t have one Encouragingly, more than half the respondents (51 79%)

Clients need to view it [AI] as a way of becoming more agile, creating ef ficiencies and ensuring speed to market

said AI is already having a big and positive impact on businesses and company output AI is most commonly being used for research (58%), copywriting and editing (42%), brainstorming (30%), and illustrations and design work (24%)

The most commonly used AI program is ChatGPT, followed by MidJourney Others repor ted using Fliki to create audio and video content without cameras, microphones or a studio, GPTZero to distinguish between plagiarised and original work, and Dale, Stable Diffusion, Bard, Perplexity and Notion, among other programs

One respondent repor ted that their businesses are investing in their own AI research and development in an effor t to disrupt their business model and create additional value for clients and par tners. Many respondents said they have tried a number of programs for creative as well as operational tasks and to formulate insights on repor ts.

A third of respondents said AI can only be used for small tasks

Respondents provided some interesting comments about AI One respondent said agencies need to embrace AI and similar tools to enhance performance, insights and efficiencies for clients “We need to

cement the stance of human capital empowered by AI and the advantages this brings rather than tr ying to replace that capital Creative needs to remain at the forefront We can’t think that AI can replace human capital and creatives. Clients need to view it as a way of becoming more agile, creating efficiencies and ensuring speed to market.”

But the respondents acknowledged that agencies need to bring clients with them on this journey of better understanding the advantages and limitations of AI The industr y needs to remember that despite the advent of AI, human relationships continue to be a priority More than ever before, brands need to be relevant That requires constantly aligning the brand with consumer expectations While speed and efficiency are impor tant, meaningful work that makes a difference remains the biggest priority

One suggestion is for agencies to change their remuneration model to allow AI to play a role in the initial concept design, which would save creatives time, allowing them to spend

more time on better work and creating ideas

To for tify their place in the client’s world, agencies need to remember to provide top-notch customer ser vice, share positive reviews and testimonials, be honest and transparent, ask for and act on feedback, be reachable

Another respondent said agencies need to adapt, introduce new ways to consult and advise, be open to new models and fee structures, immerse themselves in client businesses, train their client teams and upskill them on media literacy

Other suggestions include being more accountable, delivering results, providing insights to enhance a brand’s position, paying attention to detail and service deliver y which seems to be getting sloppy in some cases, being an extension of the client’s marketing team, offering value with ever y deliverable and adding to clients’ bottom line

This year’s sur vey respondents consisted primarily of people working for adver tising agencies (34%) or media houses (23 4%), with the balance made up of people working for consultancies, in public relations or self-employed More than half the respondents have worked in the adver tising and marketing industr y for more than 20 years

A total of 42% of respondents work for businesses employing more than 50 people, while 30% work for businesses employing up to 10 people

We need to cement the stance of human capital empowered by AI and the advantages this brings rather than tr ying to replace that capital

The advertising industry has lost confidence in its ability to make a difference: it’s time to take it back

LESSONS FROM THE GIANTS OF THE PAST

When one of the world’s most respected marketers says: “Agencies are forever” , doubters should find solace and take notice Tor Myhren, the vice-president of marketing communications at Apple and former global chief creative officer at Grey, probably knows what he’s talking about.

If agencies embrace the purpose they’ve always had and adjust with the times, they will thrive. Why, then, do so many choose to adjust their purpose to sur vive, instead? It smacks of insecurity, and if that’s what you feel, perhaps it’s time to close shop

On his return to the helm of Apple, Steve Jobs announced: “What we’re going to do in our first brand marketing campaign in several years is to get back to core value A lot of things have changed The products, the distribution strategy, manufacturing, are totally different But values and core values, those things shouldn’t change ”

Sounds familiar I fear that as an industr y we’ve forgotten this Adver tising has lost confidence in its ability to create value, change perceptions and grow brands and businesses It’s now a race to the bottom, and it’s a race many are tired of running It’s time to get serious about it again

It’s time to move past the caricature of adver tising professionals as people more intent on hedonism than interested in creating value Given how desperate we are to disassociate ourselves from ad people of that era, it’s a tad ironic that they were a generation of adver tising and marketing greats who arguably had a far greater effect on the world of products, marketing and brands than the present generation has

Many of the world’s greatest brands, as well as “adver tising” thinkers and businesses, were established in a time many now look down on Bill Bernbach, David Ogilvy, Jay Chiat, John Hegar ty, Shelley Lazarus, Dan Wieden, Mar y Wells Lawrence and others believed they could make a difference

They grew the world’s greatest brands, and took that responsibility seriously They did it knowing that big brands grow big businesses and big businesses drive economies and, ergo, the wheel of capitalism. They did it by deploying a combination of uncom-

Luca Gallarelli, CEO of TBWA\South Africa

promising talent and diligence, using the best tools available at the time to produce work that had an impact

Ogilvy once said: “If it doesn’t sell, it’s not creative ”

And Bernbach said: “Word of mouth is the best medium of all ”

Sounds pretty relevant to me

At the Integrated Marketing Council conference, Doug Place, Nando’s chief marketing officer for Africa, Middle East & India, said that as marketers “we matter” I’m glad he said it But I’m sad he felt the need to say it When did we lose confidence in our ability to affect the world of commerce so profoundly? Creativity has power, as I’m reminded when I see its impact on clients

I believe we are entering a period of greater cer tainty For the first time in decades we

Master y of the talent resident in our industr y, combined with the power of AI, will propel us beyond the realms of what we though t possible

have the oppor tunity to leverage an incredible new tool for making our product better ar tificial intelligence (AI)

The theme of this year’s AdFocus is the alchemy of human and AI It’s a proposition in which I believe wholehear tedly The master y of the talent resident in our industr y, combined with the power of AI, will propel us beyond the realms of what we thought possible, in terms of both creativity and the impact that creativity can have on our clients, brands and businesses

That’s not to say that we should now disregard ever ything that has made us relevant, but rather that we should double down on those aspects while growing our appetite for rapid change And we need to do it without a hint of insecurity with a real and fundamental belief in what we do while reimagining how we do it

All the winners, across all categories, have demonstrated an ability to do this Without exception, they have set the standard for an industr y in desperate need of confidence and examples of excellence. Look to the winners and cast your eyes beyond. We have work to do: best we get going. But let’s do it from a position of confidence that takes seriously our collective responsibility to move business and society for ward

❒ Luca Gallarelli, 2023 AdFocus jury chair and CEO of TBWA\South Africa

It’s about finding an angle. And having the right partner to guide you.

Now, more than ever, it’s imperative to collaborate with a rm that will help steer you in the right direction. At PKF, we consider ourselves more than accountants. We are partners with you on your business jour ney and we measure our success by yours.

With over 450 of ces, operating in 150 countries worldwide, the PKF network enables the sharing of knowledge and experience, and underpins our ability to offer you globally relevant advice grounded with local insight.

Proud Auditors of the 2023 AdFocus Awards

OVERALL WINNER OF THE YEAR

It believes its ownership structure is an optimum one, ser ving as a solid foundation on which to build an authentically transformed South African adver tising agency group

Joe Public United is 2023’s Agency of the Year, winning the Large Agency of the Year categor y and the Transformation Award

The AdFocus Large Agency of the Year categor y is always a tightly fought space, and this year was no exception

ing it responsible for above the line, below the line and digital creative, which strengthened and consolidated its more than a decade-long par tnership with the bank

Other large clients include SAB, Cell C , Chicken Licken and Assupol In the past year, it launched Uber One in South Africa and Engen’s new Café 365, and picked up new business in the form of Hippo and a Woolwor ths positioning campaign After setting itself a goal of attracting a global company in 2023, the agency acquired the Grant’s Whisky account and is tasked with taking the brand for ward in India, Poland, Colombia and South Africa, with fur ther territories to be added over time.

The agency doesn’t take its agency relationships for granted and conducts formal relationship sur veys with 14 of its top clients on a regular basis These clients account for 90% of the agency’s revenue Its average agency score in the AdFocus review period was above 80% , scoring in the excellent relationship range Scopen rates Joe Public as the number one agency in South Africa in several areas, including contributing to business growth, integrated ser vice offering, good working processes, strategic planning, senior management involvement on the account, and account ser vice

Joe Public stood out for its continued creative success, its growth on the back of the Nedbank digital account win, and for its strong transformation stor y

The agency had a robust year, improving 18% from the year before and retaining all its clients Its biggest client is Nedbank and, in 2022, it was appointed the bank’s digital agency par tner, mak-

The agency had an excellent year from a creative perspective It was ranked the ninth-most creative agency in the Drum’s World Creative Rankings, the number one agency in Africa in the 2022 WARC Creative Rankings, the number one agency at the 2022 Pendoring Awards, and for the fifth consecutive year the number one agency in Africa & the Middle East in 2022’s Loerie Awards Two of its young digital creatives, Bernice Mosala and Raphael Kuppasamy, were awarded gold in the Cannes Young Lions film categor y

Joe Motion, the agency’s in-house motion graphics animation and post-production studio, grew revenue by 100% compared with the previous year

Giving back has long been a core pillar

of Joe Public ’ s philosoph y

Joe Public executive team

But it hasn’t all been plain sailing The agency says it experienced more budget revisions and cost negotiations in 2023 than it has in the past five years as clients focused on savings, efficiencies and optimising budgets. In response, the agency changed internal team structures twice as often as in previous years as it looked to create optimal team mixes to achieve cost efficiencies while still delivering high-quality output

The agency has implemented a permanent hybrid working policy that allows staff to work from home on Monday and Friday and from the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays This approach has lowered its monthly operating costs, which allowed the agency to increase the salaries of all staff and employ six more creatives to provide more resources for faster turnaround times

Giving back has long been a core pillar of Joe Public ’s philosophy The agency founded its own NGO, One School at a Time, in 2010, which suppor ts two township schools in the greater Joburg area In addition to providing the schools with funding, the agency assists with school management, facility improvement, teacher suppor t and leadership coaching

One of the schools it suppor ts is For te High in Soweto, which has maintained its ranking as the number one township school in Gauteng for three consecutive years In 2022, the school achieved a 96% pass rate, including 159 distinctions, while 57% of learners obtained entrance into university During the year, the agency also did probono work for Amnesty International, the Apar theid Museum and People Opposing Women Abuse

BENCHMARK FOR TRANSFORMATION

A decade ago, Joe Public set out to transform its business into a shining example of what an authentically diverse and transformed organisation looks like Its transformation journey continues to set the benchmark in the industr y.

Central to its vision is the transformation of ownership. In 2021, 60% of the company was acquired by black shareholders. Senatla Capital, a 100% black-owned private equity investment company, acquired a 34% stake in the agency while the remaining 26% allocation was acquired via a management buyout

Three long-standing agency executives Khuthala Gala Holten, Mpumpe Ngobese and Xolisa Dyeshana bought the majority of the 26% stake in the agency via Ikamva Lakusasa, a newly created management company From the outset, the plan was for additional equity to be made

available within the management company to allow more employees to be added in time Three more have come on board since inception, with two of them becoming shareholders in Joe Public via Ikama Lakusasa in the AdFocus review period.

The structure of the agency’s shareholding was designed to create an authentically transformed entity from an ownership perspective that’s majority black-owned while still retaining the agency’s cherished independence and ensuring a high level of ownership (66%) in the leadership team

It believes this ownership structure is an optimum one, ser ving as a solid foundation on which to build an authentically transformed South African adver tising agency group It’s also one that plays into its formidable creative reputation

The agency says that creativity thrives on unexpected relationships between diverse ideas, people and points of view It has systematically set and met its annual diversity target Today, it’s staff contingent represents the South African landscape

Its diversity is also reflected in its leadership profile, with black individuals (40% women and 20% men) making up 60% of the agency’s board The majority of its senior management are black (64% , of which 68% are black women) Of the new staff hired in the AdFocus review period, 70% are black

Joe Public ’s focus on transformation extends to its suppliers, with 51% of its spend on level 1 and 2 BBBEE suppliers and 42% of its spend with qualifying small enterprise and exempted micro enterprise suppliers Overall, 48% of its total spend is with businesses that have more than 51% black ownership

The agency achieved 42 6 points of the targeted 46 points on its latest BBBEE scorecard rating, meaning it has achieved 93% of the targeted points in the enterprise and supplier development pillar This is a 75% improvement from five years ago

Joe Public ’s enterprise development programme suppor ts three black-owned companies, one of which has become a supplier to some of its key clients. The agency achieved 1 54 out of a possible 2 on its marketing, adver tising & communication BBBEE level 1 scorecard, scoring 77% of the targeted points

The agency fosters par tnerships with likeminded companies One of these companies is IAF Brands, an exempt micro enterprise with a BBBEE level 1 status, providing township and suburban creative solutions Based in Tembisa, IAF employs 10 people Owner Bulelani Balabala is the founder of the Township Entrepreneurs

Alliance, having received financial suppor t from FNB in 2019

The agency regards skills development as a critical component in the sustainable transformation of the industr y. In the past year, it invested more than R7m in training programmes. Based on a belief that an organisation will only ever be as big as its leaders, it launched the Ubuntu Conscious Leadership Programme in Februar y

A nine-month leadership transformation journey, the customised training programme is designed to raise the consciousness of the agency’s top 18 leaders and foster greater levels of responsibility to help it deliver on its growth purpose

Joe Public established its School of Growth in 2018 Boasting media, information & communication technologies Seta accred-

Creativit y thrives on unexpected relationships bet ween diverse ideas, people and points of view

itation as a training institute, it facilitates the personal and professional development of the agency’s staff and clients, with a long-term view to extend it externally

A fundamental focus of the school is to drive overall skills development within the agency and upskill young, largely black talent in preparation for future management roles The agency also has its own inhouse growth coach

STRONG CONTENDERS

Ogilvy South Africa is making an impressive comeback under CEO Pete Case, and it’s great to see the agency entering the AdFocus Awards again Creatively, it is also returning to its former form, having won two gold Cannes in the past two years

TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Joburg had a really strong year, despite losing creative giant Peter Khour y The 40-year-old agency is not resting on its laurels and has won some impressive new big business and continues to feature creatively

GROUP OF THE YEAR AND AFRICAN IMPACT AWARD

Working with TBWA will always be a robust experience; we’re not always the easiest and we don’t always do what we’re told … We believe in the power of our collective and the collective talent and experience that resides in it

Last year was a phenomenal year for TBWA\South Africa, culminating in spectacular wins at the 2022 AdFocus Awards: the agency won a total of five awards and was named the overall AdFocus Agency of the Year. Maintaining that trajector y was never going to be easy But it’s clear that this is an agency group whose star continues to shine brightly This year, TBWA\South Africa wins both the Group of the Year Award and the African Impact Award

TBWA\South Africa is unique in Africa, consisting of a collective of leading agencies that specialise in ever ything from brand strategy and design to production Structured to house exper t-led specialist agencies that epitomise the top tier in their respective categories, the group aims to focus on firepower and eliminate duplication

TBWA\South Africa consists of Yellowwood Future Architects (business, marketing and brand strategy), Grid Worldwide (brand experience and design, including through-the-line execution), TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris (a full-ser vice mar-

keting communication agency), Magna Car ta (corporate reputation management and PR), Sting Content Production (audio and visual content production) and the Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (data ser vices, media, social and a combination of first- and third-par ty data) The latter two were spawned from within the collective to give high-potential individuals leadership oppor tunities

The collective is based on a foundation of shared values and identity, respecting that each business in the group is unique and has its own reason for being, culture and role. The “connective tissue” holding them together is a unified vision, shared perspective, standardised operating systems, cohesive training platforms and a common language

Countering criticism that the collective is complicated, the group says the model provides leadership depth and greater efficiencies The ace up its sleeve, it says, is a senior leadership team empowered with both autonomy and accountability It’s an approach that has helped it attract, retain and promote some of the best talent in the industr y

The agency is par ticularly proud of its ability to grow industr y giants, with a number of TBWA alumni now global industr y players Pete Khour y, previously CCO of TBWA\South Africa, is the most recent example of this, having taken on the role of global CCO at Adidas Khour y has been replaced by Carl Willoughby If its strong performance at the Creative Circle Ad of the Month Awards since Willoughby took over is anything to go by, the agency remains in good hands from a creative perspective

Last year, the judges were impressed with significant new business gains that drove real revenue growth and increased efficiencies, which led to less wasted time and higher margin growth The group doubled down on all these areas in 2023 and, over the past year, it has once again collectively grown top-line revenue by adding a number of new clients to its

Luca Gallarelli, TBWA\South Africa CEO

roster and increased efficiencies even fur ther

It has long-standing and healthy relationships with clients including Spar, Nissan, MTN, City Lodge, Absa and South African Tourism In 2022, the TBWA\South Africa and MTN par tnership won AdFocus Par tnership of the Year, with the TBWACoastal and Spar par tnership coming in as a finalist TBWACoastal is again a finalist in the par tnership categor y this year

The ethos of the group is inherently “open source” , which means it looks for nontraditional par tnerships It recently formed par tnerships with specialist agencies outside the group, including PlusNarrative, Helm and EXP, affiliates that offer even more diverse and specialist skills to benefit its clients and teams

The group caters to clients’ unique needs by seamlessly integrating its teams’ diverse talents and capabilities It recently incorporated what could be called the “sixteenth man” , ar tificial intelligence (AI)

Its collective approach is dedicated to finding the optimal solution for each client’s challenge. To make this a reality, the group has set up a system where specialist talent in respective agencies can be marshalled to tackle a client’s problem and deployed as needed This not only eliminates duplication, but also helps unlock value and efficiency for clients The agency says it sees this as the next step in bringing “open source” collaboration

to life

A mental wellness programme created specifically for the group also acts as a platform for the entire group to connect, discuss, learn and grow The agency recognises that to show up cohesively, it needs each individual to want to do so It therefore acknowledges that personal success is inextricably linked to collective success

“Working with TBWA will always be a robust experience; we’re not always the easiest and we don’t always do what we’re told We take a point of view and will debate it fiercely We believe in the power of our collective and the collective talent and experience that resides in it We don’t believe in dogmatism We believe that our clients come to us for a reason: they are hunting for a strong point of view that leverages the intellectual horsepower and creative talent that we offer,” says the agency

Finalists for Group of the Year are Ogilvy South Africa, which has been producing some incredible work and has great client retention, and M&C Saatchi Group, with its strong specialists such as Levergy and Razor PR

AFRICAN IMPACT

TBWA has been operating across the continent since 2001, when it established its first affiliations with agencies in Nigeria, Botswana and Mauritius That network has since expanded to 34 affiliates, spanning 24 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

TBWA manages the MTN and Nissan accounts across Africa and, in April 2023, added Absa’s Africa business to its client roster, making the agency responsible for the brand across nine countries beyond South Africa’s borders This acquisition arguably entrenches TBWA as Africa’s most connected agency network, par tnering with some of the continent’s largest and most prestigious brands

Each agency in the network is a contracted affiliate with access to TBWA tools, resources and training, as well as access to global platforms, sources of best practice and information Strategic toolkits, repor ting por tals and information-sharing platforms enable more effective performance on regional clients While TBWA\South Africa is the network hub for TBWA in Africa, the group operates across Omnicom agency brands, working equitably across TBWA , DDB and BBDO networks and, on occasion, other independent Omnicom agencies

The cornerstone philosophy of TBWA network operations is a universal approach that allows for greater diversity in client solutions, but also a wider spectrum for shared learning While client structures dictate centres from which businesses are run, there is an understanding that this in no way creates a monopoly on the knowledge needed for that business to be run successfully. Proof that the structure works is the fact that TBWA has never had an affiliate leave the Africa collective because of deficient value

Monthly discussions with each affiliate cover a range of topics including new business, finances, personnel issues, creative work, local challenges and oppor tunities A series of Africabased and global training and skills development platforms are available to all agency affiliates, while bespoke training is typically focused on global strategic or creative priorities

An example is the evolution of TBWA’s disruption process “DisruptionX” which was introduced by the global team through a series of live, multicountr y presentations This continues across Africa through bespoke countr y sessions, which use live briefs to workshop process understanding and deliver ever yday client solutions

Weber Shandwick, a finalist in the African Impact categor y, is doing some excellent work for Mastercard on the continent The judges were pleased to see a PR agency operating strongly in Africa

Siphokazi Chivizhe, TBWA\South Africa group CFO

Graham Cruikshanks, TBWA\South Africa director of Africa operations

MEDIUM AGENCY OF THE YEAR

Grid’s continued determination to evolve its product outside of brands and design and its focus on how consumers engage with brands at ever y touchpoint are impressive, said the judges Its insatiable thirst to constantly push for ward is also what makes Grid stand out in the medium-size agency categor y

Not only did Grid increase its revenue by 27% in the AdFocus repor ting period, but it was one of its best awards years ever, ranking as the most awarded agency in the medium-sized categor y This was a year, said the judges, that it all came together for Grid

Its largest clients also happen to be its longest-lasting clients FNB, a client for the past 14 years, tasked Grid with refreshing its brand This led to FNB being voted the Strongest Banking Brand in the World by the Brand Finance Banking 500 2023 repor t, with a brand strength index score of 93 (out of 100), and increasing its brand value by 30% to $3 5bn (about R64bn)

Grid’s work with MTN had similar results, with the telecom giant named the countr y’s most valuable brand by the Brand Finance SA 100 2023 repor t, up 24% in brand value to R74 .3bn.

Grid’s creative work for Inverroche gin is getting global recognition Inver-

roche Bee&Bee, an innovative packaging solution that doubles as a hotel for solitar y bees, is reimagining packaging in an entirely new, sustainable way It has become one of Grid’s most awarded pieces, including at the ADC Awards, Cannes, The One Show and Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards Pernod Ricard Global will be using Bee&Bee as a benchmark for sustainable and conscious packaging across their global por tfolio

South African Tourism is another longstanding client for whom Grid developed “The Best of Us” campaign It worked on Spur’s brand evolution and continued its par tnership with MTN on the launch of MoMo Grid’s relationship with Marble has also garnered accolades: its latest endeavour saw

It ’ s not magic, but a careful blending of elements nur tured for years

Pantr y by Marble and Sasol create an upscale fuel station experience that redefines convenience, winning Best Forecour t Store in the 2022 Best of Joburg Readers’ Choice Awards

Grid was originally established to create meaning for brands The agency says it builds brands to help give them

this meaning in a time and place that is dynamic , chaotic and ever-changing, playing in culture and being at one with the people they ser ve and the world in which they operate

On a constant trajector y to change based on market needs, its concept of “Investment Creative” builds brands and takes them to places they need to be to grow A unique understanding of brand strategy, communication, experience and human-centred design allows the agency to redefine the rules by which brands interact with customers in all spaces, allowing it to build valuable brand equity

The agency says it is all too aware of the X factor that occurs when you get all the elements just right. It’s not magic , but rather a careful blending of elements that Grid has been nur turing for years.

Grid’s culture is as much a par t of the agency’s success as its business model, growth platforms, and structure are Nur turing that culture takes a great deal of hard work, says the agency, and creating a space where people feel inspired, excited and empowered to push the boundaries of their own minds is what it does best

Giving back has long been a big par t of Grid’s value system The agency worked with The Loeries to design the campaign “Blood, Sweat and Tears” to highlight the immense time, talent and tenacity it takes to create awardwinning work

It also par tnered with SheSays, an action-based global advocacy group for women in the creative industr y, to amplify their Mentorship Moments initiative by mentoring and inspiring 10 young women students and committing to ongoing mentorship for the rest of 2023

Finalists Rapt Creative and Two Tone Global were also strong entries this year, said the judges Rapt has catapulted itself out of the Small Agency categor y and shown tremendous growth Two Tone Global, on the other hand, has a fantastic stor y to tell about how it has redefined its offering postpandemic

The Grid team, who’ve had one of their best awards years ever

SMALL AGENCY OF THE YEAR

Describing itself as a challenger agency for challenger brands, Retroviral thrives on delivering thought-provoking work that plays in the realm of discomfort

Challenger boutique agency Retroviral is the well-deserved Small Agency of the Year for 2023 Having built a reputation for consistently delivering quality and clever work that leaves the viewer smiling, it was an obvious winner in this category, said the judges

Not only has the agency had its most financially successful year ever with more than 26% growth over the previous year, but time and again it has demonstrated commitment to delivering exceptional results with a number of groundbreaking campaigns that exceeded client expectations

A multispecialist agency, Retroviral has a vision to be the best storyselling a term it defines as branded storytelling that converts to sales agency group in Africa The agency believes its success is rooted in a collaborative culture where diverse tal-

ents merge to create exceptional outcomes

It describes itself as a challenger agency for challenger brands, thriving on delivering thought-provoking work that plays in the realm of discomfort This also plays out in its culture, with its people constantly challenging each other to deliver ideas and content that cut through the clutter Though it doesn’t aim to be controversial, it does strive to produce work that results in questions being asked and hires with this ethos in mind

Its insights-driven approach transformed a Discovery Black Friday negative sentiment challenge into a powerhouse Twitter campaign with #HackBlackFriday

The agency’s strategic content marketing initiatives led to over R1m in revenue generated for LilLets’ new Drylock range Its edge in creating entertaining viral content led to over 15-million views for RCL Foods’ campaigns for Nola mayonnaise, Ultra Pet, Ultra Cat, Fry’s and Yum Yum with total paid media spend of less than R50,000 combined. A campaign for Ultra Pet led to a surge in social media engagement, with more than 2.5-million views and 80,000 new, unique click-throughs to the brand’s website.

Renowned for its ability to flex its creative muscle on lean budgets, Retroviral produces cut-through content that generates maximum earned media and has a direct impact on the bottom line through sales conversions Using this approach, it has produced multi-award-winning campaigns, including the Prism Campaign of the Year for two consecutive years for Kreepy Krauly (My Kreepy Teacher) and

Checkers Sixty60 (Tinder Swindler) These successes were underscored by a 95% client retention rate

That’s not to say the agency did not experience its share of challenges: a campaign for BB Bakeries faced unexpected regulatory hurdles, resulting in delays and additional resource allocation

It increased its staff complement to 17, up from 12 the previous year, and boasts a BBBEE level 2 score and 51% black ownership Four staff left in the year, including the agency’s creative director, who emigrated Rather than source a new creative director externally, the agency established a resultsdriven vision over a 12-month period for its head of design to grow into the role. This initiative was communicated with clients, resulting in both internal and external support for the new creative director.

The agency is committed to growth, with a graduate programme in place to consistently bring in new minds, diversity and fresh ideas In 2023, the Retroviral graduates were exposed to all facets of the agency, from client service to creative copy to design The agency recruited two of the three participants in the programme to fulltime creative positions

A mentorship programme fosters and grows talent internally Staff are encouraged to pitch advancements in education and skills training, based on their professional missions and passions To date, every request has been supported by financial backing of some description

Looking ahead, the agency is poised to expand its offering, solidify its position as an industry leader, and continue delivering value to clients Its roadmap includes further integration of artificial intelligence and immersive technologies to drive campaign personalisation and engagement

Runner-up Happy Friday Creative last year’s winner of the Adaptability Award also delivered a strong entry The judges commented that it’s encouraging to see an agency that prioritises its people doing so well

Retroviral executive team, left to right: Pippa Misplon (MD); Koketso Masisi (associate creative director); Mike Sharman (co-founder and CCO); Didi Nchabeleng (financial director)

MEDIA AGENCY OF THE YEAR

Both The MediaShop and the finalist in this categor y, PHD, stand tall as modern media companies But it was The MediaShop that stood out this year after an incredibly strong year of growth, par ticularly impressive given its size, said the judges

“Despite being a real powerhouse in the South African media landscape, it’s clear that The MediaShop has not rested on its laurels,” said AdFocus jur y chair Luca Gallarelli “After an absence of several years from AdFocus, it’s good to see this agency back ”

South Africa’s oldest, and arguably one of its largest, media agencies celebrated its 35th bir thday this year As middleage creeps up on The MediaShop, it’s understandably hard to “remain impressive” , par ticularly when you’re operating at the scale at which this agency does. But this past year is likely to go down as one of its most successful.

The standout highlights of the past year included growing billing 21% and revenue 14% , an impressive increase given a tough economy and considering the agency’s billing base of nearly R4bn In fact, The MediaShop’s growth exceeds many other agencies’ total billing

Despite being a real powerhouse in the South African media landscape, it’s clear The MediaShop has not rested on its laurels. Af ter an absence of several years from AdFocus, it’s good to see this agency back

During the period under review, it won the Nedbank digital account, one of South Africa’s largest digital adver tisers with an annual digital spend of more than R200m This account win is a vote of confidence from Nedbank that the agency can successfully handle both digital and traditional media It also won the Jägermeister account, together with its par tner IntiMedia In addition to

L’Oréal, Sasol, the Western Cape government and MultiChoice In total, more than R1bn was recommitted to the business during the period in question

The MediaShop believes in building sustainable relationships, so it’s perhaps no surprise it has a number of long-standing par tnerships with key clients Shoprite, arguably South Africa’s biggest adver tiser, has been its client for 23 years, while Nando’s, one of the countr y’s most loved brands, has been a client for 19

Both Nando’s and Shoprite gave The MediaShop one of their highest relationship scores ever last year, illustrating the strength of relationships that have blossomed into highly successful par tnerships.

Together with its holding company, Park Media, the agency launched a performance digital business called Lucid Media, which has grown to 30 staff members in just two years It also launched a marketing intelligence hub which employs data scientists and business analysts to consolidate research, data and analytics across the business

Diversity, inclusion and transformation continue to be a focus at The MediaShop A level 1, majority blackowned (55%) and majority black female owned (42%) organisation, in the past year the agency increased its black female ownership through staff-owned shares It also par tners with the Maharishi Invincibility Institute, funding studies for underprivileged black women

adding big clients to its roster, it also secured several medium and small clients The Regent Business School account, for example, is a midsized piece of business where the agency believes it can make a difference

Another highlight was receiving contract extensions from long-term clients such as Famous Brands, Nedbank,

On the awards front, The MediaShop has also had a stellar year, winning an award for effectiveness at the Marketing Achievement Awards, doing well at the MOST Awards and receiving Scopen recognition where it was voted the number one media agency to work for by its peers, and the number one media agency to work with by its clients

PHD, last year’s winner in this categor y, also delivered a strong entr y this year, leaning into the world of digital

Highligh ts of the past year included growing billing 21% and revenue 14%

Dashni Vilakazi, MD of The MediaShop

SPECIALISED AGENCY OF THE YEAR

‘Collaborative, inquisitive and deeply passionate about delivering ideas that work,’ Levergy’s paradigm shift away from being a pure sponsorship agency has yielded impressive results

This is the third consecutive year that Levergy has been an AdFocus winner In 2022, it won this same award and in 2021, it took the Adaptability Award

Part of the M&C Saatchi Abel Group, Levergy has undergone a significant paradigm shift in the past year from a pure sport sponsorship and entertainment agency to what it calls a “passion agency” an agency that specialises in creating brand connections with a target audience in a bid to attract new business more broadly

An important message in this repositioning was that connecting through passion does not need a significant sponsorship and it does not need to be a sport The engagement can be created, owned, partnered or lent because opportunities around passion come in many shapes and guises

Levergy’s goal in its repositioning was to cement the simple, but highly compelling, premise that passion is a powerful solution for resonating more profoundly with a desired audience

As discipline-neutral sector specialists, the agency plans to continue to lead

creatively and land on the most appropriate execution for each brief to deliver hard-working solutions

The results of this shift soon spoke for themselves: an impressive year-onyear revenue increase, four new client wins, the retention of its six core clients, and being the most awarded agency across sport, sponsorship, entertainment and activation in the period under review

The AdFocus judges were impressed with these remarkable results and said the agency’s excellent growth is not surprising considering it takes the role of creativity seriously

Levergy grew its talent pool by 11% , with eight promotions, and boasted a staff turnover rate of just 15% This is no small achievement given the industrywide challenge of attracting and retaining talent Instead of competing against other agencies on remuneration and benefits, it focused on the most important factor in job satisfaction: the actual nature of the work

The agency’s trump card is that it is the

recipient of some of the most exciting briefs in the industry, many of which are centred on connecting creatively with people through sport, entertainment, gaming, music and lifestyle platforms It deliberately landed this message as a hook to lure the best marketing talent To help with retention, the agency encourages them to do what they love

A highlight of the past year was the global campaign for the 2023 International Cricket Council Women’s T20 World Cup The campaign’s objective was to drive interest and engagement across multiple markets globally, with a focus on turning around the underwhelming performance associated with women’s sport in South Africa. Besides being a prestigious piece of work, it was also lucrative.

When it comes to its client relationships, Levergy’s partner model is to “get under the skin” of businesses Its executive management team works actively with clients across all briefs, with the result that powerful relationships are forged

Because the agency did not have any existing client-agency performance metrics in place, this year it commissioned the Relationship Radar tool to track its performance and assess it against industry benchmarks

Levergy has been Telkom’s sponsorship agency since 2020, with a mandate to create meaningful impact for its brand and business through consumer passions Telkom chief marketing officer Gugu Mthembu says the team operates at an exceptionally high level, despite the agency’s relative youth, and are collaborative, inquisitive and deeply passionate about delivering ideas that work

“They take the time to understand our business challenges, the market and our consumer strategy They have redefined how we view ‘sponsorship’ ”

There were three finalists in this category this year PlusNarrative and MakeReign are new agencies to the AdFocus Awards, and both provided strong entries as did the third finalist, Mscsports

Melissa Daniels, Levergy MD

Struan Campbell, Levergy CEO

PARTNERSHIP OF THE YEAR

Ogilvy

South Africa’s collaboration with Carling Black Label

powerfully repositioned the brand by reframing the value and role of masculine strength

This was the most popular category in this year’s AdFocus Awards, which speaks volumes about the importance of agency-client relationships This year’s winner is a relationship that has endured for more than four decades, and despite some low moments, its strength has never wavered

What makes the Ogilvy South Africa and Carling Black Label relationship stand out, agreed the judges, is that it’s bigger than any one person, with agency and client sharing a common understanding of the brand and how to continue evolving the brand proposition

Carling Black Label was originally positioned as US beer brewed in South Africa. But the brand struggled to develop its own identity, trailing significantly behind Castle Lager, Hansa and Lion Lager for popularity.

Ogilvy South Africa’s partnership with Carling Black Label goes back 41 years when the agency was tasked by the brand’s owner, South African Breweries (SAB), to secure a meaningful place for the iconic brand in the hearts of South Africans

In 2011, Carling Black Label and Ogilvy

launched the highly successful Carling Black Label Cup with the “Be the Coach” campaign, which ran successfully for eight years

But by 2018, changing conditions and sentiments about masculinity were putting pressure on sales volumes A 14% loss in sales volumes signalled a slow but steady decline The brand was losing relevance as younger beer drinkers turned to more innovative and progressive brands

Halting the brand’s decline was key to the company’s defence of its share and profitability in the South African beer market

Despite decades of commitment to building a traditional view of masculinity, Carling Black Label agreed to reposition the brand with a more progressive view by reframing the value and role of masculine strength The reposition risked the brand losing its core audience, while also potentially not attracting a new one

Ogilvy inspired the client team to live their new brand platform by committing to creative work that could improve the lives of South Africans and tackle the scourge of genderbased violence (GBV) that follows alcohol abuse

The agency designed and launched the #NoExcuse platform, which ignited a new connection with modern masculinity This was activated by the “Soccer Songs for Change” stunt, which managed to reach a larger audience than the Soccer World Cup opening cere-

mony and match in 2010

Ogilvy’s efforts, which included using nontraditional channels such as rebranding the physical beer with the #NoExcuse message and marching with NGOs to parliament to petition for change, were instrumental in giving Carling Black Label a refreshed, highly relevant and meaningful place in society

In 2019, a change of leadership within SAB threatened the momentum of the campaign The leadership shift meant that the highly awarded brand team on the client side was moved to other divisions

Ogilvy, as brand custodian, stepped in to support the new leadership team during the transition The agency felt deeply accountable for the work that had come before and wanted to ensure the high standard and strong purpose of the work continued

By putting the brand at the centre, the agency was able to build a close relationship with the new client team based on trust and collaboration

And then came 2020, accompanied by a pandemic , lockdowns, a ban on the sale of alcohol and no Carling Cup The lockdowns led to a greater prevalence of GBV as women were now confined in proximity with men struggling with mental health issues

The agency, client and partner teams worked under huge time, resource and financial constraints during a difficult period to create a highly effective way of using the brand’s platforms to reach both the victims and perpetrators of GBV with offers of help

The demonstration of a real commitment to work that attempted to solve societal issues gave the agency and the client team an increased sense of purpose. The close relationship that

was developed created a high-trust, cross-disciplinary team that was able to strategically and creatively manoeuvre the brand through this critical time.

To avoid bad behaviour by consumers when alcohol went back on sale, an additional digital campaign was created, teaching people how to adhere to the Covid restrictions

Understanding that many men were unemployed in the wake of the pandemic , Ogilvy realised they no longer felt like champions A new brand line, “There’s Gold Inside” , was created to inspire men to find a way out of their challenges This reappraisal unlocked a more positive approach to men’s issues, which has led to greater creative opportunities for the brand

The new brand line was launched with the sponsorship of a matric education for a number of men “A Class of Their Own” who had failed to complete their schooling At the same time, on-the-ground work in townships with #FatherANation was aimed at supporting men through their daily struggles towards developing healthier masculinity

The agency also found new ways to extend the #NoExcuse message Faced with the prospect of the first summer in two years without alcohol restrictions, Carling Black Label continued to lean into #NoExcuse with the powerful “Bride Armour” activation, which included a short film on the horrors of GBV The #NoExcuse message has reached a global audience with its simple call to end GBV It is a message that sits at the centre of the brand’s purpose

In 2020, the agency proposed evolving the Carling Black Label Cup a oneday, four-team football tournament through “Change the Game” , with the idea of giving fans more control over the game, including using Twitter to vote live for substitutions. The refreshed platform developed over two

years resulted in the most progressive format yet: “My Game, My Way” in 2022 with the inclusion of two more teams, voted for by the fans.

Close partnerships between multiple stakeholders, partner agencies and Carling Black Label have enabled this huge annual event to maintain its spark for more than a decade

From being a laggard in the beer market in 2018, Carling Black Label became the most powerful beer brand in the country in 2022, with a power score of 16 8 from Kantar, the highest brand equity score it has ever had Between 2018 and 2022, Carling Black Label increased its equity by a remarkable 84%

Also in 2022, it experienced historic sales volumes despite a midyear price hike, an admirable feat which demonstrated the perceived increased value attached to the brand

The campaign also had a social impact, resulting in a 50% decrease in the number of women who accepted spousal abuse and a 15% increase in men who said they would now stand up against GBV

Its business impact was no less significant, resulting in volume growth of 83 1% for the brand between 2018 and 2023, and giving Carling Black Label a 42 7% share of the local beer market

The campaign has been highly awarded both locally and internationally, winning a Grand Effie as well as a Gold and Silver Effie; and Gold awards at Cannes, the Assegais, the New Generation Awards, the Loeries, the Bookmarks; and Silvers at the Clios; and a Bronze at The One Show

Johanna McDowell, the managing partner of Scopen Africa and CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS), the sponsor of the Partnership of the Year Award, says winning the Grand Effie in 2022 was the ultimate demonstration of the continued success of this long partnership

“A client that is willing to take risks and be controversial for a very good cause shows great faith in the ability of their agency who, in turn, was willing to work really hard to implement such a strong idea The level of trust in this relationship is unmatched ”

The three finalist entries were all im-

pressive in their own way Nedbank’s relationship with Joe Public has yielded incredible results for both client and agency. Joe Public has become invaluable to Nedbank every agency wishes they had this kind of relationship, said the judges.

McDowell says this partnership was also a strong finalist in 2022 “This is a relationship willing to review and renew itself on a systematic basis Consistent and strong brand building work illustrates the seriousness with which both parties commit to this partnership,” she says

Savannah and Grey Advertising have created an entirely new standard when it comes to the quality of work in their category The agency’s work for Savannah continues to win awards both locally and globally

“This must be quite a fun relationship between agency and client, as they’ve been able to generate consistently quirky advertising, which has certainly resulted in brand building and awareness,” says McDowell, adding that the collaborative nature of this relationship is to be applauded.

Last, but not least, is the partnership between TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Durban and Build It This partnership, says McDowell, has resulted in a fast-growing brand awareness for a brand in a category that traditionally is not that interesting It’s also not a category that spends a great deal However, both parties have worked collaboratively to ensure success

The AdFocus Partnership of the Year Award is sponsored by IAS

This award is sponsored by

PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY OF THE YEAR

Earning strategic communications a place at the business decision-making table, Weber Shandwick has successfully evolved to meet the changing needs of post-Covid businesses

All three finalists in this categor y Magna Car ta, Razor and Weber Shandwick were incredibly close and the award could have gone to any one of them in a different year However, it was Weber Shandwick that took top honours this year, by a slim margin, delivering a strong entr y across the board with agency growth, excellent client relationships, and making a positive industr y contribution

Many public relations agencies have struggled to recover to pre-pandemic levels Weber Shandwick has evolved to meet the changing needs of postCovid businesses by extending its services beyond traditional PR into a consulting practice that influences business and drives growth.

One of the agency’s offerings, called Leaders Transformed, is designed to champion new business leaders, suppor t leadership transitions, and ensure staff engagement and business stability It has also developed ser vices that leverage its exper tise in reputation management, organisational development, coaching and sponsoring, to deliver cutting-edge consulting at the highest levels of business decision-making

The results speak for themselves: in the past year, the agency has retained all its clients and signed on several new ones, ensuring growth and high profit margins of between 25% and 30% , year on year

Weber Shandwick South Africa is par t of a global network of agencies Each office operates autonomously with separate clients and billings In South Africa, the team consists of a diverse

team of strategic thinkers and creative stor ytellers with a strong competence in C-suite engagement, strategy and analysis, media and publicity, organisational transformation, and reputation and leadership

The agency believes businesses today exist in a reputation economy with strategic communications an increasingly impor tant risk area to safeguard It also maintains that it has earned strategic communications a place at the business decision-making table This, it says, has been a critical move in the changing business landscape

The agency has won the Best Up-andComing PR Professional Award at the Prism Awards for four consecutive years.

People are a priority at Weber Shandwick The agency is laser-focused on its employee experience From middle managers to senior leadership, there’s a development programme that ensures holistic personal growth Four high-potential individuals par ticipated in the agency’s Leadership Incubator in the past year, a year-long programme focused on building leadership exper tise and a leadership succession network

Its staff retention activities are led by “Find-me Grow-me Know-me Keepme” , an approach that reflects the talent journey within the business It includes a continuous review of hiring practices, creating strong pipelines and new talent pools

Once talent has been onboarded, the agency is intentional about growing them and compensating them competitively

Ipelegeng

Thibedi, CEO of Weber Shandwick Africa

Its client mix is diverse, covering corporate affairs, technology, financial ser vices, public affairs, health care and the consumer. Its work for clients is focused on its impact on businesses and communities. In the past year, the agency helped Nestlé pilot a blueprint for sustainability engagement and communications in response to the government’s extended producer responsibility policy

The campaign won Gold at the Prism Awards and received a Cer tificate of Excellence at the Sabre Africa Awards It won awards at Prism for work with Mastercard and a cer tificate of excellence at Sabre for work with IBM

A level 1 BEE and majority blackowned agency, Weber Shandwick’s diversity, equity and inclusion values are evident across its shareholding, talent, work and culture Its business ecosystem is diverse, with suppliers that boast great potential to contribute to society

Magna Car ta also had a strong year from a new business perspective and is clearly making a return to being a PR powerhouse The agency has doubled down on its reputation management offering, including crisis communication

Razor PR, at only four years old and having already won this award twice, is a force to be reckoned with in this categor y The agency continues to deliver a strong body of work and enjoys excellent relationships with its clients

ADAPTABILITY AWARD OF THE YEAR

This time two years ago, Two Tone Global was still reeling from the commercial impact of the pandemic Before Covid, the agency employed 22 people and generated 60% of its billing from brand experiences By mid-2020, the agency had been forced to reduce its staff count to just six people

The only reason it didn’t cut back even more was that it had star ted re-engineering and reinventing itself in 2019 to be more digitally focused The key appointments made in 2019 allowed the agency to respond and adapt to pandemic restrictions.

Falling back to its core offering of being a creatively led agency with strong digital capabilities, Two Tone Global began to develop digital experiences and trade campaigns for clients such as Nestlé, Diageo and Telkom, allowing them to engage with and activate consumers vir tually when physical engagement was not possible

Its shift from what was a primarily activation-based agency to a niche digital engagement agency soon paid dividends, allowing the business to

grow revenue by 135% between March 2022 and May 2023 A 98% success rate as far as pitches were concerned helped, winning the agency brands such as Telkom, African Bank, SABC 1, 2 and 3 and Pernod Ricard

That’s not to say it has all been smooth sailing for Two Tone Global Like many of its competitors, the agency has struggled to upscale its human resources talent in tandem with the rate it has won new business in the past two years It was also required to create more office space for its additional people and find the necessar y capital to fund its new business acquisitions.

March 2022 and May 2023

The agency, which is 100% blackowned, has also struggled to adapt to a hybrid working model post-pandemic One of the biggest insights for the agency coming out of the past two years is that the hybrid model is not optimal for collaboration or creativity It also found that its people were more

motivated when they were able to engage face-to-face, with resilience resulting from the camaraderie that developed among team members

To mitigate staff burnout, the agency engaged reputable talent scouts to assist with human resources appointments It redesigned its existing office to create more space, including for production facilities, and approached a funding and financial grant agency to capitalise its new projects This funding was approved in late 2022

Staff were provided with incentives to work from the office, including a commuter budget to ease the financial pressure of travelling into the office, while a hybrid energy backup system mitigated downtime resulting from load-shedding

As par t of its strategy to gear itself for growth, the agency conducts regular high-focus sessions with its staff on business strategy as well as talent development programmes Its talent acquisition strategy, which prioritises finding employees with the right culture and vision fit for the agency, continues Its human resources strategy is to build a highperformance team with high levels of creativity

The agency has also expanded its footprint by opening an office in Kenya

The Adaptability Award was first introduced in 2020 to recognise an agency that has successfully adapted to a new paradigm, demonstrating that it has embraced flexibility and manoeuvrability, and has successfully risen above the disruption of an unusual period

The judges said Two Tone Global’s turnaround not only demonstrated tenacity and resilience, but successfully established the agency as a meaningful industr y player that delivers a sustainable and relevant product, making it a wor thy winner

The runner-up in this categor y was Weber Shandwick

Two Tone Global’s executive and management team

Revenue grew by 135% bet ween

SHAPESHIFTER OF THE YEAR

What I loved about Grid and what I think sets it apar t — is that it trains its people to change the world, whereas so many other agencies train their people to win awards

Ashapeshifter is defined as a fictional being that can transform itself from one physical form to another Zeus, god of the sky and thunder, was apparently a fantastic shapeshifter, taking many unexpected forms

This year’s Shapeshifter aptly embodies the term Yatish Narsi trained and practised as an architect for 15 years, before moving into adver tising as chief experience officer at the multi-award-winning agency, Grid Worldwide He is now the chief marketing officer (CMO ) at MultiChoice

Narsi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University

I

of KwaZulu-Natal and then joined Design Par tnership, an international architectural firm

It’s quite a jump from architecture to adver tising to running what is arguably one of the most demanding marketing por tfolios in South Africa Narsi doesn’t see it that way

“I’m not a huge fan of disciplines,” he says “I prefer to look at it as problem-solving. What I love about architecture and what drew me to it was its combination of engineering and design aesthetic in ser vice to humanity and the creation of something that would be used ever y day ”

Design Par tnership was involved in a number of retail redesigns, including for Wimpy, Steers, Edgars and Mugg & Bean, during which time Narsi realised how impor tant the role of the brand is in a consumer brands’ retail offering After a chance discussion with Grid Worldwide founder and chief creative officer Nathan Reddy, Narsi accepted the offer of becoming the agency’s chief experience officer, working on some of the countr y’s most admired businesses and brands, including MTN and FNB

Narsi learnt a great deal at Grid “What I loved about Grid and what I think sets it apar t is that it trains its people to change the world, whereas so many other agencies train their people to win awards It has a ver y maverick and entrepreneurial culture and encourages freedom of expression I like to think that what I helped bring to the table was nontraditional categor y thinking ”

It was while working on the rebrand of Showmax with MultiChoice that Narsi met Marc Jur y, the SuperSpor t CEO who took over as MultiChoice South Africa’s CEO earlier this year

Yatish Narsi, chief marketing officer at MultiChoice

I keep hearing agencies

saying that the big trend righ t now is for brands to be customer-centric. If that’s the case, wh y are agencies not bet ter at understanding the issues facing their clients?

Jur y offered Narsi the long-vacant position of CMO

Before accepting the position, Narsi warned Jur y he was not a career CMO “I said I’d accept the position and stay for as long as I think I’m being useful and adding value Rather than tr ying to keep this job, I said I’d tr y to do it What was remarkable about Marc ’s people vision is how much he valued curiosity and attitude over your CV and qualifications, which made this oppor tunity an absolute no-brainer for me ”

Another thing that appealed to him was the ability to influence more than just the brand, but also other business levers that affect the customer

Narsi’s mandate as MultiChoice CMO is two-fold: the first is to rebuild belief that the best days of MultiChoice are still ahead of it and, second, to play an authentic , meaningful role in adding value to the lives of its customers

“There are ver y few businesses on the continent that have the scale and credibility to genuinely change the narrative and harness untapped potential, with the exception of a handful of banks and telecom companies,” he says

“As a brand, MultiChoice is ver y close to culture and continues to have the content that people love.”

He’s adamant that MultiChoice needs to get back to its core business, which is enter tainment Even its marketing needs to be enter taining. The fact that it’s not enter taining is a travesty, he says.

Against all conventional metrics, Narsi is an unexpected choice as the CMO for MultiChoice He doesn’t have a CV and has been told that his LinkedIn profile is not par ticularly good (His response to that was that the only people who have updated LinkedIn accounts have a great deal of time on their hands )

He has neither the inclination nor the patience to discuss awareness, consideration and conversion

But perhaps that’s why he is exactly what MultiChoice needs: someone who does not come from a traditional marketing background, has no formal academic marketing training and, as a result, thinks outside the box of conventional marketing thinking

He’s the first to admit that he doesn’t think like a marketer In fact, he doesn’t even know what a CMO is supposed to do “But does that really matter? I’m par t of a team of incredibly talented and smar t people at MultiChoice tr ying to solve problems and add value to customers ”

The rise of AI is not a sign that creativit y is losing

And even though Narsi sat on the agency side of the table for six years, as a client, he gets exasperated with his ad agency and can’t understand why, after discussing the business challenges facing MultiChoice for an hour with the agency team, they still request a brief

“Why request a brief when I’ve just spent the past hour explaining the challenge and the problems we need solved? ”

It’s these kinds of experiences that have him shaking his head when he hears agencies complaining that the client doesn’t get it “I’m discovering that it’s actually agencies that don’t get it and don’t understand the challenges that the business needs to solve

“I keep hearing agencies saying that the big trend right now is for brands to

be customer-centric If that’s the case, why are agencies not better at understanding the issues facing their clients? ”

That’s not to say that marketers always get it right. For too long, he says, marketing has focused on being a discipline rather than understanding that it has a role to play in linking the customer and the business together

“Marketing as a discipline in South Africa has lost its seat at the table It’s not close enough to its customers or the business and tends to mark its own homework,” he says “The fact that I was able to step into a CMO role is symptomatic of the problem It says something about the state of the industr y that a business such as MultiChoice has had to take a chance on an architect who used to do some branding and made some logos ”

Far from ar tificial intelligence (AI) being a threat to the adver tising industr y, he insists that the biggest threat is not using modern technology “Over time, new technologies get absorbed into our day-to-day lives, at which point they’re no longer a new technology, but rather one of many tools we use to help us live our lives more efficiently,” he says

Rather than fearing these new technologies, the industr y needs to embrace them At the same time, it needs to be less focused on protecting disciplines such as copywriting and ar t direction and more focused on solving their clients’ problems

“Marketing lessons have it that a brand such as Kodak is about memories rather than film Translated into the context of the ad industr y: the business of copywriters and ar t directors is not to create commercials but to solve business problems

“The ad industr y can be quite myopic about some things, and currently it’s being myopic about the perceived threat of AI. The rise of AI is not a sign that creativity is losing. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, because what it represents is the democratisation of creativity ”

Narsi has a tattoo of a Sanskrit verse, which epitomises how he feels about life Loosely translated, it says that the path to true happiness is to be wise, to be wise is to be useful, to be useful is to be wealthy, and to be wealthy is to make life better for others Making lives better for others, is ultimately, the life mission of this shapeshifter

INDUSTRY LEADER OF THE YEAR

AdFocus Industr y Leader of the Year is someone who has made a significant contribution to the industr y. This year’s recipient is Pete Case, CEO of Ogilvy South Africa.

The AdFocus judges said Ogilvy South Africa’s return to its former heyday is largely attributable to Case and that it was a masterstroke on the par t of Ogilvy’s board to get him back as CEO His determination to return Ogilvy to the A league, they said, speaks volumes about his determination and talent

Pete Case is one of the industr y’s most awarded leaders and previously ranked in the top 10 best-performing CEOs globally by the World Adver tising Research Center He was also voted one of the two most admired agency leaders for 2022 in the annual MarkLives poll

A leader with an unusual blend of both creative and business skills, Case never intended to conquer the ad industr y His school results were cer tainly no early predictor of his later career success, and it was only after he’d left school that he discovered he was severely dyslexic Embracing this as a superpower rather than a hindrance, he went on to attain an honours degree in graphic design and became fascinated with film and technology He taught himself how to code and developed a skill for film, typography and motion graphics

At 22, he took a small business loan and

When you’re creating things that have never been done before, the people you surround yourself with are so critical

star ted his own company, based in his bedroom Armed with one of the first mobile phones on the market, he directed and produced music videos, shor t films, commercials and motion graphics He developed a good reputation in a tough market, even winning two Emmy awards for design and directing

After being headhunted, he spent two

years creating and redesigning the brand identities of television stations around the world.

He then fell in love with a South African and followed her back home, expecting to carr y on with his blossoming directing career What he hadn’t factored into his move was that his reputation in the UK as an up-and-coming film director meant nothing in South Africa

Pivoting into a different industr y, he established a digital design business in 1999, which was, he concedes in hindsight, way before its time for the local market “We created some industr y-leading work for local but mostly global clients, and it was an impor tant business lesson in timing,” he says Several years later, after his business par tner died in a car accident, he decided to close the business for a fresh beginning

A meeting with Net#work BBDO founder Mike Schalit led to a joint venture with Network to establish a new digital agency called Gloo “Again, we were still too early, but the establishment of Gloo was the star t of an incredible journey,” says Case

The business grew from seven staff members to more than 140 and, to all intents and purposes, pioneered the digital agency categor y in South Africa For seven consecutive years, Gloo was named AdFocus Digital Agency of the Year

Case attributes much of Gloo’s success to the people he hired “When you’re tr ying to make things that have never been created before, the people you surround yourself with are so critical They believed in what we were tr ying to grow and really helped push the boundaries of our industr y for ward at the time,” he says.

Some of his proudest moments to this day, he says, are when he meets up with people who used to work for

Pete Case, Ogilvy South Africa CEO

him and he learns that they have gone on to do even more impressive things with their careers

In 2014 , Case decided to merge Gloo with Ogilvy, assuming the position of chief creative officer, helping the agency evolve its creative product to meet the needs of more digitally enabled consumers

He dived into the full through-the-line capability, leading Ogilvy South Africa through one of its brightest periods, during which time it won four Grands Prix at Cannes, five Grands Prix at the Loeries, and some of the top awards for creativity and effectiveness around the globe Ogilvy South Africa frequently topped the local creative rankings and was voted the most integrated agency by its peers for five consecutive years

Case left the agency at the end of 2019, intending to take a break from the industr y “I’d been commuting weekly between Joburg and Cape Town for years, and with a young family at home, I wanted a break and a reset,” he says

Choosing to work with a few star t-ups, Case was then invited to take on a temporar y creative role for the global Ogilvy network to assist with implementing its latest strategy across various offices A fully remote position, the mix suited Case perfectly

My leadership st yle is as much about ensuring we have a good creative product as it is about tr ying to create the best working environment

... Motivated people are a ver y power ful dif ferentiator for any agency

But while Case was thriving, some industr y analysts felt Ogilvy South Africa was losing its spark and its way He was subsequently approached by Ogilvy’s board to come back as CEO and reset the tone, culture and course of the agency.

“While my previous role focused on the agency’s end product, there were times where this limited focus was frustrating because I was actually just as interested in the more holistic business discussions This time around, my focus would allow me to apply the business skills and experience I had acquired while building my previous businesses, as well as implementing the strategies I’d been helping the Ogilvy countr y offices put in place ”

We need a more generous at titude to

building a pool of industr y talent

Case returned to Ogilvy South Africa as CEO and creative chair in early 2022 with a goal to attract, grow and nurture talent and unlock value. His priority, he says, was to listen.

“The ingredient I knew we already had was great people. What I helped bring to the table was a new and clearer ambition of what we could all achieve together My agency leadership style is as much about ensuring we have a good creative product as it is about tr ying to create the best working environment for ever yone across the business Motivated people are ultimately a ver y powerful differentiator for any agency ”

This focus on the people aspect of the business was par t of the reason for Gloo’s phenomenal success Staff productivity and creativity, says Case, is inextricably linked to how happy people are in their jobs The Ogilvy agency culture has recently been boosted by more time in the office This year, all staff were required to be in the office for three out of five days

Case firmly believes that great work requires teams to be collaborating in person alongside the flexibility of working vir tually “There’s no question that more time together has resulted in better work, which promotes the growth of our people and clients ”

The results of some of Case’s initiatives and energy have been apparent Ogilvy South Africa won the Agency of the Year Award at the 2023 Loerie Awards, including two Grands Prix and

four golds It was the most awarded agency at Cannes for creativity for the second year in a row and the most awarded South African agency at The One Show, where it won 16 awards.

It has been just as successful when it comes to effectiveness awards, winning the Grand Effie, three golds and four silvers at the 2023 Effie Awards across four of its biggest clients: KFC , Volkswagen, Mondelez and Carling Black Label

“Winning awards for both creativity and effectiveness is central to our ambition: creating big impact for big brands,” says Case

Admitting he believed the agency’s turnaround would take longer than it has, and knowing there’s plenty still to do, Case says he is delighted at how quickly it has happened Coming out of the challenging pandemic years and given a tough local economy where client budgets are under pressure, these achievements are nothing to sneeze at

Case is determined to position the agency for even more success Far from seeing ar tificial intelligence (AI) as a threat, he says its potential needs to be embraced Ogilvy is putting ever y employee through AI training to ensure the entire team understands how to use it as a tool to create greater efficiencies and oppor tunities

“This is a hugely fascinating time to be par t of the adver tising industr y and, increasingly, technology will be par t of the creative process to create maximum impact for our clients ”

He’s also passionate about their talent pipeline Ogilvy is one of the biggest industr y contributors to developing new industr y talent, fully funding more than 40 graduates for its graduate programme each year This year’s graduate intake has overindexed on copywriters and digital talent, given the market shor tage of these skills. Graduates are not tied to Ogilvy on completion of the programme, which underlines the open ambition to help the industr y and not just the agency itself

If ever y agency could create a version of this kind of internship programme, says Case, the industr y wouldn’t have such a large skills shor tage “As an industr y, I believe we need a more generous attitude to building a pool of industr y talent,” he says “It’s ever y agency’s responsibility to grow the next generation of talent ”

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD OF THE YEAR

‘I believe in paying it forward and giving back,’ says ad industry doyenne Ann Nurock as she redefines client-agency relationships, inspiring the next generation

The AdFocus Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual who has made a profoundly positive impact on the industry This year’s recipient is, without question, one of the most passionate proponents of the advertising industry in the country

Ann Nurock is the Africa partner of Relationship Audits & Management, a global consultancy that measures and optimises strategic business relationships with a primary focus on clientagency relationships Its proprietary Radar tool is used by corporates and agencies, assisting them to get the most out of their key strategic relationships by providing an in-depth understanding of these relationships to optimise their potential.

Before joining Relationship Audits, Nurock spent more than 25 years in the communications industry, primarily with Grey Advertising, moving up the ranks until she was appointed MD of Grey South Africa in 2000 and CEO and head of the Africa region in 2003 Under her leadership, the agency doubled its size in three years and, in 2007, was ranked one of the top performing new businesses and creative agencies within the Grey Global network and one of the top three in South Africa

If they want great work, they need to inspire their agency

After graduating from Wits with a BA , she started her career as an account executive on the OK Bazaars account at Mortimer Tiley, which merged with BBDO She then joined Grey, where

she had the opportunity to work on numerous multinational accounts Managing the Procter & Gamble account, she says, was her “university of marketing”

The relationship with Procter & Gamble, on the launch of Pantene, was, she says, as close to a perfect client-agency relationship as it’s possible to get “It worked so well because the client inspired us The relationship was based on absolute trust What some clients seem to have forgotten today is if they want great work, they need to inspire their agency and give them ambition Every agency aspires to create great work; if they’re inspired, they will go beyond the call of duty to deliver beyond expectations.”

In 2007, Nurock was recognised as one of the three most influential women in the communications industry, as well as receiving the FinWeek Long-Term Achievement Award

She felt that she’d reached the pinnacle of success in South Africa, and when an opportunity arose for an international secondment, Nurock jumped at it and, in 2008, relocated to Toronto to take up the position of president and CEO of Grey Canada

But heading Grey Canada turned out to be the low point of her career “I didn’t understand the Canadians, and they didn’t understand me,” she says “My mandate in Canada was to be a change agent, but my definition of a change agent differed from that of the Canadians Looking back, I made mistakes I should have spent the first six months just listening and learning before trying to implement any changes I was the interloper, so I

Ann Nurock , Af rica partner, Relationship Audits

should have adapted to the Canadians rather than expecting them to adapt to me ”

But, as tough as the experience was, she doesn’t regret it. “It taught me humility and made me a better person. I went from being a big fish in a small pond to a very small fish in an enormous sea and there are lessons in that And while I continue to consider my stint in Canada as a career failure, what came out of it was lifechanging ”

She opted to return to South Africa in 2011 and live in Cape Town, and at the age of 50 (ish), she established the African arm of Relationship Audits, in the process completely re-inventing herself, something she’s really proud of as it proves age is just a number Removed from Joburg’s business hub, she spent the first eight years travelling back frequently to see clients It took her six long months to acquire her first clients, she says, but her passion, tenacity and hard work paid off

More than a decade later, the business is very successful and works with 25 local and global companies, resulting in interaction with more than 80 advertising agencies, enabling more effective client-agency relationships

Relationship Audits has been contracted to run surveys for Pernod Ricard globally, as well as for MTN across Africa and the Middle East, SAB and most of the banks, to name just a few of her corporate clients By helping agencies better understand what clients want from them, including how to future-proof themselves, Nurock has become a trusted adviser

Nurock says what gives her immense satisfaction is the feeling that she is giving back to an industry that has served her so well for so many years “I’m passionate about advertising and marketing and, through Radar, I’m able to help businesses and their agencies have better relationships.”

Her work with clients is not transactional, and she doesn’t consult on pitches Instead, she’s focused on adding value “I don’t do a survey and disappear Rather, I do regular checkins and build deep relationships with all my clients ”

In addition, for the past eight years, she has represented South Africa’s Creative Circle and Bizcommunity at Cannes Lions and reports back on the marketing and creative trends she has picked up What she calls her “side-

line” job helps keep her at the forefront of what’s happening in the industry globally These trends are also infused into her Radar presentations.

The local industry, she says, was good to her on her return from Canada. “Despite being away for almost five years, the spirit of generosity within this industry was very evident when I returned, and so I believe in paying it forward and giving back, so if I can help somebody, I will do it ”

That giving back has taken the form of both formal and informal mentoring to help small agencies grow

Where client-agency relationships go from good to great, is when agencies focus on the behavioural KPIs and deliver real value

RAPT Creative, the recipient of the 2022 AdFocus Small Agency of the Year Award and a finalist in the category in 2023, is one of the many agencies Nurock has worked with in recent years CEO Garreth van Vuuren has only positive things to say about Nurock, calling her a true powerhouse in the advertising industry

“Personally, I’ve had the privilege of being mentored by Ann, and it has been an absolute game-changer for me As an agency, RAPT has also had an amazing relationship with her,” Van Vuuren says

“Working with Ann and her team has brought immense benefits to our agency Her expertise and guidance have helped us identify crucial issues through the use of the Radar survey, which has been instrumental in highlighting areas where we can improve and implement effective strategies to overcome challenges I can’t emphasize enough how important her contribution has been to our growth ”

What sets Nurock apart is her selfless nature, he says “Ann genuinely cares about the industry and is always willing to share her knowledge and support us. Her dedication and generosity make her a true giver to the industry. We are incredibly grateful for her continued guidance.”

Nurock talks fondly of the current crop of agency leaders and marketing heads “The local advertising and marketing industry is very unique, made up as it is of really smart and decent people There’s a definite camaraderie within the industry, which I enjoy ”

Based on her Radar benchmarks, she believes that, overall, the South African industry is in pretty good shape To ensure good client-agency relationships, she says that, at the least, agencies need to adhere to transactional key performance indicators, which she refers to as “brilliant basics”

“The difference, and where clientagency relationships go from good to great, is when agencies focus on the behavioural KPIs and deliver real value,” she says

Ultimately, she says, it all boils down to trust: When agencies genuinely understand the client’s business and the challenges it faces and are able to address those challenges through strategically sound creativity, an environment of trust is created

“Clients want their agency to challenge them, but they can only do that if they understand the business and are able to speak the same language as clients Agencies need to talk about the same objectives and metrics as the business does to give their clients the tools to sell ideas to the C-suite ”

She’s less concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the industry than she is about the impact of performance marketing on brands, which, she believes, is often happening at the expense of brand building.

“Too many marketers these days are focused on short-term promotions in other words, ‘short-termism’ That fixation with instant gratification is starting to be felt to the detriment of brands ”

There is a place for both, she says

Calling Nurock a doyenne of the advertising and marketing industry, the AdFocus judges said she is one of the most respected and admired people in the sector and a deserving recipient of the Lifetime Achiever Award

S T U D E N T O F T H E Y E A

R

T h i s y e a r ’ s A d F o c u s w i n n e r i s J a n é L o u w ,

w h o i s i n h e r fi n a l y e a r o f a B A i n v i s u a l

c o m m u n i c a t i o n a t t h e C a p e T o w n C r e a t i v e

A c a d e m y T h e j u d g e s s a i d h e r b o d y o f w o r k i s

a s t o u n d i n g , s h o w i n g u n b e l i e v a b l e v e r s a t i l i t y

a n d a l e v e l o f c r a f t a n d e x e c u t i o n s e l d o m

s e e n f r o m a s t u d e n t C a p e T o w n C r e a t i v e

A c a d e m y ’ s C l a y t o n S u t h e r l a n d s a y s L o u w

d e f t l y a v o i d s a n y t h i n g r e s e m b l i n g a s t y l e

t r a p “ J a n é i s o n e o f t h o s e s t u d e n t s w h o t r i e s

f o r a u n i q u e v i s u a l s o l u t i o n t o t h e p r o b l e m . I t

m e a n s m o v i n g o u t o f h e r c o m f o r t z o n e a n d

e x p l o r i n g a n u n f a m i l i a r s t y l e J a n é i s b r i g h t , a

l i t t l e q u i r k y a n d a d v e n t u r o u s ”

L o u w l o v e s c r e a t i n g t h i n g s t h a t f e e l l i k e t h e y

l i v e a n d b r e a t h e w i t h p e o p l e i n s t e a d o f j u s t

e x i s t i n g w i t h i n t h e i r o w n c o n fi n e s M o t i v a t e d

b y t h e b e a u t y s h e s e e s i n t h e w o r l d a n d t h e

p o w e r i n c o n s c i o u s l y c h o o s i n g a p o s i t i v e

p e r s p e c t i v e , s h e s a y s : “ T h e a b i l i t y t o c r e a t e a n

i n n e r : J a n é L o u w , R e d & Y e l l o w C r e a t i v e S c h o o l o f B u s i n e s s

e x p e r i e n c e f o r s o m e o n e t h a t c a n i n d u c e j o y , d i s g u s t o r e v e n c o n f u s i o n i s w h a t e x c i t e s m e a b o u t

d e s i g n I w a n t t o s h a r e t h e j o y I fi n d i n m u n d a n e t h i n g s T h e r e a r e l o t s o f a w f u l t h i n g s h a p p e n i n g i n

t h e w o r l d a n d s o m e t i m e s i t d o e s f e e l a b s u r d t o b e r u m i n a t i n g o v e r t y p e s i z e s a n d c o l o u r

c o m b i n a t i o n s B u t c o o l d e s i g n c a n m a k e p e o p l e h a p p y a n d h a v e a m a j o r i m p a c t o n t h e i r e x p e r i e n c e

o f t h e w o r l d a r o u n d t h e m ”

‘ T H E A B I L I T Y T O C R E A T E A N

J O Y , D I S G U S T O R E V E N C O N F U S I O N I S W H A T E X C I T E S M E A B O U T D E S I G N ’ J A N É L O U W , S T U D E N T O F T H E Y E A R

P h i l i p p a S c h o l t z i s i n h e r fi n a l y e a r o f a B A i n v i s u a l

c o m m u n i c a t i o n , m a j o r i n g i n i l l u s t r a t i o n S h e ’ s l o v e d

i l l u s t r a t i n g f o r a s l o n g a s s h e c a n r e m e m b e r “ T o m e ,

i l l u s t r a t i o n , a s a m e d i u m , i s a n o p p o r t u n i t y f o r e n g a g e d

l o o k i n g , c o n n e c t i o n , a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r t h e d e p t h a n d

d e t a i l o f o u r w o r l d a n d t h e p e o p l e i n i t ; f o s t e r i n g l o v e

r a t h e r t h a n f e a r B y t r a i n i n g a s a n i l l u s t r a t o r , I h o p e t o

b e a b l e t o h e l p p e o p l e fi n d a n e w w a y t o s e e ”

H e r l e c t u r e r , S t e p h a n i e S i m p s o n , s a y s : “ P i p p a i s a n

e x c e p t i o n a l l y c r e a t i v e s t u d e n t w h o s e w o r k c o n s i s t e n t l y

e x u d e s a p l a y f u l n a t u r e a n d i s e x e c u t e d w i t h

i m p e c c a b l e c r a f t s m a n s h i p H e r i l l u s t r a t i o n s p o s s e s s a

w h i m s i c a l c h a r m t h a t i n v i t e s t h e a u d i e n c e i n t o a

m a g i c a l w o r l d W h a t s e t s h e r a p a r t i s h e r a b i l i t y t o

t a c k l e c h a l l e n g i n g t o p i c s , o f t e n s p e a k i n g f r o m t h e

p e r s p e c t i v e o f m a r g i n a l i s e d i n d i v i d u a l s S h e c o n s i s t e n t l y

g o e s t h e e x t r a m i l e a n d i s a g e n u i n e l y k i n d a n d

c o n s i d e r a t e i n d i v i d u a l ”

2 nd P l a c e : P h i l i p p a S c h o l t z , R e d & Y e l l o w C r e a t i v e S c h o o l o f B u s i n e s s

X o l i s a T a m a r a n a i s c o m p l e t i n g a o n e - y e a r h i g h e r

c e r t i fi c a t e i n g r a p h i c d e s i g n a n d h a s a l r e a d y s e c u r e d a n

i n t e r n s h i p w i t h O g i l v y H e d e s c r i b e s h i s c r e a t i v e s t y l e a s

a c o m b i n a t i o n o f m i n i m a l i s m w i t h o r g a n i c s h a p e s a n d

f o r m s

P a s s i o n a t e a b o u t s e r v i n g a n d c o n t r i b u t i n g , h e l o v e s

b e i n g c h a l l e n g e d . “ I l i k e t h e i d e a o f b u i l d i n g s o m e t h i n g

t o g e t h e r I o f t e n c o m p e t e i n h a c k a t h o n s a n d I ’ v e e v e n

w o n t h r e e t i m e s ”

H i s l e c t u r e r , N i n i v a n d e r W a l t , d e s c r i b e s h i m a s a

t h o r o u g h b r e d c r e a t i v e w h o l i v e s f o r h i s c r a f t “ X o l i s a

e a t s , b r e a t h e s a n d s l e e p s d e s i g n a n d i l l u s t r a t i o n H i s

w o r k e t h i c a n d c r e a t i v e p r o c e s s a r e a d m i r a b l e H e s e e s

t h e w o r l d i n j u s t a l i t t l e m o r e d e t a i l t h a n t h e r e s t o f t h e

w o r l d ; s e e i n g t h e r e a l i t y o f l i f e i n p e o p l e ' s f a c e s a n d

b e h a v i o u r , b u t a l w a y s s p r i n k l i n g i t w i t h a b i t m o r e

c o l o u r a n d m a g i c A t r u e t a l e n t w h o n e v e r s u r r e n d e r s ,

a n d c r e a t e s w i t h i n t e g r i t y "

M e r i t A w a r d : X o l i s a T a m a r a n a ,

R e d & Y e l l o w C r e a t i v e S c h o o l o f B u s i n e s s

3 rd P l a c e : N a t a l i e R a y , R e d & Y e l l o w C r e a t i v e S c h o o l o f B u s i n e s s

“ I ’ m a m e g a a r t n e r d a n d I ’ m c o n s t a n t l y

l e a r n i n g n e w t h i n g s t h r o u g h o n l i n e

c o u r s e s ” H e r l e c t u r e r , S t e p h a n i e

S i m p s o n , s a y s R a y h a s c o n s t a n t l y

e x c e l l e d , e v e n a m i d a f u l l - b l o w n

p a n d e m i c . “ H e r w o r k c o n s i s t e n t l y

o f t a t t o o c u l t u r e , a n d h e r d e s i g n s t y l e

a s m i n i m a l w i t h a t o u c h o f c o n t r o l l e d

c h a o s w h i l e t r y i n g t o s h o u t i n c l u s i v i t y

a n d d i v e r s i t y o n e i l l u s t r a t i o n a n d d e s i g n

a t a t i m e A f t e r m a t r i c u l a t i n g , R a y l i v e d

i n A s i a f o r t w o y e a r s , w h i c h a l l o w e d h e r

t o g r o w a n d l e a r n a b o u t h e r s e l f N o t

s u r p r i s i n g l y , i t ’ s a l s o i n fl u e n c e d h e r

s t y l e o f a r t

c a r r i e s a r e b e l l i o u s e d g e , a d d r e s s i n g

c u r r e n t i s s u e s w i t h p r o f o u n d i n s i g h t s

S h e d e l v e s d e e p t o c h a l l e n g e h e r o w n

p r e c o n c e p t i o n s , r e s u l t i n g i n u n i q u e a n d

c o m p e l l i n g v i s u a l s T h i s y e a r s h e h a d

t h e d i s t i n c t i o n o f b e i n g a fi n a l i s t i n b o t h

t h e L o e r i e s a n d t h e P e n d o r i n g A w a r d s

w i t h h e r f a n t a s t i c r e b r a n d i n g o f

T w i z z a ”

We, at Park Adver tising, are committed to nurturing and advancing the next generation of industry leaders That is why we are the proud sponsors of this year ’s “STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD” at the 2023 AdFocus Awards. We believe that this sponsorship will provide hopeful students with a valuable stepping stone in their professional journey towards contributing to making companies and industries be amazing

THIS YE AR'S HARDWORKING ADFOCUS A WARDS PANEL SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

We asked them about the biggest challenges facing the industr y, whether it’s up to the task of addressing these challenges, and how optimistic they are about the direction the industr y is heading in

Luca Gallarelli Group CEO TBWA\South Africa and AdFocus jury chair

“The magic of human creativity and ingenuity can never be replicated by machines Machines and AI will augment, not replace The biggest challenge the industr y faces is understanding and creating that perfect balance Many will overcorrect and, conversely, many will be too conser vative in their adoption of technology The challenge is that the balance is not finite; it will continue to shift with ever y year Creating the capacity in one’s environment to keep adapting and adjusting to optimise will be an ongoing challenge. And one not all will get right or have the endurance for.

THE INSIDE SCOOP.

“Our industr y has always had an incredible capacity for early adoption and adjustment More so than many client environments Agencies need to shake off any lethargy that may creep in as a result of the constant questioning, change and uncertainty this brings.

“I’m incredibly excited about where the industr y is heading In our pursuit for better, more innovative and creative solutions, any tools that help us get there quicker can present oppor tunity. Unlike the questions presented by Web 2.0 or Web3, we’re seeing the emergence of the greatest asset the industr y has ever benefited from since the introduction of the computer

“This is not about channel or the proliferation as such, but rather the quality of the output itself. And anything that helps make that better, is something that gets me excited.”

“The biggest challenge facing our industr y is the outflow of creative talent and our struggle to attract new talent I attribute this to two factors

“The first is that globalisation has resulted in agencies focusing on delivering financial returns to their investors, hence there has been a decline in real concern about delivering outstanding creative solutions for our clients

“Second, agencies have become sweatshops, being paid for their time rather than for their thinking, sinking under ‘busyness’ in the absence of making creativity their core business And as creative people can make more money creating wallpaper on a freelance basis, they are exiting our industr y as fast as the ideas they once conceived

“We can star t to bring change only once we become conscious of this level of incompetence in our industr y The few agencies that are aware of what it takes to create work that succeeds will star t to bring about the cultures needed to cultivate great work And, in time, these lighthouse agencies will show the way for the rest to follow

“As an industr y, we are in the dark and have lost our way We’ve become revenue obsessed and have put our product on the back burner We’ve forgotten that we are in the business of creativity

“However, I remain optimistic as I have always believed that to see the light, you have to experience the dark first ”

Pepe Marais Group integrated chief creative officer Joe Public

“It’s clear the South African adver tising industr y is facing significant challenges, driven primarily by economic factors The loss of talent to countries with higher financial incentives is a concern The reduction in budgets, made worse by the pandemic , has fur ther strained our ability to produce impactful work

“The economy has also put pressure on clients, agencies and individuals to be financially stable But it’s impor tant to recognise the crucial role the industr y plays in the economy Marketers of major brands and corporations contribute greatly to shaping the countr y’s finances.

“Our industr y can play an integral role in a thriving economy, considering that we represent the biggest brands and corporations that shape the financial market in South Africa. Through strategic ingenuity, innovation and human resonance we can rebuild and grow, while attracting a pan-African and global audience to invest in this countr y and retain those who have made it

“We’re in ‘the age of the creators’ . Evidence is in the incredible creativity brought about through AI, user-generated content and gamification There could not be a more exciting time to be in the field of creativity ”

Merissa Himraj CEO Wavemaker

“The biggest challenge facing the industr y is the advancement of AI and technology This is creating a perception for clients that, somehow, machines will star t doing the work, and that they will save costs as we reduce the number of full-time equivalents on their business Nothing could be fur ther from the truth We have to scale up to harness the power of AI, and that means more costs, not fewer, initially.

“I do think the industr y is up to the task of addressing these challenges A lot of work is being done to blend a machine-learning/AI environment with our own ver y manual way of doing things We’re already employing AI to do a lot; it’s just hard to manage marketers’ expectations against the technical reality of our need for more programmers to get to smar ter solutions

“I’m ver y optimistic to be in the industr y now, at a time which is likely to be one of significant change in the way we do things creatively, as well as the way we automate lower-order tasks. This will free us to think, create, and solve bigger problems, build better par tnerships and change the face of communication forever It is both scar y and exciting the reasons why most of us joined adver tising anyway!”

“The biggest challenge is the different way the industr y operates Covid has changed its landscape and it’s becoming more challenging to retain and attract good talent The greater number of people deciding to freelance has put a drain on the agency resource pool and brought pressure on staff cost ratios The shift to hybrid ways of working has brought a unique set of challenges in building an agency culture, which ultimately affects the creative product.

“The second challenge is that consumers are less interested in engaging with brands. A radical shift away from traditional media channels and the fragmentation of digital and social media means it’s a lot harder for brands to cut through the clutter

“The third challenge is keeping up with the rapid pace of technology disruption.

“The industr y has acknowledged these challenges and is tr ying hard to adapt The rapid surge of technology presents us with oppor tunities to be more innovative in the way we operate, think and execute on brands. We are working hard to nur ture young talent Change is inevitable, but we are resilient as an industr y, and up to the task of meeting any challenges that come our way ”

“Challenges abound in the adver tising, creative and media industries Privacy regulations are reshaping targeting strategies, while ad blocking and content saturation demand more engaging approaches

“Diversity and ethical concerns call for inclusive and responsible adver tising Shifting consumer behaviour post-Covid and talent competition pose hurdles Priorities are adapting to evolving technology, addressing sustainability, improving measurement and attribution, and coping with economic fluctuations Adaptability, innovation and consumer understanding remain essential for success in this everchanging landscape.

“The adver tising industr y is brimming with brilliant minds, and many of the sharpest talents are found in agencies. Our industr y consistently leads the way, meeting clients’ evolving needs. South Africa proudly hosts numerous world-class agencies

“My optimism stems from our nation’s inherent strength and resilience. Overall, we need to prioritise our countr y’s wellbeing, which star ts with our own people Cultivating a contented and harmonious workforce is a cornerstone of our industr y’s achievement ”

Nicole Ravenscroft Group executive creative director Rapt Group

Firdous Osman MD Saatchi & Saatchi SA

Ana Carrapichano Founder and CEO Mediology

“The biggest challenges facing the industr y include retaining top talent, dealing with diversity and inclusion, and meeting changing skill requirements

“Retaining top talent in a competitive industr y where talented individuals are in high demand is challenging, especially when other industries offer attractive perks and greater security

“Adver tising has historically struggled with diversity and inclusion, with the underrepresentation of cer tain groups in senior positions This limits the industr y’s ability to connect effectively with and understand diverse consumer demographics

“The industr y is dynamic and constantly evolving, with ever-changing skills requirements Keeping up can be challenging for both individuals and organisations, leading to a talent gap

“The industr y is cer tainly aware of the challenges it faces, and many organisations are actively working to address them. But I’m optimistic about the direction the industr y is heading in. We need to be adapting continuously. This can be done by embracing innovation, fostering a culture of learning, prioritising diversity and inclusion, and attracting and retaining top talent ”

“One of the biggest challenges is technological disruption, which introduces oppor tunities and challenges Agencies must stay abreast of technological advancements to remain competitive, and should invest in nur turing and safeguarding the creative talent pool of humans

“Another issue is that the industr y can be highly competitive, and agencies face pressures to adjust pricing structures while maintaining ser vice quality

“And, finally, the need for genuine transformation and diversity needs to be faced There’s a growing awareness of the impor tance of diversity and inclusion Some agencies are addressing fundamental representation imbalances

“One of the things to keep tracking is the continuing rise of social media and its influence It’s a powerful tool for e-commerce and a place to enable brands to deliver hyperpersonalised communication to people where they express themselves and their identities freely

“Another is the necessity for brands to continue to express a compelling, consistent idea With the rise of digital and social channels, too many brands (and their agencies) have fallen into the trap of the technology or the channel being the idea

THE INSIDE SCOOP.

“Agencies are investing in technology and in talent to harness its power They’re also star ting to explore innovative pricing models and value-added ser vices to differentiate themselves in a competitive market But more needs to be done if we want to provide a unique value proposition

“I’m optimistic about the industr y’s ability to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape, the resilience it’s demonstrating, and its commitment to innovation ”

“With the rise of digital and social media, so too has disposable content risen The world is littered with content that should really rather be in the bin

“Talent pressures persist despite a high unemployment rate The demand for skilled, mid-senior talent requires agencies to truly live their employee value propositions

“This industry thrives on solving issues, and I’m excited to see which new shops spring up as a result of this need to look at things differently. I feel highly optimistic about the industry’s investment in graduate programmes, bursaries and school-level interventions Would I love to see more? Heck, yes Especially from the big agencies ”

“The evolving role of marketing has had a profound impact on the industr y after the Covid pandemic Marketers today are far more informed, demand more of their agencies, and play a pivotal role between sales and operations to remain agile and act quickly in a unified way to meet their customers’ rapidly changing needs

“The industr y is up to the task of addressing these challenges: the solution is in the way brands and agencies show up for consumers and build relationships by, for example, being distinctive across all touchpoints

“If we continue to invest in transformation, ESG programmes and remain conscious of our environmental impact on the planet, then, yes, I feel optimistic that our industr y will mature and grow ”

Zanele Zwane MD DUKE

Wandile Collis Founder and head of strategy BlackSwan

Vicki Buys MD Cape Town Ogilvy South Africa

Nimay Parekh Director Accenture Song

“One of the biggest concerns is the dwindling number of students opting for copywriting as a specialisation Without proactive measures, there’s a risk of facing a severe shor tage of skilled writers in the adver tising sector down the line

“The industr y has taken some steps to address this by offering scholarship programmes to get more young people to choose copywriting as a profession But the challenge goes deeper than that I don’t think the industr y has fully grasped the gravity of the issue, which requires a more comprehensive and inclusive strategy that goes beyond scholarship initiatives.

“I have always been incredibly optimistic about the trajector y of the adver tising industr y in South Africa We have some of the brightest minds at the helm, steering us towards innovation and creativity. The passion and dedication in our industr y are undeniable, and it’s inspiring to see the great work being produced

“But, I must admit a hint of concern. Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, transforming the landscape and offering exciting oppor tunities If we fail to familiarise ourselves with these tools, there’s a risk of our being left behind ”

“The biggest challenge facing the industr y is the continued lack of black talent Ensuring quality work is also a challenge Though the industr y is tr ying to address these issues, the problem remains at a grassroots level, with few black candidates making it through

“South Africa has the necessar y talent, and the industr y is in good hands, but more needs to be done to develop young talent from the grassroots ”

“A challenge in our industr y is that, more and more, creative input is not as valued or remunerated as it should be Many creatives aren’t paid enough, and many creative depar tments are run like sausage factories, indiscriminately burning out rare and valuable talent often with poor management and moronic processes

“For tunately for all of us, adver tising is a necessar y evil and the dinosaurs will die. If so-called traditional agencies aren’t up to moving with the future, the industr y will organically change around them and leave them behind

“There’s probably never been a better time to be in a creative industr y We are at the coalface of the future Creativity is key to sur viving the future It’s the essence of our humanity, which an algorithm won’t easily replace We may not be able to see what is coming next, but I’m pretty sure it’s not a bunch of accountants or anyone else in an industr y that’s five minutes away from technological destruction ”

“In the student categor y, we once again had a shor tage of the skill that is the backbone of our industr y, and so central to it: conceptual thinking We didn’t see many entries in this categor y, whether as writers or ar t directors As an industr y, we again need to pay attention to this and address it quickly

“I believe we’ve got what it takes to revive excitement at the sheer joy of being par t of our industr y; to bring back the romance of ideas, the way the creatives, the clients and our audience can fall in love with what we do And we can do this through the work, and through the process of getting the work done

“Looking at some of the work we’ve seen this year, you can see that the bar is getting higher and higher There were some student por tfolios that looked world class It was work that seemed to have a team of superstar creative directors behind it So I feel optimistic about where we’re headed, if this is where we’re star ting ”

Raphael Janan Kuppasamy

Integrated art director Joe Public

Thule Ngcese Executive creative director Boomtown

Tian van den Heever Ex-ECD, film director boneshaker co za

Kagiso Tshepe Executive creative director Grid Worldwide

“We are heading to a new era of agencies offering an integrated approach to business and communication problems; a space where online meets offline to drive omnichannel marketing communications solutions This will take braver y on both the agency and client sides Agencies will continue to be strategic par tners for clients, but they have the potential to drive deeper meaning and engagement by offering strategic solutions.

“The biggest challenge is the skills gap While the industr y boasts a small, well-established senior group, there is a gaping gap in middle and junior management Though many agencies are offering workplace experience programmes, including fur ther education for their employees, these programmes are inconsistent and more needs to be done to grow, shape and retain skills

“Despite these challenges, I’m optimistic about the direction the industr y is heading in A challenge for clients is to become braver. We need to provide our agency par tners with the ability to provide solutions without inhibiting the creative process. With technology, such as AI, I predict increased speed to market, and agencies and clients needing to approach communications in an agile manner ”

“We’re on the cusp of a creative evolution An AI toolbox at our finger tips will allow us to dream and create on a scale we previously only imagined But that AI toolbox is just that a tool We still need the human element of ideas, hear t, emotion, connections and insights These tools should be embraced as another member of the creative team one who can help free up time, speed up the process and help magic to happen.

“A weak economy has meant leaner adver tising budgets, resulting in less ads being made and increased pressure to give more ‘bang-forbuck’ This, however, has also meant that the industr y has become more innovative with channels, strategies and tactics

“What I love about this industr y, specifically the ‘young bloods’ , is the passion and creativity around social and political causes: the innovative, creative ideas that deliver both business and societal value ”

“The industr y is in a tough place Clients are finding it harder and harder to justify a decent marketing budget, marketers are not empowered, and few brands are brave enough to go after big ideas But despite this, our creative people still produce amazing work, our voices are getting stronger, our stories better, and our belief in creativity remains unwavering

“So, where we are as an industr y matches where we are as a countr y hopeful, despite ever ything against us and ever ywhere we find pockets of excellence and reasons to believe

THE INSIDE SCOOP.

“The biggest challenge is the rise of performance marketing Brands see this as the only marketing weapon wor th banking on, and this couldn’t be fur ther from the truth There is huge power in slowly, steadily building a brand that people can love and want to engage with. If you just talk ‘at’ your audience and focus squarely on how many clicks your little ad gets, that’s not impact That’s thinking that adver tising is just science

“ I think as South Africans, we have created work that holds its own on a global stage We’re not going anywhere just yet, and we’re still hellbent on producing the kind of creativity that really tells the world who we are ”

“Our industr y continues to be in a state of change There’s loads of oppor tunity that comes with change, but we need to be bolder in our conviction, especially with our product This involves taking risks, being original and paving the way Controversially, I think our industr y is focused on the wrong things Most of them are distractions to our product and why we, as agencies, exist

“We need to be more confident about our creative product, much more disciplined in protecting and selling it for the right value, and less concerned with trends For an industr y meant to be blazing a path, we obsess about trends It was big data, then the metaverse, then social platforms and now it’s AI Purpose is hanging around against empirical advice A lot of trends are tools to empower creativity but, at the hear t, big, bold ideas still win

“There are obvious challenges we face as an industr y, the most significant of which is our ability to hold onto talent. Previously, agencies would fight for clients, but now we’re fighting for each other’s talent. We’ve lost a huge amount of IP with a brain drain to bigger agencies around the world We need to be expor ting our ser vices rather than losing talent ”

Sadika Fakir

Executive: digital marketing and paid media Absa

Noelle Hardy

Creative director: commercial Tukio Media/Arena

Suhana Gordhan

Executive creative director and chief aunty of young creatives Independent

Dean Oelschig

Managing partner Halo

Only humans can captivate your hear t

T he qualit y of neutralit y is AI’s Achilles heel in the world of persuasion, writes Kerushan Govender

And just like that, machines and algorithms are expanding their roles, blurring the lines between the tasks they perform and the ones once reser ved for humans AI systems, from chatbots to ar ticle generators, are becoming more adept at evolving

ate content As AI models are trained on existing data, any inherent biases in this data can be amplified, leading to misguided marketing strategies or misrepresented information

However, we must pause and ponder. In fact, let me say it more forcefully: we need to stop in our tracks and think hard Is AI capable of changing hear ts and minds like we do?

The answer is, unequivocally and emphatically, no

But to be fair, let’s look at both sides of the argument

The integration of AI into the marketing realm has myriad benefits One of the most significant is improved efficiency Traditional marketing methods, which relied heavily on manual labour and time-consuming analysis, have been streamlined, with AI allowing businesses to get more done in less time. Additionally, AI provides fast and accurate customer data processing

This rapid data analysis allows companies to gain insights into customer behaviours, preferences and trends almost instantaneously As a result, marketers can execute optimised campaigns tailored to the specific needs and preferences of their target audience, ensuring a more effective reach and engagement

However, the incorporation of AI into marketing is not without its drawbacks A pressing concern is data privacy As AI systems process vast amounts of consumer data to derive insights, there’s a looming risk of misuse or breaches Fur thermore, while AI can analyse vast data sets swiftly, there are concerns about biases and the propagation of inaccur-

Another point of contention is the perceived lack of creativity in AI-driven marketing initiatives. While AI can optimise campaigns based on data, it lacks the human touch the ability to think outside the box, evoke deep emotions or craft compelling narratives This absence of genuine creativity might lead to marketing strategies that, while data driven, might not resonate deeply with the audience

I recently addressed an audience at Content Marketing World in Washington and highlighted two distinct classifications of copywriting:

The first is copy that changes hear ts and minds The primar y goal here is to persuade readers to adopt a par ticular standpoint or take a specific action It’s akin to those memorable mailers or gripping adver tisements that stay with you It’s “mouse on the steering wheel” stuff and lines like “Just Do It” and “I’m Lovin’ It”

The second kind of copywriting consists of bog-standard thankyou notes, automated e-mails and regular blog posts

In scenarios where conversion is the endgame, the irreplaceable human touch becomes paramount While AI’s prowess is undeniably expansive, it remains intrinsically neutral Built to accommodate a vast demographic without leaning too heavily in any direction, this quality of neutrality is AI’s Achilles heel in the world of persuasion.

Real persuasion demands more than simple agreeability It re-

quires staking a claim, evoking gen ine emotions and inspiring in perspective. It needs the charisma, finesse and emotional intelligence inherent in human communication attributes often beyond AI’s grasp

Adver tisers of the future might be lured by the idea of relegating all their copywriting chores to AI Many are doing that now Yet this is a pitfall It signifies a lack of understanding and appreciation for the nuanced ar t of persuasion

Resonating deeply with an audience is a task steeped in the understanding of their emotional tapestr y, their individual needs and their unique life stories AI, despite its advancements, cannot fathom the multifaceted nature of human emotion

Moreover, the business implications of an overreliance on AI in adver tising can’t be ignored Ever y piece of content is, in essence, a stake in the ground, a bet placed on the efficacy of the conveyed message Why risk our resources on AI-driven content that misses the human essence?

I’ve obser ved this phenomenon first hand Human-crafted copy consistently trumps AI-generated content in conversion rates Often, AI ends up recycling tired, clichéd phrases, rendering its content predictably bland

Yet therein lies the silver lining for human writers In the vast sea of AI-generated content, our authenticity is the beacon The delicate dance of persuasion, the timeless ar t of changing hear ts and minds, will forever remain a human prerogative

❒

Kerushan Govender is CEO and founder of Blacfox

“In the vast sea of AIgenerated content, the authenticit y [of human writers] is the beacon”

Creativit y ’ s a process, and that takes time

Agencies are under such pressure that pitching for free is a stretch on their talent, writes Dean Oelschig

Pitching, the practice of clients asking several agencies to present free (or minimally paid for) creative work for them to decide which agency to work with, has been a contentious issue for years While I’m not averse to requests for proposals, credential presentations or any other form of chemistr y, it’s the demand for free strategic and/or creative thinking that I don’t believe works for either agency or client

Let’s discuss clients first One of the key misunderstandings of creativity is its process I mean, even creative agencies aren’t sure of the mythical voodoo of the creative process

But having been a keen, diligent student of creativity for 18 years now, I can tell you the one thing creativity needs more than anything else is time As an example, the fantastic annual Christmas work from John Lewis that hits it out of the park year in, year out, is briefed to its agency in Januar y Yes, it takes 11 months to consistently produce work of that calibre

Most pitches are done in two to three weeks For strategy and creative

It is possible to produce a good, or even a great, idea in two weeks, but I can assure you that is more down to luck than to process You simply cannot realistically ask an agency to know ever ything there is to know about your business, your industr y, your problem and your consumer and to come up with a gamechanging creative idea in two weeks

Judging agencies on this ability is like picking a Springbok prop based on a 40m sprint Add to this that agencies are

running lean as it is with their existing client base and workload so that they don’t really have the capacity or resources to work for free without completely stretching their talent

The team that works on a pitch is not the team that will work on the account So, the best you can hope for is a lucky idea from a group of stretched and over worked people which is not how the account will function

The goal of any pitch should be to select the best agency for the business The process should begin by finding agencies with the capability, skill set and experience to deliver on your brand This is all clearly visible in agencies’ recent work, people, culture and positioning Most of this information can be found on the agency’s website Get any additional information with a few credential presentations.

What agencies fear right now is AI. It can do the job of most mediocre agencies And it can do it far quicker, and for free Critically, however, it can’t do it well Creativity is the differentiator between us and the machine And we know it to be of immense value A recent UK study by Peter Field believes the cost of uninteresting and dull adver tising to be £10m In other words, to receive the same effectiveness, marketers need to spend £10m more on media from a dull and boring campaign than from a creative and interesting one

As an industr y, we’ve forgotten how to market creativity, how to sell its true wor th and how to charge for it at a rate that’s fair to both par ties The challenge is that if one agency won’t pitch for free, they know that others will Agencies are

undercutting each other, destroying margin and, in the end, cheapening the core value proposition of our industr y

I was once told by a client: “If you don want to pitch for f you’re in the wron dustr y ” Well, no, I am in the right industr y, but our industr y has f * *ked things up a bit It’s only when the majority of agencies in our industr y including the industr y leaders take a stance against this that the problem will begin to fix itself

At Halo, the best way, we have found, is for the agency to host the prospective client’s core marketing and brand team for a three- to four-hour workshop Either give the objectives of the workshop or allow the agency to set the agenda In that workshop the client receives a vivid understanding of the chemistr y, culture, thinking, belief, process and experience of the agency and judges whether it can work with the agency Creative ideas can be pitched, but it’s ver y hard to pitch methods and exper tise Those need to be experienced

Great work takes time and is built off a human connection and par tnership Pitches don’t give either par ty the benefit of human connection or par tnership The goal of a pitch process is to hire the right agency for your brand, not to get the best pitch work

❒ Dean Oelschig is the managing partner of Halo

“You cannot realistically ask an agency to ... come up with a game-changing creative idea in t wo weeks”

The alchemy of the creative clash

An e-mail is easy , but when we argue face to face we build bet ter work, bet ter creatives and bet ter clients

Next year, I’d like to have more arguments

Let me explain

A few years ago, I proposed a total ban on e-mail debriefs I’ll give my fellow board members credit for at least attempting to laugh at this politely (They failed )

But I still believe e-mail debriefs should be banned, and this is one of the few hills I’m willing to die on (Another is the urgent need for child-free flight options, but that’s a conversation for another time )

It’s just too easy to send an email to an agency with a laundr y list of points to be addressed, which the agency then all too often reads with various levels of resignation, bemusement or downright distress Often for good reason

Let me be clear: this is not a “clients are the enemy” rant I’ve had great suggestions from many of my clients that made the work better

But as Ogilvy UK’s Ror y Sutherland so concisely puts it: business has a bias. In business, creative people always have to get approval from rational people The opposite is never true

But two people can understand the same thing ver y differently Especially when one is on the rational side (or is in the unenviable position of having to sell the creative idea to a rational organisation) And especially when an idea is still at concept stage and probably exists in sketch form across slides of a Keynote deck And which may, ahem, contain some typos

Sometimes it only becomes clear to the agency how different the two perspectives are when the e-mail debrief arrives Which is when it’s vital to get into a room and talk about it Not purely for the purpose of “rescuing the idea ” But also, and maybe more impor tantly, to come to a better understanding of each other, which will make the relationship better, which will make the work better

I might walk out of that room having lost the argument But if I sit across a table from you and we talk about something we disagree on, I get to hear your point of view and you get to hear mine Maybe I come to agree with you, maybe I don’t But I’ve learnt something And that makes me better and more valuable to you

One of the best things about judging awards shows is how often a disagreement over a piece of work has changed my mind about it I have a perspective I didn’t have before And that makes me reconsider I love those moments

This isn’t just about building great work. It’s about building better creative people and better clients.

Covid made us all retreat to behind our screens and we haven’t really emerged properly We need to We need to get into rooms and debate, as agencies and marketers Not just get an e-mail from someone anonymous higher up in the organisation with a list of changes to be made

I know it can be much more intimidating making those suggestions in a face-to-face meeting I know that client teams often feel creatives are

giving them the side eye when they make a creative suggestion

Of course we are We do it to each other all the time That’s the creative process Do you know how often we argue with each other in agencies? Ever y single one of us creatives has prefaced a million sentences with “This might be really terrible, but what if ” I’ve died a million deaths at the hands of various ar t directors when I’ve spoken out about a half-formed idea that is more than a little rough around the edges But just as many times someone took that idea and went “Ah, but if we” and suddenly it was a rough diamond

“Of ten a disagreement over a piece of work ... has led to me changing my mind about it”

My point is alchemy works only when we’re together, not over e-mail

The philosopher Hegel said ideas shape society through the clash of the contradictions inherent in those ideas, out of which emerges a new, better idea, in which those contradictions are resolved I may be oversimplifying, but to me it means that when you oppose each other over an idea, with different points of view, and you resolve those points of view together, you get a better idea But the alchemy only comes from the clash

And that’s why, next year, I think we need to argue more.

Fight me

❒ Fran Luckin is the executive creative director of Grey South Africa and the 2022 AdFocus Industry Leader of the Year.

Jozi to Ams terdam: Navigating ad landscapes

South Africa’s unmatched cultural diversit y is the secret weapon of our home-brewed brands, writes

Peter Khour y

Howzit Goedemorgen

I made a huge transition to leave Jozi just under a year ago to move to Amsterdam and lead adidas creatively for TBWA

Since making the move, I’ve also been exposed to other global clients, including but not limited to McDonald’s, Philips, ING and Optimum Nutrition. I’ve also been involved in regional projects and pitches across the world.

So, what’s my take on the European adver tising landscape compared with South Africa’s? Film is still king in comms here in all its formatting and versioning, but, refreshingly, so are bigbudget briefs asking for something different, a fame moment or distinctive experience

By comparison, our local industr y may be small but is hugely innovative Scrambling for budget and oppor tunities means there are more interesting paths to take South Africa has plenty of standout cases that prove our work is true to its origins, and has intangible originality to it This comes from the simplicity of a distinctive viewpoint or from a hack to an existing platform or ser vice We are hustlers We make a plan, we zig and zag Our lo-fi innovations consistently win big globally on a small budget

But budget aside, globally, the truly disruptive ideas have innovation at their core Generally, big South African brands are conservative and risk-averse, consistent with most global brands I am exposed to

Unfor tunately, on some of my more recent global projects, the overarching complexity, process of alignment, and worldwide integration have proven more impor tant than the braver y and

standout nature of the work You see the soul getting sucked out of it At home and abroad, the only remedy to this is the trust you can build through the influential relationships you have with like-minded individuals on the client team You take the leaps of faith together, iterate on the fly together, and share the success or failure together

Things happen here in Amsterdam and surrounds all the time Culture is in your face It’s a melting pot and a proudly openminded city, drawing people from across the globe Ar tists, musicians, businesspeople and the like all travel here, which has a huge impact when it comes to feeling connected to the world and being inspired by people and places far and wide

South Africa, by comparison, feels largely disconnected from the natural flow of the world that happens from east to west It doesn’t feel like it is meaningfully considered by many brands when it comes to their global campaigns; it’s kind of an afterthought or given assets to just reshoot with a local cast

No-one knows our stories; we have seen so many stories from the rest of the world that it’s difficult to do something fresh How many stories has the world seen or experienced from Africa?

Most of the work we do is not linked to global campaigns but rather to home-brewed brands making their place in our world This work resonates in much deeper ways than a global or regional campaign ever will South Africa’s diversity of culture is so far ahead of a lot of the countries I have travelled to It’s a superpower

South Africans generally are straight and humble We share our real opinions on something without offence; there’s a natural flow that happens With local clients in Amsterdam, it’s the same The Dutch are even straighter than us and don’t waste time being polite, but that doesn’t mean they are rude either I know, confusing, but when you experience it, you’ll understand

There’s a definite lack of industr y bodies such as the Creative Circle in many countries, which brings competitors together in the interests of bettering our people and industr y In the rest of the world, it’s dog-eat-dog

Creatively, South Africa’s firepower is up there with the best in the world We join dots quicker and cross over into other job functions if needed because we just get on with it Our strategy and account teams are also super impressive, but the countr y needs to drive the lighter and medium weights to take more ownership and drive projects

Both locally and abroad, there’s a definite shift from changing minds to changing behaviours by using the brand to positively shift consumer actions around societal issues When you create tangible utility, the brand is showing that it genuinely cares

❒ Peter Khoury is chief creative officer (CCO) of adidas worldwide at TBWA\Neboko based in Amsterdam. He was previously the CCO at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris and was the AdFocus Industry Leader of the Year in 2020

“South Africans generally are straight and humble, regardless of position or influence. We share our real opinions on something without of fence; there’s a natural flow that happens”

The power of the comfor t zone

A purely logical message is not as convincing as when it also ‘feels’ right, says Sydney Mbhele

Strategically planned adver tising maximises the “mental availability” of brands in the minds of consumers As US writer Daniel Kahneman once said: “Human beings are to independent thinking as cats are to swimming We can do it, but we prefer not to ”

An ar ticle published by World Adver tising Research Centre concurs, saying that human beings have an amazing capacity for rational thinking, but often don’t apply that logic when it comes to making decisions. Given a choice between several options, people tend to prefer the one that comes to mind easily meaning that brand positioning is most powerful when it drives top-of-mind awareness and message recall

This builds on the principle of foundational saliency People or businesses do not buy what they don’t know, and given the choice between the known and the unknown, will gravitate to their comfor t zone: what they know best Awareness is the foundational lever for a potential trading process that ultimately leads

to brand resonance and equity

Awareness strategies tell the brand stor y, its features and its values (unique selling points), and thus builds an imager y about it This educates the current or prospective customer about the brand: adver tising is a powerful tool to not only acquire new customers but also reinforce primacy in the minds of existing ones Adver tising for retention is critical, as the cost of acquisition outweighs the cost of retention, and expansion of ser vices is easier once a customer is in your ecosystem

When done correctly, adver tising builds the intrinsic value of the brand in the minds of the targeted audience Is the brand wor th buying? Is it wor th the price? There must be an emotional resonance that convinces the customer they are making the right decision, and not just logically It must “feel” right too

Adver tising also has the ability to build relevance and associations Is the brand relevant to me or to where I am in my

life? This helps build brand stature, recognition, credibility and trust

Adver tising is used to drive sales, such as when a brand or product may be running a promotion But strategic adver tising also considers brand building outside a direct sales cycle It could be leveraged to raise awareness of other products or ser vices, thereby deepening relationships with customers and building ever stronger brand ambassadors

A good adver tisement goes beyond an existing need and should tell a user they need something even before they think they do It offers customers a look into possibilities and future offerings, or even just primes a thought for the future

For the believer and previous user, these adver tising principles act as a reminder of the brand and therefore, we could argue, plays an impor tant role in building loyalty for it

In an omnichannel ad era, adver tising is indeed ever ywhere whether it’s a pop-up cam-

paign across platforms from TV to the web, traditional brand adver tising or a homevideo commercial posted on YouTube It must exist within this convoluted construct of always-on messaging reaching the customer

A by-product, often unintended, is that it gives the employees of the brand’s company pride in their organisation, brand or product Organisations would do well to consider their internal marketing oppor tunities in parallel with external drivers as a proactive strategic consideration, not just an after thought

❒ Sydney Mbhele is Absa’s group chief marketing and corporate affairs officer

Future fusion: AI power meets human purpose

In a world craving authenticit y , brands maximise impact by merging tech-enhanced adver tising with genuine commitment to causes, writes Musa Kalenga

A modern marketplace isn’t just about the exchange of goods and ser vices; it’s about the exchange of values, beliefs and aspirations South Africa is no different

As global challenges intensify, consumers are becoming more discerning about the brands they buy and suppor t In this new era, AI is set to play a pivotal role Brands that recognise the power of AI in adver tising, and align with sustainable practices and meaningful causes, are in a prime position to resonate deeply with their audiences The use of AI changes the input, process and outcomes of traditional adver tising

A 2021 Nielsen repor t highlighted that products with sustainability claims on their packaging sold faster than those without The message is clear: consumers are voting with their wallets

But the picture in developing economies such as ours is different For many, the immediate challenge is to lift their populations out of pover ty Governments and businesses in these countries often prioritise rapid economic growth over long-term sustainability The appeal of quick profits from resource-intensive industries, such as mining or deforestation, outweighs the perceived benefits of sustainable practices, especially when the latter comes at a higher initial cost

Sustainable marketing thrives where there’s consumer demand for ecofriendly products and practices In many developing economies, widespread consumer awareness about the benefits of eco-products is still in its nascent stages The priority for a significant por tion of the population remains basic sur vival, making it challenging to prioritise purchasing decisions based on sustainability over cost Without a significant consumer base demanding sustainable

goods and practices, businesses may lack the incentive to adopt such marketing strategies

Sustainable marketing also relies on technologies that allow for cleaner production, eco-friendly packaging or efficient distribution Many developing countries face infrastructure challenges that make the adoption of these technologies difficult Inadequate power, transpor t systems or access to advanced machiner y can hinder effor ts to implement responsible environmental practices in production and distribution

Adopting balanced marketing strategies also requires upfront investment Developing economies may find it challenging to allocate resources to such marketing initiatives The immediate pressures of competing in the market, coupled with tighter budgets, can often lead businesses to opt for cheaper, nonsustainable marketing practices

But I’m star ting to sense a useful way of circumventing the hurdles With minimal investment, AI-driven adver tising can help brands identify and target audiences that are more likely to resonate with purpose-driven initiatives This level of personalisation ensures the right messages reach the right people For instance, a brand promoting eco-friendly products can use AI to determine which demographics are most passionate about environmental issues

The integration of marketing automation tools, coupled with AI-driven analytics, is streamlining campaigns more effectively than ever These platforms allow brands to understand consumer behaviour, predict trends and optimise campaigns in real time As brands increasingly align with sustainability and social causes, these tools ensure their marketing effor ts are not just impactful, but also cost-effective The efficiency

gains can be investe back into brand’s co ues, be they sustainability, social justice or any other cause

However, to quote a popular superhero, “with great power comes great responsibility” The capabilities of AI mean brands can hyper-target their audiences, but authenticity remains paramount. As consumers become more informed, brands need to ensure their use of advanced tech doesn’t drift into manipulative or disingenuous territor y

The marriage of AI-driven adver tising and commitment to sustainability and social causes presents a bright future for local brands In an era where information is abundant and consumers are discerning, the brands that integrate cutting-edge technology with genuine purpose are the ones that will lead the way and make a lasting impact

So where do we star t? By understanding and targeting the emerging conscious consumer segment, local brands can resonate more deeply and authentically And by investing in AI-powered adver tising platforms and undergoing training to ensure ethical, transparent and authentic deployment of AI in marketing strategies

Home-grown brands must also find innovative ways to balance immediate economic pressures with longterm, sustainable goals Even small steps can make a difference in consumer perception Add to your next budget line a sustainability audit to identify areas for immediate improvement and set long-term sustainable marketing goals

❒ Musa Kalenga is the group CEO at The Brave Group

While the digital realm expands its reach, traditional TV holds its ground, proving that the classics never fade, writes Chris Botha

T wo tracks: What’ s on the horizon

— a merge or mirage?

Ad people are the first and the fastest to jump on the “new shiny thing” bandwagon Last year, we were all opening offices in the metaverse, and this year we are replacing all our employees with AI Years of research and information have been replaced by “big data” (a rose by any other name ) Who knows what next year will bring?

Despite the bandwagon, media and marketing people still invest most of their adver tising spend on good old television, a medium that has been around for 85 years. It’s still measured more or less the same way; ratings and CPPs are still around, and as much as things change, they stay the same

Meanwhile, the metaverse is sinking somewhere at the bottom of the ocean, long forgotten, joining a long trail of dwang wrapped up in a shiny wrapper, including QR codes, USSD codes and vir tual reality (VR)

The traditional media vs digital media debate sometimes appears like two parallel tracks I worr y that our job is to talk about the latest shiny thing (the one track), while implementing the old, tried-and-tested (the other track) While we all keep talking the hybrid game, it is only on the horizon that the two tracks truly merge into one And even that can be an illusion

So, what’s happening on each track? When do they merge?

The reality is that the horizon of merging is getting closer and closer especially for successful media owners Truly hybrid platforms are increasingly the norm.

On the TV front, we see media

owners like MultiChoice aggressively rolling the dice on streaming iterations and overthe-top (OTT) platforms, while being smar t enough to know where most of their adver tising revenue is coming from

The SABC and e tv have followed suit by launching their own streaming ser vices and the race for audiences is on Meanwhile, Netflix is monetising and the streaming platforms (which all, by the way, actually still make a loss ) look at their traditional par tners to see how they stay financially afloat On the other end of the scale is a consumer who just wants to sit down and watch some cool content They don’t care where they are watching that content or on what platform

On the radio front, we’ve had podcasts and streaming stations for many years and we are slowly star ting to see actual investment being placed on these platforms It feels like the podcast industr y is getting its act together and is now coming to agencies and clients with a compelling offer Cross-platform audience targeting on audio is likely to star t gaining traction now

What does that mean for traditional radio? Who knows? I suspect it will star t costing them in the shor t term, as it’s always made its money out of being a “mass medium”

The one “traditional platform” that I believe has seen the most drastic change is out-of-home (OOH) adver tising Outdoor (the digital kind) is now available to be bought through a demandside platform (DSP) like you would any other programmatic adver tising, and digital screens

are going up all over the countr y

We’re seeing that OOH can actually star t compe ing with any other streaming ser vice media people, we now have to weigh up a cost per view on television, OOH and digital video

Meanwhile, the traditional side of OOH good old billboards is still doing a roaring trade The latest numbers seem to indicate that OOH occupancy is back to pre-Covid levels The two tracks running parallel soon to hopefully meet

And then there’s print. Ironically, print was the ver y first “traditional media owner” to embrace the digital world News24 was built off the back of print journos placing their printed stories on digital platforms Print, I believe, will move in two directions

First, we will find free newspapers (community newspapers) growing and reaching more suburbs that have never had community papers Second, the rest of print will become absolute niche content

So, the two tracks are actually coming closer to each other and it’s just a matter of time before they meet Maybe 15 years from now all ad campaigns will be run in the metaverse But one thing is for cer tain: 15 years from now, traditional television will still be around and will be doing quite OK for itself

❒ Chris Botha is the group MD of Park Advertising

“Despite the band wagon, media and marketing people still invest the over whelming majorit y of their adver tising spend on good old television, a medium that has been around for 85 years”

The demand for diversit y

Brands must not just reflect a

realit y that’s not mainstream, but consciously reinforce positive stereot ypes, says Ivan Moroke

Within the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals, adopted in 2015, are calls to action to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” and to “reduce inequality within and among countries” This latter goal calls for inclusion regardless of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, economic or other status

What does this have to do with adver tising and, by implication, brands? A lot! More than being a mirror on society, adver tising and marketing has the power to shape society. The call to do no harm harm being creating and reinforcing negative stereotypes encourages the industr y to not only reflect a reality that might not be mainstream, but to consciously reinforce positive stereotypes Brands and businesses live in people’s lives, not the other way around

The best creative not only sells products and builds brand equity, but also has the potential to change behaviour.

Just as there is the inconvenient truth that not all effective adver tising is creative and, conversely, not all creative adver tising is effective, we also need to embrace inclusion and diversity to make money At least in the shor t term

In Kantar’s “The 5 habits of highly effective adver tisers” , we made the point that inclusion and diversity is one of the ingredients, or creative devices, used by brands to make their ads both creative and effective Back in 2021, we predicted this ingredient will be elevated to a habit for more adver tisers in the future That’s because it’s also good for brand return on investment so, if you can’t embrace diversity and inclusion for the ethics, do it for the money

According to Kantar Global Monitor, 65% of consumers say it’s impor tant that the companies they buy from actively promote diversity and inclusion in their own

business or society as a whole Kantar’s Global Monitor sur veyed the attitudes of people in 26 countries worldwide, with an eye to identifying micro and macro trends We asked this sample population to describe how they perceive their countr y in terms of creativity and inclusion

We found that, globally, the propor tion of consumers who believe their society is ver y inclusive is only 22% . Nearly 40% of those surveyed said their countr y is diverse. Clearly there is a gap between perceived diversity (the demographic trend of different people coexisting) and perceived inclusion (the cultural norm of welcoming and suppor ting difference) The inclusion imperative can be found in this gap

Brands have largely moved past whether to be inclusive, to the how, both within their own organisations as well as how they engage externally with agencies, suppliers and consumers One of the themes at this year’s Cannes Lions was how creativity helps make brands more inclusive Though progress has been made, the industr y needs to do more

Marc Pritchard, the chief brand officer at P&G, advocates for brands to move away from “narrowly defined target groups” to ensure they ser ve all people and each person So, who is seen and who is invisible in adver tising today?

There is an oppor tunity for brands to increase the visibility of underrepresented groups and to expand their audiences by showing they understand the complex identity of people today

According to the World Health Organisation, 16% of the world’s population have some form of disability, yet they feature in less than 2% of ads LGBTQI+ people have been nearly invisible in adver tising, accounting for only 1% of ads globally

Another population group that’s growing in size yet not in visibility in adver tising is people over the age of 65, with only 3 5% of ads featuring them

Inclusion can be explicit or implicit, as Kantar’s Creative Effectiveness Awards clearly illustrate Heineken has explicitly addressed gender stereotypes about drinks choices, while SheaMoisture has promoted products specifically for black women while suppor ting a fund for black female entrepreneurs Among the less explicit por trayals, there is a female postal worker in an eBay ad and a black father and daughter in a Hershey’s Kisses ad These ads could have happened with men or white people in the roles, but the brands deliberately chose to cast in the way that they did. And clearly, the brand’s choices work for viewers as they rated these ads highly in terms of creativity and effectiveness

Our data reveals it’s not enough to just include underrepresented groups in ads. This alone has no impact, with ads that feature underrepresented groups having almost identical shor t-term sales likelihood and contribution to long-term brand equity than the average ad What makes the difference is when it depicts underrepresented groups positively, boosting shor t-term sales likelihood and long-term brand equity

Consumers are demanding that the brands they suppor t prioritise diversity, inclusion and equality More than half of consumers tell us that it’s impor tant to them to buy from businesses that actively suppor t diversity and inclusion Millennials and Gen Z consumers display even higher aspirations for inclusion, suggesting that inclusion isn’t going away as a business imperative any time soon

❒

Ivan Moroke is CEO of Kantar’s Insights Division, South Africa

“If you can’t embrace diversit y and inclusion for the ethics, then do it for the money”

While women dominate South Africa’

s ad agency workforce, they hold just 24% of the ownership stakes, writes Herman Manson

Women in adver tising: what the numbers say

How well represented are South African women on the boards of the countr y’s largest ad agencies? What about ownership? Do women own a substantial stake in agencies that produce the bulk of South Africa’s adver tising?

To answer these questions, industr y news site MarkLives sur veyed South Africa’s largest 13 agencies by revenue, according to its 2022 revenue rankings A total of 10 agreed to par ticipate and submitted ownership and leadership data

It’s estimated that together, these 10 agencies represent more than R5bn in revenue and employ more than 3,500 people in South Africa in their businesses Four of the 10 agencies are independents, with the other six owned by global networks This skew towards networks has influenced ownership data

MANAGEMENT AND BOARD REPRESENTATION

At board level, the 10 par ticipating agencies averaged female representation of 51 6% Black female representation at board level stood at 35 4% Two of the par ticipating agencies repor ted 100% female representation at board level; two repor ted 50%; and two repor ted 40% female representation One agency repor ted no female representation at board level, bringing down the average representation One agency repor ted 100% black female representation at board level, and one repor ted 50% representation, while ever yone else stood at 40% or less black female representation Two agencies repor ted no black female representation at board level

In terms of senior management teams, women made up an average of 59% , but black women made up only 22% Four agencies repor ted female representation of more than 60% in senior management teams, and another four reported a figure over 50% In terms of black female representation at senior management level, only one agency repor ted a figure over 50% For the majority of agencies, black female representation at senior management level stood at 20% or less

When it came to middle management teams, women again made up 60% , and black female representation increased to 37% of the total, with five agencies coming in above 60% However, only three agencies repor ted black female representation at middle management level above 40% , with another six agencies repor ting a number between 30% and 40%

In terms of total staff count, women made up 60% of the agencies’ staff component, and black women 40% Five agencies repor ted female representation in their total staff component at less than 60% , with the other five setting at 60% and above, topping out at 69% for one international network Six agencies repor ted total black female representation above 40% as a total for their workforce

LEADERSHIP AND OWNERSHIP

Seven out of the 10 agencies repor ted employing women in group CEO/CEO or MD roles (this would include agency brands/ver ticals within the broader networks) Two agencies repor ted employing a female executive creative direct-

or (ECD ), and one other agency reported it was led by an ECD identifying as nonbinar y.

Women owned an average of only 24% of the agencies sur veyed and only 11% of their shareholdings were in hands of black females The highest repor ted ownership figure for women among participating agencies stood at 47% , and the lowest at 0% Four agencies repor ted female ownership above 30%

Three agencies repor ted black female ownership above 30% , with the highest number being 35 68%

REGRESSION IN TOP LEADERSHIP ROLES

Gillian Rightford, Adtherapy MD, points to the last SheSays sur vey (conducted in 2020) that found the overall percentage of women in the industr y was 61% , mostly in account management, media and production jobs “There are a few women MDs, ver y few CEOs, and a handful of ECDs,” she says “It’s regressed from the time when I ran Lowe Bull, where six of the top 10 agencies were run by women ”

She ponders that perhaps there have been more male founders of agencies, and they don’t want to give up power, especially to women “The industr y also has an ageism issue and another big matter is sexual harassment ”

❒ Herman Manson is the publisher and editor of advertising and marketing industry newsletter marklives.com

“Women owned an average of only 24% of the agencies sur veyed, and only 11% of their shareholdings were in the hands of black females”

The big dilemma: how to charge

Adver tising agencies typically bill according to hours spent on a task a remuneration model that is criticised for being outdated and said to encourage agencies to work inefficiently Despite this, the industr y has made little progress in changing the model The reason may be that there is no single one-size-fits-all way of assessing payment

Originally, the mark-up-based agency remuneration model was seen as fair for agency deliverables in relation to what was predominantly media and production spend

However, as Jacques Burger, co-founder and group CEO at M&C Saatchi Group South Africa says, a decrease in traditional media spend and an increase in creative volume to suppor t more cost-effective digital media platforms meant the mark-up-based model was challenging Clients felt the model didn’t always reflect the effor ts of the agency accurately, par ticularly in cases of high media investments and low production periods

This heralded the star t of the hours-based model, described by Burger as a “relatively accurate model in terms of rewarding inputs, but often flawed in linking quality of inputs, and ultimately outputs, to remuneration ”

He adds: “The model also feels strangely counter-agile, in that the agency is rewarded more for spending hours on a task than for doing it quicker It presents a challenge to both agency and client in measuring and rewarding quality and impactful ouputs”

“We’re becoming the architects of our own demise Relying on a time-based remuneration model not only reduces our skills base, diminishes our exper tise and devalues our products and ser vices, it also damages the clientagency relationship,” she says

Instead of working together to create solutions that drive brand growth, Bosman says, clients get involved in an unhealthy tug of war with their agencies, who relentlessly tr y to maximise their time spent on a project while tr ying to shor ten deadlines to save costs No-one wins in this scenario

“The death of the agency won’t be caused by the rapid advancement of AI, but rather by agencies and their dogmatic loyalty to time-based remuneration,” Bosman says

“Agencies need to adapt and adopt AI has merely accelerated this trajector y by being able to perform the more time-consuming tasks, such as

Finding a way to assess payment that’s fair to both par ties has long been contentious “Ver y few of us have the luxur y of being able to turn down ... work especially if the client happens to be a much-admired global multinational at which fixed rate cards are the norm” Vanessa Bosman

image searching and top-line research, almost instantaneously

“For many agencies, this could have a detrimental effect on their revenue It will be their willingness to embrace new and innovative approaches that will determine their success and sur vival ”

David Cohen, co-CEO of Grid Worldwide, agrees that the current time-based remuneration model is not sustainable,

par ticularly as clients want things faster and for less “It’s been proven time and again that the best creative also achieves the best business results which is why fair remuneration for value delivered is vital to both business and agency success over the long term ”

The problem, says Cohen, is that there is a disconnect between the way procurement depar tments and the Csuite view remuneration The

Vanessa Bosman, group MD at Just Design, says that if success is measured in business results, it makes no sense for agencies to bill in hours

former typically see the creative product as a commodity and the latter understand that it is value-based and that brand value is reflected on the balance sheet.

“Ever y client expects a return on investment and wants to turn cents into many rands earned As an industr y, we have to find a way to educate and connect these two sides of the business The cheapest is not necessarily the most effective,” he says

THE CHALLENGES

Gareth Leck, co-founder and group CEO of Joe Public , believes the biggest challenge in the way of changing the remuneration model is the insistence of procurement depar tments to use input-based remuneration models charging for the resources required to get the job done

“Because of this, all the focus and energy in the remuneration negotiation is spent on fine-tuning what is fair and viable for both par ties in terms of how much is charged for the required resources to service the account On paper, one could argue that this makes sense but in practice, the irony of this model is that it provides incentives for agencies to be less efficient, because and apologies for stating the obvious the longer it takes to get a job done, the more the agency makes.”

What is equally, if not more, concerning, says Leck, is that in almost all negotiations, quality measures relating to the output are not factored into the remuneration agreements

Bosman believes four primar y obstacles get in the way of changing the remuneration model

The first, she says, is a lack of understanding on the side of the client, coupled with a poor explanation by the agency of the creative process “I would even go so far as to say that not much effor t has gone into tr ying to educate clients which leads back to the issue

of agency transparency about fees and time spent,” she says

The second obstacle lies in poor communication and the inability to demonstrate the value and wor th of the creative product, par ticularly the inability of agencies to ar ticulate clearly the value the creative adds to brand growth and transformation to the client

“This is often simply a case of creatives not communicating the value within the context of the brand or the client’s business objectives But it can also point to skir ting around the fact that the creative is simply not delivering on those needs ”

The third obstacle is about challenges in measuring the efficacy of a creative solution and objectively measuring design in general “The creative process doesn’t exist in isolation, and naturally there are many external factors at play that are separate from the creative [aspect] but will still affect the results of the project such as price, distribution and availability, for example ”

The four th obstacle, in Bosman’s opinion, is about procurement policies and enforced-rate cards “To reduce the issue to an extreme example: time-based billing is akin to paying the same price for a McDonald’s burger and a wagu steak based exclusively on the time it takes to prepare them To add insult to injur y, sticking to hourly rates has opened the door for cost consultants and procurement staff to dictate not only ‘appropriate’ and acceptable agency rates, but also the appropriate amount of time each deliverable should take

“With limited budgets come limited amounts of work, but we sit with an overflow of agencies and freelancers Ver y few of us have the luxur y of being able to turn down that work especially if the client happens to be a much-admired global multinational at which fixed-rate cards are the norm ”

True brand growth and transformation, she argues, comes from innovative creative think-

“Solving the remuneration debate relies on a solid relationship of mutual respect and open t wo-way communication bet ween agency and client” David Cohen

ing, not cost cutting “Clients should be asking their agencies for better work, not more work ”

In Cohen’s opinion, a one-sizefits-all approach is not appropriate, because each client and agency relationship has its own dynamics

“A percentage of the cost that is placed, and risk with an upside, is a good motivator on both sides if there are clear targets linked to what the agency delivers and an equitable and fair way to evaluate what’s delivered An outputbased model, vs a cost-perresource model, can succeed if there are agreed ways of working and a clear brief and scope per stage,” he says

He says Grid Worldwide has

experimented with profit share in business For this to work requires a simple measurable model to be adopted

Cohen says solving the remuneration debate relies on a solid relationship of mutual respect and open two-way communication between agency and client It’s about a true spirit of par tnership in which, if the client does well, so will the agency

His advice to agencies is to know what keeps their clients up at night, and to appreciate their world. “Understand their moon shot that one thing the whole business can rally behind that is true to what they do To ensure the relationship is more than a mere transaction, have a shared ambition and genuinely push

ever y project to be greater than the brief suggests ”

There is no point swimming against the tide, he adds Agencies need to pivot to more value-adding ser vices and to automate ever ything that can be automated To remain sustainable, agencies need to do the things that clients and AI can’t do themselves

Burger says that if agencies want to be valued more by clients and if their ambition is elevation from supplier to par tner a value-based remuneration model involving key success metrics becomes an impor tant element, not just of fair remuneration, but of mutually beneficial, long-term relationships

“Measuring the success of agency outputs can be tricky in terms of causality linking communication outputs to, for

example, sales, especially in the longer term as a result of the brand equity that is built and finding the right measures and weighting often becomes so complex that both par tners end up abandoning this ideal in favour of a more traditional approach, which is a pity ”

Burger adds that the ongoing monitoring, adjusting and optimising of this more dynamic remuneration model requires time and focus. “Worsening the challenge is that to measure communications effectively, you also need to review various client deliverables, such as the marketing strategy, which not all organisations are comfor table doing ”

Leck agrees that agency fees should be based on outputs, not inputs, and the greater the quality of the output, the more the agency should be paid “This would be a win for ever yone, because ever yone would be correctly motivated to produce great output that grows the entire ecosystem through the power of creativity ”

Just Design has already implemented a different approach to remuneration Instead of justifying costs by number of hours, it demonstrates measurable results for its designs during the creative process Once launched, it can verify the final product’s inmarket performance for its clients and invoice based on outcome, irrespective of the number of rever ts or the hours captured in time sheets

Bosman says an efficacy-based cost model can work only if the

“We need to establish radical collaboration bet ween agency and client teams … and be open to adjusting what and how we measure as we go” Jacques Burger

agency achieves results each time “With subjectivity embedded in most design decisions, the results can be out of your control. Our new process eliminates client-agency bias by allowing the consumer to drive the design direction.”

Shifting to performance or outcomes-based billing turns the agency-client relationship from supplier to par tner again, as both par ties are invested in the product’s success, she says It also provides the creative team with the freedom to devote time to innovative solutions and problem-solving without being bound by the

“In practice, the irony of this [input-based] model is that it provides incentives for agencies to be less ef ficient” Gareth Leck

number of hours costed for, while client ser vice staff no longer need to spend the bulk of their time on the tedious administrative tasks related to time tracking.

In Burger’s opinion, agencies need to build a culture that embraces learning, rather than punishing failure “We need to establish radical collaboration between agency and client teams, back a success strategy focused on balancing shor tterm wins with longer-term ambitions, and be open to adjusting and optimising what we measure and how we measure, as we go

“As long as you build remuneration principles off mutual respect and interest, whatever model you end up designing will underpin what is most impor tant: a long-term, happy, powerful and mutually beneficial relationship between client and agency ”

Amid the digital surge, the timeless art of crafting compelling copy beckons a new generation to harness its transformative power

Reviving the magic: the industr y ’ s call to rediscover the value of copywriting

low substance that lives for just 20 seconds comes to mind is brand making up only 5% of the current mix, with 95% of what we do adding no real value to long-term brand growth ”

Boomtown CEO Glen Meier says that while there is no shor tage of copywriters who can write for social media, writers who can think of and craft beautiful, captivating copy are in shor t supply.

The ad industr y is battling a skills shor tage and struggling to attract and retain talent A dear th of copywriting skills, in par ticular, is being felt by many agencies.

Pepe Marais, co-founder and group chief creative officer at Joe Public , attributes the talent struggle to the industr y losing its lustre. “Most of what we do is not wor th the paper or pixels that it adorns There was a time when the industr y, including CEOs, MDs, strategists, producers and creatives were united behind outstanding campaigns that truly built brands Think back to BMW, Toyota, Nando’s, M-Net and Cell C , among others Compare those campaigns with what the majority of brands are doing today, where our obsession with digitisation and big data has eroded the value of the big idea ”

The problem, he says, is that if creative racehorses are expected to focus primarily on donkey work, don’t expect them to be stimulated through small-scale “proactive” campaigns that don’t really affect brands or expect to retain that talent

The shor tage of copywriters, he adds, is a by-product of an industr y that’s overinvesting in “shor t-termism” , which relates to work that’s often more visual and without substance also known as “wallpaper”

“Just a few shor t decades ago, a healthy marketing mix would have included 30%40% of a campaign focusing on brand adver tising, while 60% -70% would have been focused on shor t-term sales via more retail communication

“What I’m now seeing and here the digital landscape of creating work with ver y

Tracy Wasserman, par tner and head of group HR at M&C Saatchi Group South Africa, says the competition for talent is from both the local industr y and attractive propositions abroad “As an industr y, we need to build a reputation for offering fair remuneration, providing job satisfaction, a work-life balance, career development op-

group chief creative officer of Joe Public

Young wordsmiths and creative thinkers are not aware that they can turn their creative writing skills into a viable career

por tunities and being inclusive and diverse in our hiring practices ”

We asked South Africa’s adver tising colleges how much demand there is for copywriting programmes The IIE-Vega BA in copywriting is the only degree in South Africa that specialises in copywriting It is also positioned to prepare students for the flux of specialist skills associated with digital communication

Other private institutions offer one-year courses, or qualifications that form par t of broader creative brand communication There are also several online shor t courses available in different forms of digital content writing and copywriting

Copywriting used to exist as par t of a twoyear diploma at both the AAA School of Adver tising and Red & Yellow That was then phased out and shifted into a oneyear postgraduate advanced diploma

Clayton Sutherland, a design lecturer at the Cape Town Creative Academy, says a oneyear content creation diploma typically attracts a different target market. “Unfortunately, copywriting as a profession is even more threatened now with the advent of ChatGPT, which provides you with a veritable writing assistant though you can’t bounce ideas off them ”

Mandy

Speechly, lecturer and head of the

Pepe Marais, co-founder and

copywriting programme at IIE-Vega, says the demand to study copywriting has been dropping in recent years Having been a copywriting lecturer for more than 15 years, she recalls having classes of more than 25 students and frequently having to reject applications from strong candidates.

She believes not many school leavers are aware that copywriting is a potential career option Neither their parents nor teachers are familiar with this field

“Young wordsmiths and creative thinkers are not aware that they can turn their creative writing skills into a viable career Learners with these interests and competencies typically study a humanities degree in English literature or journalism And, because they are not familiar with the field, they are reluctant to commit to a specialist degree for three years,” she says

Another reason, she suggests, could be that the job of the copywriter has evolved into a range of different skills and roles

“Content creation and social media writing don’t involve the same complex conceptual thinking and persuasive communication skills that are integral to compelling copywriting As a result, it becomes easier to learn the basic skills and find related work without studying a formal degree ”

is no guaranteed return on investment,” she says

She would like to explore more opportunities of working with the industr y to promote copywriting as a viable career option by providing insight into the role of the copywriter as well as the many rewards of the actual job.

In the South African context, she says, there’s also a need for more non-English speaking writers to consider copywriting as a career to create more authentic local communication

The trend can be reversed, she argues, but it will require a concer ted effor t from both the industr y and adver tising colleges

“We need to be promoting the rewards of this exciting career and make school leavers aware that copywriting is an aspirational job that is respected and valued.”

IIE-Vega has implemented various initiatives to promote copywriting as a career, including a series of roundtable discussions that were conducted around the countr y to establish why young people are not applying to study copywriting

“What we discovered is that teachers are not providing meaningful guidance or inspiration,” says Speechly

But there is only so much adver tising colleges can do given their limited marketing budgets “It’s hard to dedicate a marketing budget to a single qualification when there

ability to think creatively “In reality, paintings and drawings have little to do with insights,” he says

Speechly says there is a perception that copywriting requires an excellent level of English competence, which deters many aspirant creative thinkers and intelligent communicators from this field. There’s also a perception that salaries are low

Most agencies have strategies in place to attract talent, and many are working with ter tiar y institutions and offering internship programmes to graduates But Marais believes the industr y is still not doing enough to attract talent, but says that’s not anyone’s fault: ever yone is just too busy tr ying to get by

Mandy Speechly, senior copywriting lecturer and national head of programme at IIE-Vega

Sutherland agrees “You have to wonder how many talented individuals the industr y is missing out on given that the high cost of tuition at private colleges acts as a barrier for many people ”

The solution, he believes, is to award more bursaries based on a year-by-year performance with the selection of suitable candidates done on a por tfolio basis that does not emphasise ar tistic skills, but rather the

What the industr y needs, he argues, is to get back to being a creative industr y “Creativity is not the responsibility of the creative depar tment, it’s the responsibility of the CEO,” he says

“As [ Tesla CEO} Elon Musk has been quoted as saying, ‘If you are not improving your product, what are you doing? ’ This is a business problem and, as such, should become the top priority of the ACA [Association for Communication & Adver tising] to solve ”

Meier agrees that the industr y needs to do more to attract talent “We need to reestablish the magic of the craft and the value of what we do to build better businesses and brands We need to make it exciting again and showcase the magic of great work and the impact it makes in moving brands and sales for ward The better our work is, the more people will share, and the more they will fall in love with design and adver tising,” he says.

Rather than criticise what is being done, says Wasserman, a more prudent approach is for collaboration and more creative ideas to position the industr y favourably in the minds of young people

Deliberate internship programmes, active involvement in ter tiar y education and attractive employee value propositions will all go a long way towards positioning our industr y favourably in the minds of young, talented people, she adds

“Most impor tantly, we must be bold and audacious, because playing it safe leaves agencies and the industr y at a competitive disadvantage ”

Clayton Sutherland, design lecturer at the Cape Town Creative Academy

Glen Meier, Boomtown CEO

Tracy Wasserman, partner and head of group HR at M&C Saatchi Group South Africa

OMD continues to dominate, accounting for 19.4% of the industry, ahead of PHD Media and The Media Shop, in a year the industry experienced strong overall growth

THE SA MEDIA AGENCY L ANDSCAPE

The South African media industr y experienced significant growth last year, growing 12.6% according to Recma’s 2022 ranking of media agencies based on their activity volume.

The Recma repor t is a reference quantitative ranking that includes traditional media spend as well as nontraditional media, the latter of which includes digital, data and analytics, content, marketing and international co-ordination

OMD continues to dominate, accounting for 19 4% of the industr y, ahead of PHD Media and The Media Shop

Recma recorded no significant loss in 2022 for OMD Its growth is primarily attributed to the agency’s wins, including Dotsure and Kimberly-Clark, which are recognised propor tionally in 2022 and will have a full impact in 2023

OMD’s growth is driven by the organic increase of existing clients, including McDonald’s and PepsiCo The agency won three significant new pieces of business at the end of 2021 which boosted activity in 2022, as well as several smaller accounts in

2022 such as Spor tingbet, ClearScore, and Chanel in 2021, and Essity, Stellenzicht, Gumtree and Ekaterra in 2022. However, the depar ture of Pernod Ricard at the end of 2022 is expected to affect the agency’s performance in 2023.

The Media Shop grew significantly during the post-Covid recover y period, achieving notable success, par ticularly in securing the prestigious digital contract with Nedbank A number of clients, including Famous Brands, L’Oréal, SABC and Douglas, experienced substantial organic growth

EssenceMediacom has shown remarkable 21% growth, thanks to an increase in spend by Distell and the positive impact of the Old Mutual account gain in mid-2021 The merger of MediaCom and Essence drove the agency’s staff expansion

Carat achieved 8% growth in 2022, with a significant boost from the Pep account win It lost no business in 2022, contributing to its positive score

In addition to the activity volume ranking, Recma has been establishing a marketing index that goes beyond volume considerations The index is based on an 18-criteria qualitative evaluation, which is based on two sets of criteria: vitality (nine criteria) and structure (nine criteria)

The vitality ranking evaluates the dynamism of an agency and is affected by its competitiveness in pitches, new business balance and par ticipation in pitches or awards In this specific set of criteria, PHD takes the lead, by far, thanks to a highly positive momentum driven by the acquisition of key clients

In the structure ranking (nine criteria evaluating resources and client profile), the size of the agency and the number of exper ts affect the scores. This year, OMD has been ranked as the leading agency according to

The vitalit y ranking evaluates the dynamism of an agency and can var y more quickly than structure

the structure criteria, followed by PHD and EssenceMediaCom

Vitality scores var y more quickly than structure Several years of success in vitality lead to an increase in a structure score Conversely, a major depar ture does not harm an agency’s structure score

The qualitative evaluation provides a different ranking compared with the overall activity volume, though some players appear in both rankings Havas, not present in the top five agencies in volume, is four th in qualitative evaluation, notably thanks to a strong score in vitality (eight points)

Omnicom Media Group is robust, with PHD ranked number one followed by OMD ranked number two EssenceMediaCom, ranked number four in the overall activity volume repor t, is ranked third in the qualitative evaluation ahead of Havas Media (number four) The MediaShop, which held the third position in the overall activity volume repor t, is ranked fifth in the qualitative evaluation

❒ Recma is an independent research company focused on the media agency industry The company, which collects and analyses data from more than 1,000 media agencies in 70 countries, publishes a wide range of global, regional and local reports that provide strategic intelligence to the media industry. For more information and analysis on the South African market, contact Mylena Abbouche (mylena@recma.com)

Demographica takes first prize for a series of three powerful print ads created for SANBS

WINNING CAMPAIGN HAS A WORTHY CAUSE: TO INSPIRE MORE BUSINESS BLOOD DRIVES

“The second ad, ‘Inflation’ , is also focused on something that is frequently discussed and included in many headlines, while the term ‘interest rates’ tends to make ever yone shake in their boots right now given the frequent increases In our opinion, there is huge interest in these topics, and they are frequently included in headlines and ar ticles ”

Lessing says the Demographic team woke up late to the FM Creative Challenge “We love an oppor tunity to think proactively for our clients, and we had a number of ideas The biggest challenge is getting the idea made over and above our day jobs

Let ’s be honest, the simple sigh t of a needle gets most of us running for the hills. Giving blood takes it to the next level

FM’s Creative Challenge is an annual competition that invites ad agencies to create an impactful, full-page tactical print ad for a client based on an ar ticle from the fastpaced news cycle

This year’s winner is Demographica, for a series of three print ads created for blood ser vices organisation SANBS

The agency’s relationship with the nonprofit organisation began in 2020 during the Covid pandemic and resulted in “the good hood” project, and they’ve enjoyed a good relationship since then

“SANBS really does have a huge calling: to save lives,” says Gareth Lessing, executive creative director at Demographica “Let’s be honest, the simple sight of a needle gets most of us running for the hills Giving blood takes it to the next level So yes, SANBS is always watching the blood stock levels

“The challenge, however, is that less than 1% of South Africans are active blood donors A five-day supply is stable Their stocks are frequently below that, so pleading for blood donations is a never-ending campaign As a nonprofit organisation, it doesn’t have the luxur y of campaign bursts So, the FM Creative Challenge brief was an excellent oppor tunity for them ”

It wasn’t just one ar ticle that inspired this campaign, says Lessing “The FM as a whole focuses on or touches on challenges facing our countr y and businesses The ‘being in the red’ ad was inspired by the fact that many businesses and even our countr y are facing financial challenges

“We shared some ideas with the client, who liked them and gave them the green light For tunately they were not complicated to execute That’s why print is still a fantastic medium for communication I like to ca ‘still pictures’ The challenge of grabbi

Team who created the ads: clockwise: Marloe Wise, Gareth Lessing and Dhasagan Pillay

attention with a simple yet convincing idea is one of the reasons we love this thing called adver tising we do ever y day and twice on Sundays So keep the briefs coming, FM!”

Adding that the agency’s creative team hit the jackpot when it came to this par ticular brief, successfully marr ying SANBS insights and financial terms that frequently make it into the FM’s ar ticles, Lessing says he hopes that the campaign encourages more businesses to host blood drives to help SANBS save more lives

The team responsible for this campaign included Marloe Wise, head of commercial growth, Gareth Lessing, ar t director and executive creative director, and Dhasagan Pillay, creative director from the Demographica team, and Rethabile Melato, Thandi Mosupye and Simphiwe Cele from SANBS

The other two finalists this year were Dentsu Creative with a print ad created for People Opposing Women Abuse (Powa), and CBR Marketing with an ad for breast cancer awareness on behalf of Bidvest McCar thy

Grabbing at tention with a simple yet convincing idea is one of the reasons we love this thing called adver tising we do ever y day — and t wice on Sundays

R

JOE PUBLIC

WE GO BY THE NAME OF Joe Public

OUR CORE SPECIALITIES ARE

Integrated through-the-line brand and communications

OUR BIGGEST BRAG IN PAST 12 MONTHS

Chicken Licken winning 2023 Loeries Brand of the Year for the seventh consecutive year; MarkLives’ 2022 Most Admired Agency of the Year; ranked ninth Independent Agency in The Drum World Creative Rankings

OUR BIG CLIENTS

AB InBev, Cell C , Chicken Licken, Nedbank OUR OLDEST ACCOUNTS

Clover (20 years); Nedbank (10 years); AB InBev (9 years); Chicken Licken (8 years); Cell C (4 years)

ACCOUNTS WON OVER PAST 12 MONTHS

The UK-based Grant’ s Whisky global account for which we will be the lead strategic and creative agency in 20 markets

ACCOUNTS LOST OVER PAST 12 MONTHS

None

WHO OWNS US

We are a proudly South African independent agency that’ s 63% black-owned

OUR BEE RATING

Level 1

OUR REVENUE BAND

R300m-R350m

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

285 WHO’S THE BOSS

Khuthala Gala Holten, Mpume Ngobese, Gareth Leck, Laurent Mar ty, Xolisa Dyeshana, Pepe Marais

OUR BUSINESS IN 140 CHARACTERS

Ser ving the growth of our people, clients and countr y through the power of creativity

OUR KEY MOMENT IN PAST 12 MONTHS

Being awarded Nedbank’ s digital business, which helped us hone our digital capabilities

SO YOU LIKE US , GET IN TOUCH WITH US

Call Khuthala or Mpume on +27 (0) 10-591-7770 or send an e-mail to khuthalag@ joepublic co za or mpumen@ joepublic co za

C O R P O R AT E P R O F I L E

M&C SAATCHI GROUP SA

WE GO BY THE NAME OF M&C Saatchi Group South Africa

OUR CORE SPECIALITY IS

Creating beautifully simple solutions for an increasingly complex world

OUR BIGGEST BRAG IN PAST 12 MONTHS

Launching Standard Bank CIB’ s “We Believe in Here” campaign; building Anglo American’ s sustainability credentials; returning the LiquiFruit brand to its iconic status

OUR BIG CLIENTS

Standard Bank; Astron Energy; Takealot; PepsiCo; Heineken

OUR OLDEST ACCOUNTS

AVI; MWeb; Takealot; Nando’ s; Lexus ACCOUNTS WON OVER PAST 12 MONTHS

Pepsi; Spur; JSE; MultiChoice ACCOUNTS LOST OVER PAST 12 MONTHS

None

WHO OWNS US

51% locally owned M&C Saatchi Plc owns 49% 26 13% black par tner and staff ownership

OUR BEE RATING

Level 1

OUR REVENUE BAND

R350m-R400m NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

More than 350 across Cape Town and Joburg

WHO’S THE BOSS

The par tners, a federation of entrepreneurs OUR BUSINESS IN 140 CHARACTERS

An unwavering belief in the Brutal Simplicity of Thought the power of creativity to cut through, to be concise, precise and clear

OUR KEY MOMENT IN PAST 12 MONTHS

Our PR agency Razor recognised as the most awarded agency in Africa and ranked PRovoke Media’ s fifth-most creative agency in the world

SO YOU LIKE US , GET IN TOUCH WITH US

Tel (Joburg): +27 (0) 11-268-6388

Tel (Cape Town): +27 (0) 21-421-1024

E-mail: info@mcsaatchigroup co za

Website: www mcsaatchigroup co za

LinkedIn: M&C Saatchi Group South Africa

Chantal Sombonos van Tonder Chicken Licken

Khaled AlShehhi UAE Government

Bridget Harpur Volkswagen

Jesus Ferreira The Coca-Cola Company

Yasmeen Al Mallah Etisalat

Meredith Kelly Volkswagen South Africa

Natasha Maharaj Distell

Heril Bangera Roto

Sonia Bangera Roto

Zeinab Najjar Burger King

South Africa

Africa

2022, The One Show 2022, Cannes Lions 2022, Loeries 2022, The Creative Circle Annual Awards 2022