Advertising campaigns by and large fall into the OK category. Media selection for the flighting of these campaigns are also largely solid but uninspiring. One would imagine that this is due to a lack of talent in the industry, with mediocrity producing only the average. But such is not always the case. One has to query the role that the marketing community plays when campaigns are being developed and money is being spent.
The shift in ‘power’ from agencies to marketers is quite clearly on the increase.
And perhaps the biggest reason for this is the ‘G’ word. Globalisation. All in the quest to produce brands that gain instant worldwide recognition. Why this is actually necessary I’m not sure. I can see benefits, but I can also give a cogent argument for tailor-made positioning of brands by country, making use of the unique fabric of each society, its customs and habits and the peculiarities of the individual marketplaces. Perhaps one of the most quoted sources of international creative by South African marketers is Brazil. I hear echoes of: ‘We can use the new Brazilian ad, do a new voiceover and packshot and save ourselves a whack, AND conform to global creative guidelines.”
So, let’s just for a second look at South Africa and Brazil and how they stack up against one another. Both are the economic leaders on their respective continents, both have a very unequal distribution of wealth, and both have a large proportion of the population being under 14 years of age. The birth rate of both countries is similar. So far so good. But just for a second let’s look at the differences:
| |
South Africa |
Brazil |
| Population |
43m |
176m |
| Life expectancy |
45 years |
63 years |
| HIV ingfections |
20% min |
0,57% min |
| Language |
11 official |
Portuguese |
| GDP |
$412 billion |
$1,3 trillion |
| Population below poverty line |
50% |
22% |
| Unemployment |
37% |
6,4% |
Source: CIA Fact book
One seriously has to ask how anything but the most bland ‘vanilla’ advertising can appeal to two so disparate markets.
Nonetheless let’s soldier on – the ad is finally ready, and the media has to be selected. The media planner is now restricted by the ‘global guidelines” for media planning – again, these are usually USA-based norms that take little or no cognisance of local market conditions, pricing, media availability or media consumption habits.
Add to this a healthy dose of subjectivity – based loosely on client TV viewing habits, likes and dislikes, (ignoring factors such as cost efficiency, media norms, trends, current pricing, audience shifts, and competitive programme line-ups) and the TV schedule is done. Then the influence of media owner visits, personal and family reading habits, where the PR is being published, and voilá, the total media job is complete.
We all know what the result is. Suddenly there is a definite sameness to the advertising. Three or four product mentions, three or four product shots, and if possible a demonstration of product efficacy. Usually competing fiercely in the same TV shows, radio stations, and print titles as all the competition.
So globalisation means that in the local context the power and decision lie with the client. Execution and media are predetermined, and the entire ad process is proscribed. The challenge to the ad industry is immense with such clients: how to still add value, in which areas, and at what margin. These considerations have become the focus at the expense of the core-competency areas of creative and media.