“G’day mate I’m Crocodile Dundee and I’m here to show you how it’s done over at the gaba!” Yes, I’m back to the subject of expats. Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time in a media house, a mzungu gave a local a blasting at a meeting. The local was not a guy known for taking punches without counter punching and immediately shot up from his seat. He dropped the whole corporate etiquette and broke out into his mtaa roots. He told the expat boss, “wewe kwendaaaaaaaaaaa, kwani wewe ni nani. Kama ulikuwa deadly huko home kwenyu mbona walikuleta Kenya?”
Kenyans are not xenophobes but, they do get rather sensitive when corrected by outsiders. So here are a few tips on what rubs us the wrong way, especially in the advertising circles.
Do not keep on telling us how things worked in your country and how things do not work in this country. Kenyans like wailing about their country's problems but do not appreciate it when the same sentiment comes from outside.
Do not keep on saying that we are third world. In this place comments like this can be taken as close as calling an African American a nigger. We know we may not be the most developed nation but we are certainly proud that we are getting there.
Never ever use the word monkey when showing anger with another work mate. An Australian buddy of mine pulled this once in the office and was almost lynched by his African workmates.
When you talk to your client about Kenya consumer habits, make sure you have gone far and wide. A bar in the suburbs hardly captures Kenya’s drinking habits.
Stop referring to what a certain company did back home and always forcing it down our throats. It may look derogatory and unless it is completely similar in circumstance you will look like a show off.
Do not refer to our practices as disgusting. When in Komarock, rock with it. You are not here to change how we live, you are here to adjust to how we live.
Stop forming exclusive clubs. As much as we know that you like sticking with each other, it is good to try and make genuine friends with the locals. You will always be looked at with suspicion if the only time you interact with us is during work hours. Fake it or force it, you will be accepted much easily.
So, I hope after that short tale we can all live happily ever after with a house in the suburbs, 2.5 kids, a 4wd and a lovely African wife.
But hey, that’s just my opinion.
I have been reading through your blog and alot of it is more of surviving Scanad, or advertising in Scanad than Kenya as a whole. You do not tackle advertising as a whole, such is my opinion. Talk to us more about campaigns, post ads that you think are awesome some that are crap and why. Make us want to read and keep reading, come back for and keep reading reading. I was expecting this to be more of a learning thing on this blog and opinions on advertsing but naaaahhh, well that just my opinion. but still will keep coming.
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