WHAT'S IN A CABINET SECRETARY?

I am loving the new debate on the streets. The debate about what kind of qualifications someone should have to be a cabinet secretary. Should a doctor head health? Should an accountant head finance? Heck, should a tourist head tourism. Brilliant stuff I tell you, this country is alive and kicking. This sparked a thought – what kind of person should head an ad agency?

Well, frankly speaking it’s any bloody person who can understand the business, inspire people and deliver results. PERIOD! Kenyans take stuff too seriously and hardly give people chances to prove themselves. Lets flip this to the world of ads.

Sir Martin Sorrell – Chief Executive Officer of WPP the largest advertising group in the world was actually a bean counter. Not a creative director or an account director. The man understood the financial aspect of advertising from his experience as group finance director. He then privately invested in Wire and Plastic Products, a British wire shopping basket manufacturer, and joined it full-time as Chief Executive. He began to acquire "below-the-line" advertising-related companies, purchasing 18 in three years. Lets be clear the man clearly understands advertising, he rules it. But was his background in the prominent advertising studios? Nope.

I actually believe that great CEOs have a unique ability to quickly adopt to new situations, inspire change and influence whatever target has been set. So I do not see what doctors are complaining about when given a man with a finance background and not a medical background. Wasn’t their main beef salaries? Or do they just want someone to be giving them sick offs?

Sometimes people who have had experience in the same sector may be great at technical skills but leadership is a whole different ball game. For instance I have worked in an organization where my division was headed by someone who had worked in ad agencies as a suit and even moved up the ladder at several blue chip companies and become senior brand manager – but his methods and practices left a lot to be desired when he was given a division to head which included a creative arm.

Creatives felt misunderstood, briefs were a rumor, deadlines were absolutely horrendous, no time was given to thinking through ideas, no research was done on the companies that we were pitching for, no time was taken to understand the rules that make things go round, management silos were the order of the day. In the end disgruntled staff started finding greener pastures and the creative department started crumbling.

Oh and have you ever heard how guys from agencies always complain that agency alumni make the worst clients?

If we take a look at some creative industry leaders right here in Kenya, you may catch the drift. You do not have to be trained in a particular sector to become a great leader in that same sector. For example; Scanad Creative guru Andrew White is a Lawyer by training, Simon Ball who headed Ogilvy in its 90s glory days was a Zoologist, the ever outspoken former McCann MD Sameer Ambegaonkar was a Geologist but he still rocked (excuse the pun…ha ha ha), heck I studied International Relations. The list goes on and on.

So you see I don’t really see what the fuss is all about. Or should we also start saying that only models who have been cast in adverts should be allowed to run ad agencies.

Hey, that’s just my opinion.

A PRESIDENTIAL LESSON IN BRANDING

We’ve seen them laugh together on you tube during outtakes of their campaign shoot, we’ve heard them speak sheng, we’ve even seen them address press conferences with blazers off. Welcome to the Kenyan Presidency re-branded.

From an ad man’s perspective I am totally elated to see Kenya’s top office leading the way in showing Kenyans how branding is done. And yes, a President is a brand. I may have stated this before but the best brand definition I have ever heard is “a brand is how a consumer feels about a product.” So what do Kenyans feel about this product called UK.

Simply go to twitter, facebook or even talk to the man in the mathree and therein lies your answer. Everyone is ranting and raving about how cool the new prezzo is, how swagalicious UK is, how down to earth this dude is. (To anyone from the NSIS reading this, si it’s sawa if I call my prezzo a dude?)

Truth be told, when any new Kenyan President comes into power they are immediately under the scrutiny of very judgmental folk. It’s the same exact thing with a new product being launched. The first contact that you make with it will probably determine if you are going to like it or not. That’s why millions of shillings are spent on packaging, the right logo, the tone and manner, the kind of brand personality. That my dear folk is exactly what UK has done. 

Rather than being complacent and just settling down to business after being sworn in, our president has actually gone into phase 2 of his presidential campaign – brand personality. 

Addressing an important press conference with shirt and tie to me sends the message that, whoa I have been working like a dog. But at the same time it also says I am speaking to you like an ordinary person and not with a shield of armor in the name of a suit; which to many Kenyans signifies those guys from the other side of town who do not know us and constantly oppress us.

Answering questions on the spot without any TV delays says, I am in control, heck I run this country. It reassures us that the President is indeed a decision maker. He is well informed about his policies and he is not a puppet being worked by some dark forces behind the scenes.

Inviting members of the press for a cup of tea after the press conference says, hey you can trust us and we have got nothing to hide. This gives the average Kenyan a sense of trust that nothing is being censored as we have been accustomed to with past regimes.

Hi-fiving his deputy simply sends the message that we are working as a team and you can be rest assured that our communities have united from past resentment. It also sends a big message to those of us who think on tribal lines to forget out fickle hatred and start working together.

Anyone in the ad industry knows that times have changed and the consumer is King. Gone are the days when brands dictated to consumers. To succeed brands nowadays have to co-create with consumers and adapt to their thinking rather than the other way around.

To quote Jebet Amdany a brand steward who I have a hell of a lot of respect for -“Kenya Cabinet teaser campaign delivered in a new style of confidence, openness, broromance, great credentials. Waiting for the full launch.”

Ladies and gentlemen we have a great new brand in Kenya, and it goes by the name UK.

But hey, that’s just my opinion.