Kenya vs India

If you have checked out the local dailies you will notice that Kenyan production houses have come a long way. In terms of advertising the presence of local directors and  producers is increasingly being felt and recognised. Bob Nyanja, Alison Ngibuini, Josie Kamunyo, Linda Karuru, Martin and Isabel Munyua and a host of others have all made their mark.

Unfortunately though, the battle for production budgets has changed and now local producers have a new mountain to deal with. It's called Bollywood.

Tonnes of local commercials have found homes in studio suites across the Indian ocean. Coca-Cola mabao, Coke meals, Pilsner, Rik shoe polish, Nguvu Cement, Sunlight, Crown paints my style are amongst the list of many Kenyan commercials shot overseas.

The reason is quite simple. The industry in India is so big that they all undercut each other when quoting for jobs. This works as a great advantage for clients because they also get great quality. Another advantage is that they shoot, process and edit all in one location which works cheaper than flying in crews, especially when you are shooting film.

I actually see where the clients come from and the same for creative directors who are after getting more out of their production house. So what can we do?

Technological advancements to reduce processes might be our saviour, but to tell you the truth I am lost for words on this one, except for the fact that I know we are getting there. It would be good to know what strategies local producers have in mind to encounter this issue and their views are highly welcome.

So next time you put your feet up to watch tv, make the ad feel at home with a finger licking good Chicken Tikka.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

HOW TO SURVIVE KENYA

“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.

Someni vijana!

My creative mentor and highly respected creative director Andrew White once told me. "Never come to my office with a problem, come to me with solutions". This got me thinking about this topic of training which eats many a young creatives mind. So if there are no facilities in Kenya and you are restrained by the fees in ad schools in Australia, U.K or the U.S, how about looking within the diaspora?

South Africa has proven itself to be a great force in advertising with agencies like The Jupiter Drawing room, Lowe Bull and others winning both international accounts and also cleaning up awards in Cannes. In fact most top notch agencies in places like the Arab emirates highly respect creatives from this region.

Since S.A is just a 4 hour flight away, it could be worth looking at ad schools in that region. Most lecturers in these institutions are ad professionals from agencies. The schools are also highly competitive and even have a whole category dedicated to them in the Loeries (South Africas feted advertising awards).

So, if you feel like putting down your sketch pads and taking a few years off to do some learning, it could be worth your while to check into these institutions below.

Top of the list: 

AAA School of Advertising

Vega, the Brand Communications School

Red & Yellow School

Others worth looking into:

AFDA - The South African School of Motion Picture Medium & Live Performance

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

CityVarsity

Greenside Design Center, College of Design

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

North-West University, School of Communication Studies, Potchefstroom Campus

Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography

The Open Window School of Visual Communication

Tshwane University of Technology - Dept of Visual Communication

University of Johannesburg, Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture

University of Pretoria, Visual Arts Department


You just never know. You could come back and be spoilt for choice on which offer to accept. Or even better, go work in another market as a Kenyan expatriate.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

Akili ni Mali

So there are no colleges or schools in Kenya that teach creative advertising or specialize in stuff like copywriting. So whats the next best thing? Get a mentor, go onto the net and learn what you can or try reading a great book that gives you the bigger picture on the industry.

I remember once while at scanad we were busy asking for training. The company CEO told us "I don't know why you guys always complain while the resources are right there in front of you. I never built this company by going to a training program, I learnt from what was within my reach". He advocated reading and reading hard.

Today I am feeling rather philanthropic so here are some of the books that I have read which provide valuable resources for any creative:


Creative Advertising: Ideas & Techniques from the World Best Campaigns - Mario Pricken

Hey, Whipple, Squeeze this: A guide to creating great ads - Luke Sullivan

Ogilvy on Advertising - David Ogilvy

Cutting Edge Advertising - Jim Aitchison

The Copywriter's Bible


Send someone abroad, talk to a local bookshop that takes orders or put that credit card to use on the net. It's an investment you will not regret.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

Mwah Mwah Mwah!

So, its valentines day. As I was making my way to work I was thinking about this whole love thing and asking how many things I love. Then it hit me, I absolutely love advertising.

Lets face it, this is one of the best jobs in the world.

I love the fact that everyday is not the same and you get to use the freedom of expression and creativity to do things that will change people's lives.

I love the interesting bunch of people that I have met in my career. People who are always themselves and share much more about themselves than in most careers. They are not just work mates they are family.

I love the environment. Agencies are free environments, they have an ambiance like no other place I would imagine working in.

I love the freebies. With every job comes the opportunity to test a product. This ranges from test driving cars to free holidays at five star destinations to free samples.

I love the travel. There have been instances where I have had the opportunity to cross continents all in the name of training or overseeing the production of commercials.

I love the socializing aspect. There is always a launch here, a launch there. The opportunity to mingle with big shots in society and always make new acquaintances.

I love the education. Working on different brands gives you insights into different industries. From finance to how charities are helping needy Kenyans.

I love the recognition. You get to hear people talking about the work you have done and if you are lucky you get pieces to hang in your home or office in the name of awards.

I love the pay. It feels like a blessing getting paid to do something you love to do everyday.

Once in a while its good to sit back and say, thank you God for putting me exactly where I love to be.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

I lurrrrv this game

The season of love is here and with it comes all the trimmings. Red events, red ads, red this, red that. Now is the time for most advertisers to capitalize and make a buck from cupid. Now is also the time that creatives have to think more out of the box. Why? Well valentines is filled with advertising clichés.

Yesterday though, when I opened the papers I was pleasantly surprised by one Safaricom. A green cut out love heart insert. What made it cooler was there were no apologies with the boldness of the headline, “what’s the color of love”.

It seems that my target of the week – mobile operators, have styled up. I love it when I see refreshing different thinking that makes the competition go oooooohh ahhhhhh and throws them a challenge to take advertising to the next level. So Joanna and the boys, kudos.

Speaking of waiyaki way, it raises another point. The old guru of ad land David Ogilvy once said “clients don’t care how much you know, they want to know how much you care”. Red sky the Safaricom agency cares about the bucks they make from Safaricom so much that they moved the Safaricom agency team to offices right across the road from Safaricom. Now apart from the Creatives and Media chics reveling over the prospects of gout at Njugunas I am sure the clients have given them golden stars.

The only beef I have with the pull out is that it comes with pressure for us males.

Wife:                     Babes, did you see the Valentines Safcom ad?

Husband:             (In denial) Safcom? Valentines ad? Ehhhh Nope!

Wife:                     I have it right here. See the phones, see!

But hey, that’s just my opinion.

A smile is worth a thousand bob!

Yesterday I happened to attend a meeting at that big hotel across from Kencom. The first thing that struck me was how intensively friendly the staff was. I excused the first guy but I noticed that the trend was similar across board. Every single staff member that I came across greeted me with a smile and were ready to assist on the spot. To the point that I felt like a king.

Now, check into any supermarket where you will find promotional sales personnel and the story is completely different. A large majority just stand there with gloomy faces waiting for the payroll to check in. On many instances I have stood right next to them and purchased goods from the competition without them uttering a single word.

Brands have personalities and this should flow wherever the brand is. If the people who represent your brand have a negative a.t.t then I guess it will influence the purchaser. The hotel I spoke about has completely changed my earlier perceptions towards it as I found it rather intimidating in the past maybe due to its sheer size and the customers who are associated with it. But yesterday all of that changed and I can see myself considering it on my list for places to spoil myself all due to a few gestures of friendliness.

Back to the supermarkets. I think its worth marketing and advertising personnel to pull some ninja stunts once in a while for the people in charge of on ground activations. I tell you, you would be shocked. There is always a good side to everything though and the first brand that comes into my mind when it comes to in-store activations is Lifebuoy. They have gone as far as giving their girls some outfits that really stand out and cannot be ignored. You are drawn to them quite easily as opposed to someone in a branded t-shirt cringing.

Its so disappointing that you even get scared of the ones offering free samples of edibles. She looks like she just had a domestic with her boyfriend and could be thinking that all men are just the same ....."EEEK!I could be poisoned, run little copywriter, run!"

But hey, that's just my opinion.