#MagLoveTop10: Yummiest foodie magazine covers of 2016

by MediaSlut (@MediaSlut) Today, we’re looking at South African and international magazines which have made our #MagLoveTop10 Best Food Magazine Covers of 2016, whether off-beat, arty, or just plain smart and mouthwatering!

Here’s the publishing schedule for 2016’s #MagLoveTop10 series:

Find a cover we should know about? Tweet us at @Marklives and @MediaSlut.
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View 2015’s yummiest magazine covers here.

#10. Gourmet, Autumn/Winter 2016

House & Garden Gourmet (South Africa), Autumn/Winter 2016

This rich pink/beetroot purple beauty from Condé Nast House & Garden Gourmet caught my attention only after it had already gone off shelf but, while compiling this list, it was one of the first that came to mind. It deserves a spot in the Top 10 for its beautiful plating and overall execution. Read more here.

This is Gourmet’s first appearance on this list.

 

#9. Food & Home Entertaining, August 2016

Food & Home Entertaining, August 2016

Sticking with elegance and complete decadence is this dark beauty from Food & Home, with beautiful touches of gold.

This is Food & Home Entertaining’s fourth appearance on this list since it began in 2013. In 2015, it made it to #9; in 2014, it made it to #7, and, in 2013, it made it to #3.

 

#8. Good Housekeeping, July 2016

Good Housekeeping, July 2016

The conceptual aspect and final execution are what makes this a fresh cover and idea, and thus deserves to also squeeze into the Top 10 for 2016! Read more here.

This is Good Housekeeping’s first appearance on this list.

 

#7. MyKitchen, Issue 24

MyKitchen, Issue 24

2016 has definitely been a great year for MyKitchen, and I’m sure the TFG (The Foschini Group) Club Members are devouring their issues page by page. I’ve noticed a clear shift in design, styling and overall execution (typography, photography, layout etc), and I’m absolutely loving it all! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it can definitely stand proud next to any other international food magazine! Read more here.

This is MyKitchen’s first appearance on this list.

 

#6. Eat Out 2017

Eat Out, 2017

I know that coming up with a unique cover concept every year, for a magazine that will be on the shelf for a full year, isn’t the easiest thing to do, and there will be many, many, many concepts and revisions before final approval and going off to print. While the black-and-white, yin and yang, and split-toned-cutlery are relatively busy on an individual basis, as an over-all cover, it all balances and works together perfectly. Read more here.

This is Eat Out’s first appearance on this list.

 

#5. Olive, May 2016

Olive, May 2016

Sometimes a magazine cover comes along and make you go, “Why didn’t I think of that?!” Olive and its “’wichcraft” cover does just that. The bright blues, egg-yellow and egg-white are what first catches your attention, and then the dark magic that created here. Next time I’m making egg-in-the-hole, I’m taking it to the next level by using the same spell the magazine did…

This is Olive’s first appearance on this list.

 

#4. Foodism (London), Issue 9

Foodism, Issue 9 (London)

Hot upon the (bread) heels of Olive is Foodism with its… bright blue, egg-yellow and egg-white cover! Those folks over at Foodism always seem to see things sunny side up, as they have to find creative ways to incorporate their iconic “f” into the cover elements. I would think that it’s an over-hard job, yet they make it look over easy! It really scrambles my brain every time I see their covers; I hope they never run out of ideas… even if they have to poach from others. Okay, I’ll stop now!

This is Foodism’s second appearance on this list. In 2015, it made it to #1.

 

#3. Crumbs (Devon edition), August 2016

Crumbs (Devon), August 2016

Inspired by the movie Natural Born Killers, the cover line Natural Corn Thrillers in itself deserves a spot on the Top 10! I know, corny, but what really a-maizes me about this cover were the ‘burned’ coverlines on the mielies. And that’s why Crumbs deserves a no. 3 spot this year! Read more here.

This is Crumbs’ third appearance on this list. It made it to #5 both in 2015 and in 2014.

 

#2. Sweet Paul, Summer 2016

Sweet Paul, Summer 2016

This cover of Sweet Paul wouldn’t be possible without a kickass stylist with a great vision of what they want! It’s as pretty as something you would find in top décor magazines, and it brings together two of my favourite genres of magazines: food and décor. Even though it’s not possible to replicate and cook/bake this cover (as is the aim with most food titles), visually, it’s a masterpiece! Read more here.

This is Sweet Paul’s first appearance on this list.

 

#1. Woolworths TASTE, September 2016

Woolworths TASTE, September 2016

This cover of TASTE is as local and truly South African as it gets, but the team didn’t just stop with a piece of meat on the cover — they took it to a whole new level and gave it ‘life’ by ‘burning’ their masthead! Smokin’ hot! Visually one of the strongest South African food covers and I think it’s absolutely braailiant and a well-deserving no. 1 spot! Read more here.

This is Woolworths TASTE’s third appearance on this list. It made it to #4 both in 2014 and in 2013.

 

MediaSlutMagLove by @MediaSlut is a regular slot featuring the best local and international magazine covers every week, recognising well thought-out, powerful and interesting (and hopefully all three-in-one) covers and celebrating the mix of pragmatism, creativity and personal taste that created each of them. The anonymous (for now) blogger behind MediaSlut knows way too much for his own good about media in South Africa, magazines in particular. His mission is to show when SA magazines fail but, most importantly, also when they succeed. If you’re looking for a library about SA magazines and news, this is your one-stop pitstop.

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SA TV Ratings: SABC 3 — top 20 primetime programmes Oct 2016

by MarkLives (@marklives) The hottest primetime television shows on SABC 3 in South Africa revealed: TV ratings for the month of October 2016.

Last year, the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRCSA) has changed its policy about giving away TAMS and now only monthly reports, highlighting the top 20 or 30 primetime shows on several popular channels, are available.

SABC 3

BRCSA TV Ratings October 2016 primetime SABC 3

 

Source: BRCSA October 2016

Broadcast Research Council of South Africa

 

The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (the BRC) is a non-profit, industry body that was incorporated in 2015 to cater to the audience research needs of the radio and television industry in South Africa.

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B2B marketing to boom in 2017

by Mark Eardley. B2B is going to attract much more local spend and attention in 2017. This was clearly signalled last August, when Barclays Africa Group split its advertising account and created a dedicated B2B component. Other big-spending brands will surely follow suit. If they do, B2B is poised to become South Africa’s buzz-theme for the year.

Two cardinal rules

Whatever success these brands — and their agencies — achieve in the business marketing arena will depend on how well they jointly understand and apply B2B’s two cardinal rules.

These rules are the same today as they were, say, 60 years ago. The reason they have stood the test of time is that they are the only rules. Their hard-nosed purpose is to keep B2B marketing focused on fulfilling its sole goal: to attract and retain profitable customers.

Rule # 1: Engage everyone who influences the buying decisions that create B2B sales

In B2B markets, buying decisions may be influenced by many different people. They all need to be identified. A very short list of influencers might typically include industry analysts, specialist consultants and commentators in the media, as well as different roles within customers, such as finance, production, strategy, users and support.

Once the influencers have been identified, a multitude of channels may potentially reach them. As has always been the case, choosing channels depends on who needs to be reached. For example, influencers invited to a seminar forecasting the derived demand for aluminium will not be the same as those invited to a workshop on how to weld it.

When you engage them is also important. During the B2B buying decision cycle, different influencers have to be reached as the cycle moves from identifying needs through to selecting a solution.

Rule #2: Win every influencer’s sales-creating trust

When it comes to endorsing a business buying decision, all influencers share the same two criteria as they evaluate a proposed product or service. They need to trust their endorsement will contribute to the success of their organisation and to their personal, professional success.

Building that sales-creating trust is the cornerstone for developing every piece of so-called ‘content’. In short, that’s any form of relevant, credible information that satisfies the dual evaluating criteria of each and every influencer.

Measuring B2B success: is marketing following its cardinal rules?

There’s an easy way to test if the rules are being followed: are there direct links between marketing activity and profitable sales? The key word here is “direct”. Links must connect activity to achievement. If this can be demonstrated, then marketing passes the test. If not, the cardinal rules have been blatantly broken and marketing has failed to achieve its purpose.

Breaking rule #1 means content will not reach all the influencers. That’s often because there’s no formal process to identify them, their decision-making criteria or the significance of their opinions. Without that knowledge, marketing is left groping in the dark and is forced to resort to the unstructured, inefficient and high-cost approach of spray-pray-pay. Even if a company spends eye-watering sums to reach them all, influencers still need convincing content to support their decisions. Starving them of that content automatically breaks the rule #2. If nothing addresses their specific criteria, there’s nothing to win their sales-creating trust.

Breaking the second rule has ugly consequences. Decision-making slows to a snail’s pace and more competitors get asked for inputs. As customers battle to differentiate between competing suppliers, their decision inevitably comes down to who’s peddling the lowest price.

Strict but straightforward

B2B’s cardinal rules may be strict but at least they are straightforward. Stick to them and marketing will attract and retain profitable customers. Break them, and it won’t.

 

Mark EardleyMark Eardley advises B2B companies on how to govern their marketing to attract and retain profitable customers; several of his clients have grown to become market leaders. He is the author, together with Charlie Stewart, of Business-to-Business Marketing: A Step-by-Step Guide (Penguin Random House), which offers practical, actionable advice on how to make marketing make money. Find him on LinkedIn.

“Motive” is a by-invitation-only column on MarkLives.com. Contributors are picked by the editors but generally don’t form part of our regular columnist lineup, unless the topic is off-column.

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BREAKING: Omnicom appointed as MTN’s integrated global agency

by Herman Manson (@marklives) The MTN Group has confirmed the appointment of the Omnicom Group as its integrated global agency. Six global agency networks — Dentsu Aegis Network, Havas, Interpublic Group, Omnicom, Publicis and incumbent WPP  (through MetropolitanRepublic and Aqua) — were invited to tender for the account in March 2016. Three (Omnicom, Publicis and WPP) continued into a second round late last year.

Omnicom was selected based on having met “the functional and commercial requirements” of the pitch, according to MTN. These requirements were scope of work and specialisation, industry and geographic track record, proposed resource (footprint, team and transformation agenda), and specified risk and financial parameters.

According to a statement issues by MTN, “The appointment of Omnicom Group spans the areas of brand, media, digital, public relations, internal communication and sponsorships, across MTN’s functional areas of marketing, consumer, enterprise business, digital services, corporate affairs, human resources and investor relations at a group level, as well as the company’s operations in 22 markets.”

 

Herman MansonHerman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.

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Ad Exec: When bright startups become all-fall-downs

by Tom Fels (@thomasfels) At a New York conference, where almost every speaker was from a shiny creative tech startup, one message stuck out as poignant: in a world of VC-boosted growth, angel investors, IPOs and game-changers that represent the pinnacle 1% of the game, Basecamp founder Jason Fried said, “It’s interesting to start new things and that’s what gets people fired up, but keeping them going is the harder part and that’s ultimately what I’m more interested in.”

There was a knowing realisation that, in the excitement of the exploding ad-tech economy, he had a point; there is a lot of wisdom to be gained from those who have demonstrated the ability to endure.

On the up

Our local creative industry is ignited by entrepreneurs, many of whom step off the conveyer belt of large agencies and start something fresh. Some grow incredibly quickly. I’ll never forget when, in 2006, The Jupiter Drawing Room Johannesburg famously won a triple-crown of three significant pitches (Absa, MTN and Sasol) in a single week. Now that was rocket fuel for growth in an already-enviable business! Over the better part of a decade, the agency was tough to beat on any terms.

Startup to maturity

With the hype surrounding any business on the up, a halo of invincibility attracts talent, clients and, no doubt, envy. The risk that any team needs to manage is that the hype gets too far ahead of the reality for, as agencies speed from infancy to maturity, they have to change the way they work. Solid process and a consistent product are vital to retaining any business, new or old. And in this, the unlocking of a new phase in the agency lifecycle begins, one that put pressure on the magic that got them noticed in the first place.

All your eggs in one basket

For every agency intent on growth, there are a handful of client wins that change their fate. A single massive telco, financial services or retail appointment may change the size and output scale of an agency in an instant. Handling this type of rapid expansion is not easy and, while some bed down and move on, others falter. Either way, an agency needs unicorn clients to leap-frog growth yet, at the same time, cannot afford only one or two pillar clients once they reach scale. Most look to a suite of 4–5 anchor clients to ‘de-risk’ the business operations over time.

Walking the long road

I’m deeply impressed by the likes of Ogilvy & Mather, TBWA and FCB (among others) here in South Africa, simply because of their ability to regenerate and stay at the top of the game. The duration for which they have sustained their notable excellence in scale, quality of creative work, ability to win and operationalise significant clients and then, most importantly, keep them for decades holds many lessons for those newer entrants to the market.

These are the lessons that startups should be seeking to learn, rather than drinking their own Kool-Aid and risking an eventual all-fall-down.

 

Tom Fels 2016With over a decade of local and international experience in leading brand consulting, design, shopper marketing and integrated advertising roles, Tom Fels (@thomasfels) has gained a deeply relevant understanding of the dynamics of agencies. His skills are put to work daily as group managing director of Publicis Machine. He contributes the monthly “Ad Exec” column to MarkLives.

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Young, Gifted & Killing It: Nganga Dlanga

by Veli Ngubane (@TheNduna) Inspired by his talented older brother, Khaya, Nganga Dlanga (@babydlanga) has been in the creative business for little more than 18 months, yet this young Net#work BBDO copywriter is clearly gifted and already killing it! An ad he crafted in the second month of his internship went on to win a Loeries Grand Prix and then he masterminded the remake of the 16 June 1976 iconic image of Hector Pieterson. Let’s find out what happens next.

Veli Ngubane: Where did you grow up and how did your parents react when you told them you wanted to be a creative?
Nganga Dlanga: I grew up in the Eastern Cape, eMdanstane, kwa3 aka ezigebengeni. My brother was already a successful creative so it wasn’t really a thing and my mother has always given us the freedom to do whatever we want.

Nganga DlangaVN: How did you a) get interested in advertising and b) break into the industry and land your first job?
ND: I was very young when my brother went to Cape Town to study advertising and, before then, I didn’t even know that it was a thing. Every holiday he would come back with tapes of the Cannes [Lions] winners and other awards so we would watch them together. When we used to [do so] at the time, it wasn’t because I was interested in advertising; it was simply because he was gone all year so I wanted to spend as much time with him when he was back at home. I enjoyed the ads on the tapes very much and would look forward to him coming back with more for us to watch together every time he came home for the holidays. I would say that’s when I got interested in advertising.

My brother had this book called The Far Side by Gary Larson and he says he was really impressed by how much I liked the book and the fact that I got the jokes, even though I was very young. He says that’s when he realised how creative I am and how strong my lateral thinking [is], which is a great sign of creativity.

My break into the industry involves quite a few people [who] believed in me. Xolisa Dyeshana told me about a programme that the Creative Circle was doing where they put young black people in advertising agencies for a three-month internship. I have no formal training or education in advertising but I had to write ads to show that I can think of ideas to be able to be accepted into the Creative Circle programme.

They sent me to Black River FC and Ahmed Tilly decided to give me a shot at the agency. I knew very little about how to write at the time but I fell into the hands of very great talented people [who] were willing to teach me how to be a copywriter. In my second month as an intern, I had my first ad that went on to win a Loeries Grand Prix. That was my break and my first job.

VN: What are your specialisations/creative processes/most important tools of the trade?
ND: I stay curious about everything in the world. I’m always doing a bit of research on something that I’ve just come across for the first time so that I understand it better.

VN: What is the South African advertising industry doing right and what needs to change?
ND: The industry is just too white. It is also the lack of embracing the changing world fast enough. Agencies are still operating like they did 60 years ago.

VN: What do you consider the most-effective current form of advertising in South Africa?
ND: I think it can be anything; because of the growth of social media, anything can go viral and be effective.

VN: What do you do to keep up with new trends in the advertising industry?
ND: I don’t try to keep up with trends, but by staying curious about the world around me helps me discover new ways in which I can solve problems and make the best pieces of work that I possibly can.

VN: You are the mastermind behind the remake of the 16 June 1976 iconic image of Hector Pieterson; take me back to the recreation of the iconic image.
ND: I don’t know what to tell you actually. I had a few ideas when I went into the boardroom for the review that day and all of them were just to try and see some of the positive things that have happened since 16 June 1976 to young black people. I didn’t even think it was going to be controversial at all, to be honest.

Black River FC's Channel O Youth Day poster

VN: You were no. 10 at last year’s official Loeries ranking list of writers; how does that feel?
ND: I just feel like I wish I had been given the opportunity do more work so that I could’ve been ranked higher.

VN: You have a successful brother in the industry, Khaya Dlanga; what has he taught you about the industry and life?
ND: He is the one person I’m always crying to when this industry life frustrates me and that happens a lot. He has never given up on me and I’ve given everyone in my life a lot of reasons to give up on me in the past. He still teaches me a lot about life and the industry; he is the first person I call when I need advice about anything and everything.

VN: What is your favourite ad campaign, past and present, and why?
ND: Bud Light presents Real Men of Genius. I just think it was brilliant and funny. I love laughing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEYInUvLalQ&list=PL4F03755136E17D16

VN: If advertising became obsolete, what would your next career field be?
ND: I’m not sure but it would definitely have to pay better than advertising.

VN: Do you have any new exciting projects you working on at the moment that you can share with us?
ND: Nope.

VN: Any advice to youngsters wanting to enter the industry?
ND: Are you sure you want to do this? LOL

 

Veli NgubaneVeli Ngubane (@TheNduna) entered the world of advertising with a passion after completing his BSocSci (law, politics and economics) at the University of Cape Town and a post-graduate marketing diploma at Red & Yellow, where he also currently serves as advisory board chairman. He is the chief creative officer and founding partner of one of the fastest-growing agencies in the country, AVATAR. A full-service marketing agency with digital at the core, its clients include Brand South Africa, FOX Africa, National Geographic, SAA and Chevron. Veli hails from Kosi Bay in the rural KwaMhlaba Uyalingana area of KZN. In his monthly column “Young, Gifted & Killing It”, he profiles award-winning, kick-ass black creative talent in South Africa.

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Ogilvy SA dragged into ANC ‘black ops’ media scandal

by Herman Manson (@marklives) Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, as the ANC’s ad agency of record, has been dragged into a scandal surrounding an alleged “black ops” election campaign set in motion by the ruling party in the runup to the 2016 municipal elections.

“The ANC planned to spend R50 million on a covert campaign targeting opposition parties in the 2016 local government elections.” This is according to investigative journalism site, amaBhungane (read the full amaBhungane expose here). “A covert team, initially known as the War Room, intended to ‘disempower DA and EFF campaigns’ and set a pro-ANC agenda using a range of media, without revealing the ANC’s hand.”

Fake

The campaign allegedly included printing fake opposition party campaign posters, the launch of a fake news website and an underhanded social media campaign to spread fake news.

amaBhungane reports that the campaign — which was supposed to have no direct links to Luthuli house — held its inception meeting at the Bryanston campus of Ogilvy & Mather but adds that “Ogilvy appears not to have participated in the team’s subsequent activities.” The investigative journalist site, however, goes on to quote from an email sent by a former Ogilvy group business director that reads:

“There is acknowledgement that team ANC needs to set the narrative and limit the knee-jerk reactions to media and opposition activity. We are required to subdue the renegades.

“The movement does not want to be the primary contact for intelligence collection. This must be managed by the Ogilvy team.

“The ANC to confirm which ANC members will be seconded to the war room.”

Official response

In its official response, OM& SA comments as follows: “Ogilvy & Mather has been an agency of record for the ANC in various elections since 1999, including the 2016 Local Government elections. O&M were contracted to run the traditional communication for this campaign including above the line, digital and PR work, and the work produced was absolutely within the parameters of ethical and professional communication.” It also told amaBhungane that, while it participated in discussions around the electoral “war room”, its involvement didn’t extend beyond the original discussions [which seems bad enough reputationally — ed].

Social media reaction

A sample of social media reaction to Ogilvy’s and the ANC’s electoral ‘war room’

Further reading

  • TimesLive: How the ANC’s R50m ‘war room’ flopped
    The war room was focused on enhancing the ANC’s presence on social media and disempowering its political rivals, the DA and EFF, by printing fake election posters, producing articles for a website called The New South African, and producing material for a television show.
  • Daily Maverick: Op-Ed: Black Ops, paid Twitter, fake news – a real threat to SA’s democracy
    Even with the alleged R50-million the ANC was prepared to pump into an “off the books” campaign aimed at rustling up support for the beleaguered ruling party, coupled with the creation of crude propaganda seeking to discredit opposition parties, the ANC still lost three key metros in last year’s local government election. That’s the problem with political patronage. Paying people to do your dirty work usually attracts incompetents. It is also illegal and criminal.

 

Herman MansonHerman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.

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On My Mind: Employees as influencers

by Jerry Mpufane (@JerryMpufane) In the competitive and fast-paced world of branding and marketing, businesses often overlook one of their most valuable and powerful resources: their own people. While brands will spend millions on billboard campaigns and high-tech activations, they sometimes simply ignore what is arguably their most-important customer touchpoint — in the form of highly engaged employees. So how may brands and businesses ensure that they are leveraging the power of their people?

A promise, kept

One of the most-pertinent definitions of the term “brand” is: “A promise, kept.” Indeed, brand experience is central to the delivery of the brand promise. Within this experience, employees are probably the most-important consumer touchpoint in building a successful brand.

Sitting far ahead of any other ‘paid-for’ influencers, your employees are surely the most-authentic, believable ambassadors. While the paid-for influencers certainly play a key role in the marketing/communications mix, today’s savvy and informed consumer often sees through the hype. Without doubt, a (brand) promise is best kept where the rubber hits the road, and that is often precisely when the consumer meets your employees…who deliver on the brand experience on a daily basis (or not).

So, I hear you ask, how can I make sure that my employees are great brand ambassadors and not bad ones?

Living the brand

In most successful cases, ongoing product/service training provides the inspiration, and helps keep employee ambassadors motivated and on message. Usually, allowing the employee ambassador to have their very own personal experience of the product/service (frequently) yields great results. Think about it…there’s nothing worse than an employee of a top restaurant who recommends a dessert he hasn’t tasted himself! There’s something very powerful about a brand ambassador who uses the product he/she is selling.

One memorable Old Mutual campaign featured a portfolio manager who declares that his own personal portfolio is invested in the same funds as his customers.

Put boundaries in place

In today’s era of social media, however, businesses should also be cognisant of who has the ability to speak for the brand and act as an influencer. Here, setting very clear boundaries (particularly for online behaviour) is paramount. This may be done by implementing training programs, accompanied by messaging toolkits which often carry the central brand message, while at the same time sharing some basic dos and don’ts.

Naturally, not everyone may be a brand spokesperson, and discretion is always advised. The best solution is to allow only a dedicated set of professionals to manage a brand’s social media platforms in particular.

Who’s winning here?

It always helps to look to those brands that have gotten it right, and there are many role models we may look to here.

Starbucks, for one, has long been a champion coffee brand, mostly because their employees are ‘proudly Starbucks’. Notably, Starbucks refers to their employees as “business partners”. The early years of the coffee brand saw employees qualify to take coffee home with them, making sure that coffee consumption happens at leisure, and also creating an unparalleled brand experience through the employee network. Added to this, Starbucks became one of the first (and still pre-eminent) employers which provide healthcare benefits to part-time staff, thereby building loyalty and commitment on a significant scale with their employees. Qualifying staff may buy company shares at a significant discount, and some markets provide staff with interest-free home loans.

Managing the risky parts…

It’s worth noting that, in cases whereby the brand owns its distribution network (eg McDonald’s), it’s far easier to control the recruitment, training and maintenance of a motivated team of employees who ‘live’ the brand ethos.

Unsurprisingly, it gets riskier in scenarios where a brand is dependent on third parties to deliver on a consistent brand promise (eg Coca-Cola). Many of the most-valuable brands in the world (such as Apple), in the main control their distribution network and have direct control over their staff. As a result, they can deliver on their brand promise on a fairly consistent basis.

 

Jerry MpufaneJerry Mpufane has executive experience in both ad agency and client organisations. He’s only got one goal in life, which is to be an inspiring leader. Jerry is currently group MD, Gauteng, of M&C Saatchi Abel. His monthly column on MarkLives, “On My Mind”, focuses upon what it takes to run a great AND sustainable ad agency.

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Media Redefined: Video killed every star

by Martin MacGregor (@MartMacG) Every time I’ve googled marketing or media trends for 2017, one word has come up overwhelmingly: video.

Beyond the obvious misuse of the word (I mean, in 1985, who would have thought video would still be a trend in 2017?), it struck me that digital has finally offered the proof to what creatives have been saying for a long time: audio-visual communication is what consumers want — messages are better understood and engagement much more likely.

Social platforms are dominating in video advertising revenue, and Google is now looking to add video to its advertising options. As data costs tumble, opportunities to watch are going to be everywhere and make the fragmentation of the TV landscape seem small fry in comparison.

Really interesting

The really interesting part around the explosion of video is that it is the ultimate enforcer of creative and media integration.

Why? Because it breaks the last stranglehold that creatives had in advertising discussions: creating ads as pure art where the argument over content and duration was normally won because there really was no factual counter-argument.

Finally, every piece of video content may be immediately measured, not only in terms of how many times it’s been viewed but, more distressingly for creatives, how long it has been viewed for. I’ve sat in enough meetings where it’s been announced as fact that it’s an average view time of 10 seconds on a two-minute content piece. The disappointment all around is palpable.

Shift in creative mind-set

I don’t say this with glee; as with any good piece of art, ads may take time to be appreciated and not allowing them the time to find their groove could be very much the wrong thing to do. But I think this high-measurement environment does require a shift in creative mind-set and greater consciousness around how the consumer is actually going to react to the piece of work. And, yes, this does mean they need to open their thinking up to what the data says.

I know Leonardo da Vinci didn’t look at the data when he painted the Mona Lisa but he also wasn’t spending other people’s money when he did so. Or using the painting to sell anything.

The creative and media decision in this environment is now one, and the more robust upfront, the better it sets the platform for the right kind of course correction throughout the campaign. What it also does is force creatives to think long and hard around production that allows for flexibility of execution in a cost-efficient way. The days of producing one finished piece of art that needs to magically tick all the boxes throughout the campaign is now too risky an approach. The new norm are executions with options.

Depends on

Digital is allowing video to kill every other medium and format — including the archaic banner ad. Whether it kills the creative star will be dependent on how well creatives and media work together to ultimately develop the perfect mix of art and science.

 

Martin MacGregorMartin MacGregor (@MartMacG) is managing director of Connect, an M&C Saatchi Company, with offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Martin has spent 18 years in the industry, and has previously worked at Ogilvy and was MD of MEC Nota Bene in Cape Town. He contributes the monthly “Media Redefined” column, in which he challenges norms in the media space, to MarkLives.com.

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