#BehindtheSelfie with... Jerry Mpufane

Mpufane captions this: “M&C Saatchi Abel’s rooftop entertainment deck is a great vantage point to absorb both the beauty and energy of our beautiful city of JHB.”

1. Where do you live, work and play?

While I was born and bred in Pretoria; I live, work and play in Jozi, which has become my most loved home. I love everything about Jozi – the people, the energy, and enjoying life back in the city centre, away from the sterile northern suburbs.

2. What’s your claim to fame?

I’m an ad guy, through and through. I am a big believer in team play, with my immediate colleagues and the broader industry fraternity.

3. Describe your career so far.

I have had the fortune of working in the marketing sector for more than two decades – both in agency and client side.

I’ve had the opportunity to work on some of the most iconic campaigns, making friends with the best talent the industry has produced. I continue to give back through my involvement in mentorship, at both entry-level and senior.

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.

Family time, reading, golf, a general exploration of my own city, as well as lots of travel everywhere else.

5. What do you love about your industry?

I love people, genuinely so, and ours is a people business. And of course, not many people can truly claim to work in an ideas industry, continuously engaged with something new.

An industry in flux

Jerry Mpufane  24 Jan 2018

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

Briefs, brainstorms, creative reviews, creative presentations, business strategy and planning.

7. What are the tools of your trade?

You cannot succeed in our industry without great empathy – for colleague and customer alike.

8. Who is getting it right in your industry?

I See A Different You – an assembly of talented young people who deliver great ideas across photography, film, activations and digital, while having lots of fun, proving that you can truly live your work.

9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.

The industry can do better at inclusiveness. In spite of the many attempts, we’re still missing representation of women and black people, both being the majority demographic, in positions of influence.

On being a black face in a predominantly white space

Paballo Molahlehi  19 Mar 2018

10. What are you working on right now?

Besides working to deliver a great Bookmarks 2019, I’m involved in deep discussions about shaping a competitive agency group that’s ready for the times – nimble, ideas-centred and digitally savvy.

11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.

Believe it or not, skills, skills, skills… Building competencies that deliver smartly, that are in tune with the consumer, and delivering impact at a good price.

View this post on Instagram

Everything's chaaaaaaanging ��Welcome to the family Alan Bell & congrats on your new role in the fam Jerry Mpufane #advertising #agencylife #news

A post shared by M&C Saatchi Abel (@mcsaatchiabel) on Jan 16, 2017 at 11:44pm PST

12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

When we collaborate. Two or three heads are truly better than one. The more diverse the group, the more we can deliver the well-thought out, and most relevant solutions.

#FairnessFirst: Unboxing diversity in advertising

Leigh Andrews  23 Jul 2018

13. What’s your secret talent/party trick?

I am a good listener, so I’ll pay attention to your worst joke. I have very few party tricks of my own…

14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

I am an absolute technophile, doing my work on a MacBook; consuming book, music and magazine subscriptions through my iPad; consuming news via Twitter on my phone; and watching Netflix on my smart TV.

15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

My son’s pictures and video stunts; showbiz on my Instagram feed; news and opinion on my Twitter feed; and lots of comedy in my WhatsApp groups.

16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?

I tell them you cannot freestyle through life, find yourself a good mentor.

Simple as that. Be sure to visit Mpufane’s MyBiz profile, the M&C Saatchi Abel press office and IAB Bookmarks special section on site.

You can also follow Mpufane, M&C Saatchi Abel and the IAB Bookmark Awards on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as follows:

Mpufane’s Twitter | M&C Saatchi Abel’s Twitter | IAB SA’s Twitter | Mpufane’s Facebook ‏| M&C Saatchi Abel’s Facebook ‏| IAB SA’s Facebook ‏| Mpufane’s Instagram | IAB SA’s Instagram | M&C Saatchi Abel’s Instagram

Ticket sales have opened for the 2019 Bookmark Awards

IAB South Africa  12 Feb 2019

Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.