What if it could be simplified, but yet sophisticated enough to accommodate the evolving client needs? Gone are the days of the ‘traffic-bitch', where dictatorship, threats and manipulative measures are necessary to achieve these client goals, where agencies used to insist upon deliveries of client expectations at the expense of their underpaid work-force who labor through nights for commissions that are not their own. Is it really possible to run agency operations without having to confine to these social constructs as truly the work environment requires? Why is it always us members of the advertising community that gets exposed first hand to mostly non BEE compliant intimidating environments, unfair overtime (some mostly due to ill-management), Unfair racial remuneration for head to head experience and qualifications and mostly irritating of all unfair creative judgment due to lack of the country's majority understanding for better appeal, hence we are always confined to western approach of advertising. African agencies need to be foremost about Africans from Africans to deliver an all-round African approach to Africans.
A lot more needs to be done, companies must start investing in black creative development and black communities research for more accurate strategies. To stop basing most of these strategies from a few colored individuals in the agency and go to depths of our diverse intercultural dynamic races. To really invest in people, that in turn invest in the product of the trade, where all proceeds are conducted in a humane manor. For Agencies to be at a point of professional respect towards all employees, in a mutual understanding of each other's social needs to further better understand the individual's requirements for productive relations. Advertising human resources departments are one of the most employer biased than ever in a corporate world especially in southern Africa, as the are never pro-active initiatives that ensure or at least try to accommodate the low income majority workers in settling with the evolving economy and development. Where parties are in reasonable understanding of the deserved status quo for it's respective employed members which is derived from creditable work experience and favoritism is an extra not the norm. An idea is only as good as it's interpreter in advertising and most good black orientated developed adverts have fallen by the way side due to misunderstanding of these concepts by the non-African directors that have the final say of which work gets exposed to both client and consumers. An all-round understanding from a consumer to a production point of view to incorporate a much needed solution to the industry's gap of communication, as we claim to be in the communications industry, but dictate product information rather than interactive communicative means of advertising.
Doesn't the South African public deserve to be communicated with in their own ideals and approached in their African manor? Do we not have the right to choose what we are exposed to and how this is done? How long shall it continue that African stories are not told by Africans in that much, much needed tale that preserves our true cultural values, beliefs and practices.
