Being direct... AdVantage Sep 2004
Do we know all there is to know about advertising ... and live for the applause. Or is there more?
Celebrations or an opening of minds…can the two live side-by-side at the Loeries?
One of the most valuable things about professions like medicine, law and accounting is that the practice thereof is based on having at least one qualification (often more), after which the responsible professional bodies require a degree of ongoing involvement/ training in order that their practitioners keep pace with new thinking over time. Somehow, this does not seem to be as important to the world of marketing and advertising.
I recently had the opportunity to attend the 3-day Marketing Federation's Loerie Festival held at Sun City. It was interesting to me for a couple of reasons - including the fact that I had personally not attended the Loerie Awards for many a year; it was the first Loerie event run under the auspices of the MFSA; and lastly - it was bedevilled (to some extent) by problems associated with the departure of key MFSA staff members some 2 weeks prior to the weekend. But, the festival itself seemed to go off quite well, particularly the combined and largely renamed three awards evenings!
As a mere observer of the event, I was struck by a worrying contrast between the business side of the 3 days: the conference/presentations/workshops that formed the 'learning' side of the event, and the peer-acknowledgment awards. The former had 'limited' support, while there was 'overwhelming' (they literally could not squeeze another human being into the Superbowl) support for the awards element.
When one stops to think about this, one is left with the impression that perhaps many people in the ad-industry believe that 'they know it all' and maybe have nothing more to learn. Or maybe they are simply just too tired and hard-worked to do much else on the weekend but relax. Yet, perhaps not so surprisingly, they will do almost anything to be at a party!
Being recognised as special or above average by one's peers is a very human need, and the SA ad-industry seems not to be shy when it comes to enjoying any form of recognition. Even the sponsored so-called 'after-parties' raged on until the late-early hour!
I hasten to add that my issue is NOT with the awards or indeed the after-parties themselves, but when over 1300 people pay serious money to make a 2.5 hour schlep all the way to Sun City to partake of questionable cuisine, not to mention expensive alcohol, and then endure endless awards categories in an orgy of self-congratulation; however the well-prepared presentations of a number of international speakers can only attract tens rather than hundreds - then something has to be just a little wrong!
For example, a great presentation called 'Thinking Inside The Box' by Chairman and Chief Global Creative Officer for Lowe & Partners in London, Adrian Holmes, - was witnessed by literally only one individual (who claimed to be a creative) out of some sixty-odd on the Sunday morning, after the original presentation slot on Saturday afternoon was postponed due to lack of an audience. Adrian presented a very well thought out understanding of the many restrictions that are often placed on the creative process, and made a strong case (with wonderfully creative examples) for such restrictions actually enabling the development of some very clever advertising concepts.
While the management-focused audience undoubtedly felt enriched by the experience, the content would have had a great deal of relevance to many creative people in agencies (had they made the effort to be there.)
I am sure that there may be those who will take exception at the fact that I raise this subject in such a public manner, but I must be totally honest when I say that the reflection on the SA ad-scene was embarrassing in the extreme…to expect a number of overseas speakers to make the trip out here (many at their own expense) and not be able to provide them with a meaningful audience, leaves me wondering whether our marketplace is mature enough to be able to place conferences and awards in the same place, over a weekend.
If the Marketing Federation of SA is able to get over its alleged financial and people problems to the extent that they do this again next year, I certainly believe that the powers that be will have to do some serious thinking about format - if they are not to run the risk of alienating everyone!
My last comment on this subject would be to congratulate all the folks at Eskom who were sponsors of the Sunday morning session in the Media Centre. The effort, money and attention to detail that these folk put into their conference was absolutely magnificent, and they should be warmly congratulated for making their delegates feel welcomed and recognised. It was an outstanding effort in an oft-questioned weekend.