THE FUTURE IS NOT SOUND

There is something I have noticed about the Kenyan corporate world when it comes to advertising. They suck.

Don’t get me wrong now; I’m not saying that there are no willing marketing managers around. Most of them are just completely clueless assholes who are more concerned about attending the next marketers’ forum (sponsored by a corporate entity, nonetheless) where they can drink and get merry with other asshole marketing managers.

There is a pervasive mindset in this people that makes them completely unable to see past their noses (and expense reports). This makes convincing them to try new formulas for marketing i.e. advertising, next to impossible. They have no imagination, no abstract thought capacity and no idea what their customers or clients want.

These people think they know it all. They know all their customers’ habits, preferences etc. and they know all this without any research, or based on some survey that was done 10 years ago. This attitude is bloody annoying! You work your ass off trying to crack a concept that you know will place the product or service on a new level. But nooo, we know everything; we tell you what to do. Why in fuck’s name did you request creative services then?! You could have just told me what you want, instead of me cracking my head for you only to have everything shot down because ‘its too complex’ or ‘they won't understand’ or my favourite, ‘I don’t get it’. Recently, some punk bitch MD called a concept ‘too philosophical’. I was like ‘WHAT?’

What is the point of advertising? Boiled down to its basic element, advertising is basically a lie. A conscious lie to consumers telling them that your product is better than the competition’s and that they should go buy the shit. That’s it! Lies don’t follow formulas, do they? Lies are better when they are creatively forged and implemented. That way, no one sees you coming. This is what Kenya’s marketing community needs to embrace. This thing of using the same old concepts over and over again is bullshit! Fine, I understand that some products are meant for the mass market and that we are a third world country so people will not get some concepts but come on!

Let’s not get stuck in a rut.