Day two of the Marketing Federation of South Africa's (MFSA) conference at the three-day Loerie Festival at Sun City, raised some disturbing issues, as questions continue to be raised as to why and how transformation should be taking place in the industry - when marketers and agencies should already be reporting back on how they have implemented transformation.
The Advertising Communications Authority (ACA) is almost ready to release its BEE Scorecard for the advertising industry, while marketers are still asking why and how they should be doing it.
In a sincere speech, a patient Makwana and other black executives in the forum on Saturday, reigned in their frustration in an attempt to understand the lack of industry impetus among marketers to participate in the transformation process.
Marketers and aligned industries in the media and communications space, on the other hand, accuse the MFSA of a lack of communication in its attempt to transform the industry.
What is clear, is that transformation is the casualty here and marketers will probably be labeled as unwilling to transform at the parliamentary hearings for the industry to report-back, on19 October. We all remember well the embarrassment of the advertising industry three years ago, when they were the target of the very same parliamentary hearings into racism in the industry.
The BEE Monitor and the MFSA are currently running a benchmarking research project to measure transformation in the industry to inform a scorecard for the marketing industry and to date, only 2-3% of the industry has even participated, Makwana said in his report-back.
"What has come clear is that as marketers, we're not participating as we should in this survey. This can come back to haunt and embarrass us... This time round, (in parliament) the focus will be on us (marketers) as the drivers of this value chain."
He urged marketers to go to: www.beemonitor.com and participate.
"I think transformation in the average marketing department could happen faster and more needs to be done. Agencies, from a transformation point of view are only as good as their client: the marketer. It is the marketer that approves the budgets and the marketer that chooses the agency and the marketer that approves the teams," Makwana explained.
"Out of an excess of 1000 emails and questionnaires and notifications to MFSA members, only 2-3 % have responded positively. "Many have passed the buck onto HR; a good chunk of our members have decided that it is a waste of time; and others are asking, why are we doing this?"
Makwana tried to contextualize the challenges from a transformation point of view:
Makwana made a call to marketers: "We need to confront these realities and be genuine in our endeavour to transform. We need to rise as marketers, so that we can be counted, to ensure that never again do we get to the point where young South Africans feel they do not belong in their own country."
He continued: "Marketers change lives - when you convince me that I should use a different cell phone or drive a certain car, you are changing my life. You have to become the change yourself. We (the MFSA) are here, willing and available with resources to assist. We have learnerships lined up. Guide us - how can we best empower you to play a role?"
In throwing the debate open to the floor, what was apparent, still, was a lack of consumer insight by marketers of the consumer market. This was highlighted by black marketers in the audience.
Fear and ignorance about true Empowerment - even 10 years on was raised, and black professionals continued to express their frustration at the lack of transformation in the industry: "Coming from the financial services sector which I thought was more conservative, to an industry that I thought was more dynamic and driven by creativity and at the forefront of leading society, I can't believe this debate is still taking place..." said one delegate.
"We need the marketers to robustly drive this process," commented one. Another comment: "I caution that this sector will be found wanting in attracting the necessary talent if it doesn't transform. About 50% of students studying B Com's at the moment are black. In the next five years, if one is engaging with business, large or small, you will be dealing with people in that social milieu. It is going to be key to these businesses as to who they deal with."
The alternative, Makwana emphasized in summing up, was to be dragged out of the past into the future by legislation, meaning that control of one's own destiny is relinquished.
Communication seems to be the key issue here - communication within the MFSA and communication by the MFSA to the rest of the industry, and communication by the industry with the rest of its stakeholders. The result, unfortunately, will be negative publicity, parliamentary questions, and allegations that marketers are being obstructive in attempts to transform. October 19 is just a few days away.
