South Africans’ humility is an advantage, not an impediment

Having been part of the marketing industry for a few decades now — with South African Breweries, Pernod Ricard, Absolut Vodka and the BBC — I have had the privilege to observe from the inside how this exciting and always evolving industry works around the world. 

As I am backed by more than a few years of experience internationally, what has been abundantly clear to me is just how good South African marketers are. But despite this recognised capability, our local creatives, strategists, brand managers, data managers and customer experience specialists (and so many other talented people that make this sector what it is) seem to have a deep-rooted insecurity about the level of their work, believing for some reason that we are behind the rest of the world. 

This could not be further from the truth. It sometimes takes a little perspective, which comes with exposure to what’s out there, to truly appreciate what we have back home. 

At an industry event after the successful relaunching of Absolut Vodka in South Africa for Pernod Ricard, the then global CEO for The Absolut Company in Stockholm tapped me on the shoulder and said: “I want you to bring the magic of Africa to the world.”

That’s when it hit me (like a shot of vodka), that we — the South African marketing community — are doing something exceptional. But I’m not sure all of us have fully internalised that yet.

I get it. I’ve felt the same as so many South African marketers who experience an identity complex, or the impostor syndrome, thinking that we are not as effective as our international peers. However, it’s because of that very South African humility, resilience and ingenuity (we all know that “boer maak ‘n plan” attitude) that the brand campaigns generated by the South African marketing and creative fraternity are world class. In so many cases, our work is as good as, if not better than those of others around the world. 

As South African citizens, we have long had to grapple with our own identity in some way or another. This is not an impediment. It makes us culturally intelligent and really good at “bridging gaps” — whether cultural or language — and we have the bravery to reach out a hand and make authentic connections. It’s a rare gift in the world today. We have a willingness to listen to divergent views, because we have grown up in a society where we are challenged with different opinions and different perspectives. And that makes South Africans great marketers!

So, when I was invited to judge the Purpose Driven category of the MMA South Africa’s 2024 Smarties Awards I jumped at the chance, not least because “purpose” has become increasingly more important in a world that is experiencing economic and social upheaval. 

On reviewing the entries, what was evident is that the country’s core needs (jobs, food, electricity, water and so forth), are driving creative narratives as brands try to step in to support their consumers. While there are almost 60-million consumers in South Africa only 20% are part of the middle class and a meagre 4% form the elite. This means creative work from brands and agencies needs to engage truly with the everyday South African whose reality revolves around meeting basic needs, the ever-rising cost of living and getting (and keeping) a job. 

It is seen differently in some places abroad. We South Africans have become adept at dealing with adversity, lack of resources and dramatic changes — some of the realities our society has long had to grapple with. This is not necessarily the case beyond our borders, where the huge changes affecting consumers across Europe and the US have become full-blown crises, with developed countries far less prepared and able to manage such challenges.

Ultimately, it comes down to being willing to listen with humility, to genuinely care for your consumers with empathy, an empathy that allows you to create real emotional connections with your consumers. And in South Africa, we have learnt how to connect with one another on a very deep level. That’s not always the case in other places — but it is our  “secret sauce”.

 Take the kind people at PEP, for instance. A Smarties 2024 winner, PEP’s “Dad-friendly changing stations” that were made available in-store tapped into the increasing role that fathers are playing in their children’s lives and how they are taking greater responsibility. As women have traditionally been the carers for kids and babies at malls, changing stations are found in or near the women’s bathrooms. When dads are on day-care duty, they cannot use these facilities and need to find creative ways to change their little ones.

Addressing this, PEP and partner Growthpoint Properties are now rolling out changing stations in stores nationwide, giving dads a private place to care for their children. It was a human idea that met a human need, while challenging stereotypes. While it has had a positive effect on the PEP brand, it has also led to improved commercial results. Who said purpose had to be something that cost you something without any returns?

 As purpose-driven marketing becomes a bigger part of a brand’s work and receives more budget, we can expect to see more excellent pieces of creative work that have a real, tangible impact. Given purpose can drive profit, the C-suite is also increasingly likely to come on board and give it more airtime than just another tree-planting endeavour.

In my capacity as an international judge for the 2024 MMA Smarties Award, I can positively and confidently say that the level of work that is coming out of South Africa is on-point and positioned around local needs and that of the brands. That has been the case for many years. We can expect to see more PEP-like work in the future;  the key, however, is that the Big Idea must be authentic, honest, real and tangible, and should engage with its target audience in a meaningful way — one that makes a real difference to their people’s lives and livelihoods while bringing in the rands and cents.

With this recipe in mind, South Africa’s impostor syndrome has no place among marketers, brands and businesses. Instead, we need to celebrate our ability to tap deeply into our multicultural consumer behaviours and nuances and to produce work that has a strong sense of purpose and a passion and pride for our people that’s among the best in the world by a long shot. 

Charl Bassil is the chief brand officer at the BBC, and recently Absolut Vodka global vice-president/CMO.

The big take-out: South African marketers’  strategy, creativity and general consumer empathy and insight are as good as those elsewhere in the world.