44% of Kenyans now use a smartphone,
compared with just 27% in 2014.
Data from Google also shows that
Kenyans spend more time watching videos
– in 2016 there was a monthly average of
7.5 million U-tube views in the country
compared with 2.9 million in Nigeria and
just 1.0 million in South Africa.
“The current approach in our industry
is to adapt billboard, print, or TVC for
digital by cutting it down, resizing it and
so on. This is not enough – we need to be
developing interactive creative content
for the digital space, in formats that work
on mobile and on the go,” says Waithera
Kabiru, Digital Marketing Specialist at
Coca-Cola in Nairobi.
She acknowledges that while the growth of
digital media usage in Kenya is significant,
some forms of traditional media are still
relevant to get the mass reach or brand
awareness that most products require.
The trend that will continue to grow is to
take on an integrated marketing approach
where TV, radio, digital, experiential and
PR all work together, she adds.
“We have seen the growing use of gifs,
video, and boomerangs but not enough
creative executions of these formats.
We also need multiple creative formats
for programmatic advertising, and for
performance marketing. This is a largely
untapped space in the creative field,” she
says.
Jason Nartey, an experienced creative
director who plans to set up his own
agency in Ghana, says that there is a
shortage of skilled talent. “We need more
specialists – in this industry it’s not good
to be a jack of all trades and master of
none,” he maintains.
Dhariwal points out that one of the
challenges in Kenya is that there is no
technical institution which can foster
the development of skills in graphics or
design for advertising. “It’s all self-taught
so it gets limiting – local talent requires
mentoring,” he says.
Plassard believes that one of the positive
trends in Kenyan advertising is that the
industry has developed a more competitive
spirit. “People are less comfortable with
the status quo – everyone is looking now
at ways to push the envelope, to make a
good idea into an excellent one,” he says. communication industry, winning a Loerie
is the highest accolade for creativity and
innovation across our region.
Competing for awards is part of the
process. Last year, Kenya came home from
the Loeries with 10 awards. That’s no
mean feat when competing for Africa and
the Middle East’s premier recognition of
creative excellence in the advertising and
brand communication industry. The Loeries, a proudly not-for-profit
company, promotes
and
supports
creativity by helping marketers, agencies
and consumers appreciate the value of
fresh thinking, innovative ideas and
outstanding execution.
Can the country’s creatives do it again?
Entries for Loeries 2018 close on May
15. Loeries Creative Week, the biggest
creative gathering in Africa and the
Middle East runs 16 – 19 August and
includes MasterClasses, DStv Seminar
of Creativity and two Awards shows. All
information about entries and Creative
Week can be found on: www.loeries.com.
About Loeries Africa Middle
East
The Loeries has been rewarding creativity
for 40 years. As Africa and the Middle
East’s premier award that recognises,
rewards, inspires and fosters creative
excellence in the advertising and brand
Culminating in the biggest creative
gathering in the region, Loeries Creative
Week brings together the best innovative
minds from our industry for a festival that
offers networking, creative inspiration and
the recognition of great work.
The creative economy across Africa and
the Middle East is world-class and has
great potential to offer employment to our
talented youth, and the Loeries places a
significant emphasis on education and
development.
Mr. Andrew Human is the Loeries Chief
Executive Officer. For more information,
or further follow up on the Leries
Awards kindly engage him via mail at:
[email protected].