27 November 2009
	FOREWORD Why advertising amounts to a hill of beans By David Furlonger

I wish I worked in the advertising industry. I could turn up to work each day in a t-shirt, tattered jeans and slops. If I had an urgent business meeting to attend, I might deign to shave. Or not. Andrew Human, CEO of SA's premier creative advertising awards, the Loeries, told me recently that one of his ambitions is to persuade young ad industry personnel to dress up for the big event. Actually, compared to their attire at work, many of them do. I've now attended two Loeries. First time I was every bit as formal as the invitation dress codes requested. This year less so. Next year maybe I'll join the scruffy majority. Based on first impressions, it would be easy to assume that advertising is a casual undertaking that, to quote Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, "don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world". It's true that without advertising, branding and PR, life would go on and the world economy wouldn't collapse (again). But a lot of companies would. How would they differentiate their products, their brands, their message? Advertising and communications are the lifeblood of commerce and industry. That's why we chose our theme, Surviving The Recession. Even if the worst of the crash is over, as some countries suggest, tough times will be here for some time yet. In the following pages, we offer practical advice to business at large on how to make use of communications, not just to survive, but to thrive. We look at how to avoid wasting money on ineffective PR. We ask whether it is cost-effective to hire a "marriage guidance" company to select an agency then manage the relationship. We explain complex local agency groups. There is a case study on how one of SA's best-known brands changed its identity. We ask SA experts how they would repair the business and image of a former blue-chip corporation that became one of the world's worst banking collapses. Our lead article looks at the future of traditional media and asks if they are truly under threat. What does this mean for advertising and marketing? Business isn't alone in feeling the financial pinch. Charities are usually among the first to see funds dry up in recessions. We explain how agencies are helping them survive through pro bono (free) campaigns. Of course, this wouldn't be AdFocus without the rankings, tables and sectoral comparisons. They are all here. And then there are the awards. We set out to select nine winners but managed only eight. The AdFocus jury felt none of the submissions for Design & Branding Agency of the Year met the highest standards required. On the subject of the jury, it has been a pleasure to work with such a professional group. Chaired by marketer Yvonne Johnston, they were: Ross Chowles, creative director of Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town; John Dixon, CEO of Draftfcb SA; Harry Herber, MD of The Media Shop; John Little, a partner in The Observatory; Festus Masekwameng, Loeries chairman; Ivan Moroke, MD of Yellowwood Brand Architects; Odette Roper, MD of the Association for Communication & Advertising; Mohale Ralebitso, Absa group marketing executive; Nikki Rule, KFC chief marketing officer; Marc Taback, CEO of Initiative Media; and Neil van der Weele, former head of Draftfcb's Asian digital design project, now independent.