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CAMERA, ACTION, ROLL . . . A film crew gets ready to shoot a TV advert. Doing business in an economy that is slowly finding its feet again after what looked like an artificial recession is new ground for every local advertising firm

The big established advertising agencies are slowly rebuilding, replacing those that left with fresh talent but relying mainly on business relationships fostered well before the economy went crazy.The era preceding the official introduction of foreign currency as legal tender must have been the most difficult for any local business. Companies in the advertising industry were not spared the economic recession.

In a period where shortages of basic products was so pronounced, consumers had little choice but to grab whatever little was available, product and service branding became almost non-existent. There was little to gain from marketing products that were already selling without a promotional catalyst. Even new products became popular overnight.

One fast food chain famous for its chickens and chips resorted to selling their poultry products with rice, but did not bother to market the new initiative because consumers no longer had the luxury to choose.

This, of course, was an unmitigated disaster for advertising agencies. Unable to keep hold of their best talents, some had to retrench as a direct result of dwarfed business. The more innovative of the agencies’ personnel, particularly the graphic designers, chose either of two options – go beyond the borders searching for greener pastures, or form their own companies offering the same services for less. The deals offered by the new organisations attracted some of the established advertising agencies’ clients as they were tailor-made to be better than any available options.

The silver lining for the country may have been the proliferation of vibrant, design-based small-scale, indigenous companies but it counted for little as very few would-be producers felt the need to market their products.

Just like all the other products during that period, design products’ emphasis was hardly on quality, but more on creating anything with the potential to generate some much needed income.

Media organisations too suffered with in-house adverts occupying more space than ever before.

But a new era, no doubt helped by higher levels of political and economic stability, brought fresh impetus to the once great advertising industry.

During the early stages, businesses, officially selling their products and services in foreign currency to a consumer base with a little more to spend, found enough disposable income to increase quality and to diversify.

The South African companies that had identified Zimbabwe as a niche alternative market for their products when the country was going through a lean spell maintained their presence here. Reintroduction of the established brands was therefore not really optional.

Now that marketing has become both necessary and affordable, advertisers are spoilt for choice. The big established advertising agencies are slowly rebuilding, replacing those that left with fresh talent but relying mainly on business relationships fostered well before the economy went crazy.

But on fresh business, the big establishments are facing competition. The fairly new advertising agencies are impossible not to notice these days. In newspapers for example, there are numerous big-name adverts created by agencies no one had heard of five years ago.

Some of the new agencies are so small that all they do is create some business cards, wedding invitations or just letterheads. These would typically outsource any work, such as photography or language editing, which requires specialised attention outside copywriting and graphic design.

Others specialise. There are so many forms of visual presentation of marketing information, including print, video, web and outdoor. The agencies choose to concentrate on one form of merchandising, giving the advertisers confidence that whatever is being created on their behalf is custom-made by creative people with little else to divide their attention.

The other new advertising agencies have grown big enough to threaten the dominance of their more experienced counterparts.

Some of the new players emerged from the economic chaos a lot more prepared for business perhaps because they acquired “survival tactics” while developing in a difficult environment.

Though the big boys still get the biggest and most visible brands, it is clear that they have ceded some ground to the new players.

This sets up an interesting battle for clients that can only be good for the advertiser as quality, aesthetics and value become bigger factors in Zimbabwean graphic communication.

The more innovative of the mixed pack would most likely win the battle because fresh creative ways of selling a product or a service has a greater chance of exciting the advertisers and their target audience than, say, a good old picture-and-text-on-top-and-logo-in-the-bottom-corner newspaper advert.

At the moment, all advertising outlets are only starting to realise their potential as they come to terms with positive economic growth. Doing business in an economy that is slowly finding its feet again after what looked like an artificial recession is new ground for every local advertising firm.

It is the same as bringing experienced and armature athletes to run a race through a track that is new to all. Anyone can win. The likely winner would be the best navigator of the track, one who adapts were necessary, and learns to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the competition all around.

Across the Limpopo, the secret formula appears to be diversity. The advertising industry is in the hands of super organisations that not only succeed in marketing their clients’ businesses, but also take branding of their own trademark very seriously.

They succeed because they have a “department store”’ approach to business where all forms of marketing a product or service are done under one roof. A few have grown so big that they are represented in every province.

None of the local advertising agencies is that big, but the stage is set for growth by a few. The economy is projected to recover even further in future and it is certain that the advertisers too, are fighting their own battles to retain or reclaim dominance.

Whether they want to promote their brands, sell wares or simply seeking relevance on the market, advertisers would always want partners to help them eloquently communicate their message. The partner that does that more creatively and consistently would aid the advertiser’s growth, attract more and invariably increase its chances of success.

The purple patch that the advertising industry has hit would need to be taken advantage of. Products are waiting to be sold, the consumers have some foreign currency in their pockets and the advertisers are willing to spend, having made a bit themselves in an improving economy.

The ball is firmly in the advertising agencies’ court. Amaze us!