M&C Saatchi Abel moves beyond generic portrayals of Africa

In 2023 the top 200 brands across Africa generated a total value of $54bn. While the continent holds promise for the global creative economy, the surge in advertising spend has not always delivered the necessary returns. One of the reasons for this is that brands are often too quick to characterise Africa as a single entity and as a result fail to connect effectively with the vast diversity of audiences found on the continent.

 The allure of Africa’s market is undeniable. A booming youth population and rising disposable incomes mean the continent offers fertile ground for brand expansion. However, a “one-size-fits-all” approach to advertising simply won’t cut it. Investing in the continent and building a significant, sustainable business requires a unique outlook that combines the best of global with the nuance and semantics of local markets.

 From an advertising perspective, there’s never been a more exciting time for brands to capitalise on breaking down the singular views of those who hold the monopoly over ideas and allowing storytelling to move to the beat of a different — inherently African — drum, says Illé Potgieter, partner and MD of M&C Saatchi Abel Cape Town.

 “Brands that are succeeding in capturing the African market   have an innate understanding that simply lifting and shifting their approach from Western markets is a blueprint for disaster, and are leading the charge with a new era of creative problem solving that understands, respects and speaks directly to the continent’s individual markets,” says Potgieter.

 The power of partnerships

 M&C Saatchi Abel, she says, has been very successful when it comes to simplifying the complexities of advertising across the continent. The core of the agency’s success lies in its more than a decade long partnership with Heineken.

 “We have increasingly placed more focus on a strong orientation about how to grow Heineken’s top line and market share while using creativity and strategy to serve up simple digital solutions that authentically resonate across regions to stop people in their tracks.”

It’s a journey that has been all about radical collaboration for both agency and client, resulting in the creation of an “African hub” supporting more than 25 brands across more than 20 markets on the continent. The hub is now about more than just beer, with new brands and categories being supported in Africa. 

 “The unwavering cornerstone of the hub partnership is that it needs to be without ego. In the same way that each region and country has its own culture, language and ethos, it was critical that we didn’t adopt a blanket approach to consumer communication,” says Potgieter.

 The establishment of the African hub to service the African market has resulted in the agency investing heavily in client, creative and strategic talent. This, in turn, has led to investing in local market agencies — sharing the group’s model of “brutal simplicity of thought” and creative prowess to build stronger, more empowered partners on the ground, says Potgieter.

 “A successful example that emerged from the hub was a campaign centred on the UEFA Champions League (UCL), Heineken’s largest investment and sponsorship deal, every year, providing a unique football and viewing experience to over 1-billion consumers worldwide. The challenge was that Africa is represented in the UCL only through its football players as the continent had no teams playing and no games to watch live.

 “Using brand partners, a trophy tour campaign was developed that included Nigeria, Mozambique, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, among others, to develop a regionally led experience that brought the UCL that much closer to the African continent and African football fans. This regional collaboration added value to the brand, with some regions experiencing up to 65% growth in revenue,” Potgieter says.

 Digitally driven nuance

 Critical to the success of the hub has been the investment in digital capabilities — powerful tools for crafting targeted advertising that resonates with specific African markets. “Understanding the differences, nuances and digital usage patterns across the continent has taken considerable research from the group. Being able to operate on a “digital first” basis has enabled us to provide clients with a brand fluency and relevance that has shown strong growth results and improved our creative delivery.”

 Advertising spend in the digital advertising market is projected to reach $4,408m in 2024. For example, Africa has a rich tradition of storytelling. Digital platforms, says Potgieter, offer new ways to share this tradition, allowing brands to create a sense of community and an emotional connection with local audiences.

 “A digital approach also means that audiences can be reached even in remote areas with limited access to television or print media. Mobile marketing reigns supreme in Africa, particularly social media ads, and our approach ensures that brands connect with consumers where they’re most engaged — on their phones,” she says.

 Africa is no longer the “dark continent” of outdated narratives, and M&C Saatchi Abel’s investment in it is a prime example of how making brands “Africa fit” has a positive economic ripple effect for both business and the continent itself.

“Brands have the power to weaponise creativity and fight the preconceived ideas of how Africa wants to be spoken to. It’s time to use that power to move beyond generic portrayals and engage authentically with the continent’s multitude of cultures and social landscapes,” says Potgieter.