LIKE many other industries in SA, the advertising and marketing industry has for some time been predominantly white owned and controlled.

As a result, to a large extent only part of our country’s creativity has been showcased. One can argue that to date, the industry’s approach to marketing and promoting services and products has been Eurocentric.

It is common knowledge that the media is extremely powerful in shifting, setting and challenging mind-sets. The advertising and marketing industry is not different.

This industry is extremely profitable and powerful in influencing behavioural patterns. It is about the only profession that influences the employment of capital, image building and spending patterns in a way that has a direct influence on the economy. It is for these reasons that a sector of such matchless authority cannot be left in the hands of only a part of society.

To that end, the advertising and marketing empowerment scorecard is a breath of fresh air that could not have come at a better time. If observed, the scorecard could go a long way in pushing transformation further.

It is common that because of the need to comply with empowerment procurement requirements, many clients insist agencies be equally empowerment compliant. This is good — except, of course, for the fact that there is now more window-dressing than ever.

It is common that an agency will proudly display its empowerment credentials — only for it to be discovered later that in fact those credentials have been engineered in order to satisfy the client’s requirements to win an account.

There are two major challenges facing this industry.

First, the lack of black creatives in the industry is concerning — but even more depressing is the lack of effort by industry captains to groom dynamic black creatives.

Second, some clients insist on an international footprint. This requirement, albeit legit, confines small- to middle-sized, black-owned advertising agencies to competing for parastatal work only.

These challenges can be overcome by stricter scrutiny of equity ownership by client. Clients need to insist on an empowerment partnership that is beyond reproach. Also, it could go a long way if clients were to insist on a big agency collaborating with a smaller, empowerment agency to allow for skills transfer and industry development on the part of the historically disadvantaged.

It is hoped that once the scorecard is implemented, it will ensure compliance that will enable true transformation and the development of the smaller agencies to take place.

Ndwandwe is MD of empowerment and leadership consultancy Ndwandwe & Associates.