In advertising, the pursuit of quantity often eclipses that of quality. In our follow-up conversation at the IMC Conference, two years after our first discussion, Dr Pepe Marais, Co-Founder and Group Chief Creative Officer of Joe Public, reflects on how much has changed and how much has remained the same.
Back in our first conversation, Pepe said that “98% of advertising doesn’t add value to the space it occupies.” Two years later, he believes the industry remains “trapped in the busyness, not the business of advertising.” He explains, “We’ve got the talent and opportunity to be one of the most creative nations in the world, but we don’t have time to think.”
Read: The role of purpose in growing brands, agencies and people – Dr Pepe Marais
He describes a global problem where marketing has become overrun by constant content creation and short-term thinking, with brands chasing immediacy over impact.
“We are literally executing up to 400 assets per month per client,” he says, “but not taking time to create meaningful ideas.”
Dr Marais recalls a client who halved campaigns and saw growth within six months, proving that less can lead to more. He also calls on agencies and brands to push back against the cycle of churn, find time for thought, and re-centre creativity.
Read: Seth Godin: Your Brand Has A Strategy, Not An Advertising or Marketing Problem
Conversation highlights:
- 93% of advertising fails, Dr Pepe Marais explains why.
- Cutting output can double creative quality and growth.
- Brands need to balance long-term building with short-term sales.
- AI should buy back thinking time, not speed up churn.
- Agencies must own their role in improving the craft.
Watch the full conversation below:
This was created in collaboration with our production partners, Soweto Media.
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