New editor, new focus for AdFocus

This year's AdFocus, the advertising annual from Financial Mail, is being published on 28 November 2008 in order to record the local Loeries advertising awards and other important events that were previously excluded. A new editorial focus, under the editorship of David Furlonger, who has taken over from Jeremy Maggs, is also intended to broaden the publication's appeal beyond the advertising industry.

David Furlonger, the new editor of the Financial Mail's AdFocus, caught on camera experiencing his first Loeries at the SABC-sponsored media lunch. Photo by Simone Puterman, powered by Nokia.

"There is no shortage of advertising industry publications but most are of limited value to anyone outside the immediate industry,” says Furlonger.” AdFocus: The Business of Advertising will still be an important tool for the industry but will break the mould by also being accessible to potential clients and, indeed, anyone who needs to know how advertising works and what it can do for his or her product."

As can be seen in the full title of this year's annual, AdFocus: The Business of Advertising, a team of top writers will provide the broader South African business community with a guide to what the industry has to offer, and how to make use of its skills. They will look at new trends in the industry, but from a practical perspective, presenting a client-friendly guide to advertising and marketing.

However, AdFocus will not neglect the traditional features that have made it so valuable in the past. As before, it will feature an alphabetical profile of agencies; it will rank top agencies in advertising, media, and branding and design; show which agencies have enjoyed the best success rates in pitching for accounts; list the industry's most creative agencies; explain trends in advertising spending; chart the most popular ads; and show which companies and products are the big advertising spenders.

Of course, AdFocus would not be the same without its awards. A panel of independent judges, headed by former International Marketing Council of SA head, Yvonne Johnston, has selected winners in several categories. Agency and individual winners will be honoured at the annual AdFocus awards banquet on 26 November at Montecasino, Fourways, Johannesburg