10 Ways To Win At LinkedIn

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November 27, 2024

According to Tara Turkington, CEO at Flow Communications, LinkedIn is more about connecting with others in an authentic manner and building a profile that will ultimately benefit you and your business.

LinkedIn started off in 2003, the year before its competitor, Facebook. It started mostly as a recruitment platform, but it has managed to grow and reposition itself as ‘the clever person’s Facebook’ in recent years. Or the go-to social media platform for educated people and professionals to connect and build reputations.

According to Hootsuite, LinkedIn now has more than one billion members. Effectively, this means that one in eight people globally are on LinkedIn. Confirming it as a vast and powerful marketplace for individuals, brands and companies to tap into. By comparison, Facebook is the world’s largest social network, with over three billion members. LinkedIn would argue their followers are better quality. But beware, LinkedIn is not a platform for the hard sell.

Whether you want to use this platform to drive awareness of yourself or your business, highlight achievements, generate leads, strengthen your company culture, position yourself as a thought leader or learn from others, here are 10 ways to win at LinkedIn:

Supercharge Your LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn bio is your calling card, so make it stand out. Use a recent profile photo (smiling, ideally) and a simple image in the header field to give a sense of who you are. Keep your job description concise and professional for maximum impact. Search for and link all the educational institutions and companies you’ve been affiliated with. If possible, verify your account (it’s free) using your passport, to lend extra credibility to your profile. This function is still buggy, so you may battle a bit.

Solicit Recommendations

Don’t be shy to ask for recommendations to add to your profile. And give them generously in return. Other people endorsing you and saying you’re wonderful is far more effective than saying it yourself.

Connect With Others

There is a big difference between LinkedIn followers and connections. You might follow the account of someone you admire, but it doesn’t make them a connection and your posts won’t show up in their feed. You also won’t be able to send them in-mails, or direct messages via LinkedIn. Grow your network by sending connection requests to people in your industry or who work at organisations you admire. Even if you don’t necessarily know them. You might just gain access to some highly influential people.

Develop Content Pillars

When planning your LinkedIn posts, it’s helpful to devise content pillars. Find four or five topics, interests or values that you or your brand embody, and structure your content around these themes. For example, for Kate Groch, CEO of rural education non-profit the Good Work Foundation and a Flow Communications client, content pillars could include innovation, conservation, leadership and education. For Camille Burns, CEO of the Women Presidents Organization (WPO), content pillars could include women in business, entrepreneurship and WPO events. Having a basket of topics as a guide helps you vary your content, and keep it lively and relatable to your network.

Create Quality Posts

LinkedIn’s algorithm filters out posts deemed too promotional and ‘spammy,’ preferring to serve its users quality content that adds value. A good rule of thumb to ensure your content lands in other people’s feeds is to ask yourself a few questions before posting. Is it relevant to my audience? Does it showcase my or my company’s expertise in a particular field? Is it likely to attract engagement, particularly comments with substance? If your content ticks any or all of these boxes, LinkedIn is likely to weight it favourably. And this is how a post can end up going viral.

Be Authentic

Don’t just write a LinkedIn post for the sake of it. Be clear in your mind about what you want to achieve with a piece of content before you start creating it. Be real, as your thoughts are far more interesting than those generated by AI. People connect with authenticity, and can spot fake, disingenuous sentiment from a mile off.

Stick To What You Know

It’s tempting to weigh in on random topics on LinkedIn so that you can sound knowledgeable, but be wary. Rather talk about things you know or are passionate about, while remembering those content pillars. People will follow you for your proven expertise and informed insights, and that’s how you will position yourself as a thought leader in your field.

Know What Types Of Posts Work Best

Posting about events is always a winner, especially if you tag people who were present. It also positions you as a mover and shaker who has your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in your industry. Visual content fares well, as even bad pictures are better than no pictures. And you also have more leeway with your word count, including the functionality to publish articles, than with other platforms. So go ahead and pen thought leadership pieces, especially those highlighting something new in your field of expertise or interest.

Your Team Is Your Greatest Resource

Team-centric content performs exceptionally strongly on LinkedIn. Your colleagues and employees are not only your biggest assets in the workplace, but also in cyberspace. Ask your employees to follow your company page and tag themselves as working for you, and encourage them to post and engage with your content. Statistics show that people will engage more with a brand post that comes from an employee than with a similar post on your company page. It comes across as more authentic.

Be Smart With Your Content

It doesn’t have to all be professional, serious content on LinkedIn. Pull at the heartstrings. Speak to the human element. Share your safari snaps. Heck, you can even post about cute puppies if you like. Polls are a great way of interacting with your audience. Share media coverage, tagging the outlet. If you’re bold enough, take a stance on issues that mean a lot to you. All of this speaks to authenticity. And repurpose content. We encourage our clients to extract maximum mileage from every interview, article and video.

Very importantly, remember that LinkedIn is a social network. And who wants to connect with someone who only talks about themselves? So, don’t just blow your own trumpet. Celebrate your team and others in the industry, and give kudos to people and initiatives you admire. Above all, be human and real. That’s how you’ll win at LinkedIn.

FLOW COMMUNICATIONS
https://www.flowsa.com/

Embrace The Possibility Of Failure In Business

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Modern Marketing

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November 27, 2024

Embrace The Possibility Of Failure In Business

According to Rogan Jansen, co-founder and creative director at DashDigital, whether it’s in our private or business lives, our dedication to avoiding mistakes can become one of our greatest downfalls.

One of the things many of our parents teach us when growing up is that making mistakes is part of life, and that we need to persevere and not give up. We are also taught to ‘try again’ and to ‘learn from our mistakes’. This is all good and well, but as we can all concede, making a mistake is never easy. Big or small, they take a knock on our confidence and often help us build a healthy resistance to making more mistakes in the future.’

‘In our drive for perfect, mistake-less work, we often miss the opportunities to innovate and create something truly unique,’ said Jansen.

‘What I’ve learned over the years is that sometimes an attempt at great work can start off looking and feeling like a mishap or a step in the wrong direction, but it’s how you re-route and get back on track that allows for the real magic to come to life.’

Reflecting on some of the mistakes he’s made over the duration of his career, Jansen points out the key learnings these have afforded him and his business.

Taking Ownership

‘Acknowledging that you’ve made a mistake or failed at something is incredibly powerful,’ said Jansen, ‘because it shows that you are not only empathetic but that you are willing to own your problem, analyse why it happened and most importantly find a way to fix it.’

But taking ownership of your challenges doesn’t come easy or happen overnight. This kind of growth takes a mindset shift. It’s very easy for all of us to dwell on the problem at hand, fixate on the mistake or try to find someone else to blame. But ultimately, it’s all about looking at the issue with a clear mind, identifying the areas where you can make a change or a difference, figuring out a possible solution and finally taking action.

‘What’s great about taking ownership in your own business is that it’s contagious,’ continued Jansen, ‘the more you own up and work at solving your problems, the more the people around you will strive to do the same. There’s great power in humility and acceptance, particularly when your goal is to set a good example for those around you.’

Stronger Team

‘Once you, as a leader, have shown a willingness to admit your faults and be honest about your mistakes,’ explained Jansen, ‘you almost instantly create an environment where your team feels safe to make mistakes, and that learning from them is of greater importance than trying to hide them or fostering an obsession of avoiding them completely.’

In businesses where mistakes are embraced rather than punished, it has been proven that fewer significant mistakes happen. And this in turn, not only boosts productivity but efficiency and happiness in teams too.

‘This is especially true in a business like mine,’ continued Jansen, ‘where creativity and independent thinking are a core part of the job. In the end, our success as a design team inevitably requires the acceptance of failure as part of the process.’

Growth Mindset

The process of learning from mistakes is ongoing. But it’s not that you become better at making mistakes. You just become better at turning your mistakes into opportunities, extracting more lessons from your downfalls and embracing continuous development. And all of this culminates in a growth mindset that is unequaled.

People with growth mindsets are those you want in your corner. They’re the team members who are the champions of motivation. Always pushing for more, striving to do better and never settling. They’re also the people who are better at giving and receiving criticism, which is invaluable.

‘Many of the greatest learnings in my career to date have come from mistakes made or plans that didn’t quite pan out. So, my advice to anyone still questioning their every move to avoid a mistake, is to embrace the possibility of failure and to see it as a pivotal step and learning opportunity in the journey to becoming a better version of yourself.’

DASHDIGITAL® STUDIO
https://www.dashdigital.io/

KFC And Cape Town Illustrator Collaborate For Latest Festive Campaign

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Modern Marketing

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November 26, 2024

KFC And Cape Town Illustrator Release Limited Edition Bucket Design

KFC’s partnership with Cape Town illustrator and musician, Elio Moavero, is part of the brand’s ongoing collaboration with South African artists who reinterpret the brand’s bucket, infusing it with contemporary cultural references. For the first time, Moavero’s work will feature on KFC’s other summer containers as well.

Known for his energetic, rock ’n’ roll-inspired art style, Moavero brings his eclectic sensibility to KFC’s latest Festive campaign. The result is a limited-edition bucket design that he said captures ‘the perfect setting to bring a whole bunch of people together’.

Moavero, who balances his visual art career with his role as a bassist and singer in a band, has imbued his creation with the spirit of summer festivals and lively gatherings. ‘It’s about celebrating the season and sharing in the energy of good times and great music,’ he said. ‘Summer for me is being outdoors, listening to music and having a great time with friends and family. That’s the vibe I wanted to bring into this design, and I think it’s a lot of fun.’

Chief Marketing Officer Grant Macpherson said the initiative aims to celebrate KFC’s relevance in all moments, especially during the festive period, and the ways packaging can shape brand perception. ‘The bucket isn’t just a vessel for sharing,’ he noted. ‘It represents quality, trust, and now, with Moavero’s work, it stands as a symbol of togetherness, music and celebration.’

Macpherson pointed out that KFC’s brand assets, like the bucket, help define the company’s distinctive identity. When the Streetwise Bucket for One was first introduced, a fan playfully tweeted that it was like ‘champagne on ice’. Macpherson said: ‘That tweet showed us the emotional pull of our packaging. It can elevate the experience and the product’s relevance.’

The 26-year-old Moavero, who grew up in a lively Italian family in Johannesburg, understands the central role of food in creating memorable summer moments. He recalled his own family’s gatherings, where food was as much a part of the celebration as the people. ‘KFC’s role during festive times,’ he said, ‘is like a refreshing pause between summer’s big moments. There for parties, family events, and all the season’s celebrations.’

Moavero grew up on cartoons and comics and prefers illustration work that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is based on a simple and succinct idea. His band, Painted Flowers, plays what he called ‘a modern take on Sixties and Seventies rock ’n’ roll,’ and his bucket design blends the rhythms of his favourite music with his signature chaotic style.

‘I listen to a lot of music while I work,’ he said. ‘The two feed off each other, and I didn’t have to change my approach to meet KFC’s vision for the festive period. They gave me the freedom to explore what I’m excited about this summer, and I can’t wait to see people eating their favourite fried chicken while enjoying my design.’

For KFC, the artist’s work has again highlighted the ways in which packaging can create intrigue and buzz. Past collaborations with notable South African designers like Karabo Poppy, Yay Abe, Slaying Goliath, Shaun Oakley, and Megan Bird have been well-received by customers. ‘The right packaging sparks excitement before you even touch the food,’ said Macpherson.

In Moavero’s hands, the bucket becomes more than a container. It’s an invitation to the feel-good moments of summer, a reminder of the connections made over shared meals, and the joy found in simple gatherings.

KFC
http://www.kfc.co.za

Out Of Home Media Is A Powerful Tool For Brands To Maximise Holiday Campaigns

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Modern Marketing

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November 25, 2024

Out Of Home Media Is A Powerful Tool For Brands To Maximise Holiday Campaigns

The festive season has officially arrived – and South Africans are set to spend. For advertisers, this presents a valuable opportunity to get your brands in front of consumers, helping to include them in consumers’ consideration sets. Out of home (OOH) media, specifically programmatic out of home (pDOOH), offers a powerful tool in helping marketers achieve their year-end targets, says Mali Motsumi-Garrido, Sales Director at Tractor Outdoor.

According to Wonga’s sixth annual Summer Spending Survey, R224 billion in consumer spending is expected during this festive season, with an average festive budget of R5707 per person.

‘The holiday season is a prime opportunity to showcase your brand and engage with both new and existing customers. With strategic and well-executed campaigns, you can inspire excitement, drive growth and cultivate brand affinity.’

Motsumi-Garrido offers several tips to help advertisers maximise their holiday campaigns using OOH.

Leverage High-Traffic Locations

As the holiday shopping rush ramps up, engage your audience where they’re spending the most time (and potentially money.) ‘High-impact OOH placements, such as large format billboards, roadside digital displays, and forecourt ads are great for increasing brand awareness and making sure your products and promotions stay top of mind,’ said Motsumi-Garrido.

Large format billboards offer high visibility, allowing brands to amplify their messages and maximise reach. In the realm of pDOOH, roadside digital screens are ideal for promoting time-sensitive offers or product highlights with festive-themed messaging, ensuring offers are clear and compelling.

Digital displays at forecourts allow you to engage customers directly with educational and demonstrative content. Motsumi-Garrido advises keeping your videos short (15-30 seconds) to hold consumer attention, showcasing your offering clearly and quickly.

Integrate pDOOH Into Your Omnichannel Strategy

Research shows that multiple ad formats and mediums help to deeply embed a brand’s messaging, leading to higher engagement and better sales. Motsumi-Garrido said that by adding pDOOH advertising into your omnichannel approach, you can extend your reach and cover every stage of the customer journey.

‘As shoppers move around during the festive season, incorporating dynamic pDOOH ensures your brand is visible both in public spaces and on digital devices, amplifying your campaign’s effectiveness. Its advanced capabilities enable granular audience measurement and reporting, sophisticated audience targeting, and dynamic content with custom and contextually relevant triggers.’

Right Time. Right Place.

The key to driving sales during the holidays, said Motsumi-Garrido, is reaching the right people with relevant messages. ‘Understand your target demographic and tailor your ads to meet their needs and interests. Through advanced targeting technologies such as those possible with pDOOH, you can refine your strategy and connect with customers based on location, past purchases, or specific behaviours.’

For example, location targeting allows you to reach people where they work, shop, travel and holiday. ‘Place ads in high-traffic areas at peak times for maximum impact,’ suggested Motsumi-Garrido. Behaviour-targeting sees the use of data to identify moments when audiences are most likely to engage – whether it’s during lunch breaks, on weekends, or in the lead-up to big shopping dates like Black Friday, Christmas or Back-to-School.

‘The more specific you are with your targeting, the more effective your campaigns will be in converting interest into sales.’

Plan Well, And In Advance (Ideally)

Planning early is key to navigating the high demand of the holiday season. ‘Fortunately, even if you find yourself slightly on the backfoot, the flexibility of pDOOH allows you to book and activate campaigns during November and December with ease,’ said Motsumi-Garrido.

She suggested leveraging flexible pDOOH packages that allow you to change your creative based on calendar events or even real-time triggers, such as weather. ‘For example, you can use a festive season package that spans from November to February, seamlessly transitioning your messaging from Black Friday sales to New Year’s promotions and beyond,’ she said.

Keep It Fun

To truly stand out during the holidays, your ads should do more than promote products –they should engage your audience emotionally, making them smile or tugging on their heartstrings. ‘It has been a long, hard year for many, so create campaigns that bring the joy of the season to life and make the shopping experience more exciting. Consider using festive-themed content, such as gift guides, exclusive offers, or sneak peeks of upcoming discounts, to build anticipation.’

‘Use email campaigns and OOH ads to tease upcoming deals and products, helping keep your brand top of mind,’ said Motsumi-Garrido. ‘Then, ramp up the excitement with countdowns to big sale events. Don’t forget to retarget customers who have engaged with your DOOH campaign, offering them a special discount or holiday incentive to complete their purchase.’

‘Remember, creativity is key – and this is especially true over the holidays, as every brand is competing for attention. Craft your messaging with a festive, emotional narrative – whether it’s about family, nostalgia, or holiday humour – while staying authentic to your brand’s voice,’ she added.

TRACTOR OUTDOOR
www.tractoroutdoor.com

Why Aren’t More People Grasping Performance Marketing?

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Modern Marketing

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November 21, 2024

Why Aren't More People Grasping Performance Marketing? — Jacques Du Bruyn, Flume Digital Marketing.

Jacques Du Bruyn, Co-CEO at Flume Digital Marketing, says performance marketing isn’t sexy, but it’s pretty smart. He unpacks the concept of performance marketing and the immense value it holds.

I was lucky enough to be invited to contribute a chapter to The Book Every Marker Should Most Definitely Read, alongside a group of people I regard as friends, colleagues and mentors. They had all sorts of amazing things to say about strategy, creativity, messaging, personalisation and the way the evolving digital world is changing the way marketing works, all the time.

Me? I chose what appears to be the least sexy topic in the book – Performance Marketing – but I actually think it’s fascinating, if only because people haven’t gotten their heads around how astoundingly effective it is and how easily it can solve major marketing headaches if it’s done properly.

Whether a client is looking at ROI (Return On Investment), ROAS (Return On Advertising Spend) or ROMS (Return On Marketing Spend), there’s one constant – they want to understand the return, because they’re spending a lot of money and are often uncertain about whether what they’re signing up for will be effective or not.

There’s plenty of theory, lots of juggling and plenty of smoke, mirrors and sleight of hand that can be deployed in both conceptualising and executing a marketing campaign, but the thing that can’t be obfuscated is the outcome. Performance marketing helps marketers and clients ‘join the dots between online platforms and tactics in order to make the sum of the parts operate in a way that drives significant return’, if I may quote myself.

Performance Marketing is taking Integrated Digital Marketing (IMC) and peering into its inner workings, making sure that all the elements are spinning in the right direction to deliver an output that is meaningful for the client. The pillars of this are paid media, organic channels, owned media and data. These should all work together – so when paid media is switched off, the campaign shouldn’t stop. The paid media should drive enough interest that organic reach is sustainable. When a client has owned media space, it should be contributing to the campaign in a meaningful way and all of these elements of the machine are fed by the final pillar: data.

Why aren’t more people grasping Performance Marketing? The digital marketing industry is still relatively young – particularly in South Africa. A lot of clients are familiar with the term and know that it’s supposed to be some massive driver of leads and sales – but don’t understand the building blocks that are required to establish a platform that does so. It’s hard to challenge your agency when you don’t know what you don’t know – especially if your agency doesn’t entirely know how everything fits together. What we need is open and honest conversations. We can learn together and do tremendous things when we are able to talk about what we need to be successful – and build those elements together.

Let’s use Temu as an example, variable quality of their products aside. They have done no traditional advertising anywhere – there’s no radio, TV, you won’t see a street pole sign, an airport billboard or a taxi wrap. All they’ve done is PM the stuffing out of local digital media and everyone knows who they are. It hasn’t been sexy, but they understand the principles of effective targeting, good UX and how to use data to help them better understand the people they’re talking to. Love them or hate them, their strategy has been effective.

I’d like to see the book as a cheat sheet for industry newcomers, a reminder for seasoned marketers about the essence of the industry – and also as a dialogue starter between agencies and clients.

A CMO might know the granular elements of a digital campaign, but can’t be expected to also understand how HTML, CSS and Javascript fit together to enable campaign elements. The agency knows what they need to run a successful PM campaign, but needs to convince the client to make some changes to put those pillars in place. It’s about collaboration, not obfuscation. We’re all after the same things – we want great work that gets people excited and does what it says on the box for the product or service we’re marketing.

PM is all about creating a very narrow field of view that helps direct people to pick and buy things, when they see messages about the right things, in the right place, at the right time – but getting to that level of simplicity involves negotiating the complicated stuff and setting everyone up for success. Let’s do that.

FLUME DIGITAL MARKETING
www.flume.co.za

2024 Shop! SA Shopper Marketing Awards Recognise Innovation And Impact In Retail

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Modern Marketing

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November 21, 2024

2024 Shop! SA Shopper Marketing Awards Recognize Innovation And Impact In Retail

Shop! South Africa recently held its second annual Shopper Marketing Awards, celebrating achievements in retail and shopper marketing. Held on 5 November at the Bryanston Country Club, the event highlighted campaigns that not only demonstrated creativity but also delivered measurable results, strengthening the connection between brands and consumers while driving business growth.

The winners of each of the 12 categories showcased the power of impactful shopper programmes and the potential that they hold to not only forge meaningful connections between brands and shoppers, but also to grow the bottom line.

Di Wilson, founder and MD of Shop! SA, said that the organisation exists to drive excellence in the industry. ‘Our goals are to upskill participants, facilitate networking and collaboration, and recognise outstanding achievements. These awards are not just about creativity. They are also about effective campaigns that drive conversions and truly commercialise brands.’

Siobhan Sullivan, one of the judges, highlighted the enduring fundamentals of successful campaigns. ‘While the industry has evolved tremendously, the core principles remain the same. This is evident in the winning campaigns, which showcase results-driven strategies that resonate with shoppers.’

The winners expressed their pride and gratitude for the recognition, with Jennifer Inns from Hyphen Creatives affirming Shop! SA’s primary goal: ‘Our award is a testament to the vital role of shopper marketing in bridging brands and consumers.’

Nande Myama, Junior Research Strategist at Integer Hotspot, described their award as a validation of their focus on impactful, results-driven work, while Alison Mitchell, Head of Brand at nighty9cents, said that their award underscores their commitment to delivering meaningful results. ‘Our win affirms us as an agency that does work that works, and that keeps our clients’ promises.’

Trevor Shell of H&A Manufacturing, which won Gold in four categories, highlighted the collaborative efforts behind their success. ‘Achieving these results is testament to the commitment of each team member to innovation and excellence.’ Shell also thanked their clients for their trust and partnership, saying that great clients enable great work.

Speaking for Tradeway Promotions, Andreas Smit said that the evening was an incredible opportunity to see the level of commitment in the industry and appreciates the value of having been able to celebrate success alongside the agency’s clients.

The ceremony attracted guests from across the shopper experience, retail, FMCG, and advertising and marketing sectors. Guest speaker Tanja De Korte, MD of Rainmaker Media, shared insights on the transformative potential of retail, emphasising how data can help brands deliver relevant, meaningful messaging where it counts most. That is on the shopper’s path to purchase.

Gold winner Claire Swart of Barrows Design and Manufacturing, best summed up the awards experience: ‘Here’s to all the late nights, big dreams, and every milestone we’ve achieved. 2025… We’re ready for you!’

Wilson is already setting her sights on the future. ‘We are turning our attention to building the association to include best practice events, knowledge sharing, and an even bigger awards event. But we need engagement from the industry in order to do so, and we will be calling on your expertise and involvement.’

The 2024 Shop! SA Gold winners are:

Integrated/Omnichannel campaign for food and drink: Angle Orange for Heineken.

Integrated/Omnichannel campaign for non-food: Integer\Hotspot for Femagene.

Shopper marketing campaign for food and drink: On Line Advertising for Purity.

Shopper marketing campaign for non-food: ninety9cents for Make Savings Simple.

Interactive activation: Tradeway Promotions for Unilever.

Purpose-driven campaign: Rainmaker Media for Castle Lite.

Temporary on-shelf: Hyphen Creatives for Douwe Egberts.

Temporary off-shelf: H&A Manufacturing for Ricoffy.

Temporary scale display: H&A Manufacturing for Chocolate Takeover.

Permanent on-shelf: H&A Manufacturing for Johnnie Walker.

Permanent off-shelf/free-standing: H&A Manufacturing for Huggies.

Permanent gondola ends: barrows Design and Manufacturing for Axe.

The judging panel included industry luminaries Siobhan O’Sullivan (Premier FMCG), Wendy van Zyl (Libstar), Katleho Mahloane (FNB), Craig Small (Clicks Group), Candice Schooling (Rainmaker Media), Joanne Gould (Smollan), Tshiamo Tladi (Accenture Song), Francois Jurgens (Nestle), and Craig Dore (Brand Amplify).

SHOP! SOUTH AFRICA AWARDS
https://www.shopassociation.africa/

Mickey Llew Appoints New Organic Search Lead

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Modern Marketing

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November 20, 2024

Mickey Llew Appoints New Organic Search Lead — Reagan Moyo, Mickey Llew.

Stationed at the company’s Cape Town branch, Reagan Moyo brings over 15 years of search experience to the Mickey Llew team. Moyo has an extensive background which includes key roles at respected international and local agencies, where he has led SEO teams, developed robust strategies and perfected industry-leading digital marketing practices.

Throughout his career, Moyo has worked with high-profile clients across the finance, insurance, real estate, and technology sectors, providing a diverse approach to digital marketing strategies. His strategic, data-driven approach has consistently delivered measurable growth for his clients and will now play a vital role in shaping Mickey Llew’s SEO service offering.

Moyo’s appointment reflects Mickey Llew’s continued focus on team leadership and client impact. Moyo commented, ‘Mickey Llew’s ambition to drive excellence in organic search, coupled with its collaborative culture and investment in talent development, made this an ideal opportunity. I am excited to lead a talented SEO team, developing strategies that deliver measurable results and drive real business value for our clients.’

David Jenkins, Co-Founder of Mickey Llew, added, ‘Moyo’s appointment is a significant milestone in our journey. His leadership and deep expertise will help strengthen our SEO offering and expand our impact in key sectors. We are thrilled to welcome Moyo and look forward to the value he will bring to our team and our clients across Cape Town and Johannesburg.’

MICKEY LLEW
www.mickeyllew.co.za

Design Shouldn’t Be Treated Like Art

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Modern Marketing

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November 20, 2024

According to Vanessa Bosman, Managing Director at Just Design SA, following numerous local and international design awards in 2024, the creative industry is once again confronting longstanding issues: the legitimacy of these awards followed by the true value of creative work, and consequently, the issue of unfair compensation. While these topics have been discussed for decades, nothing has changed, and we are running out of steam.

Just Design have been exploring alternative methods to tackle some of the issues — focusing on consumer validation and outcomes-based costing models. In so doing, I believe that we might have uncovered the underlying cause for our industry woes.

‘Commercial art,’ or design emerged in the 1940s as a by-product of the art world. However, as it developed and evolved, it became very clear that it served an entirely different purpose. Despite this shift, the connection to art persisted and we have failed to clarify the distinction.

Design is not art. I think that this engrained age-old misconception lies at the heart of our troubles today. Sure, some designs come out looking artsy, but the process is the exact opposite. Design is like science in a cool jacket, it’s all about cracking the code on specific problems, not just sparking deep thoughts or wild emotions. Art loves to push boundaries and stir the pot, but design? It’s the ultimate problem-solver, here to cut through the chaos, make life easier and serve up solutions that work for the intended audience.

Where art raises questions, needs explanation and sends different messages to everyone, design offers solutions, sends the same message to everyone, and needs no explanation. Design is the process, one that requires a deep understanding of the problem at hand, the audience, and the desired outcome. Without this, there can be no viable solution. If we strip it down to basics – design should be objective – with a process that is analytical and pragmatic. Designers aren’t necessarily all artistic – skills are needed over talent. When design is treated like art, it becomes subjective, and its value is often judged based on aesthetic preferences rather than measurable effectiveness. In contrast, good design can be evaluated with one single criterion: does it solve the problem?

We have developed a process that is both highly consumer-centric and as objective as possible. By involving consumers throughout the design process, gathering feedback and validation early and often, we can eliminate subjectivity from both the agency and client perspectives. This approach allows us to make data-driven decisions that predict how a design will perform in the market, providing reassurance and a higher degree of confidence in our solutions. So far, this method has given us positive results and continues to inform how we evolve our approach.

The creative industry places too much focus on the final product and not enough on the process of interrogation, understanding and problem-solving. Without this, we can’t even call ourselves designers. Most industry awards do not consider measurable results. How can we give a design an award without knowing its real-world performance? This lack of accountability has created a culture where agencies gear projects for awards entries over those that meet real needs and business results.

The only way out is through. We need to go back to basics and start designing again (in the true sense of the discipline). Design is the process. It’s what defines us and separates us from the art world; the one area that shouldn’t be compromised. That’s where the value lies – and the beginning of a solution.

JUST DESIGN
https://www.justdesign.co.za

IMM Excellence Awards To Honour The Best Creative Minds In Marketing And Supply Chain Sectors

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Modern Marketing

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November 20, 2024

IMM Excellence Awards To Honour The Best Creative Minds In Marketing And Supply Chain Sectors — Irene Gregory, IMM Institute.

The IMM Excellence Awards will celebrate leaders in the marketing and supply chain industries during a gala event, to be held on 7 March 2025. Modern Marketing is a proud media partner of the IMM Institute. Marketers and supply chain professionals still have time to nominate colleagues for the awards in one or more of the ten categories. Nominations, together with supporting papers, close on 31 December 2024.

‘At this prestigious event, we will be celebrating those who have made a laudable contribution to both the marketing and supply chain sectors during 2024,’ said Irene Gregory, CEO of the IMM Institute.

‘We encourage everyone in each of these sectors to nominate their colleagues so we can honour those individuals and teams who have made significant contributions to both the marketing and supply chain industries in terms of best practices in this strategic focus area for businesses,’ said Gregory.

‘By nominating your colleagues or teams, you not only acknowledge their outstanding work, but also inspire others in the industry to strive for excellence,’ she added. Three candidates are shortlisted for each award.

The IMM Excellence Awards will be hosted at The Maslow in Sandton. Categories include Marketer of the Year and Supply Chain Professional of the Year, which celebrates individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their fields. Another category is for the Emerging Marketer of the Year, for rising stars who have shown exceptional promise and potential.

The Marketing and Supply Chain Student of the Year awards acknowledge the outstanding achievements of students who are the future of each of these industries, while the Corporate Teams of the Year honour the collaborative efforts of high-performing teams respectively in Marketing or Supply Chain within a corporation.

A new category being launched this year is the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which will recognise an individual who has demonstrated exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact in their industry, driving significant business growth and contributing positively to their community.

Of particular importance are the Lifetime Achievement Awards in both the Marketing and Supply Chain sectors. Last year, Toyota South Africa’s Brand Pretorius was selected as the recipient of the Marketing Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding and unparalleled contributions to the field of marketing. With a career that spans decades, he played a pivotal role in making Toyota a market leader in both sales and customer satisfaction.

‘We look forward to rewarding those who have made a meaningful impact on the economy by ensuring that products are available to meet demand,’ said Gregory.

IMM INSTITUTE
www.imminstitute.co.za

Is Oversaturation Becoming A Major Issue Due To The Rise Of AI?

By

Modern Marketing

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November 20, 2024

Is Oversaturation Becoming A Major Issue Due To The Rise Of AI? — Madri van der Westhuizen, ANEW Hotels & Resorts.

According to Madri van der Westhuizen, Campaign and Social Media Manager at ANEW Hotels & Resorts, many marketers are using AI-generated content to reach potential consumers. As a result, the uniqueness and originality of messaging have diminished.

Most content is becoming the same, filled with the similar keywords and lacking substance, making it harder for brands to stand out and connect authentically with their audience. There is absolutely no denying that AI-generating content software has become a great tool assisting in finding the right words for replying to an awkward email, generating new content angles and igniting creative ideas.

AI-generated content can however be spotted a mile away, and as a result is profoundly impacting in-bound marketing and the process of creating a series of informative content pieces, from press releases, social media posts and newsletters, that guide consumers through their customer journey with your brand.

If you consider that South Africa has the highest internet usage rates in the world with an average of 9 hours spent online per day and that 26 million people are active on social media, being online, connecting with your consumer with engaging content, is the driving force behind almost all marketing strategies.

Even though in-bound marketing adds value and establishes your organisation as a credible market leader, oversaturation has become a major issue due to the rise of AI.

So, How Did We Get Here?

In South Africa, marketing roles are commonly merged with the assumption that one person can handle all the various marketing-related tasks. These single individuals are known as the ‘marketing unicorn’ responsible for running an entire department, handling design, content creation, PR, community management and marketing. These ‘unicorns’ are often exposed to a lack of understanding from clients and business leaders as to the effort required to produce daily quality content that draws attention. Overworked ‘unicorns’ may lean too heavily on AI content-generating tools to effectively make their lives easier resulting in answering to the industry’s demand for quantity rather than quality.

Social media demands being ‘always on’ with a relentless stream of content creation and generation. This can be overwhelming and as the pressure mounts to produce more, as content creators, we often find ourselves sacrificing the essential elements of content marketing, specifically, the balance between quality versus quantity.

AI often generates generic content, filled with cliché phrases. Some brands believe no human input is needed, as AI can do it far cheaper, but this leads to inaccuracies, producing bland content filled with the same keywords and phrases as direct competitors.

Due to the fast-paced marketing environment the focus shifts towards constantly creating content to meet the demands of platforms that operate 24/7. This can lead to severe burnout, as creators are continually required to think ahead, adapt, and generate fresh ideas on the fly. The creative process becomes a race against time, leaving little to no room for reflection, refinement, or genuine inspiration. This relentless pace can dilute the effectiveness of your brand’s messaging, making it challenging to deliver meaningful, high-quality content that resonates with audiences.

Is There Really A Problem?

As AI becomes a more generalised tool the average person can easily recognise AI-generated content. Anyone who spends a decent amount of time reading up on the industry on key trade websites have now become AI content warriors, recognising certain tell-tale signs of these platforms. This recognition stems from distinct characteristics that often sets AI outputs apart from human-created work.

AI generated content may lack the subtlety of human emotion, leading to a more mechanical and monotonous tone. It can also display repetitive patterns or overly simplistic structures, like loads of emojis in the content, which makes it feel formulaic. AI struggles with nuanced cultural references, which can result in inauthentic content. As audiences become more discerning, they develop a sharper ability to detect these tell-tale AI signs, leading to a growing preference for genuine human expression over synthetic generation, and more and more people, and brands, being called out for using these tools.

Consumers crave authenticity and genuine connections with brands. They want to feel understood, valued and appreciated beyond mere transactional relationships. While AI can facilitate personalised interactions, it cannot replicate the authenticity and empathy that come from genuine human interaction.

Five years ago, fake news was rampant, and now, AI is often called out for its lack of authenticity, making people and brands appear lazy. So, my question is, is that the association you want for your brand? Do you want authentic or generic? Both are viable options, but only one will thrive.

How Do We Remedy This?

We have a short amount of time each day to make a real impact and resonate with our target audience. Getting ahead of the algorithm can only be done with more organic visibility.

When you look at the stats and algorithms of a social channel, the more you engage with a post, the more valuable customers find it. But if it is too generic, people will simply scroll past. Algorithms, also give much less value to this type of generic content. The more interested people are in your content, the more it will stand out. And AI content-generating tools are helpful and useful to create content like this, but only if used correctly. These tools should rather be used as helpful assistants, much like a calculator, rather than taking over the entire thinking process.

Many purists are questioning the value of AI, and how can you calculate your return on investment (ROI) if all content from competing industry brands sounds the same? Where can we truly make an impact, and what strategies should guide us? The pressure to meet unrealistic performance expectations is rising, often fuelled by an over-reliance on these tools.

Here are some takeaways to ensure that content remains authentic and compelling while making use of AI content-generating tools. Firstly, brainstorm innovative ideas and authentic thoughts and then use AI to build on this idea no matter how small, silly or random. It is almost like having an extra team member to reflect your thoughts on. Also, always see what pops out of the AI-generating tool, and what direction it takes. It might spark another idea.

Secondly, cross-check the facts. AI has been built for speed, not necessarily for accuracy. Remember, some platforms last scanned the internet two years ago. Don’t just believe your content to be true without checking it. Consumers love fault-finding in content. If there is no consistent fact-checking, even in the way it spells your brand name and how it speaks to your consumers, and you miss it, it could wreak havoc on your brand. Be critical about spelling. Most AI-generated tools opt for American English which is in contrast to the British style used in South Africa. So, use the memory section of your AI tool effectively. Your brand has a unique voice with certain words and rules you use, or omit. Guide the system to be authentic to your needs in order to be more accurate.

Finally, always ask: what is your customer taking away from this piece of content? And if you can answer this, you are in the clear.

It’s crucial to use AI selectively. AI content-generating platforms are extremely helpful tools for structuring thoughts, but the problem comes with over-reliance, which diminishes critical thinking and distorts perception. If we solely bank on using these tools, we risk losing sight of what truly matters in content marketing. And, as with everything in life, we need to know how to effectively use it.

AI content generating tools should enhance our work and not replace the creativity and insight we bring to the table. Human intervention, critical thinking and fact-checking remain essential. The warmth of South African hospitality is one of our greatest assets, so, let’s ensure it remains central to our marketing efforts.

ANEW HOTELS & RESORTS
https://anewhotels.com/