Student Radio Ad Challenge Celebrates Indigenous Language Creativity

June 30, 2026

Marvin Mpanda, Copywriter, Joe Public with trophies won for campaign 'Afrikaraoke' for Castle Milk Stout.

The Mzansi Sounds Better in Your Language Student Radio Ad Challenge was initiated by iPendoring and Brand South Africa to celebrate South African life, language and culture. A selection of student-created radio advertisements is now airing nationwide across the SABC’s African Language Stations (ALS), inviting the public to take part in a national vote to select a favourite.

Students from across the country were invited to write and submit radio ad concepts in their home languages. The top entry in each language was then handed to students at the Academy of Sound Engineering (ASE), who produced the finished ads, with the SABC coming on board as a generous partner and collaborator to put the work on air nationwide.

The challenge continues iPendoring’s commitment to elevating indigenous language creativity and giving emerging talent a national platform where storytelling in all South African languages is not only welcomed, but celebrated.

For Brand South Africa, the challenge speaks directly to the organisation’s mandate of building national pride and social cohesion. By backing young creatives to tell South African stories in their own languages, the initiative showcases the depth of local talent and reminds the country of the richness of its cultures. It is a celebration of what makes South Africa distinctive and an invitation for South Africans to take pride in hearing themselves reflected on the national airwaves.

The SABC is uniquely placed to carry this campaign. As the national public broadcaster, its African Language Stations give South Africans the chance to listen to radio in their mother tongue, covering the full breadth of the country’s indigenous languages. There is no platform better suited to a challenge built around the idea that Mzansi sounds better in your home language.

Audiences can now hear the ads on SABC radio stations nationwide or listen to them all via iPendoring’s website. Once listened to, the public is encouraged to vote for the advert that resonates most.

Voting is now open to the public, with the winning advert to be announced on 17 July 2026. Vote here.

Featured Finalists

The selected radio advertisements span multiple South African languages, including isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Sesotho and isiNdebele. Each ad began as the winning entry in its language, written by the student credited below, and was then produced by the ASE student team.

– Ku pfuka ka Mzansi, written by Gomolemo Motloutsi (Xitsonga).
– Sa Afrika Tshipembe, written by Boikanyo Manana (Tshivenda).
– Ubuhle boMzantsi Afrika, written by Nomzabalazo Mduka (isiXhosa).
– Ke Gae Mo, written by Lebogang Jessicah Monyela (Sepedi).
– Lefu la Gae ke Rona, written by Palesa Maake (Setswana).
– Isewula Afrika, written by Mthokozisi Ntuli (isiNdebele).
– LENA YIYO IMZANSI, written by Zibusiso Ndlovu (isiZulu).
– Pilo tse thata, written by Tshepiso Mokoena (Sesotho).
– Suid Afrika ons is een, written by Brenton Losper (Afrikaans).

From reflections on home and identity to stories of resilience, unity and cultural pride, each piece offers a unique perspective on what it means to be South African today, told through the richness of language and sound.

IPENDORING AWARDS
https://www.pendoring.co.za/

L’Oréal South Africa Expands Into Gaming And Immersive Digital Experiences

Modern Marketing

June 30, 2026

L’Oréal South Africa Expands Into Gaming And Immersive Digital Experiences

L’Oréal South Africa has become one of the first beauty groups in the region to activate multiple brands simultaneously within Roblox. Bringing together Maybelline New York, Garnier, and CeraVe under one unified innovation strategy, L’Oréal South Africa is launching interactive experiences designed for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, focusing on immersive storytelling, education, entertainment, and participation rather than traditional advertising.

Developed in partnership with ReachPlayers, the activations integrate beauty and skincare naturally into gameplay, creating experiences that feel engaging, authentic, and memorable for players.

By bringing together three globally recognised brands under one gaming ecosystem, L’Oréal South Africa is demonstrating how beauty companies can evolve beyond traditional media and create culturally relevant experiences that resonate with digitally native consumers.

Each activation was carefully designed to reflect the unique identity and purpose of the participating brands while contributing to a larger vision: making beauty education, confidence, and self-expression more accessible through interactive technology.

The rollout includes:

– Maybelline New York: transforming exam stress into a confidence-boosting gameplay experience centred around the FIT ME range.
– Garnier: gamifying the universal ‘Oh No Moment’ of an unexpected breakout through an interactive Pure Active Pimple Patch challenge.
– CeraVe, creating educational skincare worlds focused on skin health, acne prevention, and dermatologist-backed routines.

Together, the experiences showcase how L’Oréal South Africa is leveraging gaming not simply as a media channel, but as a platform for immersive brand storytelling and consumer connection.

The initiative reflects a collaborative effort between L’Oréal South Africa and ReachPlayers to push the boundaries of what branded experiences inside games can look like.

By combining immersive gameplay mechanics with native product integration, the partnership demonstrates how brands can become part of gameplay itself rather than appearing as external interruptions.

‘We are incredibly proud to partner with L’Oréal South Africa on this groundbreaking initiative,’ said Michael Anav, CEO of ReachPlayers. ‘What makes this collaboration so exciting is L’Oréal South Africa’s willingness to innovate boldly and embrace entirely new ways of connecting with younger audiences. Together, we are creating experiences that feel native to the gaming environment while still delivering meaningful brand storytelling, education, and engagement.’

‘From the get-go with ReachPlayers, they’ve truly taken on a partnership role where they’ve tried to understand the brand, the vision and really co-create our campaigns with us. They have spent a lot of time and close attention to detail in getting things right. They are really agile in how they work with the team, and getting to understand what your business objectives are. It’s a no-brainer decision,’ said Melissa Signor, Digital and Advertising Manager, CDMO Team, L’Oréal South Africa.

REACHPLAYERS
https://reachplayers.com/

Content Creator Awards Extends Deadline

Modern Marketing

June 30, 2026

The Content Creator Awards celebrates the creators, brands, and agencies behind the content shaping South African online culture. The entry deadline for the 2026 campaign has been extended to 5 July 2026, giving creators more time to submit their work.

The Content Creator Awards has become a recognised benchmark for excellence in South Africa’s creator economy. Being shortlisted or winning places creators alongside some of the industry’s most respected talent and provides independent recognition of the quality, influence and impact of their work. For creators, brands and agencies alike, the awards represent a standard of excellence in an increasingly professional and competitive industry.

‘The response to this year’s awards has been incredibly encouraging,’ said Manuela Dias de Deus, founder of the Content Creator Awards and the agency behind them, One-eyed Jack.

‘We’ve heard from creators across the country who are still putting the finishing touches on their entries, selecting the work they’re most proud of and trying to fit submissions into already demanding schedules. We want to make sure great work has every opportunity to be seen, so extending the deadline felt like the right thing to do.’

As the creator economy matures, so does the need for smarter tools that understand influence. The 2026 edition of the awards welcomes Humanz as the Official Creator Intelligence and Data Partner.

At this year’s awards, Humanz will support the judging and shortlisting process with performance insights that help ensure standout creators are recognised not just for reach, but for real audience resonance.

The awards ceremony will take place in October 2026. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Multiple entries allowed across categories (one per category).

CONTENT CREATOR AWARDS
https://contentcreatorawards.co.za

Effie Announces 2025 Global Effie Index

Modern Marketing

June 25, 2026

Effie Worldwide has released the 2025 Effie Index®, the definitive global ranking of marketing effectiveness. This year’s rankings reflect a marketing landscape where effectiveness is being driven by a combination of enduring brand platforms, cultural relevance, and disciplined execution.

From global household names to emerging regional leaders, the 2025 Index highlights the organisations delivering measurable business results and setting the standard for marketing effectiveness around the world.

Now in its 15th year, the Index recognises the marketers, brands, agencies, and networks behind the world’s most effective work, drawing from finalist and winning entries submitted across regional, national, and global Effie Awards competitions.

‘The 2025 rankings tell a compelling story about marketing effectiveness today,’ said Traci Alford, Global CEO of Effie Worldwide. ‘Alongside many of the industry’s most recognised brands and organisations, we see new entrants and emerging leaders proving that effective marketing can come from anywhere. Effectiveness is not defined by size, budget, or geography, it is driven by ideas that create real impact. We congratulate all of this year’s ranked marketers, brands, agencies, and networks for setting the standard for effectiveness around the world.’

This year’s rankings are representative of Effie Awards finalists and winners determined between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025.

Most Effective Marketers

Top 5: Unilever, McDonald’s, AB InBev, PepsiCo, Nestlé

Unilever rose to the top of the rankings in 2025, in its third year of being within the top three global marketers. McDonald’s secured the number two position following another year of strong performance, while AB InBev remained among the world’s most effective marketers in third place. PepsiCo continued its longstanding presence among the leaders in fourth, with Nestlé rounding out the top five.

Most Effective Brands

Top 5: McDonald’s, Burger King, Silpo, Dove, IKEA

McDonald’s once again earned the distinction of the world’s most effective brand, for the fifth consecutive year, extending its remarkable track record of effectiveness leadership. Burger King rose to second place following a year of standout work, while Ukrainian retailer Silpo achieved one of the year’s most notable performances, climbing to third globally. Dove and IKEA rounded out the top five, demonstrating the breadth of effective marketing across categories and markets.

Most Effective Agency Holding Groups

Top 5: Omnicom, WPP, Interpublic Group (IPG), Publicis Groupe, Havas

Omnicom retained its position as the most effective agency holding group globally for a third year, continuing a run of strong performance across its agencies and markets. WPP secured second place, followed by Interpublic Group (IPG) in third. Publicis Groupe ranked fourth, while Havas entered the global top five this year.

Most Effective Agency Networks

Top 5: Leo, McCann Worldgroup, Omnicom Media Group, BBDO Worldwide, Ogilvy

Leo emerged as the world’s most effective agency network in 2025, driven by high-performing work across multiple regions and categories. McCann Worldgroup ranked second once again, continuing its strong effectiveness legacy, while Omnicom Media Group secured third place. BBDO Worldwide and Ogilvy completed the top five, reinforcing the continued strength of globally connected agency networks.

Most Effective Agency Offices

Top 5: AlmapBBDO (São Paulo, Brazil), Leo Burnett (Mumbai, India), Banda agency (Kyiv, Ukraine), SANCHO BBDO (Bogotá, Colombia), McCann (Tel Aviv, Israel)

At the agency office level, AlmapBBDO in São Paulo, Brazil, retained its position as the world’s most effective agency office for the third year in a row. Leo Burnett Mumbai climbed to the second spot, highlighting India’s continued influence on the global effectiveness landscape. Banda agency in Kyiv achieved an impressive third-place finish, followed by SANCHO BBDO in Bogotá and McCann Tel Aviv, underscoring the increasingly global nature of marketing effectiveness leadership.

Most Effective Independent Agencies

Top 5: Banda agency (Kyiv, Ukraine), Mischief @ No Fixed Address (Brooklyn, NY, United States), The Womb (Mumbai, India), Rafineri (Istanbul, Türkiye) and Reuveni Pridan (Bnei Brak, Israel)

One of the standout stories in this year’s Index is the rise of Banda agency. The Kyiv-based independent not only earned the title of the world’s most effective independent agency, but also ranked third among all agency offices globally and topped the European agency office rankings. Mischief @ No Fixed Address secured second place among independents, followed by The Womb in Mumbai, while Rafineri in Istanbul and Reuveni Pridan in Bnei Brak complete the global leaders list.

2025 Regional Rankings

Middle East and Africa: Unilever (marketer), OMO and Puck (brand – tie), Omnicom (holding group), McCann Worldgroup (agency network), FP7 McCann Dubai (agency office), Dejavu (independent agency).

Asia Pacific: PepsiCo (marketer), McDonald’s (brand), Publicis Groupe (holding group), Leo (agency network), Leo Burnett Mumbai (agency office), The Womb (independent agency).

Europe: McDonald’s (marketer), McDonald’s (brand), Omnicom (holding group), Leo (agency network), Banda agency (agency office), Banda agency (independent agency).

Latin America: AB InBev (marketer), Burger King (brand), Omnicom (holding group), BBDO Worldwide (agency network), AlmapBBDO (agency office), Valor Group (independent agency).

North America: L’Oréal and Molson Coors (marketer – tie), CeraVe and Change the Ref (brand – tie), Interpublic Group (IPG) (holding group), Ogilvy (agency network), Mischief @ No Fixed Address (agency office), Mischief @ No Fixed Address (independent agency).

EFFIE SOUTH AFRICA
https://effie.org/partners/south-africa/

The World Cup Could Be A Powerful Brand-Building Moment For Africa

Modern Marketing

June 25, 2026

Matongo Matamwandi, African Marketing Confederation.

Matongo Matamwandi, the President of African Marketing Confederation, says Africa is fielding a record 10 teams and some of football’s most recognisable stars on fields across Canada, Mexico and the US. Beyond Moroccans Achraf Hakimi and Yassine Bounou, both heroes of the 2022 World Cup run, many other African soccer players are globally influential.

Senegalese player Sadio Mané is respected for both his football achievements and philanthropy, while Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen represents a new generation of African stars. Then there is Riyad Mahrez, one of the continent’s most decorated modern players.

This is not Africa’s first turn on football’s biggest stage. In 2010, South Africa became the first African nation to host the World Cup, the world showed up, and the Rainbow Nation blew the Vuvuzela loud in the opening match when Bafana Bafana took on Mexico.

But Shakira’s Waka Waka became the tournament’s anthem even though the beat came from Cape Town’s Freshlyground, who added the song’s bridge, and vocals in Xhosa, and their signature Afro-fusion instrumentation such as African-inspired percussion, guitar, and flute lines.

While the world belted along, with Waka Waka eventually being downloaded 15 million times, Shakira eclipsed Freshlyground even as she sang about this time being for Africa.

Culture In Our Veins

Freshlyground is one band that typifies talent, skill, vibrance, and rich heritage, characteristics that are embedded in our culture from north to south and east to west. Nigerian artists Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems and Rema top international charts. South Africa’s Tyla introduced millions to Amapiano through a single global hit.

Nigerian authors Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Chinua Achebe are read worldwide, with Achebe’s Things Fall Apart remaining a top novel almost 70 years after he penned it. Nollywood is one of the largest film industries on earth by output. South African-born Trevor Noah took African perspectives to American primetime. These are not niche success stories. They are mainstream, global, and growing.

More importantly, they demonstrate that audiences around the world are already engaging with African stories, talent and creativity. The challenge is that those stories are often consumed as individual successes rather than as part of a broader narrative about the continent itself as they are almost always told in isolation.

Burna Boy is a Nigerian artist. Tyla is a South African singer. Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian footballer. Their achievements reflect positively on their home countries but rarely are they framed as part of a broader African story.

The emotional power of African talent is captured market by market, country by country, while Africa as a continent is not seen as a brand. This changes when our players run onto the field.

Watching soccer, that beautiful game, together in venues across Africa fills us with a sense of belonging. Each time one of our, and we should and do claim all African footballers as ours, crosses into the opposing side’s half, we are filled with optimism.

The question is whether we can take that instinct, that pride, and that sense of belonging off the pitch and turn those feelings that brands across the globe will pay billions for into something that advances Africa as a whole. The World Cup offers a rare opportunity to change that.

Own The Continental Brand

A unified African narrative would not replace national identities or achievements but rather connect them. With a record 10 teams competing, the tournament creates a platform on which audiences can celebrate not only individual nations, but a continent increasingly producing world-class talent.

Rather than building campaigns around individual countries, brands could tap into themes that resonate across borders: achievement, ambition, creativity, excellence. The opportunity is not simply to celebrate football success, but to tell a larger story about Africa’s growing presence on the world stage.

If the tournament helps create even a small shift from ‘my country is succeeding’ to ‘Africa is succeeding’, it could become one of the most powerful brand-building moments the continent has seen.

Not by treating Africa as a single market, but by recognising the pride, aspiration and sense of possibility that increasingly connect audiences across its borders. Africa has never lacked talent, creativity or ambition.

What it has often lacked is a stage large enough to showcase them all at once. The World Cup may be one of those rare moments well beyond the final whistle. That conversation continues in Livingstone, Zambia, from 23 to 25 September, where we host some of the world’s top marketers, and showcase the seventh wonder of the world, the Victoria Falls, the Smoke That Thunders, Mosi-oa-Tunya, as we reposition Brand Africa.

AFRICAN MARKETING CONFEDERATION
www.africanmarketingconfederation.org

Advertisers Should Think Beyond The Broadcast For Greater Audience Engagement

Modern Marketing

June 25, 2026

Advertisers Should Think Beyond The Broadcast For Greater Audience Engagement

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will attract billions of viewers, but the biggest opportunity for brands may lie with the multi-screen fans consuming more than just the live games, says Leslie Adams, Sales Director at Reach Africa.

The big match is on the big screen and everyone is buzzing. The biltong is sliced, the drinks are ice cold and the people are bringing the gees. It is a yellow sea of Bafana Bafana jerseys as we support our boys at the World Cup. This is the kind of audience and engagement advertisers dream of, with eyeballs glued to the screen for 90 minutes. And for decades, that paid off handsomely.

But the 21st century sport fan is no longer just watching the match alone. Before, during and after the game, they are checking team news on X, watching analysis on TikTok, having WhatsApp watch party debates, and sharing YouTube clips. The final whistle has not even blown, but the conversation has moved well beyond the live broadcast.

In fact, the most influential football journalists are no longer found on television screens, but on social platforms, where team announcements and breaking stories often emerge long before traditional broadcasters report them. The rise of creator-led coverage is also changing how fans experience tournaments. With social media creators increasingly being granted access traditionally reserved for journalists, fans are gaining new perspectives through behind-the-scenes content, player interviews and creator commentary.

For years, brands followed a simple playbook: if you wanted to reach fans, you bought into the live broadcast. That made perfect sense when the only screen available was a TV. But today, while audiences remain just as engaged, their attention is distributed across a far wider range of environments.

Recent data from the Marketing All Product Survey shows the way people consume sport has changed, with streaming and social media now accounting for more time spent than traditional television, particularly among younger, mobile-first audiences. FIFA has adapted quickly to this by putting the game where audiences are, rather than locking it into one media channel. They have followed the data and partnered with TikTok as an official social media partner, YouTube as a global streamer, and niche sports apps to expand the tournament’s reach across the platforms fans already use.

The live game is no longer the only place where the action is, and smart brands will follow FIFA’s example and update their planning to include a broader mix of channels. And while broader streaming distribution may challenge the traditional broadcast monopoly, it also gives fans more choice and greater access to the tournament than ever before.

The biggest audience opportunity might be everything happening around the live broadcast, from the build-up to reactions and commentary. There are so many opportunities for brands to engage with fans that were simply not possible years ago.

This includes connected TV (CTV), which is increasingly at the centre of the global viewing experience. As fan consumption habits have evolved, so too has the television itself. Connected TVs now bring broadcaster apps, streaming services, gaming and linear TV together in one place, allowing fans to access the full spectrum of football content and viewing experiences on the largest screen in the home.

For brands planning around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first step is knowing the sheer number of viewing options available to consumers. If you Are not already social savvy, get scrolling, because each platform presents a different opportunity to connect with your audience.

Then, figure out what role each environment plays in the audience journey and where your brand can best fit. Perhaps it Is partnering with a content creator who gives analysis and commentary, or sponsoring a podcast for deeper discussions, or harnessing Instagram with viral reactions and memes.

The golden metric is attention, especially in a global event such as this one. With such a large audience, meaningful engagement is the true measure of success, not just eyeballs.

Most importantly, brands need to think beyond the broadcast. It remains incredibly powerful, but it is no longer the only place where fandom lives. Find the fans, and you will find where the real action is. The game is on.

REACH AFRICA
https://www.reachafrica.com

Comrades Marathon’s YouTube Broadcast Could Change The Future Of Sports Broadcasting

Modern Marketing

June 25, 2026

Comrades Marathon's 2026 YouTube Broadcast Could Change The Future Of Sports Broadcasting

Kelvin Watt, Chairperson of Nielsen Sports SA, says for the first time, he watched Comrades the way the rest of the world will increasingly watch live sport. It worked. That is the headline and it is one worth taking seriously.

I did something I had never done before. I watched a live sports event, start to finish, on YouTube. The event was the Comrades Marathon, a 13-hour live broadcast, and I stayed with it for more than nine of those hours across my Smart TV and my phone. By the time the day was done, one thing had become impossible to ignore: the line between ‘streaming’ and ‘television’ has quietly disappeared.

The Viewing Experience

Let me start with the honest verdict, because that matters more than the theory.
The stream itself was flawless. No buffering, no drop-outs, no quality wobble between the big screen and the handset. There were definitely audio issues, especially the ambient sounds from the start and finish and with a number of on the road and finish line interviews, but these came from the event site itself, which is a production-on-the-ground challenge that sits well outside the platform’s control. On a 13-hour live feed, holding that standard is a serious achievement.

What lifted it from ‘watchable’ to genuinely compelling was the storytelling:

– The narrative arc held across the full day, from the elite battle at the front to the human drama at the back of the field chasing the cut-offs, backed up by a fabulous and informative group of commentators.

– The graphics package did real work. Live runner positions, gap times, pace-bus tracking and split data gave the broadcast the texture of a Grand Tour cycling feed rather than a regional road race. The route graphics for the first time gave the viewer a real sense of the road from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, including all the climbs, twists and turns.

– The information layered on screen respected the viewer’s intelligence and kept a casual watcher invested for hours.

– I particularly enjoyed the companion app, a technology enabled by Streambridge where viewers could choose their on-route camera and watch only that feed. We used it to watch a number of our close friends and family as the crossed the finish line during the afternoon. This type of innovation is a real winner and the big advantage of streaming over more traditional linear broadcasting of the past.

There was no shortage of drama to carry it, either. Records fell at the front, including new Up Run benchmarks, which gave the long middle hours real stakes. That is the test of good television: it has to reward the time you give it. This race certainly did. It never fails.

The Bigger Point: Stop Calling It ‘just Streaming’

Here is the part our industry needs to sit with. I watched this on the same Smart TV, in the same seat, with the same expectation of quality that I bring to any broadcast. The delivery pipe was YouTube. The experience was television.

We have spent years treating YouTube as a secondary screen, a home for highlights and clips and second-window catch-up. But during Comrades it was the primary screen for a national tentpole event and it held up to that billing without an asterisk. If a platform delivers a flawless 13-hour live broadcast to a living-room set, the distinction between ‘TV’ and ‘YouTube’ is a category we are keeping alive out of habit.

A Genuine First And Why It Matters

For the first time in its 106-year history, the world’s greatest ultramarathon was watchable anywhere on the planet. A race that has always been a deeply South African ritual became, yesterday, a global live event. That is a meaningful unlock for the property, for the sport but most importantly for the country. The value to our travel and tourism industry was immense and if measured properly, will yield significant real impact and economic benefit long after the 12-hour gun was fired.

For the South African sports industry, this was an important first in its own right:

– One of our annual tentpole events was carried primarily on YouTube, with free, global access for the first time.

– SABC Sport, our free-to-air national broadcaster, ran the event domestically alongside it.

That dual structure is the interesting bit: a working example of YouTube and linear operating together, each doing what it does best. SABC delivered the domestic free-to-air reach. YouTube delivered the global access and the on-demand long tail. Rights holders here now have a live, local proof point to study, instead of an overseas case study to translate into our conditions.

The Measurement Question

This is where it gets interesting for those of us who sell audiences for a living. A development like this is only as valuable as our ability to measure it properly and that is the work. Over the next few days our team at Nielsen Sports SA will be doing a great deal of audience analysis to understand the true impact of yesterday. The goal is to give sponsors and advertisers a total consumption view, which means:

– Live audience across both the YouTube stream and the SABC broadcast. Importantly, YouTube numbers will reflect views, unique views and concurrent views, but it is important to note when measuring these and comparing them to SABC Sport Viewership and last year’s SuperSport viewership numbers, that they reflect connected devices and not the number of eyeballs behind those devices which may multiple the number up 3 to 4 fold.

– The long tail of video-on-demand on YouTube, where a 13-hour event keeps accumulating views for days and weeks after the gun.
– The accompanying shorts and highlights, which is increasingly where a modern audience actually meets the content. These are really the numbers to watch as this content is as valuable as the live content and on YouTube with it’s VoD capability is likely to yield the most value, turning the Comrades Marathon into a 365 days a year viewing experience and not a one day affair.

Counting only the live linear number would badly understate what happened at the event. A modern understanding of viewership has to capture the full footprint: live, on-demand and the clip ecosystem that travels far beyond the broadcast window. That total view is what turns a broadcast innovation into a credible commercial proposition for partners.

Where This Leaves Us

YouTube is a major play in this market going forward and it deserves a clear-eyed assessment on its merits. A few open questions are worth holding onto, in the interest of balance:

– The economics still need to be proven. Global reach and strong consumption are a long way from automatically translating into the rights fees and sponsorship yield that fund a property at this scale.

– Discoverability and audience ownership matter. The platform that owns the relationship and the data shapes the long-term leverage between rights holders broadcasters and sponsors.

– Repeatability is unproven. Comrades sits in a particular rights position. The event unfortunately has a complex or contested rights situation and not all parties will necessarily see the world in the same way.

Those questions sharpen the opportunity rather than dimming it. The event gave us a clean, local, large-scale demonstration that YouTube can carry a national tentpole event to television-grade standard and to a global audience at the same time. The job now is to measure it honestly, understand the full consumption picture and let the commercial story follow the evidence.

NIELSEN SPORTS
https://nielsensports.com

CA&S Group Acquires Strategic Shareholding In TDMC

Modern Marketing

June 25, 2026

CA&S Group Acquires Strategic Shareholding In TDMC — Cheryl Ingram, TDMC.

CA&S Group (‘CA&S’ or ‘the Group’) announced the acquisition of a strategic 30% shareholding in The Digital Media Collective (‘TDMC’). The investment forms part of CA&S’s strategy to build a more connected growth platform for brand owners and retailers across Southern and East Africa, combining the Group’s established physical route-to-market scale with TDMC’s specialist digital commerce, performance marketing and e-commerce capability.

The transaction includes a pathway to majority ownership over a phased transition period.

As consumer journeys become increasingly fragmented across stores, digital channels and marketplaces, brand growth depends on the ability to connect demand generation, online conversion, physical availability and in-market execution. This investment in TDMC gives CA&S deeper capability in the digital channels where consumers increasingly discover, engage with and purchase brands.

‘Consumer journeys are no longer linear, and growth increasingly depends on how well brands connect physical availability, digital visibility and meaningful customer engagement,’ said Duncan Lewis, CA&S Group CEO. ‘Our investment in TDMC gives us access to deep digital commerce expertise and enhances our ability to help clients build relevance, drive performance and unlock growth in an omnichannel world.’

TDMC brings capability across e-commerce strategy, Shopify development, marketplace management, performance media, CRM, content, creative, data and analytics. This complements CA&S’ existing strengths in retail execution, advisory, warehousing, distribution, fulfilment, technology and route-to-market solutions.

Together, the two businesses are positioned to offer clients a more integrated route from insight and demand generation through to conversion, fulfilment and execution, across both physical and digital channels.

‘We’ve always said that as the market changes, our offering has to change with it,’ said Cheryl Ingram, CEO and founder of TDMC. ‘CA&S reaches parts of the retail journey we don’t, and we reach parts they don’t. That is the whole point of this coming together of our two businesses. Very few partnerships start from that kind of genuine fit, where each side brings something the other can’t easily build for itself. This was never about scale for its own sake. It was about finding the partner whose strengths made ours worth more.’

TDMC’s credentials reflect the depth and calibre of its digital expertise. As a Shopify Plus Partner, Google Premier Partner, Meta Business Partner and Klaviyo Gold Partner, the agency holds a combination of accreditations that sets it apart in South Africa and across Sub-Saharan and East Africa. Together, these partnerships position TDMC to deliver fully integrated, end-to-end e-commerce solutions for retailers and brand owners across the region.

For CA&S, this investment reflects a deliberate move to expand its digital commerce ecosystem over time, creating new ways to help clients reach consumers, activate channels, convert demand and support growth across both physical and digital routes to market.

‘This is a deliberate move to widen what we offer the brand owners who rely on us,’ said Lewis. ‘TDMC gives clients access to specialist digital commerce capability, backed by CA&S’s regional scale, operating discipline and on-the-ground execution. It is a powerful combination for clients looking to grow in a changing market.’

TDMC will continue to operate with its entrepreneurial culture, specialist focus and current leadership structure, while gaining the benefit of CA&S’ regional scale, client relationships and wider group ecosystem.

TDMC
http://www.tdmc.co.za

CA&S Group
www.cas.group

Creating Cultures That Keep Moving When Conditions Are Tough

Modern Marketing

June 24, 2026

Creating Cultures That Keep Moving When Conditions Are Tough — Conn Bertish.

Under the 2026 theme Shift Happens™, Conn Bertish’s talk, Happy, Purposeful Businesses Are Harder to Kill, looks at a shift every business leader can recognise: how people recover, create, adapt and perform when pressure keeps rising. Bertish is a featured speaker at The Nedbank IMC, taking place on 17 September 2026 at Mosaïek, Johannesburg. Modern Marketing is a proud media partner.

Bertish is a global creative strategist and purpose advisor. His argument is simple: happy, purposeful businesses are not soft. They are harder to break because their people are more connected to what they are building and better equipped to keep creating under pressure.

Bertish helps organisations build cultures that are more resilient, more creative and better able to perform under pressure. His advisory work has supported major African businesses across retail, insurance and high-growth entrepreneurial environments.

For Bertish, purpose only matters when it changes how people think, work, recover and perform. His perspective is not theoretical. Having used creativity, play and purpose as part of his own recovery from cancer, Bertish brings a rare mix of lived experience, creative intelligence and commercial relevance to the stage.

At the Nedbank IMC, his session will show how leaders can use purpose more practically: as a source of resilience, energy and performance when business is under pressure. It is a timely message for marketers and business leaders who need cultures that can keep moving when conditions are tough.

‘Bertish is that rare combination of creative powerhouse and genuinely inspiring human being. His work, and his own recovery story, make his message impossible to dismiss,’ said Dale Hefer, CEO of the Nedbank IMC.

Africa’s biggest marketing conference, the Nedbank IMC, advances marketing’s place in the boardroom and uplifts young talent across the continent. Proudly endorsed by MASA and PRISA. Book your tickets now.

NEDBANK IMC CONFERENCE
www.imcconference.com

Marketing Needs Empathy And Empathy Needs Humans

Modern Marketing

June 24, 2026

Marketing Needs Empathy And Empathy Needs Humans — Nicky Turnbull, VML South Africa.

Nicky Turnbull, Strategy Director at VML South Africa, says B2B marketing has a new problem. For once, it is not technological, it is all human. There is this persistent belief in B2B marketing that deals are won in the pipeline. In reality, they are won much earlier, often before the process even formally begins.

Buyers are researching, shortlisting and forming preferences long before they engage with suppliers. So by the time a conversation happens, the outcome is already leaning somewhere.

The data reflects this clearly: 61% of buyers make a decision before speaking to sales, 81% of deals go to the first-choice vendor, and 95% of winners are already on the shortlist from day one. That means if your brand is not known early enough to be considered, it will not be chosen later.

It Starts And Ends With Humans

It makes sense that AI is accelerating this behaviour change, but it is not happening in the way many marketers assume.

Most buyers are not starting from zero. These are experienced decision-makers who arrive with a point of view already formed. They have often been through multiple buying cycles before, understand their categories, and already have a shortlist in mind. So the buying journey starts in their heads, not necessarily with Copilot.

Where AI does come in is in the validation phase. AI helps buyers compare, validate their assumptions, and sense-check their choices. It is not creating the shortlist, but it may be reinforcing it.

Only humans can go ahead and commit, however. AI increasingly shapes what gets discovered, interpreted and surfaced, but when the time comes to make a decision, it is humans who are making the final call. The question is, why are they taking so long?

The Collective Bottleneck

To understand why decisions are slowing down, we need to look beyond the individual and towards the group.

B2B decisions are rarely made by one person. They are made by buying groups, typically involving around ten stakeholders, many of whom never engage directly with suppliers.
This makes traditional lead-based thinking increasingly inadequate. A ‘lead’ represents only a fraction of the decision-making reality. The true task is to influence a network of stakeholders, all with different priorities, pressures and perspectives.

It is not an easy task, and even when you get it right, there is still another barrier to contend with.

Hesitation Under Pressure

In B2B, your greatest competitor is often not another brand, but simple indecision. Research shows that 63% of deals fail because of inaction, while 40% are abandoned before completion.

Those are opportunities that just disappeared. And often it is not that the buyers lacked information. In fact, they may have been overwhelmed by it. What they really lack is confidence. When confidence is lacking, buyers don’t focus on whether a solution is right, so much as whether the decision is safe: to sign, defend, and stand by even if things go wrong.

The truth is, in environments defined by risk, scrutiny and multiple stakeholders, the cost of being wrong often outweighs the benefit of being right. So, when in doubt, many choose to do nothing.

Helping Buyers Buy

When you approach it from that point of view, it is no longer enough for marketing to enable sales. Marketing must enable the buyer.

The hardest part of B2B is choosing between options. That is why the most effective organisations focus on building familiarity long before any sign of intent. They shape how buyers understand the category. And they establish trust early, so that when decision time comes, they’re not simply one option among many, but the preferred option.

The challenge is that most buyers aren’t actively in-market at any given time. And because it is hard to predict exactly when they will be, being purely reactive will not work. Instead, marketers must maintain an always-on presence of consistent, relevant visibility that builds familiarity over time. That way, when intent does emerge, you are not trying to create engagement from zero, but rather building on an established foundation of awareness and credibility.

Human First, Not System First

This is where a Human First perspective becomes essential. Yes, AI can generate signals, content and activity. But more does not necessarily mean better. Signals alone do not create understanding. They indicate when something might be happening, but not what it means.

As one insight captured succinctly, signals tell you when to show up, but it is how you interpret those signals that determines what you do when you get there. And for that, you need an understanding of the context, the organisational dynamics, and the pressures influencing each stakeholder within the buying group.

In other words, you need the kind of complex human variables that cannot be automated.

From Personalisation To Relevance

For years, B2B marketing has focused heavily on personalisation. But while it seemed like a good strategy in theory, in practice a lot of this has been superficial, relying on basic signals, like company names or industry references.

Buyers do not disengage because the messaging is not personalised. They disengage because it means nothing to them. The data supports this. While 71% of marketers believe their brand stands out, 68% of buyers feel that brands sound the same.

Being relevant means understanding what buyers are dealing with on the ground. It means getting to grips with their context, constraints, and the outcomes they are accountable for. That is a strategic capability, not a creative execution.

Impact Is Human

As AI continues to reduce the cost and effort of execution, the risk is that marketing becomes a volume exercise: more content, more campaigns, more activity. But ‘more’ doesn’t drive decisions. In fact, often it has the opposite effect, making messaging unnecessarily complex and diluting its meaning.

The moments that ultimately move decisions forward are human. It is the conversation that reframes a problem; the interaction that demonstrates real understanding; the experience that builds trust across a buying group. Because at its core, a B2B decision is a commitment to an outcome, and a willingness to be accountable for it.

It is tempting to prioritise volume and efficiency. But the role of marketing is not simply to inform or persuade; it is to give people the confidence to decide. That takes empathy. And empathy needs humans.

VML SOUTH AFRICA
https://www.vml.com/south-africa

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