New Gen Marketing And Tech Conference Featuring Esteemed Keynote Speakers And Engaging Panel Discussions

March 12, 2026

The New Gen Trends in Marketing and Tech Conference is hosted by ‘The New Generation Awards’ and is proudly sponsored by Blue Robot Group. Taking place Tuesday, 26 May at The Venue in Melrose Arch, the conference will feature nine leading influencers from the corporate and agency sectors, including recipients of last year’s New Generation Awards, who collectively earned over 40 accolades. Modern Marketing is the official media partner.

You’ll get practical strategies from each keynote as speakers share insights, success stories, and the tools, technologies, and approaches behind the most impactful campaigns of 2025.

Real Content That Delivers Real Results

Stephen Paxton, Founder of the event, commented: ‘The marketing landscape is shifting rapidly in 2026 into a maturity era, centred on retention, lifetime value, and AI-driven, data-informed systems. To stay competitive, this event will help marketers adopt agile strategies, use AI tools to improve efficiency, and prioritise authentic, high-quality content. This evolution requires combining human intelligence and technology to drive culturally relevant and innovative marketing. We are ready to realise AI’s potential this year and to discuss the progress, strategies, and transformative results achieved through its effective use.’

‘This event will equip marketers with a wealth of resources and the confidence to refine their go-to-market strategies for 2026,’ concluded Paxton.

Come join us and be inspired. Registration is from 07:30 to 08:30, and the event ends 17:00.

Speaker Line-Up:

Emilio Warmberg, Regional Sales Manager, Blue Robot Group, Main Event Sponsor

Topic: Moving from Passive Exposure to Active Engagement: In this keynote, we’ll explore the growing body of research showing why active attention is becoming the most valuable currency in digital marketing, what brands actually lose when they optimise purely for reach, and the hidden cost of campaigns built around passive exposure.

Tamryn Taylor, Head of Marketing: Demand Generation: Beauty Well-Being and Personal Care, Unilever South Africa

Topic: The Earned Economy: Why Culture-Powered Communities Are the Growth Engine of 2026. How brands can pioneer new paths to growth by embedding themselves in culture through socially designed ideas powered by human intelligence and technology.

Darren Morris, CEO, Lucky Hustle. (Former South African World Boxing Champion, Ludumo Lamati, will join Morris on stage)

Topic: Using Creativity Superpowers to Change South Africa. This talk challenges the industry to stop waiting for permission and briefs, and start using our creative superpowers to actively change South Africa.

Mondre Bremner, Senior Manager: Digital Channels Strategy | Integrated Marketing and Experience, Nedbank

Topic: Why Editorial Content Matters… Or Is It Really That Deep? How advancements in AI have challenged editorial content delivery and the priorities reshaping the brand and marketing landscape.

Carni Wilkens, Chief Growth Officer, Dentsu SSA

Topic: We are human after all: The Transparency Gap. As our technology world shifts from co-pilots to decision-makers, performance depends on how transparent we are with machines.

Ryan McFadyen, Co-Founder, HYH Group and Head of Strategy

Topic: Growth After the Algorithm Breaks: As AI floods feeds with infinite content, people are switching off, tuning out ads, muting brands, and moving back to what they trust.

Joint Session: Olivia Matterson, Head of Innovation, and Sydney Rheeder, Creative Innovation Lead, TBWA\ SA, part of Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG)

Topic: CES 2026: Key Shifts from the Vegas Consumer Electronics Show: CES offers key signals on how brands are navigating emerging technologies, and how consumer behaviours and expectations are shifting as a result.

Clare Trafankowska, Executive Head of Media and Digital Marketing, FNB

Topic: From Personalisation to Permission: The Next Era of Customer Relevance. Rethinking relevance in an AI-powered world, shifting the focus from accuracy to authenticity, from optimisation to earned trust.

For full event details and ticket fees, click here. To book your seats, email stephen@newgenawards.co.za

Key Takeaways

– Actionable strategies: Brands must boldly engage with culture and cultivate communities in meaningful and impactful ways.
– Functionality: The advent of AI and technology is not just changing the game; it’s redefining how we share content and setting new benchmarks for customer expectations.
– Personalisation to permission: the next era of customer relevance.
– Human-first: Key learnings to translate radical transparency into practical, human-first ways.
– Effective impact: The fusion of human intelligence and technology is vital for driving transformative and culturally relevant change.
– Growth marketing: data is the lifeblood of effective growth, enabling brands to maximise customer acquisition, activation, retention, and relevance.
– Credibility in question: The future of growth lies in forging authentic credibility, sparking genuine conversations, and nurturing robust communities, moving beyond a reliance on mere automation.
– Metrics: Marketers must meticulously evaluate the success of culture-driven community initiatives compared to traditional campaigns to truly understand their impact.
– Context: Key learnings that can be applied to scaling impact without losing your craft.
– Research: Why active attention is becoming the most valuable currency in digital marketing, what brands actually lose when they optimise purely for reach, and the hidden cost of campaigns built around passive exposure.
– Actionability: Creativity must courageously tackle pressing societal issues, transcending the confines of superficial brand campaigns.
– Humanising content: Brands have a unique opportunity to blend AI with human creativity, enhancing their content, deepening community connections, and ensuring greater relevance.
– Case studies: The success stories of brands embracing these innovative strategies reveal invaluable insights that cannot be ignored.

Who Should Attend?

– Agency and Corporate Marketing Leadership: CMOs, Marketing Directors, and Brand Managers looking to integrate innovative technology into organisational goals.
– Digital and performance marketers: Specialists in digital, mobile, and social media marketing focused on increasing ROI, lead generation, and engagement.
– Marketing Technology (MarTech) Leaders: Professionals focused on automation, AI, and MarTech systems.
– Content Creators and Strategists: Experts looking to leverage AI and data-driven, personalised storytelling.
– Creatives: Designers wanting to explore new tools to enhance their visual designs.
– Data Analysts and AI Specialists: Professionals using analytics and behavioural science to influence consumer behaviour.
– Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs: Owners looking to build brand loyalty and adopt new technology tools.
– Students and lecturers.

Main Event Sponsor

Official Media Partner

NEW GEN TRENDS CONFERENCE
www.newgenawards.co.za/pages/marketing-conference

Amuco Campaign Spotlights The Powerful Role Of Smell

Modern Marketing

March 12, 2026

Amuco Campaign Spotlights The Powerful Role Of Smell

Through its latest campaign, #TheSmellOfMzansi, Amuco™ is shining a spotlight on the powerful role smell plays in everyday life, while encouraging South Africans not to let congestion during cold and flu season dull the sensory moments that matter most.

South Africa has a national flag, national anthem, national flower, national tree and even a national fish: Dichistius capensis (better known as the galjoen). However, there is one thing that the country has never formally claimed as its own: a National Smell.

A nationwide call has gone out. It’s an invitation to South Africans to nominate what they believe should be recognised as the country’s official aroma: the scent that, in a single inhale, captures the spirit, memory and identity of Mzansi.

From the smoky sizzle of a Sunday braai to the earthy scent of Highveld rain on a summer afternoon; from moerkoffie on a farm stoep to freshly prepared amagwinya (vetkoek) on a street corner; from rooibos tea brewing quietly at dawn to the unmistakable aroma of a mother’s biryani, South Africa carries a scent that is unmistakably its own: rich, diverse and deeply rooted in memory.

‘Smell is one of the most powerful human senses. It doesn’t just remind us of where we’ve been, it takes us back there, reconnecting us to people, places and moments in a single inhale,’ said Craig Gangaram, Consumer Marketing Manager at Austell Pharmaceuticals.

‘As a country, we celebrate our identity through symbols like our flag and anthem, but scent captures something more personal. It lives in our homes, our kitchens, our streets and our shared traditions. That’s what #TheSmellOfMzansi is about: inviting South Africans to share the smells that instantly say, ‘this is home’.’

For Amuco™ the conversation about smell is more than symbolic, it reflects the everyday impact congestion can have during cold and flu season. The #TheSmellOfMzansi campaign is currently live on radio and social platforms, encouraging participation through call-ins and online engagement.

South Africans are invited to share what they believe should be crowned the country’s National Smell by posting their nominations on social media using #TheSmellOfMzansi and explaining why their chosen scent best captures the essence of South Africa.

Once nominations have been gathered, a shortlist of the most compelling and culturally resonant smells will be compiled. The nation will then be invited to vote for the scent they believe best represents South Africa.

‘The #TheSmellOfMzansi campaign is about celebrating the everyday moments that connect us,’ Gangaram added. ‘We want to make sure that nothing, especially not congestion, stands between South Africans and the scents that define who we are.’

AMUCO
https://amuco.co.za/

Meaningful Innovation In Incentive And Loyalty Marketing Goes Beyond Technology

Modern Marketing

March 12, 2026

According to Andrew Solomon, Marketing Director of the Achievement Awards Group, innovation has become one of the most frequently used, and least interrogated, words in business. In practice, it has increasingly become shorthand for technology: artificial intelligence, automation, platforms, dashboards, data at scale.

To be clear, these developments are powerful. They’re reshaping how organisations operate, communicate and grow, often at remarkable speed. But there is a quiet risk embedded in it. When innovation is treated as something that exists primarily in tools and systems, it becomes easy to mistake novelty for impact.

History suggests a more nuanced truth: the most meaningful innovation in incentive and loyalty marketing has never been driven by technology alone. It has always emerged at the intersection of human insight and enabling capability. In fact, incentive and loyalty marketing itself began as an innovation – long before software platforms, APIs or AI entered the conversation.

Incentives And Loyalty: An Innovation Before Technology

At their core, incentive and loyalty programs were built on a radical idea that emerged in the mid-20th century: that behaviour could be influenced by understanding what motivates people. Drawing on early work in organisational psychology and management thinking, organisations began to move beyond purely transactional models of reward towards more intentional approaches to motivation and recognition.

Early incentive schemes were often simple but powerful. Employees were recognised through long-service awards and public acknowledgement. Retailers experimented with loyalty stamps that rewarded repeat behaviour over time. These programs weren’t technologically sophisticated by modern standards, but they worked because they were rooted in an emerging understanding of reinforcement, status, and perceived value. The innovation lay not in the reward itself, but in the thinking behind it.

Over time, the discipline matured. Academic research deepened our understanding of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Other work showed that motivation is not simply a function of reward size, and that poorly designed incentives can even undermine engagement. Behavioural economics challenged the assumption that people make purely rational decisions. None of this progress was driven by technology in the first instance. Technology followed and amplified insight – not the other way around.

Where Innovation Wows And Wobbles

As digital tools entered the picture, innovation accelerated. Points-based systems transformed loyalty by introducing flexibility and choice. Digital platforms enabled scale, speed, consistency and always-on engagement. Data allowed programs to be measured, refined and iterated in ways that were previously impossible.

These advances have succeeded best when they’ve supported behavioural insight. Points work not simply because they’re convenient, but because they tap into powerful psychological dynamics like progress, autonomy, and deferred gratification. Digital engagement increases participation because it shortens feedback loops and makes recognition more immediate.

Each technological leap unlocked new possibilities, but at every stage, impact depended on how well those capabilities were aligned with human behaviour. When they aren’t, programs stall.

Across the industry, this is visible in loyalty programs with high enrolment but low active participation, incentive schemes that deliver short-term spikes followed by disengagement, or platforms rich in features but poor in sustained usage.

But in recent years, the innovation equation has subtly shifted. Increasingly, technology has become the starting point rather than the enabler. Organisations select platforms first and then attempt to fit programs into their constraints. Procurement processes are often led by system capability rather than behavioural intent. Features multiply, data volumes grow, but outcomes don’t always follow.

When loyalty and rewards programs are designed around what technology makes possible rather than what behaviour requires, even heavy investment risks being ineffective. Hyper-personalised communications can still feel irrelevant. Vast reward catalogues can overwhelm rather than motivate. Participation may exist, but engagement or emotional connection weakens. Innovation that ignores human behaviour isn’t innovation. It’s just activity.

Reframing Innovation: Integration Over Invention

This is not an argument against technology. On the contrary, modern incentive and loyalty programs depend on it and are enormously more powerful thanks to it. But technology alone cannot create relevance, motivation or meaning. Those still require design, judgement and an understanding of people.

True innovation is not simply about new tools. It must change behaviour positively. The most durable innovation in incentives and loyalty has always been a blend of human insight and enabling technology.

Innovation, therefore, is not just about novelty and invention. It’s about integration. It’s about asking better questions before deploying better systems. It’s about designing programs around people first, and then selecting technology that enables those designs to work at scale.

Innovation in this sense is quieter, but more powerful. It’s visible in thoughtful program architecture rather than feature density, and intelligent curation rather than endless choice. It requires organisations to balance art and science: behavioural understanding alongside data, creativity alongside rigour, judgement alongside technology. Innovation has always been about moving forward. The challenge, and the opportunity, is to ensure that technology does not overshadow human insight, and that we do not lose sight of the very people we’re trying to engage.

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS GROUP
https://www.awards.co.za/

Marketers Should Embrace Purposeful Risk-Taking As An Essential Strategy For Success

Modern Marketing

March 12, 2026

Marketers Should Embrace Purposeful Risk-Taking As An Essential Strategy For Success — Veronica Moleele, Penquin.

Veronica Moleele, CEO of Penquin, is calling on marketers to embrace purposeful risk-taking as an essential strategy for success. Moleele argues that as platforms become increasingly packed with forgettable content, creative risk-taking has transitioned from a creative ‘extra’ to a business necessity.

‘Every second, someone is selling something. That’s why I believe creative risk-taking is not a luxury; it is a necessity,’ she said. ‘It’s not about being edgy for the sake of it. It means understanding people, embracing change, rewarding fresh thinking and standing for something real. The brands willing to take meaningful risks are the ones that break through.’

The Fear Factor Holding Brands Back

Moleele explained that fear remains the single biggest barrier to breakthrough creativity. ‘Fear of criticism. Fear of getting it wrong. Fear of being misunderstood,’ she said. ‘Public opinion moves fast and commentary is instant. The temptation to play it safe is strong.’

The problem? Safe rarely sells. ‘Playing it safe leads to forgettable work, and forgettable is the last thing a brand should be,’ she continued. This philosophy should translate into a culture that actively encourages courageous thinking, backed by strategy and business insight.

Building A Culture Where Courage Thrives

Bravery is not a buzzword, it’s a practice. ‘We welcome ideas of all shapes and sizes,’ said Moleele. ‘The first idea sparks the second, and eventually the magic lands. We don’t wait for perfect. We encourage flow, collaboration and participation.’

Creating a psychologically safe environment, she added, is critical to unlocking breakthrough work. ‘People do their best thinking when they feel supported and safe to explore. That’s how bold ideas thrive.’ This culture of openness and energy will position agencies to blend creative agility with strategic depth, helping brands move from visibility to memorability.

The Sweet Spot Where Strategy Meets Creativity

Moleele is firm in her belief that strategy and creativity are not in conflict. ‘Bold ideas and smart thinking are not in conflict. When they work together, they unlock real power. A strong idea that connects to a human truth and supports a business goal is unstoppable,’ Moleele explained. ‘Money spent on bold ideas stretches further than money spent listing product features. Brave creative earns attention. It gets people talking. It drives connection. In a market full of sameness, that kind of work is invaluable.’

When Taking A Big Swing Pays Off

‘Creative risk-taking is often the difference between work that is merely seen and work that is remembered,’ said Moleele. ‘When brands are willing to step outside the expected, they create moments that audiences genuinely engage with.’

A recent example is Checkers’ campaign for Petshop Science, which flipped the script, and the camera, by creating what it calls the world’s first television commercial filmed entirely by pets. Dogs, cats and even a parrot captured the footage themselves as they explored the store. ‘It’s such a clever reminder that sometimes the boldest idea is simply letting go of control and trusting the concept,’ Moleele said.

Another standout example comes from Lucky Hustle, which developed a low-budget campaign for Ringside Fitness using AI to honour South African boxing icon Ludumo Lamati. With no rights to Lamati’s fight footage and the gym itself in disrepair, the agency used AI to recreate powerful visuals that drove attention to the struggling gym, earning multiple honours at the New Generation Awards. ‘It’s proof that brave thinking isn’t about having the biggest budget,’ said Moleele. ‘It’s about finding bold solutions when the odds are stacked against you.’

One thing is certain, the future of advertising belongs to brands willing to take calculated, purposeful risks. ‘In the industry right now, safety doesn’t protect brands, it hides them,’ she said. ‘Risk, when backed by insight and intention, creates differentiation. It builds emotional connection. It drives growth. We choose bold. Not because it’s easier, but because it delivers results that matter. Safe is ordinary. Bold leaves a mark, and in advertising, leaving a mark is everything.’

PENQUIN
https://www.penquin.co.za

Irvine Partners Secures Spot In 2026 Top 100 Best Consumer PR Agencies List

Modern Marketing

March 11, 2026

Irvine Partners has been recognised for the second consecutive year by PRovoke Media, the global benchmark for PR news and excellence. Following its 2025 ranking as a Top 40 Tech PR agency in the world, the agency has now secured a prestigious spot in the 2026 Top 100 Best Consumer PR agencies list. This recognition places the agency amongst the world’s most respected PR firms, validating its innovative approach and global reach.

This back-to-back recognition affirms Irvine Partners’ evolution from tech players to the household mainstream global heavyweight. With operations spanning across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and the UK, the agency has built a reputation in crafting culturally evocative content and creating strategic precision for consumer brands like TikTok, Taxd, and Future Forex.

‘After 16 years of building this agency, being platformed by global media outlets like Provoke Media is a huge testament to our footprint and expertise,’ said Rachel Irvine, CEO at Irvine Partners. ‘It speaks to the momentum and consistency of our work over the years. Our team has always believed that bold ideas and disruptive strategies would shape the industry for the better; this achievement reflects that we have achieved that’.

IRVINE PARTNERS
www.irvinepartners.co.za

2026 Could Be A Watershed Year For AI Usage And Governance

Modern Marketing

March 11, 2026

2026 Could Be A Watershed Year For AI Usage And Governance

According to Willem Steenkamp, Flow Communications senior writer and editor, says that for the past few years, artificial intelligence has largely been in an experimental phase. But the focus for 2026 will likely be less about novelty and more about real-world application. Here are four trends for 2026.

Trend 1: Integrated And Multimodal Generative AI

This trend’s a mouthful, but it basically refers to embedding AI into core business workflows, think Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or Adobe Creative Cloud, rather than treating it as a standalone tool, as has been the case with AIs such as ChatGPT or Claude.

It’s also about the seamless fusion of tasks, with a single AI platform executing all the elements of a project. For example, for a marketing campaign, it will put together the strategy, produce email and social media content, create imagery and draft a video script.

Interestingly, this trend includes the rise of the small language model (SLM): where AIs such as ChatGPT or Gemini are large language models, giant generative AIs used for everything (and not always with optimal results), we’ll now see companies adopt industry-specific, specialist SLMs.

For instance, a law firm will use a law-specific SLM, or a doctor will use a medical diagnostics SLM, presumably leading to more accurate and relevant results.

Trend 2: Autonomous AI Agents

PAs and interns, beware: this is the next evolution of AI assistants, and it is starkly different from simple workflow automation. An AI agent will be able to receive a complex instruction, break it down into steps and carry them out.

For example, you could instruct the AI agent: ‘Find the top three suppliers for this widget in South Africa, contact them for quotes and then schedule a meeting with the most promising one.’

This upgraded AI agent promises a new layer of productivity. Proponents argue that it equates to a team of ultra-efficient junior analysts or executive assistants, available on demand, which frees up human workers for more strategic tasks.

Trend 3: From Pixels To Physics

This is where AI meets the Internet of Things, with AI moving out of the cloud and into physical devices. It’s no longer about data analysis, but rather real-time control.

AI in self-driving cars is the most obvious example, but here are a few more: smart factories where AI predicts machine failures before they happen; AI systems that manage a city’s power grid, or traffic flow, for maximum efficiency; AI mapping out a farmer’s irrigation plan down to square metres; or warehouse robots that no longer just follow lines on the floor, but make intelligent decisions to navigate complex spaces.

Trend 4: Trust And Safety

This one’s arguably the most important for both AI users and their customers. Regulation is finally starting to respond to the explosion of AI and some major economies are implementing AI laws (such as the European Union’s AI Act), frameworks, guidelines or rules.

AI compliance is thus moving from a theoretical, ethical discussion to a practical, legal and financial issue, in which non-compliance could result in heavy fines and devastating reputational damage.

From a liability perspective, users will increasingly need to deploy explainable AI systems: ones that can clearly articulate why they make certain life-changing decisions. Imagine, for example, that doctor using AI for diagnostic purposes, or a bank that employs AI to approve or deny loans.

The most trusted brands will be those that can prove their AI is compliant: secure, fair (in other words, unbiased) and transparent about its data provenance. Building this trust with customers will surely unlock a major competitive advantage for brands.

Of course, AI remains a nascent technology, and we will continue to see it grow and be harnessed in ways that we can barely conceive of now. But the days of playing around with AI and marvelling at how well it can do things (or not) are numbered. The year 2026 may well be a watershed year for how we practically use AI, and how we govern that use.

FLOW COMMUNICATIONS
www.flowsa.com

Publicis Groupe Africa Representative Announced As Vice Chairperson Of The Creative Circle

Modern Marketing

March 11, 2026

Publicis Groupe Africa Representative Announced As Vice Chairperson Of The Creative Circle — Peter Little, Publicis Groupe Africa.

The Creative Circle exists to maintain the standard of South African advertising, in part, by endorsing a selection of top international and local awards shows (including Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, the Loeries and Best of the Year). And using these results to rank the top performing agencies in an annual review.

Publicis Groupe Africa Chief Creative Officer Peter Little has been appointed Vice Chairperson of the Creative Circle, the non-profit industry body that champions creative excellence in South Africa.

As Vice Chairperson, Little brings a combination of global credibility and a strong local focus on creative excellence, mentorship and development. He has most recently served as a jury member for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, The One Show and the Loeries Awards to mention a few. He has also been credited with multiple awards globally, including Cannes and Loeries Grand Prix, Effies Grand Prix and D&AD wins over his career.

Little said: ‘The Creative Circle is made up of the industry’s most respected creative leaders, so being appointed to this role is both humbling and energising. I’m looking forward to building on the strong foundation already in place and giving back to an industry that has given me so much.’

Beyond awards standardisation, the Creative Circle also runs Best of the Month, which ladders up to Best of the Year, encouraging excellence in the work the industry produces every day. It also supports other worthwhile NPOs, including BlackBoard and OpenChair, reinforcing its commitment to driving creative excellence through the development of future leaders.

Alongside this appointment, Little continues to provide his experience to the industry through serving on the Red & Yellow advisory board for Marketing, and recently served as a LIAison’s mentor as well as providing continuing mentorship to industry professionals.

PUBLICIS GROUPE AFRICA
https://publicisgroupeafrica.com/

Dove And VML’s Cancer Campaign Turns A Daily Ritual Into A Life-Saving Habit

Modern Marketing

March 5, 2026

Dove And VML's Cancer Campaign Turns A Daily Ritual Into A Life-Saving Habit

It’s a strange quirk of humans that, for all our talk about living healthier lives, we routinely forget to prioritise the habits that matter. Case in point: We’ll happily perform a 10-step skincare ritual, but neglect to do a quick breast cancer self-examination.

It seems counterintuitive, but from a behavioural-science perspective, it makes sense. Health behaviours feel like obligations, while beauty rituals feel like rewards. Our brain perceives one as ‘I must’ and the other as ‘I get to.’ That distinction makes all the difference to behaviour.

Self-Check Behaviour Gap

In South Africa, where breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and 1 in 26 will be diagnosed in their lifetime, according to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), this phenomenon becomes more than a curious psychological quirk, it’s a public health challenge.

‘Early detection dramatically improves treatment outcomes. Yet only 5% of South African women regularly check their breasts, despite self-examinations being one of the most accessible forms of early detection,’ said Pavla Sessions, Head of Brand, Dove and Dove Men at Unilever South Africa.

This presents a conundrum: how to transform a behaviour people avoid into a habit they want to repeat?

Behavioural science teaches us that habits piggy-back on existing routines far more easily than they form from scratch. It’s called habit stacking: linking a new behaviour to one that’s already embedded.

People fail to start new health behaviours not because they’re lazy, but because:
– The behaviour feels like effort.
– It requires remembering.
– The reward is too abstract or too distant.

A self-exam has no immediate payoff. So, Dove and its creative agency VML South Africa took inspiration from a ritual that women already keep, which does feel good in the moment: applying body cream.

Dove’s research revealed that around two-thirds of South African women apply body cream every day, including on their breasts. What if that moment of self-care could carry an additional benefit: a daily breast self-exam? What if a treat could also be a tool?

By combining the two, the Dove team reframed a familiar ritual as a moment of care with two layers of benefit: beauty and wellbeing.

‘We realised women weren’t opposed to checking their breasts, they simply weren’t in the habit,’ said Theo Ferreira, Executive Creative Director at VML South Africa. ‘But moisturising is a moment they already prioritise. That insight became our behavioural key: take something women want to do and embed something they need to do.’

This thinking became Dove’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign: ‘Turn Self-Care into Health-Care.’

VML’s creative team collaborated with Dove and CANSA to design a campaign that felt like an invitation, rather than a public service announcement.

Special-edition Dove Body Cream tubs featured a peel-back label. Under the label, a QR code linked to CANSA’s Touch-Look-Check guide and a short educational video with step-by-step instructions. As women moisturised, they were guided to perform a self-exam, transforming a beauty ritual into a new health habit.

To share the love, a portion of every purchase of a special-edition tub was donated to CANSA and participants were encouraged to tag their friends and spread the message.

‘Our goal was not another awareness message,’ said Dominique Baxewanos, Creative Director at VML South Africa. ‘Our goal was behaviour change. We wanted to meet women in the moments they already inhabit, with tools they already use. If creativity can remove friction and add meaning, it’s doing its job.’

What Brands Can Learn From This

This campaign offers a blueprint for brands wanting to contribute meaningfully to public health without falling into the ‘worthy but forgettable’ territory of traditional PSAs.

1. Relevance Beats Reminders

Information alone rarely changes behaviour. Relevance, personalised, contextual, and built into a routine, does. By locating the behaviour within a beauty ritual, Dove removed the biggest barrier: remembering.

2. Micro-Behaviours Matter More Than Big Intentions

A daily breast self-exam sounds daunting. Checking for small changes while moisturising feels doable. Behaviour change succeeds when the action is small, repeatable, and emotionally neutral or positive.

3. Design Should Guide, Not Overwhelm

The peel-back label with the Touch-Look-Check guide is deceptively simple. It’s also a masterclass in behaviour design. A single prompt, in the right place, at the right moment, can outperform an entire awareness campaign.

4. Brands Can Play A Role In Public Health

Consumers don’t want brands to preach, but they welcome brands that empower. Dove’s long-standing equity in care and confidence made the message both credible and welcome.

‘We remember to moisturise our bodies but forget to check our breasts,’ said Jerusha Naicker,. Marketing Innovation Lead, Unilever South Africa, and Anele Nzimande-Maphanga, PR and Influencer Lead for Beauty, Well-being and Personal Care, Unilever South Africa. ‘If we can help women turn a daily ritual into a life-saving habit, that’s the kind of impact that matters.’

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

Jacaranda FM Enters New Era Of Broadcasting With Flagship Studio

Modern Marketing

March 5, 2026

Jacaranda FM Enters New Era Of Broadcasting With New State-Of-The-Art Studio

Jacaranda FM has launched its state-of-the-art flagship studio. It is the first radio station in the country to implement a fully virtual mixing desk, known in the industry as ‘mixing on glass’. The studio boasts a completely digital audio path, running seamlessly from the microphone all the way through to the transmitter site.

This groundbreaking technology not only enhances sound quality but also future-proofs the station’s operations. New features and upgrades can be implemented via firmware updates, eliminating the need for major hardware replacements in the foreseeable future.

The project was led by industry veteran Andrew Pike, Technical and IT Manager at Jacaranda FM and a proud inductee into the Telkom Radio Awards Hall of Fame. With over four decades of experience in broadcast engineering and technology, Pike’s expertise ensures that Jacaranda FM consistently provides the best possible technical foundation for an outstanding, feel-good listening experience.

Designed for a hybrid world, the studio’s systems are fully online and remotely accessible. Every aspect of the broadcast chain can be monitored and controlled off-site. This means presenters can control the system seamlessly from home, on location at an outside broadcast, or from anywhere in the world.

Recognising that modern radio is as much about visual engagement as it is about sound, the new flagship studio is equipped with six cameras, including three remote-controlled 4K cameras and three individual POV miniature cameras focused on presenters.

With a powerful new computer system, the video team will be able to record all camera feeds in the background for post-production editing, while simultaneously streaming and capturing live output across up to three social media platforms at once.

Lighting has been purposefully designed for both broadcast and photography, with five individually controllable sections and dynamic multicolour washes illuminating the main stage area, ensuring that every performance and on-air moment looks as good as it sounds.

The studio includes a permanently installed live band front-of-house digital mixer dedicated to the main space, ready to support in-studio performances and special live music segments that bring extra feel-good moments to listeners.

Vuyani Dombo, Managing Director at Jacaranda FM, said the new studio represents far more than a technical upgrade. ‘This studio is a bold investment in the future of feel-good broadcasting. Our audiences engage with us across multiple platforms, on air, online and on social media, and this space allows us to create content that matches the energy, quality and innovation they expect from Jacaranda FM. It’s about future-proofing our business, empowering our talent and continuing to deliver meaningful, feel-good moments to millions of South Africans every day.’

JACARANDA FM
https://www.jacarandafm.com/

HOT 102.7FM Announces New Addition To On-Air Line-Up

Modern Marketing

March 5, 2026

HOT 102.7FM Announces New Addition To On-Air Line-Up — Alan Khan, HOT 102.7FM.

HOT 102.7FM has announced the addition of highly regarded presenter Alan Khan to its on-air line-up, a signing that underscores the station’s continued upward momentum in the commercial radio space. Khan brings with him decades of broadcasting experience and a reputation built on professionalism, authenticity, and genuine audience connection.

Lloyd Madurai, station MD, views the appointment as part of a broader strategy: one that blends iconic, legendary voices with contemporary relevance. ‘Great radio is built by great people,’ said Madurai. ‘Khan represents the professionalism, warmth, and audience understanding that define who we are as a station. We aren’t chasing short-term growth, but long-term sustainability and excellence’.

In a constantly evolving audio environment, trusted talent remains one of the strongest drivers of audience loyalty. Industry trends continue to show that audiences respond to authenticity over hype. By welcoming a presenter of Khan’s calibre, HOT 102.7FM reinforces, to advertisers and media buyers, the station’s investment in authentic and deep-rooted talent, stability, and meaningful audience engagement.

Khan’s easy, relatable style complements HOT 102.7FM’s established sound and listener-first philosophy, adding depth to an already strong line-up. Catch Khan every Sunday in the 3pm to 7pm slot on Sundays.

HOT 102.7FM
https://hot1027.co.za

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