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Digital Lab Africa Announces Competition Finalists

By
Modern Marketing
-
Digital Lab Africa Announces 30 New Generation Of Talent In Creative Industries Finalists

Digital Lab Africa’s (DLA) digital content industry experts chose 30 finalists to compete in the DLA Online Pitch Competition. The finalists best represent the new generation of talent in creative industries, ranging from virtual reality, web creation, digital music, video games and animation.

Digital Lab Africa is a springboard and an incubation platform for African creatives in digital content. Initiated by the Embassy of France and French Institute in South Africa (IFAS) in 2016, the programme has been managed by Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct since 2018. This year, the third edition of DLA, is a fully-fledged programme of the Digital Content Hub of Tshimologong, which is supported by the Agence Française de Dévelopement (AFD).

The DLA#3 competition had around 500 entries from over 30 sub-Saharan African countries, including Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Republic of the Congo, Mali, Senegal and Gabon.

Lesley Williams, CEO of Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct and director of Digital Lab Africa, said that the digitisation of Africa will only work to the benefit of the continent if there are more contributions from talented content creators. ‘We would like to thank all the candidates who applied for the DLA call for projects. We recognise the importance of taking ownership of the narrative in our own stories and we’re delighted that so many candidates stepped up to the plate.’

Fans and followers can watch and vote for their favourite video pitch via a dedicated online platform. Developed by Zakhele Technologies, a Tshimologong based IT company, the platform is open until 28 April. In addition, all video pitches will be housed and showcased at the Tshimologong Source Code Gallery for the duration of the competition.

The project with the most online votes will be awarded the DLA Audience Award, which includes an invitation to a prestigious DLA industry event in France or in the sub-Saharan African region.

Chosen by the DLA Selection Committees, the 10 winners of the Pitch Competition will be revealed on 30 April. The 10 winners will each receive a guaranteed R42,000 cash prize and a tailor-made incubation programme to accelerate their project development with mentors from French and sub-Saharan creative industries, a residency period in France within a digital cluster, and participation at industry events in France as well as in the sub-Saharan African region.

The 30 finalists in the DLA Pitch Competition are:

Virtual Reality

• I Am A Woman Defined/Stories About Her by Charmaine Chitate (Zimbabwe).
• Phendula by Gugulethu Duma & Regina Kgatle (South Africa).
• Siya Khumbula by Isaac Zavale & Antonio Marin (South Africa/Mozambique).
• The Afrocyborg Vr Film Collective by Shmerah Passchier & The Afrocyborg Collective (South Africa).
• TRVLR by Komborerai Chapfika (Zimbabwe).
• The Crossing by Tafadzwa Hove (South Africa/Zimbabwe).

Web Creation

• Cartographie Des Régions Musicales Du Mali by Tiécoura N’Daou (Mali).
• Man Walks Into A Bar by Matthew Cuthbert (South Africa).
• Meet The Artist by Okuhle Magcaba (South Africa).
• Pendo by Wako Sefara and Muendo Mullei Muindi (South Africa).
• Re/Member Your Descendants by Xabiso Vili (South Africa).
• Reunion by Bokang Lehlokoe and Nomonde Jele (South Africa).

Digital Music

• Akulele Programme by Tabitha Karaba (Kenya).
• Frontline Session by Norton Nyandeni (South Africa).
• Jokko Text by Mamadou Dione (Senegal).
• Streambeats Live by Cédrick Mezui Beckdan (Gabon).
• Sunkambe by Shaka Ramulifho (South Africa).
• Swaggify by Marvin Madyara (Zimbabwe).

Video Games

• Ahkunobi by Ebube Ofili (Nigeria).
• Mancala Plus by Setriakor Nyomi (Ghana).
• Precious Cargo by Simone Beneke-Graham, Shannon Bennetts, Rowan Brough and Niall Graham (South Africa).
• Riziki by George Ahere (Kenya).
• Wahenga – The Lost Ancestors by Salim Burusu (Kenya).

Animation

• Baba by Justus Macharia (Kenya).
• Frozilla by Komborerai Chapfika (Zimbabwe).
• Herbbeings – The Mind Tea Leaf by Abisola Aboaba (Nigeria).
• Little Little Orishas by Archange Kiyindou (Republic of the Congo).
• Ringa Mzansi by Lwazi Msipha (South Africa).
• Uzi by Naddya Adhiambo Oluoch-Olunya (Kenya).

Digital Lab Africa https://digilabafrica.com

Why Brands Should Have A Digitally Recognisable Identity

By
Kyocera Document Solutions
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Reasons For Brands To Have A Digitally Recognisable Identity

Kyocera Document Solutions embarked on a brand modernisation project, where they identified the power of what a strong visual identity could mean for their organisation. The company outlines why it’s imperative to focus on the fundamental pillar of your organisation’s philosophy, which defines your core values.

First impressions

There is only one chance to make a good first impression. Ask yourself: How can we make a first impression that will stay with our stakeholders? Doing so requires time and a team effort.

Your brand must be conscious of the need to be memorable. A uniform approach or style could be key to a browser making sense of everything when they have only come across your brand in one or two of your countless digital touchpoints.

Achieving the right balance between catching the eye of a customer or becoming over-powering is essential. Failure to do so could turn off potential customers. Getting it right matters.

Transmit personality

Demonstrating the personality and values of the brand truly matters. Getting this across through branding can be a challenge, but it’s one that you have sought to execute through a range of different approaches.

We live in a world full of unstructured data and information that does little but confuse many companies. Look to provide structure by using a grid to represent each piece of data that comes into your workplaces as a single plot in a structured environment.

Emerging through the grid can be images of humans, at work. In order to provide this structure, you must have the human element to be able to put business knowledge and expertise to work. The human touch is essential to convert data into knowledge that will provide you with real value.

Long-term engagement

Changing a brand is a major decision for a company and planning for the future must be taken into account. To keep it relevant and meaningful in the long-term is essential to providing customer interaction and engagement, and is the only way to guarantee brand recall over longer periods.

In some cases, this will include planning and preparations for entry into new industries or new markets. That means considering various cultures and understanding that there are a number of ways in which communication will differ significantly. Finding an identity which is flexible and adaptable to match every possible need is the goal of any designer. After all, the brand appearance is how customers will come to know your company, wherever they may be and whatever their interests.

This article was originally published on www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.za

Entries For Loeries Brand South Africa Young Creatives Award Now Open

By
Modern Marketing
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Entries For Loeries Brand South Africa Young Creatives Award Now Open
David Franciscus, founder and producer-director of Protagonist Films won the 2018 Young Creatives Award.

Entries are now open for the Loeries Brand South Africa Young Creatives Award, which includes a U.S. $5000 prize as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to Loeries Creative Week in August. Anyone 27 or younger from Africa and the Middle East can enter the Young Creatives Award. The entry deadline for Loeries 2019 is 15 May.

The Young Creatives Award is important to Brand South Africa because its mandate is to manage and nurture the reputation of our incredible country. ‘We believe that there is no one better to represent what we stand for than the incredible emerging talent we discover through the Loeries Young Creatives Award. A couple of years ago we changed Brand South Africa’s proposition from Alive with possibilities to Inspiring new ways. As a country, we have moved forward from unlocking possibility and potential to crafting a new path for the world. Our make-it-happen attitude and culture have enabled us to share our incredible talent, rainbow-nation spirit and unique way of thinking with the world. Who better to tell this new story than the talented and innovative women and men we uncover through this initiative?’ said Sithembile Ntombela, GM of Marketing at Brand South Africa.

Ultimate goal for the Loeries and Brand South Africa (SA) partnership

Brand SA’s goals are long-term. They aim to identify, nurture and develop global platforms for young South Africans. Together they will build a legacy for the country through the men and women who are shaping it each and every day in unique and inspiring ways.

Ntombela said, ‘Our job is to actively work with creatives across different industries to share stories of these talented individuals with the rest of world. A great example is our Making It Uniquely South African series, where we profile incredible people in the creative space on the BBC in the UK. We’ve shared the stories of ceramist Andile Dyalvane, interior designer Mpho Vackier, sculptor, professor, poet, writer and academic Pitika Ntuli and interior and product designer Thabiso Mjo, among others. We’re inspired everyday to share this exciting and remarkable creative talent to the world and through our partnership with the Loeries.’

The importance of brands in telling a country’s story

‘The country of origin concept is such an integral part of enhancing a country’s brand reputation. Just as quality chocolate and watches make us think of Switzerland, our unique local wines and rooibos also strengthen our country’s reputation,’ Ntombela stated.

‘And already there are many brands tapping on the South Africanism through their adverts — owning, celebrating and exporting our uniquely South African story. Brands like Nando’s are exporting incredible local food, art, design and humour; Santam and Outsurance are celebrating national pride and patriotism and Black Label is owning and dealing with core societal issues through its #NoExcuses campaign.’

The uniqueness of the South African story

‘South Africans inspire the world in new and different ways. As the children of Mandela, we have the power to promote democracy, diversity and the spirit of Ubuntu around the world. It’s an incredible opportunity. South Africans know how to be resourceful, how to use the rich and layered cultural heritage in an interesting, contemporary and relevant way. We’re constantly telling the world a new story — and from our experience — it is a story the world is hungry to hear. At its core is creativity and resilience,’ Ntombela added.

‘We confront the uncomfortable. Even in our saddest moments, our spirit unites us and we get things done. That’s why we are the only African country in the G20 or in BRICS. We own our history. We are brave enough to fight prejudice and stereotypes. The civil society has redefined the political landscape, showing the vibrancy of the country’s constitution. Have you seen how united we become in supporting injustices against our very own winner Caster Semenya and everything she stands for? That is South Africa’s better story. It’s not just limited to mining or agriculture. It is anchored on our people: one of our greatest assets.’

BRAND SOUTH AFRICA
+27114830122/4 
info@brandsouthafrica.com
www.brandsouthafrica.com
LOERIES 
www.loeries.com

Loeries 2019 Adds Nando’s Design Award Category

By
Modern Marketing
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Loeries 2019 Adds Nando’s Design Award Category
Central Kitchen

Loeries has partnered with Nando’s for the Design category and has expanded the category beyond only brand communication to include areas of design such as retail furniture and product design, fabric, wallpaper, lighting, architecture and interior design, and even the design of signage programmes.

Loeries CEO Andrew Human said that the Loeries has long been recognised as the highest accolade in advertising and brand communication. ‘A strong design award has been lacking for our region and this is a great opportunity for all designers to showcase their work and achieve recognition.’

Design is woven into the Nando’s DNA, making Nando’s a natural partner for the Design category. ‘Design and creativity have been an intrinsic part of the Nando’s way of doing business. Nando’s is the first local brand to collaborate with local designers at the scale it does,’ said Michael Spinks, Nando’s Property and Development Director.

Spinks added, ‘Putting our support behind the design community is important to doing business well. Our PERi-PERi power has charted new paths and careers for many local artists and their art. Putting that same fire behind the extended Design category for the 2019 Loeries gives us a chance to spice things up for the wonderful designers who will imprint their names onto this exciting category.’

According to Gaby de Abreu, Loeries board member and creative head of Switch Design, the awards are invaluable because they offer a chance for designers to showcase their work to a far greater audience.

‘The Nando’s Design category at the Loeries is an opportunity to showcase excellence across disciplines in countries throughout Africa and the Middle East. For independent designers, it’s a unique chance to achieve recognition across the industry, reaching creatives internationally,’ said de Abreu.

Loeries 2019 Adds Nando’s Design Award Category
Nando’s Central Kitchen

‘For a furniture designer working in an independent workshop or a graphic designer outside of the agency network, this year’s Loeries offers a chance to show the world what you’ve achieved,’ he added.

The Nando’s Design category at the Loeries is open to designers across all the main disciplines. The entry deadline is 15 May 2019.

LOERIES 
www.loeries.com

Successfully Managing Your Customer Relationships

By
OnShelf
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Successfully Managing Your Customer Relationships
Eben Esterhuizen, Founder and General Manager of OnShelf.

Founder and General Manager of OnShelf, Eben Esterhuizen, says that businesses are looking for powerful ways to promote their goods and make more sales. This should include beefing up customer relationship management (CRM) systems to streamline communication with potential clients and encourage more sales.

Here are steps to make your CRM smarter:

Defining CRM

CRM is the technology for managing a company’s relationships and interactions with customers (and potential customers). It is perceived as boring and functional compared to the new technology of the customer experience, however, without having the basics of CRM right there’s no solid foundation to communicate, build on and sell to customers.

CRM questions

A few years ago, Harvard Business Review defined four important questions which businesses need to ask themselves as they embark on CRM initiatives:
• Is it strategic?
• Where does it hurt?
• Do we need perfect data?
• Where do we go from here?

Destination

After asking the strategic questions, focus on your goals as that will allow you to identify ways of reaching the customers you have in your sights. Breaking down targets into bite-sized chunks will make planning and mapping out the CRM journey easier. Be agile here so that you can implement changes where necessary.

Map the journey

Have an integrated customer view – overall behavioural analysis of the customer is fundamental. This helps to prioritise them (new, returning, purchasing across segments etc.) as well as credit scoring and making automated decisions on credit quickly and effectively.

Know your customer – CRM software can help identify a potential shopper by what they share via social media. This allows insights into customer needs, delivery expectations and future needs.

Involve employees – according to SuperOffice.com, when evaluating your CRM software options, it’s best to give your employees the possibility to work anywhere and ‘on the device of their choosing’. Customer service integration means employees are in on the sales specials being offered and can meet shoppers’ needs accordingly.

Make changes – This note by SalesForce speaks to the point above, cautioning against being too responsive when feeling pressurised to change technologies quickly: ‘Keep your workforce in mind, and whenever possible, introduce your new CRM policies gradually.’

Continuous improvement – with reference here to Expert Marketing, while it’s important to leverage maximum wallet share with customers, it is equally important to develop sales propositions to attract new ones. CRM helps you understand what’s not working with your existing customer base and be an integral part of product development and a new target marketing lifecycle.

CRM and informal shoppers in SA

‘There are about 120,000 informal spaza stores with sales estimated at between R100bn and R200bn,’ stated marketer, author and entrepreneur GG Alcock. He noted that in South Africa, ‘Informal sector businesses are designed to be completely fitted to people’s needs based on lifestyle and it solves ‘pain points’.’ In the same way, to capture informal shoppers – businesses need to align with their lifestyles and pain points.

Informal shoppers’ lifestyles

As the informal sector is increasingly disrupting the formal sector, established businesses need to help meet more of the requirements of people shopping at spazas. As Alcock noted, ‘Municipalities, governments and financial institutions have to adapt their regulations, laws and products to suit the market, instead of knocking the hawker off the pavement. If we didn’t have the informal sector, we would have a revolution on our hands.’

Here are two ways in which businesses are successfully tapping into the shared economy targeting the more ‘informal’ shopper:

Loyalty programmes – A survey of the loyalty habits of 25,369 adults with a gross monthly household income of R10,000 or more showed 75% of South Africans are using loyalty programmes, with Clicks being the highest. The Clicks Clubcard has remained at the top as the most used loyalty programme at 72%, 12% points ahead of no.2, Pick n Pay Smart Shopper at 60%. Offering great deals to loyalty programme customers will increase sales as well as potential new customer sign-ups.

Empower stokvels – as South Africa’s R45bn stokvel industry grows, it would be wise for businesses to be in on finding solutions to the ‘pain points’ of the nation’s stokvel groups – which are estimated to be over 800,000. Examples of big business getting it right are Pick n Pay partnering with Absa to launch a new stokvel account and providing people with a safer and easier way to save.

Another innovative example is replicating the idea of a stokvel via a mobile app such as Franc – launched by Dr Thomas Brennan, the former head of digital innovation at Discovery Health. The app allows access to both the money market and an exchange-traded fund via people’s smartphones.

I’m excited about the opportunities getting CRM right will afford businesses and consumers. We have an obligation to get to know our customers as well as we can and to give them the best deals possible.

ONSHELF opportunity@onshelf.co.za www.onshelf.co.za

First Impressions Are Built On Brand Personality

By
Kyocera Document Solutions
-
First Impressions Are Built On Brand Personality

A brand personality is shared in a number of ways. It can be online, offline or face to face. Either way, companies must seek to reflect their brand personality in every interaction that they have with their stakeholders.

The way in which a company portrays itself visually shows the kind of company that they aspire to be, the clients they aspire to have and the impact they aspire to make on the world around them.

Secondly, it is the way in which the brand interacts with its stakeholders. Through an informative tone of voice, which seeks to advise and help stakeholders find new ways to grow, you should show your customers that you are learning alongside them.

To define a brand, you need to understand it. There are three crucial features which make up the way in which the organisation and its workforce operate every day:

1. Never stop learning

Even after several years of innovation, you must continue to learn and face new challenges. Tackling those challenges head-on is key to your desire to grow your knowledge and get meaningful and valuable answers from every question posed.

2. Optimism

The future will bring changes to the world around us, both good and bad, as technology develops while the environment comes under increasing threat. Your brand needs to be confident that you can face up to these changes and embrace them to make your world accessible and empowering.

3. Stay grounded

You may be an expert in your field, but honesty and integrity are crucial to the way in which you operate. Constantly learning, we know that there is always more knowledge to acquire. Sharing this knowledge requires a humble approach, and that is fundamental to your personality.

Bringing a brand personality to life

A brand personality is not something that exists on a screen or on printed materials alone. A brand personality should become an essential part of day-to-day life when working alongside an organisation.

Through the creation of the human touch, reflected by the visual identity of the brand,  seek to add a personal approach to every interaction, regardless of which of your digital touch points have provided the contact. This way, you can make a long-lasting impression on your stakeholders.

Maintaining and evolving a brand personality

Global brand personalities are constantly changing and evolving. Companies face up to new challenges, and that calls for you to adapt your aims and goals to fit the environment you are operating in.

For Kyocera Document Solutions, our brand personality is the most valuable element of our re-branding project. Defining our values, reflecting them accurately and ensuring that they are always relevant and shared has become our priority.

This article was originally published on www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.za

KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.za

SA INC Launches Good News Campaign

By
Modern Marketing
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SA INC Spreading Launches Good News Campaign
The SA INC team at the spreading the good news Cape Town launch.

The launch of SA INC – a campaign that focuses on spreading SA’s good news stories for a change – took place on 12 April 2019 in Claremont at the Citadel and was attended by South Africa’s leading brands, who gave the campaign the thumbs up.

SA INC, a partnership between BLSA, Brand South Africa and Regency Global, aims to change conversations in South Africa by highlighting and celebrating the country’s success and achievements.

The campaign is the brainchild of filmmaker and executive producer, Shani Kay, who is passionate about activating South Africa’s potential. ‘When we share the positive news from our remarkable country, we will begin realising that there is so much we can be proud of,’ said Kay.

The event was opened by Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) board member and outgoing Woolworths chairman, Simon Susman. Susman spoke about his personal drive to honour and celebrate the important contribution and opportunity as an elder to ‘first learn, then earn and finally return wisdom and time to society.’

Richard Kyle, founder of Regency Global, said that what had started as an inspirational campaign was fast becoming a movement for change.

To join the conversation and help share the good news about South Africa, visit regency.global/sa-inc

New Kantar Appointments Will Unlock Sustainable Growth Strategies

By
Modern Marketing
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Kantar Makes Africa And Middle East Region Appointments
Ivan Moroke (CEO), Karin du Chenne (Chief Growth Officer), Natalie Otte (Managing Director JHB), Brian Reid (Managing Director CPT) and Leon Bodha (General Manager).

Ivan Moroke has been appointed as CEO of Kantar’s Insights Division for South Africa and joins the Kantar Africa and Middle East board. He will report to Charles Foster, CEO, Kantar Insights Division, Africa and the Middle East.

Moroke plans to focus on leveraging world-class Kantar data sources to mine insights that unlock sustainable growth strategies for Kantar’s clients and employees. A number of senior appointments have also been announced.

‘As Kantar moves towards a unified brand I know that we couldn’t ask for a better leader than Moroke to drive the business in South Africa. His enormous experience and passion for our industry will benefit both our staff and our clients as we integrate brands across the company, working together to turn insights into actionable solutions that will fuel business growth for our clients and have a real impact on their ROI,’ said Foster.

Moroke began his career at BAT, later moved to Added Value where he cultivated his passion for insights and growth strategies for business and brands. He has held leadership roles in strategic planning and business at Lowe Bull, and led teams at Yellowwood Future Architects and TBWA Hunt Lascaris, later founding the marketing insights and strategy consultancy, Co-Currency.

Moroke is also the chairperson of the jury for the Apex Awards and regularly serves on the judging panels of other industry awards, including the Loeries and Bookmarks. He has chaired the Brand Council South Africa (BCSA) and is a previous Vice-Chairperson of the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA).

Karin du Chenne has been appointed Chief Growth Officer, of Kantar’s Insights Division for Africa and the Middle East. Du Chenne will focus on deepening relationships with local, regional and multinational clients to bring them the best of what Kantar has to offer to grow their market share. She has worked across the region for many years and was previously based in Turkey as Chief Client Officer, and most recently was the CEO for Kantar South Africa for the past two years.

The business has also made several appointments within the insights team in South Africa to align with strategic initiatives to drive co-creation and purposeful collaboration across the organisation, making it easier for Kantar to build platforms and offers that address clients’ most pressing needs.

‘Our ambition is that it will be easier to access the breadth of our expertise, and I could not have asked for a more talented and diverse group of leaders, united by the passion for the business and people,’ commented Moroke.

Natalie Otte has been appointed as the Managing Director of Kantar, Insights Division, Johannesburg. Otte has been with the company for the past 15 years and was most recently CEO of Kantar Millward Brown in South Africa. In her new position, she will take on a wider role across Kantar’s Insights Division, and will also serve as Chief Client Officer.

Moroke commented on Otte’s appointment: ‘I knew Otte before I joined Kantar and was well acquainted with the phenomenal work she has done in growing the Kantar Millward Brown business. Working with her closely over the last year has revealed someone who puts clients first as much as she does every member of staff. The leadership of the Johannesburg office and national client initiatives is significant and will make the most of her talents.’

Brian Reid has been appointed Managing Director, Kantar, Insights Division, Cape Town. He has been heading up the client service teams at Kantar TNS in Cape Town for a few years. Prior to rejoining Kantar TNS, he managed the Insights team at Distell and later led his own strategic insights consultancy.

‘In Reid we have one of the most well-rounded leaders I have come across in my professional life. His diverse experience shows in his brilliant strategic mind, strong business acumen, servant leadership of his staff and impressive client-centricity,’ said Moroke.

Leon Bodha was appointed General Manager, Kantar, Insights Division, Durban. Bodha leads Kantar global client programmes that are based in the Durban Multi-country Centre. He is also focussed on global innovation and automation to bring fast access to data and quick turnaround solutions for clients.

‘Bodha recently celebrated his 20th anniversary at Kantar. He is someone who arguably has the most varied experience in the business at different levels covering creative design, operations, client service and innovation to name a few. He has grown through the ranks to head the Durban operation, which is testimony to his abilities, strong character and leadership skills,’ concluded Moroke.

KANTAR MILLWARDBROWN www.millwardbrown.com

Media Industry Highly Anticipates #ROOTS2019 Survey Results

By
Modern Marketing
-
Media Industry Highly Anticipates #ROOTS2019 Survey Results

The ROOTS survey is one of South Africa’s largest and longest running consumer behaviour surveys and is conducted every three years, in over 120 communities across the country. A few influential people in the media industry were asked what their thoughts are of ROOTS 2019 and what they are looking forward to.

Chris Botha, Group Managing Director at Park Advertising said, ‘One of the most critical aspects of any media campaign is knowing your target market. We know and understand that people are different everywhere but these differences are even more pronounced in local communities across South Africa. It’s this granular detail that I always look forward to in all the ROOTS surveys. Besides the additional areas and categories covered, I’m pleased with the inclusion of new metrics like SEMs and I’m looking forward to insights like how many consumers are using Uber (and where), amongst others. We look forward to incorporating this new data into our media plans to reach our consumers even more effectively.’

Merissa Himraj, Chief Strategy Officer at Wavemaker said, ‘I am looking forward to ROOTS 2019, and am curious to see whether the consumption of media through digital channels has impacted reading habits of community papers, in which segment/audience this is happening and where the consumption growth is coming from. We now have a lot of data that can provide a snapshot of 20 years, showing that as people’s life stages change from single to young families so do their media consumption habits.’

The ROOTS data provides marketers with vital demographic and behavioural information at a local, regional and national level, but it’s the ability to deep-dive and access granular local data that provides the biggest marketing advantages.

‘The local community newspaper amplifies the heartbeat of any community. People are creatures of habit and also have a need to stay close to home, especially in the current political environment, with crime, load shedding and many other issues that plague the ever-burdened consumer,’ said Tish Ronge, Head of Media Buying at Mediacom Johannesburg. ‘Geographically each area also has its own unique socio-economic need, no matter how affluent. In my opinion, it is only the local community newspaper that is tailored to fit this part of the media mix, especially for retailers.’

The survey will provide the marketing, media and advertising industry a national snapshot, at a local level. With new categories, added areas and an in-depth questionnaire that includes digital, this year’s ROOTS is one of biggest and most robust. Take for example the question, ‘do consumers take care of themselves?’ To find the answer, the survey, amongst exploring multiple other categories, finds out about medical aid membership, changes in weight, physical activity and consumption and store preference for vitamins and supplements.

‘It is exciting to see all the components being put together and what will be revealed about the local consumer in their local environments,’ said Debbie McIntyre, Marketing Services and Research Director SPARK Media.

SPARK MEDIA
+27104928391
info@sparkmedia.co.za
www.sparkmedia.co.za

VML Reveals State of Marketing In South Africa

By
Modern Marketing
-
VML Reveals State of Marketing In South Africa

VML South Africa’s research reveals that 40% of marketing leads/chief marketing officers (CMOs) surveyed are responsible for annual budgets in excess of R50 million.

40% of respondents are spending the largest portion of their budget on digital and social media projects as they are gaining their greatest return on investment (ROI) from these platforms. However, only 13% continue to see returns from traditional channels like print and broadcast media and PR.

In spite of the majority of respondents saying that they spend the most, and gain the greatest returns from digital channels, ‘data analytics’ receives the least ROI. A third (33%) of respondents said their primary focus for this year is to make better use of existing data. All respondents said they would be investing in training their teams in data analysis and related digital skills.

Some marketers said they had too much data to distil. Getting to grips with the huge amount of data now available to marketers is going to be the biggest advantage for the canniest of South Africa’s marketing leaders.

Other two challenges respondents face are increased competition and consumer intolerance to advertising (each of these rated equally with data at 20%). This means they have to work harder to find new ways to engage with consumers, hence more than a quarter said their primary focus would be on creating customer experiences.

All respondents are using three or more agencies to support their marketing efforts, with a third of them using more than five external agencies. Is this an indication that marketers still feel they need specialists for each discipline? Are these rosters shrinking or growing? Future surveys will look into these topics.

Jarred Cinman, CEO of VML South Africa said, ‘We talked to the marketing leads of some of South Africa’s largest companies. The scale of their budgets is indicative of the value marketing brings to organisations and brands. It also shows how marketers have evolved from managing the 3 Ps to doing so much more. Today, they’re responsible for increasing sales, improving omni-channel customer experiences, and reinventing the customer relationship through digital innovation.’

This is the first in what will become a quarterly survey of the state of marketing in South Africa. At this early stage, VML considers the survey a dipstick, but as it grows it will become the definitive research into the role of South African CMOs across all sectors.

‘We’ll be issuing our second round of research soon,’ said Cinman. ‘We have different questions this time to broaden the scope of our research as part of our mission to grow it into a definitive and regular measure of South Africa’s marketing industry. We feel sure that our local marketers will benefit from knowing where they stand in relation to their fellow marketers.’

VMLY&R SOUTH AFRICA
+27115553800
www.vml.com/southafrica

 

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