Influencer Marketing Techniques For Optimised African Reach

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October 18, 2024

Influencer Marketing Techniques For Optimised African Reach — Photo by Nik on Unsplash.

Brands venturing into the African market are quickly discovering one thing: you can’t buy authenticity. You must earn it. To make a meaningful impact here, it’s not enough to show up – you need to tell the right story.

Africa’s digital heartbeat is growing louder. It’s no longer a continent on the verge of digital transformation — it’s leading it. With over $180 billion projected for Africa’s digital economy by 2025, and driven largely by its emerging youth, the entire continent is a force brands can’t afford to overlook.

Albert Makoeng, Managing Director of Nfinity Influencer Group, which holds the exclusive license rights for theSalt in Africa, obtained on the back of their successful track record with the platform in South Africa, said: ‘The power of influence in Africa is deeply rooted in storytelling. Our storytellers don’t just sell products; they share lives, experiences, and truths. And that’s what resonates.’ Since Africa has always been a continent rich in stories, it’s safe to say that today’s creators are the modern-day cultural narrators. They’ve traded fireside tales for Instagram posts and TikToks, but the essence remains the same — connection, credibility, and truth.

Africa’s youth, at the forefront of this digital revolution, are not just embracing technology — they’re redefining how it’s used. Unlike other regions where digital trends often follow established patterns, young African influencers are creating entirely new paradigms. They’re blending entrepreneurial spirit with community-driven engagement, turning mobile-first media into dynamic spaces for commerce, activism, and cultural expression. Their ability to seamlessly integrate social issues and commerce into storytelling gives them a distinctive edge.

‘Brands that come to Africa with a cookie-cutter approach miss the mark,’ said Makoeng. ‘What works in Europe or America doesn’t necessarily land here. You have to invest in real relationships, in real stories. That’s how you influence in Africa.’

Real Stories, Real People

By partnering with local creators who are already living the brand, marketers can ensure their message is not just heard but felt. With this in mind, brands can get into the raw tapestry of a culture, and bypass the sales noise, and get straight to what matters: authentic connections. ‘In Africa, influence isn’t about the loudest and glossiest voice; it’s about the most trusted,’ said Makoeng.

It’s not just about reach; it’s about impact. Brands can tap into local creators across the continent. By doing so, they’re not just selling products. They’re embedding themselves into the cultural conversations of these regions, making the brand part of daily life. The youth, increasingly digital-first, play a pivotal role in these conversations, driving the culture forward.

Cultural Context As A Strategic Asset

Africa’s cultural diversity is a powerful advantage for brands willing to invest the time to understand and embrace it. Every country, from Ethiopia to Mozambique, presents its own unique blend of traditions, values, and digital habits. ‘In Africa, context is everything,’ said Jhene Nel, Divisional Head of Sales at theSalt. ‘It’s not just about reaching the audience, it’s about speaking their language, respecting their customs, and building your brand’s story into the local narrative.’

By tapping into regional nuances, brands become a visible part of the culture. This cultural fluency is what separates campaigns that resonate from those that fall flat.

Winning The Digital Game In Africa

In Africa, storytelling has always been more than entertainment; it’s a way to pass down values, preserve heritage, and build connections across generations. Whether through folktales or modern digital platforms, the essence remains the same — capturing hearts through stories.

‘In the African market, trust is currency. And those who control the trust, control the conversation. It’s why creators, not brands, are shaping the media landscape. They are the ones with the audience, with the trust, and with the power to make a product more than just something to buy. But something to believe in,’ added Nel.

Makoeng and Nel share six of theSalt’s most trusted influencer marketing techniques for optimised African reach:

Leverage Local Voices

Don’t try to speak for African consumers. Engage those who are rooted in their communities. The most trusted influencers are those who understand their audience’s daily lives.

Focus On Real Fans, Not Just Big Names

The closer you are to the source of influence, the more credible your message becomes. Brands should use real fans as a source of influence to build genuine trust.

Don’t Aim For One-Size-Fits-All

Africa is a continent of many stories, each with its own culture and nuances. Work with influencers who can tell your brand’s story in a way that each specific market will resonate.

Embrace The Power Of Vernacular Content

Africa’s linguistic diversity is one of its strengths. Influencers who create content in local languages (such as Zulu, Swahili, Yoruba, or Amharic) can connect with communities in a way that feels familiar, making messages more relatable and impactful.

Utilise Mobile-First Marketing

Africa is a mobile-first continent, with the majority of users accessing the internet through their phones. Campaigns should prioritise mobile optimisation, ensuring content is easily digestible for the mobile market, from vertical videos to mobile-friendly platforms.

Adapt To Emerging Trends Like Social Commerce

With platforms like TikTok and Instagram joining social commerce, brands should integrate shoppable posts and livestream commerce to tap into the purchasing power of African consumers. Influencers who combine storytelling with easy shopping experiences can drive both engagement and conversions.

THESALT
www.thesalt.co.za

Delta Victor Bravo Appoints New Project Manager

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Modern Marketing

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October 18, 2024

Delta Victor Bravo Appoints New Project Manager — Phumelele Buthelezi, Delta Victor Bravo.

Phumelele Buthelezi has joined Delta Victor Bravo as Project Manager. Buthelezi’s career has seen her working with some of the world’s leading brands, including Apple Music, PayPal, and Amazon, during her time at Hogarth Worldwide and OLIVER+.

Her extensive international experience across the United States, Singapore, and Northern Europe has honed her ability to manage complex projects across diverse regional dynamics.

Buthelezi brings over a decade of experience in project management, account management, and transcreation, with a proven track record in delivering high-quality project outcomes and building strong client relationships.

Dhatchani Naidoo, MD of Delta Victor Bravo, said: ‘We are excited to welcome Buthelezi to the team. Her dedication to excellence in project delivery aligns perfectly with our values and we look forward to the fresh perspective and leadership she will bring to our projects.’

Buthelezi is committed to building collaborative client relationships through meticulous project management. She will play a key role in supporting Delta Victor Bravo’s focus on delivering impactful project outcomes for clients.

DELTA VICTOR BRAVO
www.deltavictorbravo.com

Rogerwilco Scores In Top 10% Of B Corps Globally

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Modern Marketing

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October 18, 2024

Rogerwilco Scores In Top 10% Of B Corps Globally

B Corp is an initiative of the non-profit network B Lab, which aims to create a global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. Its USP is its ability to measure a company’s entire social and environmental impact. Digital CX agency, Rogerwilco, has become the largest marketing agency in Africa to achieve B Corp certification.

This is a triple bottom line assessment that evaluates an organisation’s approach to profit, people and the planet, and confirms they meet the highest social and environmental standards. Rogerwilco scored 106.8 on the B Corp scale, putting it in the top 10% globally. This is way above requirements: the median score is 50.9 and the global average for certified businesses in the marketing industry is 80.7.

The rigorous B Corp evaluation process, which took just under a year, would have been more daunting had Rogerwilco not already embarked on its own Be Better™ enrichment programme to redefine its purpose.

Rogerwilco CEO, Charlie Stewart, said, ‘We initiated the Be Better™ initiative in late 2023 because we know that businesses with an authentic, credible purpose consistently outperform for their clients and themselves. This meant that by the time we started the B Corp evaluation we’d already created a culture of self-improvement and an appetite to find ways of bettering our actions and impacts.’

Stewart said B Corp’s verification analysts examined the agency in detail, from governance structures to staff welfare and development, plus the way they interact with their communities. ‘Environmental impact is also rated and it mattered that we don’t take on clients in destructive industries like mining, fossil fuels and gambling.’

Becoming a B Corp quickly deepened the sense of togetherness and belonging inside the agency. Staff attrition dropped sharply and Stewart said there’s a buzz in the company that he hasn’t felt since before lockdown. Clients are happier and profits are up.

He said the external validation earned from becoming a B Corp has turned Rogerwilco’s organisational purpose from words into visible action. ‘This authenticity is helping us grow a powerful, unifying culture because everyone associated with the agency has found something in the B Corp status that resonates with their personal values and gives them reasons to believe in us.’

Some appreciate care for their wellbeing and personal development, others value micro-community CSR initiatives, and most are proud to be part of the environmental improvement process. Stewart said there’s a lot of goodwill towards a company whose business practices align with their personal principles.

There are myriad reasons to apply for B Corp certification: to demonstrate a commitment to the triple bottom line, to be part of a community of like-minded change makers, or to attract staff and new business. ‘For us, it was about providing hard evidence that we really are on a journey to improve ourselves,’ said Stewart.

The entire evaluation process takes anywhere from 10 to 18 months, depending on the business’s preparedness. Some assessment criteria are similar to the B-BBEE scorecard although far more robust. Being a Level 1 contributor meant that some of the agency’s groundwork was already in place but a number of policies had to be updated to meet B Corp’s more rigorous standards.

B Corps are re-evaluated every three years to ensure they continue to meet the required standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. ‘We’re keen to see how a more conscious approach to conducting business impacts on our score in our 2027 recertification,’ said Stewart.

ROGERWILCO
https://www.rogerwilco.co.za

How TV Habits Have Changed Since Loadshedding Eased

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Modern Marketing

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October 18, 2024

How TV Habits Have Changed Since Loadshedding Eased

The latest data from the Marketing Research Foundation’s Marketing All Product Survey (MAPS™) first quarter figures of 2024 reveals a slight recovery in Television viewership as the lights stay on. Johann Koster, CEO of the Marketing Research Foundation (MRF), shared his insights on this trend, ‘We’re encouraged by TV viewership in South Africa as the numbers from the MAPS™ survey indicate an upward move for the first quarter of 2024 after Loadshedding was called off at the beginning of the year.’

The Numbers Don’t Lie

The MAPS™ quarterly data paints an interesting picture of TV’s performance over the past few years. While the numbers are still down from an average of 73% in 2021 to 54% in 2023 the quarterly views show an increase of 6% from Q4 2023 (54%) to Q1 2024 (60%). ‘Our upcoming MAPS™ release (fieldwork period of July 2023 to June 2024) will show whether TV is able to maintain the gains following the pause in load shedding,’ commented Koster.

While Loadshedding caused havoc, not only in the consumer space but the media industry too, the digital migration process has also impacted TV viewership. Numerous households were cut off when the analogue signals were switched off in a number of provinces. Without the necessary equipment to receive the replacement digital signals, many households were left without the means of receiving TV transmissions.

The major provinces are yet to be switched off – towards the end of this year – possibly impacting TV numbers again. Although households that report they have adopted the DDT boxes have shown a steady increase, there is a clear lag in adoption and TV is potentially facing another watershed moment.

The Rise Of Streaming

MAPS™ data also sheds light on the streaming landscape and rise in streaming across all platforms from 2021: Netflix leads the pack with a 12-month average in 2023 of 14.6% of the population having access, followed by Showmax at 8.3% in 2023.
· Netflix up by 4%. 10.6% in 2021 to 14.6% in 2023.
· Showmax up by 3.9%. 4.4% in 2021 to 8.3% in 2023.

However, taking a quarter-on-quarter view Netflix shows a slight dip in Q1 of 2024 while Showmax had a slight increase, suggesting that Showmax may be making some inroads.

Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Disney+ have all shown small but steady increases over the three years, albeit from a much smaller base.

‘An interesting point in the streaming numbers is that only about half of the people, that access Netflix and Showmax, do so with their own login indicating that the sharing of login details is clearly prevalent,’ Koster observed.

The Power Of TV Advertising

TV remains a potent platform for advertisers and still packs a punch. It’s not just about reach. TV creates emotional connections and builds brand trust in ways that digital platforms and other traditional media often struggle to match. Koster added, ‘However, there is a close relationship with social media. MAPS™ suggests that close to 40% of TV viewers report that they are on social media while watching TV which could indicate a clear opportunity for cross platform engagement with audiences.’

The MRF is hosting a webinar to dive deeper into the latest MAPS™ data and its implications for the media and advertising industry. Koster extends an invitation: ‘The next major MAPS™ release will be released soon and will include the fieldwork period of July 2023 to June 2024. Together with research partners, Plus94, we will be inviting the industry to participate in a webinar to discuss the latest MAPS data. Watch our social media and check emails for the invitation.’

MARKETING RESEARCH FOUNDATION
http://mrfsa.org.za/

23 Leadership Lessons For PR And Marketing Professionals

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Modern Marketing

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October 18, 2024

As PR Worx marks 23 years in the game, CEO Madelain Roscher has learned some hard-won lessons that have shaped the agency and simultaneously pushed boundaries in the communications world. From navigating setbacks to seizing big wins, these insights are designed to help entrepreneurs level up and rethink how they approach their work, their relationships, and their growth.

1. Know Your Worth

If you’re a premium provider, steer clear of budget clients. If you operate in the budget space, don’t stretch yourself too thin. Play to your strengths and never allow clients to undervalue your expertise. Remember, you’re being paid for the impact you deliver, not just the consulting time.

2. Manifest Your Dreams

Visualise your success, share your goals with your team, and stay focused until you achieve them. Setting goals is just the beginning – it’s consistent accountability and relentless work that transform vision into reality.

3. Lead With Faith

Never shy away from the beliefs that ground you. Stay true to your values – it earns respect and shows clients that your authenticity and conviction are non-negotiable.

4. Show Tolerance

You can lead with conviction and authenticity in your beliefs while also respecting and engaging with clients who may hold different views, provided those differences don’t fundamentally undermine your core values or the quality of your work. It’s about finding common ground through mutual respect.

5. Elevate Others

Freely share your experiences. Reach out to businesses or groups in need and offer advice and use industry knowledge and connections to raise others up. Someone you help today may help you tomorrow.

6. Show Gratitude

No matter how hard you’ve worked for something, be thankful. Appreciate what others do for you too. Gratitude shows humility and makes you more approachable.

7. Pursue Awards

Awards aren’t just about prestige – they’re a testament to the value you bring, for you and your clients. Industry recognition reflects the impact of your work and shows clients that partnering with you elevates their brand too. Awards signal credibility and expertise.

8. Self-promote, Don’t Grandstand

Share your achievements confidently, and let your work speak for itself. Use social media to showcase your expertise, and to educate and engage, rather than to show off.

9. Hire The Best

Hire according to talent and competence, but don’t underestimate the value of promoting your members’ qualifications, experience and achievements. Clients want to know that you employ the best to represent their brands.

10. Don’t Shy Away From Conflict

Address issues promptly and respectfully. Avoiding friction often escalates problems instead of resolving them. Approach conflicts as opportunities for growth, and remember that healthy disagreement can lead to innovation.

11. Don’t Fear Dropping Clients

‘Firing’ clients when they’re no longer a good fit is terrifying, but your reputation and company stability are worth more than a single big-ticket client.

12. Communicate Clearly

Don’t be vague or leave anything open to interpretation. Use straightforward language, provide context where necessary and encourage questions for clarity.

13. Adapt Your Messaging

Tailor your communication to suit your audience. Flexibility in your messaging promotes understanding, makes interactions more effective, and leaves a lasting impression.

14. Know The Power Of No

Master saying no to unreasonable requests. Stand your ground, be assertive, provide an explanation, and seek alternative solutions with your clients to build a win-win relationship.

15. Take On Alternative Work

Trade exchanges can be a smart financial move. Offering services to clients with limited budgets in exchange for access to their network or promotions can fuel growth. Your work gains visibility, while they get the expertise they need, creating opportunities that can lead to new, paying clients and partnerships.

16. Fuse Marketing And PR Efforts

Marketing sells, PR builds trust. Together, they’re unstoppable. Align them, and you’ll amplify your brand, boost visibility and drive results. One fuels the other — don’t separate them.

17. Stick To The Truth

Never lie, withhold difficult information, or spin the facts, and you’ll never worry about dropping the façade, because there won’t be one to begin with.

18. Guard Your Tongue

Once something’s shared online, it could be there forever. Choose your words wisely and speak from a place of compassion rather than anger, even when no one’s filming.

19. Stay Informed

Make a habit of keeping up with industry news, encourage your team to continue learning, and share insights with them. Staying informed empowers you to make better decisions and offer relevant advice.

20. Invest In Yourself

Seek personal and professional development. Study, attend workshops, dive into inspiring books, and sharpen your skills. The more you invest in yourself, the greater value you provide to others.

21. Set Boundaries

Limit overlap between work and your personal life. Your team will follow your lead, but need to switch off, the same as you, so rest responsibly.

22. Establish Networks

Attend industry events, join forums, network,and engage with your peers to build relationships with people from all walks of life – you never know who you’d need down the line.

23. Be Resourceful

Learn to maximise what you have – necessity is the mother of invention. A small budget is an opportunity to try something new and surprise everyone with your ingenuity.

Ultimately, what it all comes down to is being authentically you, breaking barriers every step you take, and bringing other along as you climb your way to success. Don’t be afraid to risk it all, and reach out to others in your field when you need a push.

PR WORX
https://www.prworx.co.za

Winners Of The African Marketing Confederation Awards Announced

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Modern Marketing

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October 16, 2024

Winners Of The Africa Marketing Confederation Awards Announced — Nigel Tattersall, Gloria Kaburu and Helen McIntee.

The African Marketing Confederation (AMC) Awards celebrated the outstanding achievements of marketing professionals across the continent. A diverse range of campaigns, demonstrating creativity, innovation and effectiveness, were honoured at the prestigious ceremony.

Held in Mombasa, Kenya’s historic trading hub and travel destination, between 25 and 27 September 2024, the conference presented the perfect opportunity to celebrate these sought-after awards.

Helen McIntee, AMC President, said that the judges, who based their decisions on the criteria across an array of metrics, had a difficult time selecting winners across the categories. ‘The quality of campaigns submitted shows just how much marketing talent we have in Africa. We are proud of the teams behind each and every campaign as well as those who walked away with the honours.’

For the Best Cause-Related Campaign, White Cap Kenya won gold for its Saving the White Caps project, which linked the White Cap beer to Mount Kenya, a national treasure. The project made the point that both the mountain, a large provider of Kenya’s water, and the beer are local heritages and distinctly Kenyan, while also showcasing the work White Cap Kenya did to aid in preserving the mountain.

‘Being able to honour the work done in helping support a national asset to Kenya is a fantastic achievement, and we are proud of the entire team,’ said McIntee. The pitch also secured a Bronze in Brand of the Year.

In the Best Social Media Campaign category, Uganda’s TMI Technologies won gold for their MiOne Launch in January. The launch unveiled smartphone and smart devices, following the success of sales in MiOne’s feature phone, with more than 500,000 sold by 2024. MiOne is a Chinese phone manufacturer that assembles its devices in Uganda.

‘The project not only resulted in Ugandans being connected with each other, but also successfully expanded vital internet access,’ said McIntee. The MiOne launch also won silver in the Most Effective Campaign category, as well as silver for Brand of the Year.

Johnnie Walker Kenya’s Bart AI campaign won the Best Use of Local Insights award. The project placed the whiskey, which has had a presence in the East African country for two centuries, in the context of the current generation, introducing Bart AI as a mixologist.

‘The campaign successfully reached 3.8 million drinkers, providing them with an AI-powered bot mixologist that used their age, the time of day, and their preferred flavour profile to craft a personalised cocktail recipe,’ said McIntee. ‘The winners succeeded in using local insights to win this coveted award, as well as bronze for Brand of the Year,’ she added.

The Zambian Tourism Agency’s Destination Zambia campaign won the top honours in the Tourism and Destination Marketing Campaign category. The campaign made use of integrated and holistic strategies to promote Zambia to increase tourism arrivals, with an expected 1.5 million international tourists anticipated to arrive in the country in 2023 as travel recovers from the Covid-19 shutdown. Some 1.2 million had already landed by last October, and the target for 2024 was set at 2 million.

‘Knowing that this project has helped boost GDP through additional tourism arrivals is an award in itself,’ said McIntee. ‘Having this success recognised by the prestigious AMC awards makes its efforts all the sweeter,’ she added.

Stanbic Bank Uganda’s Stanbic National School Championship was the winner in the Most Effective Campaign category. This project succeeded in creating awareness and resulted in vast amounts of coverage of the championship from various angles, including profiling the winners, highlighting the benefits for learners and discussing its potential expansion. There were also numerous YouTube videos as students sought to solve real-life dilemmas.

‘Not only was more awareness created around the championship, but being lauded on a continental level shows just how successful this campaign has been,’ said McIntee. Stanbic Bank Uganda also won Brand of the Year.

The Campaign of the Year went to Guinness Kenya’s Match Day campaign, which sought to ensure the current generation of Kenyans is enamoured with Guinness by linking it with soccer to make it engaging and relevant. One of the ways this was achieved was by offering a select number of fans access to Black Pearl Lounge, where they could watch popular English teams in a two-day tournament.

‘The project included aspects such as the lounge, a social media competition, and other elements together as a three-phased, multi-channel project,’ said McIntee. ‘Winning at the AMC awards is a clear verification of the success of the project.’ Guinness Kenya also won bronze for Brand of the Year.

‘Every entry we received was a testament to the huge amount of talent on the continent,’ said McIntee. ‘Each of our winners can be proud of their campaigns and are deserving of the accolades.’

AFRICAN MARKETING CONFEDERATION
www.africanmarketingconfederation.org

Loeries Announces 2024 Winners

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Modern Marketing

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October 15, 2024

The Loeries, the premier celebration of creativity in Africa and the Middle East, announced the winners during Loeries Creative Week, which ran from 7-11 October. Modern Marketing is a proud media partner of The Loeries.

For 46 years, the Loeries has been awarding creative excellence in the advertising and brand communication industry. As the highest accolade in the industry across the Africa and Middle East region, the Loeries not only celebrates deserving work, it also promotes, supports and celebrates creativity by assisting marketers, agencies, and consumers to appreciate the value of ideas and fresh thinking.

The Loeries Creative Week is the largest gathering of its kind in the region and brings together the very best in the industry for a festival of networking, celebration, and recognition of great work.

Outgoing Loeries Chairperson, Sibusiso Sitole, described The Loeries as ‘The most powerful showcase of creativity in the world,’ while Kabelo Moshapalo who follows him into the role lauded the ‘Contextually charged ideas that speak directly to our people’, adding that the region is ready to go global.

Loeries CEO Preetesh Sewraj lauded the Loeries partners and stressed that the awards exist to serve their shareholders, which was ‘everyone in the room’, explaining that one becomes a member of The Loeries organisation by the virtue of your work being entered. ‘The business of creative excellence belongs to everyone.’

Loeries Winners:

The Agency of the Year is Joe Public while the Independent Agency of the Year is The Odd Number. Publicis Groupe MEA was named Regional Agency of the Year.

Film Crafts

• Film Crafts – Direction: Craft Gold Loerie was awarded to 0307 Films Pty Ltd for KFC Beyond The Sea KFC 2.0.
• Film Crafts – Performance: a Craft Gold Loerie was awarded to Darling Films (Pty) Ltd For Nedbank Honouring The Class Of ’76 Signwriter Film Youth Day Campaign.
• Film Crafts – Music: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Accenture Song for Allan Gray Everything Comes Around.
• Film Crafts – Sound Design: a Craft Gold Loerie was awarded to Darling Films (Pty) Ltd For Nedbank Honouring The Class Of ’76 Signwriter Film Youth Day Campaign.
• Film Crafts – Editing: a Craft Gold Loerie was awarded to Post Modern for Bongeziwe Mabandla – Soze Music Video.
• Film Crafts – Cinematography: a Craft Gold was awarded to Darling Films (Pty) Ltd For Nedbank Honouring The Class Of ’76 Signwriter Film Youth Day Campaign.

Film

• Film – TV and Cinema Commercials up to ’90s: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Impact BBDO for – Floward Works Like Magic.
• Film – TV and Cinema Commercials up to ’90s: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Ogilvy South Africa for KFC; Beyond The Sea.
• Film – Online Film – above 30s: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Joe Public for Nedbank; The Signwriter.

Radio Crafts

• Radio Crafts – Direction: a Campaign Craft Gold Loerie was awarded to TBWA\Hunt Lascaris for Bedtime Stories for Business People; City Lodge Hotels.
• Radio Crafts – Writing a Campaign: a Craft Gold Loerie was awarded to The Odd Number for Salvation Army Mama.
• Radio Crafts – Writing: a Craft Gold Loerie was awarded to The Odd Number for Game Stores; Game Installation Services.
• Radio Crafts – Performance: a Campaign Craft Gold Loerie was awarded to The Odd Number for Salvation Army Mama.
• Radio Station – Commercials: a Campaign Gold Loerie was awarded to The Odd Number for Salvation Army – Papa, Mama, Koko.
• Radio Station – Commercials: a Campaign Gold Loerie was awarded to Joe Public for There’s a beer for you – Okrrr, What’s Gucci, Spill the Tea SAB (ABINBEV).
• Radio Station – Commercials: a Campaign Gold Loerie was awarded to Halo Advertising Pty Ltd for The radio campaign that cut… – Me Again, Update, Package Deal, Good News Pineapple; Me Again Insurance.
• SA Non-English Radio Station Commercials: a Campaign Gold Loerie was awarded to The Odd Number for Rock Bottom – Cycle of life, Keeping secrets, Ink Isn’t Dry; Game Stores.

Service Design

• Leo Burnett KSA / Saatchi & Saatchi ME: Gold, Saudia Airlines, ProtecTasbih, Sanitising Prayer Beads.

Loeries Masterclass.

PR And Media And Campaigns

• PR and Media Communication Campaign: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Impact BBDO for AnNahar Newspaper’s The New President.
• Creative use of Data Integration: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Impact BBDO Gold for AnNahar Newspaper’s The New President.
• Channel Creativity: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Leo Burnett for Omantel; WhatsApp Oman.
• Media Innovation – Single Medium: a Gold Loerie was awarded to SERVICEPLAN MIDDLE EAST FZ-LLC for BMW iJACK.
• Effective Creativity: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Joe Public for Chicken Licken Big John Ya’ Hunga.

Hall Of Fame: Dani Richa, Chairman BBDO Europe Middle East and Africa.

The Loeries Marketing Leadership and Innovation Award: Bridget Harpur from VWSA.

Young Creative: a gold Loerie was awarded to Joey Gordon from Joe Public.

Grand Prix

• Brand Identity and Collateral: DashDigital Studio for Enpower Trading; Putting The Power Back In Your Hands.
• Print – Indoor Posters: Leo Burnett Dubai for NBA; The Great Indian Dunk – NBA India.

Student

• Student – General Design: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Cape Town Creative Academy (Pty) Ltd for The Margins publication Dirty Kitchen.
• Student – Online Film, Short Film and Music Videos: a Gold Loerie was awarded to The Open Window for Powerless – Animated Film Trailer.
• Student – General Design: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography for Sky Rats a Webtoons comic.
• Student – Online Film, Short Film and Music Videos: a Gold Loerie was awarded to The Animation School (PTY) Ltd for By Two 3D Animated Graduation Film.

Loeries Student Expo 2024 powered by Publicis Groupe Africa launch event.

Design

• For Design Crafts: a Craft Gold was awarded to Leo Burnett Dubai for the NBA’s The Great Indian Dunk campaign.
• For Design Crafts – Illustration: a Craft Certificate was awarded to FP7 McCann Dubai for Heinz Insurance – Heinz Ketchup.
• For Design Crafts – Typography: a Craft Gold Loeries was awarded to Leo Burnett for Protype Zael The Disappearing Font.
• For Design – Motion Graphic Design: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Wicked Pixels for Johnnie Walker Elusive Umami – Blue Label.
• For Graphic Design – General Design: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Leo Burnett for Protype; Zael – The Disappearing Font.

Social Impact Campaign: a gold Loerie was awarded to Leo Burnett Dubai for Home Centre; The Homecoming, a Purpose Initiative.

Print

• Print Crafts – Art direction: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Leo Burnett Dubai for NBA; The Great Indian Dunk Jordan.
• Print Crafts – Art direction: a Craft Certificate was awarded to Joe Public for Amnesty International South Africa; Faeces Ink.
• Print Crafts – Writing: a Campaign Craft certificate was awarded to Saatchi & Saatchi ME for Ugh, Words – Books.
• Print Crafts – Writing: a Craft Certificate was awarded to Joe Public for Nedbank’s Start Smoking.
• Print Crafts – Photography: a Craft Gold was awarded to Leo Burnett Dubai for NBA; The Great Indian Dunk – Jordan.
• Print – Print Advertising: a Campaign Gold was awarded to Joe Public for Scan The Scar; Amnesty International South Africa – Zama Child Pregnancy.

Digital

• For Digital – Use of AI: a Gold Loerie was awarded to One Over One for Parker Signature Sounds from Parker Pens.
• For Digital – Use of AI: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Impact BBDO in AnNahar Newspaper for The New President.
• For Digital – Mobile Media: a Gold Loerie was awarded to Cheil Dubai for Samsung Try Galaxy Fold Experience.

Digital Crafts

• Craft Gold for Use of Technology was awarded to Cheil Dubai for Samsung’s Try Galaxy Fold Experience.
• Craft Certificate for User Experience Design was awarded to Leo Burnett for Omantel’s Maqroo – The first Arabic font for dyslexia campaign.
• Craft Certificate for User Experience Design was awarded to Defijn (Pty) Ltd for the NeuroXR Cyberful – The Future-proof Digital Therapeutics (DTx) Solution.
• Craft Certificate for User Experience Design was awarded to Cheil Dubai Craft for Samsung’s Try Galaxy Fold Experience.

B2B Creativity

For B2B Creativity a Gold Loerie was awarded to Edelman for Move to -15 for DP World.

OOH

Outdoor Media a Gold Loerie was awarded to Havas Middle East for adidas; The Female Field.

Loeries Judge Interviews

Three of The Loeries judges talk about overcoming imposter syndrome and challenges in their advertising careers, tips on creativity and problem solving, and advice for entering next year’s Loeries.

THE LOERIES
https://www.loeries.com

Monks Acquires 25% Stake In Hoorah

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Modern Marketing

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October 10, 2024

Global advertising and marketing services company Monks has acquired a 25% stake in South African digital marketing company Hoorah, as part of its plans to grow into Africa and drive AI-driven digital services.

Monks, previously known as Media.Monks, the operating brand of UK-listed S4 Capital is a global digital marketing agency that specialises in creating innovative and personalised brand experiences. With a focus on Al-driven solutions, Monks offers a wide range of services, including creative production, content marketing, social media marketing, and data analytics.

According to a Forrester study, more than 62% of B2B marketers are already using Al-powered marketing tools in their businesses, and this is expected to increase to 75% by the end of 2024.

As part of this investment, Hoorah now has access to the full suite of Monks’ best-in-class, Al-first marketing and advertising services. By unlocking cost efficiency and building content and marketing experiences at a significant scale, Hoorah helps businesses in Africa become Al-first brands.

Shaune Jordaan, group CEO and founder of Hoorah, said that Al has transformed how marketers work over the past decade, especially in Africa, where businesses are starting to use marketing Al tools to engage, convert and retain customers.

‘At Hoorah, we embrace new ways of partnership and doing business,’ he added ‘We are here to disrupt the advertising landscape as we know it by creating innovative and personalised brand experiences at scale. This is the same approach that Monks has taken, making this a natural partnership.’

‘Further, S4 and Monks understand the importance of having the right Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) equity partner in South Africa, which is critical for our clients, for our teams and for access to scale new business opportunities.’

Clyde Mallon, Hoorah COO added ‘We are very excited about this partnership. With access to Monks’ global capabilities we are better positioned than ever to disrupt the agency landscape with new operating models and AI-enabled ways of working.’

Jordaan believes that the investment will enable Hoorah to compete against larger players and accelerate its Al expansion plans on the African continent.

Both Jordaan and Mallon continue as shareholders in the business, maintaining their leadership roles, and are committed to this new chapter of success and growth. The transaction was handled by Hoorah’s outgoing board members Adam Fine and Eran Brill, who believe Monks is well-positioned to take the business to the next level.

HOORAH
www.hoorahdigital.com

MONKS
https://www.monks.com/what-we-do

Marketers Leading The Way In Adoption Of GenAI Compared To Colleagues In IT

By

Modern Marketing

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October 10, 2024

Marketers Leading The Way On Adoption Of GenAI Compared To Colleagues In IT

A new global study, Marketers and GenAI: Diving Into the Shallow End from SAS and Coleman Parkes Research, reveals that Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are embracing GenAI despite the knowledge gap.

While 90% of organisations plan to invest in generative AI for marketing in 2025, 90% of CMOs admit that they do not fully understand GenAI or its potential impact on business processes.

This lack of detailed understanding of GenAI among senior decision makers in marketing may be hindering the eventual adoption of more sophisticated uses of GenAI – uses that could translate to improved organisational efficiencies, sustained marketing effectiveness and ultimately a sustained competitive advantage.

While 75% of marketers are currently using GenAI in their day-to-day work, in fact, marketing is ahead of other business functions, including IT, in the adoption of GenAI, many marketers are using GenAI for simplistic tasks like copywriting, editing and content creation, which only scratches the surface of what’s possible. When it comes to more sophisticated marketing use cases, only:

– 18% are using the technology to build audiences.
– 16% are using GenAI for customer journey mapping.
– 14% are using it for price optimisation.
– 19% are using GenAI for audience targeting.

This is not optimal as marketers report that when they do embrace GenAI, they are seeing strong return on their investment, particularly in terms of personalisation (92%), customer satisfaction and retention (89%), processing large data sets (88%), and accuracy in predictive analytics (88%).

‘It isn’t surprising that marketers lead the way in GenAI adoption, as it lends itself to experimentation and creativity – both hallmarks of the marketing profession,’ said Jenn Chase, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at SAS. ‘However, it is disappointing that a lack of understanding of GenAI at the CMO and senior management level is holding organisations back from experiencing the full potential of this exciting new technology. Education and training are critical to overcome this obstacle as GenAI usage not only increases productivity, but it can also improve customer experience and drive business growth.’

The good news is this looks set to change as marketers predict that they will expand their use of GenAI within the next one-to-two years in the hope of saving time and costs (63%), improving risk management and compliance (62%), and enabling more efficient processing of large data sets (60%). One in five anticipate immersive applications such as adaptive virtual reality, rising to three in ten among those who have already fully adopted GenAI.

While lack of strategic direction from CMOs is an obstacle to successful utilisation of GenAI, so too is concern over privacy and trust. Six in ten (61%) marketers reveal their main concern about GenAI usage is data security, and 61% also cite data privacy. These are the top two concerns across all respondents and with good cause. While one-third of organisations have a well-established and comprehensive governance framework for data management, this falls to less than one in ten for GenAI. Those who have fully implemented GenAI for marketing are more likely to have a well-established and comprehensive governance framework, but four in ten do not.

‘A significant gap exists between the art of what is possible with GenAI for MarTech, and what is being accomplished today,’ said Jonathan Moran, Head of MarTech Solutions Marketing at SAS. ‘The research highlights that most organisations across industries have significant work to do around GenAI education and enablement as well as data governance and compliance – and performing that work will aid in fostering trust between brand and consumer when it comes to the application of AI for marketing and customer experience pursuits.’

SAS
https://www.sas.com/en_za/

Engen’s New TV Commercial Features Springbok Legends

By

Modern Marketing

-

October 10, 2024

Engens New TV Commercial Features Springbok Legends

First aired after the Rugby Championship decider between the Springboks and Argentina in Mbombela, the latest TV commercial features four celebrated rugby legends: Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe, and Tendai Mtawarira.

The light-hearted 60-second ad has since captured hearts of the nation, creating a buzz across social media and beyond with its unexpected humour and innovative storyline.

The commercial features Engen’s rugby heroes in a playful and unexpected scenario, as the ‘Marketing Director of Engen’ asks the foursome if they have any ‘champion ideas’ to elevate Engen to even greater heights.

In a group chat, Etzebeth, Kolbe, and ‘Beast’ start painting wild scenarios, including changing the name of Engen to Etzebeth, Kolbe imagining QuickShop as the QuickerShop, and Mtawarira picturing himself as Engen’s new B.E.O. (Beast Executive Officer). Amid this chaotic brainstorming, one man is a cool voice of reason: our captain Kolisi. When things are looking crazy, Kolisi brings things his teammates back to reality with a calm realisation – Engen is already the perfect pitstop where life happens and you feel like number one.

‘We are thrilled to bring this fun and uplifting campaign to our customers,’ said Tsholo Tiro, Engen’s Brand and Sponsorship Manager. ‘It’s a celebration of the South African spirit, and we’re excited to see how it is igniting conversations and smiles across the country, solidifying Engen’s presence as a brand that is always close to home and the heart of the nation.’

Engen has also taken the experience beyond traditional media with an extended two-minute+ version of the ad featuring on digital platforms. This allows fans to enjoy a longer narrative filled with more humour and memorable moments, enabling deeper engagement and further talkability.

During Saturday’s test match, the LED boarding surrounding the rugby field displayed ‘Etzebeth’ instead of Engen, which created a stir even prior to the launch of the ad. This tied in perfectly with Etzebeth’s record-breaking 128th test cap, which made the strapping lock forward the most capped South African international of all time.

Added Tiro: ‘The campaign, which celebrates the spirit of Springbok rugby while spotlighting the company’s deep-rooted connection with South Africa, reinforces Engen as not just a fuel provider but also a key player in fostering unity and pride through sport. The unique scenarios brought to life in the ad also showcase Engen’s playful side while remaining true to its brand pillars of Service, Innovation, Care, and Positivity.’

For those who missed the commercial’s debut, the 60-second version will continue to air on SABC and DStv, while the extended version is available across all of Engen’s social media platforms, giving fans more reasons to engage and keep the conversation going.

ENGEN
https://www.engen.co.za