#BigQ2019: Don’t get left behind in 2019

by Katlego Moutlana. 2019 is the year in which we expect local, African brands and businesses to use more forward-looking technologies to improve their customer experience and develop quality, well-designed products and strategies that will pull people from the rest of the world to play on our continent.

In a world where we constantly find ourselves in new phases of innovation and technological advancement, our continent is a region where smart technology is about to take flight. Although many of our lives remain untouched by intelligent systems, the increased adoption of smart phones, falling data costs, a growing entrepreneurial scene and ground-breaking investment in tech means that we are poised to leapfrog into an era of smarter technological solutions.

So, what are these technologies?

AI

For a start, artificial intelligence (AI). This tech will power customer-service interactions in the coming years as it’s able to process information that once required human interaction. With this type of capability at our fingerprints, companies are already leveraging AI for key activities, such as improving customer experience (CX)ratings, increasing revenue and targeting key market segments.

Forbes even reported recently that 75% of companies using AI have seen customer service ratings increase by an average of 10%. This increase in satisfaction may be the difference between closing a sale or losing a customer to a competitor. So, simply placing the right chat feature on your website may increase lead conversions by up to 40%.

The good news is that this trend is also taking off closer to home. Nigerian startup, Kudi.ai, has developed a chatbot that allows users to make payments and send money to friends and family via messaging. The company uses AI to understand user requests, drive conversations, understand user spending habits and prevent fraud.

Another Nigerian startup, Aajoh, aims to relieve the high patient-to-doctor ratio by getting patients to send their symptoms via audio, text or image and then getting AI to diagnose their medical conditions.

VR and AR

The second trend is virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR). Remember the hysteria around Pokémon Go a few years ago? What an incredibly clever way to show people the magic of VR and AR, as both offer companies a unique way for customers to experience and engage with their brands. Ikea, for example, launched its Virtual Reality Kitchen, an app designed to let customers try out customised products before buying them.

Internet of Elephants, a start-up based in Nairobi, is building an app-based game of the same name. Users are able to select different animals and ‘place’ them into their real-world environments in order to learn more about their native and other, wildlife. Users can learn more about the animals through a reference guide in the app, as well as by walking around the physical world and playing games based on the migratory paths of each animal.

In 2019, we anticipate brands taking steps to reimagine VR and AR in a way that brings even more value to a customer’s experience.

Voice recognition

Third on the list, and growing at speed, is voice recognition. As the tech grows and consumers welcome the convenience of intelligent voice search with open arms, marketers need to start considering the difference between how customers speak and how they would type words into a search engine. This will all impact the tone of a brand, so it has to be more conversational to align it to voice search. And, of course, it must be optimised for mobile.

Based on the insight that doctors are better at talking than typing, the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam recently became the first public hospital in Tanzania to use voice-recognition technology. A doctor can now record a patient’s information by simply speaking through a voice recorder, and the information is then transmitted into an image through a computerised system as the diagnosis is being made. The result? Faster and better reporting, increased patient satisfaction and improved patient care.

Video

Last, but by no means least, there’s the video phenomenon. As our attention spans get shorter and shorter, video continues to eat the web, with predictions that 90% of all internet traffic will be video based in 2019 (source: Cisco).

Most people would rather watch a vlog (blogs enabled and delivered by video) than read an ordinary blog post. Brands have started to publish video enthusiastically but, more often than not, it’s still an afterthought. Video content marketing only works when it delivers what the customer wants, when and how they want it.

When done right, with an effective strategy, compelling content and an adequate budget, video is able to achieve impressive results such as generating leads, educating customers and engaging audiences. The authenticity of live video feeds will continue to explode, but the real differentiator is originality of content.

Spend on content is increasing exponentially and, because we become bored so quickly, brands that use original content to engage and excite will win the hearts and purse-strings of customers.

2019 is set to be a year for us to set a new African standard, with tech at the heart of delivering superior customer experience and positively positioning our brands on the global stage for innovation, inspiration and invention. In my opinion there’s never been a better time for you to make the trends, not follow them.

See also

 

MarkLives logoWhat are the industry expectations for the marketing and advertising industry in 2019? Kicking off our “Big Q”  column for the year, a panel of key agency and marketing executives discusses the macro environment, budgets, changes in messaging, movement in the industry and any consumer and communication trends they’ll be looking out for in the year ahead. 

As head of strategy at Mortimer Harvey, Katlego Moutlana leverages her experience in the FMCG and banking industries and guides the brand strategy of blue-chip clients. Career high points include working as brand experience manager when Virgin Mobile was launched and working on the Vodacom account at Ireland/Davenport (now Collective ID). She has lectured part-time at AAA School of Advertising.

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#BigQ2019: The battle to remain relevant in 2019

by Jerry Mpufane (@JerryMpufane) Welcome to 2019 — a very different place.

Major shifts in the consumer relationships with brands continue to dominate the minds of the industry captains. Whether you’re a brand manager or a communications professional, you’d have to totally ignorant to not recognise that brands must behave differently, speak with a new voice — in a very different tone as compared to the past — embracing this new world.

The reasons why

The consumers of brands concern themselves more and more with the reasons WHY they choose one product or service over the other, ahead of the usual functional and efficacy reasons. While this isn’t a new trend, we will, however, see the increase in prevalence of this phenomenon. We’ll experience a world where arrogance by the major brands about the ‘soft issues’ will no longer be tolerated by an increasingly well-educated, well-connected and activist consumer.

Thanks to the major advances in technology, which has created a more-connected world, consumers feel very empowered and, indeed, act immediately on their emotions and attitudes towards what they like or dislike. These actions by the emboldened and empowered consumer range from a simple comment about their feelings at a particular time, reaching many eyes and ears in great numbers — all the way to voting with their wallet at the point of purchase.

Cultural wars, and not just the economics, determine the relevance and appeal of brands to a bunch of consumers who are woke to the zeitgeist. The emotional is trumping the rational in what drives choice. Worldview drives consumer choice, where brands are expected to behave in a manner that’s consistent with the new societal norms. Homogenous markets are gone, and it’s in with a diverse and highly vocal consumers, forcing brands to conduct a reappraisal of their value systems.

Consumer dialogue

Subject matter that was previously considered taboo, whether it be abortion, gay marriage, race, sexuality or religion, are now front and center of consumer dialogue. This has turned the world into a place where brands must actively and more meaningfully participate in the dialogue, in order to be in with the consumer. Lines have blurred between politics and commerce, and this has turned society into a very different place.

In order to be able to adequately respond to this new world order, major cultural institutions ranging from media publishing houses to fashion brands — really anyone who trades in culture — have implemented some major shifts in their leadership. A diverse crop of new editors and creative directors have been entrusted with navigating this new consumer landscape.

Cover lines in men’s magazines carry content about the state of man — and what man is doing to embrace a more-diverse world. Shifting demographics have seen women’s magazine titles leading with stories about politics and protest, alongside light subject matter such as fashion and gifting. These new voices have responded to the new political moment and shifting demographics, and they are leading by bringing a sense of mission to their work. They are driving content, storytelling, style and commentary that is inclusive and socially conscious.

Changing demographics

The changing demographics, in a more-inclusive world, are forcing big heritage brands to go younger and more agile, shaking off the old and embracing the new. Of course, these heritage brands have not lost their true values; they are, however, behaving differently in order to appeal to a younger demographic.

Under the leadership of these new crop of diverse captains, brands have become more socially conscious. They speak differently, as manifested in their market positioning of the brands at their core, or simply at a messaging level.

The era where greed was considered good is being replaced by a force for good. Brands are being called to account for their messaging, and whether they actually contribute towards a better society. The stories that brands tell are changing, seizing a new narrative, with a deliberate attempt to build a better world. Peddling product and services can no longer happen in isolation of the social agenda.

Tech fuels change

Advancements in tech fuel this change. Magazine covers, movies and advertising campaigns are shot on mobile phones. An individual’s reach has become a million times more than an established published title — thanks to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Commerce is conducted via social influencers, as well as traditional bricks-and-mortar retail. The annual Black Friday sale delivers more traffic online than it does in physical retail.

Style, technology, entertainment, politics, mental health, fitness, finance, cars, homes, sport, food and sex are central to culture. This phenomenon has been consistent for many years; that’s how the world has worked for a very long time. What’s changed in culture is a more-diverse world that is open to many voices, and brands better be ready to move at the speed of this new culture.

See also

 

MarkLives logoWhat are the industry expectations for the marketing and advertising industry in 2019? Kicking off our “Big Q”  column for the year, a panel of key agency and marketing executives discusses the macro environment, budgets, changes in messaging, movement in the industry and any consumer and communication trends they’ll be looking out for in the year ahead. 

Jerry Mpufane (@jerrympufane) is the chairman of the M&C Saatchi JHB Group and jury president of the Bookmarks Awards.

— One subscription form, three newsletters: sign up now for the MarkLives newsletter, including Ramify headlines; The Interlocker, our new monthly comms-focused mailer; and Brands & Branding, launching soon!

 

#BigReads2018: Adland’s most read about people in 2018

by Herman Manson (@marklives) We list the most-read-about people on MarkLives during 2018.

Young, Gifted & Killing It ! 2018 in review slider1. Young, Gifted & Killing It

by Veli Ngubane  From a water-polo playing strategist to a soloist art director who sang for the pope, a radio co-host making money on YouTube and South Africa’s most-sought-after hip-hop photographer, we went out looking for the youngsters who are gifted and killing it in SA’s creative industries today. They add to the already rich diversity we are discovering — and celebrating — in our industry.

 

Keith Rose2. #RIPKeithRose

Keith Rose was the director behind some of South Africa’s most-iconic television advertising, including BMW’s “Mouse” and Allan Gray’s “Beautiful”, to name only two.

• See: RIP Keith Rose — industry reaction and tributes and Further industry tributes

 

Mzamo Masito3. Mzamo Masito appointed Google CMO for SSA

Google announced that it had appointed Mzamo Masito as its chief marketing officer for sub-Saharan Africa. Masito joined Google from Vodacom and had previously held senior positions at Nike and Unilever.

 

Khaya Dlanga and rain logo4. Khaya Dlanga became CMO of rain

Khaya Dlanga joined South Africa’s new data-only mobile network, rain, as chief marketing officer and group exco member from 8 November 2018, to build rain’s brand “into something that is loved by consumers, produce really cool marketing campaigns, and, very importantly, drive our sales by getting consumers to our website (and, in future, retail and sales channels, as well),” according to the appointment announcement.

 

Mike Sharman and Shaka Sisulu5. Shaka Sisulu acquired majority stake in Retroviral

Shaka Sisulu, entrepreneur and founder of digital and social media agency Plum, acquired a personal 51% stake in Retroviral Digital Communications. Mike Sharman, Retroviral co-founder, CEO and chief creative strategist, retained 49% ownership.

“With [my] becoming a shareholder of Retroviral, the two businesses will work in tandem,” said Sisulu. “It is our vision to grow our combined revenues from around R30m to over R100m in five years through this alliance.”

 

Refilwe Maluleke6. Refilwe Maluleke appointed Yellowwood MD

Marketing strategy consultancy, Yellowwood, announced the appointment of Refilwe Maluleke as managing director. She began her career at Unilever, where she joined the Asia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey (AAMET) brand team on the Flora, Rama, Stork and Mrs Ball’s portfolio. In 2010, she moved to SABMiller, now AB InBev, where she worked on Hansa Pilsener for five years.

 

Heineken logo and Carmen Mohapi7. New marketing director for Heineken SA

Heineken South Africa appointed Carmen Mohapi as marketing director across all eight brands produced by the beer and cider company. Mohapi, who has over 20 years’ experience in marketing, will oversee the marketing of the global and local brand portfolio comprising Heineken, Sol, Windhoek, Miller Genuine Draft, Amstel, Strongbow, Soweto Gold, and Tafel.

• Interview: #Marketers: Carmen Mohapi, marketing director, Heineken SA

 

Vicki Buys, Luca Gallarelli and Tassini Albertyn8. New MDs for Ogilvy Group, Ogilvy Cape Town

Ogilvy South Africa announced a number of new senior appointments. Luca Gallarelli, former managing director of Ogilvy Cape Town, was promoted to MD of the Ogilvy Group (South Africa); Vicki Buys became Ogilvy CT MD; and Tassin Albertyn was appointed head of delivery.

 

Lesego Kotane and King James II logo9. New MD for King James II

Lesego Kotane was promoted to managing director of King James the Second, effective 1 August 2018. Kotane joined the King James Group as strategic planning partner five years before and had been part of the senior leadership team in Johannesburg. Former MD Charles Matterson now focuses on client service and operations.

 

Neo Mashigo10. Neo Mashigo now CCO at M&C Saatchi Group SA

M&C Saatchi Group SA promoted Neo Mashigo to chief creative officer. “It’s an exciting opportunity to help grow our vision of becoming one of the most-respected creative companies on the African continent. And we will do that by delivering brave, interesting and most importantly, locally relevant work,” said Mashigo at the time.

 

The Jupiter Drawing Room ad with Sir Martin Sorrell
Sir Martin in happier times, featured in The Jupiter Drawing Room’s house ad announcing WPP’s acquisition of 49% of The Jupiter & Partners group.

11. Graham Warsop on Sir Martin Sorrell’s resignation

Graham Warsop, founder of The Jupiter Drawing Room & Partners, offered his personal take on the resignation of Sir Martin Sorrell as CEO of WPP, and called on the agency global holding company to offer transparent feedback on “personal misconduct” allegations levelled against Sorrell.

 

Masego Motsogi12. Masego Motsogi joined Grid as MD

Masego Motsogi was appointed managing director of Grid Worldwide as of 1 February 2018. She was previously managing director of Ninety9Cents Johannesburg.

• See also: Young, Gifted & Killing It: Masego Motsogi

 

Sharon Keith leaving Coca-Cola13. Sharon Keith left Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company announced the resignation of Sharon Keith, Coca-Cola Southern & East African Business Unit (SEABU) marketing director, who left to pursue other professional and personal interests. Keith’s career at The Coca-Cola Company spanned over 13 years. MarkLives.com recognised her as South Africa’s Most Admired Marketer in 2014, and the Creative Circle voted her Marketing Champion of Creativity in 2015.

 

Xolisa Dyeshana and Khuthala Gala-Holten14. Gala-Holten, Dyeshana took Joe Public reins

Khuthala Gala-Holten was promoted to MD and, together with ATL CCO, Xolisa Dyeshana, took full leadership of the ATL specialist agency within Joe Public United, which had also been “newly digitised”. Founding partners, Pepe Marais and Gareth Leck, and group strategic director Laurent Marty all moved across into group roles.

 

Rob McLennan and King James II logo15. Rob McLennan exited King James II, Jenner took the helm

The creative founding partner of KJII, Rob McLennan, left the agency in September 2018. His creative partner, Graeme Jenner, took over as ECD of the Johannesburg-based agency, part of the King James Group, working closely with recently appointed MD, Lesego Kotane, to take the agency forward.

 

Herman Manson 2017Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.

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Nedbank appoints agencies

by Herman Manson (@marklives) Having taken its advertising account out to pitch in November 2018, Nedbank has announced the appointment of the successful agencies selected to work on its through-the-line, sponsorship, and digital marketing communication strategies from 2019.

Joe Public United, previously the incumbent ATL agency, has retained the bank’s TTL account; Levergy will manage the sponsorship account; and Digitas Liquorice will manage the digital creative account.

“The diversity of these agencies will enable us to entrench the Nedbank narrative, expand our client reach through effective and targeted digital strategies, remaining mindful of the current competitive landscape in the financial sector,” says Khensani Nobanda, Nedbank Group Marketing and Corporate Affairs group executive.

“We look forward to a fruitful partnership with the selected agencies as we strive to tell the Nedbank story by tapping into the talents of our diverse new partners.”

According to Nielsen, Nedbank spent R417m on advertising between July 2017 and June 2018, making it the 15th largest advertiser in South Africa.

 

Herman Manson 2017Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.

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Media Design: 2018 in review

Shane de Lange (@shanenilfunct)’s analysis of media design of the past year in South Africa and around the world:

  • Rave: Xeno-modernism — internationalist and pluralist perspectives countering conformist and nationalist tendencies, approached using abstraction and collage
  • Rave: Real craft — a return to traditional approaches and attitudes towards illustration and typography
  • Rant: Bad theft and anti-culture — derivative art direction that blatantly copies international trends without evolving or adding to the narrative
  • Rant: No low brow — a severe slump in independent publishing in South Africa, running opposite to international trends , which exhibits a lack of awareness and consciousness.

Find a cover we should know about? Tweet us at @Marklives and @shanenilfunct.
Pinterest icon Want to view all the covers at a glance? See our Pinterest board!

Heart-Love-Polygon-Geometric-Flat-Design-Icon-Illustration by lekkyjustdoit courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos   Xeno-modernism

There seems to be weird amalgamations of postmodernist and modernist tendencies that are mutating into something not quite post-postmodern, alter-modern, or neo-modernist but rather a ‘xeno-modernism’ of sorts. The confluence of these seemingly opposed meta-narratives, apparently in the process of hybridisation, embraces the postmodern penchant for pastiche and appropriation — shown by recent work done by Daniel Ting Chong and Leta Sobierajski — and the modernist obsession with formalism and abstraction — evidenced in various covers this year, including Zeit Magazine, Swiss in CSS, The Observer Magazine, Printed Pages, and The New York Times Magazine, to name a few. A strong sense on internationalism, stemming from modernist ideals, and an appreciation for pluralism and parody (which are postmodernist perspectives) appears to the binding agents for this interesting cultural chimera.

 

Heart-Love-Polygon-Geometric-Flat-Design-Icon-Illustration by lekkyjustdoit courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos   Real craft

One creative measure that could combat the over-consumption of culture, or ‘anti-culture’, is a clear appreciation for craft, and the proper execution thereof. Craft is pen-to-paper, hands-on stuff, requiring immense skill and knowledge about a given discipline. It requires time and commitment from beginning to end. It is about process, iteration, prototyping, and all the other considerations that make making what it is, displaying how much pride and purpose has been injected into one’s work, evidence of one’s labor, imbued with quality and power to uplift society. This appreciation and understanding of craft have been displayed in many 2018 covers, including: Emergence (illustration and web design), Time Out and TIME (illustration and typography, both by SA’s very own Studio Muti), A Profound Waste Of Time (illustration and writing), McSweeney’s (illustration, writing, and packaging design), Fukt (typography), Baunfire (illustration and web design), and Popeye (illustration and writing). Naturally, all are fine examples of editorial design, and many book craft as well.

 

bad-hand-down-red-thumb courtesy of PixabayBad theft and anti-culture

This may sound contradictory but often creativity is a healthy act of thievery: feeding off other creative output, influenced by and taking the baton from original sources and evolving upon them, and in turn continuing a narrative that will hopefully become culturally relevant. This follows Roland Barth’s famous concept, “The Death of the Author”, where once the author puts pen to paper she/he allegorically ‘dies’, influenced (‘stealing’) by many authors before, and influencing many authors after the creative act. So, too, one can’t include the concept brought forward by surrealist artist, Andre Breton, known as the “exquisite corpse”, which also deals with a similar collective unconscious creative inquiry.

The flipside of this is a form of anti-culture, the difference between the consumption of culture and the production of culture. The bottom line? Derivative work, cheap production (not to be confused with kitsch), plagiarism, poor crafting, and unapologetic copying — among many other forms of anti-culture and conscious efforts to steal — are not contributing to anything worth remembering.

The problem with this form of theft is that it places the bottom line at the top, and one could argue that this is one reason among many why culture is on the decline. Simply placed, anti-culture breeds dissent.

Some basic examples of bad creative theft from this year’s covers include Finweek (which seems to have used existing stock imagery for its cover, diminishing the craft of cover design altogether), Taalgenoot (which takes all the substance out of the work of Jessica Walsch and Leta Sobierajski, among others, leaving only surface behind) and, surprisingly, National Geographic.

 

bad-hand-down-red-thumb courtesy of PixabayNo low brow

There is a massive following for independent publishing in the US, UK, Europe and other parts of the world, such as Singapore, Australia, and Japan. It is a truly international movement, revivalist and reformist in many ways, all in an unconscious effort to re-cultivate the core pillars that comprise culture: design, craft, art, discourse, and the like. It may seem a tad overarching to say but it’s the spirit and drive behind such efforts that help to make societies function and able to cohere on an international scale.

With this, it is alarming how little activity there is regarding independent publishing in SA. We seem to be plagued by a lot of bad mainstream media, with an incredibly small underground to keep the scales balanced, especially online. That said, many who claim to be independent aren’t, shown by the fact that they are simply not knowledgeable enough; their output is pure surface with no substance — just a different form of anti-culture. Our society is clearly one of culture consumption, with incredibly low amounts of culture production happening.

Perhaps the result of consumerism and materialism run rife, or a lack of awareness, consciousness, and even taste, the low presence of independent/underground output in SA is striking.

Heart-Love-Polygon-Geometric-Flat-Design-Icon-Illustration by lekkyjustdoit courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos   Prime examples that should be followed

To end on a positive note, here’s my selection of SA independents — prime examples from 2018 — which I hope will increase in number as a trend for next year: Wat Binne Is, Nowhere To Hide, Chips, The Carnation and Ambassadeur.

 

 

Shane de LangeShane de Lange (@shanenilfunct) is a designer, writer, and educator currently based in Cape Town, South Africa, working in the fields of communication design and digital media. He works from Gilgamesh, a small design studio. Connect with him on Pinterest and Instagram.

Media Design, formerly Cover Stories and MagLove, is a regular slot deconstructing media cover design, both past and present.

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Agency Life: Stop pretending to know what digital is

by TJ Njozela (@tj_njozela) Blah blah blah social media, blah blah influencers, blah blah blah blah blah banners. That’s how a typical conversation about digital advertising goes out here in these advertising streets. A whole lot of blah blah blah. It’s actually ironic how the majority of a supposedly forward-thinking industry still pretends to know how digital advertising works, when it really doesn’t.

Like, folks, it’s 2018 and there are still people who don’t know what UX means, let alone the function. For some people, the word “coding” has become the go-to jargon (which technically isn’t jargon but just a word) when their ignorance of digital advertising comes to light. If you’ve ever uttered the words “We need to make sure the coding is on strat,” or “Is the SEO copy Linux or Ubuntu,” you obviously don’t know what you’re talking about.

While you search the interwebs tryna get the jokes in the previous sentence, here are a few pointers to understand ‘digital’ a bit more.

There’s more to it than social

We all know the three biggest SoMe platforms in the world. But here’s a question: what are the top three websites in the world? Dololo. Which YouTube channel in Mzansi has the biggest reach? Dololo. Is there an opportunity to tap into #papgeld that trends on a Sunday instead of #OPW and #DMF? If you don’t know what any of those are, get onto Black Twitter: the local version. If you don’t know how to do that, harde.

Me, I just wanted to show you that digital advertising has so many opportunities, from reach and engagement to tactical opportunities and building brand equity through relevance. Mara, if you just want to stick to influencers and generic social media platforms, re tla bona ka wena.

It shouldn’t be an afterthought

In most agencies, this is the process to digital output: campaign brief comes in, strat does its magic and directs creative, creatives perform blood transfusions from boulders, a big idea is conceived and, at the moment of idea birth, the digital peeps finally crack an invite to the theatre — only to find out that they’re the substitute midwife and the responsibility of making sure that the idea comes into the world, bright-eyed and exciting, is suddenly on them.

Simply put, if you’ve got a good idea, ‘digital’ won’t magically make it better. Soz. Because ‘digital’ isn’t the midwife of TTL advertising. It’s the twin brother/sister/sibling (guess what’s next on the a-gender…ok, bad pun). Anyway, my point is digital isn’t just an amplification tool to make a campaign TTL; it’s a channel that needs proper thought and strategy, as with any BTL/ATL campaign. Otherwise, you’re doing it wrong.

It’s not the same for everyone

“We live in a digital world. Nowadays, everything is connected, from your home appliances to mobile devices, to cars and shopping experiences.” This is one of those points that urrbody loves to make because it makes them feel like they know something. And that time, it’s so 2013.

For example, ja, sure smartphone penetration in South Africa continues to increase, so does that mean we should be doing more long-form content? Well, it depends on who you’re talking to. While most people may have a smartphone, a proportionate number of people are also very selective about what they use their data for. It’s hard enough to get some of my friends to watch a 50MB video that I share on WhatsApp and is hella funny. Imagine trying to convince them to use their data for an ad?

For each person who’s used to whipping out Shazaam to find out the name of that song that actually only sounded nice after a few tequilas, there are four or five people asking the waitron for the playlist because ga gona free WiFi ko teng.

Basically, understanding your audience and how they engage with digital platforms will go a long a way when it comes to getting them to engage with brands.

~•~•~

For realsies, though, digital advertising and marketing is one of those things that we all need to get better at. Why? Because, if we can engage with peeps beyond the generic “like this and you could win a cap”, create better content than a 5” cut down of the TVC because no one thought about pre-rolls until the last minute, or having a microsite designed for high-end users but targets mass market — we’d be going a long way towards making work that people vibe with, while helping them get closer to the brands they love.

 

TJ NjozelaTJ Njozela (@tj_njozela) is a creative group head at Net#work BBDO. With several years of experience in the advertising industry, he’s more than a writer; he is also a reader, a thinker, and an avid liker of things. He once walked from Joburg to Cape Town in 30 days to raise funds to buy wheelchairs for people in need. #30Days30Wheelchairs. TJ contributes the regular “Agency Life” column, in which he gives career advice for working within the advertising industry, to MarkLives.

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Fair Exchange: Proof of strategy is in execution (and vice versa)

by Erna George (@edgeo23) Back in the olden days (yes, I feel old as I write this), I was taught that there were three critical elements in creative strategy development and execution (campaigns or any other): the big idea, execution and the differentiator — a veritable triangle, so the three couldn’t be separate.

Nothing progressed until the articulation of and golden thread between them were clear. Today, these aren’t presented in the same way or with the specific discipline to link these and, while brand differentiators are clear, often the gap between strategic concept and execution is the difference between success and failure.

Both a failure

Ever heard the adage about an average strategy executed well is better than a great strategy poorly executed? In my view, both are a failure and there is a distinct problem in seeing and treating strategy and execution as separate elements.

How did these two become unglued? The idea that one person of process manages and thinks of the strategy, and then another must execute it, is where things go wrong. Why are these no longer a continuum? Why, in client teams, is strategy driven only by senior management? Why, in some agencies, is the strategy left to the strategist?

The thinking can’t be the purview of a few and handed over to others; this causes the first disconnect. I believe that handing over a strategy to a creative team, activation teams or junior brand teams to execute without cascading clearly or onboarding will lead to gaps but, even more, I believe that it is a misnomer that you can develop a strategy without sense-checking it with examples of execution. Can you really judge if the strategy is exciting without reflecting on how or if it can be brought to life?

Swept up in orchestral sounds

Marketers may get swept up in the orchestral sounds of the big thinking, without considering executionability (not sure this is a word — but I think I like it!). I believe that, if the ability to execute isn’t made clear at the outset, brand teams can’t sign off strategy or concepts. A big campaign idea is only strong if it can be effectively leveraged at appropriate or across multiple touchpoints. The big thinking (justification) that is presented in boardrooms on campaigns or new launches never makes it to the ears or hearts of the consumer except via the execution idea, so ensure the strategic ideas are depicted clearly via the messaging, imagery, call to action, TVC or whichever execution you are employing.

In fact, anyone writing strategy has to have a deep understanding and appreciation of execution — options, channels, fresh thinking. You don’t have to do the doing but thinking and execution go hand in hand and, if you don’t understand the execution channels or options, you can’t be effective at developing strategy.

Other than ensuring strategic concepts are able to be executed, a key principle about the strategic idea is that it should be ‘big enough’ to be able to stretch across a few years; this results in strong and deep memory structures being created with target consumers.

Longevity

Back then, the way to prove a strong idea and develop brand roots was to showcase that the big idea had legs by displaying the multiple execution routes that could flow from it. This ensured longevity, as the big idea is refreshed and made relevant by a new execution expression over a period of time. Think of an idea like family reunions or brand x bringing families together; this could be expressed via a few executions:

  1. The big 10-year family reunion
  2. The welcome of the soldier from war
  3. The prodigal son returning
  4. Standing tradition of a monthly family Sunday lunch

These may be employed at different stages to create the story of family reunions and bonding around the brand, and may ensure that a big idea could cover various media or channels, ie a TVC reflecting the big traditional family get together around family favourites, a website withbBrand x capturing and profiling consumers’ beloved family-dinner favourites, social media profiling family reunion stories or memories and the brand’s role within these. This idea is broad enough to have legs and narrow enough to offer distinction. The big idea or overarching theme can build connection overtime and impact more powerfully.

Critical recipe

If proof of the strategy is in the execution, what are the critical recipe ingredients and methods? Sometimes, it works to look to the recipes that have worked in the past:

  1. Strategy and execution development are an iterative approach or least a continuum (keep the brand objective and differentiator at heart)
  2. Understand execution options deeply, so you can imagine the strategy to life — this allows you to prove the strategy beyond the talk
  3. Ensure that the big idea has legs by confirming it has a few execution options; this builds brand relevance and memory overtime

Lastly, consider the chicken/egg quandary of which came first, the execution or the strategic idea? Even though the execution expression is magical, when it’s shown that the strategic or campaign idea has no further legs, those with experience can tell the execution idea came first. Retrofitting big-idea strategy to the execution does happen but mostly offers little medium- or long-term benefit. Big-hit wonders which fit the brand, objectives and discriminator can be useful disruption options, or to win short-term tactical gains. If these opportunities are viewed in this framework and, with long-term/strategic brand-building being done the right way, all can be well in the world.

There is room for both, so enjoy the pudding — as long as it’s created in the way your brand needs.

 

Erna GeorgeAfter starting at Unilever in a classical marketing role, Erna George (@edgeo23) explored the agency side of life, first as a partner at Fountainhead Design, followed by the manic and inspiring world of consultancy at Added Value. She has returned to client-side, leading the marketing team in the Cereals, Accompaniments & Baking Division at Pioneer Foods. Her monthly “Fair Exchange” column on MarkLives concerns business relationships and partnerships in marketing and brandland.

— One subscription form, three newsletters: sign up now for the MarkLives newsletter, including Ramify headlines; The Interlocker, our new monthly comms-focused mailer; and Brands & Branding, launching soon!

Market Research Wrap: Synergies between meal kits, supermarkets

by MarkLives (@marklives) Our weekly wrap of the latest market and consumer research:

  • The future of meal kits
  • 2019, the year of zero trust
  • Content marketing: not much thought, not much leadership

Meal-kit viability

Packaged Facts logoDespite the massive growth experienced by South African meal-kit companies, many global food industry experts believe that these companies will only survive if they are eventually acquired, as the ecommerce subscription-centric business model is ultimately unprofitable for meal kits. [Cheryl Hunter]

Packaged Facts points out in “Meal Kits: Trends and Opportunities in the US, 3rd edition” that delivery of a number of packaged ingredients carries significant costs, especially when many of the ingredients need to be shipped cold, but not frozen, to remain fresh. These companies are trying to offer meal kits for a reasonable price while delivering a variety of fresh ingredients from limited distribution points nationwide, which is a nearly impossible goal due to the high costs of shipping these specialised products. Additionally, meal-kit companies spend large amounts of money on customer acquisition and retention while continuing to see many customers cancel the service.

Many will have to be acquired by grocery stores, food or ecommerce companies to survive, with a growing number seeing acquisition by a grocery store as an opportunity not only for survival but also for expansion.

The potential synergies between meal kits and grocery stores are undeniable. If meal kits are sold at grocery stores and are available for order online with a full suite of other groceries, customers are more likely to remain customers. Additionally, most meal-kit companies would benefit by being able to take advantage of the grocer’s supply chain for fresh ingredients

Less packaging is needed for meal kits that are sold in a grocery store, as meal kits can be displayed and stored in refrigerated areas without needing to be shipped in boxes with cooling or insulating elements; this makes paper bags a real option.

• Buy the report at Packaged Facts.

 

Zero trust

Forrester logoThat one major brand will lose valuation of more than 25% due to a cyberattack is one of 14 key predictions for 2019 made by Forrester. [Cheryl Hunter]

“Predictions 2019” talks to the concept of a kinetic cyberwar for economic advantage among nation states, in addition to existing cyberthreats that themselves represent major risks to all companies and high-wealth individuals.

The report suggests that 2019 is the year when governments and companies turn to zero trust — the security strategy for those which already see the risk from both outside and inside their four walls and no longer view perimeter-based strategies as effective or valid. Zero trust will become the preferred strategy in the US, adopted by the US government and as inferred guidance to industries.

• For more, go to Forrester.

 

The Eardley Analysis

Thought Leadership Disrupted
The Economist intelligence Unit and Hill+Knowlton Strategies

https://youtu.be/StbbVqwJzcs

by Mark Eardley. Okay, so it’s not hot off the press but this mega 2016 study into “thought leadership” (TL) as a category within content marketing is even more relevant now than the day it appeared. That’s because, as the volume of content keeps on rising, so too does the need to differentiate yours from all the rest. Here’s how the report regards that truism:

“Faced with an explosion of content from publishers, brands and agencies, business executives are becoming more selective of their trusted sources, relying on those that can provide insights that are transformative, innovative, and credible. And while these executives are becoming ever more discerning, marketers who manage to make the list are being rewarded with increased loyalty, sales and advocacy.”

Given who produced the report, it’s no surprise that it’s impeccably presente,d with links to an infographic of key findings; summaries in both PowerPoint and text of the findings and their implications; and a tableau viewer for exploring the data. This is a seriously serious report that draws on a survey of 1 644 executives globally who either produce or consume TL content.

Overall insights for marketers? There’s so many that I’ve chosen just three:

  • Only 25% of all the TL content seen every day is engaged with. The rest is wasted.
  • 75% of executives have become more selective about the content they consume
  • Just over 80% cite volume of content as the reason for being more selective

Clearly, an awful lot of the content that’s being pumped out by marketers under the guise of TL just doesn’t fit the definition — which, according to the report, goes like this:

“Thought leadership is the practice of influencing a community of interest by developing information, analysis and insight that helps its audience understand its world and plan for the future. It can be delivered through any medium, and can help companies raise awareness, shift perception and increase the status of their brand.”

In a world of content that’s so laughably short of thought leadership, this report really does deserve that title. Essential info and intelligent commentary for anyone in the content-creating game.

Mark’s mark out of ten (is it worth reading?): 10/10
How long: 30+ mins for the key findings & actionable implications + fast-read executive summary here
Related B2B insights on MarkLives: How to create content that creates sales

 

“Market Research Wrap” offers readers a weekly overview and critique of the latest market and industry research.

Cheryl HunterCheryl Hunter (@cherylhunter) has written for the South African media, marketing and advertising industries for more than 15 years. A former editor of M&M in Independent Newspapers and contributor to Bizcommunity, AdFocus, AdReview and the Ad Annual, she has also produced for various television networks and currently consults on communication strategy and media liaison.

 

Mark EardleyMark Eardley (@mdeardley) advises B2B companies on how to govern their marketing to attract and retain profitable customers; several of his clients have grown to become market leaders. His monthly “Back2Basics” column covers how B2B companies and their agencies should manage their marketing.

— One subscription form, three newsletters: sign up now for the MarkLives newsletter, including Ramify headlines; The Interlocker, our new monthly comms-focused mailer; and Brands & Branding, launching

Hermaneutics: Adland in review — restructuring after industry shakeout

by Herman Manson (@marklives) South African advertising agencies have seen heavy restructuring over the course of the last two years and, as procurement departments take a front seat in driving remuneration negotiations, and clients need quicker and more-strategic communication, it’s also become an increasingly competitive business. Clients, too, have been demanding black empowerment to go beyond the scorecard into majority ownership.

Crashing

Having initially failed to adapt internal structures to the rapidly changing agency environment, ad agencies are being forced to restructure their businesses as agency giants come crashing down around them.

During the course of 2017 and 2018, it became obvious that a major shakeout has been underway in the SA agency market.

  • Y&R Cape Town, one of the city’s iconic agencies, closed down and, by early 2018, the Y&R brand stopped trading in SA when the last agency office, in Johannesburg, was integrated into VML South Africa.
  • The Jupiter Drawing Room (Johannesburg) also shut down; the agency stopped trading mid-2017 and the closure happened over the course of 3–4 months (Jupiter Joburg famously won R1bn of new business billings in three pitches over three consecutive days in 2007; its client roster came to include Absa, Edcon, MTN and Sasol).
  • Ireland/Davenport, after a torrid ride between 2015 and early 2017, rebranded as Collective ID in October 2017; it also increased its black ownership from 21.5% to 52.6%.
  • Another iconic Cape agency, The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town), also skidded on thin ice after it lost both Hyundai (to FoxP2) and Windhoek Beer (to M&C Saatchi Abel Johannesburg) in 2017 — but, like Collective ID, it’s has managed to reinvent itself as a small-to-mid-sized agency through a combination of aggressive restructuring, new management, loyal clients and a bit of luck.
  • In late November 2018, WPP announced that Wunderman and J. Walter Thompson would unite to form Wunderman Thompson, positioned as a creative, data and technology agency.
  • As of January 2019, Interpublic-owned McCann Johannesburg will be merging with 1886, the wholly owned subsidiary of the FCB Africa group (also an IPG agency), to become McCann 1886.

All these events have led to agencies actively engaging in restructuring how they work and ditching silos, at least on the creative side of things. PR, activations, digital, creative — they all sit in the same office now. Agency offerings seem more unified, and account management has become the shared responsibility between creative leaders and members of the management team.

Reinvention

Traffic has also come in for reinvention: at Ogilvy South Africa, it’s built a professional ‘project management office’ that includes all project managers, resourcing (formerly traffic), specialist producers and any internal production capability that exists. The Cape Town agency talks of an agnostic delivery team that sits inside client account teams, with traffic having become a resourcing function that looks at organisational and account capacity. Traffic as gatekeeper has disappeared, and a more-direct relationship has been established with clients.

In late 2017, King James Digital — a merger of the King James Group digital agencies — came up with a disruptive costing model for digital media: charging clients zero management fees, with absolute transparency on all media buying and placement. King James Digital is only remunerated on a percentage of the cost savings generated on the media, in comparison to the benchmark of previous performance.

Publicis, whose agency brands include Leo Burnett, Arc Worldwide, Popimedia, Saatchi & Saatchi and Publicis Machine, has been building up its group offering, which sees the various agencies partner together on big pitches. Group agencies are also being moved into new campuses, so as to be located closer together; since July 2018, the 14 Cape Town agencies are now located at The Harrington at 50 Harrington Street.

Engagement

A drive by clients for engagement with black-owned and -managed agencies has been a key trend over the past year. It led Jarred Cinman, the CEO of VML South Africa, to ask whether agencies committed to implementing the Marketing, Advertising and Communications Charter (MAC Charter) as fully as possible had not been sent down the wrong path — with clients caring less about the scorecard and more about actual majority ownership.

“As it turns out, I’ve been in numerous conversations with clients who quite openly say the BEE levels mean very little to them,” wrote Cinman in his May 2018 opinion piece on MarkLives. “Sure, they’d like agencies with high BEE scores. But what they really care about is ownership. They want to steer their spend toward black-owned businesses. In other words, in a choice between a Level 1 agency with 20% black ownership and a Level 4 agency with 51% black ownership, they want the latter. And this is not an aspiration for them. I’ve seen several pitches that stipulate these figures as criteria.”

Collective ID certainly went the majority-ownership route and, combined with the efforts of a new management team, has reclaimed an important space in the market. Other black-owned and -managed agencies are seeing rapid growth, and diversity at management level (in terms of both gender and race) finally seems to have gained unstoppable traction. Indeed, it seems as if agencies have finally started looking beyond the rise of digital to the underlying structural issues and is dealing with them decisively.

Much changed

To many, it might have felt as if SA adland has faced its darkest hour — and has come through it much changed. Let’s see what 2019 brings.

 

Herman Manson 2017Brands & Branding 2018Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.

The column is adapted from an article that first appeared in the 2018 edition of Brands & Branding in South Africa, an annual review from Affinity Publishing of all aspects of brand marketing — consisting of case-studies, profiles, articles and research — also accessible at Brands.MarkLives.com. Order your copy of the 2018 edition now!

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#Immersion: Chenge Besa-Mwenechanya, Stanbic Bank Zambia

by Moonga Mkandawire. We chat to Chenge Besa-Mwenechanya, head of investor services and transactional banking at Stanbic Bank Zambia, who offers advice on client relationship-building when doing business in Lusaka.

Moonga Mkandawire: What is the level of client engagement required for your job?
Chenge Besa-Mwenechanya: [This] is pretty extensive, as we have a client-centric approach across the bank for all relationship-based job descriptions. Over and above that, I am considered “front office” and, due to the nature of my business unit (investor services), I host quite a number of country visits by foreign clients.

MM: If you were organising a dinner for prospective clients on their first visit to Zambia, what venue would you choose and how would you structure the evening?
CBM: My approach is to keep it simple but classy. Business dinners need to be in a good area, with minimal noise/activity. I tend to stay away from hotel dinners, simply because it’s a chance for them to see the city — and eat something else other than hotel food. A favourite venue of mine is [Marlin Restaurant]; the food is consistent, and I know I won’t get any surprises in terms of quality of food or service. In terms of structure of the evening, I always ensure I have someone senior from the bank available for dinner and include other members of the team [who are part of client services for] the client. Other than this, I keep it informal, with regular reference to the bank and services we offer.

MM: Have you ever served or been served ichikanda as a starter? Please explain this Zambian culinary innovation for the uninitiated.

CBM: Yes, I have. There is a new place in Lusaka called The Manor that serves chikanda as a starter and it’s definitely a plus for me. Ichikanda is referred to as African polony in Zambia and is a savoury snack. [The] main ingredients are groundnuts and orchid tubers, with a hint of chilly.

MM: What are your go-to tricks to ensure guests mingle, keep the conversation flowing and get business done, all while having fun?
CBM: I like to get a few personal details like kids’ names, family etc — this tends to make conversation easier and more relatable. Remember, beyond the business talk, is a person who you are building a relationship with.

MM: You are also the CEO of Simply Relocate Zambia; how do you manage a full-time job with a side business?
CBM: It’s very hard, but what keeps me pushing is that we all need to start somewhere. I am in the process of recruiting additional staff so as to ease off on the everyday administrative demands of overseeing every single detail.

MM: How easy is it for a company to set up and relocate their staff in Zambia? Any advice?
CBM: Relocating to any part of the world without the right help is difficult; however, with the right knowledge and preparation, it’s definitely easier. [L]ocal relocation companies like [my own] facilitate relocation of business and assist with setup and networking were necessary.

MM: Is having a side hustle a reality of being a professional in Zambia or is it a passion thing?
CBM: I think it’s more passion and striving for more. After reading “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, it’s impossible to be complacent.

 

Moonga MkandawireMoonga Mkandawire is a writer, editor and analyst. Born in Kitwe, Zambia, he moved to South Africa in 2001 and, with a background in both actuarial science and music, he founded SPARK Gatherings, a communication platform which serves up fresh perspectives on the intersection of urban development, real estate and the creative industries. He contributes the new column, #Immersion, which explores African market dynamics through executive profiles, to MarkLives.

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