Published in the latest issue of the Institute of Marketing Managements’ Strategic Marketing magazine, Thomas investigates why loyalty cards have become a ‘frontline weapon’ for customer growth. His terminology is apt given the marketing battle that rages amongst banks and retailers clambering for economic percentages of an almost well over baked pie.

Loyalty is however utterly worthless if there is no value proposition, which is an aspect that Professor Nicola Kleyn, a leading marketing academic, highlights as being the paradigm shift that differentiates the value a company provides versus how the customer experiences that value. Kleyn has drawn on global research, to present in the Strategic Marketing magazine a feature, Looking to create customer value? Understand the job to be done, that reminds marketers how ‘milkshake marketing’ demands retailers to do the job it is supposed to do rather than concentrate solely on improved formulas.

Value is also journalist Cara Bouwer’s focus in her article Creating user value is the key to a successful app. While Bouwer acknowledges that South Africa is late to pick up on app marketing, she emphasises that the value-add only derives from effective understanding of customer needs and technological access.

For the technology-minded marketer, SEO is the ultimate touchstone, yet it remains one of the most confusing mysteries of our time, says SEO specialist Stephen Sandmann, whose article Unravelling the mysteries of SEO detangles the woolly confusion of being listed first in website searches.

Other features in the April/May issue of Strategic Marketing magazine include:
  • Is there a sure-fire recipe for going viral?;
  • An advertising life of ‘big, bold goals, a profile of Reg Lascaris;
  • How do you put a price tag on a brand;
  • Lego movie makes it more powerful than Ferrari; and
  • Getting the upper-LSM ‘silver fox’ consumer in your sights.

Strategic Marketing magazine is published five times a year by South Africa’s premier academic marketing organisation, the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM). Available in digital or print format, it is read and referred to by professional marketers, IMM alumni, marketing students, and other professionals in the fields of branding, public relations, advertising, market research and digital marketing. 

Copies are distributed via a targeted mailing list and print versions are also on sale at selected CNA and Exclusive Books outlets countrywide.

For more information on Strategic Marketing magazine, email [email protected].