Slikour to host Dope Brands and a Room conference

Metane's SlikourOnLife digital platform shares information on urban culture and music and features videos and interviews to give substance to musicians who may not have access to traditional platforms and provides an accessible place for their videos.

The crux of the idea behind the conference, he says, is “to create a space where both creative worlds meet and to initiate dialogue between them”.

He explains that culture is art imitating life – and great marketing should reflect consumers’ wants, needs and aspirations, ultimately dictating the pattern of their lives. These are two significant worlds of influence – the one uses organic creative insight and the other manufactures creative strategies. They both share values of reach, awareness, commerce, and longevity in the market. It makes sense for leaders and influencers in both these worlds to get together in the same room and explore ways to enhance their positions.

Several high profile cultural influencers will be a part of the panel of speakers at the conference, such as DJ Dimplez, Osmic, and Ambitious Records, AKA, Refiloe Ramogase, Thabiso Khati, Jessica Motoung, Minnie Dlamini, and others. A speaker from an agency will chair discussions and speak on the generic definition of marketing and the impact of brand influencers.

The workshop will explore what South African culture wants, brand collaborations that affirm South African or African culture, ways to find the middle ground between brands and culture objectives, understanding cultural trends that need brands’ infrastructure, socially aware campaigns that inspire and impact target markets, and more. It will unpack brand and culture processes, building accountable relationships, trust and respect, insight into brands and how culture can align with a brand strategy, and insight into culture and how brands can align with the cultural society’s needs or interests.

“The time is right for a meeting of great minds in these dynamic and influential sectors of our South African world,” says Metane, who last year produced a documentary called Brands Doing Dope Sh*t, which gave credit to brands that contribute positively to the urban music culture – connecting with the culture in a way that ensures a win-win situation where both the culture and the brand are strengthened.

The one-day conference and workshop will take place at Langhams on Thursday, 30 March, from 09:00 to 14:00. The cost is R3 300 per delegate. You can book your spot here.