media update’s David Jenkin was there to gather more insights.

Reinvent the wheel

Opening the second day of Cadek Media’s Marketing Indaba was Verusha Maharaj, GM for Africa at The Creative Counsel, on the topic of "Marketing in the Future". She asked marketers to think about what they are doing to disrupt the market, calling on them to obliterate traditional ways of thinking. This is achievable by drawing on unique customer insights to devise new ways to solve challenges.

She said that the time for playing it safe is over, and it was good to re-invent the wheel since the problems of the future can’t be solved with the solutions of the past. It has become necessary to constantly seek innovation, but new technologies offer unexplored solutions and unique ways for customers to transact with a brand.

Spotlighting generation C

Future-proof thinking was a recurrent theme throughout the Indaba, and Werner Lindeman, managing director of Mediamark, explored a central aspect of it in his presentation on the topic of Generation C – “the new force in culture and commerce”.

Generation C, he explained, transcends age groups and is defined by their willingness to engage with technology. They are the ‘connected’ generation, early adopters who embrace change and non-traditional ways of doing business, seeking authentic content on all platforms and devices.

Lindeman warned that Generation C rejects the hard-sell approach, as they are informed and discerning; but, they will become brand advocates if won over, utilising their greater influence on social media.

Game thinking

Jason Haddock, CTO of Sea Monster, delved into the topic of gamification. He explained that story-telling has always evolved with technology, and now it was possible to once again fundamentally change the way stories are told – thanks to emerging immersive tech like augmented reality (AR).

Essentially, gamification motivates in two different ways: extrinsically and intrinsically, he explained. The former refers to tangible rewards such as points or progression, or simply loss avoidance, while the latter refers to the individual satisfaction derived from a sense of community or curiosity. It was important for marketers using this avenue to find a balance between the two.

Digital journey

Lisa Steingold, marketing manager at Popimedia, spoke on the topic of building businesses through social media. She centred on the digital customer’s journey, which consists of over 100 touchpoints from product awareness to post-purchase brand advocacy. The majority of sales still happen offline, she said, but 64% of in-store sales were influenced by digital.

She stressed that any company using social media should be using it to build their business – it doesn’t matter how many likes a company’s page has if it doesn’t translate into business.

Connecting with the township market

Kabelo Ncholo, CEO and founder of Yourself management, broke with the digital theme to speak about the mass market, also known as the main market or township market – essentially, low-income earners. He explained the necessity of marketers to understand this market on a profound level in order to make an emotional connection with consumers, but also to be mindful of their needs and spend priorities.

It is vital for brands to offer convenience and value for money, he said, but any communication also needs to be carefully considered. Marketers must be especially conscious of not talking down to these consumers.

Adapting, measuring and collaborating

Femi Adebanji, motivational and keynote speaker, engaged the topic of adapting to change. He posed the question, “how do we disrupt in order to avoid being disrupted”, noting that agility was no longer optional, but a survival necessity.

Matthew Barclay, area director of Meltwater, spoke about the importance of measuring the impact of online campaigns and some of the science behind it.

Concluding the event, Trevor Wolfe, CEO of Delvv.io, and Nancy Locket, head of marketing, events and sponsorships at FNB, gave a joint presentation about the value of partnerships such as that between their two organisations. As agility is a problem for large corporations, a startup is better able to deliver it, making for a mutually beneficial relationship.  

For more information, visit www.marketingindaba.com.

To see coverage of Day 1 of the Marketing Indaba, read our story Day one of Marketing Indaba packed with insights.