What if we could turn our passion and discipline into a thriving digital economy? As marketers, we hold the potential to bind the hearts of people from different walks of life and act as a force for the greater good.

What if we trained our digital arsenal on the scourge of skills shortage?

What if every brand took it upon itself to use digital to transfer skills and impart life-changing knowledge to society?

What if brands used some of their one-on-one interactions with consumers to empower, educate, train and transfer a new skill that has the potential to change a person’s life trajectory through improved livelihoods?

As my colleague Jared Cinman, CEO of VML and a member of the Transformation and Education Council, says: "Although the digital revolution has created entirely new industries and effected a massive change for many South Africans, it has equally left many of them behind."

"We have only ourselves to blame. Artificially high data costs and a lack of transformation in education means that for millions the digital age has passed them by. It is up to all of us to close this gap – and quickly," Cinman adds.

Where do we start?

There are amazing initiatives in South Africa that provide relevant inspiration on how to create skills that serve a particular niche in the market.

For example, WeThinkCode democratises education by educating over 400 students through a network of tuition-free software engineering schools in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The organisation hopes to expand its peer-to-peer problem-solving environment to three new campuses across the continent by 2024, reaching digital talent from all backgrounds.

WeThinkCode partners with corporates to look for ways to actively transform the digital industry and secure their tech talent pipelines. In return for their corporate support and skills development, students pledge to complete two four-month internships with their sponsors and work for them when their studies are complete. This model has served as a successful bridge between academic study and the practicalities of the digital industry.

IAB South Africa is also working with CodeSpace and a partnership with Umuzi and Hellocomputer in their industry transforming initiatives. Both academies are democratising digital education through accessible programmes that solve real challenges in the digital industry. 

There are other paths to creating a thriving digital economy. Marketers could aggregate marketing philanthropy initiatives and deploy them to fight skills shortage.

Every brand has a benevolent side to its marketing plan. Some give away more product, some give discounts and some reward loyalty with prizes.

What if a brand asked you what skill you’d like to learn and embarked on a journey with you to gift you a much-needed skill that will help South Africa’s economy thrive?

Can brands customise skills transfer to each individual’s unique circumstances and to the industry’s unique requirements? Big data makes this possible. All that brands have to do is ask the question: 'what skill would you like to learn today?' 

Brands need a thriving economy to grow, and a thriving economy needs a skilled and productive workforce. That’s why it is important to celebrate brands as they play an active role in creating a pool of economically active citizens.

This not only creates lifelong customers but a pool of innovators that can be employed by the brands to drive real change. 

This symbiotic relationship between a brand and its consumer holds the key to a sustainable economy. Skills lead to creativity, creativity leads to innovation, innovation leads to growth, growth creates jobs and jobs stimulate consumption.

This is how brands can use digital to secure a thriving, representative digital future.

For more information, visit www.ogilvy.co.za. You can also follow Ogilvy South Africa on Facebook or on Twitter.