Reardon Sanderson, GM group sales and marketing at Tiso Blackstar Group, says, "In an environment where social media technology plays an enormously influential role in defining the sentiment and aspirations that youth have towards brands, it’s essential for brand owners and marketers to be ‘woke’ to what is happening in the minds of those aged eight to 23 years old."
"Our commitment to understanding this market for the benefit of advertisers is what has set Sunday Times Generation Next apart as a leader in unearthing market trends and preference," Sanderson adds.
HDI Youth Consultancy CEO, Bongani Chinkanda, will be sharing his insights on youth culture, trends and behaviour by dissecting some of the findings from this year’s survey, and interrogating how that data fits into the bigger youth culture landscape.
The topics under discussion, as depicted by the Sunday Times Generation Youth Next Marketing Conference, can be found below.
How to best use tech to conquer the fourth industrial revolution
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing change that will affect how people interact with and adapt to technology. Will brands use this as an opportunity to appeal and relate to the youth of today, or allow it to become something that divides us?
Meet the future of advertising — influencer marketing is here to stay
With today’s youth commanding a collective $44-billion of spending power and consuming most of their media on-the-go, influencer marketing has taken off. Understanding how to tailor traditional marketing and advertising models to appeal to the youth is essential, along with knowing how and when to employ influencers responsibly and effectively.
South Africa has followed international practices to ensure that the public is informed when influencer posts are sponsored or not. Kenzy Mohapi, host of the Best Weekend Radio Show on Jacaranda FM, will moderate a diverse panel as they uncover different aspects of the influencer marketing trend, how far it has come and where it is going.
The rise of the sharing economy — 'community' as a commodity
Aisha Pandor, co-founder and CEO of SweepSouth.com, will share insights on how the focus has shifted towards convenience, price and transactional efficiency, and what we should expect from the sharing economy in 2019.
The importance of creativity in a world of digital experiences and disruption
In the next year, one in four millennials plan to leave their current job and, by 2020, two-thirds expect to have found new employment. Innovation is accelerating exponentially, with disruptive technologies changing how businesses and the economy operate.
Julia Robson (professional gamer and Esports Correspondent for Africa, Ginx Esports TV) and Dominic Gaobepe (author, speaker and diversity and inclusion specialist) will share more about these evolutionary technologies and trends to uncover the opportunities or threats they might present in appealing to the right talent.
What do businesses need to know about South African youth to create sustainable strategic growth?
Refilwe Maluleke (managing director of Yellow Wood) will share first insights into a study that investigates the factors motivating people's behaviour, from a survey that looks at a broad cross-section of society, including the youth. The insights generated about youth will link to what drives their perception and preference of brands.
Your business in the eyes of Generation Z and Generation Alpha
Generation Z has witnessed the rapid growth and development of technologies that weren’t around 20 years ago. Generation Alpha, the tech-savvy off-spring of millennials, could soon make Gen Z an afterthought.
These generations are emerging as power players, decision makers and influencers in today’s marketing arena. The esteemed panel will uncover generational trends and insights that will help brands build sustainable relationships with the different youth silos and age groups, and will also engage with the HDI junior board of directors about five mid-year trends.
When creativity moves the market
In this creative marketing discussion, a panel of industry strategists engages with the minds of the #WooliesWaterChallenge to gain insight into the campaign, the reaction and the after-effects of a brilliant, satirical idea that went viral.
Workshop: by Hands on Tech
Six Bricks is a concept designed to excite and motivate young children in the classroom to attain the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for success in later life. In play, children develop their most important basic brain function — the ability to control their own behaviour in order to reach a goal.
The Six Bricks activities give plenty of opportunities for the child to practice and improve self-control – a fundamental for all other learning in life. During this workshop, delegates will all have an opportunity to see how play and Six Bricks inspire laughter and a love of learning.
For the complete agenda and list of speakers and panellists, visit www.sundaytimesgennext.co.za
The Sunday Times Generation Next Youth Marketing Conference takes place on Thursday, 13 June from 09:00 to 14:00 at the Sandton Convention Centre. Tickets can be purchased at R1 300 at www.sundaytimesgennext.co.za. The conference will be followed by an interactive showcase in the afternoon.
The Sunday Times Generation Next Awards event starts at 17:00, with tickets available at R299.
Sunday Times Generation Next is presented in association with HDI Youth Consultancy and partners Brand South Africa, Gautrain Management Agency, Carnival City, Dark & Lovely, Mercedes Benz, Toys R Us, Cliff Central and Hands-on Tech.
For more information, visit www.tisoblackstarevents.co.za. You can follow Tiso Blackstar Events on Facebook or on Twitter.