Veronica Moleele | Chief Executive Officer | Penquin | mail me |
In today’s hyper-digital world, content is everywhere. Brands are producing more than ever before – videos, blogs, reels, emails, podcasts, you name it. Yet the question we need to be asking is: is any of it working? This is a question people ask often. The answer? Not always.
One of the biggest challenges facing brands today is the tendency to create content for the sake of content. Not for connection. Not for conversion. Not even for conversation. Just content, ticking boxes on a strategy sheet.
The importance of intent marketing
It’s time to make a shift. More importantly, it’s time to place intent back at the centre of marketing. After all, marketing should move people, emotionally, mentally, or into action. When content fails to do that, brands waste money. They also waste time and burn through attention spans.
Too often, brands fall into the trap of prioritising volume over value. That ‘we need to post something every day’ mindset clutters the landscape and creates a noisy, overwhelming environment. As a result, truly meaningful communication gets lost in the shuffle. Therefore, intentional content must start with a purpose, it begins with why, not with a brief.
To create meaningful content, marketers must start by asking strategic questions. These include: what do we want this piece of content to achieve? Who are we speaking to? Are we speaking with them or at them? And what do we want them to think, feel or do after engaging with it?
Furthermore, creative work should never exist in a vacuum. Content must draw on solid insights. It also needs to align with brand objectives and deliberately deliver value to the right audience, in the right way, at the right time.
This is exactly where agencies must raise their game. Producing beautiful work alone is no longer enough. Instead, agencies need to challenge their clients, ask difficult questions, and drive the kind of strategic clarity that produces real business results.
Making customers feel understood through intent marketing
The most effective campaigns are not the ones with the most assets. They are the ones with the most clarity. Therefore, the creative process must be linked to measurable outcomes. And it is the responsibility of agencies to challenge brands to think deeper.
Findings from leading global marketing studies continue to show that brand salience, trust, and engagement increase when consumers feel seen and understood. This is only possible when content is designed intentionally. It must be rooted in insight, aligned to brand purpose and delivered at the right time and place.
The most successful brands in 2025 are not necessarily the loudest. Instead, they are the most purposeful. Their marketing efforts are strategic, considered and consumer-focused. In other words, every campaign element – whether a TikTok clip, long-form video or billboard – serves a defined function. It also contributes to a cohesive brand journey.
In conclusion
We have worked with some of South Africa’s most dynamic businesses. We have helped them drive meaningful marketing outcomes by putting strategy before execution. Through this lens, content becomes sharper. Messaging becomes stronger. And the impact becomes measurable.
Are brands wasting millions on content? When there’s no clear intent – yes. But with focused strategy, insight-driven creative, and a partner who understands the value of purpose, content can cut through the noise and move people in the ways that matter most.
