Marketing & Selling

While COVID-19 is certainly not a thing of the past, as a society we appear to be starting to find ways of living with the virus and, for most people at least, taking the necessary precautions to protect ourselves from being infected by it. The same can be said for many businesses.

Have you ever had your virtual hand up in an online meeting, ready to make a brilliant suggestion or ask a pertinent question? As time ticks away and a cacophony of voices drown out your chance to shine, you eventually concede to those who are louder and more persistent. 

Over the past five years, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in marketing have come a long way. Yet many marketers who are using today’s programmatic and social platforms to reach their audience are not exploiting the full power of the algorithms these platforms can offer or the vast amounts of consumer data they collect.

A free press or media has an important role to play in democracies as it is responsible for gathering and distributing the information that citizens use to decide how they are going to vote. They then have the further responsibility to monitor and hold those in power accountable.

According to a study by Brain & Company, organisations with a Customer Experience (CX) mindset drive a revenue of 4-8% higher than the rest in their respective industries. Having a customer-centric approach is therefore vital for businesses operating in the digital age. Here, data is a key element in driving business operations.

For most brands and marketers, keeping ahead of an ever-evolving digital privacy landscape is a major challenge. Not only are governments and regulators constantly amending data protection laws, but digital platform companies also often change their rules to offer consumers better control over their data or, in a more cynical view, to tighten their control over the consumer data they hold within their walled gardens.

Africa is currently the world’s second-fastest growing region in terms of economic development and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the World Bank, meaning that there is endless potential and opportunity for organisations to grow and transform on the continent.

Even though modern technology is introducing new capabilities for organisations looking to adapt to evolving customer needs, the human element should never be forgotten. Whether it is a business-to-business or business-to-consumer company, much of its success comes down to how adept it is to build customer engagement and deliver a good experience.

KIA Corporation claimed a Guinness World Record in early 2021, and it had nothing to do with cars. The 303 drones used to etch the carmaker’s new logo (a movement from the classic red logo in a circle to a clean, crisp, and progressive monochrome logo) in Seoul’s night sky were loaded with fireworks. Once ignited, the drones made KIA the unlikely holder of the record for the ‘most unmanned aerial vehicles launching fireworks simultaneously’.

The Coronavirus pandemic has shown us just how much humans crave positive, social connection. Throughout various stages of lockdown, we have seen that when people feel connected, they become happier, more engaged and highly loyal.