Tag: marketing

2025 marked a watershed year for marketers in South Africa. Consumer behaviour shifted rapidly. Technology accelerated at a pace. As a result, brands that once relied on traditional media rhythms had to rethink strategy, storytelling, and speed. These shifts clearly illustrate how marketing changed in 2025.

The recent Checkers "Simple Truth" campaign, featuring British chef Jamie Oliver, Springbok rugby stars Pieter-Steph du Toit and Trevor Nyakane, and former Carte Blanche anchor Devi Sankaree Govender, has sparked discussion. The debate extends beyond marketing to governance.

With the global economy going through uncertain headwinds, making business decisions on all fronts has become more difficult. A decision that could result in a multi-million rand outlay for the company has never been easy. Given the constant need to drive efficiency in the current economy, the pressure to generate Return On Investment (ROI) is relentless

The term “cultural relevance” is all the buzz. But is it truly culturally relevant when a brand simply hops on the latest meme, references the current big sports moment or issues a token nod to whatever is trending? This approach feels like the brand version of dropping in for a quick photo and then leaving. It is similar to being a cultural tourist, but in a digital context.

Most small business owners I meet share a similar story. They began with a brilliant idea and invested their energy and capital in building a brand. They fought hard to win their first customers. But somewhere along the way, between juggling sales, operations, HR, marketing and finances, their customers’ voices faded into the background.

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) used to be the rock star of the boardroom. The role determined how a company presented itself to the market. It also carried the authority of being the customer’s voice in an executive team dominated by finance and operations. The death of the CMO is now a growing concern.

For years, LinkedIn carried the aura of a digital name tag. It was present, but it largely stayed out of the spotlight. Now, in South Africa, corporate engagement with LinkedIn has moved beyond routine activity and into strategic intent. The new SA Social Media Landscape Report 2025, we produced, in partnership with brand intelligence company Ornico, reveals a sharp shift.

Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) is becoming non-negotiable for South African businesses. Major global email providers are tightening authentication requirements. Our role as a managed IT services and cybersecurity provider is to urge local organisations to act now.

In South Africa, youth unemployment is a serious problem. Currently, 49.9 percent of young people are without work. This is deeply concerning, especially considering that the youth are the future of our economy. As much as we need the government and private sector to support young people, we also have the power to drive change ourselves.

In the world of social media influencers and content creators, a face can sometimes be more valuable than gold. Through strategic commercialisation, public figures now build empires based on their identity. This is possible because of one powerful tool: image rights. To understand image rights, we must first understand the right to identity.