Thoughts in Industry

Customer relationships prosper for brands with purpose

As the second year of the pandemic draws to a close, consumer demand for online buying is still on the rise. However, the same cannot be said for brand loyalty. Consumers have changed their spending habits since the beginning of the pandemic and continue to do so. It is now more important than ever to turn your customers into brand advocates by understanding what drives their purchasing decisions.

Are you ready to get phygital?

After being cooped up for months and months, customers are looking for connected experiences. Customer journeys where the physical and digital coexist – more than just a digital experience. And when properly understood, phygital solutions offers companies ways to create previously unimagined experiences.

Customer Experience in a physical store is about bolstering emotions that influence purchasing decisions and customer loyalty.

An agile approach to marketing is here to stay

Agile has been a buzzword for a while now and typically describes a wide range of approaches to project management and software development – and although there’s a fair amount of misunderstanding about what it actually is – if done right, being Agile can make a big difference. And lately, there’s been more and more talk of an Agile approach (and its benefits) in a marketing environment. In fact, the State of Agile Marketing 2021 report reveals that more than half of marketers surveyed – 51% – reported using agile marketing methods in their work.

Death of the third-party cookie calls for customer-centricity

Over the last decade, the way consumer data is collected, used and regulated has changed immensely. Tracking tools like web cookies have allowed advertisers sophisticated and personalised ways to target consumers, but they have also led to privacy violations. However, Google is planning to phase out cookies by 2022, which means companies will have to get clear permission from users to utilise data generated. But because users are more informed about how their data is used, they are unlikely to give their consent.

What the rise of TikTok means for marketers

Social media platform TikTok has become one of the world’s favourites over the last couple of years. If this acceleration feels somewhat sudden to you, you are not entirely wrong. According to CNBC reporting on TikTok, the app had 54 million active monthly users worldwide in January 2018. By August 2020, TikTok’s active monthly users increased to 689 million worldwide. With 2 billion downloads so far, it is fast becoming one of the most downloaded non-gaming apps, according to Jenn Guidry from eclincher.

Are Your Customers At The Heart Of Everything You Do?

Customer experience has always been a crucial business differentiator, but 2020 stressed why it is more important than ever that brands listen to their customers, whose needs are continuously evolving and changing. Forrester’s Consumer Energy Index study found consumer trust as the most relevant and influential metric for success.

Email Is Not Dead

It has become more important than ever to take the time to understand what is changing and why, so that your brand doesn’t miss the opportunity to build stronger customer-brand relationships. But when you’re looking for the next new thing, don’t forget to look at what has worked in the past. Because in trying times, people seek comfort in the familiar. Last year saw a renewed interest in some old-school marketing formats like newsletters.

Marketing Trends 2021

If you have crossed the threshold into 2021 with a mixed bag of emotions and expectations, you are not alone. You have had to adapt to major changes and might feel uncertain about which changes will remain, evolve or return to something more familiar. The uncertainties will most likely remain but analysing the changes that have taken place across your industry and consumer segments, might help you navigate the choppy waters.

AI Influencers: More than a passing fad.

With over a billion social media users worldwide, it is more difficult than ever for brands to break through the noise, but the social media influencer has proven very effective. Over the last ten years, brands’ investments in influencer marketing have been increasing rapidly. Which comes as no surprise; results of this study proves that influencer-promoted ad content garners remarkably higher engagement than brand-promoted ad content on Instagram.

Will authentic online conversations dominate the next wave of marketing?

The way that we communicate online is constantly shifting, and every round of new technology changes acceptable response rates. Today’s consumer wants honest help – instantly- not another generic and overused marketing message. Companies must aim to provide the right information, at the right time, to the right person, on the right channel – every time. And that is where conversational marketing comes in because it is all about building relationships through customised, one-on-one content.

What resonates, replicates.

Going Viral has become a buzzword, and something brands, influencers, and campaigns often aspire to. And although going viral can generate tremendous interest around your brand or campaign, it can also be for the wrong reasons, as we have seen ample times recently both locally and internationally. Shifting the focus slightly away from going viral and more towards creating what resonates, allows us a less myopic view and moves us more towards long-lasting impact as opposed to a ‘get-rich-quick’ approach.

The Age of Assistance

Recent research from Google shows that 80% of people want to understand the world around them. Our power to decipher and interpret the world around us sit in the palm of our hands – giving rise to the age of assistance. Access to information and attentive audiences have pushed brands to assist customers in providing valuable information and experiences. The notion of assisting customers requires brands to think outside their product and service offerings and consider what customers’ pain points, needs and wants are.

Having a Systems Mindset Can Build Your Brand

2020 has placed our interconnectedness and interdependency under the microscope. What we see under this magnified view is how even the most seemingly minuscule individual actions form part of larger experiences, which in turn creates collective circumstances and, in some cases, global impact – a notion we are all well acquainted with by now. There is an acute awareness of the systems and structures we are a part of, whether by choice or by organisational, societal or political design.

Brand Activism: A Key Element for Brand Strategies

For any businesses to successfully introduce itself to the market, it has to develop a well-thought-out brand strategy, which delineates how the brand will present itself to the market both visually and narratively. From time immemorial, branding has been about how the business wants to be perceived, and it has been about generating leads and establishing a relationship with consumers so that they can eventually become loyal advocates of that brand.

Opportunism or Fair Play: Excessive Pricing During a Global Pandemic

As most of us know, a relationship faces its greatest challenge when the environment within which it exists is hit by tragedy and uncertainty. The current COVID-19 crisis is posing a challenge to your relationship with both your prospective and loyal customers. 2020 is most certainly the year that your brand promises and value propositions are being put to the test in an unprecedented way; your response is being carefully monitored.

Re-imagining Storytelling

Some of the stories we told ourselves three months ago have had to be rescripted. These days, you are probably writing new stories daily. If you said to yourself that you simply cannot start a new week without that tall latte from your favourite coffee spot on your way to work, well, that story has now likely become one where you are your own barista.

Marketing During Chaos and Crisis

Jeremey Gutsche from Trendhunter describes chaos as a state that presents new opportunities, but that only happens when we get out of a crisis disposition. By the time you read this, South Africa will be within the incremental lifting of a five-week lockdown. This might be different if you find yourself confined in other parts of the continent or the globe.

Remote Working – Does It Work?

Creative agencies are no strangers to remote working and flexible work schedules. Most creative agencies have a workforce that comprises full-time employers and remote freelancers. Interestingly enough, there are still some creative agencies that are reluctant to explore remote working as an option for their employees; this is due to the stigmas surrounding remote work and the mistrust that most managers have regarding on-time delivery and productivity.

Exploring the Rise of the Podcasts with Mashudu Modau

Over the past couple of years, podcasts have been growing in popularity as more and more content creators realise the increasing need for content on-demand. There is a podcast for almost everything under the sun and most people have that must-listen-to podcast that they’re recommending to friends and relatives. Whether it’s about romance, politics, business or mental wellness, there is a podcast for everyone.

What the Hype is Going On?

Supreme is a well-known American streetwear brand that is “a cultural phenomenon built on hype”. The brand is much-celebrated even here in South Africa, despite not having a single store in the country. Supreme is valued at $1 billion, with only 11 retail stores worldwide. So, how does a brand like Supreme make such an inconceivable profit and amass so great a following from something as abstract and unquantifiable as hype?

So, What’s the Big Deal About Trends?

The notion of trends has been around for over a decade but hashtags, famous futurists and trend talks and conferences have gained rapid popularity in the past ten years. So, what’s the big deal? Is it something worth taking notice of or is it just another short-lived sensation equal to one-hit-wonder and overpriced vegan ‘meat’? Moreover, how can brands benefit from practices such as trend research, analysis, forecasting?

The Psychology of Christmas Marketing

Nostalgia is a powerful marketing force and brands are fully aware of people’s sentiments regarding the festive season and Christmas; they set up campaigns to convince consumers that their products are what they need to have a fulfilling festive season. In order for you to gain the consumer’s attention during the festive season, you have to appeal to the memories and emotions that are associated with the time of year.

The Politicisation of the Internet

The internet is a powerful global resource that connects and empowers us. It contributes immensely to our personal, professional and intellectual development by making it easy for us to access and disseminate a plethora of information. More than giving us access to unfettered knowledge, the internet is a gateway to platforms for voicing our opinions regarding global and local socio-political issues and decrying systems that are oppressive.

Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Subliminal Messaging

Subliminal messaging has been viewed with much suspicion since the concept surfaced in 1957. Over the years, studies have revealed that people can consume information that influences their decisions and actions without being aware of the fact that their perception is being manipulated. Do brands and political organisations really use subliminal messaging and, if so, how effective is it as an advertising technique or a tool to push a certain agenda?

There’s Life Beyond LSMs

There are various ways to perform market segmentation. For a very long time, the most common segmentation tool was the Living Standards Measure (LSM), which has now lost its weight as a solid market segmentation tool. Since South African consumers are multi-dimensional and ever-evolving, most marketers will agree that behavioural and psychographic market segmentation approaches are the most relevant way to group consumers and gauge which customers will resonate the most with your brand.

Understanding the Actual Impact of Branding Part 3: Brand Consistency

The work of building a brand is continuous and does not necessarily stop at a particular point or stage. Your brand must be hard to miss, customers must encounter it in everything related to your company that they can see, read, hear and, if possible, feel. It is important to ensure that the brand’s personality, voice and message are in sync and incorporated into the content. The same uniformity needs to be applied across all marketing mediums.

Creating Content that Stimulates Customers’ Minds

Every single brand is competing not only for market sales but also for the consumer’s attention. An essential step is building a sustainable content strategy that will work like a well-oiled machine. Besides having a streamlined content plan and a well-thought-out editorial calendar, businesses have to ensure that the content they create is thought-provoking, informative and empowering.

Can Creativity Destroy the Mind? – Mental Health and the Creative Industry

As South Africa observes Mental Illness Awareness Month in July, we felt it appropriate to look at mental health in the creative industry. The notion of the psychologically tormented creative mind is more than a mere trope—it is a sad and disconcerting reality that requires much attention from companies in the creative industry and society at large.

Understanding the Actual Impact of Branding Part 2: Personality

Your brand has a unique personality; therefore, it is important that you highlight the strengths and values of your brand, and establish what sets you apart in a saturated market place. The work of building a brand does not stop at a specific step. For as long as you want to have a thriving and memorable brand, you need to understand that the work of brand building is continuous.

Understanding the Actual Impact of Branding Part 1

Many of us probably believe that we have a sound understanding of branding; what a brand is and how it functions or should function. In this article, Kaitoma’s managing director, Paul Moeng, briefly outlines what a brand actually is and discusses the importance of building a brand that will garner and maintain loyalty and support from customers, clients and consumers.

The Impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution: What’s Your Next?

The fourth industrial revolution is upon us, it is quickly impacting all industries, and we can no longer ignore it. People are now under more pressure to continuously upskill themselves in order to survive in this new revolution as there has been a shift in power, wealth and knowledge.

Tips on What We Look for When Hiring

After many years of intense, sleepless nights you finally have your degree or diploma! Yay?! Or not?! It’s time to look for employment. With our current unemployment rates, that can be a nerve-wracking experience. You’ve sent a few CVs and perhaps even attended a couple interviews here and there, with no luck.

Our Origins and the Future

Paul acknowledges that being a student and a freelancer was tough, especially when it came to getting work. It taught him quite a number of valuable lessons. “It wasn’t easy at first, but it gave me some much needed exposure in terms of clients. Sometimes I would lose clients based on the fact that I was a freelancer and still using public transport”, Paul reveals.