Category: The MediaShop

Gareth Grant, Business Unit Manager, The MediaShop

At the end of last year, my wife travelled to New York City for business. In my boredom, I was left aimlessly Googling interesting facts about the city. Did you know for instance, that over 120 years ago five boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island) were consolidated to create the city of New York? Some of these boroughs are islands, like Manhattan and are connected to others by bridges. There are also over 2,000 bridges in New York City with 21 major bridges connecting Manhattan. This was quite interesting to me and piqued my curiosity about bridges – clearly my boredom had hit rock bottom while my wife was away. These thoughts also made me realise the similarities between these giant structures and good business relationships.

I’ve never really given much thought about bridges and the engineering behind them and yet we use them quite often in everyday life. These icons were built to span a physical obstacle in order to provide easy passage and just like linking Manhattan to the rest of New York City – bridges enable connection.

While planning for 2020, the topic of connection is very top of mind for me. No doubt about it, 2019 was a tough year with the state of our economy, load-shedding and the likes and 2020 has arrived with its own challenges. Constant alignment on plans and objectives will be key to succeed in business, and I really want to focus on making sure I am connected with my colleagues, clients, partners and the industry.

Bridges come in all shapes and sizes, just like relationships, but what they all have in common is the engineering aspects that keep them up. Firstly, they have to be built on good, solid foundations on both sides in order to have structural rigidity and withstand some of Mother Nature’s “temper tantrums”. Without solid foundations it would be difficult to construct the centre of the bridge and it would crumble. The same is true for relationships. Both sides need solid structures in place in resources, communication and processes.

Secondly, to keep the bridge in place and prevent collapse, there are several important forces that bridges must withstand. Two of the most important forces are compression and tension. These forces provide the push and pull required to keep these engineering phenomenons standing. Similarly with relationships we need to withstand some forces. There will be times where there is tension, but tension can be good if it’s constructive. After all, tension is part of keeping the bridge up. There will also be times when clients and agency partners push each other. This push is often uncomfortable, but it is in the uncomfortable situations where we grow. So if we wish to grow, be and do better in 2020, then let’s have these two forces at play.

Thirdly, a solid bridge or relationship needs to be able to withstand unforeseen forces, like extreme weather conditions, unexpected events, accidents, and unplanned changes in the industry or economy, which can all create additional stress, but when relationships (and bridges) are built on solid foundations, these can be overcome.

And finally, relationships, just like bridges will require “maintenance” in order to keep it in good standing so that both parties prosper and have a mutually beneficial year. Inspectors and engineers look for signs that indicate when a bridge is stressed and damaged. Similarly in a business relationship, communication is critical to indicate to each other when we are strained.

Personally, I look forward to what 2020 has in store for my relationships and I look forward to the gains, strength and growth that come with the uncomfortable push and pull. We may find ourselves doing things we had never thought of, and unlocking huge opportunities in the process.

I also look forward to the maintenance of my existing relationships as much as I look forward to building some solid new ones.

So let 2020 be the year where we remain strong in tense times and where we drive connection and build bridges.

Andile Qokweni, Business Unit Manager at The MediaShop

On Friday the 8^th of November a common man like you and me was spotted proposing to a woman at a KFC. I’m sure when he played this scenario in his head, he had very little idea how this proposal would actually change his life in the short term. The man was recorded on camera and his actions were very quickly shared on social media.

The initial response to this noble action was very negative – one person on Twitter ranted: “SA men are broke they even propose at KFC…They have absolutely no class, I mean who proposes at KFC?? #KFCProposal”. But here was an opportunity for the brand to turn negative sentiment to positive because love is inherently free, it cannot be bought, sold or traded, even though the initial sentiment alluded to the fact that in modern times there’s a value associated to love.

As soon as KFC saw the opportunity to reinforce some of these “love” principles, the video went viral and a nationwide search for the couple began with South African social media going into overdrive to find Nonhlanhla Soldaat and Hector Mkansi, the country’s newest sweethearts. Engagement offers went through the roof as KFC gave consumers incentive to help them find this couple.

McDonalds responded as the brand which “loves things”, offering an all-expenses paid trip to Cape Town for the Toni Braxton concert. Standard Bank offered to clear the couple’s debt – if they are Standard Bank customers. Audi offered the couple luxurious transport to their wedding destination. Puma offered clothing, Huawei gave the couple phones to take pictures on their honeymoon. KroneMCC would also ensure the newly-weds are toasted with some fine sparkling wine and many, many more brands got in on the action.

South Africans were now calling it ‘their wedding’ and by the end of the day 30 brands had come forward to offer an additional experience for what had started as a negative tweet about proposing at KFC. So it’s clear, brands can mobilise and put aside rivalry or competition and do what is seen to be right by consumers and the general public.

This is where I’m going to flip the script a bit – at what point did this reach saturation? Was it after the tenth brand got involved, or was it after the third bank made an offer? Or maybe after the fifth FMCG brand offered the couple food? Don’t get me wrong, I would love the country and all its blue chip brands tripping over themselves to make my wedding a success but as a marketer I did take a step back and ask some tough questions.

If I was a victim of the recent KZN hurricane and storms for example, would I not expect these brands to offer the same level of support for me and why that couple for that matter? Many South Africans will tie the knot as this is wedding season after all, so why are brands not lining up to assist them?

If we refer back to The MediaShop’s Media Landscape series where Maggie Pronto, Isla Prentis and I looked at what type of content works, we touched on the importance of relevance of content produced by brands for consumption and we arrived at five key things, which distinguish great content.

• Move At The Speed Of Culture
• Be distinctive
• Offer an experience
• Embed your purpose
• Invest appropriately

KFC, as the brand to really bring all of this together, lived up to the principles above but in my opinion many of the other brands just wanted to jump onto the bandwagon. KFC identified the need to turn this story that begun at one of their stores into a positive legacy. By identifying the opportunity they made it distinctive for their brand, they offered an experience and one could go as far as to say it was embedded into their “Add Hope” initiative even if this was not targeted at kids per say, it still fits into that “bucket”.

At the recent AMASA Awards, one of the judges, Wandisile Nkabinde, mentioned that for brands to be successful it’s not just about arriving, it’s about how you arrive. Julio Rodrigues then went on to say it’s not just about pushing performing metrics all the time, it’s not always about reach, frequency and impressions and this is exactly how I feel about some of the brands that joined the party very late.

It’s not for me to say who those brands are but the only questions that need answering now is “Who is flying me to the wedding and who will pay for my accommodation?”

The MediaShop Johannesburg has been named Network Media Agency of the Year at the 2019 Financial Mail AdFocus Awards. This is the second time in the last three years that the agency has been awarded this accolade.

Kgaugelo Maphai, Managing Director of The MediaShop Johannesburg says that this is an excellent way to end the year: “On the back of a tough but very successful award-winning year, I am immensely grateful to be able to work with and lead such an amazing, passionate group of people who continually strive to pioneer and do better. 2020 will see our agency evolve into a fully integrated marketing and communications agency and we’re extremely excited about the future ahead.”

According to Adfocus 2019, The MediaShop’s increase in billings, new account wins and client retention were a few factors that clinched the deal.

Throughout 2019 the agency has been successful with wins at the MOST awards, Bookmarks, AMASA and recently, Assegai Awards, affirming their position as a leading media agency in South Africa.

For more on The MediaShop visit www.mediashop.co.za, like them on Facebook: The MediaShop, follow them on Twitter @MediaShopZA or LinkedIn.

The MediaShop:

The MediaShop is South Africa’s most established, most awarded, most transformed media agency, and member of the Nahana Communications Group of specialist agencies, each with their own independent structures, cultures and management teams, and a desire to work together where synergy exists. The MediaShop’s employees are communication experts in the business of connecting brands with consumers through revolutionary communication and touchpoint solutions.

Claire Herman, Media Operations Lead at The MediaShop

4IR… I first heard this buzzword at the BCX Disrupt Conference in 2017, where I was lucky enough to see two phenomenal speakers who tackled the topic.

The first was Richard Mulholland, founder and C-3PO of Missing Link. His topic was “Do we need to fear the Fourth Industrial Revolution?” It’s a term first introduced by Karl Schwabb, a German engineer and economist best known as the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum. His book, simply titled: “The Fourth Industrial Revolution” was published in 2016. Richard says predictions are that we will reach the point of singularity around 2040/2045 – the point at which machine intelligence will supersede human intellect, and computers or ‘trans-humans’ will take over the world!

The second speaker was Will.i.am, seven-time Grammy award winner, frontman for the Black Eyed Peas, Executive Producer of “Planet of the Apps” and Founder and CEO of i.am+, a company that fuses the worlds of technology, culture, fashion and Artificial Intelligence (AI). When asked what keeps him up at night his answer was this: What will happen when two driverless cars are set for a head-on collision? How will they negotiate with each other on which one will move out of the way first? It will be based on the passengers they are carrying – who is older, who has a genetic marker for cancer, how many dependents does each one have, who is more successful and contributes more to the economy, etc.? And will all of this be detected in a split-second or will we reach a point where cognitive AI will treat all humans equally? It’s quite a terrifying thing to keep you up at night!

But what does this all actually mean for us in 2019/2020?

Let’s first go back in time to the late 1700’s / early 1800’s where the first Industrial Revolution brought us advances in textile manufacturing and the innovation of the steam train. A few decades later into the end of the 18^th century, we entered the second Industrial Revolution that introduced steel production, the automobile and electricity. In the 1900’s we experienced the rise of digital technology and computing and the world around us fundamentally changed. Life became much faster with information at our finger tips and communication that was instantaneous.

Is that where we thought it would end? Not a chance! In fact, it is intensifying at a rapid pace. Today we are fully immersed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is all about Intelligence… It is defined as the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way we live and work.

Global borders don’t inhibit when, where and how we work – we are constantly connected. Our knowledge bank seems infinite – we can find out almost anything in a matter of seconds, all we need to do is ‘Google it’. But Big Brother is watching – there is nowhere to hide. As a result, we need to adapt, and at a rapid pace. We are entering a world where our fridges will order our groceries for us, our cars will drive us to work, we will have very little need to physically go shopping, our food will adapt to the nutritional needs of our bodies, and holidays will be to other planets. Why not? The opportunities are endless.

This is all very exciting (read scary), but what are the implications of such a technologically advanced society?

Firstly, the school system as we know it will need to fundamentally change – it’s interesting to note that some schools are already pioneering in this space. For example in 2020 South Africa’s first online high school will be launched (The Valenture Institute). What does our schooling system look like in the future – what and how do teachers teach? Educators will need to be re-trained, based on new subjects that are being introduced.

Several primary schools have acknowledged that they are preparing kids for jobs that haven’t even been invented yet. We have been completely taken out of our comfort zone with “out there” concepts such as teaching Grade 1’s philosophical thinking – would you prefer a time machine or a money tree? When I was in Grade 1 I was learning my ABC’s and how to count. Some schools have introduced a no-homework policy, rather focusing on project-based learning in teams during school hours. It is all very “revolutionary”, and us as parents must blindly accept that this is for the benefit of our children. We have bought into this thinking, so we are going with it.

Secondly, what does 4IR mean for current and future employment? The latest Stats SA figures show that our unemployment rate right now is the highest it has been in 11 years at 29.1%, and the doom-sayers predict that it will only get worse.

But as each Revolution unfolded, dire predictions of massive job losses ensued, increasing each time. The first three are over, and those concerns were clearly misplaced. The number of jobs actually increased with each revolution, as did living standards and every other social indicator.

Let’s look at the Banking Sector as an example. The last three banking licenses awarded were for online banks – Tyme Bank, Discovery Bank and Bank Zero. Earlier this year we also saw Standard Bank closing almost 100 branches and retrenching over 1,000 staff members. But I don’t think it is all doom and gloom. We just need to think laterally, learn to apply ourselves differently and adapt. One of the most sought-after human resources in the coming years will be for Cyber Security Specialists, a profession that didn’t exist 30 years ago.

Earlier this year I attended one of the Ads24 Food For Thought sessions where we had to choose Human vs. Robot. Rapelang Rabana, Computer Scientist and Chief Digital Officer of BCX, said that from the 1.8 million jobs lost this year, 2.3 million more jobs will be created by next year. She believes that AI stands for “Accelerated Improvement” and moving forward we will only be, she says, smarter, do more, experience more, see further into the future, and ultimately be better humans. It’s a very positive outlook, which is quite comforting.

And lastly, what does it mean for advertising and media? I keep on thinking of Tom Cruise in The Minority Reportwhere customised ads were popping up in front of him as he walked through a mall (https://youtu.be/7bXJ_obaiYQ). The movie was produced back in 2002, but it had a not-so-unrealistic view on what the future could hold.

The advertising and media landscape is constantly changing, from how we consume media (super-fast, byte-sized chunks, pictures and video over text, second-screening, etc.), to what media we are engaging with (AI, chat bots, instant messaging, social media, etc.), and what creative and messaging we are exposed to (AI generated ads, eg.https://youtu.be/CV5KvMust0Y and AI generated royalty-free models, eg.https://generated.photos/). We also need to be super cognisant of how we engage with consumers, taking into account privacy policies and the industry’s role and responsibilities in this space.Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Google and Apple know us better than we know ourselves.

Their algorithms are tracking everything we buy, where we go, what we read and watch, what we like, every step we take, and every heartbeat in our bodies… I made the mistake of daydreaming online about buying a house in Mauritius – my newsfeeds are now completely taken over by real estate agents in Mauritius trying to sell me houses that I can’t afford. I can keep on dreaming.

So in this fast-paced, ever-changing landscape, that makes us feel largely out of control, is it the end of the world as we know it? I think it is, but we will be fine…

Herman Degener, Digital Media Strategist at The MediaShop

The other day I was attending the briefing of a highly sought after account. It’s a piece of business which I’m rather passionate about and have had the privilege of working on before. When the CMO was wrapping up his presentation, he said a few things about relationships and chemistry; “this” he said…”is a marriage!”, and “we need to like you!” he said.

Given that we were all there with fellow shortlisted agencies, it’s fair to assume we all had the necessary skills, access to technology and the experience the client needed, but the emphasis was on the relationship. This got me thinking about client-agency relationships, especially with technology literally eroding the workplace; just how relevant, or valid, is the client-agency relationship these days? Clearly, to this client it‘s super important, which was great to hear!

There’s a saying that Brian Solis coined called digital-Darwinism, it’s when technology and society evolves faster than humans. Scary, I know. But similar to how we all thought cookie-based targeting was the silver bullet to all our marketing challenges, we are starting to realise that perhaps technology doesn’t have all the answers, and that as humans we are still exceptional at the one thing technology cannot do: have an emotional relationship.

It still beggars belief that client-agency contracts are finite; it’s not like when you marry your partner you only commit to a three year term! So why is it different in business? It’s only after a few years of working together (akin to moving in together as a couple) do you really get to know each other, and often just when you’re getting to know each other and establish highly productive ways of working, the partnership ends and the whole process starts again with a new ‘spouse’.

Getting back on point… right, so, to both clients and agencies alike, what are some of the ways we can enjoy our oft-fleeting relationships? I did some research online as well as some old-school human-to-human research, and here’s what I found:

 Communication

It goes without saying, right? But then why are so many relationships strained by a lack of clear and unambiguous communication? We communicate clearly with our friends and family because we feel comfortable enough to ask silly questions without fear of ridicule (well, mostly). Yet in a business relationship, we tend to use fancy terms and TLA’s (Three Letter Acronyms) to sound knowledgeable and important. Meanwhile we’ve just strained the relationship through miscommunication, and no-one wants to ask the so-called silly question. In his biography, Elon Musk talks about how he banned the use of acronyms in his companies without his written approval, for obvious reasons.

 Check your ego at the door!

No one likes an egomaniac or narcissist, and in the client-agency relationship egos are not exactly scarce. One of the best marketers I had the privilege of working with, Roland Reid who was Marketing Director at Jaguar Land Rover South Africa at the time, used to always remind us that we were there to progress the brand, not our egos. Agencies are not always the guilty party here, but mostly we are. We all want to impress the client so much that our egos usurp the primary reason we’re all there, to solve business problems. When we forget our egos and put energy into solving the business challenges first, relationships foster, and everyone wins.

 Warts ‘n all

With social media being what it is, no agency is going to try and pull a fast one. If they did, the court of public opinion would write the death sentence for them. As agencies, we are in the business of helping our clients reach their business goals, to do great work and to be fairly compensated for it. The best relationships are formed when everyone plays open cards, with no hidden agendas. When the latter prevails, all the energy available on both client and agency side goes into achieving strong business results.

 Honesty

The problem with emotion is that it gets in the way of logic. It’s like the ex-partner: your friends are like “wow, what took you so long?”, as if you were oblivious to your ex-partner’s shortcomings. You weren’t, but because you liked, ahem, loved them, you didn’t have the heart to give them negative feedback. In our industry we often form close, sometimes lifelong bonds with our counterparts, and the best relationships have open, honest and regular feedback at their core. A shortcut to relationship failure is letting things fester; create the means for constructive feedback sessions where concerns can be addressed, but also don’t be shy to celebrate the successes.

In closing: ability, integrity and benevolence are at the heart of each point above. So it’s no surprise these are also foundational elements of building trust, both as individuals and as organisations. None of us are getting out of here alive, so we may as well enjoy it while we can and build relationships that make it all worthwhile. 🙂

Andrew Dabbs, Digital Media Strategist at The MediaShop

In the past few months many people may have read that Instagram and Facebook have been running trials in Canada and Australia respectively to hide the number of Likes, reactions and video views that are made to public posts. The intention is to rethink how users engage with these platforms and to make the social networks less stressful. But this goes against using the main currency that Facebook have used for the past decade, the Like.

This new tactic creates some very interesting questions for marketers because the Like has been the vanity metric that most businesses and individuals have sought for so long. With the rise of influencer marketing over the past few years, how will this influence the influencers and how will these individuals be measured? Will they use the opportunity to see, which will really just be a good guess at best, how they can actually become accountable for sales? In a developing ecommerce environment like South Africa, this will be an interesting challenge.

But maybe we don’t need Likes anymore. With the decrease of organic reach “community managers” are using Likes, reactions, shares and views as their main metrics. It is possible that Facebook and Instagram are onto something. Given lower engagement rates they could be doing themselves a service by dropping these metrics before businesses lose faith or have further questions of their platforms.

As Facebook and Instagram keep growing (this without any third party verification of their actual numbers) and continue to compete with traditional media channels for reach, perhaps this will be the new currency they use. We know that video views are a little sketchy already and there has been the question – What is the value of a Like? This being said, maybe Facebook and

Instagram have outgrown small to medium businesses in favour of chasing large corporate budgets, resulting in a change or approach. In essence change is good and as the largest social networks they need to adapt.

It will be very interesting to see if user engagement changes if those ‘Like’ numbers are removed. Are individuals more attracted to a post or page because it has lot of Likes, or are they truly interested in the content of what is being published?

Engagement has always been the better measurement, and personally I would like to see the measure of ‘Likes’ gone as it really does not mean anything to anyone except maybe our lovely influencers. What would happen to all the models of Instagram and Facebook? Perhaps they’ll need a change in career with no filters!

Maggie Pronto, Media Strategist at The MediaShop

Those who know me will be very surprised that I am writing about the Rugby World Cup – sport is not my “thing”, but when this topic came up I couldn’t just kick the idea into touch so I took up the challenge.

This is the premier event for rugby around the world and South Africa is one of the most successful teams, winning two of the five Rugby World Cups (1995 & 2007) – so can we bring it home a third time?

70% of South African adults consider themselves rugby fans and globally interest in rugby is strong, so why is it that we are struggling to fill up stadiums? I mean if Cassper can fill up the Dome?

Spectator behaviour has changed with a growing amount of supporters opting to view in-home. According to the BMI Sport Track 2017/2018 report the main contributors are: convenience (transport, food & beverages), safety as well as an uninterrupted viewing experience.

This has opened the advantage line for TV with it being the primary choice to follow the rugby.

Unfortunately though millions of South Africans will be missing out as SABC were unable to secure rights stating that it would not have been commercially viable and that it doesn’t target their audience. Leaving the field wide open for DSTV to play advantage.

Looking at the 2015 RWC performance – even though we have a big love of the game – viewership more than doubles when our Boks are on the field! I am sure that this picture would have looked the same on SABC – even though the rugby audience is not their core audience surely they would still be behind the national team?

In addition, television also remains the most efficient platform for sponsors to reach and engage with rugby fans. According to caytoo 75% of RWC 2019 sponsors are finance, telecom and travel brands. This includes brands like AIG (New Zealand) and Vodafone (Ireland).

Global sponsorship investment was estimated to equal $66bn in 2018, growing quicker than other traditional media platforms. Brands like Bira91 and Coca-Cola are seeing success by activating national tournaments locally and integrating their own apps into key events.

The key is that all platforms activate together – even though the TV audience can be accounted for in terms of investment vs exposure, measuring ROI when it comes to sponsorships still remains a key concern – so you need to choose wisely.

Saturday was a very physical game – half time had a very grim outlook – we came back but NZL came back stronger. But could these two sides meet again in the Final? Let’s watch and see…

Jedd Cokayne, Business Unit Manager at The MediaShop

As marketers, I often feel we over complicate the interaction that we have with brands on different levels which muddies the water for our consumers, lets us slip from the short list and ultimately chase consumers to competitor brands.

Certain segments have identified specific brand USP’s that have made them successful. Single minded focus is key in an economy that is struggling and brands that are fighting to be part of the consideration set.

One such industry that has pin hole focus, knows what works for them and makes no excuses for what they do, is the gambling fraternity. They know exactly what works for them, they focus on the outcome and relentlessly pursue it with precision and determination.

And here we thought that vile coloured carpet used in the main lobby and gambling areas was a sick joke by the interior decorator, or the fact that the toilets were positioned in the belly of the beast and you had to pass all the amenities available just to get there was a design flaw. All of this actually took plenty of thought to solicit a specific behaviour or outcome.

The secret life of a casino is designed to appeal to the thousands of guests and gamers visiting them each day; from the confused newcomer to a cash laden ‘whale’ looking to play the high stakes tables for hours. By clearly segmenting their visitors and taking them into consideration each casino is specifically designed to accommodate all.

Let’s take a closer look.

Casinos deliberately don’t have clocks or any item that displays the time. They don’t have any windows and supply false lighting so that players lose track of time and continue to gamble through the night. They deliberately dull the senses to get a desired effect from the gamblers, this is very difficult to replicate in any other surrounding.

Casinos only offer drinks that are small with no form of stimulant to keep people gambling and ensure they don’t leave to go to the toilets. That’s why the toilets are placed in the belly of the beast. Another advantage is that smaller drinks are easier to clean up if spilt.

But what can brands do to ensure people interact with them over a longer period with no distractions and increase the likelihood of purchase?

Gamblers are often rewarded at different times as it keeps them coming back for more. Loyalty packages and databases collected often drive repeat purchases on a more frequent basis.

Previously, I mentioned those vile, gaudiest carpets known to man. Believe it or not those brightly coloured carpets with wild swirling patterns and designs are purposefully put there to keep players alert and happy, encouraging them to play more.

Casinos are a symphony of non-stop sounds, lights and colours, these all boost the players mood making them more excited around the thought of winning and end up spending more.

Standard services like toilets, food, cashiers etc are all strategically located deep within the casino. This is strategically done so that when the players want to leave the casino and have visited one or more of the above amenities, they have to pass the gambling areas once again and potentially lose some more money.

Players are often lulled into a false sense of control as some games allow them to throw the dice, chose their own cards and pick random numbers. This illusion of control fools gamblers into thinking they have a higher chance of winning because of their interaction and thus results into them gambling longer and spending more.

As we can see there is a lot of thought that goes into your plain casino, something we in marketing need to consider the next time we look at how our consumers interact with our brands and ultimately what the desired result is that we want from that interaction.

Sean Sullivan – Business Unit Manager at The MediaShop

Bracing and gearing our businesses for the onslaught of the future consumer is key to remaining relevant in the media industry and beyond. The new human is wired very differently and if we don’t comprehend their world, we will fail to connect with them.

Generation Z are the first true digital natives; their brains are mapped in a different way. They don’t know a world without smartphones, Google or voice command. So what can we expect from their children, Generation Alpha? It’s a scary thought that perhaps we can’t fully comprehend yet.

Coined by sociologist Mark McCrindle , the term Generation Alpha applies to children born between 2010 and 2025. According to McCrindle, an estimated 2.5 million Alphas are born globally every week.

What consumer businesses need to remember is that these generations don’t wait around to ask questions; they’re more than comfortable just searching for the information they need online. As such, they need to be taught differently and brands need to interact with them and sell to them in a very different way.

Generation Alpha is a growing and lucrative consumer market. Collectively their spending power is huge. These kids are marketing’s newest power brokers. They’re already playing an outsize role in household buying decisions, even though the oldest among them is only 9 years old. These children are as comfortable swiping a tablet or speaking to a voice assistant than most of their adult relatives are. They pick up tech intuitively and constantly consume information and entertainment. They’re learning soft skills at an unprecedented rate: problem-solving, multi-tasking and quick thinking. Their biggest desire? Devices and screen time.

 The Enhanced Human

Unlike their parents, the millennials or informally known as digital natives, many Alphas will have a digital footprint before they are even born. Celebrity kids like Prince William and Duchess Catherine’s son, George , already has an Instagram account, managed by his parents. Generation Alpha is the first group who will be immersed in technology their entire lives. These kids are also referred to as the Glass Generation because their glass-fronted devices will be completely integrated with their lifestyle, they will not know communication without it. This generation might be the first to truly embody the enhancement to humanity that technology can be, in their lifestyle and perception:

• They will be living at 5G speeds in terms of internet and the rate of consumption. It’s instant gratification like never before.
• It’s the five year old who can rock a YouTube search before they can read.
• They’re expected to be the wealthiest, most highly-educated and technologically-connected group to date.
• Studying to master’s level will become the norm for most.
• The rest will avoid the higher education system altogether and opt for online learning (self-learning is a norm for these kids).
• They will take on jobs that don’t yet exist.

Demanding

It’s not just the instant gratification at the speed of 5G that makes this generation demanding, it’s their slightly scary level of self-assurance too. They live and consume on their own terms. They only know the world as one of instant and self-curated access. They navigate Netflix in their sleep, Siri and Alexa are their Aunties, and they won’t believe you when you try and explain the world before Spotify. They have every tool they could ever need at the tips of their fingers and on voice command.

 Collective Mindset

Although they’re engrossed in screens, this generation may be the one to fix the disconnection and loneliness of which millennials have taken the brunt. Generation Alpha may be the ones to successfully bridge the gap between digital worlds and the real world because they recognize the entire globe as one big group of friends.

Marketing to these children requires simple, detailed content which will assist in cultivating consumer loyalty at a young age. From the onset, Alphas would have been widely exposed to multiple digital platforms. Businesses will have to adapt to radically new ways of interacting and communicating with Alphas, compared to their parents. Generation Alpha’s consumer experience will have to be seamless and integrated, with a personalised online experience. This will provide new opportunities for marketers. Alpha kids are watching less TV than previous generations, so marketers need different ways to reach them such as tapping into a rising crop of child influencers who have their own Instagram pages and YouTube channels with subscriber counts well into the millions.

They are digitally-savvy humanoids and social media connoisseurs; and I’m looking forward to their impact on society.

Sources: Flux trends, Vice.com, Scarymommy.com

Lukhanyo Bushwana, Strategist at The MediaShop

In recent months there has been a lot of talk about our deteriorating economy and calls for President Ramaphosa to come up with strategies and policies to rectify the situation we are in.

Government has identified SMEs as one of the crucial sectors that can drive our economy and create jobs for our people. However, with less than 1% of our R42 billion in adspend going to black owned agencies, SMEs in SA continue to struggle. The marketing and advertising industry needs to be doing more.

The vast majority of SMEs in SA don’t survive beyond three years. These are some of the challenges they face every day:

To help SMEs deal with these challenges government, together with a number of big corporates including Vodacom, Sasol, Nedbank, Absa and Distell to name a few have formed a R1 billion SMEs Fund. The objective is to support SMEs financially and to equip them with the necessary skills to help them grow, develop mentorship programmes and provide them with access to markets and technology.

The Competition Amendment Bill aims to boost small and medium companies and open the economy to new investments and innovation, which has recently been signed into law by the President.

 Now let’s bring it home!

The Nielsen 2018 Adex survey indicates that out of the total advertising spend in South Africa, which is sitting at ±R42bn, less than 1% is spent with black-owned agencies (SMEs).

This is a clear indication that there is a lack of transformation in the marketing and advertising industry and why the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had to formally introduce the Marketing Advertising and Communication Charter (MAC Charter) in a bid to get the industry to transform. Some of the big brands in SA are leading this transformation by partnering with both big and small agencies to ensure that their budgets and marketing efforts are shared equally.

As channel strategists, planners and buyers, we have a big role to play because we deal directly with a large number of SME’s that are our media partners and owners. So how can an individual or a business play their part in supporting SMEs in our industry?

As brands and media agencies, let’s include them in our briefs and lucrative proposals, offer guidance where necessary as some of them are new to our industry, but consider and include them in client campaign budgets, lend an ear and listen to what they have to offer.

Remember, we as individuals and as corporates have as much of a role to play in the future of our country as the