The advertising and media articles below have been specially chosen from across the globe to showcase what’s new and happening in the industry. We hope these articles add value to your resource library and give you and your brands key insights that will assist in your business decision making process.
Agency Scope Insights: Deep, decisive and digital
As the state of post-lockdown business shifts towards more agility and transparency, Agency Scope is responding to the global call for more in-depth data about what it takes for marketers and agencies to add real value, writes Johanna McDowell, Scopen Africa director and partner and CEO of the Independent Agency Search and Selection Company (IAS).
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Date : 06 Apr 2021
How can the print media industry secure its future?
For years, influencers in the media industry have predicted the print industry's demise, but despite all the pessimists whom all had valid arguments for their stance, print media is still here and it won't be going anywhere in the next few years.
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Date : 15 Mar 2021
Solly Moeng talks media independence and credibility
With a passion for Africa, Solly Moeng, convenor of The Africa Brand Summit, sits on the global executive committee of the World Communication Forum Association (WCFA). The World Communications Forum Association, registered in Davos, will be hosting the annual event Davos Online Communications Summit, which takes place on Zoom on Thursday, 25 February 2021.
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Date : 23 Feb 2021
The value of chemistry between agency and client
The key to a long-term relationship between the advertising agency and client is long-lasting chemistry that works.
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Date : 10 Feb 2021
Uganda has blocked social media indefinitely as diplomatic tensions spike with US
Uganda has moved to
clamp down on social media use in the country even as its diplomatic relations with the US have taken a bad turn after a tense and
disputed election.
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Date : 21 Jan 2021
Mergers, acquisitions and deaths of agencies
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated a process of mergers in our industry.
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Date : 12 Jan 2021
The new rules of social media marketing in 2021
Social media has taken on greater significance for consumers and marketers as 2020’s events have forced more digital communication, but the ways of using it are evolving.
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Date : 22 Dec 2020
Digital marketing trends you need to consider in 2021
Covid-19 revolutionised how businesses operate and how consumers behave. Amidst the chaos, many companies had to evolve and adapt to fit the new normal.
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Date : 22 Dec 2020
2021 Media Trends and Predictions
Boomerang subscribers, social e-commerce and analytics everywhere: the strategies that will shape 2021's media landscape.
A decade of media evolution has taken place in a few short months. In-home media consumption grew, while consumer confidence and ad spending declined during 2020. Kantar’s Media Trends and Predictions 2021 provides insights into which audience behaviours and industry dynamics will stick.
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Date : 18 Nov 2020
What SA's FMCG space can learn from Kenya
The simplest way of optimising route to market is through pre-sales, which then creates a predictable order and allows for the best delivery routes to be calculated. However, for much of the market in South Africa, this is simply not the reality.
To service the main market, deliveries are based on a ‘best guess’ as to who will buy what from the van and when, and sales are all cash-based. However, this is complex and error-prone.
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Date : 27 Nov 2019
Africa is hell!
False. What you think is what you get.
The way we see the world impacts our happiness level. We all know this. What meditation has also taught me is that the way we see the world impacts our performance: our capacity to innovate, to create, to go beyond our limits and build compelling journeys of development and growth.
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Date : 09 Oct 2019
Now! TV launches on DStv in Botswana
MultiChoice Botswana is pleased to launch a youth-focused channel. NOW! TV is now available on DStv Channel 290 which provides entertainment and local film and television content.
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Date : 07 Aug 2019
StarTimes invested $1.9m for new TV channel in Kenya
StarTimes Media is developing a new content channel in Kenya which will target mainly women with local programs. Rembo TV will be available across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and will have reality shows and has a language policy for its content that is set to ensure that 60 percent, 30 percent and 10 percent of programs are done in Kiswahili, English and vernacular languages, respectively.
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Date : 07 Aug 2019
2019 EMY Africa Awards
The 2019 Exclusive Men of the Year (EMY Africa Awards), aimed at celebrating the most outstanding, inspiring and hardworking men in our societies took place on June 22 2019 at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, Ghana. Africa Media Warehouse's Mr Torgbor Mensah won the Media Excellence Award.
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Date : 24 Jun 2019
#AfricaMonth: Africa's revival - foretelling or fairy tale?
Welcome to the future, where a continent once cast in darkness has come into the light. The world's second largest landmass now stands as a formidable force at the global table - digitally masterful, economically stable and culturally united...
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Date : 15 May 2019
Ethical storytelling to enhance Africa's narrative
This year's theme of the APRA conference is Africa and Storytelling: Changing the Narratives. The overarching mission is how ethical storytelling can help change the narrative of a continent vast in opportunities and growth.
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Date : 10 May 2019
Azuri launches pay-as-you-go solar satellite TV in Kenya
The off-grid solar market is in the midst of a serious boom, already growing beyond the simple necessities of lighting and phone charging. Azuri Technologies, pay-as-you-go solar technology provider, has unveiled its new 32-inch solar satellite TV system specially designed and customised for off-grid customers in Africa.
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Date : 27 Feb 2019
Kwese TV Introduces Free Bouquet
Kwesé TV has been making big strides in the pay-TV industry and is said to be the most rapidly growing broadcast network on the continent. The popular pay-TV platform is available in all English speaking countries in sub-Saharan African through its selection of products, namely Kwesé Play, Kwesé Free Sports and Kwesé TV.
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Date : 07 Jan 2019
Africa's business revolution
A new book by McKinsey confirms that Africa is poised for economic acceleration, akin to the Asian boom and that there is a trillion-dollar opportunity to industrialise Africa, to meet rising domestic demand and create a bridge-head in global export markets.
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Date : 23 Nov 2018
How to build a global brand with a local insight
Veteran marketer Sharon Keith shared on the topic 'Our world: a small global village' four basic principles in explaining how to build global brands at the local level and examples to demonstrate these at the Association for Communication and Advertising's Apex 2018 'Next Level of Thinking Masterclass' last week.
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Date : 30 Jul 2018
How Africa can embrace an AI-enabled future
It's no longer news that artificial intelligence (AI) will be a driving force behind the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with the global economic returns of this revolution expected to be in the region of about $16 trillion.
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Date : 19 Jul 2018
The digital life expectancy of Africa's youth
There is no doubt that Africa's digital-born, digital-first Generation Z - emerging as the largest youth population concentrated in Africa - will play a definitive role in not only creating a digital economy for Africa, but also have an impact on how the Afro-optomistic 'Africa Rising' narrative is played out on the global stage. These are the skills they will need met.
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Date : 09 May 2018
Top 10 fastest growing economies in Africa in 2018
Africa's economy is projected to continue to rise to 3.2% in 2018 and to a further 3.5% in 2019. This is according to the latest World Bank report released early 2018.
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Date : 09 May 2018
Social media prompts smartphone adoption in Nigeria
Nigeria's mobile trends are highlighted in a report by Jumia Nigeria on key industry patterns, ahead of the start of Mobile Week. Smartphone use is up, driven by more Nigerians accessing social media sites; as well as the availability of cheaper smartphone brands from Asia.
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Date : 22 Mar 2018
Doing business in Africa
I often get asked as a marketer to demystify the big daunting but yet beautiful monster task that is trading in Africa. In my 20 years of travelling across our continent, I have experienced the highs and lows (read “requiring great bouts of patience and tollerance”) and have come out on the other side, far richer for the experience. The riches have come in the form of learnings and hopefully the monetary variety will follow in due course.
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Date : 22 Mar 2018
Nigeria building Africa's biggest free TV platform
On Friday 23 February 2018, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture in Nigeria, revealed that the Digital Switch Over (DSO) taking place in Nigeria is the first step of the nation's goal of building Africa's biggest and most lucrative free-to-air television platform.
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Date : 02 Mar 2018
DSTV and GOtv fight for their lives in Nigeria
On 10 February 2018, the Federal Government in Nigeria notified the management of MultiChoice DSTV/GOtv that their operations in Nigeria will come to an end in 2019 as their license expires June next year, according to a report by Nigerian Communications Week.
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Date : 20 Feb 2018
#AfricaCom: Africa's audiences want African content
Bring African content to the world and produce more homegrown African content for content-hungry African audiences. That was the message from the various speakers and panellists on day two of TV Connect Africa at AfricaCom in Cape Town at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
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Date : 09 Nov 2017
Barriers to internet access in Africa revealed
Only about 25% of the African population has access to the internet and significant barriers to internet access remains in four African countries: Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
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Date : 02 Aug 2017
How to market to Africa's resilient, ambitious middle class.
Africa's middle class is more than 100 million strong (excluding South Africa), with a combined monthly spending power of R1.3 trillion. How do you market to this extremely aspirational segment?
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Date : 23 May 2017
Mobile penetration in Africa reaches 80%
There are 960 million mobile subscriptions across Africa - an 80% penetration rate among the continent's population. Internet penetration is at 18% with 216 million internet users, according to the latest Jumia mobile trend report for Africa.
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Date : 21 Apr 2017
Desktop vs tablet vs mobile: which device rules Africa?
There is a place we all go to on a daily basis, some people once or twice a day whereas others let it consume their lives, taking up every waking moment of their existence. It is of course the internet.
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Date : 10 Apr 2017
Kwesé partners MTN Ghana for video content streaming
Econet Media’s Kwesé TV has entered into a partnership with MTN Ghana for the delivery of video content to the latter’s mobile customers. Kwesé will make use of MTN’s 4G LTE network to provide premium entertainment and sports content without interruption, on their mobile devices.
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Date : 10 Apr 2017
Econet's Kwesé TV looking to take on DStv's dominance in Africa
This week Econet Media, a subsidiary of telecommunications company Econet Group founded by Zimbabwean Strive Masiyiwa, launched its pay-TV satellite service Kwesé TV. The service can be accessed via the company's own satellite and decoder, and is currently available to viewers in Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia – the first countries to grant a licence. It is expected to roll out in other key territories by the end of April.
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Date : 09 Feb 2017
Why Marketing Automation Is The Future Of Digital For Brands
Marketing automation sits at the heart of digital communication and integrates customer experience across all brand touchpoints. In 2012, Gartner predicted that CMOs would be spending more on technology as compared to CIOs by 2017. Well, 2017 has arrived! And it’s time to prove that Gartner’s forecast was indeed correct.
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Date : 08 Feb 2017
Raising Africa's middle class
We already know that we do not know enough about African growth. This was revealed by the extent of upward revisions to estimates of GDP during recent rebasings – anywhere from up 25% in the case of Kenya, to up 89% in the case of Nigeria. Africa has been growing faster than we thought all along. We were not adequately equipped to measure this growth while it was happening.
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Date : 08 Feb 2017
Kwese TV, Africa's newest satellite network starts broadcasting
Kwesé TV, Africa's newest satellite network has launched. The Kwesé Network's Pay-TV satellite service started broadcasting Monday, 30 January 2017, beaming Kwesé's full suite of entertainment and sports programming to households in Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia, which make up the initial phase of the Kwesé TV rollout across Africa - other countries will be announced in due course.
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Date : 08 Feb 2017
Ten media innovations in Africa in 2017
The African media landscape is changing fast. There is a proliferation of online streaming services, most notably Showmax and Netflix. The huge growth in smartphone penetration means that more people have access to media content than ever before. While TV, radio and outdoor remain the primary media, their audiences are faced with a plethora of new choices and formats. Many attempts at consolidated research have not been successful in this highly competitive space – for cost and political reasons.
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Date : 08 Feb 2017
#BizTrends2017: Agencies need to observe, respond to marketers' changing needs
There is ever-increasing pressure on marketers globally to run 'efficient and effective' campaigns that deliver immediate return on marketing investment, while contributing strategically to long-term business growth.
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Date : 19 Jan 2017
#BizTrends2017: The future of media planning is about the customer journey
This year's buzzword is disruption. The issue with this though, is that it is a "how long is a piece of string" situation. There's disruption and then there is earth shattering movement that redefines media as we know it. In this case, I prefer to move away from the word "disruption" and label it more along the lines of comfort zone destruction.
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Date : 19 Jan 2017
African online shopping trends in 2017
The digital age has seen the rise of many activities that used to require you to leave the house, but can now be done from the comfort of your couch. That of course includes many people's favourite thing to do, blow all our hard earned cash… Shopping.
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Date : 19 Jan 2017
Africa's economic prospects in 2017 - 10 countries to watch
The continued failure of commodity prices to recover significantly and the global slowdown of economic growth, especially in China and other emerging markets, made 2016 a tumultuous year for many African economies, indeed, "the worst year for average economic growth" in the region in over 20 years, according to a report from Ernst & Young.
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Date : 19 Jan 2017
New consumer research system for Nigeria
LAGOS, Nigeria - Media Fuse Dentsu Aegis Network (MFDAN) has launched the Consumer Connection System (CCS) - the Dentsu Aegis Network consumer, lifestyle and product survey that gives advertisers and communication experts deeper understanding of consumers and their relationship with media.
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Date : 28 Nov 2016
Five key shifts shaping Africa's entertainment and media industry
The internet, video games, television, and filmed entertainment segments of sub-Saharan Africa's entertainment and media industry are projected to continue to grow in the following years but the publishing industry is having to work very hard to make any headway, according to PwC's Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2016 - 2020 report (South Africa - Nigeria - Kenya).
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Date : 02 Nov 2016
Rural Malawians about to go online
Most Malawians live in rural areas. The majority of them are poor and only 6.5 percent are connected to the internet. To reach this population, C3 is building a new network that relies on unused frequencies in the television spectrum, called "TV white spaces", with plans to extend it throughout the country.
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Date : 02 Nov 2016
Canal+ Group overhauls entire content bouquetIn what it says is a content ‘offensive’, the Canal+ Group is revamping entirely its TV packages, and widening its distribution channels to reach more subscribers and grow its market.
In what it says is a content ‘offensive’, the Canal+ Group is revamping entirely its TV packages, and widening its distribution channels to reach more subscribers and grow its market.
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Date : 26 Oct 2016
Africa rising… but not without a well-articulated vision
There’s no single simple recipe for success to unlock the ‘famed’ commercial opportunity this amazing, vast African continent offers. And, for every success story, there are a host of failures. However, to be successful, risk is a necessity.
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Date : 08 Sep 2016
Transit media: ignore it at your peril
As all transit infrastructure is dramatically upgraded and improved, Out of Home (OOH) is set to become an integral part of the communication mix. This is especially so for transit media.
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Date : 05 Sep 2016
How Hulu Is Capitalizing on Undeniable Trends in TV Viewing
When it comes to today’s programming landscape, many would say that it’s a great time to be a lover of television. That’s because consumers have more options than ever—many of which are available on demand across an array of platforms and devices.
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Date : 25 Aug 2016
Building brands in a world we can't control
It used to be that people only had a few TV channels to watch and radio stations to listen to. Routines were planned around what time their favourite programmes were aired.
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Date : 22 Aug 2016
Pan-African passport to open up borders on the continent
The image of Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Chadian President Idriss Deby proudly holding the first two copies of the newly launched pan-African passport at the African Union (AU) summit in the Rwandan capital Kigali, marked the type of historic moment rarely seen at such gatherings, where outcomes are often measured in declarations or resolutions.
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Date : 18 Aug 2016
Africa is ripe for disruption
Africa's fluctuating markets require a nimble-footed approach by marketers, who need to challenge convention and adopt breakthrough, original and interesting approaches to their communication strategies. If they don't, they are not going to survive in an environment where change is the only constant.
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Date : 16 Aug 2016
The evolution and revolution of business networks in Africa
Trade is in Africa's blood. Its rich resources, numerous societies and access to the world have created a hotbed of trade civilisations. One could go back millennia to the early kingdoms around the continental horn - the forefathers and peers of the Ancient Egyptian world - or the mysterious Kingdom of Nok in West Africa as examples.
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Date : 19 Jul 2016
Massive advertising opportunities for Africa's increasingly media-savvy audiences
The second Nielsen's Africa Prospects Indicators (APi) report has released key findings on sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) media consumption habits in a special section entitled Connecting with Africa's Consumers - Spotlight on the Media Landscape.
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Date : 06 Jun 2016
Growing bamboo market in Africa
As the world bamboo market - led by China and an increasing demand for sustainable products in Europe and the United States - shows growth, African countries hope to generate income and create jobs for the rural poor. It wasn't until recently that widespread commercialisation of bamboo began on the continent. Agronomists believe it can restore degraded landscapes while economists think it is a potential "green gold".
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Date : 24 May 2016
Africa's phenomenal inventors
There have been - and are today - plenty of scientists and inventors in Africa doing remarkable work. So why does the myth persist that Africa has no scientific innovators?
The rest of the world has long believed that Africa can’t produce its own scientific inventions. This myth can be traced back to the time of slavery and colonialism – systems that led even Africans themselves to think that nothing good could come from the continent.
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Date : 24 May 2016
Grocery retailing: Five lessons for doing business in Africa
The 'Africa rising' narrative has resulted in several South African grocery retailers seeking to expand across the continent - in part to seize the opportunities presented by the 'last frontier', but also to reduce reliance on challenging market conditions at home.
Many have learned along the way that doing business in Africa poses significant challenges, however. What can grocery retailers learn from those who have ventured north to set up (and sometimes close) shop in fast-growing markets elsewhere on the continent?
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Date : 24 May 2016
The six Africa youth trends you can't ignore
Burson-Marsteller Africa, a strategic communications/PR firm recognised by The Holmes Report as ‘African Consultancy of the Year’ in 2015, this week, 9 May 2016, introduced The A-Generation Study showcasing six trends that reflect the mind set and changing priorities of African youth in 2016.
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Date : 13 May 2016
What marketers need to know about mobile & search and how that changes retail
At any given moment (micro moment) people are searching for content online based on their intent. It's no longer about the best TV campaign, the best banner campaign, homepage takeover, the best AD campaign, it's not about the biggest billboard or the best radio campaign, it's all about a brands OMNI PRESENCE and the searchers / consumers INTENT.
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Date : 13 May 2016
Africa's growth: meltdown or slowdown?
Economic growth across the region is likely to remain slower in coming years, than it has been over the past 10 to 15 years. The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) projection for 2016 is now down to 3% growth, from what was a forecasted 6.1% in April 2015.
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Date : 13 May 2016
Nigerians shop online, report finds
Experienced Nigerian consumers are ahead of the curve when it comes to online shopping compared to consumers in Kenya and South Africa, according to the Broll Shopper Segmentation Report 2016 Volume 1, which is a comparison of how consumers shop in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
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Date : 13 May 2016
The what, why and how of mapping the customer journey
Stories differ from hard facts. Facts make yes/no or true/false statements. A story gives a more complex, compelling picture. It tells you not just that a customer was acquired, but also how and why. Digital marketers have long been savvy to the fact that storytelling is the key to greater customer engagement. But stories also give companies more detailed ways to understand said engagement - customers' underlying motivations and objectives - and take insightful corresponding action.
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Date : 20 Apr 2016
8 key insights that will drive changes in online and in-store retail
PricewaterhouseCoopers's (PwC) Total Retail 2016 report reveals a global consumer digital revolution as consumers push the boundaries of online shopping. For retailers and consumer goods companies the disruption by online business is increasingly gaining momentum.
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Date : 14 Apr 2016
Will Africa be digitally relevant in the next 10 years?
By 2025, jobs which were common place in 2015, will no longer exist. Students graduating in 2016, will have obsolete qualifications for which there will no longer be a profession by 2025.
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Date : 14 Apr 2016
Playing digital catch-up
As we enter a new era of digital business, CEOs need to leapfrog themselves before they can leapfrog their organisations into the 21st century. Here's how you can do so through hard work, self-reflection, untraining, retraining and reprogramming.
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Date : 10 Apr 2016
Advertising comes full circle: OOH is the new black
Increasing urbanisation and an unrivalled ability to make the most of digital and social innovation bring out of home advertising back to the top. Out of home (OOH) advertising – which targets consumers while travelling, shopping or otherwise engaged away from home – is one of the oldest known forms of advertising. Having come full circle, out of home is poised to once again become the medium for mass communication.
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Date : 10 Apr 2016
Boost social media campaigns with OOH
According to a Posterscope US study, adding billboards to a social media campaign can increase reach by up to 203%, while adding billboards to a mobile app and web campaign can increase reach by as much as 303%.
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Date : 01 Apr 2016
Retail in Africa is still a good bet
The forecast for retailers in Africa remains buoyant in the long term, despite the headwinds in Africa such as falling commodity prices and the slowing of the Chinese economy. This is according to the inaugural PwC's report So Much In Store, which was released recently in Johannesburg.
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Date : 17 Mar 2016
The disruption of the organisation
Current thinking by futurists and trend analysts points to an outdated organisational culture and structure that has not kept up with radical changes in society, or the current and future needs of the workforce, particularly the influential millennials.
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Date : 08 Mar 2016
Measuring marketing ROI needs new metrics
New marketing metrics are needed for the age of informed and tech-savvy consumers, who have high expectations for personalised engagement from brands. The way that most brands measure their investment returns from marketing and advertising is still largely based on traditional media thinking, and it is falling out of step with the demands of a new era of digital media.
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Date : 02 Mar 2016
Your brand's biggest asset - every single brand has one
In a frenzy to remain competitive or gain some sort of competitive edge; in the process, brands tend to lose sight of their biggest asset.
Whilst searching for or trying to take advantage of the latest trends; whether its consumer or social media, brands unintentionally lose sight of their most distinguished asset: 'who they are'.
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Date : 18 Feb 2016
WPP Africa Academy: When the sum is greater than the whole
The creative economy is important as service industries lead the economy, and also support the wider economy in terms of progress and growth. However, to grow the creative economy it needs to transform. Training is a way of achieving this.
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Date : 17 Feb 2016
The future of marketing in 2016: Hot trends and what to watch
Each day, I'm sent hundreds of trend reports from around the world and, to save you the trouble of reading them all yourself, I've put together a list of trends that I track and will be monitoring throughout 2016.
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Date : 10 Feb 2016
Angola Economy In Crisis As Oil Price Sinks Currency
Sitting under an umbrella in the heat of Angola’s capital Luanda, a vendor holds a makeshift currency exchange board on which is scribbled “335 kwanzas: $1”, more than double the official rate of 155 kwanzas.
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Date : 04 Feb 2016
Real value in media
In 2016, value is more important than ever. Clients are feeling the pressure of economic conditions and need to show ROI on their business decisions. Often bonuses, promotions and the ability to secure future budgets depend on it. Procurement demands it.
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Date : 28 Jan 2016
Doing business in Africa
Finding the balance between the opportunities and the risks is the right way to do business in Africa. Africa is a continent of contrasts. It is little wonder the first European settlers in South Africa described Cape Town as both the "Cape of Good Hope" and "the Cape of Storms". There are extremes everywhere - affluence and poverty; opportunity and misery; great natural beauty and environmental degradation.
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Date : 28 Jan 2016
Six trends communications professionals shouldn't ignore in 2016
As we settle into the new year, communication specialists traditionally take the time to evaluate the biggest trends that affected the profession in 2015. From a marketing and communications perspective, indicators of profound social change, both globally and in South Africa, are often visible markers of shifting customer behaviour and, if correctly identified and anticipated, can present both opportunities and challenges for marketing and brand decision-makers.
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Date : 28 Jan 2016
What clients want and need
Agencies need to start delivering on what clients want and need, in order to survive the current crisis that they are experiencing. "The individuals that have the greatest ability to survive are those that can adapt to the changing conditions of their environment," reflected Charles Darwin.
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Date : 25 Jan 2016
The great agency 're-bundling'
Stronger collaboration among agencies on behalf of the client brand is on the cards. Most agencies tell us that the majority of their client business requires that they work in collaboration with other agencies. This trend has dramatically increased in the past few years and will continue to grow in importance. Marketers will continue to require the best 'specialisms' available and are very aware that one agency cannot do everything at the required levels in this channel-fragmented world.
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Date : 25 Jan 2016
Social activism and trench marketing
While TBWA is focused on disruption to grow our client business in Africa, the following trends are bound to be top of mind in the year ahead.
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Date : 25 Jan 2016
Major digital marketing trends
Africa Rising' is no longer relevant - we have long passed that milestone and the transformation that the continent is undergoing is dramatic, certainly in terms of communication and connectivity across all sectors of the market.
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Date : 25 Jan 2016
The New Digital Africa
Top industry trends for the year across the continent will include marketing automation, online media investment and the continued rise of local content - all part of the new digital Africa.
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Date : 25 Jan 2016
Critical need for consumer data
The biggest trend right now is the search for trends. The search for the next consumer gap, the holy grail of advertising, the key consumer touch points, the next Apps etc, is a continuous voracious process that is never ending.
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Date : 19 Jan 2016
Africa's 2016 factors for success
Success in Africa depends on many factors, including agility and localisation of strategy. These are the key factors shaping sustainable growth potential in Africa's dynamic marketplace in 2016:
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Date : 19 Jan 2016
Marketing in the 'Attention Economy'
Never before have brands had to work so hard for an audience's attention. Before a brand can entertain or inform, its communication needs to be noticed. Attention is therefore the most necessary of ingredients for effective advertising.
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Date : 19 Jan 2016
Three major payment trends in an advancing African market
Rapidly advancing technology is not just changing the topography and demographics of East Africa - it is transforming the entire face of business, retail and financial development. What was once viewed as an untappable region is now being revisited with fresh eyes as an evolving market that is robust, viable and competitive - and should be globally recognised.
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Date : 19 Jan 2016
JWT's Future 100 trends for 2016
Trends and innovation are moving at breakneck speed, powered by an engaged, sophisticated, curious global consumer. The Future 100 takes a snapshot of emerging trends for 2016, spanning culture, tech and innovation, travel and hospitality, brands and marketing, food and drink, beauty, retail, health, lifestyle, and luxury.
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Date : 18 Jan 2016
High Five 2016
In the fast-paced world of media we live in, the answer to the question of "What comes next?" is almost outdated the moment you say it. So, instead of imagining what's next, we have looked at five trends that 2015 brought to life, and that 2016 will improve on.
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Date : 18 Jan 2016
Unpacking 2016 media trends
With steady advances and innovation in media, marketers have countless opportunities to connect with consumers if they heed the trends that will influence the industry in the year ahead. There are four main trends shaping the media landscape this year, writes Marketing Week's Mindi Chahal, including the shift from volume to value in social media and the rise of digital and video-on-demand services.
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Date : 18 Jan 2016
Three predictions for tech in Nigeria 2016
It is a new year! We have finally crossed over to 2016, and while everything seems to be taking a new turn, it seems as though very little has changed in the tech world.
No doubt 2015 witnessed the rise of major startups, local apps, impressive tech trends as well as innovations including wearable to large-screen smartphones. However, with the new year already rolling, we must ask ourselves: what are the possible things in store for Nigeria, with regards to technology?
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Date : 18 Jan 2016
Getting the best out of your business for 2016 means going back to basics
So says Ethel Nyembe, head of small enterprise of Standard Bank, who suggests that getting back to basics is the logical place to begin planning for 2016. The first thing to be considered is your business plan.
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Date : 18 Jan 2016
Netflix comes to Africa
Movie and TV streaming service Netflix went live across Africa on 6 January 2016.
Movie fans and series addicts across the country have reportedly flocked to the service, keen to have their favourite shows and films at the click of a button.
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Date : 18 Jan 2016
Viacom Play Plex mobile TV apps
Viacom has announced the launch of Viacom Play Plex, a suite of mobile TV apps allowing its distribution partners to offer smartphone and tablet users around the world access to the best content from all of its international TV brands, anytime and anywhere.
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Date : 11 Jan 2016
Sales staff crucial to retailers' customer retention
In a retail world focused on omnichannel strategies, product and service innovations, information-technology investments and technology-enabled stores of the future, winning retailers are taking a new look at their store labour models and budgets. Store employees represent one of the biggest contributors to the success or failure of brick-and-mortar stores. In many ways, they are a retailer's most powerful asset.
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Date : 11 Jan 2016
Kenya's mobile penetration hits 88 percent
According to the quarterly sector statistics report by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the uptake of mobile services by Kenyans continued to grow leading to mobile penetration growing to 88.1per cent with 37.8million subscribers up from 36.1 million in the previous quarter. This was announced through an article, which was accompanied by the report, published on the CA's official website informing readers of when the growth occurred.
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Date : 11 Jan 2016
Brace for digital era, media told
Media houses in Zimbabwe will need to have content ready when the country commissions its high definition television channels in April, with initial plans for 12 channels, six going to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, while the remainder will be shared among private broadcasters.
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Date : 11 Jan 2016
Africanews channel launches with continent-focused coverage
LYON, FRANCE: The Africanews channel launched Monday with coverage of the continent in English and French that is only available online for now, but which its backers hope to expand to TV broadcasts soon.
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Date : 11 Jan 2016
Good SEO for years of free traffic
By now, every business owner knows you need to be present on the internet if you want your business to succeed and attract as much of your target audience and potential clients as possible.
Gone are the days when you could just hope to avoid the whole online aspect and focus exclusively on offline marketing strategies and methods. Today, when people can reach you not only through their computers, but through their tablets and smartphones as well, a well planned online marketing strategy is no longer an optional afterthought, it's a necessity.
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Date : 11 Jan 2016
Live stream to both your digital signage in-store and your website
During the 18 years of doing online business I realised that video can become life changing to companies and brands in 2016. We all know how powerful TV advertising is. And we all know how expensive it is.
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Date : 11 Jan 2016
How to build a strong agency network in Africa
What makes a strong and effective African network? Is it the number of partnerships that have been established with local agency businesses in Nigeria, Kenya or Ghana? Or the number of agencies that have been acquired in Zambia, Zimbabwe or Botswana? Or the long list of agency contacts in multiple African cities...
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Date : 06 Nov 2015
Simple solutions for growth: Rules for winning marketing in Africa
With a population of 1,1 billion people, 65% under the age of 35, growing economies and increasing middle class spending power, Africa is every marketer's dream...
But, with no room for half-hearted attempts at brand-building, it will take guts, passion and determination to ensure your brand can win a part of this beautiful booming market. Here are five top tips to enhance its success:
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Date : 06 Nov 2015
Apple tops the 2015 Interbrand Best Global Brands report
The 16th annual Best Global Brands report has been released by Interbrand. The report identifies the 100 most valuable brands around the world.
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Date : 06 Nov 2015
Deloitte releases African Powers of Retailing report
The top 25 African retailers have a presence in 21 countries on a continent where strong economic progress over the past decade is reflected by the fact that 10 of these leading retailers now come from countries outside the traditionally dominant South African market, with three Zimbabwean retailers, two from Botswana, and one each from Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria and Zambia.
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Date : 06 Nov 2015
South African swagger won't work in Africa
South Africa has a lot to be proud of, our country has one of the most sophisticated infrastructure networks in Africa, our financial institutions are some of the most stable in the world, the JSE is listed globally as the ninth biggest stock exchange, and to top it off, we are one of the most progressive democracies. It's easy to adopt an almost bombastic attitude under the heady influence of such achievements, but South Africans need to realize that our country is not an Island, and there is no 'I' in team.
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Date : 15 Sep 2015