Charl Bassil

As more people become connected, media consumption trends are constantly changing. So I asked PwC South Africa's Charles Stuart what this means for advertising spend in parts of Africa. Watch the snippet below and check the link in comments to listen on Spotify. #ContentCreator | #TheLeadCreative | #marketing

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As we end Transport month in South Africa I wanted to reflect on a thought shared by Kantar at a recent presentation they did for us. They said the mark of a true brand custodian is consistency not difference particularly in what the brand stands for not necessarily in execution which of course has to change with the times and customer expectations. I am proud of a lot that we have achieved this year including hosting the launch of the UN global campaign on road safety, various thought leadership pieces, launching our new brand campaign, a breakthrough product launch with the introduction of the Vitality Car rating, fixing over 250 000 potholes to date and most recently being voted as the best automobile insurer by The Global Insurer. Underpinning all of this is Vitality Drive and a very clear and distinct core purpose of creating a nation of great drivers. The award recognised Vitality Drive 3.0 which uses the latest telematics technology, behaviourial economics and superior data analytics to reward our clients and create sustained behaviour change which creates safer roads for all. I do believe that we have the most comprehensive and innovative product in the market but most importantly we are making a difference to the very important issue of road safety. #TransportMonth #CreatingSaferRoads #Innovation #VitalityDrive

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There are many people who deliver great work in their spaces and beyond. I'm fortunate to get to ask some of them questions about their thinking and approach. I recently had the honour to find out who Tumi Rabanye would ask a question about their work. This was her question for Bernice Samuels of MTN South Africa. Whose work do you follow and what would you like to ask them about their approach? #ContentCreator | #TheLeadCreative | #TheLeadCreativePodcast

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Coming up on the Pat on Brands Podcast, I am joined by Lebogang Gaoaketse, Head of Marketing at WesBank. Lebo and I had such a fascinating conversation about how marketers can embrace new platforms whilst not neglecting good old traditional platforms. Lebo shared some interesting about the evolution of the automobile industry, proliferation of Chinese car brands and the rise of Electric Vehicles in South Africa. Stay tuned! #PatonBrands #Cars #BrandingPodcast

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How to deliver an authentic brand experience:👇 Former Head of Internal Communications at Old Mutual Limited, Henk Viljoen, perfectly captures the significance of internal culture in an interview with London Business School. At Old Mutual, they draw inspiration from the mighty Baobab tree to emphasize the importance of a strong culture. ➡️ Known for its longevity, nutrient-rich fruit, and massive presence, it's all sustained by its deep, resilient roots. Similarly, Old Mutual, a 170-year-old company, thrives on a strong internal culture that supports the identity of their brand like: ➡️ Vision ➡️ Brand Promise ➡️ Customer Experience As Viljoen highlights, "Our values and behaviors are the foundation that helps anchor the essence of who we are in the minds of our employees." For a financial service firm like Old Mutual, culture is more than generic values and principles ➡️ It’s about specificity. ➡️ The company reinterprets values into actionable and deeply explained behaviors, such as “Act Now”, and "Aim High & Take Your Team With You". This creates values that easily transitions into an authentic way of being. ➡️Making the internal team perfectly align with the brand’s identity.✅ Old Mutual further strengthens internal brand authenticity and advocacy by: ➡️ Offering employees company services, allowing them to experience the product and its benefits. ➡️ Tracking internal brand perception with internal net promoter scores (NPS), providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of their culture and authenticity efforts. For a financial service business, every customer interaction must embody the brand’s identity This ensures a seamless experience that drives meaningful growth.🌟 Therefore, by treating the workforce like customers, these engaged, informed, and valued employees become the best advocates!✅ ➡️ Delivering exceptional service and a truly authentic brand experience that customers notice and appreciate! The real power behind delivering an authentic brand is to bring the customers inside.🌟 ______________________________________________ Follow for more Actionable Brand Strategies and Insights!💫

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Marketing in South Africa is not just about selling a product; it's about telling a story that resonates with the rich tapestry of cultures, bridging divides, and inspiring a sense of unity and pride in our diverse nation.

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On Episode 69 of the Pat on Brands Podcast, I am joined by Lebogang Gaoaketse, Head of Marketing at WesBank. We had a fascinating conversation about how the marketing and automotive industries have evolved. Lebo shared some really interesting insights on how marketers can embrace new platforms whilst not discarding already established traditional platforms to engage with consumers. Stay tuned! #PatonBrands #Marketing #Podcast

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Today’s Blind Loyalty Challenge is very appropriate since we have just run our Diploma in Loyalty in Kenya! Mark Senteu is in the hot seat for this challenge and is the Marketing and Customer Care Manager for Vivo Energy, Kenya. This insightful 7-minute challenge is definitely worth a listen and covers: ✅ A favourite in fuel rewards: being able to collect points through rewards partners, outside of fuel. ✅ Gamification is a necessity in keeping your customer's engaged with your programme. ✅ Customer care builds customer loyalty: companies should have a mobile fast solution that is data-driven like M-PESA to keep track of customers. A brilliant example of a surprise & delight experience through Shell Club surprises. Watch our #blindloyaltychallenge for loyalty insights with Mark 💡 https://lnkd.in/dbtHsQ_M Blind Loyalty - 101 loyalty concepts radically simplified, is available now on https://lnkd.in/dUycvrbk or directly from Amazon.

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What a great weekend read! Donald Mokgale and Ernest Kabelo Nkomotje do a fantastic job with this book, distilling cultural nuances. It is a book that everyone in South Africa should read, especially business leaders and those in the communications industry. Hibirism: a guide to black cultural nuance.

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Catch our latest #FutureProofMzansi podcast, 'There’s no one size fits all in advertising.' As a follow up to our thought provoking season opener, Stacy Jayne Saggers and Senamile Zungu go deeper on successful creative by discussing how to appeal to audiences from different demographics. They sit down with Kantar South Africa’s very own creative celebrity, Natalie Botha, to try to understand how socio economic factors and diversity can impact the success of an ad. Natalie is well known in the local market for leading Kantar’s media and creative team for many years and has recently moved to the UK, where she works on brand health within financial services. In this episode we discuss: -       What brands need to consider when targeting the emerging market (previously LSM B) in South Africa, versus the developed market (previously LSM A) -       The importance of simplicity in storytelling -       Realism vs escaping from reality -       Diversity and being willing to die for a creative idea -       Showing up authentically by having a diverse creative team -       How South Africans respond to true diversity in an advert -       The Progressive Unstereotype Metric Tune in and find us on your favourite platform: https://lnkd.in/eizuBnFu 🎧🙂 #Marketing #Brand #Advertising #FutureProofMzansi #Podcast

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When women benefit, everyone benefits. 🦹🏻‍♀️ The Contented Agency recently enjoyed the honour of working with the African Management Institute (AMI) on a key impact insight paper and on guiding the organisation’s messaging framework for the rest of 2024; their key messages, alongside the organisation’s gender-led mission, are incredibly inspiring. The report, "Greenshoots for African female entrepreneurs – with a forest still to grow" is a must-read and is linked below 👇 🌍 For the team at AMI, gender mainstreaming is crucial for the autonomy and growth of the continent. This is constantly reflected, not only within their own programming, but in their policy making initiatives across Africa. But what exactly is it? 🎯 According to the UN, gender mainstreaming means “ensuring that gender perspectives and attention to the goal of gender equality are central to all activities - policy development, research, advocacy / dialogue, legislation, resource allocation, and planning, implementation and monitoring of programmes and projects.” 👩🏽‍💼 As such, AMI’s most recent report focuses on the enormous potential of high-quality business support in closing the gender financing gap. From easy-access programming via their apps and virtual support, to innovative initiatives such as ‘train the trainer’, they’re focused on the tangible tools required to help African female entrepreneurs flourish. Why does it matter? 👩🏽‍🌾 African women produce 70% of the continent's food, dominating the agricultural labour force. So the advantages of training, connecting and upskilling this female workforce are obvious. AMI data shows that women are not utilising their learnings solely for individual benefit, either. Communicating big-picture vision and encouraging common motivation factors has proven game changing for Margaret Mutie, founder of Ndalani Farm - training her team in these areas has led to a 40% increase in productivity. Simply put, women tend to employ, trust and upskill other women at an impressive rate, which translates to tangible revenue increases across industries. 💰What's more, the latest UN research shows that closing the gender finance gap could give the global economy a $7 trillion boost.  Read read read below. #FoodSecurity #GenderEquity #Agribusiness #GenderMainstreaming #Content #Data

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If we don't tell our story, who will? As a proud South African who has expanded Gone Digital to the UK and beyond, I've realised something powerful: our unique perspective is something of a superpower. 💪🏻 Our journeys have taught us to leverage local insights to create strategies that resonate on a global scale. This ability to adapt and apply our understanding in a variety of contexts is what sets us apart. There's a narrative only we can tell. We've learnt how to communicate across languages, cultures and consumer behaviours. Our experiences have equipped us with a unique problem-solving mindset that drives our success globally. The transition from local to global is filled with lessons that only experience can teach. Coming from South Africa, we bring something unique to the table. A fresh, diverse approach to digital marketing that many in the broader global market may not know but definitely need. What lessons from your local heritage do you find most valuable? 🤔

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It’s safe for brands to advertise next to ‘bad’ news content – study CMOs and their agencies worry about their ads being adjacent to news content that consumers may dislike. Researchers say it’s no problem. #advertising #advertisers #ads #adstrategy #advertisingstrategy #brandsafety #brandsafe #news #newscontent

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Check out the third and final instalment of our investigation into how South Africa's covert influence industry works. You'll find lots of parallels in here with the rest of Africa, and the world. #misinformation #disinformation #influence

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