#Newsmaker: Craig Munitz - MD of CBR Marketing

Munitz plans to take CBR to next level and empower his staff to make decisions and create a strategic digital marketing enterprise for the African market.

Briefly tell us about your role?

Munitz: Although my official title is MD and founder of CBR Marketing, we try to stay away from titles and maintain a flat structure. We’re a close team and we all get our hands dirty. Our people set us apart. They are passionate about getting it right and have the work ethic to match. I like to empower my staff to make decisions, and my role is really to provide the motivation and inspiration to my team, to develop the company’s vision along with my business partners, and to put the processes, people and development structures in place to make sure we achieve our vision. I also play a key part in the relationships with our clients.

What is your main business challenge?

Munitz: There are a plethora of digital marketing agencies, and it’s vital that we stand out from the crowd. One of CBR’s strengths is that we’re not a supplier to our clients – we’re a partner. This is a big difference to the way many other digital marketers do things. We invest an enormous amount of time and effort into understanding our clients and their business, and we get intricately involved in their strategies and objectives. We live and breathe their brand and their ambitions. We also use digital marketing as a means to enable them to achieve their goals.

Another challenge we face is that, realistically, it is still early days for this marketing sector and many methodologies have not yet been adequately proven to be effective. Essentially, companies wanting to play in this space need to be willing to take a risk - to be disruptive. Digital marketing is not a one size fits all; every business will have different aspects that work for it – ensuring and building engagement with customers, potential customers, and staff. It’s much more than just a ‘like’ on Facebook.

What trends do your predict for your industry in 2017?

Munitz: It goes without saying that video will continue to dominate the digital space this year, and will continue to grow. I see personalised marketing becoming more and more important as consumers seek to cut through the clutter. In the same vein, I predict the rise of niche publishing platforms that talk to their audiences in the language and with the content they relate to.

What will your core strategy be this year?

Munitz: A clear focus on personalised and niche marketing.

Most important attributes needed to do your job?

Munitz: Understanding people - being able to connect with people from all demographics. It’s also crucial to be versatile and have the ability to adapt to change and move quickly.

What's at the top of your bucket list?

Munitz: To travel the world with my family.