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World's digital best in reach for SA brands in 2020
31 Dec 2019
South African marketers are an innovative bunch. From homegrown Nandos-style advertising with real storylines that knocks the world's drab attempts at humour out the park, to brilliant locally-developed new ad platforms like the Please Call Me text tag ads, we take our unique circumstances and turn them on their head to create opportunities.
Image source: Gallo/Getty Images.
When it comes to communicating what’s next, however, SA marketers tend to take their lead from overseas industry platforms. A cursory read-through local marketing industry news sites reveals leading personalities waxing lyrical about the importance of personalisation in mobile and digital marketing. At the same time, their highlighted ‘trends to watch’ all appear to be cut-and-paste jobs from overseas industry platforms.
With this mind, let’s take a look at what can be expected in mobile and digital marketing during the course of 2020 with particular and proud emphasis on the Rainbow Nation:
More digital creativity
Firstly, we’re going to see a lot more digital creativity expressed in data-intensive campaigns. This will come on the back of the recently-completed market enquiry into mobile data costs by the Competition Commission. The regulator has, not expectedly, essentially found a failure of free competition in the local mobile data market and there is now mounting pressure on the country’s mobile operators to radically reduce mobile data prices forthwith.
This means mobile users will possibly have a lot more data available to consume the awesome output of the country’s mobile and digital marketing community. End-users will no longer feel that sense of dread that comes with fast depleting data when our clients’ campaign videos roll. South African mobile users will soon be able to properly enjoy the fast-colliding worlds of advertising and entertainment.
Secondly, we’re going to see more smart partnerships between South African mobile and digital marketers and overseas-based developers of outrageously-clever campaign tools. It’s great that we’re making smartphones in Durban now, but there is so much talent in the global developer marketplace that South African digital marketing firms simply have to explore partnerships with the best developers in the world or risk being left behind.
TV’s awful in SA and always has been, bar the news which must be the world’s most interesting and perhaps unbelievable. Maybe it was our late start in 1976 but things just appear to be getting worse in the land of linear programming. Not wanting to outdo the ongoing shenanigans at the SABC, DSTV actually cancelled two of satellite’s most popular channels: History and Crime & Investigation.
YouTube Moments
No matter - the imminent decline in the price of mobile data and the country’s rapidly-expanding complement of free Wi-Fi hotspots and increasing national fibre rollout all mean YouTube and similar platforms are set to overtake traditional television in SA in much the same fashion as has already happened in many markets overseas. Channels like YouTube enable a ton of features that will increasingly feature in South African digital campaigns, from trigger moments to shoppable video.
YouTube Moments, for instance, is particularly-interesting in the South African context with our rich history of awe-inspiring events. This feature that we are now able to offer local and international brands enables clients to connect their campaign to any preselected moment appearing on screen. This could include a logo, face, emotion, object or celebration.
Brands can link their ads to in-video events for the first time. YouTube Moments is a powerful campaign tool for brands wanting to rise above the mass market clutter. To be seen in digital, you need to be on YouTube. For South African brands, the world’s best in digital is firmly within reach in 2020.
