Marketing UpClose&Personal: Insights and reflections from the Nedbank IMC 2023 Conference

Louise Burgers, lecturer at Red & Yellow

Tendai Mbumbwa, lecturer at Red & Yellow

On 15 September 2023, a wonderfully eclectic mix of over 20 industry thought leaders from near and far engaged with the theme Marketing: ‘UpClose&Personal’ sharing insights, personal stories and animated presentations with over 800 in-person delegates and 1,500 online participants.

As Katherine McInnes, head of marketing Africa at Meltwater noted: “The theme focused on the growing need for how marketers can better understand and engage with an increasingly sophisticated, tech-savvy customer base, something that Meltwater recognises as a priority in our data-driven customer insights.”

Burgers and Mbumbwa have written a white paper that is reader-friendly, dynamic and offers up a summary of the central messages under six creative categories – all of which are clearly unpacked chapter by chapter.

Katherine McInnes

Dale Hefer

In brief, these include the call for marketers to (re) create the creative process under an AI lens (and not be afraid to embrace chaos), connect and collaborate in a multiplayer universe while harnessing the magic of Africa to differentiate African global brands. Marketers should also have the courage to reinvent their roles, be relevant and embrace truth – engage and reflect human values, while never forgetting the heart that beats in every person.

Speakers reassured the audience that marketers matter, their relationships with consumers matters even more and together they can build creative brands that inspire and drive social impact.

While AI is undoubtedly making waves and consumers are increasingly active participants in the brand universe, which can make for a tricky marketing terrain, the white paper concludes that we can navigate these turbulent waters by embracing the six learning categories and deliver on brands that have the power to change the world.

As Dale Hefer, CEO of the IMC, reiterates: “Get up close & personal with this valuable resource. Like all our endeavours, it has real, practical value. It’s a great read and one that captures the complexities around engaging successfully with customers to ensure Marketing is Business©”

The Nedbank IMC 2023 Conference Paper is freely accessible at www.imcconference.com.

The annual Nedbank IMC Conference is Africa’s foremost integrated marketing conference. The Integrated Marketing Council (IMC) believes that Marketing is Business© and that marketing deserves its place at the boardroom table. This conference has more CMOs, senior marketers and agency leaders attending than any other in Africa and is relevant to anyone in the business of communication.

Information regarding the 2024 conference will be shared in due course.

To access presentations from previous years, please visit IMCPlus™, the IMC Content hub. Simply click here: https://theschoolofthought.co/spaces/9095188?utm_source=manual.