In today's fast-moving media environment, the role of branded content is becoming increasingly important. International research by Dipstick shows that a quarter of the UK consumers' total media consumption is provided by their favourite brands and the appetite for editorialised content is continuing to grow.
The UK's Content Marketing Association's recent research also showed that marketing executives are planning to allocate more budget towards content in 2013.
So what does this mean for South Africa? Are we seeing the same shifts? Do we have the right skills? Do brands understand the value? What is being done to take the content marketing industry as a whole to the next level?
These questions were the catalyst for New Media, one of South Africa's leading content marketers, to take action. The result is Content 2013 (kindly sponsored by Paarl Media) - SA's first, truly comprehensive content marketing conference, providing an all-encompassing and inclusive forum platform.
Does South Africa really need another content marketing conference?
"Despite the plethora of conferences on content marketing, not one dealt with our unique situation, or provided an objective overview of all the facets that affect us," says Heléne Lindsay, head of the conference's organising committee and head of strategy at New Media. "The real need is for a forum where all stakeholders share and learn from each other, driven by insiders who know and care." She adds.
The international and local speakers at Content 2013 have therefore been invited for both their experience and their willingness to push boundaries and successfully operate in a shifting environment.
A sample of the carefully chosen topics that attendees can expect at Content 2013 is:
- Education: is the next generation of employees equipped and informed?
- Content marketing and application: lessons from the UK.
If you play any role in the content marketing space, you can't afford to miss this conference. The event will be two days of focused, fresh presentations from carefully briefed industry experts. Says Lindsay: "From check-in to check-out, we intend to craft a beautiful story that enriches and delights. Content 2013 is certainly not a mint-in-a-bowl kind of conference".
Content 2013 will take place on the 25th and 26th February 2013 at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town. Tickets are available from 14 November. For more information visit Content 2013 online at www.content2013.co.za.
