“HOPE IS BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT THERE IS LIGHT DESPITE ALL OF THE DARKNESS.”
2020 has been a year that is the true definition of volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous but even through all of that, hope has pulled us through. We are elated to announce that as we gear up for the final stretch of 2020, Roth Media has been appointed as the new PR agency to produce and execute exceptional PR and content strategies for the V&A Waterfront festive season campaign.
The effects of COVID-19 have impacted livelihoods, economies, and our basic ways of functioning, thus it is fair to say that the 2020 festive season will be like no other. Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront is ready to contribute to humanity’s attempts to restore hope and have set to do it in a meaningful way. The V&A is once again ready to share Joy from Africa to the World. This time around they are celebrating light and hope. Sustainability, collaboration, creativity, and compassion are the foundation of the season’s celebrations.
What better way to end the year, than being part of a campaign that spreads joy during a time when we all need it the most. We are looking forward to spreading hope and celebrating light.
ROTH MEDIA GOES LIVE WITH NESCAFÉ THIS IS OUR GRIND SESSIONS
South African youth have found themselves at crossroads in their studies, business, and career goals this year. Roth Media created and produced a compelling platform for NESCAFÉ CLASSIC to assist and empower ambitious minds.
The four-part series hosted by seasoned media personality Hulisani Ravele, covers the topics of trade, social media, professionals and entrepreneurship. It features 11 influential leaders across these industries and reflects what their journeys have been like and how they’ve managed to stay on their grind. Bringing the vision behind the series to tangible life were renowned directors Mzi Kumalo, Mohube Rapodile, Ntokozo Maseko and Stephina Zwane.
The first episode of This Is Our Grind Sessions has gone live on the NESCAFÉ digital pages. Roth Media also partnered with one of Africa’s biggest marketing podcast, Lessons with Lion, to further unpack the revelations of each episode.
OPINION: THE BEST WAY TO DRIVE PURPOSE
Lemogang Kodisang, Strategist
Purpose marketing is an industry buzz word that is so complex and yet so relevant at the same time. The definition is uniquely applied across the various industry territories from advertising to media owners and agencies with the phrase meaning something different to each one. In an attempt to centralize the definition and focus for this piece – we can define purpose marketing as the cornerstone of brand bonds with their target consumer through shared beliefs and values. In 2020 WARC published their report on The Effective Use of Brand Purpose and summarised the three core functions of purpose marketing as:
- Purpose as a vital growth-driver because it generates results
- Purposeful partnerships because you can’t go at it alone
- Linking purpose culture to the zeitgeist social-economic shifts
Purpose is a vital growth-driver because it generates results
The 4th industrial revolution will signal a shift in brands merging markets and bringing consumers within closer reach. Growing our market share and volumes, therefore, requires entry into uncharted territories. There is a hack to reaching new markets and first-generation consumers – a hack that benefits both brands and society because its core is rooted in something meaningful, something that operates from a central value system. In other words, growth and expansion would not be possible if it were not for purpose marketing.
Edwardo Machado, the Burger King CMO, stated that the success of purpose marketing stems from authenticity and not just embracing a noble cause simply because you can. He stated that there is real power in being attuned to societal shifts and this real power can be the differentiator when facing tumultuous times as a business. We saw this with the Nike and Colin Kaepernick campaign, a daring move that marked the brand as being on the right side of history. This saw Nike register a 31% increase in sales.
The key overarching insight is that purpose marketing is for brands that want to be in the long game, the ones that want to truly distil value, grow with their consumer and connect emotionally because these brands become more attractive for current and potential customers.
Purposeful partnerships are crucial because you can’t go at it alone
According to a publication by the IPA, advertising has lost its humanity and its ability to entertain. This publication has chronicled the decline in creativity and effectiveness and in essence has been referenced because the same theory can be applied when seeking out purposeful marketing partners.
In a Forrester research study conducted, it was shown that 76% of companies work as a collaborative to reach their goals. Big brands like Marc Pritchard and Procter & Gamble are creating a new genre of advertising through some of their partnerships. This means that every partner and function in advertising is important and must work as integrated inputs to achieve high outputs. Advertisers can consider the role of partners and what they can imbue to provide credibility and social currency that matches their own. Agencies can assist clients in finding the right partners to help explore a worthy cause related to their vision and values, be it grassroots or tackling inequality issues. Media owners need to identify how this message can be amplified and attuned to the channel that can drive the most value. All roles are interlinked.
Partners also help close the gaps in the consumer conversations which brands might have missed, providing an air-tight solution to a worthy challenge. This was the case in 2018 when Roth Media partnered with NESCAFÉ CLASSIC to kickstart the nation. The day-to-day hum and drum were taking a toll on the youth moving from one mode of transport to the next, trying to hustle. NESCAFÉ CLASSIC KICKSTART inspired South Africa to experience their mornings in a new way through the various strategic touchpoints. We sought out to find the country’s best dancers and aspiring choreographers. This inspiring, energetic group of young ambassadors then got the opportunity to KICKSTART the consumer’s MORNING RHYTHM in places that signified the hustle.
The launch took place at an exclusive NESCAFÉ food market in Maboneng. Where Joburg’s trendiest celebs attended for their dose of mid-morning inspiration.
Linking purpose culture to the zeitgeist and social-economic shifts
Had Roth Media and NESCAFÉ CLASSIC not tapped into the key insight of the economic challenges facing the youth, we would not have been able to drive the same value. We hired diverse artists with various skills and interests, some of whom were discovered and developed even further, because of the platform. Drawing on the insights from the case study, marketers need to understand the role of purpose. This will determine whether brands thrive or fail during tumultuous times.
