Marketers - we have audiences, media channels, budgets, societal influence, what more could we ask for? How can marketers achieve more recognition, more impact, more returns - for individuals, for brands and for our region as a whole - without actually doing more or spending more, but rather using more of the above brand assets we already have?

#DoMore awards

In 2021 the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity introduced a new award category, Creative B2B, a line extension if you will, to the section which includes Creative Data Lions, Direct Lions, PR Lions and Media Lions awards.

For South African marketers what more would need to happen for us to enter more and shine in these categories? And why shouldn’t we?

#DoMore with data

With regard to Creative Data for example, we have been gathering data for decades. Twenty five years ago, when we had only recently laid eyes on the wonders of the Nokia 3310 (a.k.a brick), Ogilvy’s client Pfizer had sent a brief to the creative department to come up with a branded gift for doctors, as pharmaceutical companies are wont to do, to encourage doctors to prescribe their products to their patients. In this case it was the newly launched cholesterol inhibitor Lipitor. To impress the doctors, these gifts often had a substantial budget allocation. Various offerings in the past, so went the brief, had included glass vases, wall clocks, desk sets and objets d’art various.

#DoMore connecting

As the creative team pondered the solution to the brief, a lightbulb idea emerged. What if they gave the doctors a cellphone as a gift? They were so new then, that most people didn’t even have one yet. In selling the concept internally and to the client, the creative team realised that having a cellphone in their pocket would allow the client to send doctors important information about clinical trials, patient information, dosages and other relevant information, directly via phones, that weren’t even smart yet.

The fact that these gifts were eventually produced in impressive transparent casings that lit up when they rang, did contribute to their uptake. But the point here is that even the low tech of the day could directly connect client with their audience, with a 100% relevant message and medium, which ensured the new drug had a 100% uptake with the target market.

What a pity there were no Creative Data, Creative B2B, Creative Media or Direct Lions categories back in 1997.

#DoMore content

The above case study shows that the right content allows brands to be not just the passive purveyors of packaged goods, ‘spam or sell’, but can deliver more consumer expectations, be part of more real solutions.

#DoMore thinking

With these endgames in mind, what more thinking can be done in the boardrooms of SA brand marketers? Perhaps brand stakeholders can prioritise identifying real societal needs out there, that their brands could deliver on - Math literacy, environmental or agri-health, child development, SMMe, family planning - who would need this information and how would it be received?

#DoMore societal impact

Fun as they are, global fast-food brands need no longer only come up with cheeky campaigns to sell more chicken or beef. If new consumer expectations are for brands to be more part of societal solutions, then new thinking, new media and new data can invite participation, for example to clean up public spaces. Such initiatives would communicate that the brand had identified that they are part of the problem and are being seen as part of solutions - environmental, job creation, public participation and so on.

These are the kind of initiatives that might be worthy of entries into new Creative Data or Creative B2B awards - areas where the brands of SA could play their part to ensure our region is seen to be standing up and being noticed in the world, with solutions-based ideas that tick those all-important societal impact goals.

Many brands have audiences comparable to mass media, so with more will, there are more opportunities for marketing thinkers to influence more, educate more, inform more and participate more in societal outcomes, with more returns on marketing activity and increased company and brand investment value as a knock-on effect!

#DoMore influencing

We are already seeing the value of influencers, but what more societal societal outcomes could they be influencing?

Marketers and brands often cultivate considerable influence. We are already seeing the value of influencers, but what more societal outcomes could they be influencing? Where influencers meet channels are infinite opportunities to influence. Perhaps reminding us of the single-most benefit that the digital media offers marketers, is not only the possibility of the 5,9 million followers of Boity’s booty, but how could we really be levering these to connect more and #DoMore

#DoMore caring

The Creative B2B Lions and other local and global awards categories now allow brands to get recognition for connecting more, thinking more, doing more...

As the biggest and most dynamic marketing community in Africa and South Africa, we get to share these powerful B2B stories every day. As 2023 momentum picks up, we look forward to driving more recognition for your thinking more, caring more, connecting more, sharing more and winning more strategies, using the digital assets we already have for more impact, for more customers and for our region as a whole.

#DoMore on Biz

Business communications are an integral part of brand activity. Here how you can use Bizcommunity’s digital products and platform do more:

Biz Press Office Newsrooms: #DoMore business communications: PR, marketers and newsroom managers organise, track and monitor your business marketing with amplified pageviews, SEO, top story, front page, newsletter, mobile exposure and stats tracking. Enquire about bundle credits, free design and set up of your newsroom. More about Biz Press Office Newsrooms

Biz Content Feature Sponsorship: #DoMore content without having to do more and associate your brand with proven topics that get great impressions. Get more brand exposure on touchpoints - website, special newsletters, mobile, multi- and social media - with leading topics such as BizTrends, Africa Month, Youth Month, Women’s Month and more... More about Biz Content Feature Sponsorship

Biz Portal Sponsorship: #DoMore for your industry by supporting and enabling the best content in your sector, your community and your region. Enquire about 19 industry portals and trending sectors IT, Education, Entertainment Economy, ESG & Sustainability, Finance and more. More about Biz Portal Sponsorship

Biz Thought Leader Packages: #DoMore stakeholder reputation management via front pages, newsletters and multimedia interviews... More about Biz Thought Leader Packages

Biz Recruitment Packages: #DoMore Recruiting - Proudly posting 1000s of jobs across 19 sectors every month, showcasing talent and facilitating job creation in our region. More about Biz Recruiter Packages

Biz Display Banners: #DoMore connecting with your target audiences via run-of-site banner ad space in your industry on Biz. More about Biz Web, newsletter and mobile advertising