A quick update
A quick update It is hard to believe we are nearly half-way through 2022. When I think back to two years ago – still at Level 3 lockdown, not really able to travel, many schools still closed as well as many businesses – things are looking very different now. The Department of Statistics SA recently released an economic update showing our GDP expanded by 1,9% in the first quarter of 2022. The size of the economy is now at pre-pandemic levels, with real GDP slightly higher than what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. The report further shows household consumption increased by 1,4% in the first quarter, while the hospitality sector in particular saw a sharp rise in activity as consumer spending on restaurants and hotels increased by 6,5%. So while many businesses are still struggling to make their way out of the post-pandemic depression, there is reason to be optimistic. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently underlined the importance of growing the country’s digital economy, with the release of new broadband spectrum having been identified as a key reform for driving economic growth. While this process has been delayed, South Africa is undertaking other digital reforms, including the publication of the country’s draft national data and cloud policy which ultimately seeks to put in place a conducive and enabling environment for the data ecosystem to thrive. While the past two years helped some online businesses to thrive, it also unfortunately saw many publishers and merchants closing down. It is therefore encouraging to see a pickup in enquiries coming in from new publishers and prospective advertisers wanting to join the network. International travel, which was essentially dead for nearly two years, has picked up steadily though we are yet to see the numbers reach pre-pandemic levels. I believe this will take some time. For those of you who will be taking some time off for the winter school break I wish you a relaxed time ahead. Safe travels to those heading out to different corners of the country and the world. Let us come back rested and ready for whatever the rest of 2022 has to offer. Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next
Upskill or get left behind – the new reality
Upskill or get left behind – the new reality If you run a business within the digital marketing space you will no doubt be aware that finding skilled people is hard. This is a global problem, with some reports citing that most businesses’ digital skills are at 35% of what they should be. Besides understanding Google and Facebook advertising, at the forefront of the most desired skills in modern marketing teams are quantitative and qualitative data analytics; data-driven CX design; and data privacy and governance. That’s no small ask. This is a new risk facing many businesses. Companies which do not invest in digital skills, and rely on third parties to deliver their business transformation, risk losing relevance and their competitive edge in the digital landscape. And while in the last number of years, there has been much discussion about the digital skills challenge, there is still a massive issue about shortages in the pipeline of this talent being fed into the workforce. But skills can be learned. With a layered approach to constant upskilling, it is possible to keep pace with the changes in a specific area. For example, despite the pace at which social media marketing is evolving, a specialist will get better at it over time. As a marketer and author Neil Tambe put it, a skill is “something you learn to do and go do it. You repeat it over and over and get better at it.” In order to stay ahead in the game, businesses need to take this risk seriously and look at ways to upskill their existing marketing teams. This will of course look different for every company, but a few ways to do this include using in-house and external experts, sponsoring employees to courses and seminars, utilizing mentoring, offering lunchtime seminars, creating training guidelines, encouraging microlearning, and using technology to make the learning experience interactive. By using the right experts, tools, and methods, you can improve your team’s productivity and maximize the ROI of your investments. Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next
Raising the bar
Raising the bar There are those who say perfection doesn’t exist. Some even argue that it can be the greatest stopper. Achieving perfection can seam so unattainable at times that we become afraid and then chose to do nothing instead. High expectations on oneself and one’s team however can be a positive driver. The higher we aim the closer we will come to achieving excellence, and that should after all be the end goal in all our endeavours. Whether as an advertiser, merchant or publisher, running and building a business has its challenges. It isn’t always exciting or rewarding or even fun, but it can be if we know when to recognise small achievements along the way since these happen far more often than greater ones. By setting high standards and expectations for ourselves and our stakeholders, we avoid settling in the comfort zone where there is little opportunity for growth or change. It doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes, but we learn from them and we move on. As the saying goes, making mistakes is far better than faking perfections. Equally there is no such thing as a perfect marketing strategy. It is mostly a case of combining well-researched facts and stats with educated guesses, intuition, experience and creativity. Then testing and tweaking it as you go, constantly aiming for improvement, for perfection. And if one is consistent enough in that process it will eventually lead to excellence. It is neither quickly nor easily done and it does require a lot of hard work and organisation. Of course some mistakes can easily be avoided, which is why we dedicated the next article to highlighting some of the most common mistakes digital marketers make. I trust you will find it useful and in the very least thought provoking. As always I appreciate feedback that can help us improve our offering and have a positive impact on our industry. I wish you a productive week further. Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO All Interviews and Insights Industry News CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next
Back to basics for SME’s
Back to basics for SME’s The explosion of digital marketing options means that many businesses are spread too thin across too many channels these days. We often do audits for new and existing clients on their digital assets/channels’ performance. With so much data spread over so many channels, it is crucial for businesses to do this ‘health check’ regularly to avoid over-spending or to identify areas that yield real returns for their business. Smart businesses focus on dominating one channel. Marketers should get more focused and aim to do fewer things better. Of course it is easy to get distracted by shiny new digital objects. Marketers love new trends and to be on the leading edge of new technologies and platforms. We often see surveys where marketers say AI and machine learning are critical channels. Ultimately, yes, this kind of technology could have a dramatic impact on marketing performance and optimization, but how many advertisers (small businesses and brands) are actually using proprietary AI or machine learning to improve marketing? Currently, not many. The reality is that many small businesses and a portion of big brands aren’t delivering on the basics of digital marketing like websites, SEO, social media, blog writing, Google ads, online reviews, etc. Given the huge marketing budgets of big brands, small businesses must execute on these foundational tactics. For most SMEs the majority of their business growth still comes from the foundational tools in digital marketing: social media, digital ads, email marketing and SEO. Don’t forget to focus on your foundation. Often, optimizing your base digital execution will provide a better return on investment than experimenting (and getting distracted) with every new tool. So the next time you speak to an agency or martech company trying to sell you what’s “new” or “cutting edge” or “the future”, ask them to help you get the basics right first. Upwards and onwards! Daniel Gross – CEO All CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Industry News Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next
Doing well by doing good
Doing well by doing good Most businesses these days have some form of CSR strategy outlining how they give back to their stakeholders, the environment or the community. Research even shows that doing good reduces a company’s team turnover rate, increases its productivity and boosts employee engagement and satisfaction. I recently did an audit of our clients and it struck me how many businesses we have in our client pool that do good while also doing well. These are businesses that have ‘doing good’ at their core – the reason they started their business in the first place. I would like to mention a few here as I find it both inspirational and encouraging to do business with companies that ultimately do good, by benefiting our community, the planet, and the people who inhabit it. Faithful to Nature was founded in 2006 with the aim to give ordinary people access to honest, affordable and ethical products. They created a world-first ingredient policy in search of clean ingredient lists and products that were free from toxins. Ultimately the company wants to create a world where the products we use do not harm us, our communities or our planet. Today they have over 100,000 followers on Facebook. Hannah products offer a healthy alternative to sanitary pads and cups for women. Hannahpad offers a zero-waste, chemical-free lifestyle which benefits women’s bodies and our earth. Hannahpad also believes in helping their communities and reaching out a helping hand. As part of this philosophy, they have created a set called the ‘Help a Girl Cloth Pad Set’ to help a girl stay in school. This is only available as a donation and has been discounted to make this affordable to sponsor a girl. Cyber Finance is a leading financial solutions provider offering a range of effective debt counselling services that provide consumers with an affordable repayment solution and ultimately financial freedom. The past two years have been tough economically and many South Africans find themselves trapped in bad debt. To date, Cyber Finance has helped over 5,000 SA consumers become debt free and has been voted the Top 10 National Debt Solutions Provider in the country. Greenfish was founded by two brothers with the intention of providing the restaurant, hospitality and wholesale industry with high-quality, seasonal and locally sourced fish and seafood products. Growing up as artisanal handline and tuna pole fishermen, their combined 60 years of fishing experience has instilled in them a deep respect and connection to the ocean that underpins everything that Greenfish does. In addition, businesses like Earth Natural Hair, Natural Options, Skin Fresh and The People’s Fund all have ‘doing good’ at their core. We are proud to partner with and help grow these brands through our digital channels and offerings and look forward to seeing them disrupt and create change for the better in the world. Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO All Interviews and Insights Industry News CEO's Thoughts Interviews and Insights Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before 26 Oct 2022 Why Black Friday 2022 will differ from before Despite current downturns in the economy, evidence shows that the e-commerce industry is picking up and going back to pre-pandemic… Read More CEO's Thoughts Never stop marketing 26 Oct 2022 Never stop marketing There’s a LOT going on in the world right now. This is not a political piece, yet it is diffiult to ignore the world-shaping events… Read More Interviews and Insights Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove 26 Oct 2022 Interview with Sandra Jardim, Blogger/Founder of MammaBearLove Our October profile is Sandra Jardim, mom to twins Gisela and Alaia and blogger/owner of MammaBearLove. She uses her blog as… Read More Prev123Next
2022 – Expect the unexpected and embrace the unknown
Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the summer break and feel ready for what 2022 has in store. Our team has been back at the office since 3rd January working hard on launching a whole list of new programs. I don’t know about you, but based on 2020/21 I feel a bit divided. Part of me wants to be optimisitc, because surely this must be it? The end of this mess. But, then there’s a part of me that wants to tread carefully, because if the past 2 years have taught us anything it is to expect the unexpected – and then roll with the punches. Even the experts seem divided. Investment Bank JP Morgan recently released its annual global economic outlook in which it optimistically predicted that 2022 will mark a huge improvement from the past two years. The report predicts the new year would bring the end of the pandemic and a return to normal economic and market conditions. The S&P will gain 8%, the bank wrote, while emerging markets will add a whopping 18%. Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs shares this optimism and have predicted robust economic growth for the US market and have raised their targets accordingly. The fact that governments around the world are starting to adopt the “learning to live with Covid” approach, is also a good sign. It means we’ve come a long way since November 2019. We are more resilient, more adaptable and more realitic about the economic implications of extended lockdowns. Add to that the rate of vaccinations globally (12 billion shots will be given out against Covid-19 globally by November 2022, roughly 80 %) as well as new Covid treatments being approved as I’m writing this, and the picture doesn’t look half bad. On the flip side, supply chain slowdowns which will lead to rising prices and inflation, combined with a skill shortage and the challenge for managers to manage remote workers, large enterprises as well as SME’s will have their fair share of challenges in 2022. Among CEOs expressing a more pessimistic outlook are those in the automotive, hospitality and leisure sectors, which are grappling with semiconductor shortages and the lingering effects of the pandemic on travel. In China, shifting demographics and structural unemployment are creating a growing gap; in the US, headlines about the “great resignation” and early retirement dominate. It remains to be seen whether the pandemic trajectory will shift and present new constraints on some industries. For business leaders 2022 will be the year of making employee wellbeing a priority, focusing on health, building teams that are fluid, globally minded and connected, and using technology creatively and effectively. It’s a long list, and maybe we won’t all get it right, but let’s kick off this year by putting that list up in the office and reminding ourselves every day to work towards that. As for staying positive in tough times, this quote from S.C. Laurie perhaps says it best: “Not all positive change feels positive in the beginning”. Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO
Thank you 2021
The last term always feels a bit like a race to the finish line. With private schools starting to close from next week, many of you will be looking forward to some well-earned rest. Some of us will be working right up to Christmas, because for the e-commerce industry this is after all the busiest time of the year. Whether you will be working or taking leave, celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah or just spending time with family, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support this past year; to our publishers for delivering the results, to our clients for their continued belief in us, and to our employees for going the extra mile every day. AdMarula wouldn’t be where it is today if it wasn’t for you. We also wish you a successful Black Friday and hope that it will in part make up for lost revenue during lockdown. It is encouraging to see that some of our programs that were paused have been restarted, and that clients are starting to increase budgets and channels again. (Please note that our office will close on the 23rd of December and re-open on the 3rd January.) We look forward to taking on 2022 with you. Onwards on upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO
How AI is transforming Digital Marketing
I recently travelled to Stockholm, Sweden to visit family over there. I was last in Sweden at the end of 2019, just before the global pandemic broke out. Each time I visit I am simply astounded by how the Scandinavians embrace technology and how deeply integrated it has become in their way of life. From robotic lawn mowers keeping the city’s roundabouts tidy, to electric scooters that can be unlocked with an app on your phone, to automated Nespresso shops with no staff, a virtually cashless society and wait for it,Teslas, EVERYWHERE. I realised after an 18-month lockdown in the Southern tip of Africa, that I had forgotten how far AI has come… That in turn got me thinking about how AI is transforming Digital Marketing. Looking at the clients we work with, many of them have started using AI-driven technology to better understand their customers and to streamline certain processes. For instance chatbots, which most of us have probably encountered at some point of another. AI chatbots can answer questions, help with site navigation, and even provide personalized product recommendations which in turn converts visitors to customers. AI is also being integrated into CRM systems so that businesses can gain greater insight into their customers’ behaviour and decision-making. AI also allows marketers to personalise content and target their users groups on a much more granular level. Gone are the days of mass communication and ‘shooting wide’ messaging. So although it will probably be a while still before bots start to replace people, AI is definitely here to stay and is making digital marketing and advertising more accurate and targeted by optimizing campaigns and delivering a better return on investment than ever before. Looking closer to home we certainly have our work cut out for us. Job creation right now must be the no.1 priority for our country’s leaders, and investment the 2nd if we are to pull ourselves out of this post-lockdown limbo. However, economists are starting to predict an uptick in the economy. According to the OECD the South African economy is projected to rebound by 3.8% in 2021 and 2.5% in 2022.The strong rebound at the end of 2020 has slowed in the first half of 2021 due to a protracted second wave of the virus that has held back economic activity. However, growth is projected to pick up in the second half of the year, driven by domestic demand and commodity exports. Household consumption will contribute significantly to growth as the economy opens up and exceptional savings last year are spent at least partially. Private investment will progressively strengthen. At AdMarula we have also seen positive signs, from former inactive clients that are now returning, to businesses wanting to launch new products and campaigns and of course planning for the upcoming Black Friday sales. Whether you are an advertiser, publishers or agency, we are here to work with you to make the last few months of 2021 count. Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO
Celebrating 10 years helping SA’s online businesses grow!
On 24 September 2011 we pressed the ‘go-live’ button and AdMarula was born. It was a terrifying and thrilling moment. We had no idea how the market would respond and we sat watching as one publisher after the next signed up to our network. Now, one decade, 3 office moves, and several new product offerings later, we thank each client, publisher, staff member and friend who has been a part of our journey so far. We could not have done it without you. We dedicate this milestone to you! #AdMarulaTurns10 #AdMNews #PerformanceMarketingSouthAfrica #DigitalMarketingSouthAfrica
The power of positivity, patience and persistence
I’m generally quite a positive guy. My wife will tell you I’m the ‘it will be fine’ type who believes that things will generally just always be okay. But let’s be honest, looking around us it’s hard to feel positive right now. Between the pandemic, lockdowns, load shedding, lootings and poor economic forecasts the world seems doomed. But while the media is having a field day with all the negative news, there are positive stories and events happening around us all the time. And choosing to see the positive is in itself a catalyst for being happier. For starters, forcing yourself to smile has a direct positive impact on your health. Science has shown that the mere act of smiling can lift your mood, lower stress, boost your immune system and possibly even prolong your life. It’s a pretty backwards idea, isn’t it? Happiness is what makes us smile; how can the reverse also be true? The fact is a smile spurs a chemical reaction in the brain, releasing certain hormones including dopamine and serotonin. In other words, smiling can trick your brain into believing you’re happy which can then spur actual feelings of happiness. But it doesn’t end there. The physical act of smiling can also make a difference in building your immunity. When you smile, the brain sees the muscle activity and assumes that humour is happening. So even if you may not feel positive at the moment, the general advice is to fake it till you make it! As for running a business in these times, I remember a friend and mentor said something to me ten years ago when we just started the AdMarula journey. His words were: “Building a business is like riding a bicycle, yes you need some capital and people and some luck, but at the end of the day what it comes down to is getting up every morning, getting on that bicycle come rain or shine, and keep cycling. And if you do that consistently and for long enough, you will succeed.” I think that’s pretty sound advice, and something we should all bear in mind right now as we navigate our businesses through unchartered waters. Let’s aim to stay committed to the good, help others where we can, and keep cycling… Onwards and upwards! Daniel Gross – CEO
