According to the marketer and author Simon Sinek, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it”. Driving growth and increasing brand equity is rooted in accurately communicating a company mission in a compelling and emotive way. But over the last year, the avenues in which marketers and advertisers usually achieve this has been severely disrupted. Navigating lockdowns, restrictions and curfews across Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic has limited traditional marketing methods.
Gartner, a marketing insights company, predicts that thanks to the accelerated adoption of AdTech and digital into businesses, that by 2023 60% of companies will have pivoted to virtual events. AdWeek a US-based news service reported that in the US advertising on e-commerce platforms jumped 39% in 2020 and is predicted to grow another 30% in 2021.
Changing customer trends is influencing where advertisers and marketers focus their attention, and also how they communicate, listen and engage with their audiences. So is marketing and AdTech in Africa helping to facilitate this change, and enable brands to reach their customers effectively?