NIQ South Africa to spotlight creativity and brand storytelling at Marketing Café

Marketing Café is an opportunity for marketing experts to connect and learn from industry thought leaders in a cosy setting. The event is coming to Cape Town after a successful Johannesburg Marketing Café in February.

Zak Haeri, MD for NIQ South Africa

Haeri says: “Marketing Café, as a platform for some of South Africa’s highest profile brands and marketing leaders, offers us a great opportunity to showcase how analytics and research about consumer buying behaviour and marketing dynamics support business success.

“For more than 90 years, we have provided organisations with the data and insights to help them craft winning branding and marketing strategies. Our industry research over the years have consistently shown that emotional attachment drives brand strength. As such, creative leadership is more relevant than ever in building a brand and driving customer engagement.”

Haeri’s role on the panel will bring a unique perspective to how creativity can be nurtured in leadership. He explains: “We breathe oxygen, and I believe there is a part of us that breathes creativity. When we don't create, this part of us dies. We lose a sense of purpose, become bored, and are much less productive. When leaders enable their team's creativity, they enhance both innovation and execution.”

The ‘cultivating creativity in leadership’ panel will also feature:

• Khensani Nobanda, group executive: Group Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Nedbank
  
• Laura Cooke, head of PR and Communications, Showmax
  
• Melissa Van Harte, head of Brand and Sponsorships, Sanlam Investments

Adds Haeri: “I’m looking forward to joining this panel of experts to talk about how creative problem-solving and innovation can align with technology and data to supercharge performance. While technology has improved organisations’ ability to reach and target customers, it is their stories and messaging that will get consumers to remember their brands.

“NIQ research indicates that roughly 50% of ad ROI is driven by creative quality. The true measure of a brand’s success lies in its ability to transform consumer attitudes and behaviours, resulting in measurable changes in mental states and purchase patterns. Emotional connection, creativity and compelling narratives are the keys to achieving these goals.”