Pantone selected Cloud Dancer, a white, as its 2026 Colour of the Year. What does this choice mean for marketing, brand design, and consumer psychology?
What the Pantone 2026 Colour of the Year means for marketing psychology Read More »
Marketing education empowers professionals to build purpose-led branding and strategy for meaningful, socially conscious marketing.
When the economy dips, brand marketing shouldn’t disappear. In a high-cost climate like South Africa’s, marketers need to adapt, not retreat. This guide explores how to maintain relevance through empathetic messaging, local insights, customer loyalty, and purpose-led strategies. Learn how to future-proof your brand by staying human, agile, and visible, even when budgets are tight.
Marketing in a downturn: How brands can stay relevant in a tough economy Read More »
Welcome to the era of the Side Hustle Generation where 9-to-5 is optional and multi-hyphenate careers are the norm. From freelance gigs to fashion reels, South Africans are leading a work revolution fuelled by creativity, autonomy, and AI-driven tools. In this blog, we unpack why this shift matters, not just to the workforce, but to marketers aiming to connect with a generation that craves meaning, flexibility, and purpose-driven brands.
The Rise of the Side Hustle Generation: Redefining Work and Marketing Read More »
Comprehending and crafting brand equity is vital for every business intending to make it big and expand. This blog will define brand equity, the parts that make it up, and its important role in any branding project. As a strategic branding coach or simply a branding aficionado looking to learn more about the subject, the online short course on Strategic Brand Management by the IMM Institute is one of the best and explains how making brand equity take centre stage in your brand strategy can result in business success.
Brand Equity: What is it really? Read More »
In the year 2024, many big and popular brands have come under fire owing to expensive blunders that they committed themselves to. Insensitive messaging and disregard for privacy highlighted a failure to follow basic marketing principles. These mistakes served as a clear warning of the serious damage that can occur to a brand’s reputation when it strays from fundamental values. Today, where consumer trust is fragile and digital backlash swift, these brand failures offer valuable insights into the importance of consistency, transparency, and customer-centricity.
Brands Who Cheated the Fundamentals: Biggest Brand Fails of 2024 Read More »
Digital marketing has changed quite a lot over the past few years, giving rise to the role of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) as an integral part of any business aiming to enhance its online profile. Still, given the changes in search engine algorithms and the endless theories out there, one would find it rather difficult to separate SEO myths from SEO truths. In this blog, we will be looking at different realities and beliefs about SEO and give reasons why one cannot avoid using copywriting principles when writing for search engines. We refer to this practice as SEO copywriting. If you are looking to develop SEO writing skills, you should sign up for the SEO Copywriting course offered by IMM Institute.
Facts and Myths about SEO and Why Copywriting is Essential to the process Read More »
The phenomenon of TikTok cannot be overlooked. The incorporation of this platform, whose active users exceed one billion in the world, has changed the modus operandi of addressing market audiences especially the young audiences. The short and entertaining focus by TikTok has got brands thinking of new ways to build up themselves through authenticity, creativity, originality and reach. For marketers, one has to understand the current trends and ad tactics of TikTok to keep up with the competition.
Advertising on TikTok: Three Popular Marketing Gurus to Follow Read More »
Did you know that 37% of customers say they won’t support a business due to a lack of a personalised experienced and poor customer relationship management? As online interactions become more central to the digital customer experience, nurturing strong, respectful relationships is crucial for building loyalty and long-term success. However, the digital realm and digital marketing also brings unique challenges, and even well-meaning professionals often make common mistakes in their approach.
Online Customer Relationships: 10 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them Read More »
In the retail world, decisions about pricing, product selection, and supplier choices can have far-reaching effects, especially when it comes to popular consumer items. A recent controversy involving Woolworths, a retail chain store in South Africa, highlighted the significance of these retail operations decisions. This time, the focus was on something unexpected: cupcakes. What started as a TikTok video quickly turned into a national debate about rising costs, consumer expectations, and how retail chains respond to customer feedback.
Retail operations: The Woolworths Cupcake controversy Read More »
