The marketing profession’s most pressing imperative is to “kick start a new conversation on how best to address a radically changed business environment as the world slowly emerges from the Covid-19 chaos”, says President of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC), Helen R. McIntee. To this end, the Africa-wide organisation is relaunching. Member bodies comprise the Institute of Marketing Management South Africa (IMM), Marketers Association of Zimbabwe, The Zambia Institute of Marketing, The Marketing Society of Kenya, The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), The National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, the Institute of Marketing and Management, Mauritius, Institute of Marketing in Malawi (IMM) and The Moroccan Association of Marketing and Communications (AMMC). McIntee says, “We are more committed than ever to growing and developing the profession and to ensuring that African marketing specialists have the support needed to survive and thrive today and in a post-COVID new normal. The AMC’s vision of connecting marketers across Africa will provide the best platform to allow us to engage, share and find new solutions.” 

Cannabis marketing finds a home in podcast advertising

Marketers across the globe struggle to keep up with the vagaries of marketing and advertising cannabis products. The regulations vary from country to country, and are constantly changing, and most social media platforms are reluctant to allow advertising of cannabis products. But Marketing Brew reports the industry picking up on podcast advertising as it has fewer restrictions. Former Marketing Director at cannabis researchers the Brightfield Group in the US, Connor Skelly, told Marketing Brew: “Podcasting just opens up more nuance. With something like Instagram, it’s overall just antiquated ad policies and terms of service. Same with Google.”

Reviving one of South Africa’s oldest wine brands

It’s been a wine staple in South Africa since 1932, produced every single year without fail despite war, drought and yes, pandemic. When the Royal Family visited in 1947, it was the red wine they were served. It is the only wine in South Africa allowed to use the word ‘Chateau’ on its label due to the fact that South Africa signed the Crayfish Agreement with France that forbade the use of the word on wine labels in 1935 – because it was launched three years prior to the agreement. It is, of course, Chateau Libertas. It was created by a medical doctor, Dr William Charles Winshaw, who believed the smooth, easy-drinking, juicy blend could be part of a healthy adult South African lifestyle. And now it’s coming out in a two-litre box, something else the pandemic has brought about. 

Bond is back … and so is cinema advertising

The premiere of the latest Bond movie No Time to Die – Daniel Craig’s fifth and last outing as 007 – made a global splash. And a ton of money too. In the United Kingdom alone, it took over £25 million in the first weekend and $121 million in 54 other countries. Marketing Week reports advertising was sold out two months in advance of its release, with telecoms, motors, food and drink, as well as entertainment and leisure companies booking. These included Sky, Google, Pokerstars, Peroni and Lloyds. The UK’s Digital Cinema Media says 40% of the returning audience to cinemas are 16-34 year olds, but that Bond draws in an older generation too. 

TikTok enters ecommerce space with Shopify deal

Users can shop on Instagram through linking products on posts. Now TikTok and Shopify have partnered to offer an ecommerce integration. Shopify’s web store drives merchants to the TikTok app, while offering a video creation tool for brands to create videos optimised for Shopify. “For the creator economy, this integration means that creators will need to be more intentional about the ways that they use their platforms as commercial storefronts while continuing to build a community and identify with the core values of their audiences,” writes Neve Fear-Smith on Talking Influence. “With the knowledge that this new shopping feature is in place, creators may find ways to incorporate the feature into their content planning by creating storefronts that can be used for events, conferences, or paid subscription channels.”