So far I have steered clear of interviewing advertising figureheads — mainly because I feel the industry is in a pretty sorry state (IMHO). But Khaya Dlanga is an exception: he learnt the ropes in the hurly-burly of top ad agencies, both as copywriter and strategist, before moving client-side. Now he is heading up marketing for a dynamic new company that is sticking to the principles of KISS: Keeping It Simple (Seriously). Full transcript available on MarkLives.Music by Boxcat Games.

Market pundits are forecasting a recession and South Africa, with its almost junk status and socio-political problems, is not expected to fare well. Yet it’s not all doom and gloom; some entrepreneurial types are making the best of it, creating products in SA for export to the rest of the world. One such success story is Veldskoen, a startup that attracted Mark Cuban and Ashton Kutcher as investors. I speak to Veldskoen co-founder, Nic Latouf, about ecommerce and going global.Full transcript available on MarkLives.Music by Boxcat Games.

The number of channels that marketers are using to target consumers has grown and, with it, the messaging has changed, from a ‘broadcast’ model to a more-intimate, personalised one. Big data is a tool that gives brands insights into their customers and an opportunity to build a relationship that relies on trust; at the same time, there has never been more need for creativity in marketing. I speak to advertising veteran Danni Dixon, who now heads up marketing at Investec South Africa.Full transcript available on MarkLives.

Marketing continues to evolve, and lately some of the ‘big guns’ — like McDonalds and Johnson & Johnson — have decided to rid themselves of their chief marketing officers (CMOs). What does this mean for CMOs in South Africa? Is the role really extinct, or is it evolving? I talk to Rob Paddock, Valenture Institute CEO, in this fourth Only Connect podcast episode. Full transcript available on MarkLives.Music by Boxcat Games.

This month I have the privilege of interviewing Heidi Brauer, CMO at Hollard Insurance. She has some great thinking around agencies, the agency process, around pitching as well as digital segmentation, how we derive insights and how marketers become more commercially minded, if commercially minded at all. So strap in for this episode, and enjoy.Full transcript available on MarkLives.Music by Boxcat Games.

From the rise of growth hacking, to digital transformation and the automation of marketing, being a chief marketing officer (CMO) has changed. Given the massive pressures today’s CMOs face, how do brands better understand their customers? How do they use technology for competitive advantage? I talk to Tim Allemann, Fedgroup CMO, in this second Only Connect podcast.Full transcript available on MarkLives.Music by Boxcat Games.

In March 2019, South Africa’s food delivery industry got even more competitive. Bolt (formerly Taxify), announced that it was taking on Uber Eats and Mr D Food. Increased competition means competing brands will need to become really smart at understanding customers. With this in mind, I spoke to Ailyssa Pretorius, UberEats South Africa GM, about how Uber Eats is using data to make sense of its customers’ vital statistics.Full transcript available on MarkLives.Music by Boxcat Games.