Digital Marketing Leadership Webinar

We recently held a webinar with Chris Bitti, CEO of Digital Brands Africa, and co-founder of Africa Digital Leadership, on understanding digital marketing leadership on the 15th of July 2021. 

During the webinar, he discussed the importance of organisations understanding their brand strategy which would have a direct impact on the efficiency and success of the organisation, while also outlining the following:

1. A brand is everything – Many organisations define branding as logos, advertisements, billboards when in essence branding refers to the brand story articulation and having a clear understanding of your brand. Chris stated that in as much as many brands operated from a similar standpoint, there is a need for brands to differentiate themselves from other brands so as to stand out to their target consumers. He gave an example of TESLA and APPLE who have been able to distinguish themselves from their competitors. He also stated that storytelling as a brand did not have to be confined to imagery and words, it could also be told in the form of music to showcase customer experience. The end goal for storytelling would be to become a “Smashable brand” that could be identified without the name. 
2. Digital is the connector – Digital is not a channel. Many people think that digital revolves around social media when in reality it is actually a new way of thinking and doing things. Long gone are the days marketing decisions are made based on customer feel, rather with digital it provides data based on fact and reality using “Search Engine Optimisation” to understand the customer better and help the organisation make informed marketing decisions. The evolution of Digital has been continuous with advertisements transcending into experiential marketing. Also with Digital, organisations can automatically respond to customer queries through the use of “Customer Relationship Management” tools which have eased business processes.
3. Audience Profiling – Blanket advertising is dead. Organisations need to factor in that audiences react differently to advertisements. It is important to note in this regard some audiences will perceive the advertisement as factual while others will be more emotive. It is only when you profile your audiences with a keenness that you will be able to satisfy their needs. 
4. The importance of E-Commerce – There is a need for companies to integrate E-Commerce tools such as virtual sales assistants to aid in their growth. 
5. Brand Leadership in a digital world – Back in the day, to achieve credibility there was a need for your brand to be seen everywhere, you had to have connections to become somebody. However, nowadays all you need to be visible is a proper and well-defined brand strategy on different social media platforms i.e Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube and the like.
6. Utilising Customer Feedback to become a brand leader – It is important for organisations to utilise the feedback they receive from their consumers to position the brand. 
7. Content Distribution – It is important to note that where you initially post your content is key in propelling your marketing campaign. Think about your distribution before you create content. When you are building your audience you need to be consistent and frequent in posting your content but it needs to follow the general rule of Quality above quantity. Most companies usually disseminate content such as newsletters on a weekly basis without thinking about the quality of content.

These were some highlights Chris touched upon during the webinar, which was insightful. He concluded the webinar by stating“ People overestimate their level of control, especially companies who think they are winning, they are invincible. Unfortunately, those are the companies that face disruption”.