FROM THE EDITOR
Strategic Marketing africa C O H E R E N T. C R E D I B L E . C O U R A G E O U S .
A new magazine and a credible new voice for African marketing
PUBLISHER African Marketing Confederation https://africanmarketingconfederation.org info@africanmarketingconfederation.org PUBLISHING COMMITTEE Kwabena Agyekum (Chair) Gillian Rusike Helen McIntee Nigel Tattersall Mike Simpson
E
A.M.C. PRESIDENT Helen McIntee EDITORIAL Simpson Media Editor: Mike Simpson mike@media-simpson.com ADVERTISING SALES & COORDINATION Avenue Advertising Managing Director: Barbara Spence Landline: +27 11 463 7940 Mobile: +27 82 881 3454 barbara@avenue.co.za DESIGN & LAYOUT Tamlin Lockhart Design tamlin@tamlinlockhart.co.za PRODUCTION Tamlin Lockhart Design Reproduction: Digital magazine: Smart Procurement World Print magazine: Business Print IN ASSOCIATION WITH Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana Marketing Society of Kenya Moroccan Association of Marketing and Communication National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria Institute of Marketing in Malawi Institute of Marketing & Management, Mauritius Institute of Marketing Management, South Africa Zambia Institute of Marketing Marketers Association of Zimbabwe
2
strategicmarketingforafrica
DITING A NEW MAGAZINE IS always an honour, even more so when the revitalised African Marketing Confederation is making its rightful return to prominence on the African marketing stage. This at a time when there are both huge challenges – and enormous opportunities – for the profession on the continent. There was, of course, a previous magazine which existed during the formative years of the AMC. But, after being dormant for several years, we are back as a publication with a slightly new name, a new philosophy, and a new direction that embraces greater levels of publishing digitisation and interactivity for readers. We continue to publish a print edition that will circulate in limited numbers to marketing professionals in Africa via their national marketing bodies (which are members of the AMC). There are many people – myself included – who still love the look, feel and even smell of the printed word and a glossy hard-copy magazine. But the reality is that digital publications have become common and offer many practical benefits such as being cheaper to produce, easier to get into the hands of readers, and giving advertisers and readers more interactivity. This publication is available digitally on the excellent new African Marketing Confederation website: www.africanmarketingconfederation.org The website also houses a Marketing News section which is updated daily by the same team of journalists that
Issue 1 2021
brings you Strategic Marketing for Africa. This comprises short, sharp news snippets covering the latest marketing-industry happenings from around the continent and the world.
FOSTER A CULTURE OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP The ethos of this magazine is actually quite simple: To be a useful resource for African marketers and to foster a culture of thought leadership among professionals. In striving to be the new voice of African marketing, our bywords will be ‘Coherent’, ‘Credible’ and ‘Courageous’. We want to drill down into topics and provide depth, perspective and insight. To be an antidote to the superficial. To encourage debate and rational argument – while always maintaining the highest standards. As we forge ahead with this quarterly publication, we anticipate that the editorial mix and approach to covering relevant issues will change in response to input from the AMC member countries and the African marketing fraternity in general. We will, of course, also be responding to ongoing change in the global marketing environment. While African challenges frequently require African solutions, we are not an island and this publication must endeavour to keep its finger on the pulse of the best marketing thinking – whatever its origins. Happy reading! Mike Simpson Editor
