WATCH | Connecting the youth market with your brand

The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works for 2020’s brand communication strategies, given the sizable shift in consumer behaviour in recent months.

Lockdown has changed the way the youth interact with brands and now, more than ever, young people are comparing and considering products before making a purchase, factoring in peer reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations.

Brands have to be more creative and innovative in the way they communicate and engage with consumers, particularly the youth. While storytelling has long been recognised as an effective strategy to engage with young people, in a Covid-19 world, an engaging online presence has also become important. Brands that are winning the loyalty of younger consumers not only have an effective ecommerce platform but are also adopting a content-led approach to online marketing.

At the same time brands need to be motivating and inspiring the youth through meaningful and authentic campaigns. They need to be communicating their brand purpose and illustrating the ways in which they are making a positive difference.

Brands that don’t deliver authentic messaging or effectively communicate their purpose to the youth market are doomed to fail.

Join the Sunday Times Gen Next digital series in a conversation with Yellowwood strategy director Ntombizamasala Hlophe, as she speaks to SA media personality Lasizwe Dambuza, LoveLife head of programmes and operations Beryl Traore, HDI Youth’s junior board of directors member Nono Ditshego, and FCB Joburg business unit director Struan Bourquin. The speakers will focus on standout campaigns, as voted for by SA’s youth, and aim to help redefine meaningful storytelling and prepare you for the future of marketing in a hyper-fragmented media landscape.

Transmedia: The golden thread between the youth and your brand

Date: July 16 2020
Time: 10am