Marketing relevance? Make the world a better place

Fakir believes that marketers are responsible for more than just the sales of products and services. She suggests that we should also consider our discipline from the perspective of making the world a better place. She says, “In essence, we are about improving the lives of our customers through the brands that we represent. Think about it, customers turn to our brands ultimately because they enhance their lives in some way.”

CEO of Nedbank IMC, Dale Hefer, says that Fakir distils an important idea: “With this year’s conference theme of ‘Relevance. Marketing’s big ask’, we are aiming to challenge both our speakers and delegates to really consider where their impact lies, and what it is that will keep brands meaningful to customers. Sadika’s approach, which views the marketing context through a wide angle, is key to relevance.”

Beyond being a custodian for one of South Africa’s leading brands, Fakir also serves on the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) and has been a judge for the Loerie Awards (Middle East Africa) and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) SA Smarties awards. This means that, perhaps more than most, she has had the opportunity to consider customer centrality across a broad spectrum of brands. “Marketing operates with an ever-evolving customer base and in a shifting media landscape. We have to consistently reinvent our approach to market,” says Fakir.

The shifting media landscape is something to which marketers around the world are swiftly acclimatising. But considering how their brands can make the customer’s world a better place, could elevate their voice above the market clamour.