[PRESS OFFICE] The Merriam Webster Dictionary offers the following definition of ‘game changer’ as “a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way”.
In other words, a game changer is something or someone that introduces radical change.
Digital marketing fits the
description of a game changer as it has revolutionised the face of marketing
and has brought small-to-medium enterprises (SMMEs) and start-up businesses the
ability to market their companies in the same way that big business does.
In fact, digital
marketing is more effective than traditional marketing – such as in the
form of magazine or newspaper adverts– as the former type of marketing allows
you the ability to measure how effective your advertising is and where you
should be allocating more of your marketing spend.
The power of digital
To see the power that digital
marketing – in particular social media – has on countries and nations, you just
need to look at the Rugby World Cup 2019, specifically the final which happened
at the beginning of November.
When the Springboks won the
final, people erupted on social media, expressing their pride in their national
team using the hashtags #gobokke and #rwc2019. “Even traditional media outlets,
such as television channel ITV Rugby,” remarked Lisa Schneider: managing
director at the Digital
School of Marketing, “brought cameras into the Springboks’ dressing room
and filmed Prince Harry congratulating the Boks. It went viral on social media
and made all South Africans proud of their boys in green.”
Social
media and digital marketing brings out the soul of a brand. It allows
people to become more engaged with brands and fall in love with them so that
they become passionate brand advocates. To carry on with the rugby metaphor,
when the South African rugby team arrived back from Japan, Gautrain offered
people free rides to OR Tambo International Airport to welcome the team home –
as long as they were wearing their Springbok jerseys. And people in their
droves took advantage of this offer to welcome the team home simply because
they were emotionally invested in what the team had accomplished.
Digital marketing into
2020
In 2019, digital marketing was
without a doubt a game changer. However, this is just the beginning. “Think
about digital marketing in terms of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
Most industries have added on ‘4.0’ to their industry names in order to show
how the particular industry is adopting 4IR principles. South Africa is still
firmly entrenched in 4IR but remember that digital marketing is global and
globally, players are adopting 5IR. This means that even though South Africa
may only be getting comfortable with 4IR at the moment, as digital marketers we
need to be expanding our horizons and thinking in terms of 5IR,” concludes
Schneider.
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