The Lead Creative

In today's crowded digital landscape – it can be challenging for your message to rise above the noise. Whether you're a marketer, a content creator, or an author, telling a compelling story is essential to capturing your audience's attention and engaging them on a deeper level. Jana Marx, a seasoned journalist, bestselling author, and TV producer, is a master storyteller, who shares...

One of the most significant digital marketing trends in Kenya is the role of social media, particularly Twitter, which has played a critical role during times of crisis. The Westgate tragedy in 2013 is just one example of this, where Kenyans turned to Twitter to share news updates, and offer support. Kenyan citizens also went to Twitter to help raise millions of dollars for national drought relief...

In this episode, we explore some of the work required in building a great agency, working successfully with clients, and potentially getting acquired. Agency coach and seasoned industry maven, Craig Rodney shares some of his knowledge from working with agencies and building one that was acquired by WPP. Over the space of 15 years, Craig Rodney and Mike Stopforth built and eventually sold South Afr...

In this episode, the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, Rory Sutherland, unpacks why consumer behaviour is driven by seemingly irrational thinking that makes sense in hindsight. We also discuss why some brands and products change our lives once experienced, but make no sense before engagement. He cites Dyson, Nespresso and mobile phone technology as key examples. “My argument is very simple. Data tells y...

African brands from Kenya, South Africa to Nigeria and everywhere across the continent are making strides in shaping the continent’s narrative. In this episode, we find out how some of the successful ones are doing in Africa and the world, as well as what we can learn to replicate and keep making improvements. The Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa , who is also the Founder and CEO of the Brand...

Bringing your creative ideas to life is an impressive feat, but presenting them in a way that inspires action is what truly counts. This is where Rich Mulholland, the internationally sought-after speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of Missing Link, comes in. Rich has captivated audiences in over 40 countries on six continents and continues to do so with his unique approach to presenting. Rich and h...

A compelling brand story helps to win customers, increase ROI and market share, and social media can help to amplify these stories.  In the first episode of season 3 of The Lead Creative podcast, we explore the power of brand storytelling and its impact on ROI, market share, and customer loyalty. Tshego Kekana, the Founder and MD of Alfa Destiny Communications, joins us to share her insights on br...

Building credibility to become a sought-after content creator and brand influencer takes time and effort. Co-founder of MomSays and content creator, Vije Vijendranath, who is known as VijeV, shares how his content creation journey evolved from a side hustle to a sustainable business.  We discuss what aspiring content creators and influencers should consider, and do while building their profiles to...

Whether you are creating ads, campaigns that transform our culture or events, understanding the art of creating memorable experiences sets you apart.  The Founder and CEO of BrainFarm, Dean Carlson, conceptualised and created experiences that saw Sir Richard Branson, Malcolm Gladwell, and others become speakers at the summits he organised. He talks about how he made these possible and attributes m...

The role of defining your purpose in building businesses, agencies, and creative teams, is as important as strategy and planning. The co-founder and Group Chief Creative Officer of Joe Public, Pepe Marais, tells us how purpose led to the growth of their business and his personal growth. We talk about how focusing on purpose contributed to the growth of Joe Public, making it one of Africa’s most re...

Creating memorable advertising that sticks leads to brand growth, increased client ROI and agency growth. Founder and MD of Halo, Dean Oelschig tells us how they managed to help grow some of their clients through their advertising and creative work. One of their clients, Pineapple Insurance, first caught our attention on social media where it was trending for its humorous and real take on insuranc...

Teams that create the most compelling work and win customers tend to be part of businesses that constantly rethink their systems and engagement. Co-Founder and Director of BetterWork, Palesa Sibeko tells us how they help creative teams, businesses, and organisations to reimagine how they work.  Palesa and the BetterWork team encourage organisations to re-imagine how their systems work and if those...

Design thinking as a collaborative approach to solving business problems has led to better brand strategy, effective digital marketing and improved brand communication. Strategy Director at Rogerwilco, Craig Hannabus, was one of the early adopters of design thinking and often uses the discipline to help brands rethink their strategy. We discuss the collaborative nature of design thinking and its i...

Marketing legend, entrepreneur and the author of 20 books that have been translated into 37 languages, Seth Godin joins us to share some of his latest thinking. His global bestselling books include Purple Cow, Linchpin, The Dip, All Marketers are Liars and others. We talk about growing your community and some insights on what makes the most effective B2B marketing.  Seth’s insights about creative...

Content creators, brands and agencies are constantly looking for the most relevant information around collaborating with some of the world’s leading digital platforms. In this episode, we kick off our series of conversations with digital platforms that form part of most brand and content strategies. Google’s Head of B2B Marketing in Sub-Saharan Africa & Head of Marketing in South Africa, Asha...

Creating content that resonates in mainstream media takes empathy and relevance which are not always easy to muster. The Founder of Ndlovukazi Concepts, content creator, and seasoned producer, Nonhlanhla Dlamini shares how she remains relevant while creating and adapting TV content. She had pivotal director and producer roles in many popular South African shows including Khumbul’ Ekhaya, Date My F...

Communicating during a brand crisis requires a thought-out strategy with key messaging that goes beyond a scripted PR message. Communications specialist and CEO of Decode Communications, Lorato Tshenkeng joins us to talk about some strategies to avoid and plan for a communications crisis.  They have worked with some leading brands including Nissan, Brand South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Foundat...

Content creators bring their unique and authentic essence to brand messaging in a way that wins over audiences. Comedian and content creator, Donovan Goliath shares his experiences of collaborating with brands and agencies.  Castle Lite, Dove, Defy, Standard bank and others trust Donovan Goliath with their branded content. He talks about how these collaborations and brand relationships continue to...

Advertising and marketing often don’t match what customers experience when interacting with brand teams on the ground. In this episode, Head of Group Digital Communications at Sasol, MJ Khan talks about how they ensure a seamless customer experience across their audiences. As a seasoned industry thought leader, MJ Khan has experience in both brands and agencies, where he has influenced strategy. H...

Marketing to diverse audiences effectively helps brands to remain authentic and relevant at every human touchpoint, where data helps to make more informed marketing decisions. Tinyiko Mageza, Marketing Executive of the V&A Waterfront, shares some of the ways that they collaborate and create messaging for their various audiences. As a neighbourhood, a shopping hub, and a waterfront, they engage...

Some brands create advertising that resonates, wins share of wallet and hearts, while others fall flat and lose their popularity. Sechaba Khoaele, the Executive Creative Director of Six Fingaz shares some insights about why this is.  They have worked many leading brands including the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Kaya FM, Philips, BP and many others. Sechaba believes that when you hire t...

Successful brand and influencer collaborations help to increase sales, enable better human connections between brands and customers, as well as contribute to product adoption. Media personality and content creator, Lelo Boyana shares some of her preferences in how these collaborations can work.  As a podcaster, influencer and founder of Chica Travel , Lelo understands the content and brand messagi...

Creating viral brand content has many advantages, including winning customers, generating sales and being part of real human conversations. Co-founder of Retroviral, Mike Sharman joins us to share how they have successfully created compelling, viral, award-winning brand content for over 12 years. We talk about the thinking behind some of their latest work for Kreepy Krauly, Checkers and other bran...

The Lead Creative podcast hosts a series of conversations with great minds behind some of the leading brands, businesses, organisations and top ideas that we all love. Hosted and conceptualised by Mongezi Mtati, the podcast shares insights, analysis, trends and strategic intelligence. Send us mail! Support the show Buy us coffee here to help us grow. Follow us for more on: YouTube LinkedIn  Instag...

Leadership in the creative industry can contribute to the kind of society we want to build and to influence brands positively. In this episode of The Lead Creative, we are joined by Abey Mokgwatsane, the Managing Executive of Brand, Communications, and Sponsorships at Vodacom. He was previously the CEO of Ogilvy and the CEO of a global brand experience agency, VWV before that. He has been in leade...