If you love creative work that highlights a powerful, socially uplifting message, look at the Loeries Shared Value category, sponsored in 2019 by Vodacom. It’s a showcase of brilliant campaigns that are socially useful and commercially successful. Shared value takes corporate social responsibility much further.

“Rather than being charitable,” explains Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Fellow, Mark Kramer, “corporate shared value is a management strategy in which companies find business opportunities in social problems.” Vodacom’s Managing Executive: Brand & Comms Abey Mokgwatsane says the Loeries Shared Value category is in line with Vodacom’s values and a natural sponsorship fit.

“Our commitment is to bring a meaningful, sustainable economic transformation of South Africa and beyond,” he explains. “We laud all companies that are creating jobs, stimulating the economy and being innovative about the way they make money, while still tackling the social issues of our times.” Safaricom's “DigiFarm”, the Kenyan mobile solution for smallholder farmers – which took gold in the Loeries Shared Value category last year – is a good example of adding value to the community while helping to build the brand experience.

The app enables farmers to expand and improve their business activities by providing education, access to loans, easier purchases and eliminating the middleman when they sell their crops. It simply helps farmers to do better business while empowering their lives and their community. Perhaps a question to be posed is, if business can be socially uplifting, does that mean it should be?

Pepe Marais, CEO of Joe Public United, and #1 ranked Chief Creative Officer in the Loeries Official Rankings, offers this hypothesis: “Aspiring to be bigger than yourself isn’t just a nice ideal, it’s the driving force of successful businesses.” Marais says: “Any entrepreneur will tell you that there is something far greater that drives her or his business. Without that drive, most would not have made it past the first year – it is simply too tough. The challenge is that this drive is so deeply unconscious that the conscious answer often may be money.” But, in reality, Marais insists we need something greater to motivate us.

“That drive is at the heart of the greater purpose of the business.” Ultimately, doing business with a purpose helps you do better business. Considering that Joe Public United is rated the number one agency in the Loeries Official Rankings, Marais certainly knows a thing or two about operating a company on the philosophy of shared value. “We believe that the growth of our people is linked to the growth of our creative product, which impacts the growth of our clients, and which ultimately contributes to the growth of the country,” he says.

Mokgwatsane agrees: “Vodacom is in the business of connecting people for a better future. Technology gives us tremendous power, but ultimately, it’s what we do with it that counts. We remain committed to responding to the needs of millions of people that can benefit from the capacity of technology to democratise access to the life changing services of a connected future.

By sponsoring the Loeries Shared Value category, we support companies and creatives who are using the power of shared value to inspire.” P2/.... The Loeries extended deadline for entries is June 7, 2019. Details at loeries.com Major Partners:     DStv Media Sales, Gearhouse        Category Partners:    AB InBev, Barron, Brand South Africa, Facebook, Gagasi FM, Google, JCDecaux, Nando’s, Tsogo Sun, Vodacom, Woolworths 

Additional Partners and Official Suppliers:    AAA School of Advertising, Antalis South Africa, Aon South Africa, Backsberg, BEE Online, First     Source, Fresh RSVP Guest Logistics, Funk Productions, Gallo Images, Grid Worldwide, Hetzner,     Mama Creative, Newsclip, Paygate, Rocketseed, Shared Value Initiative, Shift Social Development,  Vega School, VQI Communications Nigeria

Endorsed by:    Association of Communication and Design, Brand Council South Africa, Commercial Producers     Association, Creative Circle, EXCA, IAB, South African Institute of Architects, IID        Official Media Partners    Bizcommunity.com, Book of Swag, Brand Communicator Nigeria, Business Insider by Pulse, Campaign Middle East, Film & Event Media, Modern Marketing,The Redzone.        Twitter: @loeries    Instagram: Loerieawards    Facebook: The Loeries

Distributed on behalf of the  Loeries  by:    Riana Greenblo Communications Date: May 27, 2019   For more information,interview requests or high-res images, please contact:    Riana Greenblo on 011 3256006; 0825675159 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Gina McLoughlin on 0113256006 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (mornings only) IMAGES INCLUDED:    Abey Mokgwatsane Digi Farm 2018 Gold Shared Value Joe Public agency of the year 2018 Joe Public Craft Gold CAPTIONS Caption 1: Abey Mokgwatsane, Vodacom’s Managing Executive: Brand & Comms Caption 2: Digi Farm took Gold for the 2018 Shared Value category Caption 3: Joe Public won agency of the year at the Loeries 2018. Caption 4: Joe Public won Campaign Craft Golf in 2018 for their A Little Hungry - Mine, Temple, Bank for Chicken Licken

By Auguste (Gusti) Coetzer*, Director at Signium Africa www.signium.co.za

Do search engines and other online innovations have the power to redefine professional relationships across industries? The question gathers urgency among corporate achievers looking to take the reins of major companies as an ongoing digital revolution threatens to overturn established business models, even in areas where long-established practice seemed entrenched. Perhaps the biggest single indicator of the impending shake-up is the current rethink of marketing strategies that have traditionally dominated the global pharmaceutical industry.

The old norm was characterised by facetime with doctors, free samples to encourage product trial and perhaps ‘gifting’ to cement relationships between pharma brand and physician. According to industry-watchers in the USA, this model is being overtaken as the medical sector adjusts to new online realities. The pharma industry’s traditional target audience – physicians – confront an online challenge in the shape of ‘Dr Google’ as search engines create instant consumer access to medical information. Online tools called symptom-checkers make it easy for consumers to obtain a DIY diagnosis. Research shows 35% of US adults have gone online to identify a medical condition.

Hypochondria now has a digital equivalent, cyberchondria. As a result, doctors are witnessing huge behavioural shifts, requiring pharmaceutical concerns to do the same. The Journal of the American Medical Association says occasional misdiagnosis by doctors is a concern, though a recent JAMA paper indicated physicians significantly outscore computer algorithms for diagnostic accuracy (84,3% against 51,2% by one measure).

However, flesh-and-blood doctors gave an incorrect diagnosis 15% of the time. Doctors – initially hostile to Dr Google – increasingly look at ways of augmenting their services by the use of digital tools while trying to educate patients to the difference between medical data and medical advice. Some even recommend that patients visit sites that provide credible assistance. Meanwhile, the Google trend and related developments have alerted the pharmaceutical industry to opportunities for a new relationship with medical professionals. Physicians were early adopters of mobile technology, including beepers, pagers,

PDAs, smartphones, tablets and handheld devices for consulting patient records and reference works. As long ago as 2009, one US source put the healthcare sector’s investment in handheld devices and similar technology at $8,2 billion.  Clearly, gadget-friendly doctors are open to new avenues for marketing interaction.

The process is already underway. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter create space for physicians to organise online communities while US sites like Physicians Interactive and Sermo (for MDs only) reach nearly a million medical professionals.   Such platforms enable pharmaceutical companies to engage doctors in new ways. Some pharmaceutical companies are therefore looking to retool their marketing strategies and embrace the cyber-future. Hiring medical communication specialists to engage online with doctors is one route forward.

One marketing consultant says online interventions could help doctors cut information clutter and facilitate links with clinical trials, research papers and opinion-leaders. The retail, hotel and travel industries have already had to adjust to new cyber-realities. A second wave of industries looks set to make similar adjustments. It is little wonder major companies increasingly look for leaders who show acute awareness of digital trends and demonstrate flexibility and a spirit of innovation in the face of change. Being steady and dependable is no longer enough. To lead an organisation into the future, you may have to be radical, even revolutionary, thinking out of the box!  

*Auguste (Gusti) Coetzer is a Director of Signium Africa (previously Talent Africa), a leading South African-based executive search and talent management company servicing sub-Saharan Africa. Website:  www.signium.co.za Tel: +27 11 771 4800

Issued By: Tale Spin Media & Marketing
Zelda Williams 082 461 0689 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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With 52% of the workforce looking out for employment opportunities, South Africa retains the position of third most active job-seeking nation globally, behind India and Malaysia.

It is one of the most sophisticated, diverse and promising emerging markets globally. Considering this, the Talent & Workforce Management Africa will discuss and elaborate the tools, resources, innovations and solutions are needed to develop winning human capital strategies.The event will bring to focus topics such as the macro trends impacting the workforce management, labor laws and their impact on HR professionals in Africa, the C-suite perspective on digitization of recruitment process, creation of an integrated talent management system by latest technology, how to proceed from talk to action with talent & workforce analytics, usage of social & digital media channels to source

The event will bring to focus topics such as the macro trends impacting the workforce management, labor laws and their impact on HR professionals in Africa, the C-suite perspective on digitization of recruitment process, creation of an integrated talent management system by latest technology, how to proceed from talk to action with talent & workforce analytics, usage of social & digital media channels to source cross border talent, how to help HR executives upgrade their workforce strategies for both the near and distant future and the latest HR research and benchmarks to re-invent human capital for a digital era.The event will also have special sessions such as a C-suite panel discussion on

The event will also have special sessions such as a C-suite panel discussion on evolution of recruitment & women contribution in a growing organization, case studies on “Social media & mobile recruitment” and “How to engage and retain the talent for organization”.The conference also includes interactive workshops on talent management strategies, panel discussions on key topics related to the domain and scheduled 1on 1 meetings which are another plus for attendees at this event,.The event will have Olivia Hosie, Head of Talent, OD & Change Management from Nando's, Tshidi Khunou, Global Head of Recruitment from Ashburton Investments, Caroline Berns, Head of Talent Acquisition

The event will have Olivia Hosie, Head of Talent, OD & Change Management from Nando's, Tshidi Khunou, Global Head of Recruitment from Ashburton Investments, Caroline Berns, Head of Talent Acquisition

The conference also includes interactive workshops on talent management strategies, panel discussions on key topics related to the domain and scheduled 1on 1 meetings which are another plus for attendees at this event,.The event will have Olivia Hosie, Head of Talent, OD & Change Management from Nando's, Tshidi Khunou, Global Head of Recruitment from Ashburton Investments, Caroline Berns, Head of Talent Acquisition from Ericsson, Lindiwe Manyika, Director Transformation & Employment Equity from University of The Witwatersrand, Masenyane Molefe, HR Director from Hyundai Automotive South Africa and Phindokuhle Mohlala, VP – HR from Schneider Electric to mention a few of the industry experts at this event.

The two-day event offers to increase the awareness of private & public sector opportunities among local nationals, align job seekers & employers and understand the best practices in hiring, developing, engaging and retaining the local talent.For more event related information please

For more event related information please contact: Ruchika Ratna E: ruchika.ratna @fleming.events T +971 4609 1555 F +971 4609 1589W: https://fleming.events/en/events/hr/talent-workforce-management-africa

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