#IABDigitalSummit2017: Digital debrief with CSA's Davin Phillips

13 Mar 2017

SA's digirati and rising stars are ready and waiting for the #IABDigitalSummit2017, taking place on Thursday, 16 March. Summit speaker Davin Phillips is Celebrity Services Africa's executive director. Here, he shares his digital business perspective.

Web-savvy consumers and always-on audiences are seeking opinions and insight from brands they trust.

If these words fill you with dread, best you don’t miss Phillips’ speaker presentation at the third IAB Digital Summit, taking place later this week.

#IABDigitalSummit2017: Digital debrief with CSA's Davin Phillips

Phillips offers a preview of what we can expect from his IAB Digital Summit 2017 talk, as well as the benefit for individual attendees, their companies and the industry overall as well as the positives and downside trends for businesses to look out as the world goes increasingly digital…

Share the essence of your IAB Digital Summit 2017 talk in a nutshell?

In short, it will revolve around how mobile and streaming are set to change the way brands remain relevant in the digital world.

To elaborate, today 32% of all news is consumed by peer-to-peer connectivity and with live streaming becoming even more innovative, the number will only increase. Add to this the growth of mobile in Africa and the Internet of Things – where all your devices are connected – consumers are no longer limited by physical location, hardware or time, instead they can tap into an infinite source of information with the click of a button. This means that while brands can now connect with more people, more often, a simple TVC will no longer work.

LIVE streaming is nothing new – but the way platforms are packaging it make it accessible – (eg. Snapchat specs) #DIgitalSummit2017 https://t.co/LTz4hQ3zAd
— Davin Phillips (@DavinPhillips) January 31, 2017

To stay relevant, brands need to be selective and there is no better way than by connecting with artists and influencers who are set to become 21st century-style media conglomerates, empowered by mobile convenience. Welcome to a world where content is what mobilises an audience.

Why is it so important for the industry to attend summits like the IAB Digital Summit? What’s the overall benefit for individual attendees, their companies and the industry?

This is a special event as it’s a day where the leaders in the digital industry come together to share their ideas – the ideas that shape the industry; the ideas that can make you a better marketer. Anyone whose business touches digital in any way, shape or form, should attend the IAB Digital Summit.

What are you personally looking forward to from this year’s Summit and Bookmark Awards?

I’m very excited to hear what each lead in his/her particular field has to say at this year’s Summit, but a particular topic I’m interested in is hearing solutions for Tbo Touch’s topic concerning high data costs in South Africa.

As the world goes increasingly digital, list a few positive trends for businesses to look out for in your own as well as in the broader industry.

With more people migrating from feature phones to smartphones (560m units by 2020 in Africa), businesses now have access to a bigger customer base and are no longer limited by geo-location or physical distribution. In addition, web-savvy consumers have begun to tune out traditional ads, they are also becoming increasingly connected to each other and now, more than ever before, they are turning to trusted networks to share and gain recommendations.
Audiences are “always on” – they no longer wait for information to come to them, they go out and find it. A consumer’s media journey has become a process of active engagement, not passive consumption.
They want opinions from people they trust – they look for meaningful content and relevant information to help them make purchase decisions and they want opinions from people they trust.
Consumers are having conversations with their peers online long before they make a purchase – to be effective, brands need to be part of that dialogue.
Traditional “push-based” marketing strategies vs “engagement-based approaches” – consumers are specialising their social space to become more reflective of their interests. These changes have forced brands to reconsider traditional “push-based” marketing strategies and seek out engagement-based approaches.
Trust is the number one factor in any buying decision – According to AC Nielsen, conversions increase by 90% when recommended by a trusted source.

Lastly, what should businesses be aware of digitally over the next few months?

Traditional media has less impact, day by day. They need to be mindful of where media digestion is moving, especially with regard to the media habits of their targeted consumers.

It seems digital’s definitely dominating the local business scene, in every industry. That’s why you can’t afford to miss out on the IAB Digital Summit on 16 March! Until then, click here for my interview with IAB SA’s CEO Josephine Buys, here for a recap on all of this year’s Bookmark Awards finalists, here for what to expect from the IAB Digital Summit and keep an eye on our IAB Digital Summit and Bookmark Awards special section for all the latest updates!

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About Leigh Andrews

Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of inclusion, belonging, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! Now follow her travel adventures on YouTube @MidlifeMeander.