What happens when more than 3,700 marketers from 28 countries come together to talk about the future of marketing?
A lot of talk about AI, technology, changing audiences and the platforms reshaping the industry. But at the Nedbank IMC Conference, one idea kept coming back: as the industry changes, some things become ex`ven more important: human insight, local context, creativity and the people behind the work.
With more than 2,500 delegates in the room and another 1,200 joining online, this year’s conference brought together the marketing community around the theme “Shift Happens – Are You Ready?”
As partners of the Nedbank IMC Conference, Women in Marketing (WiM) Africa and our members were part of those conversations, both in person and virtually.
And while AI and marketing technology (martech) naturally had their place on the programme, the reflections shared by WiM members afterwards offered a useful reminder: technology may change how we work, but it does not remove the need to understand people, culture, business and the context.
Human insight still wins
We are firmly in the AI era. But the ability to generate an idea quickly does not necessarily make it a good idea.
Several conversations at the conference pointed back to the enduring value of simple, true human insight and the judgement required to know what to do with it.
AI can help marketers analyse, create and optimise. But understanding why something matters to a particular audience still requires curiosity, context and, well, being human.
Go local
One of the strong themes was the value of building from where you are.
Rather than simply adapting global ideas for African audiences, speakers challenged marketers to look at the creativity, humour, language, culture, talent, data and intellectual property already around us.
That question also came through strongly in the reflections of one WiM member, Fabiola Nguembu, who highlighted Dawn Rowlands’ call to “scale what we build, rather than simply export it.”
It is a useful distinction. The ambition should not only be to take African brands and ideas to the world. It is also to build strong ecosystems and brands that can create value within the markets and communities they come from, while still having the potential to grow beyond them.
Be creatively brave
There was also a challenge to the familiar.
If you already know exactly how an idea is going to be executed, perhaps it is worth asking whether someone has already done it.
The conference conversations encouraged marketers to embrace the uncomfortable part of creativity: uncertainty, experimentation and constraints that can push an idea somewhere unexpected.
In an industry increasingly shaped by templates, trends and AI-generated content, originality may require more courage, not less.
Look after your people
Another reminder was that resilience is not an individual sport.
Behind every campaign, pitch, strategy and big idea are people trying to do good work, navigate change and keep up with an industry that rarely stands still.
For marketers and leaders, looking after those people is not separate from work. It is part of creating the condition for better, more sustainable work.
Your title isn't the whole story
There was also a strong reminder that titles alone do not create value.
Whether your business card says strategist, marketer, communications manager, creative director or CMO, what ultimately matters is what you take ownership of, the problems you help solve and the impact you create for the business.
That idea is particularly relevant in an industry where roles are changing as quickly as the technology around them.
And perhaps that is the bigger message behind “Shift Happens.”
The shift is not only happening in technology. It is happening to how we think about creativity, leadership, careers, audiences, and the value marketers bring to the business.
As Ms Nguembu reflected after attending virtually, “The search is the conversion.” The observation, shared in reference to Google Country Director Kabelo Makwane’s session, is a useful reminder that behind every search, click, platform and data point is still a person with a need, an intention and a reason for choosing one brand over another.
Ms Nguembu described the experience as more than a conference, calling it “a week of learning, a week of discovery, and a week of awakening.”
That perhaps captures what makes an event like the Nedbank IMC Conference valuable.
It is not simply the number of speakers or sessions. It is the opportunity to step outside your usual work environment, hear how others are thinking, challenge your assumptions and expand the network of people you can learn from.
For WiM Africa members, that opportunity is also part of our partnership with the Nedbank IMC Conference. Each year, WiM gives members the opportunity to attend the conference in person or virtually, opening the door to conversations that extend well beyond the event itself.
And there is already another opportunity on the horizon.
Organisers have confirmed that the Nedbank IMC Conference will return in 2027.
So, if “Shift Happens” is the reminder that change is inevitable, perhaps the more useful question for marketers is what we choose to carry with us through it.
Keep an eye on the WiM Africa newsletter and channels for updates on the 2027 conference and member opportunities.
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This article draws on reflections shared by WiM Africa community members who attended the Nedbank IMC Conference, bringing together the ideas and conversations that stood out to them during the event.