Jaco Lintvelt is the MD of Incubeta Africa. Source: Supplied.
South Africa hasn’t escaped the global budget squeeze with a good chunk of available spend shifting to digital channels which continue to deliver audience growth and increased sales. However, this strategic move is only a partial solution.
The real promise of digital is best realised when organisations understand the science that underpins successful campaigns. The unfortunate reality, however, is that many brands are still struggling with the complex balance between short-term performance and long-term brand growth that was a highlight of operations in 2024, and one of the biggest obstacles remains the absence of robust measurement infrastructure.
Tweaking the dials to keep profits front and centre
Traditional marketing mix models used to be updated annually and often based on sweeping assumptions. However, today’s digital environment requires models that are continuously calibrated, iteratively fine-tuned, and tightly aligned with granular business objectives. This evolution has seen a shift that has elevated the role of data scientists to a table stakes necessity within successful organisations.
In fact, technology has emerged as a defining variable and leading brands are embracing new technologies that are driving improved productivity and their ability to outperform competitors. What’s more, those that have failed to make the necessary martech investments over the last few years may now be facing a lag that will not easily be overcome and simply being able to outspend competitors will no longer be a solution.
Falling for the Arrival Fallacy
Looking ahead to 2026, local marketers must guard against the Arrival Fallacy, thinking they have mastered new tools and trends, only to realise that they have just begun to scratch the surface.
Every year, the industry feels it has wrapped its head around new measurement models or applications, but deeper exploration always reveals greater complexity and further learning required. Those who think they've ‘arrived’ risk missing out on deeper insights, more effective measurement, and the full potential of new technologies
This is particularly true in the realm of artificial intelligence. While South Africa has entered the use case era, where brands are piloting a range of AI applications, many businesses are only beginning to understand which experiments truly deliver value and which should remain on the sidelines.
Rebalance, Reclaim, Refine
One way to navigate an AI-transformed landscape, where consumer behaviour and search dynamics are rapidly shifting, is for brands to move beyond basic automation and media metrics and adopt the ‘triple R’ approach of rebalancing, reclaiming, and refining their media investments.
First, brands must rebalance their spending, shifting away from over-investing in the 5% of "in-market" audiences (which often leads to diminishing returns), and rather focus on capturing the 95% of future customers required for long-term incremental growth.
Second, they must reclaim control over AI platforms. Rather than allowing ‘black box’ algorithms to chase low-quality volume or cannibalise organic traffic, marketers must actively train these tools with business-critical data to prioritise high-value customers and profit.
Finally, successful teams are constantly refining their execution through cross-channel optimisation, ensuring that automation is not set-and-forget, but continuously tuned by human oversight to align with broader business objectives
Measurement infrastructure remains the keystone
One thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of actionable intelligence and the data arms race is far from over. As we enter a more competitive landscape where the biggest advantage is having the best insights, brands must have systems that can inform real-time business decisions. CMOs who fail to invest in marketing mix modelling, advanced attribution, and real-time analytics will quickly find themselves outpaced by nimble competitors leveraging superior insight, even if their rivals operate on smaller budgets.
To maximise profits, marketing leaders must double down on scientific rigour. This will require deploying robust measurement frameworks, fostering a test-and-learn culture across both short- and long-term initiatives, and empowering teams to act on insights with agility.
Can’t ignore the basics
While leveraging new tools will massively assist in achieving better productivity, these efforts can't be at the expense of fundamental principles.
Authentic content and integrated marketing principles remain essential, especially as generative AI disrupts established models of engagement. And, for all the buzz around AI and automation, the best results will come to those who combine tech innovation with enduring marketing fundamentals, including brand differentiation, credible communication, and a relentless pursuit of business-aligned outcomes.
If 2025 taught us anything, it's that business-as-usual is no longer sustainable. The winners in 2026 won’t be those who believe they’ve reached the destination, but those who continually invest in deeper insights, sharper measurement, and relentless execution. A successful 2026 depends on a repeatable plan of action: innovate, measure, adapt. Or be left behind.
