Being Marica

THE BUSINESS OF INNOVATION, CREATIVITY & INSPIRATION We’re certainly living in interesting times! The apparent discovery of water on Mars, with its now even higher potential of occupancy. AI, robots and the fear of robotics serving and dominating humanity. Consumer behavior “schizophrenia” demanding brand collaborations with unusual associations. Super smart technologies with its clear byproduct being the lack of human privacy - on earth and just for now! New brand dispositions, new organizational narratives, new value chain principles and between all that, SO MUCH to overwhelm anyone. Sigh! Literally, new needs are being designed by humans for humans.  And so this list of newness that goes on, and on and on, can be said to take way from the “honesty” of life in its truest and simplest sense. It’s like a donut that was “just a donut”, before transformed into a centerpiece on top of a decadent drink- topped with toppings. Comm’on, you know those new age decadent

I guess most people who know me would know that I don't wear a timepiece. This is even while having spent a significant part of my life with a master horologist (eyeroll). I just never took pleasure from a device on my wrist. In saying this, I am embarrassingly punctual. Being late is something i work very hard to not be. Being made to wait, unless really valid,  is like being stuck in a nightmare for me.  As someone once rightfully said, 'being on time is late.' This is why I will never get the idea of 'African time' being acceptable. To those unfamiliar with the phrase, it's where arriving much later than agreed to is socially acceptable- for some. However 'time', as referred to in this piece, is more in context of the importance in how we use it. Not for a moment am I dismissing the importance of noting the hours in the day .. even if it's sourced from impressive wrist bling. I'm more getting stuck into how hours are spent. For me I&#

I find a moment to share, in short, recent learning's from discussions with various business leaders, CMO's, innovators, creative's, professionals and experts. New media's are undeniably fundamental tools.  Recently, through own business engagements, it's pretty clear that there is one need in common for brands, organisations and as direct mandate to marketers -  the need for meaningful, longstanding and "real" connection with audiences. Awesome creative activities and brand alignments, simply put, are not enough. I believe that this has always been the mandate, however more so now than ever and the result of limited budgets, re-ordered business focus, more new media options, smarter competitors and short-lived consumer attention spans. Sitting across a business unit head of one of the world's largest FMCG company's, which spends millions of dollars on marketing activities and campaign's, there's a clear mandate from him - for  brand