At the Audience and Advertising Summit 2025, held on September 17, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa, a thought-provoking panel called on media buyers, advertisers, and investors to rethink how they engage with audiences in an increasingly digital and converged media landscape.
The speakers emphasised that the community represented in the room — the consumers — are the very audience driving the success of every brand, platform, and campaign. Their message was clear: the future of media and advertising depends on deeper integration, smarter collaboration, and more audience-centric engagement.
Challenging traditional silos, Shoeshoe Qhu, CEO of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), asked, “Why aren’t marketing conversations integrated earlier?” They pointed to the missed opportunities when broadcasters, advertisers, and creatives work independently rather than co-developing strategies from the outset.
Drawing comparisons with global markets, they highlighted how international broadcasters already use audience engagement tools like live-read discount codes to connect real-time viewership with measurable consumer action. They argued that South Africa has yet to unlock this level of synergy across its platforms.
A major focus of the presentation was the industry’s steady shift from traditional linear broadcasting to on-demand streaming services. The speaker envisioned a future where a single, unified app could host multiple streaming platforms, simplifying audience access while offering advertisers a more consolidated and data-rich environment.
They noted that while linear channels remain costly, streaming models provide flexibility and lower overheads — making it possible for niche channels to succeed through smaller, highly engaged audiences.
The conversation also highlighted the growing role of second-screen engagement, where audiences interact with content across devices simultaneously. The speaker encouraged broadcasters and advertisers to embed QR codes and interactive digital offers into programming to create more revenue-driven engagement and real-time brand experiences.
The session concluded with a call for the South African media and advertising sectors to build a connected ecosystem rooted in audience insights, integrated planning, and shared value creation.
As the Audience and Advertising Summit 2025 made clear, the path forward lies in technology and collaboration — aligning creative content, marketing strategy, and audience behaviour in a unified, responsive media environment.
To view the highlights from this panel, please click on the link here.
