The Lead Creative
The Lead Creative podcast hosts a series of conversations with great minds behind some of the leading brands, businesses, organisations and top ideas that we all love. From advertising thought leaders, forward-thinking brand leaders, innovative digital marketing minds to content creators - the podcast gives into what makes the world engage with some of the top brands. Founded and hosted by Mongezi Mtati, the podcast shares analysis, trends, and strategic intelligence.
Episodes
110 episodes
Marketing Leaders on the Impact of AI, Culture and Creativity in Brand Building
CMOs are balancing speed, AI and increasing complexity while trying to keep brands distinctive and relevant. In this episode of Marketers’ Brief on The Lead Creative, Abey Mokgwatsane, CMO of Investec, and Jessica Wheeler, Chief Brand ...
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Season 8
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Episode 12
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1:01:16
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Marketing Is Business: Building Lasting Brands and Communities
Marketing has never had more tools. But has it ever had less patience?In this episode of The Lead Creative, host Mongezi Mtati engages with Dale Hefer, CEO of the Nedbank IMC Conference, ...
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Season 8
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Episode 11
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1:05:44
Unpacking Client and Agency Relationships That Deliver Results
As AI-generated answers and generative engines reshape how brands are discovered, marketing teams are forced to rethink visibility, experimentation and partnership.In this episode of our awards series, Mongezi Mtati and Danette Breitenba...
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Season 8
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Episode 10
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54:17
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Marketing Leadership In Complex African Markets: Lindy-Lou Alexander, CEO of WPP Open X Africa
Lindy-Lou Alexander, CEO of WPP OpenX Africa, shares how global brands like Coca-Cola stay relevant across Africa’s diverse markets. Working with The Coca-Cola Company in 54 African countries, Lindy-Lou operates at the intersection of marketing...
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Season 8
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Episode 9
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1:01:02
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How KFC Thailand Builds A Culture of Brave Advertising, Marketing and Creative Work
A conversation with Suhayl Limbada, CMO of KFC Thailand, on mirroring culture, earning creative bravery and building global work that resonates locally. From Let There Be Cake to Cannes Lions wins, this episode completes the 360 story ...
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Season 8
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Episode 8
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1:04:37
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Building a Loved Challenger Brand That Encourages People To Buy Less Not More
What does it take to build a challenger brand with integrity in a market dominated by global players? In this episode of The Lead Creative, Mongezi Mtati talks to the founder and CEO of Desert Salt, Samantha Skyring, about growing with...
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Season 8
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Episode 7
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53:39
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Creativity, Marketing Effectiveness and the Cost of Short-Termism: Effie Awards Trends
Marketing effectiveness is under pressure as short-term metrics continue to shape decision-making. Recorded at the Effie Awards South Africa as part of The Lead Creative Effies Series, this conversation with Gillian Rightford, Effie Aw...
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Season 8
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Episode 6
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11:43
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Building Loved Brands in an Age of Data and AI
What separates effective marketing from short-term noise? Recorded at the Effie Awards South Africa, this conversation with Thami Majola, Executive Head of Brands and Communications at Vodacom, unpacks advertising effectiveness through a brand ...
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Season 8
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Episode 5
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13:41
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The Secret Behind Vaseline’s Advertising and Consumer Success
Simple work is often the hardest to make. In this episode, Kenosi Matsebatlela, Head of Marketing for Vaseline, and Tumi Moutlana, Creative Director at VML, share how trust shaped the Mntana Ka Gogo piece. We explore why th...
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Season 8
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Episode 4
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59:47
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Most Advertising Is Afraid to Succeed: Chasing Trends Hurts Brands
Advertising faces a growing challenge: too much work is created to avoid failure rather than pursue meaningful success. In this episode, creative consultant and Number 10 founder Ahmed Tilly breaks down why this mindset persists and how brands ...
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Season 8
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Episode 3
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27:11
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From Chappies to Cadbury: How Mondelez Builds Heritage Brands That Lead Culture
How do heritage brands stay relevant in a world full of choice? At the Effie Awards South Africa, we sat down with Arpan Sur, CMO of the Sub-Saharan Africa Business Unit at Mondelez, to discuss marketing effectiveness, cultural leadership, and ...
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Season 8
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Episode 2
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17:30
Marketing That Matters: Vaseline, Heritage and the Power of Insight
The challenge for many leading brands is staying relevant in categories where functional claims and pricing pressure can erode brand value. As part of our Effie Awards South Africa series, which explores marketing and advertising effectiveness ...
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Season 8
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Episode 1
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19:34
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Marketing Connects Business with People and Communities: Brian Yuyi, CEO of MASA
How do we ensure that marketing has a seat at the business table? That’s one of the questions explored with Brian Yuyi, CEO of the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA), in this episode of The Lead Creative recorded at the IMC C...
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Season 7
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Episode 18
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18:25
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Pete Case on How Enduring Client-Agency Partnerships Build Better Brands
Brands grow through trust and shared ambition. Pete Case, CEO and Creative Chairman of Ogilvy South Africa, joins The Lead Creative to discuss how long-term client–agency partnerships help brands like Volkswagen, KFC, Audi and Carling ...
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Season 7
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Episode 17
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57:21
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Insights from 41 Years of Advertising and Marketing Measurement
Advertising needs more than good creative; it needs solid measurement. Oresti Patricios, CEO of Ornico, has spent over 40 years tracking how advertising, marketing and PR drive business growth.“The basics...
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Season 7
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Episode 16
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12:31
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Trapped in the Busyness, Not the Business of Advertising: Dr Pepe Marais
In our IMC Conference series, we reconnected with Dr Pepe Marais, Co-Founder and Group Chief Creative Officer of Joe Public, two years after our last conversation.He believes the industry remains ...
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Season 7
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Episode 15
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30:01
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The Loeries Measures More Than Advertising and Marketing Trends: Preetesh Sewraj
At the IMC Conference, Preetesh Sewraj, CEO of The Loeries, joined Mongezi Mtati to discuss whether the creative industry has too many awards, echoing the same sentiment shared by Chris Borain, CEO of IAB South Africa and The Bookmarks Awards.<...
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Season 7
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Episode 14
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11:15
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The Bookmarks and Why Boring Advertising is Costly
Award-winning creativity takes courage, trust, and deep insight. In this episode of The Lead Creative with Bizcommunity, Steph van Niekerk (ECD, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris) and Carl Willoughby (CCO, TBWA\Hunt Lascaris and Chair of Creative Circle SA) u...
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Season 7
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Episode 13
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1:02:03
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Conspicuous by Design: Why Standing Out Wins in Marketing and Advertising
At the IMC Conference, Dean Oelschig, Founder and MD of Halo, discusses creative bravery, the rise of independent agencies, and how Halo’s new agency, Second Rodeo, bridges brand and performance. He shares how fear and process hold back g...
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Season 7
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Episode 12
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18:01
Awarding Creative Excellence and Rewarding Effectiveness
Great work still matters and it’s being recognised. Chris Borain, Executive Director of IAB South Africa, shares how The Bookmarks celebrate creative excellence that delivers real results.He also unpacks the challenges facing the industr...
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Season 7
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Episode 11
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1:15:30
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Research Insights: Purpose-Led Brands Earn Greater Consumer Trust
Stacey Jayne Saggers, Commercial Growth Director at Kantar, shares insights from the Mzansi Consumer Barometer, recorded at the IMC Conference.We explore how WhatsApp has become a key driver of e-commerce by enabling real-time, personali...
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Season 7
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Episode 10
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16:01
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From The Super Bowl to Nando’s: A Conversation with Melusi Mhlungu
From working on Super Bowl ads in the US to leading Nando’s as their newly appointed lead creative agency in South Africa, Melusi Mhlungu, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of We Are Bizarre, shares his global creative journey. Having shaped c...
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Season 7
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Episode 9
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12:14
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AI, Creativity and the Future of African Marketing: Dr Gillian Hammah
Dr Gillian Hammah, CMO at Aya Data, joins us at the IMC Conference to discuss balancing AI with creativity. She explains why agencies must price for value, how Africa can take ownership of its data, and the new skills marketers need to th...
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Season 7
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Episode 8
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19:34
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CX, Effectiveness and the Future of Brand Building with Mandisa Theko-Khitsane
How do marketers balance creativity with delivering business impact? In this episode of The Lead Creative, I speak with Mandisa Theko-Khitsane, Chief Marketing Officer at Sanlam Retail Mass and a judge at the Effie Awards South Africa....
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Season 7
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Episode 7
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50:53
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Banning Campaigns and Reimagining Brands: Charl Bassil
At this year’s IMC Conference, Charl Bassil, Chief Brand Officer of the BBC, shared how marketing continues to shape business, culture, and the future of legacy brands. This builds on our earlier conversation from nearly a year ago, offe...
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Season 7
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Episode 6
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16:22
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