Effie insights provide a blueprint for brand growth

Challenging category conventions and familiar codes are the key to unlocking success and effective advertising, according to the recently released 2024 Effie South Africa Ipsos Trends and Insights report.

The report provides insights into the most effective marketing strategies, showcasing how successful campaigns integrate insights, rigour, passion and creativity to deliver real business results.

Heightened uncertainty and economic pressures have led brands to prioritise stability over aggressive expansion. Business consolidation is therefore the focus, with fewer product launches and a greater emphasis on sustaining market position. The report says that in a cluttered and competitive market distinctiveness and emotional resonance are more important than ever to drive brand preference and long-term growth.

Marketers must understand the role brands play in consumers’ lives and shift their attention to strengthening equity and saliency to ensure they remain top of mind and meaningful to existing consumers. Salient brands are those in a decision- maker’s consideration set.

The research reveals that brands are placing greater emphasis on explorative research methods like focus groups and segmentation studies to uncover deep consumer motivations, behaviours and attitudes. Altogether 79% of Effie winners say they conducted primary research in 2024. This qualitative approach, says the report, provides richer context beyond transactional data.

Another interesting finding is that early-stage research produces successful creative work faster and provides campaigns with a solid foundation and guidance on the next steps to take. Furthermore, it increases returns on media spend by improving creative quality.

However, while behavioural, historical and transactional data remains valuable, there is a shift towards human-centred insights that go beyond what consumers do to understand why they do it. A gap in the research mix is the lack of ad pre-testing, which could help brands refine messaging, improve recall and maximise campaign impact.

The report points out that in an increasingly competitive and ever-changing market, brands that truly resonate with consumers go beyond just selling products but connect on a deeper level.

When it comes to how advertisers are bringing the strategy and idea to life, the report says brands are rethinking their marketing strategies and focusing on doing more with less. Given smaller budgets and fewer touchpoints, there has been a shift away from TV towards more cost-effective channels such as radio and out-of-home, which offer strong reach and frequency. The research found that gold Effie winners incorporated the lowest number of touchpoints in their campaigns, proving that more channels don’t necessarily equate with better results. Instead, it is about choosing the right mix and focusing on the most relevant platforms to ensure higher engagement and impact.

Simultaneously, brands are prioritising high-impact moments through immersive experiences and unconventional tactics to drive deeper engagement. The research revealed that experiential marketing among winning entrants jumped from 6% in 2023 to 42% in 2024.

The key insight here is that creativity isn’t just for show but is the engine of brand effectiveness. Ipsos says 75% of advert recall depends on the creative quality of the ad. “A great idea beats a big budget — every time,” says the report. “Research shows that creativity has a greater impact on advertising effectiveness than media expenditure … A highly creative ad can outperform a high-budget but unremarkable campaign.”

The report says that even though more touchpoints create additional opportunities, they don’t always guarantee effectiveness. Ipsos says campaigns have great potential when they leverage three key principles: they deliver a unique, consistent and holistic brand experience; they seamlessly integrate each touchpoint to contribute to the overarching brand idea; and they maximise connections between touchpoints to amplify overall impact.

The most impactful brands, says the report, use advertising to solve real problems, champion social responsibility and build deeper emotional connections. The research revealed that creative work that conforms to category conventions suffers from cognitive immunity while distinctive ads cut through and drive impact. It also found that purpose-driven messaging strengthens brand equity with companies that show they care about more than just profits able to foster long-term customer relationships. The research found that 48% of all Effie Global Best of the Best entrants have a focus on brand purpose, with purpose-driven brands doubling their growth rate over the past two years.

Brands that actively address social or environmental challenges don’t just stand out, they build trust, loyalty and long-term relevance. However, brands need to have a clear or compelling connection or reason for why the brand is involved in a particular cause, particularly when using celebrity endorsements. The right message, backed by real action, creates lasting impact.

The big take-out: The most effective advertising prioritises disruptive creativity, deep consumer understanding and authentic purpose over budget and conventional strategies.

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