15/10/2025
We were honoured to join yet another compelling event, this time in Cape Town. Thank you to everyone who joined ‘The Battle for Attention’ chat despite the weather, and contributed to a lively, insightful discussion on one of marketing’s biggest challenges: capturing genuine human attention. The session explored how brands can harmonise reach, emotion-led storytelling, and consistent messaging to cultivate enduring mental availability, with an emphasis on media that truly commands attention.
Actionable takeaways came from presenters Owen Williams and Kirsten Dugmore, with Phathiswa Sefatsa, Lerina Bierman, and Scott Reinders as the client-and-agency panel, providing diverse viewpoints on the shifting media landscape. Thank you for your time, candid discussions, and willingness to share learnings with the broader community. To the MC Annika Larsen: thank you for guiding the conversation with grace.
Key takeaways
- TV remains a vital driver of brand growth, but success requires balancing the long and short.
- The long should be emotive to drive connection.
- High-attention media enhances memory encoding and mental availability.
- The strongest campaigns strike a balance between reach and attention.
- Attention is the entry point to true effectiveness.
- Low-attention media serves as scalable reminders (nudge and remind).
Lasting panel reflections:
Scott Reinders: Return to basics
Phathiswa Sefatsa: Stay curious
Lerina Bierman: Clarify and align to your objectives
Kirsten Dugmore: Understand your strategy and stay the course
Owen Williams: Return to the fundamentals and avoid distraction
