2025 Nedbank IMC White Paper: 5 calls to action for marketers

The official 2025 Nedbank IMC White Paper has been released. The publication captures the insights, trends, and bold ideas that defined this year’s conference and continue to shape Africa’s marketing landscape.
Dale Hefer, CEO of the Nedbank IMC on stage at this year's Nedbank IMC. The official 2025 Nedbank IMC White Paper has been released (Image source: © IMC)
Dale Hefer, CEO of the Nedbank IMC on stage at this year's Nedbank IMC. The official 2025 Nedbank IMC White Paper has been released (Image source: © IMCIMC)

This year, the Nedbank IMC Conference welcomed a record-breaking over 3,000 delegates from 20 countries - its largest audience to date.

Produced in partnership with Meltwater and co-authored by Tendai Mbumbwa and Louise Burgers, academics at the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, the White Paper distils the most powerful thinking from this year’s theme: Marketing is Business.

The paper opens with an introduction by Zubair Timol, Meltwater’s global vice president: culture, who reminds marketers that while AI is rewriting the rules, it’s our humanness that defines how the story unfolds.

He highlights Africa’s unique advantage in its cultural fluency and digital agility, noting that “when paired with culture, AI becomes our superpower.”

Five calls to action for marketers

The 2025 White Paper is structured around five imperatives that emerged from the conference’s headline keynotes and panel discussions:

  1. Optimise AI

    2. Future-proof data strategies and use artificial intelligence to amplify return on investment.

  2. Interdependence

    3. Recognise that collaboration across business ecosystems enhances differentiation.

  3. Steward the brand

    4. Invest inwardly to build brands anchored in culture, conscience and authenticity.

  4. Deliver depth

    5. Create value that outlasts the campaign cycle and drives business performance.

  5. Dare to be brave

    6. Lead with courage and creativity to build brands with real impact.

From AI readiness and data fluency to human-centred brand leadership, the White Paper captures the spirit of the 2025 Nedbank IMC,, proving, once again, that Marketing is Business.

“This paper is a reflection of the powerful ideas and insights that emerged from the IMC stage. It shows that African marketers are shaping the future with courage, culture and creativity,” says Dale Hefer, CEO of the Nedbank IMC.

Freely available

The Nedbank IMC 2025 White Paper is freely accessible here.

It is also a podcast directly from the PDF edition.

The next Nedbank IMC takes place on 17 September 2026, with bookings opening in January 2026. Visit IMC.


 
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