The ESG balancing act
By Topco Marketing Achieving balance across the three pillars of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is a complex challenge that many organisations face. Implementing an ESG strategy can be daunting, especially when considering the various hurdles that must be overcome. There are several reasons why ESG implementation can be difficult: According to a LinkedIn survey conducted by Kaizen Institute in 2024, 40% of respondents prioritise the Environmental Pillar of ESG, often overshadowing social and governance aspects. To achieve true balance, organisations must adopt a holistic approach that integrates sustainability into every aspect of the business. So, how can organisations overcome common ESG challenges and achieve success? Despite these challenges, there are several strategies that businesses can employ to overcome them: Join the conversation The Future of Sustainability Conference hosted at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, is a must-attend event for professionals and stakeholders across industries focused on sustainability, innovation, and transformation. Set to take place on 26 and 27 March 2025, the event promises to foster rich dialogue, inspire actionable insights, and spark collaborations that will shape the future of Africa’s sustainable development. Join us to learn how to: The Future of Sustainability conference: Where connections meet innovation Our conference is the perfect platform to connect with organisations and individuals who share your passion for sustainability. Join us to: Top speakers to watch We are proud to announce an exceptional lineup of keynote speakers and panellists, each with unique expertise and a shared vision for Africa’s sustainable future: Key topics and panel discussions This year’s conference will feature high-impact panel discussions tackling the most critical issues surrounding Africa’s sustainability journey. Expect thought-provoking conversations on: Have a look at the programme here and the event fact sheet here. Thank you to our gold partner, Heineken Beverages South Africa; our premium digital partner, iME; our silver partner, Old Mutual Insure; our bronze partners, Nestlé, Nespresso, Dell Technologies/Intel and Isanti Glass; and our showcase counter partner, AECI. A special thank you to our knowledge partner, The Carbon Trust, and strategic partners: UN Global Compact Network South Africa, Good Governance Africa, GreenCape, and Primedia Out of Home. Don’t let ESG scare you! Partnering and collaborating with other organisations might be your solution. 🌱 Register now Secure your spot at the Future of Sustainability Conference and start driving ESG success through effective communication, collaboration, and connection. Ticket link: https://qkt.io/FOS2025 For more information go to the Future of Sustainability website Invoices are available upon request from marketing@topco.co.za
The B2B Formula: The 5 key pillars to growth engineering
By Andrew Honey, Founding Partner and Group CEO of ThinkSales Global B2B market-leading companies are led by CEOs who understand the factors that impact revenue growth and profitability and then design a strategy to address these factors. Factors impacting revenue growth and profitability in the B2B landscape: Revenue growth engineering: How market leading B2B companies do it Ultimately, for B2B companies to excel, they must enable the Sales organisation within the business to deploy a customer-centric, differentiated customer engagement process. The 5-pillars of a market-leading B2B sales organisation The foundation of a successful B2B organisation is what we call a ‘revenue growth approach’ that simultaneously focuses on sales growth and margin protection. There are five key pillars that must be developed and then matured in every organisation to achieve this goal, finally reaching a level of optimisation that ensures a strong, sustainable and above-all competitive B2B business. The five key pillars of a high-performance sales organisation: 1. Competitive strategy Many companies do not have a documented, customer-centric sales organisation strategy that differentiates the organisation for a competitive advantage. Instead, many companies simply have a set of actions they will take to make a budget, not founded on market opportunity, but rather an increase on the previous year’s sales. Furthermore, strategy too often fails to be translated into an execution. As a result, sales managers are not equipped with a clear road map of where to focus or what exactly their sales reps should do differently. The solution: Executives should conduct a 360-degree GAP analysis of their sales organisation and then design an ideal future-state strategy. The potential for a competitive advantage for a company is for the sales organisation to perform a set of activities differently to their competitors. This is simultaneously differentiating and difficult to commoditise. 2. Customer engagement If the process and systems for prospecting and customer engagement is either not defined or randomly followed by sales reps, the business has no control over how customers are perceiving a B2B organisation. This can result in sales teams who are unable to articulate value to customers or guide them through a quality decision-making process. The solution: B2B organisations must develop an agile approach to mapping, refining and testing processes in response to changing business environments and customer needs. 3. Sales talent An ill-defined approach to hiring and developing sales talent means that leadership teams do not develop star performers who are able to articulate value and differentiate the business. This often leads to missed opportunities and missed targets, because the sales team is unable to engage on value and with the correct level of stakeholders on a B2B level. The solution: Building a strong sales force starts with hiring. Companies that rely on scientific assessment tools over gut instinct to identify competitive sales DNA will win in the end – as this will result in a high percentage of sales reps who can meet their revenue targets. 4. Sales management In many organisations, top sales reps are promoted into sales management positions in the hope that a star performer will somehow rub off on sales reps who report to them. The reality is that this is seldom the case, particularly if the sales rep in question relied on their charisma and relationship-building skills to close deals. The solution: Strong sales management abilities rely on a systematic, metrics-driven approach including coaching to drive sales rep activities and outcomes. They also need good change management capabilities as B2B customers are constantly evolving and changing, and so how an organisation sells to them must be both agile and adaptable. 5. Sales enablement Since 70% of B2B buyers are doing their own online research before they even reach out to a brand, presenting compelling collateral that effectively positions your solution is an important foundational principle. How a customer engages with your brand is therefore the product of sales collateral that supports the entire buying funnel. The solution: A buyer-centric view is essential when developing engaging collateral. Industry-aligned and needs-driven content captures a buyer’s attention, while evidence-based case study content that demonstrates a strong return-on-investment is important to help position your brand as a leader, overcome scepticism and justify buying decisions.
The great return: Why digital publishing is on the rise
By Koketso Mamabolo We’re more online than ever before and mass digitalisation is showing no signs of slowing down. We’re signing documents online, learning online, even our assets are online. If it hasn’t already been digitised, someone somewhere is working on it, and the natural progression from print to digital is no exception. Magazines continue to prove the naysayers wrong. Far from fading into irrelevance, the industry has shown steady growth thanks to the power of digital publishing. According to IMARC, the global magazine publishing market reached $103.6-billion in 2024 and is set to grow to $120.9-billion by 2033. Here in South Africa, the picture is the same, with magazines, digital and print, seeing a rise in circulation. The Audit Bureau of Circulations’ (ABC) most recent figures, for Q2 2024, tell a story of an industry that is proving predictions wrong and adapting to a shifting global media landscape which has placed an emphasis on agility and understanding of leveraging digital platforms to reach audiences. “The growing popularity of digital publishing, increasing penetration of smartphones and tablets across the world, rising subscriptions of digital magazines and newspapers, and emerging trend of online advertising represent some of the key factors driving the market,” notes IMARC. “As a result of their enhanced convenience, flexibility, and user interactivity, digital magazines are witnessing a significant increase in demand around the world. This, coupled with the surging popularity of digital magazines among the masses owing to their cost-effectiveness, sustainability, easy access, and broader reach and delivery, represents one of the primary factors driving the market growth.” The power of B2B Magazines saw an 18.4% year-on-year increase in circulation and a 2.9% quarter-on-quarter increase, driven by the consumer and B2B segments. The latter helps “businesses do more business,” says Topco Media’s Head of Brands, Twaambo Judy Chileshe, explaining why businesses should advertise in B2B magazines. The numbers don’t lie – the return on investment doesn’t just look good on paper, it looks even better on screen, with live views of engagement. Digital publishing opens up a whole new world of data that allows businesses to know how effective their investment is. While only publishing in print limits you to the number of physical copies distributed, a digital magazine can easily be shared, viewed and downloaded all around the world. Read the latest edition of ESG: The Future of Sustainability And of course: Leads, leads, and more leads. Because the magazines exist online, they can be shared infinitely on multiple platforms. They are not limited by printing. This translates into a wider reach than one would expect from something that exists only on a shelf. The wear and tear of a copy being passed from person to person is avoided. It can be shared almost instantly to the right target audience. Magazines, such as Public Sector Leaders, an ABC accredited publication, are always a click away, making them perfect for professionals who are always on the move. But this doesn’t mean print publishing is outdated, (Topco Media is digi-first, but still offers print versions) merely that the reach can now be extended. B2B publications feature thought leaders and decision-makers such as the CEO of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Leila Fourie, who attract global audiences and extend the reach of brands. The content featured in digital magazines is compiled through rigorous research which draws from the latest information and trends to produce a product that’s trusted by its audience. The combination of a recognised magazine, made by a dedicated editorial team, with a wide and loyal readership offers an opportunity to advertise somewhere where an organisation’s credibility can be boosted, aligning them with industry leaders, inspiring the world to do good business. Elevate your business by finding out more about Topco Media’s digital magazine offering. Contact Twaambo Judy Chileshe: twaambo.chileshe@topco.co.za Sources:Digital Marketing School | Strictly Business | Bizcommunity | IMARC