Search is fragmenting – credibility and trust create the new visibility
Online search behaviour has changed significantly with the rise of AI. How can African brands adapt to this new marketing landscape?
PRODUCT INNOVATION
The smart little girl with the very bold product idea
By our News Team | 2022
Top Lego marketer finds that innovative product ideas can come from anywhere – including young fans of the brand.
Good marketers and product managers know that great product ideas can come from anywhere – including customers who know your brand and what it stands for.
Such was the recent experience of Ula Bieganska, Head of Lego Marketing for the Middle East and Africa. In a post published on LinkedIn, she explains how she received a voice mail with the sweet voice of a little girl.
“Hi Ula, this is Shaikha, I have a business idea for the Lego Group. I made those glasses with Lego Bricks and all my friends love them and would like to have similar. I would like to partner for a Lego Glasses project and could design more of different types for you.”
Ula Bieganska via LinkedIn
A positive response from LinkedIn audience
Intrigued, Bieganska posted a photo of the glasses and asked her LinkedIn audience what they thought, and whether the company should invest in the idea.
The response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. “I think this would be a worthwhile investment. I love that this idea came from a kidpreneur!” wrote one respondent. “What a brilliant idea,” wrote another. “Amazing!!!!!!!” said a third.
And how did Bieganska respond to her youthful would-be marketer? “I congratulated her on the idea and passed it to people who actually work on this type of initiatives,” she said.
Lego is one of the world’s great brands and was founded in Denmark in 1932 in the workshop of carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen. The name in Danish stands for ‘Leg Godt’ which means ‘play well’.
The move toward future-ready food packaging where materials meet AI
Researchers propose a framework for packaging that senses, learns and acts – making packaging an active, AI-powered tool against food waste.
Malawi’s marketers urged to put trust at the heart of the profession
Country needs marketers to build recognition and consumer trust around Malawian products and national brand, says Deputy Minister.
Lingerie brand creates street-stopping advertising in Manhattan
Fashion brand suspends giant lingerie high above the city’s streets, using shadows to create a moving billboard for pedestrians and motorists.
We know AI influencers aren’t real – so why do we trust them?
Researchers describe AI influencers as having a ‘dual identity’. Consumers evaluate both ‘person’ and ‘technology’ identities at once.
Why trust has become a critical asset for hotel industry marketers
Reputation and trust, once modest influences on hotel choice, have become some of the strongest predictors of patronage, study finds.
FNB bank’s eBucks programme dominates the 2026 SA loyalty awards
South African brands are increasingly setting the global benchmark for customer loyalty strategies, organisers say.
Zambia’s strongest creative ideas are emerging from local truths
Global influences among younger consumers are still present, but they are being filtered through a distinctly Zambian lens.
Consumers have doubts about products when they’re designed by AI
Researchers find that lack of perceived ‘genuine care’ is the mechanism connecting AI involvement to lower trust ratings.
Top African marketing voices confirmed for AMC 2026
Explore the 2026 AMC Conference speaker line-up. Top African marketing voices gather in Zambia to tackle AI, AfCFTA, and brand power. Register today.
Broadcast Research Council confirms launch of total video measurement
New industry currency will bring South African television and online video audiences together in a single measurement system.