SHIFT Happens with Dale Hefer | Nedbank IMC
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What Africa will reveal for marketers and brands.
Dale Hefer, founder of the Nedbank IMC - Africa's biggest marketing conference, joins Carmen Murray live in the build up to the 2026 event to unpack the theme 'Shift Happens' and what it means for marketers, brands, and business leaders navigating relentless change. If you work in marketing, run a brand, or need to understand where the industry is heading, this conversation is for you.
Dale shares the origin story of the Nedbank IMC: how she bought a small Cape Town conference, survived the COVID-19 lockdown by going virtual, and built it into the hybrid event it is today. Dale explains the founding philosophy - 'Marketing is Business' - and why marketers must have a seat at the boardroom table, not just the creative department. The conversation covers the shift from AI hype to authenticity, the analog renaissance, and what the Cannes Lions Festival results reveal about where brand communication is heading.
Get a full preview of the 2026 Nedbank IMC agenda: keynotes from the CMO of KFC India on hyper-local marketing, Google South Africa's live innovation activation, a Gen Alpha and Gen Z youth panel facilitated by the head of marketing at Telkom, a CMO panel featuring Kensani Noe from Nedbank and Ope from NBA East Africa, cancer survivor and creative speaker Convert, and MC Donovan Goliath. The University of Johannesburg student competition, the MASA pavilion, and the hybrid in-person and virtual ticket options are all covered.
Dale Hefer, founder of the Nedbank IMC - Africa's biggest marketing conference, joins Carmen Murray live in the build up to the 2026 event to unpack the theme 'Shift Happens' and what it means for marketers, brands, and business leaders navigating relentless change. If you work in marketing, run a brand, or need to understand where the industry is heading, this conversation is for you.
Dale shares the origin story of the Nedbank IMC: how she bought a small Cape Town conference, survived the COVID-19 lockdown by going virtual, and built it into the hybrid event it is today. Dale explains the founding philosophy - 'Marketing is Business' - and why marketers must have a seat at the boardroom table, not just the creative department. The conversation covers the shift from AI hype to authenticity, the analog renaissance, and what the Cannes Lions Festival results reveal about where brand communication is heading.
Get a full preview of the 2026 Nedbank IMC agenda: keynotes from the CMO of KFC India on hyper-local marketing, Google South Africa's live innovation activation, a Gen Alpha and Gen Z youth panel facilitated by the head of marketing at Telkom, a CMO panel featuring Kensani Noe from Nedbank and Ope from NBA East Africa, cancer survivor and creative speaker Convert, and MC Donovan Goliath. The University of Johannesburg student competition, the MASA pavilion, and the hybrid in-person and virtual ticket options are all covered.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction - Dale Hefer and the Nedbank IMC
- 01:35 From Advertising Agency to Conference Owner
- 03:30 Surviving COVID - Going Virtual in 2020
- 06:14 The Hybrid Event Model and Streaming to Youth
- 07:45 The Beginner's Mindset and Constant Change
- 08:45 The 'Shift Happens' Theme
- 10:07 Reinventing the Conference Format
- 11:23 Marketing is Business - The Philosophy
- 13:00 AI, Authenticity, and the Analog Renaissance
- 15:12 Building the 2026 Agenda
- 17:54 Youth Panel - Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and Telkom
- 18:32 CMO Panel - Nedbank
- 19:36 Google South Africa Live Activation
- 21:23 Student Competition and MASA Pavilion
- 22:30 Tickets - In Person and Virtual
