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CMOs need to plan for ‘The Multiplier Effect’ between brand and performance techniques

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WARC
  • Overinvesting in performance advertising reduces full revenue ROI by an average of 40%
  • Shifting from performance-only to a mixed approach increases full revenue ROI by an average of 90%
  • CMOs should allocate at least 30%, but usually between 40% and 60%, of budget to brand building
    Integration of brand and performance is key; siloed thinking undermines advertising returns
  • Ground-breaking research for effective advertising in the US

WARC in partnership with Analytic Partners, BERA.ai, Prophet and System1 release new research in The Multiplier Effect – a CMO’s guide to brand-building in the performance era

January 28, 2025 – As marketing enters the next phase of change, one steered by algorithm-driven media and AI-generated creative, and faces even greater pressure to deliver results, ground-breaking research is presented in a new report, The Multiplier Effect – a CMO’s guide to brand building in the performance era, to help marketers better understand how to deliver high-impact advertising.

Based on insights and data from a first-of-its kind coalition of marketing effectiveness experts, the report – published by WARC in partnership with Analytic Partners, BERA.ai, Prophet and System1 – makes a data-driven case for effective advertising. Backed by evidence, it argues that many businesses are missing out on significant revenues and profits through an incomplete approach to advertising, and offers advice on how advertising can deliver the best possible returns by building equity for tomorrow while driving sales today.

David Tiltman, Chief Content Officer, WARC, says: “For this new research, we joined forces with other leading experts in the field of marketing effectiveness to set about answering two big questions: First, can we identify US-based evidence to prove how investment in advertising can be the most effective? And second, how can CMOs apply this evidence to their own initiatives in order to supercharge commercial impact for their businesses?

“The result is The Multiplier Effect, a ground-breaking report that demonstrates how the biggest returns come when marketers see brand equity as an accelerant of commercial performance. Although the research is US-focused, the findings are relevant to many marketers around the world.”

Key insights outlined in The Multiplier Effect study are:

The rise of the “doom loop”

Over the past decade, advertising investment has increasingly become focused on performance advertising due to the rise of digital-native businesses, a bumpy economy, a fragmented media landscape, and the related shifts in consumer media consumption.

Performance advertising holds out the promise of immediate returns and near-endless optimization. But misleading metrics and diminishing returns mean marketers in many organizations risk diminishing the impact of their advertising by over-investing in performance and entering the “doom loop” of slow growth and declining effectiveness.

Performance and brand advertising combined deliver greater returns

Research by Analytic Partners reveals the greatest payback comes when performance-led and equity-led advertising are both part of the mix. Moving from a performance-only to a mixed approach can deliver an improvement in total revenue ROI in the range of 25% to 100% – with the average uplift coming in at 90%. Moving to a performance-only approach from a mixed approach, by contrast, results in an average decline in ROI of 40%.

Equity building has an effect on people who are not yet in-market, increasing the chances that they will consider a brand when the time comes to make a purchase.

System1 found that 92.1% of strong equity-building ads with impactful creative performed well in the short-term, too. These ads created both demand among consumers who are ready to buy as well as building long-term equity.

Prophet’s survey of 300 leading marketers in North America further reinforced the need to do both performance and brand advertising in a holistic way. Its survey identified the qualities which set over-performing companies apart – and it was not their spending patterns, which remained largely even across the “winners” and “losers”. 90% of “winning” companies were at least somewhat integrated when it comes to connecting brand and demand.

Introducing The Multiplier Effect

The evidence shows that the key to unlocking the power of brand building is to move away from conceptualizing brand and performance as separate activities (brand + performance), and instead basing advertising efforts on the fundamental codependency between these tasks as part of an integrated growth strategy (brand x performance).

This leads to The Multiplier Effect

Equity-led advertising can help drive sales today as well as in the future. And performance advertising can reinforce the brand while operating as efficiently as possible.

How to harness The Multiplier Effect for success

Marketers wanting to consider the implications of the codependency between brand and performance on their advertising and benefit from The Multiplier Effect should consider some of the following best practices:

For budgeting purposes, CMOs should be allocating at least 30% to equity-driving ads, or the “brand baseline”, with 40% to 60% a typical “best practice” range.
Search investment will vary by brand and category, but, for most brands, spending more than 25% of budgets on search should be a red flag. This is called the “search ceiling”.
Avoid thinking in silos when campaign planning; instead, think of full-funnel creative platforms, where different types of assets reinforce each other. The ideal is to “go deep” by integrating all creative assets within a platform.
Performance-led techniques, such as promotions, should still tie back to the core brand idea.
Build a “measurement stack” that can identify a brand’s “baseline” revenues and the incremental impact of advertising beyond it.

Summing up, Ann Marie Kerwin, Americas Editor, WARC, said: “As we look to continue the project through further rounds of research, there are still a number of questions to answer, such as how does advertising combine and align with other forms of activity to build equity, how do advertisers optimize creativity and how do marketers present this argument to the CFO.

“Ultimately, we need a model for building brands that is fit for the future of marketing. Recognizing the Multiplier Effect is an important first step.”

Business

Sierra Leone’s PDSL to Host Strategic Investor Roundtable at Paris Energy Forum

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Energy Capital

The Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone will lead a targeted roundtable at Invest in African Energy 2026, spotlighting upstream potential and cross-regional partnerships

PARIS, France, March 24, 2026/APO Group/ –The Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone (PDSL) is set to convene an investor roundtable at Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum 2026 in Paris, underscoring growing interest in West and North African energy markets and the need for deeper capital engagement across exploration, renewable and offshore services. The session reflects a strategic effort by Sierra Leone to connect its emerging upstream prospects with established operators and project developers as the country moves to unlock the full potential of its emerging oil and gas industry.

 

Sierra Leone is increasingly positioning itself as a frontier oil and gas market with significant offshore potential, and part of the PDSL’s mandate is to catalyze investment interest in its offshore acreage through direct engagement with global capital. Recent data suggest the country holds estimated recoverable resources in the tens of billions of barrels, backed by discoveries and extensive multi‑client seismic datasets that prospective investors are evaluating. The PDSL is actively promoting licensing opportunities and drilling plans, emphasizing fiscal terms and exploration readiness to attract strategic partners.

 

A cornerstone of this strategy is the anticipated launch of the country’s sixth licensing round. Offering a rare early-entry opportunity into a largely untapped deepwater terrain with considerable upside, the upcoming bid round is backed by fresh 3D datasets which de-risk exploration and support new drilling campaigns. Just this month, GeoPartners announced that the final Pre-Stack Time Migration data for its recently acquired 3D multi-client seismic survey in the country was complete and is now available for licensing. The dataset provides a 3D window into the hydrocarbon potential of the underexplored northern Sierra Leone region.

 

Sierra Leone’s licensing drive comes as major operators advance exploration activities. In 2025, Eni signed a Reconnaissance Permit Agreement with the PDSL, securing rights to conduct reconnaissance and technical evaluation activities across offshore blocks G113, G129, G130, G131 and G132. The acreage covers 6,790 square kilometers within Sierra Leone’s territorial waters. Nigeria’s F.A. Oil Limited is pursuing drilling following its award of six offshore blocks through the country’s fifth licensing round in 2023. The company is currently seeking a farm-in partner to advance the project from exploration to production, offering a 40% stake in each of the G Blocks 53, 54, 55, 71, 72 and 73.

 

As these development unfold, the upcoming roundtable at IAE 2026 offers a unique opportunity for operators and policymakers to engage potential investors. The IAE 2026 Forum has become a strategic bridge between African upstream opportunities and global investors, with sessions like the PDSL roundtable designed to foster deeper dialogue and provide clarity on project pipelines and investment prerequisites. Discussions are expected to cover mechanisms for de‑risking exploration activity, optimizing fiscal and contractual frameworks and identifying synergies between hydrocarbon investment and renewable energy commitments.

 

For investors seeking differentiated exposure to African energy markets, the Sierra Leone roundtable represents both a focused exploration of frontier oil potential and a broader conversation about regional infrastructure, partnerships and the evolving demands of energy capital in the years ahead.

 

IAE 2026 (www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com) is an exclusive forum designed to connect African energy markets with global investors, serving as a key platform for deal-making in the lead-up to African Energy Week. Scheduled for April 22–23, 2026, in Paris, the event will provide delegates with two days of in-depth engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or register as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Energy

Cape Town Prepares for African Mining Week 2026 as Draft Program Reveals Continent’s Mineral Drive

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Energy Capital

African Mining Week returns for its 2026 edition with an expanded three-day program, bringing together African mining leaders and global partners to shape the future of the continent’s mining sector

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 24, 2026/APO Group/ –Global economic trends – from record-breaking commodity prices to intensifying geopolitical competition for resources – are reshaping the strategic importance of Africa’s mineral wealth. As global countries race to secure supply chains for energy transition metals – which are expected to triple by 2030 – Africa is positioning its 30% share of the world’s critical minerals as a key pillar of economic growth. African governments are modernizing mining codes, developing industrial corridors and investing in mineral processing facilities to support local beneficiation, job creation, workforce development and regional mineral markets.

 

Against this backdrop, the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) Conference & Exhibition – Africa’s premier gathering for mining stakeholders – has launched the draft program for its 2026 edition {https://apo-opa.co/3NneKLj}. Scheduled to take place October 14–16 in Cape Town, the event provides a platform where policymakers, global investors, project operators, technology providers, academia and mining service companies examine Africa’s mining opportunities, challenges and long-term strategic direction.

Under the theme ‘Mining the Future: Unearthing Africa’s Full Mineral Value’, the three-day, multi-track agenda reflects the growing urgency among African markets to strengthen value addition across the mining value chain.

Regional Cooperation and Policy Alignment in Focus

A key feature of the agenda is the Ministerial Forum, where African mining ministers will provide updates on regulatory reforms and policy alignment initiatives aimed at unlocking greater value from the continent’s mineral resources. Discussions will examine how harmonized regulatory frameworks and regional cooperation can accelerate investment flows and strengthen Africa’s position in global mineral supply chains.

The inclusion of regional policy integration reflects a growing continental push to leverage frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to enhance cross-border mineral cooperation and trade.

We are acting to enhance regional integration through frameworks such as the African Mining Vision and the Africa Mineral Strategy Group

“Africa’s integration is not only a political objective but a strategic economic vision,” stated Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Ghana’s Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, in remarks reported by Energy Capital & Power – organizers of AMW – in February 2026. “Our natural resources require coordinated policies. Isolated legal frameworks cannot fully unlock their value. Through integration and initiatives such as the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] Mining Code and the African Mining Vision, we can build a stronger and more competitive mineral economy.”

Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Henry Alake, echoed this emphasis on regional cooperation and beneficiation.

“We are acting to enhance regional integration through frameworks such as the African Mining Vision and the Africa Mineral Strategy Group,” he stated. “We must develop mineral corridors that connect resources, infrastructure and markets across the continent. Our goal is not to simply export raw materials, but to develop industrial hubs that create jobs and value across borders.”

Connecting Global Investors with African Opportunities

Strategic roundtables and Country Focus sessions form a key part of the AMW 2026 program, connecting African mining jurisdictions with international partners from the U.S, Europe, the Middle East and China. These sessions will provide African stakeholders with a platform to showcase exploration opportunities and project pipelines across the mining value chain.

Meanwhile, technical workshops and the exhibition floor at AMW 2026 will provide a platform for equipment manufacturers, technology providers and engineering firms to showcase innovations designed to enhance operational performance across mining operations.

By combining high-level policy dialogue with technical expertise and investment matchmaking, AMW 2026 positions itself as a critical marketplace where Africa’s mineral potential converges with global capital, technology and strategic partnerships – helping shape the next phase of growth for the continent’s mining sector.

AMW serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2026 conference from October 12-16 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Business

Tony Elumelu Foundation Selects Seven North African Entrepreneurs in 2026 Cohort

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entrepreneurs

Seven North African entrepreneurs in technology, education, professional services and agriculture selected from 265,000 applications at historic Abuja ceremony

Hope is not just a feeling — it is a system we can build

ABUJA, Nigeria, March 24, 2026/APO Group/ —

  • 7 North African entrepreneurs selected from Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt
  • 51% of the 2026 cohort are women, all selected purely on merit, without any quota in place
  • 3,200 total entrepreneurs selected from 265,000+ applications across 54 African countries
  • USD 5,000 in non-refundable seed capital for each selected entrepreneur
  • Selection conducted independently by Ernst & Young

 

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) (www.TonyElumeluFoundation.org), the leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs, announced on Sunday, 22 March 2026 the 12th cohort of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme at a ceremony held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. The announcement was made by Founder Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R.

 

Among the 3,200 entrepreneurs selected from 265,000 applications received from all 54 African countries: seven from North Africa. Three from Tunisia, two from Morocco, two from Egypt. Spanning technology, education, professional services and agribusiness, they represent a generation of North African founders building businesses that address the urgent needs of their communities. Their selection, which was conducted independently by Ernst & Young, places them among the most rigorously assessed young entrepreneurs on the continent.

 

This year’s cohort carries a historic signal: 51 percent of the 2026 entrepreneurs are women. They were selected purely on merit, without quota. Across hundreds of thousands of applications, women distinguished themselves through the strength of their ideas, the clarity of their business models and the ambition of their vision.

 

In 2026, the Foundation is empowering a total of 3,200 entrepreneurs across all its entrepreneurship programmes:

 

  • 1,751 entrepreneurs through Heirs Holdings Group: Heirs Energies, Transcorp Power, Transcorp Hotels, and United Capital;
  • 1,049 entrepreneurs in partnership with the European Commission, OACPS, BMZ and GIZ;
  • 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with Sèmè City Development Agency;
  • 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with DEG, the German Development Agency;
  • 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with the IKEA FoundationUNICEF’s Generation Unlimited and the Dutch Government; and
  • 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with UNDP and the Rwandan Ministry of Youth and Arts.

 

 

Each selected Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur will receive USD 5,000 in non-refundable seed capital, access to world-class business management training on TEFConnect, one-on-one mentorship, and entry into a powerful network of investors, partners and fellow entrepreneurs.

 

In his annual letter (https://apo-opa.co/4uOFepM), “A Story of Hope,” Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R., Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, shared a powerful message to the new cohort:

 

“For a long time, I believed luck was something that simply happened to you. Then I came to understand: luck can be engineered. Opportunity can be democratised. Hope is not just a feeling — it is a system we can build.” — Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R., Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation — 2026 Annual Letter

 

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered over 2.5 million young Africans with access to business management training on TEFConnect (https://TEFConnect.com), and disbursed over USD 100 million in seed capital to more than 24,000 selected entrepreneurs.

 

Collectively, these entrepreneurs have generated USD 4.2 billion in revenue and created more than 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs. Through its support for African entrepreneurs, TEF has lifted 2.1 million Africans above the poverty line and positively impacted more than 4 million African households, with 46% of supported entrepreneurs being African women. Eighty percent of TEF-supported businesses survive and scale, against a global average of ten to twenty percent.

 

 

The announcement ceremony was broadcast live in English (https://apo-opa.co/3PWLiML), French (https://apo-opa.co/3PWLiML), Portuguese (https://apo-opa.co/4t4Y7Da) and Arabic (https://apo-opa.co/4bYHlQl).

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Tony Elumelu Foundation.

 

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