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Effectiveness under threat in shift to social-first marketing

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3 months ago

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WARC
  • Brands need both social and emotional creative strategies to drive growth
  • Aligning target market and creative strategy boosts campaign effectiveness by up to 70%
  • Broad emotional campaigns outperform broad social by 2.1x on brand and business impact
  • Targeted social campaigns are 2.4x more effective than targeted emotional campaigns – but neither creative strategy delivers strong long-term effects when narrowly targeted

WARC releases new Asia research in The Pace Principle 2.0 – From social sprint to sustained growth
6 August 2026 – As brands pour ever more of their marketing budgets into social and creator content, new research from WARC warns that this strategy alone will not scale growth. The Pace Principle 2.0 finds that social and creator marketing – for all its speed and cultural relevance – hits three structural ceilings that no amount of additional content or paid media can break through alone.

The findings build on WARC’s landmark effectiveness study The Pace Principle, released last year, which found the most effective brands in Asia run at twin paces simultaneously – a performance-driven sprint and long-distance brand-building. This second edition applies that lens to the social-first era, at a moment when creator and social investment is accelerating faster than marketers’ confidence in what it actually delivers.

Whilst the evidence draws on evidence from Asia, one of the world’s most socially engaged regions, the findings have implications for any global marketer looking to make social and creator strategies work at scale.

Rica Facundo, Managing Editor, WARC APAC, says: “Since publishing the Pace Principle last year, what has become clear is that with investment pouring into social and creator marketing, marketers risk getting trapped into a social sprint loop whereby brands are producing more content for virality, optimising for the algorithm rather than enduring memory and customer resonance. Virality is not a strategy, it’s an unpredictable outcome for growth.

“The loop challenge doesn’t require a new playbook but reinterpreting proven principles through a new media ecosystem. If there’s one idea to take from this report, it’s understanding the three ceilings of social. That’s what separates a social sprint from sustained growth.”

Key findings outlined in The Pace Principle 2.0 are:

Social strategy is not the same as social media

Social is widely understood as a media choice: which platforms, formats, and creators. This is where many strategies go wrong.

Social is not a media channel – it’s a creative strategy designed to get people talking, sharing, and interacting with a brand. The data shows that the most effective campaigns rely on social media platforms less than average. Rather, an interaction may begin on a platform, but the idea travels across creators, PR, search, and broader cultural conversation.

However, there’s no guarantee an audience will share, remix, or carry an idea forward. While social can expose brands to new buyers by activating niche communities, replicating that success reliably, across a fragmented media landscape, and at scale is a challenge and very hard to do.
Two strategies, one goal: brands need both social and emotional marketing to drive growth

Sustainable growth requires combining different growth mechanisms, each contributing what it does best.

The report identifies two distinct creative strategies that complement each other. Both use emotion and both build brand equity, but they target different audiences, through different routes, at different speeds.

Social strategy provokes participation – getting people talking, sharing, and interacting with a brand. Targeted social campaigns are 2.4x more effective than targeted emotional campaigns.

Emotional strategy builds lasting memory and brand predisposition across the whole category. Sharing is a bonus, not the objective. Broad emotional campaigns are 2.1x more effective than broad social campaigns, specifically delivering more than double on short-term effects and nearly 4x on the long-term.

Each strategy is built for a different objective, but used together, they build brand equity at two speeds at once. Correct alignment of target social market and creative strategy can improve campaign effectiveness by up to 70%.
Breaking through the three ceilings that limit social growth

The shift marketers need to make is summed up by the social ceiling framework, which will help brands move away from optimising only for the algorithm.

The research highlights three ceilings, each representing a different constraint, and each requiring a different response. The brands that consistently break through these ceilings will not only create better content, but will build better ecosystems where creators are embedded operators:

The platform ceiling: Where reach concentrates within algorithmic feeds, content decays fast, and growth stalls when paid media stops. To break the platform ceiling, marketers should create ideas that can travel beyond the platform and be reinforced across an ecosystem of touchpoints.

The cultural ceiling: When a campaign is centred around cultural moments, that eventually die down and the conversation stops. Breaking through means building around deeper cultural forces that outlast any single trend.

The self-sustaining ceiling: Where creators carry the idea forward without brand prompting. This ceiling is the hardest to reach and the most durable but is reserved for brands that have built and earned credibility over time, not in a single moment.
Methodology of the research

The research for the report is based on in-depth analysis of 210 advertising case studies in the WARC database sourced from across Southeast Asia, Greater China, and India, as well as an accompanying questionnaire submitted by the authors of the case studies.

A complimentary sample of the report is available to read here. WARC subscribers can access the full report. A WARC podcast discussing key findings and solutions will be available from 13 August, and a free to join global webinar will take place on 2 September.

 

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Afreximbank Backs DOTT Services Limited, Uganda with a US$28 Million Facility for Regional Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Projects

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13 hours ago

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November 5, 2026

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The financing will enhance DOTT’s capacity to execute strategic projects across the continent, facilitate intra-African trade in goods and services and strengthen regional value chains

CAIRO, Egypt, November 4, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) has activated and approved a US$28 million dual-tranche facility for DOTT Services Limited, the leading Uganda-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, and has begun disbursing funds to support the execution of its EPC projects pipeline, valued at more than US$550 million.

 




 
 

Provided under Afreximbank’s EPC Contract Promotion Initiative, the facility is designed to strengthen the capacity of African EPC champions to secure and execute large-scale infrastructure projects across the continent. Specifically, the financing will support DOTT Services Limited in executing contracts and pursuing near-term opportunities valued at approximately US$550 million across Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Commenting on the transaction, Mr. Humphrey Nwugo, Director of Regional Operations at Afreximbank’s Eastern Africa office, said:

Through the initiative, the Bank provides support, including financing, twinning and matchmaking

“This facility reflects Afreximbank’s commitment to building strong African EPC champions capable of delivering the infrastructure that underpins Africa’s industrialisation, trade and economic integration. By supporting DOTT Services Ltd, a well-established regional contractor with operations across five African countries, we are addressing a critical financing gap that has historically constrained the ability of African firms to participate meaningfully in large-scale, cross-border infrastructure projects.

The financing will enhance DOTT’s capacity to execute strategic projects across the continent, facilitate intra-African trade in goods and services and strengthen regional value chains. It also advances Afreximbank’s EPC Contract Promotion Initiative, which seeks to increase African participation in the development and delivery of Africa’s infrastructure.

Through partnerships such as this, we are ensuring that greater value, expertise, employment opportunities and economic benefits are retained within Africa while fostering the emergence of globally competitive African contractors.”

Mr. Nwugo further noted that most local commercial banks lacked the capacity to support intra-African and regional projects because they were poorly placed to absorb the associated cross-border risks, while international banks tended to prioritise non-African contractors. As a result, African entities were often left without adequate financial support.

He said: “Afreximbank’s EPC Initiative was therefore designed to address this challenge by supporting African EPC contractors in securing and executing a greater share of infrastructure contracts across the continent. Through the initiative, the Bank provides support, including financing, twinning and matchmaking, as well as issuing letters of support, among others”, he explained.

DOTT Services Limited presence in Africa spans 28-years, with operations in Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). It also has European offices in Italy and the UK, and a workforce of over 6,000 people. The company procures from, and distributes to, African countries goods such as bitumen, asphalt, steel and spare parts, as well as yellow goods equipment and services, making it a significant player in intra-African trade. Its track record of promoting trade-supporting infrastructure across the continent makes it a natural partner for Afreximbank’s EPC Contract Promotion Initiative, which seeks to build African EPC champions capable of delivering the infrastructure that underpins intra-African trade.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 

 




 

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Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) invests in Africa’s leadership potential through EDGE

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13 hours ago

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November 5, 2026

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Developed in partnership with Henley Business School Africa, the programme equips high-potential leaders with the skills, experiences and perspectives needed to drive growth, create value and deliver impact across the business

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, November 4, 2026/APO Group/ –Thirty-one leaders from across 12 African countries have graduated from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa’s (CCBA) (https://www.CCBAgroup.com) EDGE Senior Leadership Acceleration Programme, marking the completion of the programme’s second generation and the first pan-African EDGE cohort.

 




 
 

Created by CCBA, EDGE is the company’s flagship senior leadership development programme. Building on previous participation from The Coca-Cola Company, the programme was further expanded in 2026 to include leaders from Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, creating a broader pan-African learning experience across the Coca-Cola system.

Developed in partnership with Henley Business School Africa, the programme equips high-potential leaders with the skills, experiences and perspectives needed to drive growth, create value and deliver impact across the business.

The 2026 cohort marks an important milestone for EDGE as the programme brought together leaders from across the Coca-Cola system

The graduating cohort represented leaders from multiple countries and business functions. Through classroom learning, business projects, mentoring and coaching, participants gained practical experience in addressing real business opportunities and challenges.

With CCBA serving more than 840,000 customers across Africa, the company requires leaders who can navigate complexity and create value in diverse markets. EDGE helps build these capabilities through practical, business-focused learning.

“People are at the heart of everything we do, and programmes like EDGE demonstrate our commitment to investing in their growth and future success,” said Natasa Prodanovic, Chief People and Culture Officer at CCBA.

“The 2026 cohort marks an important milestone for EDGE as the programme brought together leaders from across the Coca-Cola system. By learning alongside colleagues from The Coca-Cola Company, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, participants were able to build meaningful connections, share diverse perspectives and strengthen collaboration across our markets.”

The curriculum focused on strategy, value creation, transformation, commercial decision-making, leading self and leading teams. Participants also presented business projects aligned to organisational priorities as part of the programme’s graduation requirements.

EDGE forms part of CCBA’s broader commitment to developing future leaders and building the capabilities needed to drive sustainable growth and impact across Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.

 

 




 

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Africa and Caribbean trade potential could reach $1.65 billion annually by 2030: International Trade Centre (ITC)-Afreximbank report

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2 days ago

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November 4, 2026

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The report finds that around 80% of Africa’s annual goods export potential to the Caribbean remains untapped

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, November 3, 2026/APO Group/ –Annual trade in goods and services between Africa and the Caribbean could reach up to $1.65 billion by 2030, excluding mineral fuels, according to a new report launched today by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda.

 




  

The report, Reshaping Africa-Caribbean Trade: Opportunities for Economic Transformation, (https://apo-opa.co/4eiz62u) finds that while Africa and the Caribbean share deep historical and cultural links, trade between the two regions continues to represent only a small share of each region’s overall trade, despite complementarities across sectors ranging from agribusiness and manufacturing to services and the creative economy.

A look at the numbers

The report finds that around 80% of Africa’s annual goods export potential to the Caribbean remains untapped, with are significant opportunities for export growth if trade and investment is actively promoted and facilitated.

Africa and the Caribbean must transform a shared history into shared prosperity

Caribbean export potential lies in the services sector, reaching $481 million. The report identifies business opportunities across several priority sectors, including processed food and animal feed, chemicals, minerals and metals, apparel and textiles, leather and footwear, tourism, transport services and creative industries.

These findings – and more – are based on trade and export potential analysis, detailed sector assessments and a survey of 1,175 businesses and business support organizations across Africa and the Caribbean.

Tapping into priority sectors

ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton (https://apo-opa.co/3WHHZMU), in launching the report, said: ‘At a time of major shifts in global trade, countries need to strengthen regional ties and invest in value addition, to build resilience. We know the major trade opportunities between Africa and the Caribbean – and now we can focus on helping businesses take advantage of those opportunities through better market intelligence, improved logistics and greater access to finance.’

Commenting on the report, Denys Denya, Senior Executive Vice President at Afreximbank, said: ‘Africa and the Caribbean must transform a shared history into shared prosperity. With our CARICOM office in Barbados, about $1 billion in approved transactions and a $5 billion regional financing commitment, Afreximbank is advancing this vision through financing, deposit mobilization under CENDEP, business links through the annual Afri-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum, local-currency payments through CAPSS and creative-industry collaboration through CANEX. This report offers a practical roadmap to turn untapped potential into bankable opportunities across agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism and the creative economy. Through targeted financing, stronger transport and logistics links and strategic partnerships, we can build a Global Africa connected by heritage, trade, investment and shared opportunity.’

The report finds that businesses continue to face significant challenges, including high transport costs, limited direct shipping links, regulatory barriers, limited access to finance and difficulties in identifying trusted commercial partners. It highlights that future economic cooperation should extend beyond traditional trade in goods, including through joint investment ventures, digital services, creative industries and tourism. It also calls for targeted action to improve market intelligence and business matchmaking; expand access to trade finance and payment solutions; strengthen transport and logistics connectivity; support sector-specific value chain development; improve regulatory cooperation and market access; and foster stronger partnerships among business support organizations.

Read the full report HERE (https://apo-opa.co/4exHBH9)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 




 

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