Omnichannel Isn’t About Everywhere But Exactly Where
Martechvibe’s Asked and Answered: There’s been some debate about whether brands need to be ubiquitous in their messaging strategies. So, we asked the brains behind South Africa’s leading brands to share their thoughts on connecting more meaningfully with customers…
The theory is straightforward: customers should be able to engage with a brand seamlessly, in the channel they prefer, at the moment they need it.
The practice, however, is a little more complicated.
Martechvibe was privy to the conversations at the Customer Engagement Mixer in Cape Town on March 25th, organised in partnership with Vonage and Cue. The evening was planned to get marketing, product and growth leaders from the region together for knowledge-sharing and networking.
The topics of discussion revolved around replacing generic campaigns with context-rich conversations, and the consequent impact on higher customer satisfaction that ultimately drives higher retention and sales.
Giving Customers What They Want
At its core, the idea is about contextual relevance.
“It starts with designing experiences that reflect how people actually live and engage today,” explains Stephanie Rajcoomar, Senior Marketing Consultant at Discovery Vitality.
Customers don’t follow a straight path; they move effortlessly between social media, apps, chats, and real-world interactions, expecting brands to keep up.
Keeping up here means having a single view of the customer. Without it, brands risk delivering fragmented experiences.
“For brands, this means more than just being present across channels. It’s about deeply understanding the customer journey, shaping each interaction to feel natural in its environment, and most importantly, connecting every touchpoint into one cohesive experience. Because in the customer’s mind, there are no channels — only a single, ongoing relationship with the brand,” she says.
Each channel may perform a different function, but it should feel natural.
For example, marketers may think about social platforms for discovery and community, in-apps for personalised nudges and frictionless checkout, chat for real‑time support because it lends itself to those actions. Customers may have a different idea.
But Customers Don’t Think in Channels
And, herein lies the debate. “They think in moments. That is the shift most brands still miss,” offers Miguel Netto, Head of Marketing at Bootlegger.
Don’t lose who you are as a brand. The real work, he says, is designing for behaviour, not platforms, while holding a consistent brand standard across every interaction.
“Each touchpoint has a role. Social earns attention. Your app delivers utility. Physical spaces prove your brand. Delivery and chat remove friction. They should not feel the same, but they must always feel like you.”
“A strong brand is not built on presence. It is built on consistency, clarity and trust. Get that right, and you do not have to chase the customer. They choose you.”
Channel fatigue is real. If customers end up feeling like they are being bombarded with messages across email, social, and chat, it’s likely to push them away and into a competitor’s basket, most likely.
Precision means knowing when not to engage.
Shifts the Focus from Pushing Messages to Enabling Actions
“It’s less about being present on every channel and more about aligning each touchpoint to customer intent,” says Zach Nossel, Head of Digital Marketing at Woolworths.
“It means understanding what the customer is trying to do at that moment, whether it’s discover, decide or purchase, and delivering the most relevant value through the channel best suited to that need.”
“In practice, that looks like clear roles for each channel, connected through data, so the experience feels consistent rather than fragmented. Done well, it shifts the focus from pushing messages to enabling actions.”
Thozama Ngqakayi, Head: Voice of Customer at Old Mutual South Africa, sees it as “putting the control back in the customers’ hands”.
“It’s an outside-in perspective that goes beyond driving our own operational efficiencies but really allowing customers the power of choice. Doesn’t that align with basic human nature?”
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