Heritage brands can lose relevance if they rely only on nostalgia. That challenge surfaced strongly in our conversation with Arpan Sur, CMO of the Sub-Saharan Africa Business Unit at Mondelez, recorded at the Effie Awards South Africa. With increasing competition and changing consumer expectations, brands like Chappies and Cadbury must remain culturally valuable, not just historically loved.
Arpan’s view is that “Marketing is about leading culture, not just following it.”
This means brands must create meaningful rituals and embed themselves authentically in people’s lives. Heritage matters, but cultural resonance is what keeps a brand relevant and loved from one generation to the next.
We also explored effectiveness. As an Effies juror, Arpan calls the process “one of the most stringent” because it prioritises work that drives real consumption and commercial outcomes.
“Good work must drive consumer impact, business metrics and fame,” he says.
Conversation highlights:
- Why Chappies became a cultural category cue, not just a product.
- How Cadbury expresses generosity across cultural contexts.
- What stood out in this year’s Effie case submissions.
- Why “landing value” matters more in inflationary environments.
- The role of simplicity: “Do less to get more out.”
Watch the video below:
Thank you to the Effie Awards South Africa Team for the platform and access to the industry’s leading minds.
Created in collaboration with our production partners, Soweto Media.
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