As brands navigate rapid technological change, shifting consumer expectations and increasingly diverse markets, the definition of "effective marketing" continues to evolve — and few leaders have had a front-row seat to these transformations across regions as varied as Europe, Asia and Africa.
Koji Sekiguchi, Head of Marketing at Sony Middle East and Africa, has spent more than two decades with the global brand, guiding its marketing through periods of economic disruption, digital acceleration and cultural change.
In this Q&A, Sekiguchi reflects on how marketing has shifted from product-led messaging to experience-driven storytelling, the importance of local insight in emerging markets like South Africa, and why long-term brand trust still matters in a time dominated by short-term metrics and AI-powered tools.
You've spent more than two decades with the global brand Sony across multiple regions, how has your definition of effective marketing changed or evolved?
Over the years at Sony, my view of effective marketing has shifted from being product-led to experience-driven.
Earlier, success was about communicating technological superiority; today, it's about connecting that innovation to real human needs. Effective marketing now means translating Sony's engineering excellence into stories and experiences that are emotionally resonant, culturally relevant and true to our global brand values.
In South Africa, this comes to life through authentic storytelling and immersive experiences that reflect local culture and lifestyles.
By combining digital innovation, experiential activations and strategic partnerships across music, gaming and content creation, we aim to position Sony as an integral part of how people enjoy entertainment and express their creativity.
What key mindset shifts have you had to make when moving between mature and emerging markets, particularly in how marketing teams interpret consumer insight?
Sony is a global brand, but consumers experience us locally. In mature markets, insights are often driven by structured data and long-established behaviours. In emerging markets, including parts of Middle East and Africa (MEA), insight often comes from proximity - listening closely to consumers and understanding cultural nuance.
The mindset shift is moving from a one-size-fits-all approach to empowering local teams to interpret insight through a Sony lens, while adapting to local realities and expectations.
You have seen marketing during periods of major economic and technological disruption. What skills or capabilities have become essential for modern marketers that were less important when you started your career?
Adaptability has become critical. When I started, marketing roles were more specialised and linear.
Today, marketers need to be comfortable operating across technology, data, creativity and commerce. Strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and digital fluency are essential. Equally important is emotional intelligence - the ability to lead teams through uncertainty, change and constant disruption.
What performance indicators do you believe are most misunderstood or over-relied upon in modern marketing strategies?
In the digital age, it's easy to focus on short-term metrics like clicks, views, or engagement rates. While these are useful, at Sony we're careful not to let them overshadow long-term brand equity and trust.
Some of the most important outcomes such as emotional connection, brand relevance and loyalty are harder to quantify but critical for sustainable growth.
The challenge is balancing performance metrics with a longer-term brand perspective.
Influencer marketing continues to evolve rapidly, with declining trust in overt brand endorsements. How do you assess influencer value today beyond reach and engagement metrics, especially in markets like South Africa?
At Sony, we look beyond scale and focus on authenticity and alignment. An influencer's true value lies in their credibility, their ability to tell meaningful stories and how naturally our products fit into their creative or everyday lives.
In markets like South Africa, where community and culture play a strong role, we prioritise creators who have genuine influence within their communities and can connect with audiences in a relevant, respectful way.
Long-term partnerships that build trust and consistency are far more valuable to us than short-term, transactional campaigns.
As AI becomes embedded in marketing workflows, leadership decisions increasingly shape how responsibly it's used. What should marketing leaders be cautious about when integrating AI into strategy and execution?
Sony has always believed that technology should enhance human creativity, not replace it.
As AI becomes more embedded in marketing, leaders need to be cautious about over-automation and the loss of human insight, empathy and judgment.
There are also important considerations around data ethics, bias and transparency — particularly across diverse markets like MEA.
One of the key areas driving our competitiveness has been the adoption of AI-driven technologies, not only in our latest product innovations but also in enhancing our day-to-day operations. AI-driven technologies have been seamlessly integrated into our product offerings to enhance user experiences.
Additionally, we have also taken a proactive approach by developing Enterprise LLM, a secure web application platform designed to help our employees safely explore generative AI while also enhancing their AI literacy. This initiative ensures that our teams can harness AI's potential responsibly and effectively.
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*Image courtesy of contributor and Canva