South Africa, Jan. 21 -- The old playbooks still exist, but they no longer deliver the same returns. Brands are being forced to rethink how they define people, how they show up in their lives and, ultimately, how they create value.

4 shifts to steer the future

I think that four shifts are set to define the competitive agenda over the next 12 months.

A fundamental rethink of target audiences

Traditional segmentation models built around age, income or social class are rapidly losing relevance. Nearly six in 10 marketers already consider demographic-led targeting obsolete, a clear signal that the industry is outgrowing blunt proxies for behaviour.

Household structures are fragmenting, lifestyles are becoming more fluid and retirement no...