South Africa, March 24 -- What started as repurposed TV content has evolved into something that demands its own strategic thinking, budgets and specialist expertise.

Social-meaning content, creators and communities, not just platforms-is emerging as a third pillar of modern marketing, sitting alongside creative and media.

This was made apparent at last year's October AdForum Summit in London and it means that agencies need to be evaluated differently, too.

Where brands are actually built

Coolr, presenting at AdForum, put it bluntly: social is now "where brands are built". Not adapted from other channels. Built from scratch. That shift matters.

Social today needs its own brief, its own production calendar and its own creative approach...