Dentsu launches new influence model with CSA as brands shift from reach to relevance

Built in partnership with CSA, the offering combines dentsu’s media scale, data capability and integrated marketing strength with CSA’s expertise in cultural storytelling, talent partnerships, entertainment and earned influence - creating a more connected model for how brands build relevance today.

At the centre of the offering is a unified influence model that brings together media, creators, culture and communications in one system. Rather than treating influence as a standalone campaign layer, Dentsu Influence, powered by CSA is designed to help brands move from fragmented activations to a more accountable, end-to-end approach spanning strategy, creator partnerships, content, amplification, PR and measurement. This model has been implemented across African markets, including Zambia, where it has been supported by CSA’s active involvement over the past three years.

An important part of the proposition is the intelligence behind it. CSA has developed the Cultural Index, a proprietary talent intelligence platform designed to help brands assess cultural value, momentum, brand readiness, and media power, not just follower numbers. This gives our teams a more strategic and defensible way to evaluate talent and shape partnership decisions.

Further strengthening the collaboration, dentsu South Africa will also offer a dedicated public relations capability in partnership with CSA, ensuring that earned attention and reputation-building sit alongside the broader influence proposition.

Roxana Ravjee, CEO of Dentsu South Africa, said: “The future of brand growth is culture-led. Dentsu Influence, powered by CSA, unites media, culture, creators and performance into a single model that gives our clients sharper relevance, stronger accountability and outcomes they can clearly measure.”

Davin Phillips, Chief Culture Officer, who will lead the offering, said: “The future of influence will belong to brands that understand culture properly, not just content distribution. This model is about bringing creative intelligence, talent understanding, storytelling and media together in a way that reflects how people actually engage today, and how culture is shaping growth across South Africa and the continent.”

Together, dentsu and CSA are launching a proposition built for brands that want to operate at the speed of culture while maintaining the scale, commercial rigour and measurement standards of a modern communications partner.