FCB Joburg Delivers New Debonairs Pizza Ad

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September 30, 2020

FCB Joburg has tweaked a concept originally conceived, approved and shot before lockdown for Debonairs Pizza. The agency’s response shows a mom and two daughters setting the dining room table in preparation for a family meal. In walks the dad in full braai regalia and pushing his kettle braai. They look at him quizzically – this was obviously not part of their luncheon plan – when he lifts the lid with a flourish to reveal the new Debonairs Double-Crammed Crust pizza.

FCB Joburg kept the execution of the new TVC extremely simple because only a 20 seconder and 10-second cut-down were required. It is being supported on social media with gifs, banners and posts. According to the agency’s Creative Director, Mbeu ‘Snooze’ Kambuwa – who worked on the TV commercial (TVC) with Copywriter Marvin Mpanda and Art Director Kabelo Mabaso – Debonairs Pizza’s Marketing Executive, Toni Joubert, had been ‘so sold’ on the idea of linking Debonairs’ meatiest pizza ever with a braai, she challenged the team to keep the concept but make it ‘lockdown compliant’.

‘Adapting to new circumstances or tweaking a concept is nothing new for most agencies,’ said Kambuwa, ‘but this was the first time – for us in South Africa, at least – that the reason for doing so was a virus. Conceived and shot before lockdown and its rules about social distancing, our original execution featured friends hosting a pool party braai – to which more and more guests kept inviting themselves because of the pizza. Of course, Debonairs Pizza wanted to promote responsible behaviour during lockdown, so we elected not to run with that version. Instead, Dad brought his braai inside. Who knows, once we’ve beaten this virus, maybe the original ad will make it to the screen.’

FCB
www.fcb.co.za

Key Elements To A Powerful Purpose Campaign

By

Reporter

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September 30, 2020

Graham Staplehurst, Global Strategy Director from BrandZ at Kantar, states that over the last decade, consumers have become more aware of what businesses take out of the system and how this impacts society and the environment, with the result that the definition of purpose as perceived by consumers is changing.

Evolving purpose

BrandZ first added a measure of purpose in 2014 because of the shift – observable across many brands – towards a focus on wider benefits. Since then, its impact has only grown. A brand that wants to evolve its purpose in the eyes of consumers needs to identify the level of purpose that would fit with their brand and then commit to delivering against this on all levels – from product formula and delivery to brand communication. Such communication matters, not least because Warc’s Effective Use of Brand Purpose Report shows that purpose campaigns often operate with lower budgets.

As brands start to promote their actions, every business decision must be made with a long-term view in mind. Each must be backed up by the way a brand consistently talks about itself and is intrinsically linked to its brand purpose.

In particular, brands shouldn’t expect much of an impact from their first action alone. Consumers will judge them on the coherency of the behaviours and actions they have taken over the long term in support of their newly, publicised purpose. The role of purpose and responsibility has been changing for the last decade. Brand perceptions are hard to build and slow to change, but in 2020 all brands have been challenged on their social contributions, by both Black Lives Matter and Coronavirus.

Many have tried to respond with messages of support and understanding. Consumers, however, look beyond what is being said and match the slogan with the long-term commitment and action that sits behind it. No brand can solve all the world’s challenges, but the precious commodity of trust is built by addressing and applying a purpose consistently, honestly and inclusively.

A receptive audience

A key factor driving brands to pay greater attention to purpose is the fact that more people care about how responsible brands are – to their employees, suppliers, the environment and society as a whole. In fact, being responsible is nearly half (49%) of the contribution to corporate reputation compared to being successful (11%) fair pricing (8%) and leading the way (32%).

Being responsible for the environment is now the number one factor in corporate reputation and has grown threefold over the last decade.

Four types of purposeful brands

Analysis of consumer perceptions around purpose and corporate reputation highlight that there are four types of brands:

Big Ideal: brands such as Ikea, Toyota and Amazon score well on both purpose and reputation and thus can be said to be truly purpose-driven.
Good Citizens: score well for corporate reputation but are not perceived to have a strong purpose. Examples include luxury brands like Rolex and Prada, and Enterprise car rental.
Little Helpers: score high on purpose but less well on reputation and are seen to act more on an individual level. Brands like Wikipedia and E45 are strong on delivering benefits aligned to their core purpose but consumers aren’t generally familiar with their ‘corporate’ background.
The remaining brands do not score highly on either dimension – for these, purpose represents an opportunity to define themselves through values that their potential consumers will appreciate.

Communicating purpose

There is a framework for communicating purpose smartly. In late 2019, Kantar and the ARF published Cracking Purpose, an analysis of 45 diverse purpose campaigns, including some that were less successful or had a negative outcome for the brand involved.

It identified three key elements to a powerful purpose campaign: You, Them and The World. ‘You’ defines the nature of the brand’s purpose, which has to be authentic. Brands with a history of working for a cause have a right-to-play when activating a purpose-driven campaign that connects to it, for example.

The outcome of a strong purpose and reputation is consumer trust, the instinctive belief that the brand is ‘right’ for me. Companies with purpose at their very core are those that make life better for people through a better product or a higher ideal. And that drives growth for the brand and business.

KANTAR
kantar.com

Brands Need To Stay Relevant And Part Of Their Consumers’ Lives

By

Grey Advertising

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September 30, 2020

Understanding Your Consumer Now More Than Ever — Sindiswa Masuta, Strategy Business Director at Grey Advertising.

Brands have the responsibility to consider more than just their businesses, they need to also consider their communities, cities, people and every element that they, directly and indirectly, impact, says Sindiswa Masuta, Strategy Business Director at Grey Advertising.

Covid-19 has brought about the notion of people working together for the greater good, rather than a world where people exist for their own survival. Humanity has been tasked with looking out for one other because what we do now has a ripple effect on others.

The new consumer

Brands are being counted on by their customers to assist them in any way they can during this crisis, which will greatly improve the relationship between the consumer and brand in the long run. This is important, as there is currently a risk that consumers will deviate from what they know and try something new for various reasons: they may have less income and thus need to downgrade to more affordable alternatives; they may be looking for new or interesting ways to keep themselves occupied; or they may have more time on their hands to research new things.

These behavioural changes make it imperative for brands to stay relevant, helpful and a part of their consumers’ lives by ensuring their consumers feel more like partners who understand their needs at any given time. ‘Make it clear that supporting your customers during tough times is a guiding principle for your business and that the long-term benefit of being there for them will outweigh short-term losses,’ said Tom Treanor, global head of marketing at Arm Treasure Data.

Personalised shopping experiences that offer value

Consumers are changing, therefore so should brands. A consumer will remain loyal to a brand that sees their needs before they have asked for them to be fulfilled. A great example of how a brand has extended itself and made its consumers feel supported through new ways of serving them is the retailer John Lewis. They have launched a virtual personal shopping service so that their consumers no longer have to go in-store for purchases and advice about products they may wish to purchase.

John Lewis was aware that with lockdown restrictions and people’s fears about leaving their homes, a virtual personal shopping service would make consumers’ lives easier and relieve the stress of going shopping. ‘The lockdown has changed customer habits, but customer service remains as important as ever,’ stated John Lewis’s head of customer experience, Steven Hand. This service offers customers a personal shopper who gives advice on all products in-store, from bedding to mobile devices. This follows other successful virtual services for home interiors, personal styling and advice for expectant parents, as well as masterclasses on skincare, make-up, and food and wine pairing.

Rebuilding with branding

In Australia, the car brand Volvo is assisting the travel and tourism industry by informing consumers about road trips they can take now that their domestic travel restrictions have been lifted. In this way, Volvo is helping rural communities to rebuild after the devastating impacts of the bushfires and the Coronavirus pandemic by asking their consumers to travel in their vehicles across their states in support of travel and tourism. Volvo has also provided a series called Recovery Road Trips, where they take people on a journey to tourist attraction spots, as well as places where people can support the locals along the way.

They do this by encouraging consumers to spend quality time with their families outdoors and use this time to connect with their communities, explore new places and try new things. There is a direct correlation between vehicle travel and travel and tourism, so this kind of support from Volvo is likely to increase trust for this brand. The campaign is also a great example of a brand willing to help its community and the travel and tourism industry, which has significantly declined globally.

Branding mishaps

While brands need to understand their consumers in order to intrinsically form a part of their lives, they also need to understand the context, i.e. the time, place and circumstances in which their consumers exist, as this affects how brands will be received and consumed. Richard Shotton, head of insights at Zenith, said, ‘Brands should focus as much on target contexts as they do on target audiences.’ This has become increasingly important as consumers now have a say in everything that happens in the world – from race to religion to politics to how brands behave.

An example of how brands can go wrong that is currently top of mind would be the Clicks and TREsemme racist hair advert. This is a case of brands not having thought through or understood the context in which their consumers exist. This has been a lesson for brands in South Africa and Clicks and TREsemme have taken steps to attempt to rectify their wrong. But what brands need to know and understand about the context for many South African consumers, is that racism is still a big factor and plays a role in many aspects. This goes to show that even the biggest brands are not immune to making major mishaps.

Then there are brand failures not related to racism but are examples of how brands have not understood the context of their consumers. Pepsi wanted to keep singularity in their identity throughout the world and thus used the same slogan, which they directly translated into the languages of each market they were present in. This did not work well in Taiwan, as their slogan ‘Come alive with the Pepsi generation’ translated to ‘Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead’.

Another example of a brand mishap was when Kellogg’s tried to infiltrate the Indian breakfast market by introducing their cereal as a breakfast meal. However, they neglected to conduct proper research into the market and thus made fundamental mistakes that stunted their growth in India. Kellogg’s failed to understand that India was not at the time a cereal-eating market – breakfast meals were vegetable dishes, mainly because of their affordability.

It is by understanding the consumer and what is happening in the world that brands can identify how they need to either evolve or extend themselves through innovative ideas. This is how many brands have survived through crises over the years. Brands that put the consumer and their communities first, as well as show an understanding of their audience’s context, are setting themselves up for future survival and growth through loyalty. And is that not ultimately what every brand wants to achieve?

GREY JHB
www.grey.co.za

Pendoring Awards Announces Jury

By

Reporter

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September 30, 2020

Due to an influx of entries, the Pendoring Awards jury will be headed by three presidents this year: Judith Mofutsanyana from OoNina, Mpume Ngobese from Joe Public and Francois de Villiers of FCB and Haas Collective fame. The awards entry deadline has been extended to 2 October 2020.

2020 Jury:

– Sanele Ngubane (Samish/TBWA Hunt Lascaris).
– Vumile Mavumengwana (VM DSGN).
– Ntando Msibi (The Odd Number).
– Bonolo Modise (FCB Africa).
– Ntokozo Tshabalala (Wunderman Thompson).
– Dr Carla Enslin (Vega).
– Tshepo Tumahole (Joe Public).
– Mukondi Kgomo (Think Creative).
– Coenraad Grebe (Halo).
– Kelebogile Ramokgopa (TUT).
– Sunshine Shibambo (Cheri YaseKasi).
– Seth Beukes (WPP Team Liquid).
– Sibusiso Sitole (The Odd Number).
– Thandolwethu Silimela (SAB).
– Antoinette Fourie Johnson (O&M).

‘Work is judged by people who speak the language of your entry, who get the nuances, and who don’t need concepts or lines to be explained, or explain to others,’ said Pendoring general manager, Eben Keun. ‘As we deal with Covid-19, we have seen the importance of language and communication become critical and life-saving. It is a watershed year for advertising and languages, inclusivity and diversity. We also want to thank The One Show, who are giving us all the back-end support to go fully digital this year. Their support and endorsement of us is truly appreciated as we elevate and amplify languages in South Africa.’

The Pendoring campaign English never loved us was conceptualised by Pendoring 2019 Prestigious Umpetha winners Sanele Ngubane, Thule Ngcese, Rosemary Mabasa and Carl Willoughby of TBWA Hunt Lascaris. The campaign is the following concept: only 8.4% of South Africans speak English at home. If you speak English as a second or third or even ninth language, you have had moments in your life when English has run out without warning. ‘One minute you are speaking out through your nose, the next you’re suddenly out of English bundles and switching back to your mother tongue for protection. English will show you flames. That’s why we say: English never loved us.’

PENDORING AWARDS
pendoring.co.za

Hashtags Are A Key Component In Any Social Media Strategy

By

Valiant

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September 29, 2020

Using Hashtags To Reach More People — Zubeida Goolam - Co-Founder and Creative Partner at Brandtruth//DGTL.

Zubeida Goolam, co-founder and creative partner at Brandtruth//DGTL, says it is important to build an online community. To do that, you need to foster a space where your audiences can engage with your business, and hashtags are a great way to do that.

It is not about being seen by a lot of people, it is about being seen by the right people. With the mass amount of content that users are bombarded with every day, it is important to put thought into your strategy when using hashtags for your business.

Hashtags are a key component in any social media strategy. When used correctly, they can increase your business’s discoverability online and reach more people who could potentially be interested in your products or services. In order to successfully use hashtags and not get penalised by those dreaded social media algorithms, you need to understand how they work.

Here are five ways you can set yourself apart from the crowd and reach more people with hashtags.

1. Use hashtags that are relevant to your niche

Using a variety of hashtags on your posts or stories can help you reach different communities. The catch is to use ones that are relevant to your specific industry or niche. For example, if you are a coffee shop in Maboneng, Johannesburg, then #MabonengPrecinct is a good hashtag to use to attract visitors in the area. People can choose to follow hashtags, which means they could see your post in their feed even if they don’t follow you. Hootsuite’s A/B testing is a great process to test which posts drive conversion and work best for your business.

Hashtags on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram build community online and allow people from all walks of life to connect on a topic of common interest. For example, the popular #JerusalemaChallenge has been used over 10 million times across social media. People sharing their take on the dance has created a global community who have connected based on their love of good music and dance, irrespective of the language barrier. On the other hand, Nike Los Angeles created #PlayInside, where users shared content on how they were staying active in their homes during lockdown. This was a way for people to share their workout routines, encourage each other to stay active and remind everyone that they were all in this together.

2. Do a quick hashtag audit and create your own branded hashtag

Depending on your business objectives, a quick social media search on what hashtags your competitors are using will give you a good indication of which ones are popularly used in your industry. For example, #SupportLocalBusiness is popular if you are a small business or #MeetSouthAfrica if you are in the tourism or hospitality industry.

It can also help you identify which hashtags to avoid using for a campaign if they have been used popularly or by other brands. A large number of posts on a hashtag means that your content could get lost in the clutter, so personalising it to your business is recommended. For example, Brutal Fruit South Africa has been running an ongoing influencer campaign for their new Spritzer flavour. Instead of opting for the generic ‘drink responsibly’ call-to-action that alcohol brand advertising has to have, Brutal Fruit put their spin on it with #BrutallyResponsible. It is simple, unique, trackable and still incorporates the call-to-action for their customers to drink Brutal Fruit responsibly.

3. Consider running a Promoted Trend

A Promoted Trend is a branded hashtag that appears as either the first or second trending topic on Twitter’s ‘Trends for you’ tab. It is a high-impact takeover that runs for 24 hours and is often used to launch a new campaign or connect with current events. When users click on a Promoted Trend, they will see unfiltered, open, and authentic results of other users interacting with the trend.

To book a Promoted Trend on Twitter, advertisers have to purchase the space. The trend is clearly marked as ‘Promoted’ and also features the name of the brand that is promoting it. This ad unit gives brands an opportunity to drive online talkability, encourage user-generated content, reach a broader audience, and be top-of-mind when a user is looking to explore trending topics.

4. Avoid banned, spam or irrelevant hashtags

When inappropriate or harmful content becomes associated with a hashtag, platforms such as Instagram and Twitter ban that hashtag. On Instagram, these include #adulting, #singlelife, #bikiniBody and even #ValentinesDay. It doesn’t necessarily remove the hashtag entirely, it only shows top posts but no recent posts or stories from people using the hashtag. This is done to adhere to the platforms’ guidelines and protect users, particularly minors, from potentially harmful content.

The best way to know if a hashtag is banned is to check it before you use it, especially when using a new one. Even if they are not banned, businesses should avoid hashtags that solicit likes, followers and spam such as #followme, #like4like, #tagsforlikes, #First etc. This can cause a drop in engagement on your business page, as your content will be penalised by the algorithm.

5. Use insights to track how your hashtags are performing

Data should drive your content. Without it, you are completely ignoring the interests of your customers. If you are a business, it is important to have a Facebook Page and switch to an Instagram business profile. This will allow you to gain access to insights on your posts that tell you how well specific posts on your profile are performing and the impressions and engagements you received from hashtags. This data will give you a better understanding of the type of content your audience interacts with the most so you can adjust your content strategy accordingly.

Latest Campaign Highlights How Much We Depend On Our Oceans

By

Reporter

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September 29, 2020

We dont need our oceans Image 7 Taryn Hatchett (002) — Image credit: Taryn Hatchett.

Wildoceans’ We Don’t Need Our Oceans campaign hopes to show South Africa (and the world) what life would be like without our oceans, and subsequently place a spotlight on just how much we depend on them, as well as mobilise a regional movement for increased marine protection.

We Don’t Need Our Oceans is a branch of the Ocean Impact campaign, underwriting a three-year project driving advanced protection of South Africa’s oceans within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). We currently only protect 5% of the oceans around South Africa within MPAs.

Wildoceans is a programme of the Wildtrust. Campaign Lead, Lauren van Nijkerk of the Wildtrust, said, ‘People don’t act like they need the oceans. Covid-19 certainly made people question their relationship with nature, but I do not believe it made people care less about themselves and more about the planet. So how do we tell our beautifully diverse South African people about our oceans and the need to protect them? How do we deliver a message that resonates for people, that gets their attention? How do we make them active citizens that demand a better future for their children and themselves? How do we help our government see the importance of ocean protection for our people, not to mention all the economic benefits additional protection will bring? I think we can do this by showing South Africa a world without our oceans.’

‘The truth is the need to protect our oceans is urgent,’ said van Nijkerk. ‘Coral reef die-offs, collapsing fish populations and species extinctions are evidence of the escalating ocean crisis brought about by overfishing, ocean heating, acidification, pollution and multiple other stressors. They are eroding the ocean’s ability to function as our life support system.’

However, the situation is far from hopeless, although the time to act for our oceans is now and even a simple action, like refusing single-use plastics, makes a difference. A shift from 5% to 10% protection in South Africa’s waters will also see massive benefits for our country.

‘It is human nature to resist the pressure being put on us to do or believe anything. We want to be autonomous and make our own choices. So, when that pressure is reduced, any internal resistance is dissolved, and the person is left with the opportunity to make their own choice. In the case of the We Don’t Need Our Oceans messaging, the hope is that when this is presented as acceptable, it is likely to immediately cause the response – of course we do, ideally followed by the action required to save or protect our oceans,’ concluded van Nijkerk.

James Cairns, co-founder at The Sight Seekers – the agency involved in the campaign – said, ‘Putting our creative attention and efforts behind a cause that we fully support has been an incredible experience. For us, knowing that our work will lead to increased ocean protection and awareness in South Africa has made it all so rewarding. We feel that the direction of the campaign is really something quite unique and different for a marine protection campaign. Our hope is that all South Africans relate to the campaign and that it leads them to take meaningful actions before it is too late. Working alongside the Wildoceans team has been fantastic and this piece has definitely been the highlight of the year. We can’t wait to see just how far this campaign travels.’

THE SIGHT SEEKERS
http://thesightseekers.com

OCEAN IMPACT
oceanimpact.co.za

How To Bring Customers’ Needs Into Your Content Strategy

By

Engagement Factory

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September 29, 2020

According to Julie McLaughlin from the Engagement Factory, creating powerful content and being heard and noticed means understanding your target audience perfectly and knowing what they need and how they make decisions about your product.

Creating relevant, high-quality content is more important than ever. Customers have come to expect brands to automatically know and cater to their needs and interests without them having to share any information. So how can you obtain insight into your target audience and make your content strategy extremely targeted to your customers? The answer is buyer personas.

Here are the five steps to creating one:

Step 1: understanding what a buyer persona is

A buyer persona is a fictional representation of a real customer. It is an example of the people you want to sell to – the profile of your ideal customer. Buyer personas play an essential role in bringing the customer’s needs into your content strategy, making your content marketing highly effective and allowing you to be a step ahead of the competition.

Step 2: researching your target audience – locate and recruit your participants

To select your target audience, look at job role, company size, industry sector and other relevant factors for the ideal business want you to acquire as a customer. For example, an expensive but comprehensive solution may want to target CEOs of large companies, but a smaller and more niche solution may prefer to target start-ups.

In order to generate the right amount of data and draw some comparisons, you will also want to interview an equal number of clients and prospect accounts. We recommend 10 of each, which will provide enough data to build an accurate profile.

Step 3: creating your questionnaire and conducting revealing buying interviews

The interview itself should focus on the following aspects of the person’s profile:

– Their responsibilities.
– Their level of decision making.
– What/who influences them.
– What they see as factors and barriers to their success.
– What their challenges and priority initiatives are.
– How they like to interact with their suppliers.

You can’t create marketing messages that appeal to your customers if you don’t know what makes them tick.

Step 4: building insightful buyer persona analytics

In order to create useful insights from your buyer persona, you first need to transcribe the interview responses. From there, you can start building up your profile based on similar responses and demographics by looking out for patterns around certain factors.

These include: motivations, buying triggers and questions they ask themselves along the way during the buying process. You may find it useful to note some quotes that are relevant, and that you may wish to highlight in the next step.

Step 5: sharing your buyer persona with others and taking action

The insights obtained through buyer persona research are an essential first step to a buyer-centric approach that will allow you to create a powerful content marketing strategy focused on the specific needs of the target audience at each stage of their buying journey.

The next step is to share that profile across your sales and marketing organisation and start driving that personalised message that will lead to higher conversions.

You need to focus all your marketing efforts on the findings around:
– Decision making: how your target audience makes decisions and what factors can accelerate or slow down the decision-making process.
– Information sources: what their main sources of information are.
– Consideration criteria: what criteria are important when considering your product/ service.

It doesn’t all stop here. Turning buyer insights into a successful nurture campaign takes quite a bit of additional work. The buyer persona insights will have to be used strategically to produce the best content for the best results.

ENGAGEMENT FACTORY
engagementfactory.com

Retailers Need To Adapt To New Consumer Habits

By

The Mediashop

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September 29, 2020

Building New Ways Of Working And Thinking While Maintaining Visibility And Consistency — Sean Sullivan, Associate Media Consultant at The MediaShop.

Associate Media Consultant at The MediaShop, Sean Sullivan, said the mental impact of the pandemic has run deep, but brands that offer reassurance of safety, along with a message of optimism, show solidarity as consumers regain confidence.

Changes in consumer habits have taken place on a massive scale due to lockdowns and social distancing decrees. Consumers have had to adapt to work without offices, fitness without gyms and schooling without classrooms. Evergreen trends of cocooning and wellness have intensified as consumers spend more time and money at home.

Today, our ‘new’ behaviours include online socialising and e-commerce, which have penetrated across age groups. New preferences for local shopping and staycations allow consumers to support the community, consume more consciously and live a healthier life. Dense urban lifestyles hold less appeal, while priorities have shifted toward family and household members.

According to Accenture’s Covid-19 Consumer Pulse Research, home continues to be the focus for living, working and shopping despite the lifting of restrictions. Venturing out continues to be a concern as consumer discomfort with travel and public places remains acute.

A new normal for better or worse is becoming apparent, as living with the Coronavirus becomes the way forward. Habits formed during the pandemic that benefit consumers, such as saving money, shopping efficiently and conveniently, and connecting with community, are likely to stick.

As retail and leisure facilities reopen, consumers are individually reshaping their lives for this new reality, with implications for retailers. What consumers are buying and how they are shopping has changed dramatically as a result of the pandemic, and these new habits are continuing. In many cases, consumers have used this life pause to reflect on their own consumption. They are striving to shop locally, mindfully and cost-consciously, but even as retailers open their doors to consumers, retail footfall remains below pre-pandemic levels in most countries across the world and consumer confidence is low.

The dramatic rise in the adoption of e-commerce and omnichannel services, which has been evident since the start of the Accenture research, sees no sign of abating. The vast majority of consumers who have increased their use of digital and omnichannel services, such as home delivery, curb-side pickup or shopping via social media platforms, expect to sustain these activities into the future.

Health, safety and finances continue to impact consumers’ attitudes and behaviour. In the last three months, personal health and the health of friends and family have remained top priorities for consumers, while fears over finances have grown.

Consumers are still choosing to stay at home. Socialising at home or someone else’s home is still the preferred option, while connecting virtually with friends remains a high priority and is a trend that is consistent across all age groups.

The initial rise in home cooking and baking, as well as home improvement and DIY activities, which was evident in earlier research, are remaining popular pastimes for consumers. And the once mandatory working from home has been embraced by many and continues to be popular.

To build consumer confidence, retailers need to understand their new consumers by leveraging data-driven insights and focusing on initiatives that will have the greatest impact, such as visible safety measures in stores and relevant training for store associates on how to best approach consumers and manage new situations.

Home will be the new battleground. With life, work and shopping continuing to focus around the home, retailers need to design services and experiences to meet new consumer needs, as well as increase investments in digital, and maximise the potential of their store network by reconsidering formats and locations. Retail businesses have a unique opportunity to reset and rebuild for the longer term. How they help consumers navigate the pandemic will influence their future success.

THE MEDIASHOP
www.mediashop.co.za

Tractor Outdoor Provides Out-Of-Home Media Exposure To NGOs

By

Modern Marketing

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September 29, 2020

Tractor Outdoor collaborated with Be A Better Human, Pad Princess and Kindness Like Confetti to celebrate Women’s Month in August and to share support and awareness around period poverty among South African girls.

Lizelle McConnell, head of sales at Tractor Outdoor, said, ‘Supporting women in business is very close to my heart, especially shedding light on all the struggles women face in South Africa and spreading the word about how we can alleviate this. Tractor and Be A Better Human met to see what could be done in order to raise awareness and I am impressed with the impeccable work Pad Princess is doing to provide and distribute sanitary products to keep girls in school. Assisting these NGOs has been such an uplifting experience, and we knew that advertising their message on our roadside digital network would bring attention to the cause and create a lasting impact.’

One in 10 girls in Africa misses a week of school on a monthly basis because they do not have access to sanitary products or because there are not safe and private toilets to use at school. Be A Better Human, a woman-owned start-up, focuses on this matter and the social impact it has on women.

‘Working with Tractor Outdoor has just been such a pleasure. Firstly, I really love the way that Tractor sees that it is hard for girls to finish school and take their place among the business leaders and entrepreneurs of the world if they are missing one week of school a month, and by working together to address this issue we can create the leaders of the future. Secondly, they are providing fantastic Out-of-Home (OOH) media exposure for us at Be A Better Human. BABH is not only proudly African, 100% woman-owned and run, but is raising awareness and funds for a multitude of causes,’ said Sally Acton, MD at Be A Better Human.

‘Thank you McConnell and all at Tractor Outdoor. Your values are more than words on a wall, they are actions and they have a massive impact. It is a privilege to work with you, you are good human beings,’ Acton added. The artwork design for the campaign was done by Yana Valtchanova and Jannine Purkiss from the Y&V Agency.

Women’s Month is highlighted as a pivotal month in South Africa and is used as a platform to voice many ongoing concerns about what women and children face each day, but despite women’s month now being over, we should all continue to support and uplift women in South Africa.

Be a Better Human

The organisation provides topical, cause-driven micro e-learning classes that do more than educate – a portion of each course fee goes to the linked charity to support them in their work and a portion goes to the course creator, to stimulate job creation.

Pad Princess

The Pad Princess is Kindness Like Confetti’s flagship project. It collects and distributes all types of sanitary products with the aim of keeping girls in school.

Kindness Like Confetti

The organisation addresses the most recurring problems faced by local communities, such as the shortage of food; child care assistance, reprieve from the cold in winter; trauma relief; and equal treatment of women. Their goal is to provide assistance in these areas and significantly improve the quality of life and sense of hope in communities.

TRACTOR OUTDOOR
www.tractoroutdoor.com

The World Has Changed And Agencies Need To Step Up To The Challenge

By

MC Saatchi Abel

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September 29, 2020

Kickstarting The Economy By Creatively Solving Problem — Neo Mashigo and Jason Harrison, M&C Saatchi Abel.

According to M&C Saatchi Abel Group Managing Director Jason Harrison, as the economy stutters back to life, and brands try to position themselves for a post-pandemic world, creative agencies have been thrust into the role of frontline workers within this new economic landscape.

The world has changed, and agencies need to step up to the challenge. The new economy requires new thinking, said Harrison, and like all frontline workers, brands need creative agencies that are fast, agile and authentic in order to resonate with an increasingly discerning audience.

Neo Mashigo, Group Chief Creative Officer, said that creativity is about solving problems. ‘Brands are at a crossroads. Either they can do the same things they did before and expect the same results, but in a changed world, or they can use creativity as a force for revival and rejuvenation. Difficulties and challenges provide fertile ground for creative solutions that give you goosebumps.

‘You may have an idea of where you want to be, but it is only by harnessing the power of creativity that you will figure out how to get there – and that is why creativity is at the frontline of our new economy.’

Harrison agreed, stating that at the start of the hard lockdown no one knew what would happen, or what the face of advertising would be within a few months. ‘There was trepidation all around – one could feel it in the air as the nation sat in silence on an evening in March listening to our president announce something unprecedented in a modern society. However, far from drawing any comparison to the men and women who continue to heroically battle Covid-19, we decided as an agency to draw our strength from what it takes to be a frontline worker: a belief in your science, a belief in your systems and most importantly, a belief in the team you have assembled.’

According to Harrison, playing in the sweet spot between cultural relevance, while producing effective campaigns in a new and increasingly digital world, is no longer a nice-to-have skill. He said that it is absolutely essential to the survival of an agency, and the efficacy of its work. ‘We have to respond to and create, demand. Our economy depends on it.’

Mashigo added, ‘You cannot tell society what is authentic. Always, but especially during times of adversity, you have to listen, learn, trust your team and nurture your client relationship in order to produce remarkable work. You must be willing to use data and instinct to guide you to a new space.’ It sounds risky, but Mashigo added, ‘that is the only way we move forward. That is how you create something special.’

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M&C SAATCHI ABEL +27 11 268 6388 www.mcsaatchiabel.co.za

KANTAR
kantar.com

PENDORING AWARDS
pendoring.co.za

THE SIGHT SEEKERS
http://thesightseekers.com

OCEAN IMPACT
oceanimpact.co.za

ENGAGEMENT FACTORY
engagementfactory.com

M&C SAATCHI ABEL
+27 11 268 6388
www.mcsaatchiabel.co.za