Tag Archives: South Africa
New Obama ad: The business of politics
Posted on 16. May, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
Winning elections in America is a business. You need strategy, consultants, huge budgets, catchy ads, dancing girls, pompoms, ticker tape, more ads, debates, more huge budgets and brand postioning.
If people like what you’re selling – you win the contract for a few years.
In South Africa – sticks and stones win elections, in the US it’s psychology that works.
BTW – Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital is the majority shareholder of the Edcon Group.
What is South Africa’s global competitive advantage
Posted on 17. Feb, 2012 by Jonathan Cherry.
China makes stuff, America exports it’s culture, Italy specialises in style, Israel seems to have cornered the market of innovation and India are hedging their bets on solving the world’s call centre needs.
But what’s South Africa’s global business ‘thing‘?
Mining, global events, Mandela, tourism, crime? What’s our thing?
If we had a clear understanding of that, we’d be able to focus a lot more on making it even better. At the moment it feels like we do a bit of everything reasonably well rather than kicking-ass in one thing.
Case study: The re-engineering of a conference
Posted on 09. Nov, 2011 by Jonathan Cherry.
Conferences should be fun
On of our best clients is Dimension Data. They really get it – and are dedicated to pushing the innovation envelope when it comes to their conferences. They understand that hosting a conference is a huge opportunity to demonstrate forward thinking to the people that matter – the people attending the event.
Most brands [even the seemingly progressive ones] when hosting events, surprisingly just can’t tear themselves away from the standard conference format. It’s the same ol’ format with the same ol’ tired outcome at the end. It feels like event organisers are too scared to do something different for a change.
Last year, we produced a conference quite out of the ordinary with a 2-week long game called State of Grace. This year we stayed physically in Sandton, but instead produced interactive and immersive elements for the event that enhanced the overall message and experience of innovation.
Finishing touches to the RFID stations
RFID tag technology has remarkable applications for events, allowing you to blur the barrier between physical interactions, digital tracking and social media integration. We designed, prototyped and build a series of RFID stations, which we placed throughout the conference venue - tracking each participant’s progress between sub-venues through the day. All were build from scratch in our lab using Netbooks and Arduino circuit boards and software applications that we wrote. Tags were personalised and loaded with individual information that even indicated the preferred beverage of the conference goers to the barman at the end of it all. Unexpected touches that make a huge difference and all possible with the technology.
Our RFID-trigger photo booth
Part of the series of stations was an over-sized RFID triggered photo booth [that we also designed and built from scratch] that tagged photos with the names of the people triggering the shot based on the RFID cards swipped. These images were then displayed in real time via large projections to the dance venue at the end of the event. At one stage we had eight people crammed into the booth firing multiple images of themselves and then running through to the dance floor to revue they efforts.
RFID picture taking and tagging
Some couldn't stay away
In the repackaging of the conference content we also created a 2m high hologram [for real] and a 5-minute long 3D-projection mapping that was displayed on a partially wrapped 14m x 5m specially design stage. We used the backdrop of the mapping throughout the conference as a dynamic theme to pull all of the content together.
[Once the video of that mapping is complete we'll share more about that then.]
Projection mapping set up
Space ship masking
Mapped conference backdrop
In conclusion: Our philosophy is that an event or a conference that people have elected to attend is an unbelievable opportunity to WOW! people with your brand. We hear a lot about ‘death by PowerPoint’ these days, but in truth it’s not PowerPoint that’s putting people to sleep, it’s the company’s unimaginative intention behind that presentation that’s the crying shame. If you’ve managed to attract an audience to your gig – do them, and your brand a favour and make sure the overall experience is remarkable and unforgettable.
To infinity and beyond...
Invest the budget and leverage off the massive amount of word-of-mouth you could potentially generate. In an overcrowded global media environment it’s the hardest working investment you can make. If you’re not sure how – call us.
Versus Goliath – the new brew from & Union
Posted on 23. Jun, 2011 by Jonathan Cherry.
The South African beer industry is set for yet another shake up with the announcement that our favourite craft brewery, & Union, is launching Versus Goliath.
Naturally, we’ll have to repeatedly try out the packaging and contents over a period of many months to make sure that it is inline with what we love about & Union. And just from the name and look of it – we know that the world will never be the same again from this moment on.
Opinion: South Africa needs to appoint a Minister of Marketing
Posted on 19. Jan, 2011 by Jonathan Cherry.
Steve Jobs - the newly appointed South African Minister of Marketing
With the news of Apple’s Steve Jobs taking ill – many are wondering about the future of the Apple brand without a Steve Jobs. There is no argument that the man is a marketing genius and Apple’s investment in really innovative marketing has radically propelled the share price of that company from $22.50 towards the end of 2003 to above $340 today – which is a massive return.
So we wonder what somebody like Steve Jobs would be able to accomplish if he were appointed the South African Minister of Marketing. Somebody that could package South African products, services and its image to the rest of the world in the same way Apple does with technology products.
In the age of global consumerism this would kinda make sense.
Before Steve Jobs and Apple – computers where a commodity. He gave them a strong brand, a strong sense of design and charged a huge premium for that. Why then can’t the same thing be done for our fresh produce, our design, our commercial offerings [besides tourism], which in most cases are far superior to similar products from the rest of the world, but our poor farmers and entrepreneurs have to struggle with commodity pricing in the open market rather than offering a uniquely branded, quality South African product at a premium. We are underselling ourselves as a country and the affects are that we are missing a HUGE opportunity. Never before has a country of our capacity and skill set been presented with such a perfect storm of global economic circumstances to exploit.
We don’t have anything close to a Minister of Marketing. We have the Minister of Trade and Industry - oh and a Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism being Marthinus van Schalkwyk [cough], but there really doesn’t seem to be any focus at all on positioning South African products as a cut about the rest. We’re aware that BrandSA puts out a few marketing campaigns that show off our beautiful landscapes and talks of the heritage of Africa and all that kinda yawn inducing, stereotypical stuff. They even hold focus groups among thousands of people and change the marketing line every now and again at great expense to taxpayers, but what are they doing on the ground to tangibly promote and sell the products and business what we have to offer?
If Steve Jobs were Minister of Marketing – he’d probably be making sure that the range of products that we are offering the world are remarkable. He’s hold inspiring workshops and seminars for free to budding entrepreneurs in every available library and school hall. He’d offer hands-on suggestions for products that he’d think we’d have a critical advantage in selling to the world. There would be booklets and pamphlets on how to run a successful business and effectively structure your marketing strategy in public toilets and bus shelters everywhere. There would be support hot lines, structured government angel funding, continuous publicly available academic insight from our top universities. Small business and entrepreneurs would be nurtured and guided so that their chances of success beyond the borders of South Africa are greatly increased.
We just think that if South Africa is going to get serious about reducing our alarming levels of unemployment and becoming a real developing force to be reckoned on a world stage – it’s just not possible without a strong Minister of Marketing inspiring all of us to work together to collectively accelerate our economic prospects.
Apple became one of the most powerful companies on earth through very effective and clever marketing – there’s no reason why the same strategy wouldn’t work for a country like South Africa.
Even if pockets of this vision are already happening – it’s just not good enough. There are a few vague attempts that happen behind closed doors, but nothing hugely urgent or concrete.
This mission should be a national priority and tackled seriously like AIDS awareness and support for the Proteas. The Minister of Marketing should make an annual address in parliament – like the budget speech, that we debate and wait for the whole year long. This is our future we’re talking about. In a world driven by commerce nothing is more important – we should be gloriously bathed in it constantly, not searching for it through a sea of government red tape.
The opportunity has presented itself – somebody get Steve Jobs on the line and offer him the job.
Most viral brands of 2010 [so far]
Posted on 16. Sep, 2010 by Jonathan Cherry.
If you were wondering who or what made waves on the WWW this year, here is your comprehensive list. Interesting to see World Cup related content ranking right up there on a number of fronts – from Shakira’s Waka Waka to the Nike Write the Future campaign South Africa, and the small tournament we hosted in June / July, was on the viral map this year.
via Rubber Republic
Mohair: The ultimate World Cup South Africa souvenir
Posted on 26. May, 2010 by Jonathan Cherry.
Don't leave without a Mo
South Africa produces the best mohair in the world! There is no contest. If you’re looking for the Mo – there’s no other place to go.
Spotting the opportunity to spread this message to the likes of Rooney, Drogba and Henry during the World Cup – Mohair South Africa have embarked on an advertising campaign to get the word out about mohair to all the foreigners . We should be proud of our Mo. South Africa, and more specifically the Eastern Cape, is the biggest producer of mohair in the world. It’s not the most creative or visually simulating advertising campaign ever, but we’re pretty passionate about supporting and highlighting local industries that internationally kick ass.
Mrs Rooney will look just fine with a Mo
So as part of the ultimate South African ‘care pack’ for our beloved ama-Visitors you’ll now have to include: a bottle of Steenberg 1682 MCC, a Nando’s gift certificate, a bottle of Puma Unity beer from & Union, a Fokofpolisiekar CD, Justin Bonello’s cook book and now… a mohair jersey.
Gooi hom bokkie
Don’t leave without your Mo.
[thanks Ashleigh]
Pepsi China sees South Africa as a beautiful island floating in the sky
Posted on 23. Apr, 2010 by Jonathan Cherry.
Kalabash stadium and elephants
Edging ever closer to a corporate execution by FIFA, Pepsi China have launched an online games portal for Chinese teens to help them get into the spirit of the first African World Cup.
Devised by Tribal DDB Shanghai, Football Carnival is targeting teens in China with a website featuring a virtual African-inspired island full of games and activities. Once on the island, visitors can test their hand/eye coordination with a webcam-enabled ‘catch the can’ game, watch behind-the-scenes videos with footballers such as Messi, Drogba and Lampard, and check out an augmented reality game. [via Contagious]
We wonder where the hell Coke is in all of this. Aren’t they an official sponsor of the tournament?
