Cheryl Hunter (shelflife at marklives.com)’s weekly pick of all things new — product, packaging, design, insight, food, décor and more!
- Gumtree SA grows its offering
- SAB exports Beers for Africa
- Gold Brands opens local Las Iguanas
Green tree for Gumtree
Online classifieds portal, Gumtree South Africa, has launched a major rebrand and upgrade of its website, mobisite and apps, in order to offer consumers a simpler, safer and more-efficient experience with add-on features and a new design framework.
Created by London studio Koto and implemented internationally over a year ago, the new identity retains the brand’s tree motif, but moves away from the previous orange, white and green emblem to a more-modern, instantly recognisable icon that is functional too. While the new logo won’t have a direct impact on the consumer, it’s reflective of the new site — digital, modern and fun.
In the first significant overhaul since its inception in 2005, Gumtree looked at other classifieds sites and realised business was being done today much the way it was five or 10 years ago, without significant innovation.
According to Gumtree SA director-GM, Johan Nel, while the business model is simple (consumers selling to other consumers), it doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be options: “For example, you might prefer to pay directly for an item with your credit card and have it shipped to you via courier, without meeting the seller face-to-face. (You can now do this on Gumtree via Pay With Shepherd). Or you might want to limit your trading to individuals in your area, narrowing your searches to ads in your current location.”
Aside from the new look and advanced functionality, the introduction of insertion fees in the Jobs and Services category has been implemented in hopes of reducing the amount of scams that occur as a result of listing on the site.
Nel says the redesign itself was done with improving the consumer’s experience in mind — more replies and faster posting: “The shift to mobile technology has been remarkable. Customers are buying and selling online, but they are doing it via their cellphones rather than their PCs. Instant messaging and social media have also become part and parcel of the experience as ads are shared and buyers are opting to chat rather phone or email. The introduction of Pay With Shepherd on Gumtree has also seen consumers transact very differently — introducing an element of traditional ecommerce to the classifieds’ scene.”
gumtree.co.za • Facebook • Twitter
studiokoto.co • Twitter
Beer feeding Africa
South African Breweries (SAB) has launched an eight-pack of iconic beers from various countries across Africa, “Beers for Africa”, with ambitions to export the new collection so consumers across the globe may enjoy these select African beers.
SAB has partnered with Stop Hunger Now SA (SHNSA), an international, NGO that packs and distributes meals to people living in poverty. For every pack sold, three students will receive a nutritious, wholesome meal.
Says Ricardo Tadeu, zone president of Africa: Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) and SAB, “Our goal is to provide 1m meals for students by 2018 and to continue to do this every year. “Beyond that, we will be supporting agricultural development in the different countries as each beer will be sourced locally, with the key ingredients grown by local farmers.”
Tadeu believes by bringing a taste of Africa to South Africa and the world at the same time, the company will be making a tangible difference in society.
According to Saira Khan, CEO of SHNSA, in SA alone, 3.165m children suffer from household hunger and malnutrition while, globally, supplies of food exceed demand: “Initiatives such as Beers for Africa which pledge to support students really do enable them to obtain an education and thus move out of poverty. SHNSA provides a sustainable solution to combat hunger and poverty,”
The first edition of the “Beers for Africa” pack will showcase Castle Lager (South Africa), St Louis (Botswana), Maluti Premium Lager (Lesotho), 2M (Mozambique), Laurentina Preta (Mozambique), Manica (Mozambique), Kilimanjaro Premium Lager (Tanzania) and Zambezi Premium Lager (Zimbabwe).
Tadeu says the number of imported brands in the US makes up about 10% of the beer market, which equals the size of the SA beer market: “The potential is enormous and, as a result, my vision is that we will be able to provide meals for students and support farmers across Africa.”
sab.co.za • Facebook • Twitter
Joburg Iguanas
Fast-food retail company, Gold Brands, is bringing UK restaurant brand Las Iguanas to Johannesburg, offering local consumers authentic Mexican, Brazilian and South American food and cocktails this winter (June 2017).
Gold Brands, the brainchild of restaurant-industry veterans Stelio Nathanael and his wife Praxia, was established in 2012. In addition to its existing brands — Chesanyama; Blacksteer; 1+1 Pizza Pasta; Opa!Pitaland; and Chicken Wild Wings — the company has added several UK brands to its expanding portfolio: Las Iguanas, Café Rouge, Belgo and Bella Italia.
Las Iguanas started in Bristol in 1991. Known for its vibrant colours and atmosphere, the outlet now has 53 UK sites.
According to Stelio, fewer South Africans can afford to spend money on indulgent holidays these days, so they’re spending their money on dining out instead: “The idea behind the brand was to create a fun, happy place that made people feel good about themselves and life in general. Twenty-five years down the line, it’s still doing just that.”
Las Iguanas will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, with specials added daily. A bespoke children’s menu will available, designed with Aardman animations, the animation company behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run.
goldbrands.co.za
iguanas.co.uk • Facebook • Twitter
Shelf Life is MarkLives.com’s weekly column covering all things new. Notify us of yours at shelflife at marklives dot com. Want to sponsor Shelf Life? Contact us here.
Cheryl Hunter (@cherylhunter) has written for the South African media, marketing and advertising industries for more than 15 years. A former editor of M&M in Independent Newspapers and contributor to Bizcommunity, AdFocus, AdReview and the Ad Annual, she has also produced for various television networks and currently consults on communication strategy and media liaison.
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