Cheryl Hunter (shelflife at marklives.com)’s weekly pick of all things new — product, packaging, design, insight, food, décor and more!
- Retail Capital’s new campaign gets real
- Convenient delivery with Engen and DSV ByBox
- Wag the Dog launches handbooks for retailers
Capitalising on entrepreneurs
The summer campaign of Retail Capital, which showcases entrepreneurs and their business visions, is designed to remind SME owners that the finance company offers alternative funding mechanisms that are specifically geared to support the local entrepreneur.
Says CEO Karl Westvig, “Our goal is to see the potential in promising small businesses and work with the owners in making their vision a reality.”
The campaign, developed in collaboration with Tag 8, Social Media Now and Dais, needed to bring to life the brand’s purpose of “Believing in people who believe in themselves” through the brand message of “Your vision. Our belief.”
Andrew Franks, creative director of Tag 8, says, “The creative campaign invites entrepreneurs to share their business visions and in turn inspires others to reach new heights. Our first video documents the inspiring story of how adventure enthusiasts, Peter Silberbauer and Chad Gordon, combined vision and action to build Africa’s first bike hotel.”
Based on the brand message and positioning, it was important for the team that ‘real’ business owners were used in the campaign on both print and digital platforms. “We wanted to tell genuine stories about business owners dealing with challenges and ultimately achieving their vision.”
Social Media Now founder, Tacita McEvoy, who heads up digital strategy, says, “We have been overwhelmed by the feedback and engagement from entrepreneurs and SMEs across South Africa, and their willingness to share their vision for their business with the world. As soon as the first campaign video was posted on social media, the engagement shot up to 40 000 views within a week.”
retailcapital.co.za • Facebook • Twitter
tag8.co.za • Facebook • Twitter • Ramify
socialmedianow.co.za • Facebook
Innovation at Engen
DSV ByBox, an automated parcel locker which offers the public a secure and convenient means to send or receive parcels at Engen service stations across South Africa, plans to challenge the delivery arena this year, based on its commitment to convenient solutions for customers.
Engen partnered with logistics group, DSV Global Transport and Logistics. in 2014 and over the past three years the partnership has gained significant traction, according to Seelan Naidoo, Engen’s general manager: retail.
When ordering online, shoppers simply select the ByBox delivery option to their nearest locker at selected Engen service stations. Parcels are dispatched the next day, and drivers scan them in at the selected ByBox terminal; the correct one opens automatically, and an SMS is sent to the customer with the delivery location and a PIN number to access the locker.
“Our partnership with DSV Bybox is another way in which we can offer our customers real convenience and take full advantage of this growing trend. Our footprint around the country, as well as our ambitious plans for 2018, will position our partnership as a leading buy-and-collect service provider.”
Customers may also send parcels from any of Engen’s 65 ByBox lockers.
za.dsv.com • Facebook • Twitter
engen.co.za
Handy hints for retailers
Wag The Dog Publishers is launching a series of handbooks aimed at addressing the ongoing challenge, faced by retailers, of training and retaining staff.
Says Sandra Gordon, MD of Wag The Dog Publishers, “We are excited about the new publications. We researched the gaps within the retail industry and specifically within sales. Our handbooks will respond to these gaps, and provide the management and sales teams with the knowledge they require to encourage great customer relations and improved sales.”
First in the series is Your Hardware Handbook, focused on up-skilling sales in two areas: a deeper understanding of salesmanship — listening skills, questions to ask, professionalism, handling objections, confidence, addressing complaints, helpful attitude, preparedness, customer dynamics and after sales service; and, secondly, product features and benefits, frequently asked questions plus handy hints and tips on each product.
Your Hardware Handbook will be available in print and digi versions, and will be distributed by mail and hand-delivered via wholesalers and advertisers.
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.
— Sign up now for the MarkLives email newsletter every Monday and Thursday, now including headlines from the Ramify.biz company newsroom service!