Month: August 2020

Sinenhlanhla Jalibane Digital Campaign Manager at The MediaShop

Strength, resilience, freedom, risk, power and intelligence are some of the words that describe the power and force of women.

History has shown that women united brings about change. Throughout history, women have taken to the streets to protest for their rights and equality https://www.thelily.com/five-womens-marches-throughout-history-that-triggered-political-change/

In our own country of South Africa, the 1956 Women’s March played a vital role in women becoming more visible participants in not only the anti-apartheid struggle but in proving their worth and influence as vehicles of change. The march also made several female leaders visible in the struggle against apartheid, particularly Lilian Ngoyi and Helen Joseph. These women showed that there cannot be change and reconstruction without leaders who are willing to take risks and have a lasting effect on their citizen’s lives, regardless of gender!

The pressure for upcoming generations has always been how do we follow from these great women who have passed the baton onto to us? The women who dared to fight against gender norms and pay equality. Well, it seems that these great revolutions have now moved from the streets to the hashtags…

The next generation has carried on the legacy of these women and brought about change through social media. Movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo, founded by women and for women, offer a greater voice to tackling issues related to Gender Based Violence, Gender Inequality, anti-Black racism and many more.

Women defy adversity and precarity and they have proven this by springing back from any crisis or challenge they are forced to confront. The women of 1956 set a good example of resilience which the female founders of movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo would have faced head-on. The globe has shaken and these movements not only show resilience, but strength and power in a world still dominated by men. They ensure women’s voices are heard and that today everyone knows about it.

With all the current movements and causes taking place around the world, governments are starting to recognise and prove that they stand with women to eradicate inequality, Gender Based Violence, and many more issues. Our President, Cyril Ramaphosa has asked everyone to play their part in the Women Empowerment campaign, with the goal of achieving new behaviours by 2030. Part of this campaign will be to achieve gender equality and busting stereotypes of women in the workplace. Equality goes beyond just women being in managerial positions or fair treatment at work and equal pay.

There is a long history of gender imbalance but the tide is slowly turning and it’s good to note that a change over the years has been made and seen. The MediaShop has also risen to the challenge, ensuring that change within the organisation happens. The company has shown the change women have been longing for, of not only having women in leadership and management positions but of women taking part in everything the organisation does. Our Park Advertising Umsebenzi on Friday, 14^th Aug showed this growth and change.

Women across industries, backgrounds and the world, have one thing in common and that is challenging power structures and creating long-lasting impact. Many names come to mind when thinking about women who’ve created long-lasting impact, including Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Harriet Tubman and Winnie Mandela.

Social media is a platform that is aiding the rising awareness of social change and bringing about justice for women as they continue to challenge stereotypes. There is still a lot to done but the fist is raised towards this struggle and thumbs are vehicles of carrying this message for all women, ensuring that across all spheres, our voices are being heard.

Tsholofelo Mmusi, Junior Media Planner at The MediaShop

We often think of self-care as that well-deserved two-week holiday once a year or perhaps twice a year if you’re lucky. We often live for the ‘next holiday’ or ‘hold on for leave’ without realising that we need to rest regularly, because our minds and bodies do not postpone stress that is built up from our daily lives. The mind cannot wait for a two-week holiday that is six months away! And with the new setup of working from home (which has blurred the lines between work and home time), self-care is an essential – now more than ever!

Over the past few months, self-care or self-love Sundays (#SelfcareSunday) has been trending on social media, with different personal care brands leveraging on the hashtag by having social media influencers use their products to pamper themselves and show the brand as purposeful, in aid of personal wellbeing.

One particular partnership that worked well is @artofsuperwoman and MSLONDON Cosmetics, where different products were featured on Instagram with a short write up of each and an option to purchase the product right from the post. While there is great potential for various brands to use #SelfcareSundays to drive awareness and trial use by audiences, #SelfcareSundays has proven that it’s not just what a product can do, but rather what emotional experience it brings to an individual.

There are many other brands that can leverage from the hashtag, as people do different things to unwind and feel good about themselves. Other brands or products that could showcase under the hashtag are:

Musicians – Artists can push their music as a tool for relaxation and dancing which is a great form of self-care.

Hiking trails – Some people prefer to being outdoors in order to feel calm and peaceful, so this is a great opportunity for the likes of Hennops Hiking Trail and others to be showcased as self-care tools, of course within compliance of the current COVID-19 restrictions.

Authors- “Reading gives us some place to go, when we have to stay where we are” according to Mason Coley. A good book is sometimes all that one needs to escape in a healthy way.

The lockdown has exposed us to a new normal, and with the number of COVID-19 positive cases increasing on a daily basis, we are certainly all affected even if we’re not infected. We need to take care of our minds and our bodies right now. The lockdown has also given us new roles – I personally have become a trusted cook and a baker, (please don’t ask me what I ate before this lol). Others have become cleaners, teachers, and even principals in their own right.

In an industry that is nothing short of pressurised, I realised the importance of being intentional about taking time to care for myself and do what I love; giving my mind and body the rest it needs. We all know that you cannot give from an empty vessel. We need to refill and refuel in order to be able to give ourselves and our creativity to the world again.

With more people realising the importance of being intentional about taking time to take care of themselves and do what they love, more brands are finding ways to sell not just the product, but their brand’s emotional attachment and experience too.

Sundays are the perfect days to self-care as it allows us to wrap up a week and start the new week on a fresh clean slate.

 Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you: Anne Lamott

Jedd Cokayne, Business Unit Director at The MediaShop

Jedd Cokayne says not all brands are created equal and that a distinctive brand will be the most successful during 2020.

As we move into the latter part of the year, we reflect more and more on the events that have taken place that determine how we live our lives, do business, how we conduct ourselves when leaving the house and consider safety procedures we have to follow in order to stay safe and healthy. The virtual watercooler chat is all about social distancing, sanitising, modulated education and the main topic of course is what the remainder of 2020 will look like. For me, the biggest changes are around the inability to interact with my friends and family, work colleagues and clients and not having the opportunity to go to the bush. Cabin Fever is truly setting in.

While I ponder over when I will ever get to the bush again and the fond memories I have of my travels, I think of one of the most iconic silhouettes on the African landscape – the Baobab tree, also known as the Tabaldi, Bottle tree, Upside Down Tree or the Monkey Bread Tree. The Baobab can grow up to heights of 20m and carbon dating indicates that it may live to be a staggering 3000 years old.

With an entire ecosystem within it from birds nesting in the branches to baboons devouring the fruits, Bush Babies drinking the nectar from the flowers and elephants eating the bark, this is one of the most distinctive trees in Africa easily recognisable by travellers around the world.

This distinctiveness leads me to the content of this article and the upward battle all brands are facing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. We have read so much about marketing in a recession, how brands are reacting to new consumer behaviours and potentially what the new norm is, but what many brands are forgetting is the one thing that makes them stand head and shoulders above their competitors – that which creates their distinctiveness and potentially further develops brand loyalty.

All brands like to think they are unlike any other, but that’s usually not the case. What does make a brand unique are its distinctive brand assets. These act as an invaluable shorthand for a brand, it’s a cue for consumers to bring all their previous experiences and associated meaning of a brand to the fore and influence that purchase decision.

Now more than ever, distinctiveness is key to helping a brand stay afloat in very tough economic conditions. We forget how important various brand assets are in keeping the brand alive in the eyes of the consumer whether it is a name, a slogan, unique value proposition, visual characteristic or a logo, all of these things make a brand unique.

But how do we determine what a brand asset actually is from the various brand elements within a company? Each brand element needs to be unique, authentically associated and well known to consumers while representing the brand. Assets seek to reinforce the brand’s core values and convey the benefits it promises to deliver.

While brands are trying to develop new ways of working because of the pandemic, this is an ideal time for them to consolidate and identify those distinctive assets that will not only help them survive the current situation but also reinforce it and become competitive again in the future.

1. Ruthlessly audit your existing brand elements or what you perceive to be distinctive. Remember to include historical icons etc that may still ring true for the brand.
2. Your consumers are a great gauge of what is distinct about your brand, get feedback from them and collect data that can help in the future.
3. The faster people make the association between individual brand assets and a brand, the more likely your market share will grow and not just your category awareness.

The below table is from the Ehrenberg Bass Institute (EBI) for Marketing Science and a great way of assessing brand assets and determining if they are worthy of highlighting or casting aside.

Once those brand assets have been identified and developed, leverage them and reap the rewards.

1. Use them consistently across all marketing campaigns, channels and touchpoints available.
2. Evaluate them often and rely on real feedback from your target market.
3. Keep an eye on competitors and ensure you are agile. They are happy to hijack your ideas especially if they aren’t protected.
4. Be smart when you introduce a new brand asset and ensure you run it with the brand name until you can measure the brand association.
5. Take ownership of the brand.

Within a short space of time the marketing rule book has changed and what worked yesterday may not necessarily work today or tomorrow. The key to success is adaptability and the reliance on your brand’s distinctiveness to influence the buyer’s journey.

We previously mentioned that consumer behaviour has dramatically changed over the past four months but by utilising brand assets correctly with nurtured messaging at a decision-making juncture, will help consumer’s link the benefits and value propositions of your brand at the point of purchase and help protect your brand through the turbulent waters of 2020.

So, as we face this one day at a time spare a thought for the Monkey Bread Tree and all the changes they have had to endure and adapted accordingly over the thousands of years they have been around.