Strateg y Portfol io
Contents
Personal Brand Concept
5
Curriculum Vitae
7
Personal Brand Identity
11
Strategy Chapter 1 Vega Healthy Brand Practice - Darling Brew
15
Chapter 2 Financial and Business Analysis - eLabel
21
Logistics Analysis - EWC Express
27
Chapter 3 Brand Challenge - Women24
33
Chapter 4 Creative Development - Personal Manifesto
45
References
49
Contact Details
53
1
Concept The concept for my portfolio came from a personal experience where a friend helped me realise that the relationships I have with people is a significant part of who I am as a person. Whether a romantic relationship, a friendship or family relationships, I value each and every one, and because each one is different, they all contribute to who I am as a person today. This is how I developed the title Brand Companion. I am loyal and trustworthy, and while these terms may seem like a clichĂŠ, they really are significant in describing how I develop relationships with the people that are most important to me. I know that this part of my personality will show through as I start having professional relationships with the brands and people I work with.
5
Curriculum Vitae
Academic Background Tertiary Education Vega School of Brand Leadership Qualification: Degree in Brand Building and Management Years: 2010 - 2013 City Varsity Qualification: Certificate in Journalism Years: 2010
High School Somerset College High School Standard passed: Matric Year: 2009 Subjects: English, Afrikaans, Maths Literacy, Life Orientation, Geography, History, Drama
Interests / Hobbies Service Industry As a part-time waitress, I am interested in the service industry, good food, good wine and more recently, a new found interest in Craft Beer. Online I spend a lot of constructive time Online (websites & social media) as I am interested in discovering new developments, exploring innovative ideas & inspirations and how brands use new technologies to leverage themselves. Fashion I have a keen sense for fashion and have always aspired to be involved in some aspect of the fashion industry.
7
Brief Overview of Skills As a student at the Vega School of Brand Leadership I have learnt many skills to succeed in the business world, inside and outside of the Marketing and Advertising industry. High attention to detail. My strong interpersonal skills are accepting responsibility, being supportive of and motivating others. I love to plan and organise and feel I have a natural talent for managing projects, meeting dead lines, multi-tasking, keeping control over budgets and planning and arranging activities. My communication skills allow me to speak effectively, listen attentively and confidently speak in public. I feel I can confidently identify, analyse and solve problems, develop appropriate strategies and meet goals.
Achievements Participated in the ELLE Female Factor Forum 2012 Completed a Certificate in Journalism at City Varsity
Memberships Vega Student Liaison Body 2011
9
Personal Brand Identity
Personality Intuitive Personable Charismatic
Values Altruism Openness Support
Essence Companionship
Mission To encourage and nurture meaningful relationships by focusing on shared dreams and passion.
Vision To ensure all brand-customer relationships of the brands I work with are as meaningful as a trusted relationship that is shared between two people.
Mantra Craft Commitment
Positioning For both brands and people, I am a Cape Town based Brand Strategist committed to building quality relationships that are supported by passion and dedication.
11
Strategy
1
Every friendship or relationship begins with a spark of curiosity or attraction, and it is an interest and developing passion that grows it.
Individual Assignment Brief – To conduct a complete Brand Analysis on a South African brand of your choice that is not mainstream or conventional. I was drawn to the Darling Brew brand for this project because of their unique craft beer offering and because I was intrigued to find out more about the brand.
15
The idea to create a microbrewery in the Darling Region came about when creators of the microbrewery, Kevin and Philippa Wood went on a trip through Africa in 2007 to discover and see the wildlife of Africa. A few days into the trip, the couple met the owner of the Sneeuberg Brewery in the Great Karoo. It was at this point that Kevin and Philippa thought about starting up a microbrewery in Darling. The vision was to create a contemporary look and through their research of the flora, fauna and geographical features of the area, the Geometric Tortoise, which is extremely rare and endangered, was what they kept coming across. Both the visual identity of the Darling Brew brand and the description of the beer, Slow Beer, came about through the inspiration of the Geometric Tortoise. One of the key parts of this assignment was to determine the identity of the brand. Because the craft beer industry in South Africa is expanding all the time, it is important for each beer to have it’s own unique identity. Using David Aaker’s Brand Identity System, the core values of the brand and the essence of the brand was determined.
16
Core Characteristics
Essence Inspiration
Slow Lifestyle
Innovation
Aspiration
Part of understanding the identity of a brand is that it can assist in determining where the brand is positioned within the market. Using Kapferer’s Four Question Model, which asks why, referring to the brand’s promise and consumer benefit, for whom, referring to the brand’s target audience, when, referring to on what occasions the product is consumed and against whom, outlining the main competitors and who the brand thinks they can successfully compete with. In answering these questions about Darling Brew, the following positioning statement was constructed:
“
To anyone that enjoys beer who is respectful and passionate about what they do,
Darling Brew is a craft beer, perfect for any occasion, meal or weather that is timeless
”
and genuine. Unlike other craft beers in the South African beer industry, Darling Brew bases its philosophy and fermentation process on the Slow Beer concept.
Having a strong brand positioning allows a brand to establish a firm foot in the relevant market, but a brand must also strive to be a healthy brand. The Vega School of Brand Leadership has it’s own criteria for a healthy brand developed by Gordon Cook, Carla Enslin. Kira Erwin and Patrick Carmody (How healthy is your brand; Cook, G, Erwin, K, Carmody, P, Enslin, C). By comparing Darling Brew to these criteria, it will help in determining if Darling Brew is a healthy brand. The seven criteria to value a healthy brand against are the following: 1. Does the brand have a particular and meaningful purpose? The reason that the Darling Brew brand exists is because owners Kevin and Philippa Wood found that there was an opportunity in the contemporary brand space in the beer market, which they took full advantage of.
17
Therefore, the purpose of the Darling Brew brand was to fill a gap in the market for a beer product that is unique, contemporary and full of passion, innovation, integrity and a ‘make it happen’ attitude (Wood, K; 2013). These are the values of the brand that define the purpose. The deep-rooted passion and dedication of both owners makes Darling Brew’s purpose so meaningful. 2. Is the brand purpose served in all that the brand does? The purpose of the Darling Brew brand was to deliver a unique product within an already small market. In order for Darling Brew to be a healthy brand against this criterion, the brand would need to live “primarily through its purpose, rather than its form” (How healthy is your brand; Cook, G, Erwin, K, Carmody, P, Enslin, C). Darling Brew lives through its purpose by conducting business according to their values. Darling Brew is passionate about the brand itself and the species that inspire each of their beers, they are innovative in their flavours and design, they show integrity by being transparent and giving their brand a personality and their ‘make it happen’ attitude is shown through hard work and determination. 3. Does the brand have a distinctive identity? Although Darling Brew is not the only brewery offering a craft beer, the brand does have a distinctive identity, the identity of a ‘slow lifestyle’. Slow Beer is not only the name of Darling Brew’s first beer; it also refers to the fermentation process of their products and is built in the brand’s philosophy. (Darling Brew – Our Story; 2013) This is unique and is a differentiator to other craft beers in South Africa. The Darling Brew Slow Quarter reflects the identity of ‘slow beer’ by offering a relaxed environment to take your time to sip on each beer and savour the tastes. 4. Is the brand an engaging, authentic and coherent communicator? As mentioned before, Darling Brew is often present at many festivals and markets around South Africa. This gives the brand a chance to directly communicate and engage with one of their key stakeholders, their consumers. This is also true for the Darling Brew Slow Quarter. However, even without direct engagement, the brand still manages to communicate effectively with consumers, even when just buying a bottle of the beer. The labels of the beer offer information about the different species that were used as inspiration, which allows consumers to engage with an aspect of the brand that is meaningful to them. All forms of communication and contact points from the brand are consistent, embodying the slow lifestyle and contemporary offering of the brand.
18
5. Does the brand add value to the lives of people? A healthy brand meets and satisfies needs and wants by adding value to the lives of people (How healthy is your brand; Cook, G, Erwin, K, Carmody, P, Enslin, C). Darling Brew offers products that are rich in high standard ingredients and meets and satisfies the needs and wants of consumers by offering a product that is promised by the Darling Brew brand and it’s slow lifestyle. 6. Does the brand build sustainable relationships by never taking more than it gives? Darling Brew recognise and acknowledge endangered species by using them as inspiration for their products, and the brand is actively involved in initiatatives to help endangered species, such as The Black Eagle Project. 7. Does the brand and business that underpins it demonstrate that profit is not a driver, but rather a consequence of the above? Darling Brew was one of the first craft beers in South Africa and has established a good name for itself in the industry. Owners of the brand aim to build the brand further in terms of aspiration and respect, according to co-owner Kevin Wood, and the one thing that he says keeps him motivated and challenged is his “passion for things that inspire.� From analysing these criteria against the Darling Brew brand, it is clear that Darling Brew is a healthy brand. The identity, positioning and analysis of the brand play a big part in creating an image around a brand and developing perceptions in consumers minds. Because the craft beer movement is still rapidly growing in South Africa, consumers have an open mind to the Darling Brew brand. It can be assumed that consumers see the brand as a local, successful brewery that is innovative in their designs and in their product offerings. The fact that the brand is inspired by species of the surrounding areas, the brand is given a sustainable edge that consumers will feel positively about. The brand appears to have a holistic business model. By having a positive image, the company has a major advantage, because if their reputation in the industry is good, consumers are more likely to forgive small slip-ups from the company (The Power of Industrial Brands; Page 35). Darling Brew has those positive feelings and perceptions.
19
2
Once the relationship has developed over time, it may need time and effort invested to build a strong foundation.
Group Assignment - Tania Perdikis, Catherine Smith, Roberto Gallotta, Elizabeth Crockett Brief – Apply a Marketing Metrics Analysis to a South African brand of your choice. eLabel is an exciting brand that is going to have a huge impact on the way companies reveal product information to consumers. This is the main reason we chose to analyse eLabel’s marketing metrics as it would allow valuable insight into how new companies plan and develop their metrics and measurements.
21
eLabel is a mobile application developed in South Africa, which aims to give consumers a platform to make informed decisions on the purchases they make based on the impact a product has on the environment, as well as providing information pertaining to the product’s life cycle. The eLabel application also acts as a social platform and network where information can be shared among the public, with only registered users being allowed to post information. The objective of eLabel is not to expose bad or unethical practices of brands, but rather to rightfully inform consumers about brand practices. The founders of eLabel are successful industry workers who are innovative and dedicated to what they do. They invest a lot of their time into creating a successful business, which is transparent and has a clear and specific purpose, making it a new, fresh and exciting company to analyse. Philosophy in Measuring Marketing Spend (Finance in Brand Building Module Manual; Pages 166 – 172)
“
eLabel’s overall philosophy in measuring their return to marketing spend is that without daily
capturing and analysing the effectiveness of their marketing, their business model would fail.
”
Therefore, funds and resources need to be readily available to adjust their marketing accordingly.
eLabel’s philosophy on measuring their marketing spend is one of being able to generate enough money to be able to constantly broaden their research. This makes the way that eLabel approach their marketing of high importance and value to the company. Research is their main form of attracting consumers and forms the basis of their marketing, which is directly related to the spend needed to give consumers power in their decision making by providing factual, reliable and up to date research. There are many metrics that can be used to measure marketing spend, however, only the ones that were most applicable to eLabel were applied.
Heavy Usage This metric is based on the theory that the more consumers use a brand, the more exposure it gets. Therefore, the more that consumers use the eLabel mobile application, the more exposure the brand will get. For the purpose of measuring marketing, the more scans that are made with the eLabel application, the more information they can add to their database, which increases their opportunities to sell information to brands. More exposure will also lead to other companies seeking to advertise on the application. With that, eLabel will be able to gain revenue sales through advertising on their site and application.
22
Baseline Sales Baseline Sales is equal to total sales, minus incremental sales. The purpose of baseline sales is to determine the extent to which current sales are independent of specific marketing efforts. This allows eLabel to estimate the amount of money they need to spend on marketing. Since eLabel is a new company to the market, they need the advantage of being able to financially benchmark themselves in order to be successful.
Incremental Sales This metric is important as it gives a percentage of how much more popular the brand will become after the launch and publishing of marketing. With the launch of a television advertisement, which eLabel itself is launching to the market, the company can measure on a daily basis how much the application is being downloaded and can therefore see if the advertisement has been successful. This measurement of exposure to marketing will not only be applicable to the company’s television advertisement. eLabel has structured their business model around the free exposure they will receive for revealing the hard hitting information about products, therefore, will be able to see which articles generate the most downloads of the application.
Market Penetration eLabel is a new brand, which makes it important for the brand to measure its market penetration. Market penetration reveals how well the brand has been accepted by an outlined target audience. The statistics for downloads of the application alone wouldn’t be sufficient for measuring the popularity of the application, but actual measurement of the usage by those who have downloaded it, will. This specifically refers to those who are scanning the barcodes of products. Market Penetration metrics will give eLabel an average of how many times customers have used the application, and will tell eLabel how well the application has been accepted by a consumer.
Learning Curve The learning curve as a metric is important for eLabel to measure their marketing against as it allows for the company to put a strategic marketing plan in place, which will allow for circulation of interesting, relevant and evolving branding. With eLabel being a new brand, their advertisements and marketing plan need to evolve with their customers. Their initial advertising aims at explaining what eLabel does, moving on to how to download the application, then how to use it , all while keeping it relevant and interesting with continuous exposure. In order to remain relevant and to gain exposure in popular media, eLabel needs to pace the rate at which high profile information is revealed. This will keep the brand in the media on a constant, steady basis, while remaining relevant.
23
Impressions An impression is measured by multiplying reach by frequency and is generated every time a consumer views an advertisement. It is important to know this metric because it will allow eLabel to measure the reach and frequency of their advertising channels. Depending on whether eLabel choose to focus on reach or frequency, the impressions measurement will be affected. This will give eLabel an idea of how much awareness is being created by an advertisement, which is what their main aim is in the beginning stages of their marketing campaign. However, impressions do not allow for quality of viewings and only give a glimpse into an advertisements effect. Further ways of measuring reach and frequency should be taken to measure effectiveness.
Effective Frequency Effective frequency is measured by the number of times consumers need to see or hear an advertisement in order to register the message. Marketers usually consider an effective frequency of three times. Effective frequency will help eLabel in trading the risk of over-spending on marketing against the risk of failing to achieve the desired impact.
Click Through Rate A Click through Rate measures and records the number of clicks an advertisement receives as a fraction of the number of impressions the advertisement makes. Even though the click through rate is an interactive measure of advertising online, the clicks only represent a step towards an advertisement and will not give eLabel accurate results on the impact of their online advertising.
Net Reach Net reach measures the number or percentage of people who receive at least one advertisement message from a brand. It works together with frequency. Because of the nature of eLabel, they could get a lot of free advertising coverage in newspapers, on websites and through word of mouth, as when facts about brands are exposed, consumers will talk about the brand. Having articles written about eLabel in magazines, and discussions on social networks are effective ways for creating awareness for the brand.
Page Views Page views are a metric that measure the impact of a company’s website, and show how popular the website is. Knowing the amount of times a page is viewed, could indicate to a company what elements on the website are positively received, and what elements are not, allowing the relevant changes to be made. In the case of eLabel, their whole company is Web and Internet based, which makes their website extremely important, as that is where most of their target market reach them.
24
Online brand effectiveness is easier to measure than other forms of media as data can be recorded as to how long and which marketing was viewed and used. However, this does present other challenges. The challenges of measuring online brand effectiveness and marketing spend include: •
Little face to face interaction between eLabel and their consumers. The challenge in moving forward with the brand would be finding out what products the consumer would want to be informed about.
•
Without knowledge about what products consumers will use in the future, eLabel could be at risk of wasting time and money on products that there isn’t a demand to scan.
•
Currently what separates a brand and a company is that a brand has a relationship with their consumers. This occurs when the client can communicate just as easily with the brand as the brand can communicate with the consumer. Therefore, problems, solutions and product dissatisfaction can be easily discussed and resolved with the consumer playing a meaningful and integral part. However, in the case of this company providing a mobile application, which provides information, it is challenging for eLabel to measure how effective the information they are supplying is for their target audience.
•
The knowledge that eLabel supplies and the money they pay for research will only be worth their while and become sustainable if the relevant information reaches the consumers. eLabel is limited in its target audience as only those who are convinced to download the application can make use of it. This is a challenge to the marketing effectiveness because it has created limitations on accessibility, which in turn creates limitations on popularity and on the overall success of the company.
•
eLabel has been approached by various brands asking for their paid approval. This is a challenge for the marketing effectiveness and spend of the company as it is an easy solution to receive money and exposure. However, in order for eLabel to maintain their standard of being an authority of providing factual information, the brand needs to maintain that the truth will be revealed about any and every product on the market, and that the approval of eLabel can’t be bought.
For eLabel to be effective for consumers, the company needs get every brand and/or shop to have their information available to consumers on the mobile application. eLabel hopes to reach this goal in the near future, in order to significantly impact the value of not only the eLabel brand, but also brands that offered to have their information available on eLabel. Being an online mobile application will become a significant part in eLabel’s advantages in brand measurement practices because of the vast range of technologies that can be used to measure the brand’s value.
25
Individual Assignment Brief – Conduct a Logistical Analysis on a South African company to analyse the different processes and management of logistics.
27
EWC Express was established in 1989 and is one of the leading logistics companies in Southern Africa. They offer comprehensive logistic services locally and globally. EWC Express have agents and offices in all the major centres in Southern Africa and through their global network associations, they cover over 120 countries including the UK, Germany, Australia and the USA. EWC Express is also one of the few companies operating in South Africa that have their own In-Transit Courier facilities at OR Tambo International Airport. This allows EWC Express clients to see where their packages are without incurring additional costs. Along with these facilities, EWC use advanced technology and software to offer their clients and business partners a “secure and rewarding experience”.
EWC Express Distribution Channel
EWC Express
Client/Customer
Final Destination
Third Party Logistics Specialists
EWC Express does not have a large distribution channel and therefore, channel participants are limited. The channel participants included in EWC Express’ direct distribution channel are: •
EWC Express – EWC Express mainly collect and deliver packages using their own transport means and employees.
•
Third Party Logistics Specialists – EWC Express sometimes make use of a third party company. This happens when only their outlining services are required.
•
Clients/Customers – Clients make use of EWC Express services to deliver goods to a final destination. Clients in this regard are also customers.
•
The final destination – This channel participant is the last one in EWC Express’ distribution channel because the product or package is now no longer in control of EWC Express.
EWC Express mainly utilises a direct distribution channel. Due to the fact that EWC Express does not produce or manufacture products, a traditional distribution channel does not apply and the four characteristics of services, namely intangibility, inseparability of production and consumption, perishability and heterogeneity, must be taken into consideration.
28
EWC Express collects goods themselves and then delivers the goods to the final destination. EWC Express may also use contractor drivers to help and assist with collection and delivery.
Looking After the Environment EWC is part of the Imperial Logistics Group, who is the leader in the Green Logistics Initiative. Imperial Logistics support the Triple Bottom Line Theory. This theory incorporates three dimensions of performance, which are social, environmental and financial. (Indiana Business Review; 2011) EWC Express therefore takes into consideration their ecological footprint, taking responsibility for their environmental impact. EWC Express initiates sustainability awareness within all their branches. They encourage recycling and ensure that their waste is well managed through reverse logistics, which consists of the activities of a product or service after the point of sale. The ultimate goal is to make more efficient aftermarket activities, which will save money and environmental resources. (Reverse Logistics Association; 2012)
Performance Audit The objectives of logistics are 1) to minimise total costs and 2) to maximise customer service. (Distribution Management; Page 167) Customer service is one of EWC Express’ key business strategies. The company aims to ensure and enhance the satisfaction customers have with their service. Through various ways of conducting business, EWC Express has managed to cut delivery times while saving costs. Advanced Technology EWC use only state of the art advanced technology, which offers customers and business partners 24/7 access to a secure logistics experience. Technology that EWC Express utilise includes: •
Parcel Track & Trace – This allows customers to track parcels live online with a full audit trail from the supplier, through EWC Express hubs and then onto the recipient.
•
In-House Freight Management system – EWC Express use the Parcel Perfect™ freight management software, which provides accurate reporting models to all of EWC Express’ customers.
•
Document Imaging – EWC Express put all document images online to be available to all consumers, but only once the consignment has been delivered.
•
Freight Report Analysis – All control reports are custom written to fulfill the customer’s specific requirements.(EWC Express; 2011)
29
All these technological functions allow EWC Express to give the best service to customers. Delivery times are cut due to accurate tracing of products and by EWC Express’ quick resolution decisions and constant feedback to their customers. EWC Express, as a leading logistics company, therefore meets the objectives of logistics because they are able to minimise costs by using online services and advanced technology and giving customers increased and impressive customer service. A true reflection of the performance level of EWC Express can be seen through the commitment of one of EWC Express’ major clients, The EMI Group, which is the fourth largest business group and family of record labels in the music and movie industry. EMI wanted to reduce the waiting time for delivery of their music products to customers in rural and outlying areas because some of the customers in these areas had to wait a week to two weeks for delivery. EMI approached EWC Express because of their Just-in-Time delivery promise, which ensured that if someone ordered before 2pm, the order would be delivered the next day. EWC Express now distributes between 70% and 75% of products for the music industry, based on sales of CDs and DVDs to most music shops and distributors in the Southern African region. EWC also distribute to and supply all video shops in the domestic market (The African Business Journal; 2012). By looking at EWC Express’ competitive advantages in the industry, performance is seen to be strong for the brand. The key concept for creating a competitive advantage is that each process with a company’s supply chain should add value to a product by improving quality and keeping costs competitive. EWC Express strives to create a competitive advantage through superior product quality, reliability of services, competitive and market related pricing, up to date technology, waste minimising and excellent customer service. The information that is shared up and down EWC Express’ supply chain ensures effective implementation of the value-adding processing and is a key role to attain a competitive edge that all companies look for.
Strong and Weak Links in the Supply Chain and Logistics System The following links have shown to be of great value to both EWC Express and their clients, and can be considered the strong links within the system: •
EWC Express is an Imperial owned company, therefore they have access to a vast amount of resources and information that may add value to their products.
•
A strong presence of IT and Information sharing up and down the supply chain.
•
Efficient, diligent and friendly Customer Service Agents.
•
Sales, Operations and CSD Integration and synergy between these departments.
•
Trained, dedicated and professional staff members on all levels and training in key areas to ensure continuous skill development.
30
A constant area of improvement for EWC Express is to ensure the smooth operation and integration between different departments, and because depots play such a large role in the ultimate value of the service, constant research needs to be done in the most effective ways to integrate key areas in a way that would benefit each department and will optimise these processes.
Channel Powers and Conflicts Suppliers EWC Express rely on suppliers, but they may not live up to the necessary KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators), as their lead times may vary and they can often make errors on orders, which can cause delays in the system. Third Parties EWC Express often use third party logistics companies and much like the suppliers, they may not live up to the necessary KPI’s and their rates might change unexpectedly or become too high, which could lead customers and clients to become dissatisfied. Clients Clients may require a more convenient way of tracking and tracing freight, constant enquiring on rates or quotations and handling queries.
Strategic Recommendations for EWC Express •
Information integration plays an important role in channel coordination and can eliminate conflict between different channel members as well as promote synergy within the supply chain.
•
Better communication with and from third parties can eliminate unexpected price changes.
•
Introduce a Code of Conduct with suppliers to ensure that they don’t vary lead times and don’t make errors.
•
Introduce a way for potential clients to see rates and get quotations.
•
Become a complete e-Business to position EWC Express as an innovative logistics company in the industry.
•
Introduce distribution centres into the logistics system.
31
Even though so much effort can be invested in a relationship, sometimes and
3
often, there is a point where you may need to work even harder to keep the relationship strong. It may be smooth sailing after a while, or it could lead to a breaking point.
Group Assigment - Tania Perdikis, Julienne Clohessy, Matt Williams, Megan Cozens, Lailah Achmat Jakoet. Chwayita Metele, Jurina Nkwazi Brand Challege 2013
33
Part of the Brand Challenge process involves establishing an agency identity for your group. our agency was Williams & Co.
Agency Blueprint Essence Success Values Taking bold risks, Accountability, Keen intelligence Personality Ballsy, Focused, Calculated Mantra Play to win Vision Williams & Co will be the front of mind agency that brands will want to be associated with, and that agencies will aspire to be. Positioning Statement To open-minded brands, Williams & Co is a craft agency that provides top-tier creative outcomes by always questioning the rules and believing its better to win big, rather than to lose small. Story Williams & Co originated when one man and six women were grouped together to form a team of skilled creative and strategic individuals. Our name is a play on that of the male-dominated advertising agencies of the 1950’s; Matt Williams being the only man in our team. Our name, alongside the fact that we are female-dominated collective, represents the irony of our agency. Brand Promise Williams & Co promises an experience of complete dedication to the brands that we work with. While we take risks, we ensure our clients are in accountable hands and that the trust they put in us will provide top-tier outcomes.
34
“
Women24 approached Williams & Co with the aim to re-launch and reposition the brand. With the
repositioning, Women24 aim to target a younger audience with the focus being on local females. The
”
brand also wish to increase direct traffic to their website and to increase the amount of female readers on the site.
To begin with, we conducted in-depth primary and secondary research.
Secondary Research OBJECTIVES: •
To gain an in-depth look into the industry, the stakeholders and the competitors.
•
To analyse the brand and the current brand identity.
The secondary research process Included a full situational analysis consisting of the following: •
PESTEL Analysis
•
SWOT Analysis
•
Key Stakeholder Analysis
•
Competitor Analysis
•
Brand Analysis
•
Content Analysis
Primary Research OBJECTIVES: •
To establish what the need is for a female-orientated digital product. Are women visiting female community sites? What content are women interested in reading about?
•
To establish the current brand awareness of Women24.
•
To establish what other female-orientated sites women are visiting.
•
To establish what platform is most popular when visiting Websites and Social Media.
Research Methodology We conducted Qualitative and Quantitative Primary Research. Qualitative User Testing: 3 participants User testing of the website was conducted to see how the target audience engaged with the site and how they could navigate around the site. Qualitative Focus Groups: 4 Focus Groups of 8 participants (32 total) 2 groups included black, white and coloured females. The other 2 groups were separated into white females and black females.
35
The focus groups allowed us to gain valuable, honest insights into what topics women are interested in. It also allowed us to show comparative visual images of Women24 and their competitors so that the focus group members could tell us what they thought of the Women24 site, as well as what they liked about the competitors sites. Online Survey: Sample size: 150 respondents A qualitative and quantitative online survey was conducted. This was mainly directed at the younger, female demographic, as this is whom Women24 would like to target. It also included the demographic of 40 and over. The surveys were done through an online platform as this was the most efficient way to get them out and it is also efficient for the respondents filling out the survey.
Key Findings From our research data we can establish that: •
Between the ages of 24 and 50, there is brand awareness. However, in the 18 to 23 years age group, more respondents were unaware of Women24.
•
The most frequently visited female-orientated websites are Women’s Health and All4Women.
•
Across all age groups, the use of female-orientated community websites is low. We feel there may also be confusion towards the category definition as respondents mentioned online magazine sites.
•
Among the younger demographic of ages 18 – 29, PCs/Laptops and Smartphones are used the most to access Internet and Social Media. We also found that Application downloads are popular.
Key Issues •
How can we make the content more relevant to increase our proposed target audience, while still retaining the current users?
•
How can we increase category and brand awareness for Women24 within our proposed target audience?
•
How can we make Women24’s visual and brand identity more appealing to the proposed target audience?
S.M.A.R.T Objectives •
To produce content that is more relevant to the proposed target audience at the start of implementation in April 2014.
•
To increase brand awareness from 53% unaware to 80% brand recall among 18-26 year olds within 9 months.
36
A large part of the strategy was to develop a Content Strategy as one of the key insights was that the current content was not appealing to the proposed Target Audience. This was a part of Brand Challenge that I was significantly involved in.
Content Categories It is important to understand who the target audience is, what actions you want them to take and what information they need in order to feel confident in taking action. We have identified a proposed Target Audience for the re-launch and reposition of Women24. From the secondary and primary research, it was clear that the content navigation panel needed to be adjusted. Because there is a wide range of topics and sub-topics, the sub-navigation bar proved it did not enhance a positive user experience. As a result, we have introduced a drop down menu to show the sub-topics of each separate topic. Apart from the drop down menu, there are some other changes we felt that needed to be implemented: •
Remove the Women24 forum, as it is not being utilised effectively.
•
Do not use pop up advertisements.
•
Remove the Cartoons in the Wellness section. This section did not feature on the analytics and therefore it was clear that readers were not engaging with it.
•
Remove “Tools” from Bride24 or have an option to download it.
•
Remove the parenting forum as the last post was a year ago. This also takes you off the Women24 site.
•
In the drop down menu, always place the Experts link at the end.
•
Remove the letters section. If someone writes an interesting letter, rather turn it into an article.
•
If linking out of Women24, link the page to a new tab so that the audience can easily go back to the Women24 site.
Content Writers Women24 have an expert panel that writes content that is trustworthy and reliable. Women24 want to target a younger audience and through our focus groups, the target audience told us they want content that speaks to them directly and that understands what they deal with on a daily basis. A proposed solution would be to utilise young, female aspiring writers to produce content for Women24 on a freelance basis. These younger writers understand the target audience and will be able to produce content that the Target Audience can relate to. Apart from introducing younger females onto the contributing team, another proposed content strategy would be to introduce video tutorials onto the site as opposed to funny videos that were found from external sources. These video tutorials could be filmed in-house by the contributors of Women24 to share their insights and advice with the readers. They could also bring in external experts, for example, a fitness coach that gives a tutorial for a 10 minute exercise to get toned arms.
37
Search Engine Optimisation Women24’s product is their website and with all websites, one of the main objectives is to make sure the website is optimised for search engines. Doing this it will allow a site to be a top result when the target audience search for content. 1. The first port of call is to conduct keyword research. This will give insight into what phrases your target audience search for. From our focus groups, the target audience explained that when looking for tips and advice, they search for How To articles and online tutorials. There are many video tutorials available on the Internet, however, Women24 will need to insert the right keywords and key phrases into the coding in order for the site to be optimised. It is important to take note that Women24 need to write for their readers and not just for search engines. The relevant title tags and descriptions need to be implemented in the html coding to further enhance SEO. 2. Avoid Flash as search engines struggle to crawl and index Flash. If the advertising is in flash format, this may affect the sites SEO. 3. Post new content continuously so that the website is always updated. We suggest at least 25 articles a day, but content must not be repeated, as this will decrease the SEO of the site. 4. The actual structure of a site’s content will enhance SEO as well. <h1> heading tags will define headings on your page and <h2>’s define your subheadings and so on. Use <b> tags to define bolder and more important text. These structural changes will enhance SEO. 5. Linking URL’s to other sites will increase SEO. Linking to popular local, female run blogs will add credibility to the Women24 site. Should our proposed website be implemented by Women24, SEO specialists should be able to implement the necessary strategies and look deeper into what needs to be done in order for the website to be optimised for search engines.
Concept & Executions The concept that was created by the creative team to communicate the strategy for the brand was “No Woman is Perfect”. An explanation of this concept is that being the everyday perfect woman is an impossible feat, but Women24 will give you the insight to get you pretty close. The two executions that were the most positively received by the clients was a competition to get more young, female writers to become a part of the Women24 team, and a complete Website and Mobisite redesign, as well as a design proposal for a Women24 Mobile Application.
38
Competition WHAT? The competition will be advertised on radio, the website and social media pages. The competition is for aspiring, young, female writers between the ages of 18-25. RADIO CHANNELS 5FM: Monday 6h00 – 9h00 and 15h00 – 17h00, Wed 6h00 – 9h00 and 15h00 – 17h00 and Saturday 10h00 – 14h00 (twice a day) Entertainment for the South African youth. Listenership: 3 197 000 listeners overall. 603 000 are black and white females between the ages of 18 to 35 years. Facebook: 187 000 likes Twitter: 310 092 followers Metro FM: Monday 9h00 – 12h00 and 21h00 – 00h00, Wednesday 9h00 – 12h00 and 21h00 – 00h00 and Saturday 9h00 – 12h00 and 15h00 – 18h00 (twice a day) South Africa’s number 1 urban radio station Listenership: 6 123 000 listeners. 1 584 000 are black and white females between the ages of 18 to 35 years. Facebook: 231 474 likes Twitter: 104 192 followers WHY? To produce relevant content for the target audience To create brand awareness To drive traffic to the website and social media platforms WHERE? Competition entered through the Women24 website Social Media Radio
39
HOW WILL THE COMPETITION WORK? •
The competition will be advertised with a radio spot and suggested posts on Facebook linking to a Facebook tab page explaining the competition.
•
Entrants need to choose between any one of the Women24 categories. This part of the competition will bring direct traffic to the website. When a category has been selected, they need to write an insightful article on any topic relating to that category. The article needs to be between 250 and 300 words.
•
Entrants send articles in through the competitions tab on the website.
•
Women24 will publish their chosen top 12 articles. Once these articles have been published, entrants need to get as many views on their article as they can through Facebook and Twitter.
•
After two weeks, the 12 articles will be narrowed down to the 6 articles with the highest views.
•
Women24 experts and editor will determine the top 3 winners.
•
Prize: The top 3 win a 1 Year paid freelance contributor position at Women24.
WEBSITE The executions and redesign for the Website was an area that I was significantly involved in, but because it communicated the strategy so well, I felt it appropriate to place them in my portfolio.
40
41
42
Once the campaign has been implemented, this is how we would hope the Target Audience would think, feel and do about Women24. THINK Layout and Visual Identity is appealing, clean, clear, professional and inviting Women24 is current and relevant Brand is focused and has a clear identity FEEL They can relate They can gain a sense of positivity Women24 can be trusted They are getting content that helps them in their daily lives They are connected to the brand DO Visit the Website and Mobisite Download the Mobile Application Engage with the brand and be a part of the community.
43
If the relationship lasts through the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;power struggleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, then it becomes easier and you
4
learn more about who you are, not only from yourself, but also from the relationship. This is where the real journey starts.
“You Never Know”
Creative Development - Individual Assignment Brief – Create a personal manifesto and transform the manifesto into a public display. The manifesto must be explained in a rationale and have your own Ten Commandments about the manifesto.
45
Personal Manifesto I believe that risk and taking chances produce more results than trusting in fate. You never know what can happen when you take a risk. You Never Know. These three words are a phrase that has become a personal mantra, and a message that should be spread, told, spoken about, and should influence people to take life into their own hands. Why trust the universe to decide your fate? Who says the universe is on your side? Decide and create your own fate. These three words require certain attitudes, behaviours and mindsets. Bravery is vital and it can lead to a choice being made that may be completely out of character. •
Always stay positive
•
Always believe that something good will come
•
Don’t be discouraged when negativity creeps in
•
Do or say what YOUR gut feeling tells you and not anyone else’s
•
Don’t be afraid of the outcome
•
Accept the outcome
•
Encourage yourself to make choices out of character. They will only give strength, not weakness
•
Accept the people that may appear, and trust they have come into your life for a reason
•
Pass on the belief
•
Encourage the belief
•
Don’t doubt yourself and your decisions
Part of the brief required a public intervention to bring the manifesto to life. I made a public cellphone available encouraging people to let someone know how they feel about them. The intervention required the message to not be anonymous as that would defeat the point.
46
Intervention encouragement poster
47
References
Darling Brew B2B International. (Unknown). The Power of Industrial Brands. Available: http://www.b2binternational.com/ assets/ebooks/industrial_brands/03_power_of_industrial_brands.pdf. Last accessed 4th May 2013. Kotler, P and KL, Keller (2009). Marketing Management. 13th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 280 and 284. Olsson, Sandru, A, C, 2006. The Brand Proposition. Bachelor Thesis. Sweden: Luleå University of Technology. Sapa. (2013). SA set to bubble over with new beer. Available: http://www.fin24.com/Economy/SA-set-tobubble-over-with-new-beer-20130428. Last accessed 4th May 2013. Unknown. (2013). Beer Bread. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_bread. Last accessed 4th May 2013. Unknown. (2013). What is ‘outside-in’ Marketing?. Available: http://www.outsideinmarketing.co.uk/what_ is_outside_in_marketing.php. Last accessed 4th May 2013.
eLabel (Paul W. Farris; Neil T. Bendle; Phillip E. Pfeifer; David J. Reibstein. (2006). Reach, Net Reach, and Frequency. Available: http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/sales-and-marketing/0131873709/advertising-mediaand-web-metrics/ch09lev1sec4. Last accessed 8th October 2012.) Davidov, P. (2012). What is the “share of voice” metric in media marketing in. Available: http://blog.onyxos.com/what-is-the-share-of-voice-metric/. Last accessed 8th October 2012 (Paul W. Farris; Neil T. Bendle; Phillip E. Pfeifer; David J. Reibstein. (2006). Reach, Net Reach, and Frequency) Kipp Bodnar. (2012). 21 Internet Marketing Stats That Will Blow Your Mind .Available: http://blog. hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33328/21-Internet-Marketing-Stats-That-Will-Blow-Your-Mind. aspx#ixzz28jykXGZN. Last accessed 8th October 2012.
EWC Express Strydom, JW, Grove, T, van Heerden, CH, Net, D, Botma, C. Distribution Management. Van Schaik Publishers. Pretoria (2005). Pages 22-23, 24, 180-182, 199. Timothy F. Slapper, Tanya J. Hall. (2011). The Triple Bottom Line: What Is It and How Does It Work? Available: http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/ibr/2011/spring/article2.html. Last Accessed 19th October 2012
50
Unknown. (2012). 4 Important methods of Qualitative Forecasting. Available: http://www.preservearticles. com/2012051832355/4-important-methods-of-qualitative-forecasting-techniques.html. Last accessed 19th October 2012 Unknown. (2012). 7 Analysis and Models of Quantitative Forecasting Techniques. Available: http://www. preservearticles.com/2012051832356/7-analysis-and-models--of-quantitative-forecasting-techniques. html. Last accessed 19th October 2012 Unknown. (2012). Delivering on a Promise. Available: http://www.tabj.co.za/logistics/ewc.html. Last accessed 19th October 2012 Unknown. (2012). What is Reverse Logistics? Available: http://reverselogistics.com/reverse-logistics.php. Last accessed 19th October 2012
Brand Challenge - Women24 Aaker, D (2000). Brand Leadership. New York: The Free Press. 1-351. Belter, L (2010). The Nuts â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Bolts of Media Planning: A Comprehensive Industry Guide. South Africa: AMASA. p1-511. Numier, M (2006). The Brand Gap. Berkeley: New Rider. 1-194. Aaker, D (2000). Brand Leadership. New York: The Free Press. 1-351. Anon. (2013). Infographic: How To Do Keyword Research For SEO. Available: http://searchengineland. com/infographic-how-to-do-keyword-research-for-seo-134202. Last accessed 9 September 2013. Richard Darell. (2013). 10 Simple Ways To Quickly Improve SEO Rankings [Infographic]. Available: http:// www.bitrebels.com/technology/10-simple-ways-to-quickly-improve-seo-rankings-infographic/. Last accessed 19 August 2013. South Africa. Info. 2012e. Broad-based black economic empowerment act. Pretoria: government printer. http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=68031 19 August 2013
51
Contact Details taniaperdikis@gmail.com 073 334 7601 / 021 686 0381 www.facebook.com/tperdikis
53