Thoughts in Industry

Having a Systems Mindset Can Build Your Brand
Elizebeth Croeser
Industry

Having a Systems Mindset Can Build Your Brand

2020 has placed our interconnectedness and interdependency under the microscope. What we see under this magnified view is how even the most seemingly minuscule individual actions form part of larger experiences, which in turn creates collective circumstances and, in some cases, global impact – a notion we are all well acquainted with by now. There is an acute awareness of the systems and structures we are a part of, whether by choice or by organisational, societal or political design.

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Brand Activism: A Key Element for Brand Strategies
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

Brand Activism: A Key Element for Brand Strategies

For any businesses to successfully introduce itself to the market, it has to develop a well-thought-out brand strategy, which delineates how the brand will present itself to the market both visually and narratively. From time immemorial, branding has been about how the business wants to be perceived, and it has been about generating leads and establishing a relationship with consumers so that they can eventually become loyal advocates of that brand.

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Opportunism or Fair Play: Excessive Pricing During a Global Pandemic
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

Opportunism or Fair Play: Excessive Pricing During a Global Pandemic

As most of us know, a relationship faces its greatest challenge when the environment within which it exists is hit by tragedy and uncertainty. The current COVID-19 crisis is posing a challenge to your relationship with both your prospective and loyal customers. 2020 is most certainly the year that your brand promises and value propositions are being put to the test in an unprecedented way; your response is being carefully monitored.

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Re-imagining Storytelling
Elizebeth Croeser
Industry

Re-imagining Storytelling

Some of the stories we told ourselves three months ago have had to be rescripted. These days, you are probably writing new stories daily. If you said to yourself that you simply cannot start a new week without that tall latte from your favourite coffee spot on your way to work, well, that story has now likely become one where you are your own barista.

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Marketing During Chaos and Crisis
Elizebeth Croeser
Industry

Marketing During Chaos and Crisis

Jeremey Gutsche from Trendhunter describes chaos as a state that presents new opportunities, but that only happens when we get out of a crisis disposition. By the time you read this, South Africa will be within the incremental lifting of a five-week lockdown. This might be different if you find yourself confined in other parts of the continent or the globe.

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Remote Working – Does It Work?
Kelebogile Motswatswa
Industry

Remote Working – Does It Work?

Creative agencies are no strangers to remote working and flexible work schedules. Most creative agencies have a workforce that comprises full-time employers and remote freelancers. Interestingly enough, there are still some creative agencies that are reluctant to explore remote working as an option for their employees; this is due to the stigmas surrounding remote work and the mistrust that most managers have regarding on-time delivery and productivity.

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Exploring the Rise of the Podcasts with Mashudu Modau
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

Exploring the Rise of the Podcasts with Mashudu Modau

Over the past couple of years, podcasts have been growing in popularity as more and more content creators realise the increasing need for content on-demand. There is a podcast for almost everything under the sun and most people have that must-listen-to podcast that they’re recommending to friends and relatives. Whether it’s about romance, politics, business or mental wellness, there is a podcast for everyone.

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What the Hype is Going On?
Kelebogile Motswatswa
Industry

What the Hype is Going On?

Supreme is a well-known American streetwear brand that is “a cultural phenomenon built on hype”. The brand is much-celebrated even here in South Africa, despite not having a single store in the country. Supreme is valued at $1 billion, with only 11 retail stores worldwide. So, how does a brand like Supreme make such an inconceivable profit and amass so great a following from something as abstract and unquantifiable as hype?

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So, What’s the Big Deal About Trends?
Elizebeth Croeser
Industry

So, What’s the Big Deal About Trends?

The notion of trends has been around for over a decade but hashtags, famous futurists and trend talks and conferences have gained rapid popularity in the past ten years. So, what’s the big deal? Is it something worth taking notice of or is it just another short-lived sensation equal to one-hit-wonder and overpriced vegan ‘meat’? Moreover, how can brands benefit from practices such as trend research, analysis, forecasting?

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The Psychology of Christmas Marketing
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

The Psychology of Christmas Marketing

Nostalgia is a powerful marketing force and brands are fully aware of people’s sentiments regarding the festive season and Christmas; they set up campaigns to convince consumers that their products are what they need to have a fulfilling festive season. In order for you to gain the consumer’s attention during the festive season, you have to appeal to the memories and emotions that are associated with the time of year.

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The Politicisation of the Internet
Kelebogile Motswatswa
Industry

The Politicisation of the Internet

The internet is a powerful global resource that connects and empowers us. It contributes immensely to our personal, professional and intellectual development by making it easy for us to access and disseminate a plethora of information. More than giving us access to unfettered knowledge, the internet is a gateway to platforms for voicing our opinions regarding global and local socio-political issues and decrying systems that are oppressive.

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Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Subliminal Messaging
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Subliminal Messaging

Subliminal messaging has been viewed with much suspicion since the concept surfaced in 1957. Over the years, studies have revealed that people can consume information that influences their decisions and actions without being aware of the fact that their perception is being manipulated. Do brands and political organisations really use subliminal messaging and, if so, how effective is it as an advertising technique or a tool to push a certain agenda?

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There’s Life Beyond LSMs
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

There’s Life Beyond LSMs

There are various ways to perform market segmentation. For a very long time, the most common segmentation tool was the Living Standards Measure (LSM), which has now lost its weight as a solid market segmentation tool. Since South African consumers are multi-dimensional and ever-evolving, most marketers will agree that behavioural and psychographic market segmentation approaches are the most relevant way to group consumers and gauge which customers will resonate the most with your brand.

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Understanding the Actual Impact of Branding Part 3: Brand Consistency
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

Understanding the Actual Impact of Branding Part 3: Brand Consistency

The work of building a brand is continuous and does not necessarily stop at a particular point or stage. Your brand must be hard to miss, customers must encounter it in everything related to your company that they can see, read, hear and, if possible, feel. It is important to ensure that the brand’s personality, voice and message are in sync and incorporated into the content. The same uniformity needs to be applied across all marketing mediums.

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Creating Content that Stimulates Customers’ Minds
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

Creating Content that Stimulates Customers’ Minds

Every single brand is competing not only for market sales but also for the consumer’s attention. An essential step is building a sustainable content strategy that will work like a well-oiled machine. Besides having a streamlined content plan and a well-thought-out editorial calendar, businesses have to ensure that the content they create is thought-provoking, informative and empowering.

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Understanding the Actual Impact of Branding Part 2: Personality
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

Understanding the Actual Impact of Branding Part 2: Personality

Your brand has a unique personality; therefore, it is important that you highlight the strengths and values of your brand, and establish what sets you apart in a saturated market place. The work of building a brand does not stop at a specific step. For as long as you want to have a thriving and memorable brand, you need to understand that the work of brand building is continuous.

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Understanding the Actual Impact of Branding Part 1
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

Understanding the Actual Impact of Branding Part 1

Many of us probably believe that we have a sound understanding of branding; what a brand is and how it functions or should function. In this article, Kaitoma’s managing director, Paul Moeng, briefly outlines what a brand actually is and discusses the importance of building a brand that will garner and maintain loyalty and support from customers, clients and consumers.

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Tips on What We Look for When Hiring
Lerato Matu
Industry

Tips on What We Look for When Hiring

After many years of intense, sleepless nights you finally have your degree or diploma! Yay?! Or not?! It’s time to look for employment. With our current unemployment rates, that can be a nerve-wracking experience. You’ve sent a few CVs and perhaps even attended a couple interviews here and there, with no luck.

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Our Origins and the Future
Kaitoma Creatives
Industry

Our Origins and the Future

Paul acknowledges that being a student and a freelancer was tough, especially when it came to getting work. It taught him quite a number of valuable lessons. “It wasn’t easy at first, but it gave me some much needed exposure in terms of clients. Sometimes I would lose clients based on the fact that I was a freelancer and still using public transport”, Paul reveals.

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