MULTIFACETED

Issue 01 • 2014

//MULTIFACETED//

2 • Designfreebies Magazine • www.designfreebies.org

FEATURES

04 MY CURRENCY

BUSINESS

22 MARKETING METRICS The Kartal Distribution Group

16 BRAND BUILDING STRATEGIES Kiehl’s

LIFESTYLE

14 SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS Social Media & Me

ENTERTAINMENT

06 BRAND CHALLENGE CAPE TOWN CITY BALLET

Designfreebies Magazine • www.designfreebies.org • 3

Tertiary Education Vega School Of Brand Leadership 2011-current Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration In Brand Building and Management

WORK EXPERIENCE:

October 2010-January 2011Organisation: Boomtown Strategic Brand AgencyPosition held: Junior Account Executive (Marketing Internship).

January 2012- PresentOrganisation: Head Honcho Lifestyle GroupPosition held: Brand Ambassador + Social Media Marketer.

April 2013- PresentOrganisation: Instant GrassPosition Held: Consumer Collaborator (Grass) + Scribe.

November 2013- PresentOrganisation: COCOPosition held: Hostess + Social Media Marketer.

REFERENCES:

1.Nick Kaoma079 964 [email protected] Honcho Lifestyle group

2.Luvuyo Bangazi 041 364 0180MD-Boomtown Strategic Brand Agency.

3.Sanele Mawisa021 425 [email protected] Manager-Instant Grass

4.Liyanda Balintulo072 673 [email protected] Manager- COCO

FROM THE EDITOR

Values:

• Family

• Ambition

• Honesty

• Stability (personal, professional & financial)

• Knowledge

• Respect

• Dreaming

• Growth

• Emotional maturity

• Culture

• Heritage

Vision:

To become a citizen of the world, never losing the passion to do, know

and experience more; in all aspects of life.

Mission statement:

To facilitate strong and lasting brand solutions through research

and cross-disciplinary action focused on maximizing both client and

agency satisfaction.

Essence: Multi-faceted brand solutionist enabling collaboration.

Positioning statement:

For dynamic design thinking agencies, Azola Mona offers a varied skill

set to optimize client service management through collaboration,

innovation and dedication while constantly cultivating market knowl-

edgeability.

Message:

Delivering brand solutions by bringing digital and customer relation-

ships together through teamwork-orientated and innovative conversa-

tionalism.


The brief given to us was that we had to design a form of currency that reflects your family’s history and heritage. I then chose to use my family’s upbringing dating back to my great-grand parents (both my mothers and fathers side) Both have a history character-ized by a farming/self sufficient background. I decided to use this as the main design elements of the currency note.

The front of the note is a picture of my paternal grandmother who played a large role in my upbringing. There is also a chain that symbolizes the unity that we have as a family. As well as the Xhosa coat of arms which depicts my cultural background. The district of the currency as well as the name of the currency are derived from

MY CURRENCY

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

MY CURRENCY

PROJECT

2012

Inspirations:personal identityfamilycultureheritagemy upbringingearth/earthy tonesclan name


The note has a picture of my grandmother who played a large role in my upbringing.

my clan names- which you adopt from your fathers side of the family. I chose to make a note worth a R100 to show the 100% commitment and dedica-tion I have to my family as well as the pride I have of who I am, where I came from and the people that have worked hard in order to afford me the life and oppurtunities I have and live now.

On the back of the note I used a picture of a cow slaughtering ceremony we had over June 2012

holidays in honour and rememberance of my paternal grandfather. I took this picture myself and it stands as a visual symbol of the amount of cultur-al heritage we still hold dear to us and still cher-ish. I chose to use Xhosa inspired elements in the currency note as well: such as the dotted texture cre-ated by the finger print background. This stands as a synmbol to the calamine or painted the dots that are worn as a form a tra-ditional face painting that Xhosa women and men

wear in certain patterns to symbolize certain things but also worn for aestheti-cal purposes.


BRAND CHALLLENGE

CAPE TOWN CITY BALLET

2014

STUDIO, ONLY.

BRAND CHALLENGE CAPE TOWN CITY BALLET

Who We Are

At Studio, only. we understand that our

clients have worked tirelessly in creating

a brand designed for the benefit of the

public. We know what their brand means to

them. It’s their pride and joy – their Mona

Lisa. We as an agency see every brand for

what it should be – a priceless work of art.

Our clients’ ideas in themselves, even if not

on display, are as much a work of art as a

finished piece.

What We Stand For

Like the curators in an awe-inspiring

gallery, each brand that Studio, only. is

involved with is handled with great admi-

ration andcare, the way one handles a

priceless piece of art. We see the brand not

for what it is but for what it could be and

assist our clients in an ever transcending

world, ensuring that their company and

brands will always be relevant no mat-

ter how much times change. We not only

produce the work, we curate it, combining

pieces and architecturally placing them in

such a way to complement its true value. In

other words we determine what will work

best with and for the brand, from where

it should be placed, to how it should be

translated. Our wisdom is derived from the

past’s elegance, however we keep our eyes

fixed on the contemporary of the future.

This ensures, without a doubt, that the

brand never loses its sole meaning but

rather transcends through time.

What Differentiates Us

Studio, only. admires the art and creative

attributes that influence us as an agency

and the work we take on. We do not only

want to use our creative input to solve the

problems our clients brief us with, but we

aspire to expand and display our creative

input within the blank space we provide.

We remind ourselves of those artists and

influences that have carved our vision to

create and establish brands we involve

ourselves with – and we aim to exhibit

their extraordinary capabilities. At Studio,

only. we recognise that one cannot have

an established brand without emotion and

one certainly cannot have it on display

without architecture. In order to ensure

a brand remains relevant, we utilise this

concept at the core of our agency.

Ideation Approach

At Studio, only. we aim to create synergy

between the client’s vision and our cre-

ative input. We strive for admiration by our

personal influences as well as our cliental.

We therefore provide a space to articulate

our concepts through a visionary experi-

ence. Extensive research and raw material

or data is essential in immersing ourselves

in the cliental briefing issued to us as

an agency. By digesting the information

and by working it over in our minds on

a holistic level, we are able to move the

information from our subconscious, to veri-

fication and practical usefulness – forever

asking ourselves “What difference have we

made?”

Brand Positioning Statement

Studio, only. is a Cape Town based agency

that delivers an emotionally driven, yet

architecturally structured brand building

approach that provides culturally-centered

brands with alternative and perspectively

different results.


Introduction to the Brief

The Cape Town City Ballet approached our

agency with a brief that has three different

components, namely:

1. Present a critical analysis of the total

brand experience with specific reference

to the brand identity and

communication.

2. Propose a generic strategy to reach a

new audience with particular emphasis on

the age group of 15-30.

3. Apply the first two points in the promo-

tion of The Nutcracker.

In order to execute this brief, a zero-based

situational and brand analysis will now be

conducted.

Industry Analysis

Introduction

An industry analysis can be used as a tool

to complete learning and research objec-

tives, in order to ascertain opportunities

and threats that exist for organisations

and companies within a certain competi-

tive environment. A conclusive industrial

analysis should be able to provide an

overall appreciation of how the various

forces operating in an industry create or

limit the chances for survival. This is an

industry analysis of the creative industry in

South Africa, focusing on the dance activi-

ties, namely ballet, in the performing arts

sub-sector, especially in the Western Cape.

Industry Overview

The South African creative industry is a

lively and growing sector of the economy.

It is multi-dimensional in nature and

combines developmental, cultural, eco-

nomic and social activities. It is large in

size and cuts across key sectors of the

economy and is considered as both a pub-

lic good and a service in global trade.

The creative industry is composed of 6

main sub-sectors:

• Film (television, photography, video,

broadcasting)

• Crafts (traditional art, designer goods,

craft art, functional wares and souvenirs)

• Music (classical, popular, folklore)

• Performing Arts (theatre, dance, opera,

live music)

• Visual Arts (painting, sculpture, public

arts and the decorative arts)

• Cross-cutting sectors (i.e. cultural tour-

ism; and the cultural heritage sector)

(Creative South Africa, 1998).

The creative industry makes use of creativ-

ity as a primary input to produce market-

able value-added products and services.

The outputs of the creative industry are

tangible or intangible products and ser-

vices with creative based content, market

objectives, as well as social and economic

value. South Africa’s creative industry is

valued at R7.4 billion, with more than

100 000 people employed within music,

film and television (Labour Market Review,

2012).

Sub-Sector Overview: Performing Arts

The performing arts sector deals with the-

atre, dance, orchestra, opera, and music the-

atre to various multimedia performances

and musical forms (Research Consortium,

2008). The core activities of this sector

include the production and presentation of

performances in theatres. The sector con-

sists of three types of activities:

1. Music

2. Drama

3. Dance

As the smallest sub-sector, the performing

arts make up around 19% of the creative

industry (Create SA, 2003). Many of the

companies in this sub-sector are generally

small with a few companies having staff

made up of twenty people at the most.

According to research conducted by the

Performing Arts Network of South Africa

(PANSA) in 2005, there are hundreds of

theatres in South Africa, which on average

offer 35 shows per annum. Half of these

theatres are privately owned; with the

Government supporting 30% and the

remaining 20% is located within educa-

tional institutions. The performing arts

role in the industry is globally and locally

still being developed, with very little data

existing in this regard. The performing arts

sub-sector, at optimal performance, has the

potential to generate additional foreign

revenue through tourists, donor and inter-

national corporate funding. Additionally,

exposure to the performing arts can help

to equip its workforce to better participate

in the economy, improve levels of customer

service, as well as increase creativity levels.

Performing arts has particularly been iden-

tified as a tool that has the capability to

improve the educational performance of

youth at risk (Labour Market Review, 2012).

Activity Overview: Dance

Professional dance and movement arts

in South Africa have gone through many

changes in recent years to arrive at their

current position in the sector. The trans-

formation of the Performing Arts Councils

(PACs) after the publication of the White

Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage in

1996 has left lasting scars on the sector

(PANSA, 2005). Over the last few years

private dance companies, stemming from

the remains of the companies that were

state funded before 1996 have started to

emerge. Dance is a relatively small sector

in the country with limited employment

opportunities that are provided by a small

number of companies. This is the case

even though South Africa is well respected

internationally for its dancers and chore-

ographers. Compared to many other arts

practices, the commercial industry of the

performing arts is also small and artisti-

cally limited. There is evidence to suggest

that performing arts audiences are declin-

ing and in the dance world, concern that

contemporary dance is particularly affect-

ed. In general, dance artists undertake the

highest number of years of training of all

artists but tend to earn reasonably low

incomes (PANSA, 2005).

(Creative Industries Sector Report, 2008)


Issues Facing the Dance Industry Today

Issue 1

Film and multimedia are growing strongly,

which can positively affect dance through

the provision of new arts media and

audiences. Due to the fact that dance trans-

lates well into multi-platforms of technol-

ogy and presentation; the non-verbal and

non-linear nature of dance means there is

great distribution potential in the digital

environment, public space installations and

the use of other non-traditional spaces,

which then all have the potential to increase

the marketability of dance as a performing

arts activity.

Issue 2

South African dancers are highly trained,

passionate about their craft and have

achieved significant international recog-

nition, however the sector is leaking tal-

ent because it cannot domestically sustain

careers.

Issue 3

Community dance is a growing area of

practice. There is a growing recognition of

conditions for effective community dance

work. The practice includes but is more

complex than the idea of audience develop-

ment. The recognition that dance as a sector

activity, is more community based than any

other art form has therefore opened up the

pathway to use youth or community

dance initiatives as a stepping stone into

the industry.

Issue 4

With such a small network generally weak

resourced organisations within the sector

have very limited employment opportuni-

ties and most work is generally on short-

term contracts. The danger, then, is that the

various companies are almost forced to be

in competition rather than working together,

which creates a gap in the industry that

becomes counter-productive.

Issue 5

The pressure on finding funding for agen-

cies leads to many initiatives being under-

resourced. (Creative Industries Sector

Report, 2008).

Dance in the Western Cape

Infrastructure and Facilities

Depending on the company or institu-

tion, facilities range from privately owned

buildings catering for part-time students

to publicly funded institutions such as the

ARTSCAPE, then to community halls. Private

companies usually have their own studio

spaces and equip them as per their needs,

both for educational purposes, which most

companies engage in as a form of generat-

ing more income to sustain their businesses,

and for performances.

Education and Training

UCT’s Ballet School is one of three ballet

schools training professionals in the coun-

try, the other two being Pretoria Technikon

and Pro Arte in Johannesburg. There are,

however many private schools providing

training in ballet, and in fact, there is a

belief that this market is over-saturated.

Due to the fact that UCT Ballet School is one

of a few institutions where ballet can be

learned, it tends to attract many applicants.

Although there is also a general view within

the dance community that the standards at

the nstitution have declined over the last

number of years, largely due to poor man-

agement, leadership and little international

benchmarking and input. There are also

private dance schools in the province that

cover contemporary, classical, Indian, Latin

American and ballroom dancing. Many of

these dance schools cater for the recre-

ational dance or the keep-fit markets. There

are also institutions, such as the Waterfront

Theatre School, which trains performers who

dance, sing and act as the demand for the

“triple threat” performer is increasing with

the rising number of international musical

productions heading to South Africa. With

regards to dance teachers providing dance

education at school level in the industry, the

Western Cape is one of the leading

provinces – there are also seven schools in

the province that offer dance as a matricula-

tion subject.

Employment

The fact that there is very little consistent

employment for professional dancers is

one of the major problems in the dance

industry. The professional life of a dancer

is relatively short, with not many dancers

continuing their profession beyond the age

of 35. In the Western Cape, there are two

professional companies that employ danc-

ers on at least yearlong contracts. These are

namely the Cape Town City Ballet Company

and Jazzart Dance Theatre, a contemporary

dance company. Between them, these com-

panies employ about fifty dancers at any

one time. Other companies tend to employ

dancers for particular projects or seasons.

Although there is much dance education,

there is very limited opportunity for sustain-

able employment in the industry. Numerous

dancers who are trained in different prov-

inces often opt to leave for Gauteng where

there is much more work and advancement

opportunities for dancers, with chances of

employment in corporate theatre presenta-

tions and ad hoc projects. Those dancers

who choose to stay in the Western Cape

tend to go into education. So this means

that the dance industry is one that is able

to focus on, and generate income primar-

ily throughtraining dancers. Dancers who

freelance stand to earn substantially more

than their contracted counterparts. These

dancers then audition for the international

musicals that come to the country, part take

in long running productions that are hosted

at places like Sun City, do corporate work

and even entertain on cruise ships. Even

for the more serious contemporary dancers

and choreographers in the country, working

in Europe has become the primary way in

which they earn their living.

Income

Principal dancers in the local companies

earn between R2200 and R7000 per month.

Creative industry sub-sectors like dance

provide some indication of the uniqueness

of this sector i.e. that many participants in

the sector do what they do because of a

love or passion for the form, rather than

because it represents a good career choice

with great prospects for advancement or

income (Cultural Industries, Arts, Culture and

Creative Arts First paper, 2005).

The Perception and Category Awareness of

Ballet within South Africa

Ballet is very Eurocentric within South

Africa, in the sense that most of the ballet


community consists of Caucasians. Al

Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa has stated that, “Ballet

in South Africa is still predominantly white

– partly because the lessons are expensive.

There are only a few black professional

ballet dancers” (Ballet20, 2014). Not many

other demographics seem to have been

exposed to the art or have not been emo-

tionally driven enough to get involved.

Facebook likes: 1528 (Age group: 25-34)

There has been a fair amount of activity on

the Cape Town City Ballet’s Facebook page

– however there are not as many Facebook

‘likes’ that would be expected with regards

to the company, being as prestigious as it is.

The age group is within the borders of the

wanted target audience, however an even

younger audience interest would be ideal.

Ballet in South Africa has had a genuine

impact on international dancers and chore-

ographers, however we feel that it may be

more spoken about internationally than

here in South Africa. A lot of choreogra-

phers have taken the opportunity to come to

South Africa to teach the kids in underprivi-

leged communities, as well as collaborate

with established dance companies, such as

the Cape Town City Ballet. This proves

that ballet within South Africa is respected

by external parties, and therefore could

become a respected and appreciated art

form within the country’s market. The Cape

Town City Ballet is a company or brand that

operates in the dance sub-sector within the

performing arts sector in South Africa. With

regards to category awareness or need, it

can be concluded that people within the

given target audience are aware of the cat-

egory and of ballet as an art form. Looking

to the results of the survey conducted, gen-

erally people’s perception of ballet is a posi-

tive one, however, people within this country

are not entirely aware of how ballet is rep-

resented in the market and why they should

be intrigued by the art form. Concern stems

from the fact that ballet is not accessible

enough within South Africa and people are

not tempted to immerse themselves within

the brand’s that represent it. Therefore cat-

egory awareness is not the issue facing the

Cape Town City Ballet, the issue is rather

that of brand awareness.

Conclusion

In conclusion there are key challenges in

the development of the sector, namely the

financial limitations, but there are interna-

tional and national trends that favour the

creative industries. Through collaboration,

the international ballet world has begun

to align itself with the more contemporary

sub-sectors within the creative industries.

For example:

New York City Ballet

New York City Ballet announced fashion col-

laborations for its Fall Gala 2014 where four

of the five scheduled ballets will be danced

with new costumes designed by a host of

fashion’s most celebrated talents. Alongside

Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth

(featuring costumes designed by Valentino

in 2012), this year’s pairings will include:

• Peter Martins‘ Morgen with new costumes

by fashion icon Carolina Herrera.

• Liam Scarlett‘s new work in partnership

with Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen.

• Troy Schumacher‘s NYCB main-stage cho-

reographic debut featuring costumes by

New York-based designer Thom

Browne.

• Justin Peck‘s world premiere in collabo-

ration with London-based designer Mary

Katrantzou.

The 2014 Fall Gala will be co-chaired by

Cindy Chao, Marianne Lake, Jennifer and Trey

Laird and Sarah Jessica Parker, and looks

to be a spectacular display of the world’s

finest dancers and designers. Another New

York City Ballet collaborative effort is the

launch of their Art Series, which commis-

sions contemporary artists to create original

works of art inspired by the companies’

unique energy, spectacular dancers, and

one-of-a-kind repertory of ballets. New York

City Ballet has worked with leading and

emerging artists throughout the Company’s

history - like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and

Julian Schnabel. Recently the Art Series has

partnered with Brooklyn-based artists FAILE

for the 2013 inaugural year, and JR for year

two (New York City, 2014).

Diablo Ballet

After encouraging writers and bloggers in

the audience of one of their ballet’s to dis-

creetly live tweet their reactions, the tech-

happy Diablo Ballet Troupe has taken their

crowdsourcing initiatves to the internet, by

creating the worlds first “web ballet”.

Using seven ideas for setting, mood and

subject matter gleaned from among 132

suggestions by social media (Facebook &

Twitter) users from around the world, rising

choreographer and Diablo Ballet dancer

Robert Dekkers crafted “The Flight of the

Dodo,” a 10-minute tribute to the extinct

bird set to a Vivaldi concerto. The company

posted rehearsal videos of the ballet on

their YouTube page prior to its premiere

promoting the social media/web themed

collaboration from beginning to end. This

collaborative idea not only created a major

buzz in the ballet world but also inspired a

pair of students at the KTH Royal Institute of

Technology in Stockholm, who made it the

subject of a thesis exploring media technol-

ogy in the dance world (Diablo Ballet, 2014).

English National Ballet

In line with its recent rebranding, the

English National Ballet collaborated with

fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, with a

campaign that showcased the dancers wear-

ing the labels creations. The campaign was

featured in fashion magazines with the

imagery centred on the celebration of a

fusion between tradition and modernity. The

rebranding also featured a new logo, new

production imagery and a website, as the

English National Ballet strives to champion

ballet as a historic art form, while making it

contemporary, accessible and relevant

(English National Ballet, 2014). The afore-

mentioned examples thus prove that now

is the appropriate time to create a collab-

orative environment that will inspire the

development and promotion of this sector

and reap the economic and social rewards.


VEGA HEALTHY

BRAND AUDIT

CTCB

The Healthy Brand Audit

In order to conduct a healthy brand audit,

seven variables need to be critically

assessed within the context of the busi-

ness and its practices. The Cape Town City

Ballet is a non-profit organisation operating

as a section 21 company (Cape Town City

Ballet, 2014). The fact that the company is a

not for profit organisation and how this as

impacted the way that they operate, within

the seven brand audit variables, will be

assessed.

1. Does the Brand Have a Particular

and Meaningful Purpose?

A brand’s purpose captures its rea-

son to exist. In order for a brand

to be considered healthy it needs

to a have a clear andspecific pur-

pose that ideally includes a value

set. The brand’s purpose should

guide the company’s brand build-

ing efforts, define its relationships

with its stakeholders and assert its

position in the marketplace. The

driving force of the brand is its pur-

pose. The purpose lives at the heart

of a brand’s identity and steers all

its actions (Cook et al, 2010). look-

ing at the Cape Town City Ballet,

their purpose is one in the same

as their brand promise. This is the

case as it encapsulates exactly what

the brand is about at its core, as

well as describing what it aims to achieve

through its existence. The Cape Town City

Ballet brand promise is worded as fol-

lows, “Delivering unique, world-class dance

entertainment through integrity, creativ-

ity and excellence” (Cape Town City Ballet,

2014). This purpose is both particular and

meaningful, as it explicitly describes what

the company stands for, as well as defin-

ing how they strive to achieve it. The Cape

Town City Ballet’s purpose is particular and

meaningful as it readily defines what they,

as a company, want to achieve through

their existence. The Cape Town City Ballet

blatantly states that their purpose is to

deliverbeautiful dance in a respected man-

ner. The fact that the Cape Town City Ballet

has a particular and meaningful purpose,

contributes positively towards the health of

the brand. This is due to the fact that with-

out a clear purpose, a brand does not a have

a real reason to exist.

2. Is the Brand Purpose Served in All that the

Brand Does?

In order for a brand’s purpose to be served

in all that it does, a holistic brand manage-

ment and leadership approach is needed.

The brand’s behaviour and practices will

either enable or disable the realisation of its

purpose. A healthy brand will implement its

purpose throughout its entire value chain

and within all of its stakeholder relation-

ships. A brand’s credibility relies on the

delivery of its brand promise (Cook et al,

2010). The Cape Town City Ballet attempts

to live their purpose in everything that they

do, to the best of their ability. The purpose

is to, “Deliver unique, world-class dance

entertainment through integrity, creativ-

ity and excellence” (Cape Town City Ballet,

2014).They achieve their purpose through

the well put together performances show-

cased by their dancers. Although the com-

pany does in fact live its purpose, this is

notcommunicated effectively to external

stakeholders. Internal stakeholders, such as

the dancers, are aware of what the brand’s

purpose is and how they need to behave

in order to achieve their purpose. External

stakeholders, however, are not aware of how

the brand carries out its purpose, other than

the obvious work of the danc-

ers. This therefore means that the

brand is not transparent. The fact

that internally the brand lives its

promise is a plus with regards

to brand health. However, to the

external stakeholders of the Cape

Town City Ballet it is not clear how

the brand lives its promise, due to

the lack of clear communication of

the brand’s message. This aspect

negatively influences the health

of thebrand and represents a great

worry for the company.

3. Does the brand have a unique

identity?

A brand is unique when it has a

powerful reason to exist. It prom-

ises and time and again delivers

in ways unlike other brands. The

foundation to good brand health

is a specific reason to exist. A brand’s identi-

ty is stronger and healthier when it is one of

a kind (Cook et al, 2010). At this present time

the Cape Town City Ballet’s identity simply

consists of their logo and business practice.

Due to the fact that the company does not

presently see themselves as a brand or a

branded entity, a complete formal identity

is lacking in some crucial areas. This makes

it difficult to judge whether they in fact

possesses a unique identity or not. However,

this variable can be examined from the

viewpoint of what the brand stands for,

which is at the heart of any brand identity.


As mentioned above, the Cape Town City

Ballet does have a unique purpose and

therefore it can be said that they hold a

unique position within the marketplace. The

fact that the company is essentially one of

the only professional ballet companies in

South Africa, inherently implies that if a

formal brand identity were to be developed

for them, that it would be one of a kind. The

fact that the Cape Town Ballet is currently

lacking a well-defined brand identity, does

negatively impact the health of the brand.

This problem, however, can be easily solved

through the creation of an identity system,

4. Is the brand an engaging, authentic, and

coherent communicator?

Effective communication exists when

shared meaning is created, which is a condi-

tion of good brand health when a brand’s

communications are honest and represent

the delivered brand experience. In order for

a brand to be an engaging communicator,

it needs to engage on every level of design

and communication. Lastly, for a brand to

be considered a coherent communicator it

needs to ensure that a single-minded brand

promise and message is conveyed (Cook et

al, 2010). The Cape Town City Ballet does not

engage in much external communication or

traditional advertising. The majority of their

external communication revolves around

the advertisement of their upcoming shows.

The posters depicting the performances

have a rather generic feel and have not

moved forward with the times. This issue is

a major contributor to the fact that the Cape

Town City Ballet, as a brand, does not neces-

sarily create shared meaning. Other forms

of communication include Facebook and

Twitter pages, which are updated regularly,

which is a positive for the brand.

5. Does the brand add value to the lives of

people?

A brand is considered to be healthy when it

satisfies the wants and needs of people, and

thereby adds value to their lives. This value

should be rooted in the brand’s promise, as

well as all of its business practices (Cook et

al, 2010). The Cape Town City Ballet is suc-

cessful in adding value to the lives of people,

purely through the fact that the company is

one of the only traditional ballet schools

in South Africa. There are people within

this country that treasure the art form, and

therefore the existence of the company adds

value to the lives of those people. However,

the true meaning of this value with regards

to brand health is not entirely positive. Yes,

the Cape Town City Ballet as a brand does

satisfy the needs and wants of people and

does therefore add value to people lives,

however the amount of people may not be

significant. The fact remains that the ballet,

and the two other traditional arts forms, are

dying out within South Africa. Young people

and people without access to the ballet are

not interested in the art form and, therefore,

the existence of this brand does not satisfy

any need for the majority of people within

this country. This fact negatively impacts

the health of the Cape Town City Ballet, as

its existence is not satisfying the needs or

wants of a significant amount of people.

However, a slight brand reposition may

solve this problem and gain the attention of

more people within South Africa. It has been

said that the existence of the traditional art

forms is beneficial to people and by getting

more people interested in ballet, the Cape

Town City Ballet will then be adding value

to a greater number of people’s lives.

6. Does the brand build sustainable relation-

ships by never taking more than it gives?

In order for a brand to be considered sus-

tainable, it needs to meet the needs of the

present without compromising the possible

needs of the future. With regards to brand

health, sustainability is considered to be a

holistic concept. This means that the con-

cept of sustainability must be central to all

the design and practices within the brand’s

value chain (Cook et al, 2010).

The Cape Town City Ballet is a not for profit

organisation, which means that the com-

pany will inherently build sustainable rela-

tionships. The fact that the company is one

of the only companies within South Africa

that promotes and actively strives to build

a traditional art form, lends itself to the fact

that the company will always strive to build

sustainable relationships. This is the case,

as the Cape Town City Ballet needs sponsor-

ships to survive and therefore cannot take

more than it gives. The company revolves

around the love of dance of all internal

stakeholders, with this fact driving the com-

pany rather than a pursuit of profit. This

stance ensures that the internal workings of

the company will not attempt to exploit the

external stakeholder groups. The Cape Town

City Ballet truly does strive to build sustain-

able relationships with all of its stakehold-

ers, as all stakeholder groups are needed

to ensure the survival of the company. As a

result, the brand is considered to be healthy

from a sustainability point of view.

7. Does the brand and the business that

underpins it demonstrates that profit is not

the driver, but a consequence of all of the

above?

A healthy brand believes that its reason is

to exist, or its purpose, leads to business

practice and that any profit gained is a

consequence of, rather than a reason for,

this practice (Cook et al, 2010). The fact that

the Cape Town City Ballet is a not for profit

organisation, naturally suggests that the

company will view profit as a consequence,

rather than a driver of their particular prac-

tice. The company is passionate about ballet

and strives to get more people involved and

educated about the art form. The company

does not attempt to exploit any stakeholder

group, but rather makes an effort to enrich

each group’s lives through the art of bal-

let. The Cape Town City Ballet, as a brand,

is considered to be healthy with regards

to how the view profit. The company does

not let profit drive its purpose, but rather

acknowledges that profit, and in their case

sponsorship, is just a necessary factor to

keep their passion for ballet alive.

Conclusion

Cape Town City Ballet is a relatively healthy

brand. However, concerns arise

when it comes to how the brand’s message

is communicated to external stakeholder

groups. Although the brand can be consid-

ered relatively healthy, it is not conveying

its message effectively to people and this

hinders the strength of the brand. The Cape

Town City Ballet needs to be aware that

consumers have changed with time and

therefore the company needs to follow suit.

The company needs to re-evaluate their

message in accordance with whom they

would like the message to reach, and then

develop a communication strategy to reach

those people.


When a SWOT analysis is conducted within a business context, it

should ideally assist the company in solidifying a sustainable market

position (Mindtools, 2014). When analysing the Cape Town City Ballet,

the following strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats have

been identified:

The strengths within the Cape Town City Ballet include the

level of talent and the strong heritage. The level of talent

within the company are set at such a high calibre, that noth-

ing but absolute perfection is accepted from the dancers – therefore

the audiences are ensured that they are getting the best experience

possible. The company’s strong heritage has separated them from the

usual dance academies within South Africa, and has allowed their

company to maintain a prestigious presence.

The weaknesses that we have identified with regards to the

Cape Town City Ballet include the fact that the organisation

fails to identify itself as a brand, which therefore creates a gap

between the internal practical management of the company and the

brand message they want to convey overall. Subsequently, the lack of

a clear brand message negatively impacts the company as it there-

fore stunts the communication. The communication platforms of the

company are essentially ineffective, due to the lack of a clear brand

message to be conveyed. Overall, these above mentioned weaknesses

result in a low level of brand awareness for the company.

With regards to the opportunities facing the Cape Town City Ballet,

from an external point of view, the fact that there is a large,

untapped potential market that exists is a major opportunity.

There are many people within the South African market that are

not aware of the arts, especially ballet. This group of people repre-

sents a large market that the company can tap into, by engaging with

and educating them about the ballet. The company operates within

a prestigious and respected industry. This point can be exploited by

the Cape Town City Ballet, as people should automatically understand

that the art form inherently appealing.

The Cape Town City Ballet has had issues gaining sponsorship and

guidance from the external stakeholders. They have also has

trouble keeping up with the modern age entertainment com-

petitors. As there is a lack of performance infrastructure within

South Africa, and especially Cape Town, it is very difficult to expose

the talents of the dancers to the wider target audience. The lack of

accessibility to the ballet, has also forced a challenge amongst audi-

ence members and potential dancers to engage with the art form,

as well as to be financially capable of joining the ballet community.

Currently the Cape Town City Ballet is very Eurocentrically focused,

which results in a barrier between them and the majority of South

Africa’s ethnic groups.

In conclusion, the SWOT analysis of the Cape Town City Ballet has

highlighted that the company does possess great talent,however they

lack a clear brand message and effective communication mediums

and platforms to convey it.

Key Issues and SMART Objectives

The key issues developed from the SWOT analysis of the Cape Town

City Ballet

Key Issue 1: How can the Cape Town City Ballet increase their minimal

level of brand awareness, through the communication of a clear brand

message? At this moment in time the Cape Town City Ballet does not

have a well-defined or clear brand message, which is greatly

impacting their ability to build brand awareness. Currently the com-

pany possesses a 35% level of brand awareness.

Objective 1: To increase brand awareness by 45% for the Cape Town

City Ballet within the relevant stakeholder groups within the next 3

months.

Key Issue 2: How can the Cape Town City Ballet attract a larger

amount of sponsors?

Currently the Cape Town City ballet is lacking in sponsorship, which

is a threat to the company. Due to the fact that they are a non-profit

organisation, sponsorship is essential for the company’s survival. The

sponsors of the Cape Town City Ballet represent a key stakeholder

group for the company, and as mentioned previously, currently the

company is not communicating a clear brand message to any of the

stakeholder groups. This results in the current and potential sponsors

of the company not being entirely sure as to what the company stands

for, which could ultimately result in a fewer amount of sponsors.

Objective 2: To attract 2 large scale sponsors for the Cape Town City

Ballet, through thecommunication of their brand message, within the

next 3 months.

Key Issue 3: How can the Cape Town City Ballet amend their Euro-

Centric approach, in order to reach a multi-cultured audience?

The Cape Town City Ballet presently has a Euro-Centric approach,

which results in a degree of misalignment within the South African

market. South Africa consists of a large variety of ethnic groups, with

the minority being represented by Caucasians. . In order for the brand

to align themselves with the majority of people within South Africa,

this Euro-Centric approach will need to be amended.

Objective 3: To fuse the current approach of the Cape Town City Ballet

with the diverse culture of South Africa, in order to extend the reach

of the brand, within the next 3 months.

Key Issue 4: How can the Cape Town City Ballet align itself with cur-

rent, contemporary art forms?

Through the resolution of the first three identified key issues, the

Cape Town City Ballet should innately be able to gain attention

from a larger group of people. These people could include; potential

dancers, sponsors, audience members, and even management staff.

Currently, without the existence of a clear brand message, these

people do not understand exactly what the ballet stands for. By ensur-

ing that the company aligns itself with current and contemporary art

forms, this should result in a more attractive stakeholder experience.

Objective 4: To embed the Cape Town City Ballet alongside current

and contemporary art forms within Cape Town through collaborative

efforts, in order to attract a larger amount people within the

next 3 months.

S

W

O

T


trategic Proposal

Stemming from our research, we

propose a four phase strategic

solution for the Cape Town City

Ballet. These four phases take place one

after the other, with certain phases running

throughout. Below is a breakdown of the

timing structure for the campaign:

• Phase 1. Identity Implementation: 12

September and throughout.

• Phase 2. Pre-Launch: 15 September – 24

December.

• Phase 3. Campaign Rollout: 2 October – 24

December.

• Phase 4. Post Rollout: 12 January.

• Long-term strategic solution. New Moves

Outreach Program: to run throughout and

beyond the campaign.

The New Moves Campaign

New Moves is the name of the integrated

campaign developed for The Cape Town City

Ballet. It encompasses the company’s

renewed outlook to showcase ballet to the

City of Cape Town from a different perspec-

tive – stepping out of what is considered to

be the norm and moving into an unexpect-

ed light. New Moves revolves around the

company’s resolution to collaborate with

contemporary artists within the city and

their exploration into different platforms

where, the company can showcase ballet.

New Moves refers to the art form breaking

away from a possible mould; taking bal-

let out of its natural home-based podium

and moving the art into new territories and

domains. It is the shift from the traditional

platform and looks towards a fresh and new

direction in which to showcase ballet. The

campaign revolves around the idea of ballet

exploring new territories and expanding the

art within the community. It does not aim

to alter the core, traditions and technique

of ballet but simply aims to showcase the

Cape Town City Ballet’s versatility.

NEW MOVES CAMPAIGNS

CONTRIBUTORS:

ROXY GODDARD

DEMI HOLMWOOD

JASON LINTON

New Moves campaign poster.

First Thursdays Collabo-ration store front.

WES JANSE VAN RENSBURG

KARIN LOUW

DERYCK VAN WYK

CHANE KEYSER


ocial Media refers to the interac-

tion among people through the

creation, sharing and/or exchang-

ing of information and ideas in virtual

communities and networks.

With the great growth in technological

advancements and Internet based activ-

ity- companies are opting to have a bigger

presence and moving away from tradi-

tional media tools. This is done through

the process of gaining attention, website

traffic or attention through the use of

social media, also known as social media

marketing, which has taken the online

world by storm- globally as well as locally.

In the South African context there are spe-

cific leading social media networks that

have shown great actual and projected

growth over 2 years (2012-2014). Based

on research conducted by World Wide

Word and Fuseware.net there have been

some important trends and outcomes that

make it easier to understand the use of

social media in South Africa:

• Social media in SA has crossed

the age barrier, the rural/urban divide as

well as the relationship gap.

• The fastest growing age group

among Facebook users in SA is the over-

60 group; this reflects the extent to which

Facebook is going mainstream in the coun-

try.

• In 2012 Whatsapp became the

leading IM tool used among South Africans

aged 16 and over.

• The biggest twitter days of the

week in SA are:

• Monday with and average of 9.6

million tweets.

• Friday with 9.4 million tweets.

• Saturday with 8.4 million tweets.

• The number of single social

media users has grown faster than any

other relationship groups.

• Facebook is the biggest social

media network in South Africa, with 9.4

million active users.

• Mxit is the second social media

leader, with 6 million active users.

• Twitter has shown the biggest

percentage growth among the major

networks- with a 129% growth over 12

months.

• A large number of South Africans

SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS

S

CHANNEL

PLANNING

PROJECT

2013Social media trends in South Africa.


With the great growth in

technological advance-

ments and Internet based

activity- companies are

opting to have a bigger

presence and moving away

from traditional media

tools.”

are opting to use social networks on their mobile

phones with 85% of twitter users and 87% of Facebook

users logging on from their chosen mobile handsets.

• Social Media and instant messaging apps

have been dominant in smartphone and tablet down-

loads:

• Whatsapp = most popular downloaded app

in android, Windows & apple app stores

• Facebook= 2nd most popular for android &

windows, 2nd place going to instagram for Apple.

• There has been an intensified use of social

media by South African corporations with the major

brand use being:

• 98% for Facebook

• 79% for Twitter

• 58%for YouTube

• 46% for LinkedIn

• 28% for Pinterest

• Due to social media growth and popularity,

corporations are opting to use their own internal mar-

keting teams over outsourcing agencies.

• Social media as a business tool has been

acknowledged by most major companies and corpora-

tions, but with that said the south African social media

marketing industry is still learning to fully maximize

it’s potential.

The social media industry in South Africa has shown

growth and advancement to these levels mentioned

above due to the increased levels of awareness that

has erupted globally. People want to know what’s

happening, when it happens and why it happens. The

innovation and technological advances in the mobile

phone culture – have given people/brands/consumers

a constant and on the go platform to stay in touch.

This is evident in the percentages of people who log

on and utilize these social media applications from

their handsets or tablets.

As a young branding student in South Africa, I try to

keep my eyes and ears open on all accessible and rel-

evant social networks. This gives me the platform to

have continuous conversations with my peers, friends,

my favourite companies and brands not to mention

keep up to date current topics, especially with the

extremely convenient option of having these social

network applications with me on my phone. This

means that I’m constantly receiving and sending out

messages.

I am personally always using social networks such

as Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, iMessage, Facebook,

Tumblr, BBM and WeChat very frequently on the daily-

but these are not the only ones I have subscriptions to.

Based on the information gathered from this research

on social media trends in South Africa it can be said

that the outcome of these reports tallies up to be

very aligned with the manner in which I use my social

media applications.


iehl’s is an American cosmetics brand retailer that

specializes in making dermatologically recom-

mended natural solutions for hair, skin and body

care. Kiehl’s has a large stake in the international

cosmetics and grooming market- with over 250 retail stores

worldwide and

over 1000 points

of sale through

stocking in high-

end department

stores. (World Of

Kiehl’s, 2014)

Offering an array

of different prod-

ucts that cater to

the skin care needs

of both male and

female consum-

ers; Kiehl’s has not

only differentiated

itself from its competitors through their mainly unisex product

offering but also through it’s tailored customer service as well

as it’s rich heritage of authenticity and experience.

Established in 1851 as a New York apothecary and family busi-

ness, by John Kiehl’s, the brand places a large focus on the effi-

cacy of their products as well as the use of natural ingredients.

Kiehl’s has a strong commitment to giving back to the commu-

nities in which they operate. They do this through collaboration

and raising funds for various charity organizations.

According to Brassington and Petitt (2000) branding is “the

creation of a three dimensional character for a product, defined

in terms of name, packaging, colours, symbols etc., that helps to

differentiate it from its

competitors and helps

the customer to devel-

op a relationship with

product.” (Brassington

& Petitt, 2000, p. 1049)

This essay aims to

analyse and assess the

Kiehl’s brand holistical-

ly through a number of

effective brand building

and management strat-

egies and systems.

The first brand strat-

egy system that will

be used to analyse the

effectiveness of the Kiehl’s brand is its brand identity. Brand

identity can be described as the unique set of brand associa-

tions that a brand strategist aspires to create or maintain, in

essence how strategists want a to brand to be perceived. (Aaker,

1996) Aaker’s brand identity system primarily sees brand identi-

ty as consisting of 8-12 elements, which fall under four dimen-

sions: Brand as a Product, Brand as an Organization, Brand as a

Person and Brand as a Symbol.

BRAND BUILDING STRATEGIES

K

KIEHL’S- GLOBAL BRAND MOVING INTO LOCAL MARKET

BRAND STRATEGY ASSIGNMENT

2014


• Kiehl’s as a Product:

The Kiehl’s brand has a large product scope that consists of hair

and skin care products that are specially formulated to target

issues for all skin types, for both male and female users. They are

of high quality and value- and can be classified as being luxury

derma-cosmetic. Kiehl’s has evolved from its early pharmaceuti-

cal roots to now rely on modern scientific advancements and the

use of the finest natural ingredients in the formulation of their

products- with the packaging being clinical and containing phar-

maceutical terminology. Although it is now a global brand- Kiehl’s

prides itself on its New York apothecary.

• Kiehl’s as an Organization:

Kiehl’s does not believe in traditional advertising and rely heavily

on word of mouth advertising, either through their consumers or

through ambassadorship programmes. They also believe in a “try

before you buy” system where consumers are provided with sam-

ples to use before purchasing a certain product- this shows their

dedication to consumer satisfaction. The brand on a global scale is

trustworthy and fairly transparent but as a newly introduced brand

into the South African market there are issues of the brand being

particularly unknown.

• Kiehl’s as a Person:

The Kiehl’s brand can be described as having a personality that

is quirky, credible, trendy/ fashionable, approachable as well as

image and environmentally conscious. It places a large sense

of importance on brand-customer relationships this is echoed

through their tailored in-store customer service.

• Brand as a Symbol:

The Kiehl’s brand mascot is a skeleton in a lab coat known as “Mr.

Bones”. All brand visuals tend to be quirky and colorful, with store

layouts reflecting that of a New York apothecary. The brand highly

revers its family business orientated heritage and culture.

Along with understanding a brand’s identity it is important to

identify it’s positioning. This refers to the art and science of fitting

the product or service to one or more segments of the market in

such a way as to set it meaningfully apart from the competition. A

well-rounded positioning statement can be crafted using its brand

identity. There are four elements that are important to consider

when crafting a positioning statement; target audience, frame of

reference, benefit/point of difference and reason to believe. These

elements provide you with the demographic description of the

core group that the brand is intended to appeal to, the category in

which the brand competes, the most compelling benefit that the

brand can own in the consumers mind as well as the most con-

vincing proof that the brand delivers what it promises.

A brand positioning statement for Kiehl’s could be:

“For the self-aware and in tune individual, Kiehl’s is the truthful and just efficacious skin and hair care range, that uses clini-cally proven formulas to promote healthier and revitalized skin care among all luxury derma-cosmetic brands, through renewable and eternal qualities, making for better citi-zens, better firms and better communities”.

KIEHL’S BRAND IDENTITY


HEALTHY BRAND & CONTACT AUDIT

Taccessible to those who wish to find out more about the brand.

A well-rounded focus on all aspects of the brand, not just on the

aspects that they feel will propel people to feel positively about

the brand, needs to be readily available to consumers and any

other potential stakeholders. The Kiehl’s brand has many differ-

entiating factors from its competitor’s; these provide the brand

with a distinctive identity. Operating in a market that is cluttered

and competitive it is quite a feat for a brand to develop a strat-

egy that has such unique and meaningful aspects that in turn

help with creating an original and authentic experience for con-

sumers. Advertising primarily through word of mouth and having

a strong online presence, it gives the brand a better sense of

authenticity. The Kiehl’s brand also focuses a lot on their philan-

thropy, mainly collaborating with and engaging in charities that

deal with the environment, AIDS research and children.

Along with a strong brand identity, positioning and image a

brand’s portfolio needs to be strategically aligned in order to

have an overall healthy and strong brand. The Kiehl’s brand

portfolio consists of various skin and hair care products. They

are categorized by which part of the body they are for as well as

in terms of specific dermatological needs. They have an array of

products that fall under:

• Skin Care

• Body

• Men

• Hair

These are then further broken down into specific ranges/collec-

tions that cater to specific derma-cosmetic issues and ailments.

For the Kiehl’s brand a vertical brand extension would not be

practical, but there are many horizontal brand extensions, like

the Kiehl’s Men brand that has recently been launched.

A practical horizontal extension would be the introduction of a

Kiehl’s male teen range that will act as a supplement and boost-

er to the recently launched specialized Men’s range. The range

could consist of a moisturizer, face wash, acne cream, deodorant

and a beginner’s shaving pack (razor, shaving cream and after

shave). The range could be available at a slightly cheaper price

than the products aimed at the more mature customer. This

will then assist parents and teens to be more willing to buy the

products. It will also then act as the entry range into the Kiehl’s

products.

A Teen range would be ideal for the brand owing to the fact

teens are often the most image conscious consumers in terms

of personal image as well as brand image. Also the cosmetic

care needs of male teens are also significantly different to that

o have an optimally healthy brand, its brand identity

and image have to be as closely aligned as possible.

Brand image refers to how the brand is actually per-

ceived by all stakeholders. The Kiehl’s brand identity

and brand image relationship are closely aligned. In order for

a brand to be deemed healthy it needs to comply with several

variables (Cook et al., 2010). These variables include; does the

brand have a particular and meaningful purpose? Is the brand

purpose served in all the brand does? Does the brand have a

distinctive identity? Is the brand an engaging, authentic and

coherent communicator? Does the brand add value to the lives

of people? Does the brand build sustainable relationships by

giving more than it takes? And finally does the brand and busi-

ness that underpins it demonstrate that profit is not the driver

but a consequence of the above?

The Kiehl’s brand is able to provide value to their consumers

through a variety of dimensions, which can in some cases be

delivered in a unique manner. The try before you buy sampling

technique acts as an original channel for creating value. Kiehl’s

philanthropic approach to skin and hair care also aids in creat-

ing value in an original way. The in- store consultants who are

focused on tailored and informed customer service create value

through an original approach. The Kiehl’s deep family heritage

adds an original dimension and adds value through assuring

credibility. Although being somewhat transparent on the whole

there seems to be a sufficient lack of information when it comes

to trying to discover the entirety of Kiehl’s value chain. As a

sub-brand of L’Oreal, with it’s history of animal right violations,

the Kiehl’s brand could be slightly tainted. Also because Kiehl’s

chooses not to use any traditional media advertising it is vital

that there is relevant and transparent information that is easily

accessible to those who wish to find out more about the brand.

A well-rounded focus on all aspects of the brand, not just on the

aspects that they feel will propel people to feel positively about

the brand, needs to be readily available to consumers and any

other potential stakeholders. The Kiehl’s brand has many differ-

entiating factors from its competitor’s; these provide the brand

with a distinctive identity. Operating in a market that is cluttered

and competitive it is quite a feat for a brand to develop a strat-

egy that has such unique and meaningful aspects that in turn

help with creating an original and authentic experience for con-

sumers. Advertising primarily through word of mouth and having

a strong online presence, it gives the brand a better sense of

authenticity. The Kiehl’s brand also focuses a lot on their philan-

thropy, mainly collaborating with and engaging in charities that

deal with the environment, AIDS research and children.


of an adult and it is known that males

suffer from acne more often than women.

There are also currently very few compa-

nies that have developed skincare prod-

ucts solely for the teenage male, this

would then also provide the brand with

a comparative advantage to it’s main

competitors.

Along with launching new ranges, alter-

native brand contacts would be the most

ideal manner in which to increase brand

equity. Each and every point of contact is

designed and

implemented to deliver the brand pur-

pose, this can be measured through

Integrated Brand contact planning –

which consists of four layers of planning

and management:

Kiehl’s Brand Contact Inventory:

•Website

•Social media (twitter/facebook/insta-

gram)

•Kiehl’s stores/department stores

•Word of mouth (consumer to consumer)

•PR- events and ambassadorships

•Charity/CSI initiatives

•Online shopping

Kiehl’s Brand Contact Audit:

1. Kiehl’s stores/department stores

2. Word of mouth (consumer to consumer)

3. Website

4. Online shopping

5. Social media (twitter/facebook/insta-

gram)

6. PR- events and ambassadorships

7. Charity/CSI initiatives

Kiehl’s Contact Management Vehicle:

The main issue that the Kiehl’s brand

faces is lack of awareness on a holistic

level. The brand contact management

vehicle that would need to be initiated is

overall awareness that will take into con-

sideration all brand contact points focus-

ing on campaigns and channels that pro-

vide consumers with maximum exposure

to the brand and in turn increase brand

awareness of Kiehl’s in South Africa.

Kiehl’s Implementation and Contact

Integration:

An introduction of a loyalty program

that will echo the concept of Ruby box

which is a monthly sample subscription.

Kiehl’s through the use of a database of

consumers who are loyal, they then will

receive monthly sample/s that pertain

to their skin care needs or new products

that these consumers might be inter-

ested. There will have to be terms and

conditions in place in order to determine

whom these loyal customers are in order The Kiehl’s brand focuses a lot on their philanthropy, mainly collaborating with and engaging in charities that deal with the environ-ment, AIDS research and children.”

Example of a Kiehl’s store product display

shelves.



to ensure the system is not taken advan-

tage of.

The brand could then host a function

inviting popular successful male profes-

sionals to enjoy an evening where they

are shortly briefed about the Kiehl’s

brand and are provided with samples of

products. The rest of the night will allow

the guests to mingle and get to know

each other on behalf of Kiehl’s. This will

aim at generating positive word of mouth

among these influential personalities.

Better flagship stores can be launched

in South Africa for the Kiehl’s brand. The

concept of the store will echo that of a

spa crossed with an airport lounge. The

stores will be a space where consumers

can be pampered while waiting for a

flight. At the forefront of the shop there

will be Kiehl’s skin and hair care products

that are for sale. Towards the back of the

store will be the spa quarters where men

can book a massage, facial or have wax-

ing done. The store will also consist of

an area with a television, lavish leather

couches and a bar area. This concept

echoes Glass House Rejuvenation for

Men in Green Point, Cape Town. The store

will function like all other stores but will

however have these extended services.

On launching these stores there will be

launch parties, which in turn will lead to

contact points in terms of PR.

These strategic contact point initiatives

will be a great way to increase better

brand awareness for the Kiehl’s brand-

especially in the South African context.

In conclusion it can be said that for

the most part Kiehl’s is a healthy brand

based on the above used brand building

strategies and systems as the measure.

However, there are various aspects of

the brand that need some attention,

this means that research- primary and

secondary will need to be conducted in

order to generate strategic ways in how

to tackle these branding issues.


We were tasked to interview and conduct research on a cer-

tain brand. The interview process would then be had with the

company’s Brand Manager or Brand Leader, someone that could

provide insight on their brand analysis metrics and more specifi-

cally what tools they use to measure the effectiveness of their

branding and marketing efforts. The company I chose to analyze

is The Kartal distribution – and more specifically one of their

five sub-brands, FlexFit.

The Kartal started off bringing international brands down to

South Africa. They did this because there was a gap in the mar-

ket for quality apparel in South Africa. The Kartal has helped

MARKETING METRICS

FINANCE

PROJECT

2012

The Kartal Distribution- FlexFit


brands achieve recognition and awareness where other companies

haven’t been able too. They have key partnerships with brands like

FlexFit, T.I.T.S, Unit Board Riders, Mr. Lacy and Dosh. These are all

international brands that have become very popular in the South

African market since joining up with The Kartal. What The Kartal

has done is bring together very specialized brands into one amal-

gamated brand consisting of a full set of apparel brands covering

every sector of the market.

Brands that The Kartal offer:

1. Flexfit

Flexfit is an international brand created by Yupoong Inc., which is

a Korean based company that focuses on sport and street apparel.

Flexfit produces and sells headwear. They specifically target the

“urban” market and have been operating effectively in South

Africa through The Kartal. They have integrated technology into

their headwear designing and now offer one of the most com-

fortable and well designed products on the market. According to

Skateboard.Inc Flexfit is the no.1 headwear company is SA

2. Two In the Shirt (T.I.T.S)

T.I.T.S is a California based label that produces and sells a provoca-

tive line of clothing. It bases its design around the female form and

they hope they each customer can find their perfect girl in their

selection of clothing. It has become a key sponsor to many celebs

well wide and has become a household brand across America.

They are sold in South Africa on The Kartal online store and they

have had a positive reaction from the South African Market.

3. Unit Board Riders

Unit Board Riders is an Australian based clothing company

founded by Paul Everest. His designs originate from his love of

Freestyle motocross and BMX riding. The new headquarters have

been moved to California where his brand has become a sensation

in the action sports and music scene.

4. Mr. Lacy

Mr. Lacy is a Dutch based company specializing in shoelaces. They

have a wide range of shoelace styles ranging from original styles

to psychedelic styled laces. The most popular style in South Africa

has been their glow in the dark and luminous range.

5. Dosh

Dosh are a Sydney based company that specializing in wallets.

They create fresh and fashionable wallets inspired by global cre-

ative culture and innovative thinking that are both eco-friendly

and very well manufactured providing you with a quality end

product

Questions and Answers from Interview with the Kartal- FlexFit.

1. What’s your company’s philosophy on measuring return on mar-

keting spend?

KAPOW:

We do not currently have any systems in place to measure the

monetary value of our marketing campaigns. We do however track

everything we do and record how much feedback it receives. This

way we can judge if it was worth it or a waste of time. We are a

growing company getting larger all the time. We like to experi-

ment with different types of marketing. We are constantly learning

and trying new things.

JOHN:

Our current system involves documenting every phone call that

comes in, including reply’s to newsletters/emails for example.

The other ways we document returns on investment is we use

SENDIBLE.COM software that tracks hits etc. so for example we

will run a campaign and give it a name. Every orders that comes

in has a “where did you hear from us” this is the only accurate we

could gauge advertising into sales amounts.

2. Do you think it’s necessary?

KAPOW:

DEFINITELY! Especially in a business like ours, where we are going

rapidly and need money to pay for stock. We try not to waste any-

thing while taking calculated risks, measure then move on

JOHN:

We also use a lot of sense and feel where documentation is not

possible. We have also ran competition for example to gauge

which advertising grabbed their attention – then we can produce

graphs for example on what marketing worked and didn’t – for

instance, sample sales – Facebook always wins, flyers don’t and

cost money.

3. What marketing do you do? What is your main marketing and

advertising tool?

KAPOW:

Until recently our main marketing tools were Social Media and

Word of Mouth. Recently we have decided to try targeting a larger

audience and have begun placing ads on Facebook and paying for

adverts in trade magazines.

JOHN:

We spend a lot of money on events, especially piggy backing on

events and getting exposure from this.

4. What measures have you put in place in order to measure how

effective your marketing efforts are?

KAPOW:

Previously we have tried a system to make sure employees ask

every call in or email where they heard about us. For a while it

worked but the system did not stick. Otherwise we try to gauge

return on campaigns on a monthly basis with reports and bud-

gets, (like I showed you). We also rely on reports provided by the

programs we use to run our campaigns. Sendible – our email and

newsletter sender and Facebook ads reports provide very deep

analysis of how our campaigns are doing.


Recommendations

From the research and interviews conducted with The Kartal I

have realized that they do not use any formal marketing met-

rics. So I have recommended what they should use in order to

measure the effectiveness of their campaigns in order to get

an efficient return on the marketing investments. With regards

to measuring return on marketing spending two types of mea-

surement can be used:

1. Qualitative

2. Quantitative.

Qualitative

The Qualitative method focuses more on the brand itself. It

includes different approaches to measuring the effectiveness

of your campaigns with regard to the impact on the brand. One

of the measurements is brand awareness, which directly influ-

ences consumer’s perceptions of the brand. Another measure-

ment is brand associations and brand loyalty. Brand associa-

tion focuses on the connections created by the brands imagery

and personality while brand loyalty focuses on customer

retention and market share growth. These Qualitative metrics

can be measured using techniques such Brand and Liability

Scorecards, Brand Report Cards, Y & R Brand Asset Valuators

and lastly the Brand Equity Ten. These metrics will help The

Kartal know what their brand’s positioning in the market is and

what their customer’s perceptions of them are.

Quantitative

When looking at more financial returns you use Quantitative

Metrics. These helpsee the actual return on The Kartal’s mar-

keting investments. The first metric that should be used is the

Brand Equity Methodology, which helps brands look at year-

on-year changes in the brands equity. The formula for this met-

ric is: Effective Market Share (%) x Relative Price x Durability

(Loyalty Index) = Brand Equity.

The next approach is that of the Marketing Accounting System

which places a lot of emphasis on the profitability and mar-

keting investments. The different calculations in this approach

include benchmarking, market efficiency, return on marketing

costs and change in brand value. Benchmarking allows brands

to compare themselves to other brands and measure their

profitability and brand equity against those of the market.

Below is The Kartals 3year comparison against itself

In year one The Kartals return one marketing spending was

ineffective and they lost money on their investments. In year

2 they broke even with their marketing spending by a 25%

increase from year one. In year three they improved by 62.5%

to make a profit on their investments

An important metric used is Return on Marketing Costs (ROMC)

which can be calculated using the following formula: ROMC=

Brand Value/Marketing Costs. This allows brands to measure

the effectiveness of its marketing investments. The next cal-

culation that could assist The Kartal is Marketing Efficiency,

which helps brands measure sales revenue per Rand of expen-

diture. The formula for this calculation is:

Total Revenue/Marketing Costs.

From the table above you can see that they return on market-

ing spending over 3 years has improved from a loss to a profit

Marketing Efficiency

From the results it is evident that there is greater efficiency of

marketing spend of year 3 in terms of which they where able to

yield higher sales revenues per Rand of Expenditure.

Lastly brands should measure the Change in Brand Value,

which is a combination of the above metrics. The formula

for this calculation is: CBV = (Marketing Efficiency x Total

Revenues) / (1 + Marketing Efficiency)

Brands need to use marketing metrics in order to effectively

measure their return on marketing metrics. Often companies

that do not use metrics end up either under spending and not

penetrating the market or grossly overspending and running

themselves into a slow bankruptcy.


The final table estimates the change in brand value that should

have been generated by year 1 and year 3 under consideration.

From the results I conclude the following:

In year one they achieved a brand value of R3000 000 (compared

with a potential of R2 777 777) or 92%.

Whilst in year 3 The Kartal a brand value of R5000 000 (compared

with a potential of R6 777 777) or 74%

When wanting to work out where your company stands in the

market you have to work out your market share. This will help you

compare yourself to your competitors and have a better under-

standing of your brands strength in the market. You work out

market share by the following way:

MS(%) = Sales/ Total Market Sales. If The Kartal’s sales are R20000

and the total markets sales are R200000 then The Kartal’s market

share will be 10%

The Kartal is having problems working out their promotional

effectiveness and this will severely hamper their accounting

systems and marketing budgeting. A good way to work out your

promotional effectiveness is by using a metric known as the

Promotional Lift (%), which is calculated in the following way:

Lift (%) = Incremental Sales/ Baseline Sales. This will help the

brand figure out just how much their marketing efforts boost their

sales. If The Kartal’s baseline sales are R20000 and their incre-

mental sales are R6000 then the promotional lift % will be 30%

Another useful metric that can be used is Brand Penetration. This

helps brands measure their acceptance by a defined population. It

is calculated in the following way:

BP (%) = Customers who have purchased the brand/ total popula-

tion.

For example 5000 people buy The Kartal’s’ products but the

population of the area is 25000 people. This will calculate to The

Kartal’s Brand Penetration been 20% of the market.

When looking at live events such as sponsored events and product

launches then numbers at the event is not necessarily a good sign

of brand impact. What should be looked at though is the kind of

people that are at your event and do they fall under your target

market and will they be willing to purchase your products.

AZOLA MONAB R A N D S O L U T I O N I S T

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