CX heavy-weights Nathalie Schooling and Brendon Bairstow-Klopper launch “Eat Your Own Lunch” The team at nlightencx is recognised as South Africa’s leading multidisciplinary CX specialists who translate insights and data into actionable strategies that can work to mitigate risk, capitalise on cross and up-sell opportunities, ensure client loyalty, and drive overall business growth. The multiple award-winning company empowers businesses to deliver an enhanced client experience (CX), based on a robust “no-nonsense” approach that cuts to the core to reveal deep insights into client behaviour and perception. Their clients are drawn from a range of industries, including the healthcare, retail, commercial property, logistics, fintech, insurance, retail banking, private wealth and investment, IT, call centre and outsourced-services sectors. Now CEO Nathalie Schooling and Director Brendon Bairstow-Klopper have drawn on their expertise in CX strategy development, training, customer journey mapping and experience redesign, plus two decades of research (1000s of targeted, in-depth telephonic interviews) to create the ultimate how-to CX handbook, called Eat Your Own Lunch. The handbook is essential reading for any business seeking to bridge the gap between doing business and authentic, deeply valuable human engagement that meets the expectation premium of investors: that current and future customers will rave about every single aspect of their experiences in dealing with the firm. Eat Your Own Lunch is aimed at business executives and managers wanting to know how to practically apply CX within their business, as well as those who already have a CX Journey focus. It is intentionally accessible, with the methodologies outlined in an easy-to-read style, intended for use by everyone working in an organisation, not only those in client-facing roles. Schooling explains that if delivering a great, consistent experience is important, then efforts have to be driven …
Women-led marketing key to connecting with the ‘she-economy’
Inflation and fears of a global recession are hitting households and businesses alike as consumers rein in spending. Women are increasingly recognised as the drivers of consumer spending, a trend that is on the rise. For brands competing in an increasingly constrained environment, it is rapidly becoming an imperative to position their offerings to these key decision makers. As a female-run global communications and marketing agency, IMA is passionate about working with brands to connect with the so-called ‘she-economy’ in an innovative and authentic manner. The recent ‘I’m Possible’ campaign for global sportwear brand adidas is a case in point. Talking to women. By women. Created to coincide with the release of a new adidas range of women’s sportwear, the retail-led ‘I’m Possible’ content series was showcased on both adidas and Totalsports channels and stores. In conceptualising and executing the campaign, IMA’s approach was to let the stories of women overcoming adversity come to the fore, no mean feat in the male-dominated world of sport. This was achieved by bringing female decision makers from the brand, agency and production crew together to create a meaningful vehicle for connection. The client was adidas, with trade marketing manager Nakita Koch in the driving seat. The female creative and project team at marketing agency, IMA was guided by Managing Partner Katherine Freemantle. All brought to life by a women-strong production crew from woman-owned Butterfly Films. But the undoubted stars of the show were the profiled sportswomen whose gritty and memorable stories were captured in the four-part content series. “Together this amazing team were able to deliver a best-in-class content campaign, pushing the boundaries of the conventional sports narrative,” says Freemantle. “It was brave, a commercial and trade-focussed piece that carries a really strong brand and women narrative.” A winning approach With more than 16 000 video impressions …
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Clean and green: the ideal beauty regime
The notion of clean beauty has been around for some time, but it has undoubtedly now become somewhat of a revolution, thanks to the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop et al. But what exactly is clean beauty? And is it the same as green beauty? And where does it fit in with the likes of natural, all-natural, plant-based, vegan and organic skincare and cosmetics? It’s not surprising that even the conscious beauty consumer may find the choices a little confusing. So where does that leave the beauty buyer who wants to make the switch to clean and green? Know your greens • In a nutshell, clean beauty products are non-toxic. Non-toxic terminology isn’t regulated, but it usually refers to cosmetic products that do not include ingredients that could potentially harm your body or irritate your skin (i.e., cause a toxic response) such as parabens, phthalates, oxybenzone and synthetic fragrances, to name a few. “Clean beauty products can be a game changer for people with sensitive skin as they are free of the harmful ingredients that can irritate and sensitise the skin,” says Cathy Wynn, Marketing Head at Goodleaf. Most ethical brands that market their products as clean, also deliver on the principles of being environmentally friendly and cruelty-free. • Natural brands source ingredients from nature and the ingredients are usually processed as little as possible to preserve their natural integrity. • A green brand is more encompassing – it not only sources from nature, but also follows environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business practices. • While many brands claim to be organic, only certified organic brands are strictly regulated and audited annually. To be labelled organic, the ingredients must be grown, processed and manufactured under strict guidelines that include things like no pesticides and elimination of certain chemicals. • Only vegan certified brands are regulated and only these can claim that their products do not contain any animal …
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New Property Maintenance Portal | A Turning Point for Property Managers
The Home+ Property portal offers complete automation of the maintenance function, closing the loop between tenant, property manager, landlord and service provider. Business Development and Partnership Head, Adriaan Hugo estimates that it can free up to 40% of a rental agent's time daily. “Home+ Property is a platform that makes it easier and more efficient to maintain properties by connecting property managers to a network of tradespeople,” Hugo explains. “Our platform and network of verified tradesmen (our Heroes) make managing multiple properties with multiple tenants easier, more efficient and it reduces risk while doing so.” The process is simple: When a tenant logs a job, the Home+ Property system requests approval from the managing agent and/or landlord. If approved, the agent assigns a Hero to the job while giving all parties visibility so there is no more back and forth. The Hero accepts the job, visits the property on the scheduled date and provides a quote if the cost is over R1000*. If the agent approves the quote, the tenant is prompted to schedule a time for the Hero to return. The Hero completes the job, taking after photos and invoices. Payment is made on invoicing. (*If the cost is under R1000, the Home+ Hero completes it and invoices.) Should there be a dispute, payment is withheld. Tenants can add pictures before the work starts and the service provider is also prompted to take photos. Service providers are guided to provide detailed quotations and assessment by adding timestamps. All actions are digitally recorded for an end-to-end report, ensuring transparency throughout. This allows agents to easily track all maintenance tasks throughout their portfolio in real time. Clients already using the portal include House of Realtors, Harcourts, Vermaak Properties and Rawson Properties. Peter Noctor, MD House of Realtors, confirms the convenience of the portal: “Home+ has saved us significant amounts of time in assigning credible …
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SA Success Story | Local Skincare Brand Takes on the EU
Afari, the luxury South African skincare line, launches in Europe to critical acclaim from the sternest of critics: Dutch beauty editors. As a beauty editor on Glamour magazine, Margaux Knuppe dedicated much of her time to understanding the science behind the active ingredients in the formulations she tested and wrote about. She would go on to co-found rubybox, the beauty e-commerce and content platform, and in 2019 launched a luxury South African skincare brand called Afari. The effective, multi-tasking skincare range offers a complete routine with just four products and South Africans fell in love. Afari has generated 100% year-on-year growth for the last two years and is on track to achieve that again at the end of this year. Afari’s customer retention is more than double the industry average, and its reviews average is 4.8 out of 5 stars with 200+ positive reviews from skincare enthusiasts. In September, just three years after it was first launched, Afari has launched in Europe with an official event in The Netherlands. The reaction exceeded Margaux’s expectations. ? “I’ve already used a few products and I’m a huge fan of the cleanser, so it’s also in this week’s [Editor’s Favorites section on Instagram],” said Karlijn van Spankeren, NSMBL magazine and Beautify.nl ? “Wonderful products,” enthused Claudia Kooij, an influencer ? “I just wanted to send you a message because the products from Afari, you have sent me, it’s really insane. I think it’s the best skincare I have ever had. I also love when you apply it, it soaks in really quickly, but it stays a little dewy on your skin. You get a beautiful glow from it. It is really magnificent,” said Fleur Eysberg, blogger "Being South African and surrounded by the diverse flora and fauna in our country, coupled with our rich heritage of healing, I wanted to share this knowledge with the rest of the world and showcase the incredible benefits of Bulbine, Afari’s active ingredient, on a global scale, …
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South Africa’s First Skincare Range for Men
A man’s biggest organ is his skin (yes, really!). It’s also the first line of defence – fighting the elements every day, so it really should be treated with the respect it deserves. FACE for Him is a new premium skincare range designed for South African men who are looking for a simple yet effective everyday solution. It was created purely from one man’s need for a crafted yet simple skincare regime, who soon realised that many men out there were looking for the same thing. When Stuart met Camilla… His skincare routine consisted of a bar of soap and a splash of water. Hers was more advanced, so she got him onto a basic routine and within a few short weeks, his skin was looking and feeling better than it had done in years. It got them thinking: the men’s skincare market is still largely being ignored. Why are so many men still relying on their partners for skincare advice and why are there no locally made products specifically formulated to care for men’s skin? As Stuart’s skincare journey evolved, it led to the obvious decision - to create an accessible, simple skincare offering for men like him. And so, in 2021 FACE for Him was born. The brand is based on the original principles of speaking the truth, educating and simplifying skincare lingo, while delivering quality ingredients and real results at an affordable price in packaging that looks right at home next to a man’s razor and cologne. “While it isn’t an around the braai type of conversation, countless men do want to know what they should be using,” says Stuart Berry, Co-Founder of FACE for Him. “Men are less likely to research skincare the way women do and want to be provided with an effective solution which requires minimal effort on their part.” “The men who do have basic skincare knowledge are those who have consulted with a dermatologist over the course of their lives, usually to treat serious skin conditions such as acne,” adds Camilla Berry, Co-Founder of FACE for Him. “Seeking medical …
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What a Turnaround: Big Corporate to Lend Small Business a Helping Hand
A very cute and comfy baby carrier is on its way to market. The result of a collaboration between two local brands that share similar values. One is part of the large Cape Union Mart Group; the other is a small owner-run business. Well-known local kids’ clothing brand Keedo recently signed a collaboration agreement with the proudly South African baby-carrier brand Ubuntu Baba. Keedo was founded in 1993 when Nelia Annandale was inspired by the needs of her twin ‘Keedos’ to develop a colourful range of clothing that offered unrestricted comfort in soft, natural fibres. “For as long as I can remember, I have experienced an overwhelming compulsion to serve the children of the world. I believe that we must begin investing in them from their formative years as they are the ones who will be fashioning the future,” she said at the time. Annandale harnessed her entrepreneurial drive and creativity and built a business on the pillars of education, care, and sustainability. In 2017, Keedo was acquired by the Cape Union Mart Group, which consists of five major retail chains (Cape Union Mart, K-Way, Old Khaki, Poetry, and Tread+Miller) and has more than 300 stores. Similarly, Shannon McLaughlin’s experiences as a mom and her struggle to find the perfect baby carrier inspired her to start Ubuntu Baba. She and her father designed the exact baby carrier that she’d been looking for: “hip-healthy”, easy to use, breathable, adjustable, in natural hemp fibre and very gentle on c-section healing. Mari Crause of Keedo Kids explains how the collaboration came about. “Being a mom myself, I relied on my Ubuntu Baba carrier for hands-free baby carrying, to settle my little bub when she was inconsolable. Our Ubuntu Baba carrier went everywhere with us and at one point we were inseparable. I loved being so very close to my baby and it allowed me to have her right up against my chest, safe and snug, whenever, wherever.” “Reflecting back on the early days of Motherhood, my …
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Verto transforms cross-border B2B payments with ForexPeople partnership
Verto and ForexPeople partnership set to transform cross-border B2B payments in South Africa. The partnership allows start-ups and enterprises to send global payments through a single API or the Verto web and mobile platform. With more than 3,000 customers and $1.5billion in transaction volumes, Verto is well-placed to serve the international payments and FX needs of South African businesses. Verto, London-based and authorised by the UK FCA as an Electronic Money Institution, a regulated B2B cross-border payments fintech with a global reach has partnered with ForexPeople to bring secure, fast and seamless global payments to South African businesses buying, selling or operating globally. With more than $1.5 billion in transaction volumes, Verto provides trusted and reliable payment solutions to more than 3,000 customers and pay-outs to over 150 countries. Verto chose to partner with ForexPeople - a registered Fit and Proper financial service provider and FSCA license holder - because of its deep expertise as a leading foreign exchange intermediary with a reputation for high ethical standards. Importantly, this partnership ensures that Verto is fully compliant with all local regulatory requirements, with specific emphasis on the imminent promulgation of the Conduct of Financial Institutions Bill (COFI). Verto South Africa is registered as a Juristic Representative (JR) of ForexPeople (FSP 35526). ForexPeople is registered with the SARB, FIC and the FSCA. “Combined, the two companies bring a credible, compliant and highly capable cross-border payment solution to the South African B2B market, that sits at the forefront of innovation and regulatory expectations,” says Ola Oyetayo, CEO of Verto. With the ability to send and receive payments globally through a single API or via the Verto web and mobile platform, the solution empowers South African businesses to make and receive international business payments seamlessly from a central ecosystem, using a …
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The Advantage Report: relationship dynamics between retailers and suppliers strengthen, despite tough trading conditions
While multiple local crises, the global pandemic, supply chain disruptions and the impending financial crisis have placed strain on businesses, South African retailers, suppliers, and distributors continue to demonstrate resilience, according to Advantage Group’s latest Advantage Report for South Africa. Not surprisingly, the results for South African retailers and suppliers from 2021 were the third most volatile globally, and the most volatile across emerging markets. This is indicative of the operating environment and varied responses to these crises. “The route to market, manufacturing process, supply chain, operating model, capabilities and resources, culture and leadership varies, yet suppliers and retailers compete in the same market,” says Dylan Piatti, MD of Advantage Group Africa. “What we have seen, across our global results, is that those companies that have given more focus to customer and supplier engagement have improved their Advantage results.” The competitive edge for retailers and suppliers Headquartered in Canada, Advantage Group helps supplier and retail partners collaborate better by designing and delivering engagement solutions that bridge the gap between listening and responding. Through data collection, analytics and insights generation, Advantage helps clients unpack opportunities to improve ways of working together for greater commercial success. To discover these opportunities, Advantage considers data from three levels in the business: strategic (often used at board or exco level), operational/functional (used for multi-functional development programs) and account or category level specific. These insights are then translated into action plans: i.e. what needs to be done to improve partnerships and engagement via process and systems, culture, and leadership. Advantage Report South Africa 2021 One of the many services offered by the group is the Advantage Report, a means for enterprises across the globe to measure, …
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Better Global Citizens | Guernsey & SA Partner Using Sport as the Catalyst for Positive Change
Earlier this month, a delegation of 32 business leaders from Guernsey’s financial services community visiting Cape Town, launched a partnership with the local sport-for-development charity, CoolPlay. The captains of industry attended a mini netball and soccer tournament at one of the 21 CoolPlay partner schools in Cape Town, where they had the opportunity to meet the players (ranging from age 9 - 13) and CoolPlay Champions, presenting them with sports kit. (The Champions are coaches, who CoolPlay have trained to have meaningful conversations with their learners and impart valuable life skills through sport.) Having seen CoolPlay in action on the ground and learnt about the organisational structure and governance, the delegation has set plans in motion to develop a long-term relationship. Through this partnership, CoolPlay and WE ARE GUERNSEY aim to raise the necessary funding to deliver projects that will leave a lasting impact in the communities of District 6, Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein, Kuilsriver, Stellenbosch, Ocean View and Masiphumelele. Over the course of five years, CoolPlay will create personal connections between funders, other organisations and the communities so that donors see the impact of their investment. “Finding sustainable funding is the greatest stressor for not-for-profit organisations like CoolPlay,” said CoolPlay Chief Executive Tori Gardner. “Lasting and meaningful impact is made on the ground when long-standing partnerships are made and nurtured. This is what we hope to achieve with this group of generous businesses.” WE ARE GUERNSEY Chief Executive Rupert Pleasant said that as an organisation tasked with promoting and connecting Guernsey around the world, WE ARE GUERNSEY was committed to lend its support in a practical way. “The links between Guernsey and South Africa go back over many years and as an organisation dedicated to being a good global citizen, the team at WE ARE GUERNSEY wants to give something back. CoolPlay is …