branding

I’m here in Johannesburg this week speaking with marketing professionals about the state of their economy, their business and their brands. Thanks first to Natasha Modi for her help in providing me with some insights into the South African marketplace.

South Africa, the leading nation of Africa and a bellweather for the commercial prospects of the Sub-Continent, is a fascinating place to see energized brands connecting to consumers. While the success of global brands in South Africa like Apple, Nike and Coke is always interesting, I am most interested in what is succeeding locally and why.

Two examples of South African success are Investec and YDE. One of these companies approached marketing in a traditional way, but with great discipline and focus, ultimately leading to great success. The other approached marketing differently, atomizing brand enthusiasm by acting as a platform for entrepreneurial success and then recombining these atoms into a laser focused brand enthusiasm that has led to huge growth for the company.

Investec is a true South African success story of a couple of brilliant young entrepreneurs who built a successful company locally and took it global, to build even bigger success stories in the UK and Australia. Strategically, it all comes down to a simple premise, a mantra of the company that reflects the culture and people in the organization ­ “Out of the Ordinary”. From their people, to their sponsorships to their mission and corporate values, everything this company does reflects this philosophy and the communications are no exception. No expense has been spared producing profound and striking black & white advertising that talks to the very upper echelons of the financial consumer and corporate audience. Investec has positioned itself as an aspirational brand and in doing so has the attention of many.

Investec locked onto the aspirations of a people who view themselves beyond the place where they stand today. A country that is hosting the 2010 World Cup, a country who is a leader in Africa and a pivotable figure in gloablization’s spread into Africa. This is a great example of Rule 3: A brand is not a place, it’s a direction.

YDE or Young Designers Emporium also locked onto consumer aspirations as a key to its strategy. The way it executed against these aspirations is unique in that it became a multiplier of aspirations, by connecting the consumer of clothing to the creators of that clothing. YDE is the place for young designers to showcase their wares and for young consumers to showcase their style. The synergies of these two aspirations were such that YDE metastasized into a movement so successful that the once “mostly youth brand” has now got more mature adults wanting to shop there - why? Because YDE isn’t so much about age as it is about a mindset.

YDE is a great example of a brand that incorporates the 5 Laws of Energy and consequently has gone on to become one of the great entrepreneurial successes in South Africa. When I see YDE, my mind drifts to Etsy and I wonder if that is the form factor this business will take in the US. It is a great story and a fascinating company.

South African’s, like almost every world citizen are concerned about the rise of economic uncertainty and are captivated by their own challenging social issues. But the people are resilient and optimistic about the future of South Africa and the emerging economies of Africa. With their innovation and discipline, you can expect that it won’t be long till South African brands beyond Nelson Mandela make their mark on the larger world.

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