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INTRODUCTION
The
Alternative Consultancy (TAC) was established in 1988,
to bridge the communications and marketing gap between
major manufacturers of fast moving consumer goods
and township consumers and traders. TAC is now considered
to be South Africa’s leading company in terms of knowledge
and experience of township marketing.
The Alternative Consultancy’s services have been developed
as a response to opportunities spotted in the marketplace,
combined with the needs of clients and they have developed
many “firsts” in Community Based Marketing.
As the township market environment is undergoing dynamic
change, it is essential that one employs the services
of those who can fully understand these markets and
correctly interpret what motivates both consumers
and traders.
TAC prides itself on its hands-on approach to operating
in township markets. From cleaners to directors, all
TAC staff live or have lived in major townships and,
therefore, fully understand the lifestyles, languages
and cultures found there. We are the communities which
our clients are marketing to, so we can be relied
upon to give accurate input to strategies and provide
useful solutions to marketing challenges, based on
our combined knowledge of both formal and informal
trade and consumer sectors!
Clients also appreciate our ongoing identification
of emerging trends in these markets which assists
them to ensure that their proposed plans take cognisance
of any expected market changes.
Our close relationships with township traders and
consumers, developed over 20 years, also allows us
to offer clients direct contact with influential members
of key target markets. The communities in which we
operate are aware of our company’s commitment to their
on-going development and this has ensured that we
are always supported in the work we conduct for clients.
COMPANY
STRUCTURE
The
Alternative Consultancy is owned by husband
and wife team, George and Gill Mkhasibe.
Gill Mkhasibe has retail, brand management
and consultancy experience in a wide variety
of product categories and has gained a
reputation for her in-depth knowledge
of the informal sector and general consumer
trends and her unique research ability.
Gill lived with George in Soweto for two
years and has developed close relationships
and credibility, at all levels, for being
personally involved with community development,
both commercial and social.
George Mkhasibe has over 35 years’ experience
of township sales, distribution and promotions,
16 of this with Coca-Cola, where he was
responsible for the development of retail
outlets and the establishment of new structures,
such as black owned mini wholesalers,
set up during periods of extreme unrest
in townships. This enabled companies to
maintain a presence in areas where they
could no longer deliver.
He has won countless awards as a sales
representative and sales manager and assisted
ABI with the compilation of their Selling
Skills course.
The Alternative Consultancy has its head
office in Johannesburg and branches in
Durban, Polokwane, East London and Cape
Town.
The full-time staff complement is 50,
with over 100 regular promotional and
research staff, employed on a project
basis.
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EMPOWERMENT
CREDENTIALS
TAC
is owned jointly by Gill and George Mkhasibe
and is, therefore, 50% black owned and
50% woman owned.
All other staff members, including senior
managers and operational staff nationally
are black African, so the company is 100%
black managed and run.
Most of TAC’s own suppliers, such as courier
companies, financial services, legal services,
printers and IT services are black owned
companies.
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SERVICES
AND ACTIVITIES
The
Alternative Consultancy offers a wide
variety of services, across three core
pillars:
• Distribution service to township traders
• Research
• Consumer promotions
1.
DISTRIBUTION
T.A.C. have been operating sales van services
since 1989, providing companies with a
safer, more cost-effective means of reaching
retailers. We offer the only sales van
service which specialises in the informal
sector, servicing the following with over
10 000 sales calls per month, via 14 sales
vans:
| REGION
|
TYPE
OF TRADER
SERVICED |
NO.
OF TRADERS ON ROUTE |
CURRENT
NO. OF CALLS PER MONTH |
| Soweto
|
Spazas
General dealers
Hawkers |
400
400
200 |
800
800
800 |
| East
Rand |
Spazas
Hawkers |
400
200 |
600
800 |
| Pretoria |
Spazas
Hawkers |
400
200 |
600
800 |
| JHB
CBD |
Hawkers |
200 |
800 |
| Durban
1 |
Spazas |
400 |
600 |
| Durban
2 |
Hawkers |
200 |
800 |
| Polokwane |
Spaza/g.dealer
Hawkers |
800
50 |
800
200 |
| East
London |
Spazas |
400
|
800 |
| Cape
Town |
Spazas
Hawkers |
400
50 |
800
200 |
| Total
|
|
4
700 |
10
200 |
The service includes:
• Sell in of product at best wholesale
prices
• Erection of p-o-s material and ABS boards
• Education of traders on pricing, promotions
etc.
• Distribution of promotion/competition
material
• Monthly research on client and opposition
distribution levels, pricing, variants,
pack sizes etc.
Our distribution service is different
for the following reasons:
• We operate on a regular route basis,
servicing the same outlets monthly.
• We do not overload our vans with as
many products as possible.
• We know the markets we operate in. Trained
staff spot new trends and changes in trader
and consumer buying power. This gives
us the edge in keeping our clients well
informed.
• Our company is trusted. Our commitment
to development in the wider community
is well known and we find that both traders
and community residents look after our
service.
• We have a vehicle and stock safety record
like no other company operating in these
markets.
Additional trader services offered:
Product advertising boards on vans
TAC owned advertising spots at spazas
and general dealers
SMS service to our traders
New p-o-s options for traders, such as
lightboxes and painting of stores
Trader incentives
2.
CONSUMER PROMOTIONS
Monthly sampling to township households
This is conducted from our sales vans
and is used to encourage traders to stock
up on new or unknown lines, by sampling
their customers. Per month we cover:
• 75 000 Gauteng township households
• 25 000 Durban households
• 25 000 Polokwane households
• 25 000 East London households
• 25 000 Cape Town households
Township House Promotions
Economically active residents are not
in townships, in working hours, during
the week. They tell us that they often
have little time to pay attention to lengthy
supermarket promotions in their rushed
lunch hour, on their way home and even
at weekends.
Our house promotions bring new and unknown
products to them, in a relaxed atmosphere,
in homes and church meetings, in their
own time and in school domestic science
classes during the week, with the support
of the schools.
These programmes are dedicated to one
brand or several brands, but from the
same company, to ensure sufficient time
to educate, demonstrate and answer queries.
It ensures that one main, big brand message
is received.
A database of attendees’ details is supplied
to clients.
In-store promotions
In-store promotions is a division which
has grown considerably, where regular
clients of our other services have asked
us to supply promoters in stores, from
the communities which clients are targetting
with their products. This has become of
growing importance in the new supermarkets
opening in townships where it is necessary
that the promoters can speak local languages
and understand the lifestyles of these
consumers.
We have a team of experienced in-store
promoters who regularly work in Shoprite,
Pick’n’Pay, Spar, Clicks and Diskom stores
and in major and independent wholesalers
in townships, suburbs and central business
districts.
Our promoters are available in all provinces,
supervised by regional managers on a daily
basis.
Moving Media Roadshows
We have 6,5 metre x 2,5 metre, “A” frame
trailers, which are fully
branded with the client’s design on both
sides. The trailers are pulled by vehicles
with full sound systems and speakers,
which play music and client radio advertising.
The trailers are used to conduct promotions
at commuter ranks,
shopping centres, in schools, clinics
and outside wholesalers.
Three promoters and a supervisor/driver
are supplied to interact with consumers
and traders, distribute leaflets and coupons,
conduct taste sampling and to run competitions.
Our cash vans ensure that the products
being promoted are widely available in
township stores, so that awareness building
is backed up by being able to find the
product nearby.
Creche and ante natal clinic activities
We regularly conduct promotional activities
at crèches and ante natal clinics, targetting
pregnant women and mothers of babies and
toddlers.
Community Media
We work closely with a selection of community
media owners
For 3 years, in the mid 90’s, we conducted
our own fortnightly radio programme on
small business development, on three community
stations in Gauteng – Jozi fm (Soweto),
Alex fm and Soshanguve fm.
Although that programme has run its course,
we still work with these stations and
many others, to develop unique branded
programmes, live reads and promotions
for our clients.
We also involve clients with radio-run
community events.
Similarly we work with City Vision newspaper,
one of our research clients. This is a
weekly free paper, published by Media24.
It is distributed to 272 000 homes in
Soweto, Alex, Soshanguve and the CBD every
week and we conduct joint promotions with
them, which combine advertising in the
paper with packages of our services, such
as sampling, in-store promotions and cash
van activities. We also often link this
into relevant local community radio stations.
Sponsored community events/promotions
We are regularly approached by the organisers
of community events to find sponsors amongst
our clients. These are cost effective
ways of reaching the broader community.
We do not simply hand over product, but
ensure that our staff work at these events.
Schools promotions
We have access to hundreds of thousands
of high and primary school pupils around
the country and are welcomed by staff
school when we wish to access their learners.
We do this via various services, such
as moving media promotions, taste sampling
promotions and pack collection programmes.
Schools often request to sell the products
we promote, to enhance the promotion and
for the school to also obtain a direct
benefit from te products we bring to them.
Promotions are always conducted during
lunchtime and afternoons to avoid disrupting
lessons. However, with relevant food products,
we are often invited to participate directly
in branded domestic science programmes
alongside the teacher.
SMS service to specific consumer groups
We are in the process of setting up databases
of specific consumer groups who have provided
us with their cell phone numbers and written
permission to sms them advertising and
promotional material. We do not believe
any other company has quite such specific
information on consumers and with written
permission to be communicated with.
Apart from the traders we service with
our cash vans, we currently have a list
of +- 20 000 township high school learners
from around the country, which can be
targeted by township and by gender.
We are compiling a similar list of thousands
of Soweto women who attend antenatal and
baby clinics and will continue to develop
these databases for clients.
RESEARCH
We have been very involved in research
since the company’s inception and our
speciality is qualitative work in LSM’s
1 – 6, but predominantly LSM’s 4 – 6.
We have presented major market trends
to S.A. marketers, especially in the areas
of marketing to youth and the township
trading and shopping sectors for the last
20 years.
In November 2001 we launched our ConsumerWatch
and TradeWatch studies, looking at township
shopping patterns in depth and which highlighted
the then surprising increased usage of
supermarket housebrands by urban township
consumers. This is updated annually.
TAC has been described by major figures
in the research field as the leading research
company in the field of qualitative black
media research and by several marketing
luminaries and clients as the foremost
researchers on the township market.
Clients compliment us on our unique, relaxed
style of conducting research, combined
with our extensive understanding of those
we interview and knowledge drawn from
living in these communities and our daily
contact with consumers and traders, across
a wide range of touchpoints, which elicits,
“Gems of information which we do not know
and which enhance our knowledge of these
markets.”
Our research services include:
• Ad-hoc qualitative studies on particular
markets, products, services, consumer
behaviour, advertising and promotional
concepts
• One-on-one interviews, group discussions,
consumer panels and focus groups
• Consumer immersion programmes
• Monthly info from bottom-end traders
• Ongoing research on new trends
We also offer the following occasional
services:
GENERAL CONSULTANCY
WORK
This can be on a project, retainer or
hours bank basis.
TOWNSHIP TOURS AND
CROSS-CULTURAL EDUCATION
We run half and one day customised tours
to various townships, cross-cultural workshops
and immersions, tailor made for clients,
all other South Africans and overseas
visitors.
Gill & George are currently writing
a book, tentatively called, “The uMlungu’s
guide to African Culture.”
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILTY PROGRAMMES
We are increasingly being requested to
assist clients with corporate social responsibility
programmes, in terms of both concept and
implementation.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Gill has been widely lauded for her presentations
at both major conferences and in-house
for clients. Her current talks are on
culture, tradition and language use amongst
the new Black Middle Class, township retail
trends and changing township consumer
spending patterns.
DEVELOPMENT WORK
We have always tried, in our work, not
just to simply sell and promote clients’
brands, but to also involve them in community
development. Some of the ways we have
done this over the years have been:
• Face to face training of over 10 000
township retailers on “How to Run a Shop”
• Weekly programmes on community radio
stations on small business advice, reaching
hundreds of thousands of listeners
• Sponsorship of youth talent events,
training young people in event management
• Education on eating well on a small
budget in school domestic science programmes
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| Whilst
we have existing programmes which may suit
your needs, we prefer to sit down with you
and look at your total strategy, to ascertain
what will work best for you. If necessary,
we will tailor-make totally new programmes
for you. |
OUR
CURRENT CLIENTS INCLUDE:
• Cadbury candy and chocolate divisions
• Kimberly-Clark
• Lesoba Difference
• Nando’s grocery division
• National Leaflet Distributors
• Mageu No.1
• Oceana Brands
• The Daily Sun |
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