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In conversatIon the element of brand strategy and how We can create a By fixing inefficiencies we will create work with a diverse clientele, which gives this strategy can inform communications new era of marketing a market of people who can actually me a better perspective and helps me see – not the other way around. So I identified consume, allowing marketers to come up things differently. Being part of a bigger a gap in the market. in this country with creative ways of speaking to those organisation offers vision, because it consumers in their ‘language’. allows one to look further ahead. What is the state of marketing in Namibia? You are affiliated to one of South What advice would you give fellow We are still in our infancy; just look at consumers and get them to appreciate Africa’s top media agencies, Joe agencies looking to partner an our earning potential as an example. It’s locally manufactured products. Public. What has this meant for your established international agency? still very low. A Namibian voice-over Working in small markets requires business? Do it! If it is going to benefit your business artist earns a lot less than a counterpart collaboration. It starts with government When you are standing on the shoulders and it makes sense, then do it. But it in South Africa, for instance. I think we and, in Namibia, our national development of a giant you see things differently. must be mutually beneficial. There is have an opportunity to develop pockets Most of the country’s economic activity takes place in Windhoek (pictured) plan of the next four to five years is At Cornerstone we aim to have high always value in partnerships. As a single of excellence within the industry, or at the coast focusing on adding value; for example, standards of excellence, to do things person I can only go so far, but with a but we need to start benchmarking processing fish and diamonds locally differently. We really want clients to have partner I can go so much further. In fact, practices that work and then build up as opposed to sending them out of the the right strategy. a lot of our agencies in Namibia have what we are offering into world-class Namibia must establish Commerce and Industry membership country in their raw form. To achieve Being associated with Joe Public helps affiliations to some of the big international marketing strategies. a body that protects comprises SMEs, which tend to prefer this we need to enter into partnerships me with benchmarking and I have access firms. The nice thing about partnerships Examples that we are seeing at the traditional methods of marketing. For to bring production costs down and to their learnings from other countries. is seeing how their learnings can moment are Windhoek Lager and Tafel our consumers example, an SME will ask me to place reduce inefficiencies. Our partnership has also allowed me to benefit you. Lager. Their affiliation to Diageo has given a N$15 000 (US$1 400) advertisement them international insights that get people into a local paper. But this is an expensive Second quarter 2014 strategicmarketingafrica 33 excited. Nothing beats excellence, in my channel and I have to ask: how many opinion. Nothing beats something that is people watch our national TV channels. pairs of socks must you sell to make a done properly and breaks barriers. So if you want to go mass-market then profit? Also, as we import a lot, Namibian TV and radio are the way to go. DSTV companies just become an extension of Is the industry regulated in Namibia? is a good channel to reach high-income the country the product comes from, so We don’t have a formal marketing consumers and a lot of multinationals there is very little innovation. and advertising organisation or body, benefit from using this medium for except for the Ombudsman and the advertising and brand communications. Are there any advantages to operating Communications Regulatory Authority Other ways to create awareness are in smaller markets? of Namibia, which is concerned with IT through sponsorships and direct marketing, I believe our biggest advantage in Namibia and telecoms. We need to establish a where you create awareness and visibility. is that we have many opportunities. We body that protects the interests of the We often use a combination of advertising have a chance to take the industry by the consumer in terms of the marketing and and promotions. Lower-income Namibians hand and create a new era of marketing advertising message. Companies with are extremely price sensitive, so price in Namibia. We also have prospects to international affiliations, however, are promotions – especially on consumables – create uniquely Namibian products that marketing to global standards, which attract a lot of attention. we can export. tends to uphold certain standards with Another great advantage to working in regard to the consumer. What challenges do you face working small economies is that it’s still fairly easy in Namibia? to get meetings with decision makers to What marketing strategies work best Income disparities are big and only a share your ideas and present solutions to in Namibia? small minority are high earners with them. Mobile marketing is also exciting for Most of the economic activity takes place disposable income. We also have high us. Namibia has kept up with technology in Windhoek and at the coast, as it is unemployment rates, which limits and a lot of people connect to the Internet where the majority of the income is found. disposable income. Add to this the fact through the mobile channel. This could be Then there are the smaller towns and rural that we import a lot of our raw materials, important in the long term, as most of our PHOTOS: GETTY/GALLO IMAGES, ISTOCKPHOTO, SUPPLIED areas. When deciding on a strategy, you and production costs in Namibia are population own cellphones. need to be clear about which consumers disproportionately high. Namibia is also you are targeting. In some areas mass a very large country, which increases What tips would you give to marketers marketing works with a specific audience; distribution costs – a challenge in a market operating in similar markets? with others, stakeholder engagement that is price sensitive. They need to understand their market strategies may be better. With regards to marketing, more well and be innovative. Find solutions for Television in Namibia is key; a lot of than 60% of the Namibia Chamber of new channels of communication, educate 32 strategicmarketingafrica Second quarter 2014