Page 11 - Journal of Strategic Marketing Magazine - January 2019
P. 11
STRATEGY
from point A to point B on a moped. for the small farmer’s 15-acre farm. product can be left to the customer with
Great solutions are borne out of an A solar-powered refrigeration and the expectation that they will derive
informed understanding of context. milling system for the local bottle value from it and that they’ll stay
If Africa’s per capita GDP is $1,900 store. A fuel-eficient transport model loyal, come back for more and in time,
per annum, are current business for the bottle store that enables advocate for others to also be a part of
models and offerings suitable for most deliveries to be made for a marginal your empowering offering.
of the continent’s populace? I think cost and sustain the business. A water I end where I began. Africa doesn’t
not. To create sustainable wealth, the and weatherproof tent to balance need the traditional type of consultant.
business model should be inclusive out the classroom population at the Their time has passed. We need
and not alienate a population unable to rural school. The supply of desks that consultants that support inclusive and
afford what’s on offer. use recycled material, making them scalable solutions to our continent’s
This was evidenced by a recent affordable for the rural school. growing number of entrepreneurs.
visit to rural Namibia. A leading bank We need consultants who share
erected a billboard where it hoped Knowledge empowers risks and are willing to back an idea to
to attract potential customers. But it This is the ‘show me’ part of the completion because of their lived, not
was not delivering the desired result. equation consultants should be shared, experience.
We asked local inhabitants why they presenting to African businesses. The We need consultants who don’t
weren’t opening accounts at our client’s ‘teach me’ portion is about knowledge just talk about how good they are at
bank. Their response was that they sharing, as consulting at its heart is supporting client businesses to grow,
weren’t aware of our client’s bank. We about learning and unlearning. but have tangible examples of their
then pointed them to the billboard. While being tested within the own to prove what they’re talking about.
They replied that they didn’t identify market place, the consultant should We need consultants who embrace
with the image of the people on the irst spell out the solution based context and think rural before they
billboard. Their irst look at it told them on a lived experience. The potential think urban because that’s where most
the bank wasn’t for them and because customer will at irst use the solution of the continent’s customers currently
of this, they paid it no attention. I guess based on the knowledge shared and reside.
the local community should have been provide feedback. Part of this feedback We need consultants who are
consulted about what they needed should include how to improve the always thinking about long-term
before the billboard was erected. solution, or perhaps adapt it for yet instead of the short game.
another pressing need. We need consultants who, in the
Show me, teach me, then let me The result of these teachings is end, will play a signiicant part in
Most consultants would say I’ve got empowering knowledge, allowing the turning around our fortunes, doubling
this the wrong way around. It should be business/consultant partnership to our worth and having our countries
teach me, then show me and after that, return to the lab to further develop trading more and more with each other.
let me. But that sequence won’t work their solution. The improved solution is That is what a good consultant
here. then presented to potential customers should contribute to Africa’s economic
Great African consultants build with all the kinks ironed out. Now the revolution.
prototypes after spending time in
places that inspire. In the outback of
a small-scale farmer’s property. At
the local bottle store that is the only James Maposa is founder and
shopping centre for a 200-kilometre managing director of Birguid, a
research and advisory company,
stretch or a clinic where one doctor and co-founder of WeAreValora, a
serves hundreds of patients a day. brand strategy, design and content
At a school where 60+ children are business. He has 15 years work
crammed into a classroom or sitting experience, mostly spent in the
research and strategy consulting
under the shade of the tree. industry. Maposa is passionate
That is where innovation should be about socio-economic development,
born. Prototypes such as a hand-held business growth and continuity.
but mechanically motored plough
Strategic Marketing - p9
from point A to point B on a moped. for the small farmer’s 15-acre farm. product can be left to the customer with
Great solutions are borne out of an A solar-powered refrigeration and the expectation that they will derive
informed understanding of context. milling system for the local bottle value from it and that they’ll stay
If Africa’s per capita GDP is $1,900 store. A fuel-eficient transport model loyal, come back for more and in time,
per annum, are current business for the bottle store that enables advocate for others to also be a part of
models and offerings suitable for most deliveries to be made for a marginal your empowering offering.
of the continent’s populace? I think cost and sustain the business. A water I end where I began. Africa doesn’t
not. To create sustainable wealth, the and weatherproof tent to balance need the traditional type of consultant.
business model should be inclusive out the classroom population at the Their time has passed. We need
and not alienate a population unable to rural school. The supply of desks that consultants that support inclusive and
afford what’s on offer. use recycled material, making them scalable solutions to our continent’s
This was evidenced by a recent affordable for the rural school. growing number of entrepreneurs.
visit to rural Namibia. A leading bank We need consultants who share
erected a billboard where it hoped Knowledge empowers risks and are willing to back an idea to
to attract potential customers. But it This is the ‘show me’ part of the completion because of their lived, not
was not delivering the desired result. equation consultants should be shared, experience.
We asked local inhabitants why they presenting to African businesses. The We need consultants who don’t
weren’t opening accounts at our client’s ‘teach me’ portion is about knowledge just talk about how good they are at
bank. Their response was that they sharing, as consulting at its heart is supporting client businesses to grow,
weren’t aware of our client’s bank. We about learning and unlearning. but have tangible examples of their
then pointed them to the billboard. While being tested within the own to prove what they’re talking about.
They replied that they didn’t identify market place, the consultant should We need consultants who embrace
with the image of the people on the irst spell out the solution based context and think rural before they
billboard. Their irst look at it told them on a lived experience. The potential think urban because that’s where most
the bank wasn’t for them and because customer will at irst use the solution of the continent’s customers currently
of this, they paid it no attention. I guess based on the knowledge shared and reside.
the local community should have been provide feedback. Part of this feedback We need consultants who are
consulted about what they needed should include how to improve the always thinking about long-term
before the billboard was erected. solution, or perhaps adapt it for yet instead of the short game.
another pressing need. We need consultants who, in the
Show me, teach me, then let me The result of these teachings is end, will play a signiicant part in
Most consultants would say I’ve got empowering knowledge, allowing the turning around our fortunes, doubling
this the wrong way around. It should be business/consultant partnership to our worth and having our countries
teach me, then show me and after that, return to the lab to further develop trading more and more with each other.
let me. But that sequence won’t work their solution. The improved solution is That is what a good consultant
here. then presented to potential customers should contribute to Africa’s economic
Great African consultants build with all the kinks ironed out. Now the revolution.
prototypes after spending time in
places that inspire. In the outback of
a small-scale farmer’s property. At
the local bottle store that is the only James Maposa is founder and
shopping centre for a 200-kilometre managing director of Birguid, a
research and advisory company,
stretch or a clinic where one doctor and co-founder of WeAreValora, a
serves hundreds of patients a day. brand strategy, design and content
At a school where 60+ children are business. He has 15 years work
crammed into a classroom or sitting experience, mostly spent in the
research and strategy consulting
under the shade of the tree. industry. Maposa is passionate
That is where innovation should be about socio-economic development,
born. Prototypes such as a hand-held business growth and continuity.
but mechanically motored plough
Strategic Marketing - p9
