Media

The staff at Isilumko Media (powered by Studentwise) recently rallied together in support of one of the Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, Hearts of Hope. Home to 14 precious orphaned children, Hearts of Hope relies on community donations like that received from Isilumko Media to help keep it afloat; a collection of basic essentials, including baby formula, nappies and canned foods was handed over to the Johannesburg-based orphanage.

Isilumko Media, general manager, Brendan Powell, said: “We have encouraged our staff to lend ongoing support to Hearts of Hope either by way of donations or volunteering their time. This not-for-profit is doing an amazing job of raising these abandoned children and we’re privileged to play a small role in their care-giving and happiness.”

Isilumko Media’s involvement in and support of Hearts of Hope is just one of its CSR programmes. Other initiatives supported by the below-the-line activations and experiential media company include support for charities where the staff have a personal or vested interest. These include the Sunflower Fund, various other orphanages, as well as causes such as cerebral palsy.

Isilumko Media (powered by Studentwise) is focused on facilitating integrated quality one-on-one interactions between a brand and the consumer and boasts a level 3 BBBEE accreditation. The company prides itself on delivering sassy, and creative concepts that strategically engage carefully segmented audiences. This coupled with operational guidance and an innovative approach to campaign execution, is the formulae that has won Isilumko Media blue chip clients across several industries. The result of this combination of credentials accumulated over almost 20 years, is the ability to effectively stage campaigns that breathe life into any brand. For details visit: www.isilumko.com/media

Integrating various elements into a single below the line marketing campaign has become more than a “good idea” – it is an imperative for brands that want to reach their customers through the plethora of media platforms available.  Restore Plus, African hair care brand, contracted the interactive marketing and activations experts, Isilumko Media, powered by Studentwise as the ideal activations partner to achieve their campaign objectives.

Through the extensive stage-trailer road shows and in-store activations across six provinces, the campaign aimed to create brand awareness and educate customers on the various benefits and cost-effective options of the Hair Butter and No-LYE Jasmine Relaxer.  Isilumko Media integrated various elements into one campaign for Restore Plus thus creating the opportunity to combine customer service with sales driven communications as well as engage customers through productive exchanges that allow for immediate feedback.

The home of espresso is renowned for a number of other delicious exports such as pizza, pasta and… gorgeous Italian men, of course.  Successfully supplementing an extensive above-the-line campaign, Isilumko Media executed  an activation – inspired by the latest flavour in the Nestle Heaven ice cream range Nestle Heaven Café Latte – by employing dishy Italian-looking male models to take the message to market.

The campaign, conceptualised with creative agency JWT, saw experts in below-the-line activations, Isilumko Media, recruit male models to stir up passion among lunchtime patrons at various Italian-style restaurants across the country.  The handsome promoters used their “Italian” charm to get patrons lunching at Col’Cacchio, Doppio Zero and Piatto, to treat their taste buds to a free Nestlé Heaven Café Latte ice cream.  The activation has also sparked additional interest in the on-pack promotion which offers a chance of winning a state-of-the-art espresso machine.

The diverse splendour of our South African terrain, from beautiful beaches to majestic mountain ranges, makes our southern tip of Africa an attractive tourist destination; but it is the sincere and heart warming hospitality foreign visitors receive from locals that keep them coming back.  Making their mark in local tourism, Isilumko Media, powered by Studentwise, have become an ideal partner; taking hospitality to a new level.

Since November 2010 Isilumko Media, a below-the-line activations and experiential media company, have been ensuring an international standard of service for MSC Starlight cruise ship tours whereby guests scheduled to embark and disembark on the Sinfonia and Melody (docking in Cape Town and Durban respectively) are received by friendly and professional Studentwise brand ambassadors.  Having received extensive training, the promoters are geared to assist with all queries and requests in several integral categories.

By Brendan Powell, General Manager – Isilumko Media

Trends in the youth market seem to dissipate almost as quickly as they are formed, but as we see our transition into the digital space further entrenched through our reliance on mobile and other handheld technology, we discover that certain trends could be here to stay.

Smart phones are the quintessential tool for the current tech-savvy youth.  It has become a vital appendage from which they never detach, except maybe to shower.  It is not only a part of their lives but is in a way a vehicle for their way of living.

Isilumko Media delivered a comprehensive set of research results to client I&J, after being tasked with conducting dipstick research on a particular I&J product. Isilumko Media, powered by Studentwise, is a below-the-line activations and experiential media company focused on quality one-on-one interactions between customers and brand.  This recent project further demonstrated Isilumko Media’s versatility and ability to deliver quick results and quality service.

By Brendan Powell, General Manager at Isilumko Media

The strong sense of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) evident in South African culture has been attributed to, among other things, our unique sense of “ubuntu”; earning us a reputation of being one of the world’s most generous and philanthropic societies.  While that’s a good start, Corporate Social Investment (CSI) has evolved beyond philanthropy and charity and beyond unfocused contributions that fail to meet local needs; into a strategic business tool that empowers communities through sustainable development.

Santa Claus-type hand-outs of the past are a far cry from trends we currently see emerging, with a distinct shift from tokenism towards strategic investment.  Such investment manifests in various forms at corporate and community level.  The basic premise is that by empowering communities, one generates community goodwill which ensures local ownership of CSI projects – the key to sustainability.  Furthermore, building effective partnerships with government and improving an organisation’s reputation among peers and public is achieved through a synergy established between CSI and aligned brand marketing – also a key component in business sustainability.

7 April 2011 marked a first for Primary Health Care Clinics; as Wellness TV was launched at the OR Tambo Clinic in Diepsloot by the MMC for Health; Councillor Mthombeni in conjunction with Isilumko Media.

Wellness TV is a media platform available in government clinics in the Greater Johannesburg area; whereby 42” LCD TVs will screen edutainment and healthcare programming, as well as appropriate advertising, to a 4.6million receptive audience. This offers direct access to the LSM 3-7 bracket in a captive and stimulation deprived environment.

Most people cringe at the thought of a long-winded conversation with a cold-calling insurance sales consultant. How simple would it be if one could purchase funeral cover at the supermarket? Sanlam’s icover provides an off-the-shelf starter pack, purchased at a retail point, registered at the Money Market counter that requires no medical tests and no lengthy forms to fill out

Sanlam icover and Isilumko Media continue to collaborate to bring this quick, easy and completely affordable offer to the market through an extensive interactive in-store campaign.  The professional and experienced team at Isilumko Media, powered by Studentwise, once again prove the upshot of using real people to power our most-loved brands!

Unlike the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – the real question in Marketing is not the meaning of life; but rather: “Does experiential marketing work?”  While little verifiable research has been done in South Africa to determine the answer to this question; there are clear indicators that all say: YES, it certainly does!

Leaders in below-the-line student marketing and activations, Isilumko Media, powered by Studentwise, set out to determine the effectiveness of the Blue Ice (variant Pure Ice) “Pit Stop” campaign in which students participated in a push-cart race.  An icy deodorant pit-stop was used to freshen up and test the lasting power of the 48-hour deodorant brand.  The campaign exposed a total of 42,100 students to the brand at six universities across the country; distributing in excess of 13,000 samples.