When you’re in the advertising game, being able to demonstrate the efficacy of a campaign is the be all and end all for most clients. Garth Maluleka, founder of Street Cred, knows this better than most. The company delivers alternative marketing solutions implemented through innovative mega branding in the form of trucks. It’s a new medium about which clients often need some convincing.
“We’re still at the stage where we need to educate people about why it works, so research is critical to showing our existing — and prospective — clients results,” he says.
So confident is Maluleka about Street Cred’s medium that he invests in independent external research to prove his point. “On every campaign lasting longer than three months where the client takes space on a certain minimum number of trucks, we offer the research for free,” he explains.
The results speak volumes, telling clients the story they want to hear. “On a campaign for McDonald’s, for example, there was a 64% recall of the advertising message in the target market. Being able to give a client hard numbers like that makes all the difference in converting them from skeptics to believers,” he says.
It’s helped Street Cred land big-name clients like SABC and Tiger Brands. “I’ve always maintained that if the results are good, let them speak for themselves. Why should clients take my word for it that this is the medium for them?” adds Maluleka.
Key learning
Take accountability
If you believe in your product or service, back it up with external research that shows how well it works. Statistics and endorsements are hugely powerful, but don’t just count on word of mouth to get the message out there. Invest the time and money in collecting the data you need to show how your business is differentiated. It’ll help you to retain existing clients and convert prospects to new customers.
Vital stats
- Player: Garth Maluleka
- Company: Street Cred Media
- Est: 2010
- X-Factor: Free client extras means proof of return on investment.
- Connect: www.streetcred.co.za;+27 (0)83 317 2478
