This document contains information about Kajal Maharaj, a 20-year-old brand strategist. It includes her contact information, education history, skills, work experience, and interests. It also provides summaries of some of the modules from her Brand Building and Management degree, including Brand Strategy, Creative Development, Economics, Finance, and Channel Planning. The document emphasizes gaining a strategic understanding of branding, marketing, financial analysis, and using creative and analytical thinking to develop innovative solutions.

1. 1
Kajal Maharaj
BRAND STRATEGIST

2. “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s
rays do not burn until brought to a focus”
- Alexander Graham Bell
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3. 3333
1. WHO AM I 4. CREATIVE
2. CONCEPT 5. FINANCE
3. VEGA HEALTHY BRAND 7. BRAND CHALLENGE 6. INNOVATION
CONTENTS
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WHO AM I ?
I am Kajal, a 20-year old Brand Strategist with a personality like the sun.
I have a degree in Brand Building and Management from Vega School of Brand Leadership, and a desire to bring about a difference in the marketing
world.
The 3 years I’ve spent at Vega has equipped me in handling all aspects of branding, developing innovative solutions and strategy, and has taught
me the skill of analytical thinking.
I understand the importance of taking responsibility for my work and actions, as well as the significance of change and critique in order to create
new and innovative solutions to problems in the branding and marketing environment.
I’m enthusiastic about people and eager to gain insight and knowledge that would help me in my field.
I’ve gained a lot of marketing experience from being involved in Rotary projects since I was young. My parents are members of The Rotary Club of
Isipingo-Morningside, and as a result I’ve had first hand knowledge in sales and event co-ordination.
I am considered a non-conformist as I’m one to stray from the norm. I have a knack for copywriting and an inquisitive nature.
I believe in simplicity, but with significance, and therefore I find the saying “less is more” fitting to my personality.

5. CONTACT
074 755 6338
kajmaharaj@gmail.com
INTERESTS
PEOPLE
FOOD
ANIMALS
TRAVEL
READING
EDUCATION
2009 - 2013
Westville Girls High School
Matric qualification with a Bachelor Degree
pass
2014 - 2016
Vega School of Brand Leadership
BBA Degree in Brand Building and
Management
SKILLS
Copywriting
Teamwork
Brand Strategy
Critical Thinking
Microsoft Word
Adobe InDesign
WORK EXPERIENCE
Rotary | First hand exposure with
projects for the Rotary Club of Isipingo-
Morningside.
2014/2015 | In-store promotions with
Atomic Marketing for the Whirlpool
brand at Hirsch’s, Hillcrest.
Brand Challenge 2015 & 2016
A real-life project that engages
multi-disciplinary student teams in the
development and execution of
original and meaningful solutions
to brand problems. My clients were
Hirsch’s and Bloom Special Needs
School respectively.
REFERENCES
Vidhur Bangtu
Atomic Marketing
vidhur@atomicmarketing.co.za
Surina Sookayee
Student Navigator at Vega
ssookayee@vegaschool.com
Curriculum Vitae | Kajal Maharaj | Brand Strategist
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CONCEPT
The concept of my portfolio is the Sun.
The core idea I took from the sun was the growth aspect it brings to us. I enjoy the idea of growth, and therefore conceptualised myself and my
portfolio as a growing process. Through my years at Vega, my work, along with myself, has grown and developed into something that will never die.
An ever-lasting sun that could only get stronger and brighter in time.
The sun is essentially all colours mixed together, which appear to our eyes as white. Just like the sun, I may show only one aspect (or colour) of myself
but I’m made up of many more, a variation of many colours, ideas and personalities.
According to Tarot Card readings, the sun means you acquire “great resources at your disposal, but constrain yourself since it’s possible to have too
much”.
I believe my personality is represented by the Sun. Though playful and fun, I am certainly no lightweight. The sun is the centre of our universe, and
like it, I too enjoy being centre stage sharing my shine with the world.
I refuse boundaries and require mastery of my own destiny. It is difficult for me to bend to another’s will, and my sunny disposition quickly turns
cloudy if I feel someone is trying to control me. I am willing to be vulnerable, but only if it means I’m free to be my true self.
Decidedly artistic and imaginative, my sun personality shines brightest when given an opportunity to create. And create I will, big, bright and hot
enough for everyone to see.
As you will see within this portfolio, I encompass characteristics of creativity, financial analysis, innovation, and strategic thinking, which has ignited
my growth and encapsulates my personality.

7. BRAND BUILDING AND MANAGEMENT
This is the degree for the 21st century, which is used to identify and
meet today’s unique brand building challenges in the most strategic and
innovative ways. This degree brings together many different elements
involved in the branding and marketing world.
This 3-year full-time degree uses creative and strategic thought processes
that enable you to understand and create effective brand and marketing
strategies.
Brand building requires effective management and marketing skills,
and the acute insight gained here equips you with the ability to
comprehensively answer the most critical of questions and solve the most
challenging of problems.
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MODULE INFORMATION
Brand Strategy
Investigates the layering of brand structuring within the context of design thinking and sustainability. I have
gained an understanding of the models and tools underpinning the development of brand strategies.
In addition we were introduced to new trends in branding - design thinking - and how these developments
are changing the relationship between brands and consumers.
Critical Studies
Critical Studies aims to encourage you to think critically about the world around you and to start questioning
how knowledge and meaning is created. It requires you to use the research and writing abilities and apply them.
Understanding the way in which visual design and thereby communication works to construct our realities, is fundamentally important at a brand
communications school where you will be developing innovative styles of design and communication. Critical Studies nurtures a critical and ques-
tioning spirit in you.
Business Communication and Digital Media
This module assisted students with any digital application and communication, it assisted us with understanding digital communication tools and
the principles of creating dynamic and meaningful presentations. It is important to note that skills acquired in this module can be applied to all
digital applications and communications for any other module in terms of layout, design etc. The purpose of this module is to provide us with an
understanding of digital communication tools and the principles of creating dynamic and meaningful presentations.
The module aims to enable us to use visual presentations and multimedia technology as a successful communication strategy in brand building
and managing.
Creative Development
Creative Development is a nomadic journey – a journey that is navigated by Vega and continued by ourselves when we leave. It enables us to rec-
ognise, stimulate, nurture, develop and challenge our personal and creative development. Creative Development supports your creative process-
es, which empowers you with various creative tools, skills, techniques and means of inspiration to ensure your creative development is on-going.
Creative Development teaches you to contextualise, challenge the norms, and ask the right questions, to conceptualise and to find appropriate
solutions.
Creative Development is a field that does not function in isolation, but is developed to support and inform all Vega subjects with the overall meth-
odology and mantra: “wisdomwithmagic”. Creative Development introduces you to various ways of thinking about the self, otherness, complex
concepts, creativity, innovation and crafting. The subject will provide idea and concept development and medium, media and crafting workshops
that will support our theoretical subjects, specialisations and Brand Challenges.

9. Economics
A social science that studies how individuals, governments, firms and nations make choices on allocating scarce
resources to satisfy their unlimited wants. This subject was focused on macro economics which is the field of
study that takes the whole economy into account. Here we learnt about different models and how monetary
and fiscal polices gets implemented and for what specific reasons. Investigating unemployment, inflation,
interest rates, national income, gross domestic product and economic growth. Micro economics is the field of
study that investigates market behaviour of individual consumers and firms. It is concerned with the
interaction between buyers and sellers and the factors that influence supply and demand. Economic
development is the field of study that looks at the relationship between economics, social wellbeing of the
public and the environment and not solely on economic growth.
Finance
Brand decisions are designed to increase brand value and equity. Brand decisions cost money and
understanding how to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of marketing spend is a crucial competence for brand
managers. Deciding on, planning, implementing and achieving the highest value for money on marketing
spend will ensure targeted, effective marketing strategies. Review of marketing decisions under the scrutiny of
financial analysis is key to establishing a ‘learning loop’ in brand building.
Channel Planning
This course aims to integrate planning and management philosophies and practices for brands (goods and services) to reach customers in the phys-
ical world and digital realm via brand-congruent value chain solutions. The digital innovation economy is driven by the maximisation of excellence in
electronic data interchanges by creating valuable and well-engineered, data-driven communication channels between the brand and all stakehold-
ers. Communication practice and context planning through a strategic lens create the backbone of this course’s applied design thinking pedagogy.
Organisational Studies
Organisational Studies is subject that helps 3rd year students to investigate the behaviour of individuals, groups, leadership and even organisations
themselves, in order to prepare them for the challenge of participating in the business environment of the future.
The subject explores the discipline of organisational behaviour through theoretical frameworks and practical projects which explore their own
characteristics and group dynamics, as well as the identification and critical analysis of an actual business environment. This module focuses on
Organisational Studies, Leadership and Management. The aim is to enlighten students on business as an innovative social organisation. The module
introduces the concepts and theories of leadership, management, organisational behaviour, collaborative teamwork, structures and systems. The
correlation between organisational behaviour and brand building is explored through systems theory.
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10. Corporate Social Responsibility
Understanding of the relationship of business to society and the environment is essential to building effective
brand strategies. CSR is a subject that is very topical and this provides a basis for incorporating current issues
into each lecture session. This module aims to introduce you to the brand building purpose and philosophical
underpinnings of CSR. It explores and critiques CSR practices, both local and global, and offers an analysis of
the role of various stakeholders and regulatory guidelines
Innovation and Business Management
This module examines the role of leadership and management in innovation. It investigates various
understandings and processes of innovation and focuses on organisational development strategies that
cultivate creative and innovative cultures and structures. This module encourages students to explore the
complexities of strong and healthy leadership, effective management and innovation in the field of brand
building. The module focuses on practical application of core theoretical insights through research projects,
design thinking, brand challenges, in-class application sessions and an internship component.
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11. VEGA HEALTHY BRAND AUDIT
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12. “The construct of the healthy brand is one that discusses the notion of identity, communication authenticity and
coherency, value, sustainability and the movement away from profit-focused and driven business practice”
(Cook et al, 2010).
The Vega Healthy Brand criteria will be used to analyse the brand identity and image in relation to Bloom, Special
Needs Centre. This will provide a perspective on how consumers view Bloom as a brand and a relation to how they
perceive themselves to be. There are seven indicators to assess brand health.
The following audit was conducted on my Brand Challenge client, Bloom.
Does the Brand have a Particular Meaning?
A brand is defined by its purpose, which captures its reason to exist. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” (Start With Why, 2013).
Bloom is an NPO whose purpose is to work at each child’s developmental level so that they can learn and grow. It’s about helping those with special
needs in order for them to live full lives. Classes are structured so that there are equal groups and individual teaching and learning times. Each class
is organised according to the level of the childs’ needs. Bloom believes in each and every child.
Does the Brand have a Unique Meaning?
Identity and difference of a brand must be powerful and convey its reason to exist . A brand that has a powerful reason to exist is a brand that is
unique. Blooms’ differentiating factor is that they not only cater for children with special needs, but also school typical children, and incorporates
the interaction between children with special needs and typical children to allow for a more normal environment. Bloom is also unique with regards
to the fact that sometimes there is a 1:1 teacher to child ratio, not including the personal facilitator most children have with them at school.
Is the Brand an Effective and Engaging Communicator?
Effective communication occurs when stakeholders understand every interaction clearly and shared meaning is created. Bloom needs to work on
their communication and engagement in order to obtain their objective of gaining an awareness and encouraging social and community involve-
ment. Bloom needs to share their brand with society in order for effective communication channels to develop. Their internal communication
among the school and even parents is of a high standard, and all those part of Bloom understand its purpose. Everyone works together in order to
achieve every childs’ personal developmental goal.
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13. Does the Brand Add Value to the Lives of People?
A healthy brand meets and satisfies the wants and needs of people. Bloom provides a rare and needed service, and
aims to grow their brand to allow for the help and educational growth needed by the children with special needs and
their parents. Value is added as it is a brand entirely focused on giving, and the children are always put first. Bloom
strives to provide options and create opportunities for families with special needs; and to empower and equip
the children to live a life full of happiness and open doors.
Is the Brand Transparent, and is its’ Purpose served in all that it does?
Holistic brand leadership tactics to ensure that the brand is expressed through its promise and not form. A healthy
brand lives and carries out its promise in all that it does. Bloom’s promise of love, support and acceptance to
those who need it is a trait that shows how much the brand, and all those a part of it, cares. Bloom is a transparent
brand as its purpose can be seen and is shown in all that it does for the children, parents and community.
Does the Brand Build Sustainable Relationships?
Never taking more than you give. Bloom only gives back to the community and to those in need. Sustainable relationships are created through
constant community interactions and fundraisers, and the strong involvement with parents that Bloom encourages. Bloom is a family-characterised
environment, where all children, parents and staff are well-known among each other and involved in the childrens’ growth and learning process.
The development of the child is carried out at school and even at home, to ensure constant progress for the children.
Does the Brand demonstrate that Profit is not a Driver but a Consequence?
Revenue results from growth in consumption of the brand. Growth is the result of delivering on the brand promise and building stronger relation-
ships. Bloom is a non-profit organisation, which shows that it is entirely focused on the children and helping those in need. Bloom does what it does
entirely from the heart and for the good of the people (children). They strive to be able to provide bursaries to the families who cannot afford paying
the monthly fee of R5000 because Bloom believes that they are providing an essential need that shouldn’t have a price to it.
Conclusion
From the above Healthy Brand Audit, it is clear that Bloom’s image and identity are well aligned. Bloom can be regarded a healthy brand as it’s mis-
sion is all about good for the people, and it’s promise can be seen delivered through their value chain.
The Vega Healthy Brand Criteria is implemented into every Vega brief, and can be seen in all projects within this portfolio.
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14. CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
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WHAT IT MEANS TO BE
Brief Description:
Part 1 – I was required to write a personal ideology, refining my set of beliefs, morals, and the way I live my life. My
core message will encapsulate who I am and what I would like to be.
FINAL IDEOLOGY
I believe in nature. I believe in living a ‘natural’ life where we embrace and appreciate our world and all its elements. Encompassing a clean body,
mind and soul; and becoming one with our surroundings. I am against the destruction of forests and our environment for the creation of infrastruc-
ture, and very much in opposition of the killing of animals, and risking the possibility of species extinction just for the greedy gains of humans. We
need to care and cherish our world, because it is our home. Take advantage of our senses – touch, taste, sound, sight and smell. Let it overpower and
consume us, and allow us the experience of everything there is to be offered in this world. I reject conventional society, and advocate love, peace
and simple idealistic values such as loving nature and all that was created for us.
“Veni Vidi Amavi” – I came, I saw, I loved – Latin.
I believe in Karma, the idea of what goes around comes around. If you do wrong, in some way or another you can expect it back in return. If you
are good to others, people will be good to you. This is what drives me to treat others with love, kindness and respect. Although, I also feel that if
someone is intentionally bad to you, you should stand your ground and not allow yourself to be brought down.
I am a Hindu, but I am not religious. I would say I’m agnostic, therefore I do believe in God, but not a specific God or a certain type of religion. I
believe that your true religion, and what most religions teach you, is to be and do good. My parents (to an extent) have influenced me, and taught
me the righteous morals I have today. To better yourself as a person is the best thing you can do. Always allow yourself constructive criticism from
others in order to improve your being. Friends and the media have also influenced me, in many ways more good than bad, but have not changed
me. My morals keep me grounded, and lead me to allow positivity onto myself and others.
“If you wait until you have enough money to decorate and make your home your own it will never happen. If you wait until you can afford to buy
everything new you are missing the point. It is the old, the new, the made, the hand-me-down, the collected, the worn (but loved) things in your
home that make it your own”. – Stacy Risenmay
I believe in and relate to this quote, and its meaning it has to life.
I wish for my future to be exciting and memorable. I want adventure, and to live my life to the absolute fullest. I believe that life is meant for more
than just living, it is to be experienced. I have a great desire to travel and roam about. There are billions of people on the planet who I have not met,
and many countries I have not visited. I wish to live in the present, and simply explore. I strive for an immense amount of happiness, and to always
be surrounded by family and friends. I aspire to give and receive a never-ending amount of love, and to grow mentally and emotionally leading to
a blissful life.

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Part 2 – depicting my ideology through fashion. I had to conceptualise and design a clothing range reflecting my
ideology. A top, bottom, shoes and an accessory was required, as well as a label name and logo.
Rationale
An ideology is based on your philosophies, your ideals, your beliefs, your hopes and dreams. It is what you live by and
how you live, it is how you treat others and responds to how others treat you. It is a guide to being who you are. In a
sense, it is the essence of you. There are many ways in which your personal ideology can be visually portrayed, mine is
through fashion.
After a lot of research, I discovered that many of my values and beliefs relate to the Rastafarian and Hippie principles. Rastafari is more than just a
religion; it is a movement and a way of life. The Rasta lifestyle (such as Bob Marley’s) is one of peace and essentially seeks to be one of peace. The
smoking of marijuana for a Rasta is a special experience. They use the marijuana to help enlighten their mind so they can correctly
reason the ways of the world. I have an even stronger tie with the hippie lifestyle and attitude.
“Hippies began to rebel against established traditions such as their parents’ religion and cultural
expectations. This was a time of freedom, peace and love beyond comprehension”.
Hippie culture encouraged exploring new paths, which lead many hippies to embrace
unconventional beliefs such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Native American mysticism.
“Many sought to expand the horizons of their minds, gaining new experiences and fresh
perspectives on the world”.
My ideology as a whole brings about the essence of nature, freedom and happiness, and thus
leads to my idea of an outfit made from natural materials, which exude beauty too. My outfit is
made out of soft beige hemp material, with an addition of white floral lace. My main focus was to
keep things natural and organic, thus the use of eco-friendly hemp. Hemp is made out of
marijuana and is therefore 100% bio-degradable and good for the environment. Along with
hemp, the use of luxurious floral lace was made to emphasise the beauty of nature. My design is
simple and clutter-free. “The secret to beauty is simplicity with a certain touch of glamour, and as
long as you have a simple style you will be definitely on the right path” (Elie Saab).
The colours I chose are monotone and neutral and therefore seemingly ‘natural’.
The label name of my outfit is ‘Free Soul’. A ‘free soul’ is someone who is open-minded, outgoing
and one with themselves. My icon is a feather, which relates to freedom, independence and being
delicate and beautiful.
Hippies, nature lovers, free spirited people and generally anyone who appreciates beautiful
couture would wear this outfit. It is a combination of being aesthetically pleasing and
environmentally friendly. The message conveyed is ‘beauty through nature’. It suggests that
nature holds a hidden beauty, and if not explored, can be overseen and forgotten. We need to
explore everything.

17. My design hero is Elie Saab, due to his nature inspired fashion designs in spring / summer 2014. His style is a unique
fusion of eastern and western culture, and loves to use fluid light fabrics. Elie Saab’s haute couture collections are my
true inspiration because of their simplicity and distinctive characteristics in relation to the natural elements of the
world.
“Anything can be a source of inspiration. Imagination is important to be able to create but one must also be inspired
by everything around them, whether it is nature, art, etc. Any idea or anything seen could be a source of inspiration to
the creator”. In the spring and summer of 2014, Elie Saab was inspired by nature. He believed that the spring is the
time of novelties, youth, and a new dynamic life. In the collection, the nature is embodied by the blossoming of a garden
full of roses, bursting with colours, delicate and refined textures. Part of my ideology says that we should become one with our surroundings, and
to allow it to overpower us.
His inspiration through nature is much like mine, although I wish to interpret mine through a more eco-friendly and casual way.
I decided to create an outfit because I believe that you can strongly express yourself through your body (what you wear), and by exposing and em-
bracing your true self. What you wear should also make you feel happy and comfortable, and should describe you as a person. The outfit I designed
is a short top and a long skirt. It does not cover a lot of skin due to the natural / nude aspect I wish to represent. I believe that bare skin is beautiful
and natural. My chosen accessory is a flower crown, made from real vines and flowers, and no shoes but a barefoot sandal that simply goes around
your toe and ankle made from hemp rope. The beige and white colours go well together and are contrasting which is attractive. The beige (brown)
symbolises the earth and land, while the white is the purity of the water and air. These elements of nature are essential to our lives and our world,
and bring about beauty and growth.
I believe that the visual representation of my ideology depicted through my created outfit has been successful. My personal beliefs and values are
shown through well. The nature, beauty and freedom aspect is conveyed through the look and feel of the outfit. The design is simple but significant.
A free-flowing, subtly coloured, organic outfit, which conveys ‘beauty through nature’ and expresses who I am.
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18. FINANCE
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19. Taken from Brand Challenge 2015 - Hirsch’s
Assisted by team member Reynold Naidoo - Senior Strategist
Brief: The finance component of the brand challenge project comprises of 3 important parts - the activation budget;
measuring the success of the campaign; and measuring the performance of the brand
Roll Out Plan
“Branding and marketing metrics are quantitative measures that can be used to evaluate a firm’s position relative to its markets, as well as a means
by which the firm can predict the outcomes of marketing campaigns” (Farris et al, 2009).
Hirsch’s did provide us with their metrics spending, being print, radio and SMS campaigns as their largest metrics spend. From the information we
gathered from their Hirsch’s Web Department, Gavin Singh, we found out:
Hirsch’s metrics are reported at a monthly management meeting. Their metric spend is analysed after promotional runs. Sales reporting versus met-
ric spend and outcome derivatives. Hirsch’s benchmark their direct line competitors (Game and Makro). They have a future plan to measure metrics
through their online channel, as it is believed to be more accurate and easier to segment across interest-based verticals.
Hirsch’s said that their metrics are “above line versus other competitors” and devise constant growth and innovation. From our primary and sec-
ondary research, we determined Hirsch’s main objectives being – to increase sales revenue, create stronger brand awareness and ensure a growth
in their social media presence. We predict and aim for the chosen metrics to act on and accomplish these objectives, and allow for the success of
the campaign.
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Brand Metrics
Product & Brand Performance Metrics
Market Share – a product, category or brand’s share of the total available market that is being serviced by a company.
Market share is used to determine the total market size, and compare its performance with its competitors.
Market Share = sales / total market sales %
Due to the campaign we are running, we expect this value to be higher than last year’s market share value. This will give
Hirsch’s the opportunity to measure its success in terms of the size of their target market and target audience, and if they
need to increase advertising in order to gain an increase in revenue. This links with Growth metrics, used primarily to measure
progress towards short-term business objectives.
Revenue Market Share = sales revenue / total market revenue %
Hirsch’s needs to convert sales targets into market share as this will demonstrate if their objectives are to be attained by growing with the market
or by capturing share from competitors. Market share is closely monitored for signs of change in the competitive environment, and it usually drives
strategic or tactical action.
Market Penetration – measures the saturation of a market and category acceptance by a defined population. This is useful in tracking the accep-
tance of new product categories.
Market Penetration = customers who have purchased a product in the category / total population %
This allows Hirsch’s to determine who their most successful brands are, and thus increase the promotion of slacking brands. By focusing on the
weaker brands, Hirsch’s will allow for an overall growth and success of their products, and ensure brand performance.
Brand Penetration – measures brand acceptance or popularity by a defined population
Brand Penetration = customers who have purchased the brand / total population %
Brand penetration would help Hirsch’s to understand the popularity and liking of certain brands, and if more or less customers purchase the specific
brand. This can be related to other stores selling the same brand to see if it is an internal issue, or if the brand in general is not performing.
Penetration Share – the comparative acceptance of a brand within a product category
Penetration Share = brand penetration / market penetration %
Brand managers usually decide whether to seek sales growth by acquiring existing category users from their competitors or by expanding the total
population of category users, attracting new customers to the market. Penetration metrics help indicate which of these strategies would be most
appropriate and help managers to monitor their success. This metric would help Hirsch’s understand how well their brand is performing in compari-
son to its competitors and other stores, thus allowing for the necessary improvement of the brand, and target the most necessary points of contact.
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21. Frequency Response Functions – the expected relationship between advertising outcomes (sales revenue) and advertising
frequency
Learning Curve Response = an initial low level of audience awareness; an increase in repetition permeates the audience,
effectiveness increases; thus a point of diminishing returns.
Hirsch’s at first was unknown and not easily recognised, but with effective and sufficient advertising and awareness Hirsch’s
was and still is being built into a popular and renowned brand. The proper form of promotion will gradually lead the Hirsch’s
brand to an everlasting success.
Farris et al (2009, pg.265)
Campaign Metrics
Measuring Social Media – social media was a key objective for Hirsch’s due to the increase of customers moving towards the online presence
and social media being one of the most popular forms of interaction between customers. Measuring your social media will help you see the ‘likes,
retweets and follows’ you receive, along with who is speaking about your brand, and what they’re saying about it. Social media is also an instant
way of connecting to your customers and target market.
• Volume: a great initial indicator of interest that can be tracked over time which measures the size of the conversation about the brand,
counting the messages about the brand and the number of people talking about it
• Reach: measures the spread of a social media conversation and potential media size, and helps you understand the context for your content
• Engagement: how many people are participating in the conversation about your brand
• Engagement % = action or engagement number / reach
• Influence: who is talking about your brand and what kind of impact they have
• Share of Voice: how the conversation about your brand compares to the conversations about your competitors
(Davis J.D. 2012)
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22. Customer Loyalty and Retention – attracting the right customer, getting them to purchase from your brand (often and in
higher quanti ties), and bring you more customers. Hirsch’s customer loyalty can be built by their excellent service and
by the promotion of their loyalty card. Due to their family orientation, Hirsch’s customers have formed a close bond with the
brand, allowing for trustworthiness to win through.
The 3 methods for measuring customer loyalty and retention are customer surveys; direct feedback at point of purchase; and
a purchase analysis.
This metric indicates how long customers stay with you. With a successful loyalty programme, this number should increase
over time as the number of loyalty programme members grows.
The promotion of the new Hirsch’s loyalty card that we produced will not only attract new customers, but ensure that they stay with the brand too.
Repeat Customer Rate – the percentage of your customer base that has made a repeat purchase from you
= customers that have purchased more than once / unique customers
(McEachern A, 2015)
Cost of Customer Acquisition – a measure of the total cost associated with acquiring a new customer, including all aspects of marketing and sales.
This informs you if your marketing and advertising investments are paying for themselves. This would help Hirsch’s understand the cost of acquiring
more customers, and to plan out and budget their marketing strategies so that they are not overrun with a customer growth they cannot afford, or
spend too much which results in a lower return on investment. We predict that they will receive a high return on investment with regards to their
customers because our campaign will successfully meet its objectives.
Customer Acquisition = total acquisition expenses / total new customers over a given period
Sales Revenue = current sales – previous sales / previous sales
This sales’ metric will show Hirsch’s the growth in their sales over a defined period of time. This will help the brand understand how well they are
doing, and where their money should be spent in order to improve their revenue. We predict that their sales will indefinitely increase yearly, and
allow for the growth of their brand.
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23. Conclusion
The budget we formulated for Hirsch’s fits in well with their given estimated budget of between 1 and 1.5 million rand. This
gives Hirsch’s the opportunity of implementing our executions realistically. We believe that the suggested metrics are
relevant to the brand and will be beneficial to Hirsch’s with regards to their overall brand and the campaign. These metrics
will help with the knowledge of their brand, sales, customers, advertising and social media and are therefore highly
recommended by our agency. We trust that these metrics will lead to the future success of Hirsch’s.
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24. 24
INNOVATION
AND
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
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25. Innovation and Brand Building in the wider Social, Financial, Cultural and Economic context
Brief Description – in pairs, we had to identify an innovation that has, or could have, positive economic, financial,
cultural and social consequences for South Africa.
Group member: Celine Naidoo
Our chosen brand: South African Solar Panels
Brief introduction to the innovation
South African solar panels invented by Professor Vivian Alberts of the University of Johannesburg, contains a thin layer
of a distinctive metal alloy that converts light into energy at a portion of the cost. Vivian and his team developed
a metal alloy that is photo-responsive and can operate on almost all flexible surfaces. Reports, earlier in 2004,
indicated the metal alloy was made up of copper-indium (gallium)-diselenide (CIGS). It was also inferred that the panels
would have a useful lifespan of 20 years with the energy used for producing them recovered within the first 1-2 years of operation. Materials used
could then be recycled later on to produce new cells. The size of an average family home would need around 30m/sq (about the size of a living
room) of CIGS solar panels to meet all its electricity requirements.
The innovation does not require direct sunlight; therefore, the new solar panels may operate to generate energy even during winter. There are stor-
age devices (batteries of some sort) and converters that were created along with the new cells to store energy that has been collected.
Why is this an innovation?
An innovation is the conversion of an idea or invention into a product or service that creates value for customers that are willing to pay (Business-
Dictionary.com, 2016).
Technology Company, PTIP, is co-owned by UJ and the IDC and demonstrates that solar photovoltaic power can cost less than the grid. A number
of commercial case studies with corporate shows the new innovation can be equally compared to grid power. More than 80% of local materials are
used to produce the solar modules. The highest possible global quality certification may soon be owed to the company for the modules it manu-
factures in Stellenbosch, for us on and off Eskom’s electricity grid.
Alberts realised that something different was needed as South African companies weren’t able to produce silicon-based PV devices on a competitive
basis. He became the leader to a PV research group that was focused on the characterisation and growth of polycrystalline ternary and quaternary
semiconductors. He saw a need for a more efficient power generator and therefore decided to produce one as the sources that are popularly used
are not sustainable and therefore harmful to our environment. The innovation will and has created many opportunities with regards to technology
in South Africa (Earthworksmagazine.co.za, 2016).
The demand for crystalline solar modules could not be met as there is insufficient raw silicon on the global market. Alberts designed the only patent
in the world that processes a combination of five elements, as opposed to other thin-film process which uses 3 or 4 elements, Alberts process works
with five, to create an active homogenous alloy. This allows for significant growth faster than the market.
Every area that receives sunlight may benefit from the advancement in solar technology and is especially beneficial to households or businesses as
it covers almost every surface.
25

26. Innovation Process
The process of research and development on technologies and semiconductor materials began in 1993 on an
academic level in the Department of Physics at the University of Johannesburg. In the period between 1994 and 2003
core research were conducted on various semiconductor materials and PV devices in the laboratories that were
developed in the Department of Physics. Professor Alberts led a research group that published more than 100
research papers in international journals during this period of time.
Vivian was awarded a Fulbright scholarship which took him to the Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) at the University
of Delaware in the US. The institution is centered on research and development of thin-film photovoltaic solar cells
and various photonic devices.
While at the institution the invention was official disclosed in Vivian’s name and because of his Fulbright scholarship, it could be transferred to his
home university and the patent was registered in the name of the UJ, with Alberts being named the sole inventor. Since then, not much has been
mentioned on how the invention was formed and the process it took to design it. Alberts states that “the real breakthrough lay in the process, which
produces the new semiconductor material and both the process and the material properties are protected through the patent.”
With the support of the Department of Science and bTechnology through the Innovation Fund Trust in 2004, a pilot facility was built and later in
2005, became operational. Essentially, the building was a better version of the laboratory facility, where the academic patents process from the lab-
oratory-sized thin film solar cell of 1cm2 was developed into panels of 1 500 cm2 and later on to four times the size by a commercial-sized facility
that was built in Germany (Earthworksmagazine.co.za, 2016).
Recommendations that could/would improve the success of this innovation
• Gain a greater awareness by ensuring the ease of accessibility and attainability throughout the country and world
• Ensure that it is affordable to most people, mainly within South Africa
• Strive to manufacture and produce 100% of materials and equipment locally to avoid expensive importation and therefore create employment
• Ensure its eternal sustainability and success by guaranteeing high maintenance of the innovation and smooth-runnings
• Outsource it internationally to gain a country and competitive advantage
26

27. Value added by the Innovation
Economic: As the thin-film solar photovoltaic technology continues to grow, it shall hold a strong market share, which
in turn may help strengthen the South African economy as more organisations will be interested in buying their
patenting license. The innovation also assists in decreasing the cost of electricity which means that people will be
able to use their money more efficiently and cut costs, all having a great impact on the economy. The industry
will create a lot of job opportunities for South African citizens throughout every sector of the organisation, decreasing
the unemployment rate and strengthening the economy.
Financial: Previously solar panels were known to be capital intensive due to the materials used in the production of
them, however, through the invention of professor Vivian’s solar module (CIGS) the cost is much lower and can therefore
be implemented by many homes when brought to the market. The new technology may also be used in many new homes that are built in the future,
incorporating it within the design and appearance of the home.
Social: Lower carbon footprint, higher home value, it could be implemented in most areas as it does not solely rely on direct sunlight to operate.
The thin-film solar panel can be sustained and will decrease the harm caused to the environment by conventional power methods that are depleting
our environmental resources. As the technology becomes more popular, people become more aware of how it sustains the environment and will
therefore place an increasing effort into taking care of our natural resources.
These panels generate electricity, as opposed to previous solar panels which simply heated water, are approximately 50% cheaper than their PV
market competitors, and could transform the use of renewable solar energy worldwide (Yeld, 2006). Being cheaper awards this innovation with a
great competitive advantage because due to South Africa’s current economic condition, any save on money would be highly attractive to consum-
ers and weakens the financial strain put on us by taxes, the petrol price, and even by Eskom’s negative impact on providing us with less power for
more money.
“SA stands to benefit significantly from this technology”. Not just from the huge royalties and profits that the intellectual property company will
gain, but also from the “intensive and sustained technology transfer process that will lead to the development of a hi-tech solar panel manufactur-
ing industry where previously none existed” (Financial Mail, 2006). This new innovation is more efficient and effective than previous solar PV panels
because of it costing so much less to manufacture, also on account of most of the materials being locally produced.
These solar panels are not only more sustainable and cheaper in the long run, but are also vastly environmentally appropriate. The current social
trend on going ‘green’ and being environmentally friendly allows this innovation another competitive advantage. Solar power does not use any
non-renewable resource or fossil fuel. Being off the grid is something that many South Africans strive for, as the benefits will be economical as well
as ecological.
As a result of electricity shortages, the depletion of coal, load-shedding and the high cost to import resources, this new innovation could provide
the country with an eternal power supply that is completely natural and can still provide in winter and without direct sunlight. It also allows us the
advantage of storing energy for a later use which ultimately helps us save on time and conserve more power for our future use.
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28. 28
BRAND CHALLENGE

29. 29
Brand Challenges are 5 weeks of intense and strenuous work. Vega School of Brand Leadership places second
year, third year and honours students into groups to work on a live client brief, which usually includes a
budget. Due to my client being an NPO we had no budget.
Part A – Agency Identity
Create a marketing agency for a live client brief. This is to be executed through merging those in the fields of brand
communication and management, strategic planning, multimedia, copywriting and visual communication. Show
elements of the agency’s visual and verbal identity, along with the procedures of how ideas are generated and how the
agency conducts itself.
Team Members:
Kajal Maharaj – Senior Strategist
Maxine Sweetman – Honours Strategist
Karabo Lekoba – Junior Strategist
Ashleigh Stone – Senior Multimedia
Nevada Purchase – Junior Multimedia
Andrew Topping – Senior Visual communicator
Ha-Kyoung Ro – Junior Visual communicator
Cassandra Pridgeon – Copywriter

30. 30
AGENCY IDENTITY
Name – Cookhouse Creative
Rationale
When our team first met we discussed our likes, values and interests, many of which included our fondness
of family time, being together, and our obvious love of food. We enjoyed the idea of people and families coming
together, and the first thing that came to our minds was a kitchen. The kitchen is one of the most popular rooms in
our homes and it is usually where most family members can be found. It is a room which brings us together.
Our group discussion led us to thinking about working together in a kitchen and thus a cookhouse. Our Cookhouse
Creative concept was created.
A Cookhouse can be defined as an outdoor kitchen in a warm country. Due to our agency and individual personalities being of an outgoing nature,
we found it fitting. We also see ourselves as being quirky and different, and thus the ‘creative’ was incorporated into our name. We are also situated
in a warm country, being South Africa. We like to see ourselves as a family working and living in a house of high energy and comfort.
Our inspiration came from the Chef movie, with key concepts showing that we will go where you need us to go, like a food truck, and we invite cli-
ents to be part of our family, and share our food or be a part of the kitchen team. A chef is a professional cook. Kitchens consist of different types of
people such as the Head Chef, the Sous Chefs and the Station Chefs. Each chef contributes their great skills and personalities, strong-mindedness,
and their drive and their desire to work together to create great dishes. Cookhouse Creative strives to communicate and lead strongly, work well
under pressure, multitask, work well as a team, and be creative, imaginative and organised.
Chefs can take on any amount and variety of ingredients and create a satisfying meal for the consumer (client). This is what Cookhouse Creative
endeavours to do. By digging into any type of brief our client provides us with, we will produce a pleasing end result.
Logo
We kept our logo clean and simple, just as any kitchen station should be. The knife is our focal object due to our cutting edge performance; and
the incorporation of the pencil shows our creative and strategic personalities offered. The blue circling our logo shows structure, and is also a co-
lour that enhances creativity.
Vision
Fresh Solutions for Quality Results
Our fresh solutions come from our innovative skills of creating crisp ideas; and all end dishes are of impeccable quality, authenticity and success.
Mission
Stewing innovative recipes through our rebellious and hearty nature in order to provide you with integral, quality and cutting edge solutions
Every branding method we use is all our own. We challenge the norm to create our own trends. Cookhouse Creative is a cut above the rest.
30

31. Ideation Process
In essence an ideation process is how to generate ideas as a team. According to Tim Brown (2015)
“Design thinking is a human-centred approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the
needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success”. We felt that this related
well with our agency that viewed ourselves as a creative kitchen with interesting and skilled chefs, making people our
main purpose. We as the agency understood the needed importance that comes from empathy, collaboration and
prototyping, and then helping to create ideas that are fluid and impactful with relation to the current situation.
We came up with this approach for our ideation:
Cooking the Perfect Meal:
1. Collection of ingredients (Empathy)
Through the process of collecting all relevant ingredients for the structure of the recipe to cook the meal, we are able to gather a deeper
understanding of what the client is requesting.
2. Preparing the ingredients to preserve its goodness for cooking (Define)
By prepping the ingredients before cooking it essentially preserves the goodness of all the ingredients in a similar manner as we use
insights to distinguish the clients’ needs.
3. Seasoning the ingredients to tie the flavours together (Collaboration)
Here, all our resources have to be collected, we then share our knowledge amongst one another and merge our data; tying the structure of
our materials together to create a delicious meal.
4. Adding sides to the dish (Idea Generation)
By establishing the foundation of the construct, we are able to continue adding ‘sides’ to the already assembled dish in order to build onto
our framework in the same way we continuously add onto our already existing idea; to enhance and better the final idea.
5. Handing out taster samples (Prototype)
In order to observe the sustainability of our idea, it is necessary to provide samples/tasters to establish what it tastes like, fully assembling
our final product.
6. Time to serve (Test)
By serving the dish, we are able to test the final product and whether or not it has vital flaws. Through the evaluation of the finished object,
accompanied by the client, we can collect input for improvement if necessary.
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32. 32
Part B – Client Brief
Analyse and strategise concepts for the brand. The aim for this will be to identify key marketing opportunities and
objectives to focus on. The brand that we were tasked with is Bloom.
BLOOM
The Brand – Bloom Centre for Special Needs Children
Bloom is a medium to long term remedial special needs school aimed at making a difference. The centre is a creative space of hope and support
where people are made to feel loved, safe and accepted for who they are. The staff at Bloom is made up of passionate individuals who serve to
release potential. Bloom’s aim is to achieve a correct balance of “normal” learning and entertaining activities, within a loving and nurturing environ-
ment. The special needs centre works with children with a variety of diagnosis such as Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Chromosomal abnormali-
ties, Autism, low IQ, speech and language disorders, any barriers to learning, and children who are not coping in mainstream schools.
Introduction
“Your brand strategy defines what you stand for, a promise you make, and the personality you convey” MarketingMo, 2015. Our briefing by Bloom
was an amalgamation of both a written and verbal brief. Our verbal briefing included Jessica Roux coming to speak to us about Bloom and its foun-
dation. The written brief included a printed document containing insights on what they stand for and what they aim to achieve. We will provide
Bloom with research based on the current marketplace to gain insight into the minds of their community and the general society, sound strategy
based on the required objectives, and concepts through marketing and communication activities that will make an impact and are relevant with
what Bloom wants to achieve.
Client Objectives
• To encourage businesses to give to the vision of Bloom on a monthly/annual basis, as a part of their CSR initiatives.
• Push the local community to accept and take ownership of the reality of special needs in their society, and supporting families with special needs.
• Increase the engagement of influential sectors of the South African society to the reality of what it is like to have special needs or be affected by
special needs in your family.
• Increase the engagement between the public and people with special needs.
• De-mystify the stigma around what ‘special needs’ is.
• Challenge businesses to see children who are different as valuable and important members of society who deserve to be loved, accepted and
supported for who they are.
• Find ways to provide financial assistance to Bloom so that they may offer bursaries for those who cannot afford their school fees.
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33. Research Methodology
A research methodology can be defined as the process used to collect information and data.
Cookhouse Creative has designed a research methodology by using inspiration taken from the Design Thinking
Process discussed by Tim Brown. The research methodology that our agency has created and follows describes how
our research is obtained.
Cookhouse Creative has sliced research into two phases:
Old existing family recipes:
This includes secondary research taken from existing material such as social media, websites and articles. This research can be seen as qualitative re-
search in order to gain a deeper meaning and understanding of human behaviour and experience. This includes a wide scope of beliefs, behaviours
and emotions. Cookhouse Creative collects these recipes in order to give ourselves a basic understanding of our client and to learn more about
their environments.
New recipes which we’ve altered and created ourselves:
This includes primary research which is newly obtained information, and includes interviews and surveys. Cookhouse Creative went out to collect
fresh new recipes which we reconstructed and changed so that we may use it to fit the requirements of our client.
Situational Analysis
Macro Analysis
The Macro Environment is the environment that the business has very little to no control over, although this environment has a big influence on how
your business performs. The macro environment is made up of the DPESTLE analysis, which includes aspects of Demographics, Political, Economic,
Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental points.
Micro Analysis
The Micro Environment is the environment within the business, and all its internal affairs and factors that influences the progression of the business
from the inside. These elements include employees & trade unions, customers, competitors, suppliers, public, and intermediaries.
33

34. SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is an analysis which people use in order to identify and understand the business’s Strengths,
Weaknesses, and for also identifying the Opportunity that may arise for the business and Threats that they may face.
Strengths
Bloom has a family-characterised environment; the parents are involved in most of the decision making therefore the
training programs are followed through at home and not just in school.
They are the only special needs school between Stanger and Mozambique.
They have a genuine interest in every child’s potential as they each have a specific goal set for them.
Bloom’s contact points and brand message remain consistent throughout each and every touch point.
The only special needs school that incorporates the interaction with typical school children.
Weakness
Facilities, such as those used for Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, are not always updated with new equipment and may be outdated when
compared to other special need schools.
Bloom does not have the necessary funds to prioritise advertising and therefore remain largely unknown.
There is a stigma around children with special needs which often affects the parents and their decision on whether or not to send their child to a
special needs school, or in Bloom’s case, a school that incorporates typical children with those with special needs (Kingdom Kids).
Those in need in the rural community are unable to be a part of Bloom due to the lack of awareness in the area, no transportation due to the dis-
tance, as well as a lack of funds to send the children to Bloom.
Opportunity
Bloom has the opportunity to reach those in rural or far areas with the proper funding.
Large corporations are often looking to improve their CSR initiatives so therefore Bloom has the opportunity to be funded by them.
Bloom has the opportunity to get involved with local businesses such as Spar where their students have the potential to be employed full-time so
that they can grow and develop further in their life.
They have the opportunity to develop partnerships with their neighbours within the community and the general society.
Threats
Another special needs school developing in the North Coast.
Parents may not trust the school with no financial backing and its low technological advancement.
Lack of funds may cause Bloom to be shut down.
34

35. Strategy
Brand Identity
According to Aaker (2009 pg. 43) “Brand identity is a set of brand associations that the brand strategist aspires to
create and maintain. There is a promise created for customers from these associations by organisation members.
The brand identity is therefore used to drive all brand-building efforts through depth and richness in all advertising
and is not merely a positioning statement.” Brand identity is the total proposition that a company makes to
consumers - the promise it makes. It may consist of features and attributes, benefits, performance, quality, service
support, and the values that the brand possesses.
Brand as a Product
The brand can be viewed as a product, a personality, a set of values and a position it occupies in people’s minds. Brand
identity is everything the company wants the brand to be seen as.
Bloom can be seen as a giver. With a family-orientated set of values, Bloom is positioned within the hearts of people.
Brand as an Organisation
Bloom centre for special needs children, positions itself as a facility providing fun, creativity, a space of hope and support, where the children feel
loved, safe and accepted for who they truly are – a judgment free zone. Bloom not only provides an extensive range of high quality therapy support
but also provides a personalised service to the children that attend, their parents as well as the wonderful staff who help these beautiful individuals
through friendly, keen and helpful staff offering reliability and consumer understanding.
The service excellence at Bloom aims to provide individual education development plans, which are created specifically for each pupil and place
cohesion with their parents. The Bloom centre is a non-profit organisation that hopes to be mutually beneficial to the community by offering these
generous services to the community.
Brand as a Person
Bloom places importance on providing options and to create opportunities for families with special needs. To empower and equip the individuals
through a holistic approach to their educational, physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing so that they may live a full and independent adult life.
Bloom comes across as a caring, considerable, giving brand that can be trusted by all those associated with it. Bloom also incorporates the fun,
loving side and one can clearly see this through their actions.
This fun, creative, family orientated culture is one that builds drive and independence within each of their pupils as well as members, increasing the
desire to be better than yesterday.
Their brand identity aims to motivate the pupils as well as staff to become self-motivating, thus empowering them with knowledge in order to be
taught to be ‘life-wise’ and teach others.
35

36. Aaker’s Brand Identity Planning Model also requires one to look at the value proposition of the brand and this is
broken down into three categories; functional, emotional, and self-expressive benefits.
Functional Benefits:
Providing education
Providing occupational therapy and physiotherapy
General growth and development of the children
Emotional Benefits:
Support to the children as well as to the parents
Self-expressive Benefits:
Fundraisers and events hosted by Bloom to show the customer what they’re all about, thus building relationships
Primary Research - the following aspects were looked at:
• School Layout
• Classrooms
• Presentation of the WOW Factor
• Focus Group
Interview with Nicky Stirton (Bloom Centre Management)
From the interview and interactions conducted at Bloom, Cookhouse Creative has learnt the following:
Bloom’s school fees have not escalated in the past 2 years.
Bloom hosts 3 big fundraisers annually:
- Their ‘Fashion Exchange’ raised R50 000
- Their ‘Colour Run’ raised R8 000
- Their ‘Golf Day’ raised R200 000 (most successful)
Bloom makes a R10 000 loss monthly.
They do not have the funds to train staff.
Bloom’s staff salaries are minimal compared to other staff of special needs facilities.
Bloom wants to approach companies now due to receiving their tax certificate, to either sponsor a child or sponsor Bloom.
Bloom’s focus is to keep the school running.
Bloom’s prior advertising methods were unsuccessful due to using the incorrect channels, being a print advert in a special needs magazine.
Word-of-mouth is their most successful form of marketing.
Bloom wants long-term volunteers.
They want a sustainable way of raising funds.
They need sponsorships to allow for more classes.
They want to develop competency and their staff.
36

37. Online Surveys: (100 respondents)
More than half of our respondents do not contribute to any cause.
Most of our respondents would contribute to a cause in the future.
Most respondents feel more impacted by animal related causes because pets are a commonality and many people can
relate as there is a greater contact and awareness around it.
Sympathy and having the feeling of being helpful drives people to contribute to causes.
More than half of our respondents know how to contribute to a cause.
Most respondents would rather donate money and buy merchandise when it comes to contributing.
Most respondents have not heard of Bloom.
More than half of our respondents know of other special needs schools such as Browns, Golden Hours (most common ones) mainly because they
live in the same area of the schools.
Knowing and not knowing of anyone with special needs was divided equally among our respondents.
Most respondents do not contribute to special needs causes because they don’t know how to.
More than half of our respondents have interacted with people with special needs and most felt uncomfortable around them.
Not knowing how to communicate or interact appropriately makes respondents uncomfortable because they think that there is no common ground
between them.
Most respondents who have children with special needs feel discriminated against because their children are classed as ‘different’ and typical society
does not like to accept this difference in their lifestyle.
Key Issues
Typical people feel uncomfortable when they interact with those who have special needs, which creates a divide.
People often don’t want to volunteer at fundraising events because it is time consuming and they would rather buy merchandise or donate money.
Society discriminates against children with special needs and their abilities through exclusion, restrictions and bullying.
Insights
When typical people interact with those with special needs they feel as if they have nothing in common with them and therefore battle to commu-
nicate with them.
People want to actually see what they are buying or what their money is going towards.
People with special needs just need to be given the opportunity and they will flourish.
Objectives
1. Change the perception that typical people and people with special needs have nothing in common in every 1 of 5 households across the
Durban and North Coast regions within the next 6 months.
2. Encourage awareness through the provision of tangible products by 50% within the next 12 months.
3. Provide opportunities to children with special needs through public integration into a ‘typical’ environment by 50% within the next 6 months.
37

38. Positioning
For people associated with special needs children, Bloom is a school that believes in growth and opportunity, because
every child deserves to thrive.
Message
“Growing Unity, Blooming Lives.”
Concept
Blooming through Integration
Through the use of integration, we’re going to show that typical people and special needs people do have things in common. This concept con-
siders the relationship between typical people and those with special needs and aims to build upon it. It will then find common interests between
typical people and special needs people. Through this integration the stigma and discomfort can be eliminated. We are also not only focusing on
the physical integration but also the mindset and unifying our message into the typical environment. Therefore we will be challenging a typical
school environment by integrating the mindset that people with special needs are no different to typical people.
This will benefit the children with special needs as well as their parents as they will no longer feel discriminated against as well as easing out the
stigma. We brainstormed words that relate to the idea of “coming together” and decided to go with the term integration. We decided to incorpo-
rate the Brand’s name into the concept as we want the integration to grow and flourish. The final concept we decided on was “Blooming through
Integration.”
Through our primary research we gained an insight that typical people don’t feel completely comfortable around people with special needs because
they feel that they find difficulty in communicating on the same level and do not know how to interact in an appropriate manner - they cannot em-
pathise - and they also don’t know how to go about bonding or forming relationships with them. Through our secondary and primary research we
found that children with special needs do not feel uncomfortable around typical people, they often feel enriched with happiness. Typical children/
adults are the ones that often feel discomfort in engaging or attempting to communicate with special needs children, therefore the objective of our
concept is to create an initiative where they are both able to participate and interact with one another, thus achieving integration and unity. This
will allow for the relationship between typical children/adults and special needs children to grow and flourish, expand on the general awareness of
special needs and finally get rid of the stigma around it.
38

39. Executions
Looking at our concept ‘Blooming through Integration’ we decided to approach a local fashion designer to create
clothing for both men and women. The designs will include the children’s handprints from both the Kingdom Kids
as well as The Bloom Centre children. These handprints can be made into different patterns which are then placed
onto the clothes. There will be quotes positioned onto the clothing that represent unity and celebrate their
differences. A local artist/designer will create a large artwork of a ‘typical’ person wearing the piece of clothing that
the fashion designer has created.
This artwork will then be placed on large walls around the city of Durban by a chosen local artist/designer, from
Durban up until the North Coast areas. We aim for this to become a large scale movement.
The street art will be made before the clothing comes out to ultimately tell people or give them an idea of this new fashion craze that is coming out
by the local fashion designer. The creative quotes that are placed on the clothing will also be incorporated onto the walls reinforcing our concept
about special needs and unity. The quotes will be written onto pieces of paper. Once the artwork has been on the wall for a few days people will be
allowed to take the quotes home, thus being an interactive artwork. This allows for interaction and literally getting the people to go up to the art,
take a piece of paper and read it, which could become a popular engaging factor. People can stick these quotes wherever they feel, take photos of
them and place it on social media, thus creating awareness around the activation. The clothing pieces will then be made and sold at specific markets.
This can happen once a month to bring in a sustainable source of funds for Bloom.
Bloom management will also encourage the children of Bloom as well as the children from Kingdom Kids to plant and grow a variety of different
flowers on the premises of the school, and once the flowers have “bloomed” the children along with the teachers and willing parents can go to Litchi
Orchard which is 500m down the road, as well as The Wonder Market, and sell the flowers at these markets for a reasonable fee. A large piece of
paper will be placed on the floor and the children who attend Bloom will be able to place their handprints on the paper and people at the market
are encouraged to do the same thing, which allows for the integration between people with special needs and ‘typical’ people. This will not only
bring about unity, but also show that people with and without special needs are all the same as you cannot tell whose hands are whose. All in all,
this will bring in sustainable funding and awareness for Bloom, as well as allow for public interaction with Bloom’s special needs children.
IMAGINE IF WE WERE ALL THE SAME, THE
WORLD WOULD BE SO DULL.
39

40. REFERENCES
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
Delvigo L. 2014. Live Coiffure. FASHION WEEK PARIS – Elie Saab’s fashion show. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.livecoiffure.com/en/posts/30065-
fashion-week-paris-elie-saabs-fashion-show [Accessed 6/10/15]
Parks B. Bespoke. 2015. Fashionism. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bespoke-magazine.com/308/Article/World-conqueror [Accessed 6/10/15]
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FINANCE
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41. INNOVATION & BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
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41

42. BRAND CHALLENGE
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43

44. Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not
reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them
and try to follow them.
- Louisa May Alcott
44

45. THANK YOU
4545