Background

We are suddenly hearing phrases like the ‘new normal’, and seeing the importance of online shopping for some businesses becoming a critical success factor. In an instant, the tools we should have in place to communicate and transact with our customers need to be relooked at, but do we understand that online world, have we taken the actions we need to and what should we be doing in this space?

The Interview

Our first of three interviews on the topic was with Bob Pilditch, Managing Director at the Whalley Collective, one of Durban’s leading marketing and communications agencies. Bob spoke about the lockdown period having forced a rapid adaptation and re-imagination for virtually every business, and that those who were most agile would come out strongest.  Bob reminded us that some things had not changed – that our customers are people, and we need to work out the best way to engage with them using the technology that was available and there was no one solution that fits all. Bob spoke about ‘local being lekker’ and that there will be a big swing back to ‘people engaging with people’, a more sustainable future, the possibility of a less consumer driven society and the importance of valuing everybody in your business ecosystem. Their agency had formed a ‘creative collective’ and were realising the potential of a collective of skilled people working together.

Taryn King, former owner of an online fashion store took us through the insights she has gained in running an online store. For her the keys were to Know your target customer, to Attract potential customers (gain a follower), to Convert followers to customers (gain a sale) and to Retain customers and keep them coming back for more. Each step involved strategy and learnings from experience, adapting and using the numerous tools to best effect. She warned of the challenge of creatives being caught up in trying to achieve the best ‘digitalness’ or being the most tech savvy, but was rather on understanding your customer and meeting their needs, and sometimes it did not need technology- a personal communication was sometimes all that was required.

Nkululeko Mthembu (NK), a Director at PISTA Ventures, a research, design & innovation firm at the intersection of research, design and technology, spoke on different perspectives in the online world using practical examples to match customer need with the technology available and the skillset. The examples were a nail technologist, a barber and a building contractor. Of great interest was his understanding that Innovation lay at the intersection of Desirability, Feasibility and Viability, an insight gained by much practical experience across Africa.

The Group Discussion

What was relevant in the group meeting was that a core grouping of people were connecting and gaining value out of the overall process. An accountant shared that their business customers were not tech savvy and not likely to be, and that embracing technology would be a challenge. It was significant and interesting that the people who were most relevant to the topic – being those whose businesses would benefit from technology and those who could provide the technology were not at the meeting. It was felt that value might be gained at a later date by reviewing the material that was now available and possibly engaging on a one to one basis with the missing groupings, as things unfolded.

An offer was made to provide funding for a business to create a Facebook or Webpage was made, but was put on hold, until a more opportune time.