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March 2018 // Volume 6 - No. 3 & SHOPPING Southern Africa shopping & retail SA // March 2018 Cover

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March 2018 // Volume 6 - No. 3&SHOPPING

Southern Africa

shopping & retail SA // March 2018 Cover

shopping & retail SA // March 2018 Page 1

contentsMarch 2018 // Volume 6 - No.3

Signage

AE clinches signage for the new Baiá Mall in Moz...............................................................2

Cover Story

Natural gas - the ideal energy source for restaurants and fast-food retailers...................4Shopping & Retail SA met with John F Kennedy, CEO of Egoli Gas for this insightful Q&A...............................................................................................................5

Independent StoresEndeavor selects SA’s Retail Engage at Dubai ISP..............................................................6As consumers get ready to enjoy the April holidays, so do criminals..................................8

NewsShoprite's star performance..............................................................................................12Leading health store opens more stores in Jo'burg..........................................................12Growing your property portfolio not as simple as it seems...............................................13Revolutionary "ATM pharmacy" pilot for rural entres.......................................................14Came Group Parking Systems Solutions for Revenue Generation....................................16TLC and Hubble sign new advertisers...............................................................................17

editor's noteIconic brands and the domino theory

During the past nine months our retail sector has been hard hit by an unprecedented wave of unrelated woes, with resultant fall-out of collateral damage on a scale never before seen in this country.

In the June 2017 issue of Shopping & Retail SA we reviewed the first casualty, the legendary 159 year old Stuttafords: “Times Live reports that Stuttafords in Rosebank Mall, Johannesburg, has closed its doors, one of three of the group's large stores to do so. The report by Adele Shevel notes that Stuttafords has been placed in a business rescue wind-down after 61% of independent creditors, who are owed a total of R 836-million, voted in favour of this process over a liquidation.”

Although the writing was on the wall, the closure of this household name in retail was a sad day indeed.

In December 2017 the problems brewing within the global Steinhoff Group came to a head in the spectacular crash which impacted on myriad aspects of our economy. Although problems may have been visible on the horizon for some months prior, no-one was ready for the swift and total collapse

of this iconic brand. Earlier this year Heather Sonn, the acting chairperson of Steinhoff, briefed a meeting of three parliamentary committees on events surrounding the collapse of its share price amid an accounting scandal

And in the United States, Toys 'R' Us moved towards liquidation, resulting in the necessity to close the 735 stores in the US. Fortunately South African Toys 'R' Us stores are unaffected by the global mass closures.

It was against this background then that the Tiger Brands' Enterprise brand and RCL Foods took the major knock in March with the totally unexpected contamination of food products caused by the listeriosis bacteria. Whilst share prices plummeted on both of these brands management teams scrambled to contain the collateral damage. Product recalls were immediate and deep-cleaning of the food processing facilities was launched.

Whilst damage to these two brands may well be permanent, Shopping & Retail SA wishes them well on the long and difficult road to recovery.

EditorJohn ThoméCell: 072 848 0299E: [email protected]

PublisherKen NortjeE: [email protected]

Advertising/SalesKyle BurgessTel: 011 726 3081 Fax: 011 726 3017Cell: 081 402 5176E: [email protected]

Sales ManagerSophia NelE: [email protected]

Subscriptions and CirculationMarius NelTel: 011 726 3081Fax: 011 726 3017E: [email protected]

ProductionJohan MalherbeAntoinette van Rensburg

Design and layoutAntoinette J.v RensburgC: 076 914 2887E: [email protected]

PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED BY

&SHOPPINGB-BBEE LEVEL 3

Malnor (Pty) Limited 10 Judges Avenue, Cresta, Johannesburg

Private Bag X20, Auckland Park, 2006

Tel: 011 726 3081 Fax: 011 736 [email protected] / www.malnormags.co.za

STA

FF M

EMB

ERS

Waste ManagementOrganics Recycling Association of SA (ORASA)..................................................................18

BrandsHow to build a 21st century brand.......................................................................................19A new logo is not the lick of paint your shopping centre brand needs (– Part 2).............20

Page 2 shopping & retail SA // March 2018

Signage

In the second half of 2017, AE Plastics was contracted by Stefanutti Stocks, in co-ordination with DBM Architects and Metrum Project Management, as the selected signage supplier for their Baiá Mall Project in Maputo.

Baiá Mall is a 25 000 m2 shopping centre on the main tourist stretch of Maputo’s seafront, Avenida Marginal. The initial overall project cost for the centre was 55 million USD. AE Plastics was involved on a full service basis on the signage for this project, which saw design, prototyping, manufacturing and installation being included in the scope of works. Additional to the mall signage, AE Plastics was also ultimately awarded the contract for supply and installation of fire signage for the centre as well as for most of the shops within the centre.

Manufacture of the signage took place in AE Plastics’ production facility in Wadeville, South Africa. Top of the range components were used on the project signage with installations being managed by experienced rigging teams from South Africa as well as by local installers in Maputo. When doing business outside of South Africa, AE Plastics believes in empowering local installers. This approach has also had the benefit over years that relationships have been built up with installers in many parts of Africa.

The signage programme, through many facets and phases and with close collaboration with all stakeholders, was managed by a team that had their work cut out for them from the outset. The signage was manufactured by AE Plastics in their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to tight deadlines. The team nursed each element through the development, production, logistics, and finally installation phases, resulting in the ultimate success of the project – made possible by the dedication and commitment of the AE production and manufacturing staff.

In short, the Baiá Mall signage project has been a triumphant achievement for AE Plastics, and certainly one to be proud of.

Challenges faced during production and delivery of signageWhilst design and manufacturing challenges are a way of life for AE Plastics and are managed with relative ease given the long history and expertise of the company – the stringent timeline schedules, logistics and transport timeously to site in a foreign country required yet another brand of professionalism.

Rising to the occasion, all signage manufactured was designed within specified sizing limitations, where constraints posed by road transport requirements were definitive. Larger signs were manufactured in sections in order to be easily transportable and were designed for easy assembly on-site.

Planning of the actual transport of items had to be projected far in advance in order to get approval on shipments before sending, and as can be expected, clearing took longer than usual even though the project was zero duty rated by the Mozambican government.

On signage installation, coordination and management of a combination of local Mozambican installers and AE Plastics' own rigging crews played a crucial role in distributing work in an organised way taking into account the abilities and capacities of the various installation teams. Furthermore, direct site supervision by the senior Project Manager as well as meetings with all relevant parties on site was an essential part of driving the process and ensuring maximum efficiency in the installation process.

Close collaboration with the architectFrom an early stage regular meetings were held with DBM Architects in Johannesburg in order to firm up the design parameters for the project. Subsequently signage designs were submitted to the Architect and through a final round of discussions, were finalised and approved.

Positioning of various elements on site was fine tuned and confirmed between the senior Project Manager from AE Plastics and the Architect on site using the detailed final drawings drawn up in collaboration between the Architectural Designer at AE Plastics and the Architect’s team.

There were also regular walk through meetings with both the site agents under direction from the architect from time to time, as well as with the architect directly where possible. This allowed slight changes to positioning to be expedited and for the project to remain on track.

DBM Architects and Baiá Mall The developers, through consultation with the Architect and a design agency, arrived at a vision to bring the turquoise blue of the ocean, and the reds and yellows of the rising sun into the design of signage for the centre.

The design consideration was very much the sun rising over the bay of Maputo. The main logo and its rounded shape in turn became echoed through the curvature on directional and internal signage. The directional pylons of the entrance were inspired by the sails of the little boats often seen in the bay, and taking all of this into account ensured a seamless flow and cohesion between the beautiful vistas just steps from the centre and the signage.

AE clinches signage for the new Baiá Mall in Moz

Anatomy of successful shopping centre signage – it’s all about professional signage manufacture – and in this case, carefully managed logistics.

Baiá Mall tenant mixThe carefully orchestrated tenant mix comprises the

all-important notable anchor tenants such as Woolworths, Premier SuperSpar, Game, Mr Price and PEP, and, as to be

expected in a tropical seaside town – a plethora of top class restaurants abounds, from Ocean basket, to Shawarma Show,

Pizza Hut, Mash Braai House, AI Bar and Baiá Grand Café – to name a few.

Standard Bank, Barclays, Unico Bank and BCI Bank lead the banking mall and the centre is rounded off with a range of jewellery and fashion stores, fragrances, shoe stores and

a full complement of tech and cell outlets.

shopping & retail SA // March 2018 Page 3

SignageDBM Architects (Jhb) (Pty) Ltd

Headed up by Wynand du Plessis, Isak Bothma and Jared McCormick South African based architectural firm DBM Architects (Jhb) (Pty) Ltd were appointed as lead architects on the new Baiá Mall, Mozambique project.

DBM Architects was established in 2003 by Wynand du Plessis. Now in its 15th year, the firm has grown into a team of highly skilled and passionate individuals with extensive experience gained over a multitude of various architectural disciplines including Retail | Residential | Industrial | Office & Corporate Buildings | Places of Worship | Specialised Buildings | Hotel & Leisure | Motor Showrooms | Healthcare Facilities | Urban Design & Master planning.

DBM Architects strive to make a significant and lasting contribution to the architectural profession by providing the highest level of design, service & expertise to clients. By fully comprehending the client’s requirements & project objectives DBM ensure consistent, personal service & ultimately aim to surpass all expectations.

Meeting time constraints, within budget and to the highest standards of quality regardless of the size and scope of the project, DBM Architects work together as a team with the personal involvement of management from the inception of a project to create innovative & functional designs utilising the latest resources and technology to ensure that all these objectives are successfully achieved. ■

Baiá Mall - Professional team

Developers:ACTIS, RPP AND Foundation Capital Consortium

Project Manager and Principal Agents:Metrum Project Management & Tenant Coordination

Architects:DBM Architects

Quantity Surveyor:NWS

Structural and Civils:DG Consulting Engineers

Principal Building Contractor:SS Construcoes (MOC) LDA

Page 4 shopping & retail SA // March 2018

Cover Story

Natural gas - the ideal energy source for restaurants and fast-food retailers

Egoli Gas has monitored, adapted to and led the way across the energy and gas sector from 1928, becoming a significant player in South Africa’s natural gas evolution.

The benefits of Natural Gas as an energy source is a well-known fact world-wide, but have not had much limelight in recent years in South Africa as natural gas is recent in South Africa.

This clean energy source has been available to many of the more established areas of Johannesburg, from Egoli Gas since 2004. As the demand for alternative more environmentally friendly energies grew, Egoli Gas has grown by expanding its supply network to new areas such as Sandton and Randburg. Egoli Gas is the exclusive reticulator of piped natural gas within the Johannesburg Metro Council area whose customers enjoy benefits of piped natural gas reticulated directly to their premises from an extensive underground pipeline network.

Natural gas is the ideal energy source for industrial facilities, factories, production plants, bakeries, hotels, restaurants, guesthouses, hostels, domestic homes and embedded power generation facilities. Natural gas is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel, reducing CO2 emissions in comparison to liquid as well as solid fuels (Wood and coal).

No bulky storage and valuable space constraints required, no EIA’s, no fire department approvals on hazardous storage of pressurised gas containers, no out of stock difficulties and associated safety implications, as natural gas is lighter than air and thus easily dissipates when not contained.

Reduced maintenance costs on equipment due to the composition, quality and combustion characteristics, is sulphur free and half the

carbon emissions of solid fuels such as diesel, HFO, LFO, IP, wood and coal.

Customers use piped natural gas in a variety of applications such as:• Steam generation,• Indirect thermic oil heating,• Hot water supply for single and multi-dwellings,• Baking,• Spray booths,• Powder coating,• Power generation with natural gas fired engines, micro-turbines and fuel cells,• Space-heating for warehouses, restaurants, dwellings and other required applications for space heating • Heat treatment furnaces,• Spray-drying,• Incineration,• Catering,• Compressed natural gas conversions of fleets and bus services,• Cooking,• On demand hot water generation,• Heating.

Egoli Gas is the preferred energy supplier to Gauteng Hospitals and large corporation power generation combined with CHP applications within the Johannesburg Metro Council area.

Egoli Gas commits to fast, reliable and efficient processes from application to connection. Our customers enjoy personalised service from dedicated and knowledgeable employees.

For a connection to the Egoli Gas piped natural network contact us at 011 356 5000 or email [email protected]. Visit our website www.egoligas.co.za for more information about Egoli Gas. ■

shopping & retail SA // March 2018 Page 5

Cover Story

Shopping & Retail SA met with John F Kennedy, CEO of Egoli Gas for this insightful Q&A

1. What are the benefits of natural gas for commercial and industrial property?By its very nature Natural gas is a low emission environmentally friendly fossil fuel compared to other fossil fuels such as coal, diesel, paraffin, HFO and LFO resulting in reduced emissions when compared to other high carbon emitting products.

Due to the fact that Natural gas is delivered by pipeline there is no requirement for storage tanks on site when compared to liquid fuels resulting in the reduced risk of product losses from tanks leaking both above and underground resulting in possible environmental soil and ground water contamination..Notwithstanding this, working capital cost are significantly reduced due to no inventory costs,pay as consumed,no order delivery processes and no stock outs.

2. What current projects are you most excited about?The expansion and development of the overall gas business within South Africa is exciting as customers and consumers become more aware of the importance of our environment and the need to move away from traditional fuels. To this extent and since the acquisition of Egoli Gas by the Reatile Group in 2014, Egoli Gas has recently expanded its reticulation network within the greater Johannesburg Metro area by commissioning new pipelines that will service areas such as Melrose Arch, Sandton, Randburg and Edenvale.

These are the first major expansions and additions to the Johannesburg area in the last 30 years. Investigations are under way to ascertain the feasibility of further expansions within the Midrand area.

3. Is natural gas a sustainable resource?Absolutely,too date there have been significant major discoveries of gas in the north of Mozambique sufficient to sustain this energy resource.

4. What green initiatives are you currently undertaking?Clearly our focus within Egoli Gas is to continue to grow our customer base across all segments of the business contributing considerably towards carbon and emission reduction within the greater Johannesburg Metro. As a member of the Reatile Group we are excited by the groups commitment towards identifying other opportunities within alternate energy renewables such as solar and wind power.

5. What is the progress regarding gas to Sandton?The project has been completed and we already have customers taking gas from the pipeline.

6. What advantages do you offer over your competitors?A reputable brand and history as well as knowledgeable employees and expertise within the natural gas industry. As mentioned previously a cleaner energy source and convenience due to a more efficient supply chain and procurement process as well as reduced working capital requirements resulting in an attractive value proposition.

7. Is there anything else you would like to mention/discuss?Natural gas is also used for power generation for those customers that require/wish to generate their own power and not be reliant on the grid and thus claim carbon credits due to lower carbon emissions. ■

Page 6 shopping & retail SA // March 2018

Independent Stores

Endeavor selects SA’s Retail Engage at Dubai ISP

Retail Engage has recently been selected by Endeavor, an entrepreneurship organisation that mentors and accelerates high impact entrepreneurs, to form part of their global network. Andrew Weinberg, CEO of Retail Engage was

one of 22 selected entrepreneurs from eight countries who attended the 77th International Selection Panel (ISP) in Dubai. Retail Engage currently offers a shopper rewards programme, bonsella®, which is targeted at 2nd tier independent FMCG retailers and benefits all stakeholders in this environment, including customers, store owners, brands and other 3rd party service providers. This accolade will benefit all stakeholders not only on a local, but also on a global scale. Weinberg took some time to share his experience of the journey to the ISP with Endevor South Africa. How did you find out about Endeavor?We are always looking at increasing our global networks with leading individuals, and Endeavour provided an excellent platform to serve this purpose.

Comment on your journey leading up to the ISP.Endeavor challenged us from both an internal and external perspective, with regards to ensuring that our business model was not only robust, but most importantly that we can deliver on our aggressive growth forecasts.

What other value have you received from Endeavor in the process, and how did it equip you for the ISP?The support and mentoring in how to position our business was great. Being exposed and meeting industry leaders/champions has provided very useful insights. Once such example was accelerating our growth ambitions, to ensure we captured a global audience at an early stage of the model.

Comment on your experience of the ISP, and the value you received.Exposure to international business people, leaders, and innovators has made me look at our business with more a global view. The ISP was very useful in the feedback from these international business people. Looking forward, this network will facilitate the business with regards to funding, strategic positioning and potential operational partnerships.

Why are you proud to be an Endeavor entrepreneur?The Endeavor process has shown that my business can really be global and the development to date has potential for massive growth. I am proud to be part of an organisation that shares the business drive and support of others, of which I would like to support other businesses.

What are you most looking forward to on you Endeavor journey?The interaction and guidance from experienced people and sharing my learnings with others. The network link to industry leaders and support companies like funding and mentorship is exciting.

What is in store for your company for the next five years?We have set-up our business for accelerated growth on an international scale over this period, with a diverse and customised range of services and products, that will satisfy a number of stakeholders with regards to direct access to an ever-maturing LSM 3-8 consumer base.

Do you have some sound advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?If your business concept is not supported by main line corporate businesses in that it is too bold or ambitious, but you believe in it, then do it, as it will be a transformer in your industry. Also ensure you have specific goals in terms of funding and revenue targets that are achievable.

On a personal note, what is your motto and how did it influence your Endeavor journey?Never give up or slow down! Every obstacle has a way round it, you just need to persevere in finding it. Endeavor Entrepreneurs have had a significant track record of creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, generating billions of dollars in revenues, and building sustainable growth models in their home countries. Endeavor will host ISPs in 2018 in Manila (April 4-6), Louisville (May 7-9), Milan (June 27-29), Detroit (July 30-August 1), Buenos Aires (September 5-7), Athens (October 24-26) and South Africa (December 11-13).

ENDEAVOR SOUTH AFRICA – A CULTURE OF BIG THINKINGEndeavor South Africa’s values are deeply entrenched in “A Culture of Big Thinking”, what this means is the ability to think, work, act on ideas and philosophies that encompass the magnitude of a dream. For many, dreaming big is a fantasy, a myth, but at Endeavor South Africa no dream, idea, innovation or concept is too ambitious to realise.

Endeavor South Africa opened its offices in 2004 and has lead high-impact entrepreneurs to success by catalysing long-term economic growth by selecting, mentoring, and accelerating the best high-impact entrepreneurs South Africa has to offer.

1 March 2018. This report and Q&A by Endeavor http://endeavor.co.za/ ■

Andrew Weinberg, CEO of Retail Engage

Page 8 shopping & retail SA // March 2018

Independent Stores

Last year Easter, at least six shopping malls were robbed in Durban alone, and that goes without mentioning the spate of cash in transit heists and retail armed robberies that occurred over the same period. What can South Africa

expect over this April/May holiday period which includes a number of long weekends?

“March 2017 leading up to Easter, was the worst month for armed robberies in 2017,” says Richard Phillips, joint CEO of Cash Connect. “Given the unprecedented increase in cash related robbery over the past 12 months we expect that the April/May holidays will most likely see more cash and more cash crime.”

This April, with all the holidays and long-weekends, as consumers get ready to enjoy the holidays, so do criminals. Despite the availability of electronic transacting options, consumers still choose cash as their preferred means of payment with close on 84% of all transactions still conducted with cash.

Highly organised and audacious criminals are aware of this. They also know that around 72% of retailers deal with their cash takings in a traditionally manual way. These retailers present easy and lucrative targets to criminals who have sophisticated resources at their disposal and are often fully informed of what goes in inside their targets.

Phillips stresses that the law enforcement, crime intelligence and criminal justice community has failed to respond adequately to this “economic warfare”. The inability to contain these organised gangs threatens the very core of our cash economy and all who depend on it.

As a result, the cash economy is increasingly under attack. Conservatively speaking, the cash-in-transit industry suffered at least 256 armed robbery attacks in 2016, and 367 in 2017.

Similarly, there was a total increase of 10.3% from 2016 to 2017 in shopping centre incidents and while there was a marginal decrease in day time armed robberies against high street retailers, late night armed robberies rose by over 30%.

As the leader in automated cash management solutions, Cash Connect’s robust cash vault technology has proven to be the most effective deterrent in the retail market. The reality however is that many retail businesses still trade with large volumes of cash on site and to add to their vulnerability they lack any form of robust cash device to protect their cash.

Although Phillips believes that an automated cash management and payments platform is an essential element of any modern successful retail business, he says that business owners who do have manual cash handling processes are not without options. Security professionals identify several steps retail owners can take to safeguard their businesses this holiday season.

Smart and safe cash handling• Make use of electronic transfers to avoid paying wages in cash to your staff. • Avoid broadcasting when cash will manually be taken to the bank for deposit. • Alternate the days and times on which you deposit cash.• Do not openly display the money you are depositing while you are standing at an ATM or in a bank queue. • Avoid carrying money bags or briefcases when approaching an ATM or when standing in a bank queue.• Alternate between bank branches or ATMs so your banking pattern is not easily recognisable.• When your cash is being collected, consider closing shop for a few minutes before and during cash-in-transit collections. Alternatively, isolate and close the cash office area during the collection time.• Assist the cash-in-transit collection team by being prepared. This keeps the collection service time window short, sharp and safe.• Take the time to investigate converting to an automated cash management service and take away all the risk inherent in the above and realise meaningful savings and efficiencies.

Research has shown that a staggering 90% of attacks on businesses are carried out with information gleaned from employees or contractors. “Stores using our cash vaults were attacked far lessthan any other despite an over 30% increase in attacks against the industry in the past year,” says Phillips. “The fact that more than 87% of these attacks against our customers were unsuccessful, clearly demonstrates the success of our strategy to deter, deflect, and defend.” ■

As consumers get ready to enjoy the April holidays, so do criminals

Long-weekends: Easter, Freedom Day and Workers' Day: more cash, more crime

The Cash Connect bulk deposit ATM (BDA) is a revolutionary and secure cash counting and verification alternative for retail distribution centres which is four to six times faster than a manual process

Page 12 shopping & retail SA // March 2018

News

Shoprite produced stellar performance in the half year to last December, with a total turnover growth of 6.3 percent from R 71.297 billion to R 75.823 billion.

This is according to a report by Sizwe Dlamini of IOL.

This came on the back of 3.9 percent growth in volume of products sold and 3.6 percent growth in the number of customers. Africa’s largest food retailer said in its interim financial results released yesterday that its trading profit was five percent higher at R 4.104 billion.

Chief executive Pieter Engelbrecht said this was a satisfactory performance given that Shoprite South Africa’s internal inflation dropped seven percentage points to just 0.4 percent compared with the previous year. “Group results were boosted by a strong performance in our core South African supermarket operations, which grew turnover by 7.8 percent.”

Engelbrecht said the performance by the South African operations, boosted by the continued success of Checkers’ sharpened focus on high-income group customers, helped offset the effect of a challenging year for non-South African operations. “In SA, where we sold 4.1 percent more products, we managed an 11.7 percent increase in trading profit despite our internal inflation with more than 5000 of our products selling at lower prices than last year.

The group will continue to shield South Africa’s poorest consumers Initiatives aimed at protecting those most at risk from the upcoming VAT increase are also planned,” said Engelbrecht. An increased dividend of 205c a share was declared, 13.9 percent higher than the 180c of the corresponding period. ■

Shoprite's star performance

Checkers Hyper, Ballito Junction

Pieter Engelbrecht, CEO of Shoprite

Wellness Warehouse, a leading South African niche health and wellness retailer representing healthy life-style solutions in an inspirational shopping experience, has opened up in Benmore Centre.

Established in 2007 by two brothers: Sean Gomes, a medical doctor with a passion for preventative healthcare and Carlos Gomes, a retail pioneer with a vision to offer everything needed to live life well under one roof, has grown into South Africa's largest wellness retailer.

Boasting over 28 one-stop health shops across the country, Wellness Warehouse offers everything from organic and free-from foods and superior supplements to eco-friendly home solutions and cruelty-free beauty products, all with the characteristic 360° approach to well-being and personal service.

“Wellness Warehouse is passionate about making it possible to live life well and is more than just an everyday health shop, but rather a destination, an experience and lifestyle”. ■

Other Johannesburg stores are located in Morningside, Thrupps Centre Illovo, Parktown Quarter, Kyalami Corner, Clearwater Mall and Village View.

Leading health store opens more stores in Jo'burg

Blush Photography

shopping & retail SA // March 2018 Page 13

News

I n many cases, the most straightforward property investment decision you can take is to buy the building that your business is based in. Although no property deal is risk free, at least you know the building, the area - and of course the tenant. But what if you're interested in expanding your prop-

erty investment portfolio beyond the building that you occupy?

Don't be fooled by how easy property investment seems, says Owen Holland, national asset manager: properties at Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS). Compared to other lines of business, the number of transactions may be limited, and the operational burden of owning a building may seem light, but the amounts of money involved is such that one mistake can wipe out all the gain in your portfolio.

The most important principle of property investment is to buy well, says Holland. In other words, buy a good quality property at a good price in the right location with no hidden physical and legal defects. Again, it seems simpler than it is. To find such a property takes a lot of hard work – hours of pounding the streets to view potential properties and to study the dynamics of an area.

Once you have spotted a building with good potential, hours of due diligence work lies ahead to look for hidden defects, inconsistencies with building plan approvals, problems highlighted in the minutes of body-corporate meetings and the soundness of the structure, sometimes right down to the health of the soil.

And the price? “A good tip is to visit the building, soak up the atmosphere, and picture yourself trying to sell it at the same price to someone else,” says Holland. If it seems difficult, the price is probably too high.

Within this basic framework there are many different strategies to build up a solid property portfolio. It is important to know the advantages and risks involved in each strategy, says Holland. You may acquire an expensive, single property with the advantage that your attention is focused on only one. The downside, however, is that you are exposed to the vagaries of a single tenant. Buying a number of cheaper properties, on the other hand, helps spread the risk.

Buying a sectional title property is usually more affordable, but then you have to contend with the dynamics and risks involved in a body corporate.

Buying a yet undeveloped property off plan gives you the advantage of realising maximum gain in market value, but only to the extent that the developers and their predictions can be trusted. If you buy in an early phase of a multi-phase development, you might find the value of your property kept low for as long as new properties from the later phases come onto the market.

Buying a property to which you can add value is another strategy, but you run the risks of building mistakes and cost overruns.

Buying during economic hard times might land you a bargain, but you run the risks being hit by a double blow of increased interest rates and vacancies.

Buying property in joint ventures allows you to acquire a share in more substantial properties, but disputes with joint venture partners can turn nasty if the agreement is not well structured. On the other hand, a joint venture with a company like BUSINESS/PARTNERS, which often teams up with local entrepreneurs in property deals, brings substantial technical, legal and financial knowledge to the deal.

Another strategy is buy with the aim to sell immediately, a game usually played only by experienced property entrepreneurs who have built a strong network of agents who bring them good deals.

While it may be a good idea for experienced property players to spread their portfolio by investing in a range of regions, cities and even continents, it is prudent for beginners to buy in areas that they know well, and close enough so that they can easily visit their investment properties.

Whatever your strategy, says Holland, it helps to have a strong network, not only of agents and spotters who could alert you when a property with potential comes onto the market, but also among financiers, joint-venture partners, lawyers, engineers and builders. These professional services are expensive, and good relationship can help keep the costs down.

The main principle is not to skimp on professional expertise. There are so many aspects of a property deal to consider, and so much at stake, that you should never do it on a whim, or on your own. ■

Growing your property portfolio not as simple as it seems

Page 14 shopping & retail SA // March 2018

For residents of Alexandra township in Johannesburg, the days of waiting for hours to obtain medication at local clinics are over. Thanks to an innovative “ATM pharmacy” solution, shoppers at the Alexandra Plaza can pick up their

government-supplied chronic medication at a fully automated dispen-sary, or Pharmacy Dispensing Unit (PDU™), at the shopping centre.

Registered patients simply scan their ID book, ID card, or pharmacy card at the machine, which looks a bit like an ATM, and enter a pin code to receive their medication there and then. A robotic arm locates and dispenses the medication in what could be imagined as a highly sophisticated vending machine.

Alexandra Plaza, owned by Futuregrowth Asset Management’s Community Property Fund, was chosen as the first pilot site for the PDU™. It is one of the poorest areas in Johannesburg, with over 30 000 patients reliant on chronic medication. There are eight primary healthcare clinics in the vicinity which can all refer patients to collect their medicine from the PDU™, which stays open for extended hours, including weekends and public holidays.

“Where people from Alexandra would previously have to spend hours waiting for medication at a clinic, and often miss a day’s work and wages, they can now get it within minutes at their local shopping centre,” says Smital Rambhai, portfolio manager for Futuregrowth’s Community Property Fund.

The PDU™ was developed by a team comprising experts from Right to Care and Right ePharmacy in collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Health.

Right to Care approached Futuregrowth knowing the PDU™ would be well aligned with the asset manager’s commitment to servicing the communities around their shopping centres.

“This is a winning solution for everyone,” says Rambhai. “It assists the Department of Health in efficient distribution of medicine. It is a massively time-saving option for the patients who need medicine. It also drives foot traffic to our shopping centre, which is good for the retailers, and ultimately good for investors in our fund, who are predominately pension and provident funds.

“At Futuregrowth, we have always believed that the private sector should be assisting government in achieving its goals, and this is a great example of how public-private partnerships can work to benefit everyone,” said Rambhai.

Gauteng Health MEC, Gwen Ramokgopa, says, “This innovation dramatically reduces waiting times and congestion in public healthcare facilities. The system is run by qualified pharmacists and pharmacy assistants and integrates with the clinical management of patients with chronic conditions at public facilities. It also supports adherence. The date for the next collection is shown on the receipt the patient receives when collecting medication and prescription collection reminders are sent by SMS. Late collections are immediately flagged for follow up. It also offers patients service in all official languages and there is support at the site to help patients deal with the technology.”

Right to Care CEO, Professor Ian Sanne, says Alexandra Plaza was selected as the pilot site because it is an easily accessible community shopping centre in an area where there is a big strain on public health facilities. Sites have also been selected in Diepsloot and Soweto.

Fanie Hendriksz, MD of Right ePharmacy, says the company is spearheading disruptive health innovation and differentiated models of care that are much needed in Africa, and these new technologies will dramatically improve health outcomes across the continent in time.

The pilot implementation and operation of this breakthrough technology in Gauteng has been made possible through Right to Care and Right ePharmacy’s key collaborations and strategic partnerships with national and international stakeholders such as the Gauteng Provincial Health Department, USAID, GIZ who are implementing on behalf of the German Government and Mach4. ■

The Futuregrowth Community Property

Composite is a portfolio specialising in the

acquisition of new and existing shopping centres

which cater to the needs of under-serviced

communities throughout South Africa and forms part of Futuregrowth’s suite of developmental

investments.

News

Revolutionary “ATM pharmacy” pilot for rural entres

Thanks to this innovative “ATM pharmacy” solution, shoppers at the Alexandra Plaza can pick up their government-supplied chronic medication at this fully automated dispensary, or Pharmacy Dispensing Unit (PDU™) Alexandra Plaza is the first pilot site for the PDU™. The area

has over 30 000 patients reliant on chronic medication who can now collect their medicine from the PDU™, which stays open for extended hours, including weekends and public

holidays.

Long-weekends: Easter, Freedom Day and Workers' Day: more cash, more crime

Medication in the PDU Speedbox

Page 16 shopping & retail SA // March 2018

News

When there is a requirement to implement a parking management system, there are many subjects to consider.

Apart from the Return On Investment (ROI), which is an obvious key factor, it is also important to consider which partner to choose, to define the level of customer experience required, the technology platform of the systems and how open they are to future expansion or new features. It is also very important to consider the efficiency that you want to obtain in terms of maintenance and energy consumption.

The Came Group for Parking Systems Solutions.Whatever your objective, Came Group have solutions and opportunities to offer in order to help you reach it. The Group has some very prestigious references like Expo Milano 2015 where (21 million visitors in 6 months) or Expo Astana 2017 (5 million visitors).

Our brands include Came which incorporate all the broad range of solutions. Came Parkare, specialised in the automatic parking and parking meter segment. Came BPT, a world leader in audio video intercom and Came Urbaco, the inventors of automatic bollards.The Group’s numbers are clear: 26 branches in the world, 480 distributors, 6 production plants, 1 460 employees and a consolidated turnover of €255 million.

In South Africa Came Group has been present since the 1968 with the company TRI which then became Came BPT South Africa. There is an enormous experience in serving customers with a high level of technical knowledge and expertise. With 4 branches (Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban) and a huge network of partners the territory is completely covered and serviced.

Came Parkare is based in Barcelona with subsidiaries in UK, Italy, and South America.Another huge amount of references: 3.000 Off-Street car parks worldwide, 20.000 On-Street parking meters and Guidance System for over 60.000 parking spaces.

The most prestigious references are Gatwick Airport in UK and Barcelona Airport in Spain. As far as shopping centres a few well-known names are El Corte Inglés Shopping Centre in Barcelona (Spain), with 36 centres. Ikea Barcelona, Bicocca in Italy and The Galleries and the Victoria Shopping Centres in the UK.

In Africa we have Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania and a shopping centre in Maputo, Mozambique. In South Africa there is already an On-Street system in Durban with 380 machines.

Why came group?The customer experienceCame Parkare solutions allow the creation of a pleasant and easy experience for the customer.• “Ticketless” solutions such as:• using credit card to enter, pay and exit.• using LPR as a virtual ticket• Paying by plate at the Automatic Payment Station• “Find My Car” • Pre-booking solutions • Flexible QR codes used for tickets and vouchers• Advanced Vehicle Guidance System using video cameras and

other technologies• On Line Discounts Validation System and Cross Selling

Opportunities• Manage advertising at the various units to promote special offers,

events or information

Came Group Parking Systems Solutions for Revenue Generation

›› pg. 17

shopping & retail SA // March 2018 Page 17

News

Primedia Unlimited’s indoor lifestyle advertising specialists TLC and Uber’s preferred in-vehicle entertainment partner, Hubble, have jointly signed advertising deals with Samsung, VISA and Nescafé Gold.

“TLC has the exclusive rights to sell high viewability video on Hubble’s interactive touch screens in Uber vehicles,” says Greg Bruwer, TLC's Managing Director. "It’s an ideal platform in which to engage on a one-on-one basis, with tech-savvy, early adopters in the high income market, and we’re thrilled to have signed on these three fantastic brands.”

Samsung has secured 500 of Hubble screens in Uber vehicles around Johannesburg, showcasing a brand channel and TV reel to promote the launch of two new phones, Nescafé Gold has created a game that consumers can engage with during their commute in 100 vehicles, while VISA is showcasing a TV reel promoting various products.

“The levels of engagement on Hubble’s screens never disappoint,” says Greg, “we’re constantly receiving positive feedback from consumers who regularly interact with the screens, all displaying a high level of brand recall.”

Hubble’s Devon Brough backs these findings: “Statistics have shown the level of engagement on Hubble’s screens to be exceedingly higher than traditional digital advertising. Considering that the user is always in control, it virtually guarantees a positive experience from interested passengers.”

The fully interactive advertising platform offers high quality video and interactive content in a captive environment with measurable ROI. Content includes documentaries, comedies, neighbourhood insights, news, sport, weather and things to see and do within Johannesburg and Cape Town. Like the traditional media platform on television, commercials are flighted in between standard content without being intrusive.

“We work extremely well with Greg and the team at TLC and these campaigns are no exceptions – two heads are always better than one, and in this case, we have double the infrastructure, selling power and industry insights,” says Brough. ■

TLC and Hubble sign new advertisers

TLC UnlimitedTLC (Targeted Lifestyle Communication) introduced the concept of washroom advertising to the South African market in 1996, and has since become the sole player in this media arena offering a plethora of in-mall and washroom advertising platforms such as standard and talking frames, cubicle wraps and treadmill branding to mention a few. More recently, TLC has expanded its portfolio to include a number of new businesses which are housed in TLC Unlimited (under

Primedia Unlimited) namely TLC; Salon Media; and Fitting Exposure.

Hubble DNAHubble provides an interactive marketing opportunity direct to Uber passengers with a measurable ROI. Hubble launched as Taxi Media Group in Uber vehicles

in Cape Town in September 2016, followed shortly thereafter in Johannesburg. Advertisers are able to create brand awareness campaigns, call-to-action promotions or share stories through branded content on an interactive platform offering an unparalleled depth of engagement.

The efficiencyTo help increasing the efficiency of the facility, a parking system should have the following features, all covered by Came Parkare.• Reporting solutions with important details and the required

summary for the facility. • Turbo Function: ticket issuing speed can be increased to avoid

queues in rush hours• Tool-less: it is easy to remove internal devices. • Came Parkare utilize components that have a proven track

record and offer a high MTBF (Main Time Between Failure).• Redundancy. The machines can work full time due to printers’

redundancy. • Remote connection and real time management. Came Parkare

systems can work Off and On-line.• Energy management. Power wake-up of system at the presence

of a customer.

All these features lead to less need for maintenance, higher security and lower cost to the advantage of the customer, the operator and the owner of the facility.

The technologyThis is a summary of the available solutions:• IP based systems, which in turn allows to have

• single site with multiple nested areas and pedestrian access door openers

• Multi-parking management, to monitor and manage several car parks simultaneously with just one single software

• Multi Service Ticketing (kiosk).• In unattended car parks it has the same functionalities than a Manual Cashier• Purchase of parking products (i.e. Subscriber card, etc.)• “Park and get discount” for Products and Services (i.e. Shops, Cinemas, Car-wash, etc.)• “Park and use promotions” (i.e. restaurants, shops, etc.)

• Integrated Access Control System• Validators• Web App for Mobile overview of the system (for management

of the facility)• Specific Mobile App dedicated to end customers have been

developed for vertical solutions

For more information, contact

CAME BPT SOUTH AFRICA Pty (Ltd)

Tel. +27 11 616 3222 / Email: [email protected] Www.Camebpt.Co.Za / Www.Cameparkare.Com/za / Www.Came.Com/za ■

‹‹ pg. 16

Page 18 shopping & retail SA // March 2018

Waste Management

In a country where millions go to bed hungry every night why are we wasting so much food? And what can be done about it? As bad as food wastage is it is only a symptom of a much larger problem – recycling of organics. Or more accurately a lack of it.

Organic waste includes, amongst others: agricultural and garden waste, abattoir waste, sewerage sludge, paper waste (paper towelling) from factories and the hospitality industry and cotton textiles.

The reason why land-filling is a bad option for organic waste is that in the absence of air the organic waste decomposes producing methane gas which is twenty times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. If properly treated, however, organic waste produces nutrients, with water and carbon dioxide as by products.

The problem is well understood both here and overseas. It is the solution or the implementation thereof which is the difficulty. The Department of Environment Affairs has enacted a progressive ban on sending organic waste to landfills, starting with a 50% ban, from 2022. It will, however, be up to the municipalities who manage the landfills, to implement this.

What can be done? Enter Melanie Ludwig, a former vet who runs an organic composting business in Cape Town which: “…attempts to compost most things”. Ludwig and Emile Fourie together formed a steering committee of persons in the waste industry who founded “Organics Recycling Association of South Africa” – Orasa www.orasa.org.za

This non-profit organization, which is in the process of being registered, held its first meeting with stakeholders in 2017. It has also engaged the Department of Environmental Affairs on the draft norms and standards for organic waste and waste exclusion regulations.

Orasa aims to promote and expand the organic recycling industry in South Africa and provide support to its members. Finding solutions to organic waste recycling and assisting municipalities is paramount in this.

At present the solutions are composting, anaerobic digestion and - in the Western Cape - fly farming and a waste to energy plant. There are variations on composting such as vermiculture and other solutions. All of these will need to be developed if the 2022 ban is to be met. Says Ludwig: “The way to resolve the problem is separate the organic waste at source. The nutrients and energy then become a resource and not a waste. It creates value”. She continues: “If the investments are made in recycling instead of landfill then the transport and processing industries and our markets will grow.

Increased landfill costs will force waste producers to take action. Retailers, for example, need to de-package at store or the distribution centre”.

At present it costs R 558 per ton to dispose of “special” or off spec food waste in Cape Town with more increases likely before the ban and yet most retailers still choose land-filling. When it becomes cheaper to recycle than to landfill then the producers of organic waste will have every incentive to recycle.

The ban on disposing of organic waste in landfills is positive but we are still in the early stages and lag overseas practices. America has a whole industry based on The Good Samaritan Food Donation Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Emerson_Good_Samaritan_Act_of_1996

The French supermarket, Intermarche started the Inglorious Fruit and Vegetable campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2nSECWq_PE France has since passed a law requiring food past its sell by date to be donated to a food bank.

To catch up South Africa needs to adopt a multi-pronged approach. Firstly, we need to educate the public on the evils of organic waste. Then we have to provide easily accessible solutions. For these to be sustainable they also have to be practical and cheap.

The organics which are easy to recycle are the garden and agricultural waste and this is already being done. Food waste is more difficult because of the reputational risk to suppliers and health and security issues. In some overseas neighborhoods food waste is collected in bins on the back of a tricycle. This is the kind of solution which can work here and - as a spin off - it will create jobs.

Sewerage and abattoir waste will have to be recycled at commercial operations but it is not new technology. The next few years will be an exciting and productive time for organics recyclers - Orasa is an organization whose time has come. ■

Organics Recycling Association of SA (ORASA)

shopping & retail SA // March 2018 Page 19

Brands

H ow safe is your brand online?A popular burger chain’s logo appears above an uncomfortable close-up of a naked woman on a porn site, while a food retailer’s banners appeared next to fake

news articles on a highly disreputable website. Chances are these brands have no idea that their brand adverts are appearing in such brand damaging environments. Which is why one of the biggest reservations that brands have when it comes to programmatic buying on the open market, is that marketers aren’t aware of what sites their brands will appear on until the impressions are served.

“In this DTC age, the supply chain has expanded, with most brands now working directly with technology partners and media partners, or even going directly to consumers with in-house developed content,” says Du Plessis. “As an industry, there is much opportunity for collaboration between media and publishing agencies, where brand safety is a clear mandate for all.”

The uncontrollable proliferation of content generated on the internet has brought with it huge issues around trust and truth, which can seriously undermine the relationship between consumers and brands. “No trust equals no data which equals no brand. A brand without trust is just a product, so brand safety is vital for brand sustainability. We need to take action now before ‘viewers stop viewing, advertisers stop advertising and publishers stop publishing’,” says Du Plessis.

IAB aims to create a more brand safe, fraud-free internet by demanding brand safety from all publishers. The conference highlighted the importance for brands to only partner and invest in responsible platforms and publishers with a responsible approach to supply chain.

It calls on brands to take action on issues in the digital supply chain, like global brand giant, Unilever, who warned Facebook and Google that it could pull its digital ads if these platforms don’t do a better job of monitoring objectionable content and fake news. Unilever vowed to work with these platforms to collaboratively find solutions. Unilever has now also partnered with IBM to use blockchain technology (a distributed ledger technology) in the media to ensure that they solve the transparency and trust issue.

“SPARK Media has a direct relationship with all publishers of the more than 100 websites that we represent, serving almost 15 million page views and 7 million unique visitors each month. Our Local News Network’s (LNN) websites offer brands a safe environment. These secured

sites are trusted sources of news for local communities and have an established journalistic network of more than 400 people on the ground that are often first to break local news,” Du Plessis says.

“SPARK Ignition SELL, our programmatic sell side solution, offers hyper-targeting by demographics, location and interest categories. We offer advertisers a brand safe environment with private, protected, owned inventory. Our technology allows us to exclude adverts that feature next to breaking news that could impact on advertisers’ brand identity/safety,” says Du Plessis.

“As an industry, we need to develop firm criteria for evaluating trusted publishers and educate and drive awareness through members of the IAB, publishing partners and the media.” ■

How to build a 21st century brand

Joint CEO of SPARK Media and Head of the Publisher Council of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), Marc du Plessis attended the 2018 IAB Annual Leadership Meeting from 11-13 February in California, which focussed on how to build a 21st century brand. The event explored how the new direct-to-consumer (DTC) economy will drive growth in 2018, how DTC brands are building up their own supply chain ‘stacks’ using Supply Chain as a Service (SCaaS) partners. Marc du Plessis, Joint CEO of SPARK Media

and Head of the Publisher Council of the IAB

SPARK Media DNAEstablished in 2015, SPARK Media, a division of CTP Ltd, are experts in retail and location based marketing solutions. The company owns and represents

myriad print and digital products that deliver locally relevant, effective audiences for advertising clients. SPARK Media are Strategic Partners in

Audience Research and Knowledge and offer ‘Insights that Ignite’.

Page 20 shopping & retail SA // March 2018

Brands

Last month, we set the scene for why it’s never a good idea to change a shopping centre logo (or any logo, for that matter). However, as with all things, there are exceptions to the rule – to be applied sparingly. Let’s look at a couple of notes as

we progress:

1. The centre has no discernible logo: this seems almost too ridiculous to contemplate, but it has happened. The multitude of China Malls around our cities is a case in point – they are all China Mall, which can be confusing if you plan to meet someone there. On the other hand, the consistency of the use of the brand name ‘China Mall’ also gives the shopper a clear indication of what they can expect to find there. But if your centre doesn’t have a logo, then spend the few thousand Rand on a decent graphic designer and get one. Another offender is Northcliff Corner, which just uses a font. The centre has certainly seen better days. Is there a direct correlation between a centre that is well managed in terms of marketing (including that pesky logo), and rate of success? I’d have to say yes – but again, a great logo is only part of the equation.

2. The logo is ugly, ugly, ugly: under this special circumstance, you might need to change the logo. Of course, ugly is a matter of opinion, but I would have to concede that some logos were poorly designed. Make sure you do the change once only, and then stick to your guns.

3. Similar to the point above, the logo was never well thought through in the first place: often in the past, logos were not treated with the same careful forethought that they are today. The logo was sometimes left in the hands of the architect, not a graphic designer. In this case, you may be saddled with a disaster, and it really needs a re-think. Proceed with caution, however, and don’t be gung-ho about changing something that DOES actually work.

“Frequent changing of a logo signals instability in the brand”

4. The logo is iconic of architectural features/themes in the centre that disappeared with the revamp: a centre look and feel/ aesthetic that was dated was done away with, and now to leave it in the logo means a disconnect with the new look and feel. Try to salvage whatever elements of the logo that you can, to forge some form of continuity between the past and the future. Cresta had this problem, and solved it with a logo that bridged the old and new. I was involved with the process.

5. The logo is too similar to another brand’s logo: a local shopping centre once used a logo that looked like half a McDonald’s golden arch ‘M’ (because the centre’s name starts with ‘N.’) They eventually did away with it. If the existing logo is reminiscent of another brand, not only does this confuse shoppers but there are legal implications in terms of intellectual property.

6. The logo has no story that ties it to the brand: if you look at some form of Coke marketing collateral, you will see wording along the lines of, “The Coca-Cola logo, ribbon device and contour bottle are registered trademarks of the Coca-Cola Corporation.” The contour bottle has a history all of its own, and Coke is adept at surreptitiously working the logo elements into visual cues, like the interview couches on American Idol, which were reminiscent of the ribbon device. In an ideal world,

the logo ties to the brand’s story. Every brand has a story, but back in the day not everybody thought to join them together (BMW is a great example of a brand story tied to its logo, with the colours of the Bavarian flag used in the logo – not representative of a turning aircraft propeller, as the urban legend goes). Some have retrofitted, created a story, worked it into the brand folklore, and then tied it to the logo, which is clever (and also creates nice projects for school kids, which proselytises the brand in ways that are cost effective and create heaps of awareness). If you can’t get the logo to tie to the story, then you need to redesign it so that it does. Then, be sure to include this in your corporate identity, your brand rationale, and your brand guide.

“Thou shalt not mess with the logo!”

7. Create a logo that is timeless: consider the 100-year vision for the building. Southdale Mall in Edina, a suburb of Minneapolis, is 60 years old this year. It is generally recognised as the first regional centre in the world. In all likelihood, it will still be around in 40 years’ time, so having a 100-year vision is not a bad idea. Again, we must defer to Coke – the brand is as old as Johannesburg, and the brand managers who have passed the baton onto successors have maintained the essence of what Coke stands for. Should a shopping centre be any different? It should be enshrined in a company constitution somewhere, and etched in stone for the next generation of company leaders to see and implement: thou shalt not mess with the logo.

8. The owner(s) insist(s), despite your best advice to the contrary, that the logo must be changed: okay, you have no choice but to comply. Be involved in the process, and stress the importance to all and sundry of this being the first and last time that it happens. Then make sure that every piece of collateral that the logo is attached to is changed. I am mortified at the number of centres I walk through that have two different logos around every second corner.

On this last note: if you’re going to change, then you have to commit, and stop messing around. Changing logos frequently signals to the shopper/receiver an instability in the brand, a lack of coherence and continuity. This is the brand saying, “I don’t know who I am.” You could also argue that the brand is evolving, and the logo is evolving with it. But shall we play a form of Pascal’s Wager? Can you afford to risk it? Would a bank do it? No, because they know it will make people who invest their money nervous. When Barclays pulled out of SA the first time forcing the creation of FNB, the new bank kept its logo and has never changed it. The four brands that came together to form Absa made use of an interim logo that eventually gave way to the carefully constructed logo we know today, which has never changed.

And so to conclude: the visual portion of the brand, the logo, should never be given over to the vicissitudes of what is currently popular or in vogue – or to some overzealous designer with a trigger finger on the Corel Draw or Photo Shop button.

Marketing consultant Rob Thomas is a Certified Marketing Director with the International Council of Shopping Centers, and is busy with his PhD in strategic marketing. His company, Eureka, does research and strategic marketing for shopping centres. He can be contacted on [email protected]. ■

A new logo is not the lick of paint your shopping centre brand needs (– Part 2)By Rob Thomas Rob Thomas