Trend Talk 43: COMMUNICATING PURPOSE THIS MANDELA MONTH
Communicating Purpose THIS MANDELA MONTH Purpose is everything, and this Mandela Month, corporates and organisations need to look beyond the fame that comes with doing
Despite the significant challenges of the pandemic, Eclipse Communications has managed to increase its client base by 40% and its staff complement by 37%. In addition, revenue growth of between 30%–40% is forecast for the current financial year. Steve Powell, Eclipse CEO and co-founder, tells us how the South African comms and PR firm — which has been operating for more than 20 years — has done it, as well as what the agency, and broader industry, has had to learn.
By Carey Finn
Steve Powell: It would take too long to mention all the major projects over the last year but I will highlight some. In our third year representing Netflix across consumer publicity [and] corporate communications, as well as social media, we have continued to set high standards of creativity and execution on local productions such as Queen Sono, Blood & Water, Jiva and the likes. We were proud to be part of the team, as investors and driving the communications and marketing strategy, in the creation and successful launch to market of BT Signature — Boity Thulo’s new ready-to-drink peach-flavoured frizzante. We secured the Pfizer account in the middle of last year and have been instrumental in highlighting the brand’s progress in the vaccine development and distribution, as well as key milestones across other disease management areas. We recently launched a new office in Mauritius, which is a major step forward for us in guiding the growth of our business and those of our clients, both locally and internationally.
SP: We have had a very clear strategy of retention and growth of both clients and employees for many years. There are some key pillars that underpin that strategy. In particular, the following points are key when looking at how we have thrived, rather than just survived, in the last year: • An unwavering commitment to a continued investment strategy (despite covid-19) in our people, both in terms of the overall strength and talent of the team but also in terms of the rewards and recognition for the team. • A strategy of diversity in the clients, disciplines and markets we represent but also in the people we hire and the way our overall business is structured. We have multiple highly focused business units within our overall business model, with incredibly strong leadership, and this approach has allowed us to be agile and adaptive but also to provide scale to suit both larger and smaller clients’ needs. • Employee motivation through our employee share scheme, commission structure and continuous stretch-goalsetting process. These encourage our people not only to remain engaged in their own performance and growth but also the growth of our clients and the agency. • Our model enables a very strong relationship of trust, long-term retention and career growth for our team within a growing company. Every member of the company has the opportunity to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit and be an owner and beneficiary of the company’s success.
SP: We learn and grow as we face challenges and opportunities on a daily basis. That said, the pandemic, in particular, has verified our belief in a number of areas for us: Our belief in the freedom and responsibility we give our employees — remote working and flexible working times, among others, have set us up for success when others struggled to find equilibrium. Invest and push forward when others maybe can’t or won’t — control the things you can control and don’t let the things you can’t control stop you from moving forward. Our move to a more digitally focused agency was timeous — providing a fully integrated agency model gave clients more choice and value. Crisis planning is essential — brands woke up too late but we managed to deliver what they needed at lightning speed to guide their growth/navigate through the worst. The strength of our staff and leadership showed how effective, creative, resilient and positive they are during challenging times. Our industry is as competitive as the next, so we also placed effort on our own agency’s marketing to remain top of mind to clients and potential clients while also finding key opportunities to showcase our understanding of the trends and developments and our ability to adapt — for our clients and our agency.
SP: Strong financial management in the best of times gives you many more options in the worst of times; opportunities for growth exist — even during a crisis of global proportions. Digital tactics should be integral to any communications strategy; in fact, in line with the evolving consumer/target audience, an omnichannel approach is critical. Authenticity matters, and media and influencer relations remain a currency that matters (a lot). Always have a plan B; make sure your clients have a plan B — agility is key to any business. Crisis communications (and scenario planning) are still vital aspects of any PR and corporate communications plan.
SP: Our goals for the next 6–12 months are the same as they were for the last 6–12 months and the year before that: Success leaves clues, so we will keep doing what we have been doing, which is to focus on the retention and growth of the team and the business. We will continue the growth of our clients’ footprints across the continent and internationally. We will invest in relationships and partnerships that drive our growth strategy and add more value for our clients and our business. We will continue to strive to do our best work, and then do it better!
Carey Finn is a contributing writer to MarkLives. Q5 hones in on strategic insights, analysis and data through inspiring interviews with professionals in diverse fields.
By Carey Finn
Communicating Purpose THIS MANDELA MONTH Purpose is everything, and this Mandela Month, corporates and organisations need to look beyond the fame that comes with doing
MANAGING YOUR CREDIBILITY IN AN INCREASINGLY INCREDIBLE WORLD We have heard the saying over and over – “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”. But,
IT’S ALL IN THE STRATEGY IS YOUR BRAND SWIMMING IN A BLUE OCEAN OR BATTLING AWAY IN A SEA OF RED? In the world of
Eclipse Communications is an adaptive and agile full-service communications agency with a strong track record and wealth of experience across Arts & Entertainment, Consumer & Lifestyle and Corporate clients.
We are one of South Africa’s fastest growing, independent communications agencies, acknowledged as the Best Large PR Consultancy at the 2020 PRISM Awards and Public Relations Agency of the Year at the fm AdFocus Awards 2020.
Over our 20+ year history, we have evolved our service offering to include digital media strategy and execution, reputation management, content creation, influencer management and relations, event management and production, to name a few.
+27 86 132 5472
info@eclipsecomms.com
Charlton House, Hampton Office Park, 20 Georgian Cres E, Bryanston East, Johannesburg, 2191
+27 86 132 5472
info@eclipsecomms.com
8 Kloof Street, Buitenkloof Studios, Unit 603 and 605, Cape Town CBD, 8000
Zaona Rabetsitonta-Bahadoor
+230 5704 4913
zaona@eclipsecomms.com
Eclipse communications ensures all information is secure, private and will not be sold or distributed.
Eclipse Communications is an adaptive and agile full-service communications agency with a strong track record and wealth of experience across Arts & Entertainment, Consumer & Lifestyle and Corporate clients.
We are one of South Africa’s fastest growing, independent communications agencies, acknowledged as the Best Large PR Consultancy at the 2020 PRISM Awards and Public Relations Agency of the Year at the fm AdFocus Awards 2020.
Over our 20+ year history, we have evolved our service offering to include digital media strategy and execution, reputation management, content creation, influencer management and relations, event management and production, to name a few.
+27 86 132 5472
info@eclipsecomms.com
Charlton House, Hampton Office Park, 20 Georgian Cres E, Bryanston East, Johannesburg, 2191
+27 86 132 5472
info@eclipsecomms.com
8 Kloof Street, Buitenkloof Studios, Unit 603 and 605, Cape Town CBD, 8000
Zaona Rabetsitonta-Bahadoor
+230 5704 4913
zaona@eclipsecomms.com
Eclipse communications ensures all information is secure, private and will not be sold or distributed.
Please provide us with your information and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Please provide us with your information and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Crisis avoidance and speed of response form the backbone of our crisis communications offering. Our decisive, experienced senior team ensure that a brand’s reputation is always protected.
Our digital media team creates out of the box, innovative strategies and plans, delivering on our clients’ objectives through personalised content and messaging, the right channel matrix, SEO and paid media plans that reach new audience and creating engagements that matter.
With media and influencers at the heart of our agency, we have built solid relationships that ensure our clients receive credible and targeted exposure, across print, online and broadcast media.
Our dedicated events team conceptualise and execute events of any scale. Eventing in the age of our new norm means that our experience ranges across physical, virtual and hybrid events.
Our team of ex-journalists, content creators and proofreaders are experts in creating and positioning the right content to the right audiences. Bolting on a team of creatives, we have the ability to create omni-channel, creative strategies to further this reach.
We develop and execute robust omni-channel communications strategies to drive credible conversations that resonate with desired target audiences across Arts & Entertainment, Consumer & Lifestyle and Corporate clients and industries.