MARKETING
CONNECTING WITH THE SOUL
Like you, we search for truth as wisdom stems from authenticity. No masks. Standing strong in an a-political stance, and standing strongest in applying an inclusive approach to communication. We seek honest to goodness communication that reaches people deeply in their lives.
Soul Digital and Design seeks to strengthen the human connection between the people who make African economies grow. Our mandate as passionate marketers and media specialists is to look behind the masks that brands wear, and to salute and celebrate genuine soul.
It’s about the thoroughness, the detail and transparency.
This is our True North
Do you seek strategy which is rooted in reality and that resonates not just intellectually but emotionally? We do. Our strategies are led by the details of the daily life of people with whom our campaigns need to reach out to, and with whom each outreach must resonate. Consider for example the deep truth upon which a water project in Giyani hinges, as the women of the community carry 4x 25 litre bottles of water day in and day out. In this environment an urban mindset falls hopelessly short, as it is outright false.
There’s a world of difference between the rhythm in village life and the assumptions that city living marketers can make. As such it is our passion to get to grips with the grass roots. To concisely understand not only the challenges but what works before pushing unwelcome change on a community of people.
We subscribe to understanding; to talking to people and only after comprehending their genuine truths, to supplying a communication solution.
In pursuit of Ubuntu in action
A significant focus of our CSI work centres around youth, film, arts, culture, heritage, and women empowerment. Through Soul, we aim to take the wealth of knowledge and experience that people hold in big cities, and share it in the rural provinces. In our Soulsphere, everything ties back to communication with a depth of experience in media, research, media training, and creative.
Committed to forward movement of community
Connections lie in community as it is in moving with intent, together, that we step forward in strength. People are more than a market, more than a target or an audience. People are pure soul and as such, we must stay connected within humanity, with being human. Connected with a wave of senses and emotions that make us either move forward or backwards, or both at different times.
Humanity back into marketing / Heart for people, education and upliftment / Connecting, communicating authentically.
What is Soul? Soul is a space in time. Soul breathes life into matter, and makes it matter most. It is the essence of life. It is the power of raw life force. And it connects us all, no matter who we are or what our stories are.
Modern living may have moved from reaching out through a message in a bottle to a message on a screen, but what has not changed is the importance of that message reaching the right person. To get it into the hands and heart of the soul who will respond and reach out, right back.
TOGETHER, WE RISE WITH SOUL IN HEART AND MIND.
ABOUT US
We are a full service, above the line advertising agency with a strong strategic and creative ability – proven to deliver excellent results with impact. We are able to provide full integration of all marketing communications.
At Soul, we prefer to encourage long-term relationships with our clients and endeavour to work, learn and grow alongside you, getting to know your brand both inside and out, becoming a part of your team and make you a part of ours.
We know from experience, that in order to achieve marked business improvements, careful balance of key factors are required – merely increasing awareness and reducing costs are not enough. The real challenge lies in simultaneously improving education and understanding what your brand does as well as improving awareness of your brand’s various products and messages across all platforms using one clear voice.
Our commitment to you
Soul can provide you a complete full service solution, encompassing all aspects of the communication spectrum. We are able to meet urgent deadlines, provide a fast turnaround and work collaboratively with other agencies and service providers in order to save you both time, hassle and money. We provide a single-interface, one-stop-shop approach that includes:
• Marketing and brand communications strategy
• Conceptual creative design
• Media strategy planning and buying
• Production and implementation
• Above the line / below the line and digital marketing solutions
• Internal communications
• Promotions and event management
Our strategic capabilities
From our years of industry experience, we use our inherent knowledge and varied skill sets to ensure that your brand ambitions are realised. Remaining flexible, we are able to adapt to the ever-changing marketing environment and stretch ourselves to exploit our resources in innovative and cost-effective ways, making it hard for any others to match.
We keep our promises by adhering to our operational model below:
Cross-functional collaboration: we never operate in silos and therefore utilise a brand team approach for optimal functionality.
Knowledge and experience intensive support: our Senior leadership is never absent from any project and ensure involvement in every job for every client.
Agility: we are small and agile in order to maintain a fast reaction time and maintain optimal internal and external communication.
Quality and speed of decision-making: with open communication avenues between members, each member is equipped to make the right decisions in good time.
Coherence: with a low staff turnover, we have a smooth operation system that involves each member of our organisation and ensures they are aware and involved, allowing a streamlined approach to addressing client needs.
Innovation: building on each others ideas, we are able to come up with new ways of creating value and sustaining a competitive advantage.
Creativity: our creativity extends over and above just clever ideas moving towards a more effective, groundbreaking solutions approach to both marketing and advertising problems.
LEADERSHIP
Anastacia Dakota Martin
Anastacia Martin is the former Managing Director of the Mail & Guardian Africa, a cross-continent imprint of brand Mail & Guardian. She developed the Africa brand three years ago to deliver new revenue streams through innovative and entrepreneurial thinking that has engaged the M&G audience off the traditional printed page and moved it into the live and digital space.
Anastacia was an early convert from print to digital media and as Publisher and Managing Director of both print and online of the Mail & Guardian, she has built and grown the title across a proliferation of platforms as the leading title in the quality niche sector.
The first woman publisher of a major newspaper group in South Africa, Anastacia is a great proponent of both technology and enterprise. She believes that creativity and innovation are the fundamentals that lead to the success of creating inventive SMME’s and that in an era where the traditional implementation of business is challenged daily, entrepreneurs must be bold in exploiting new ideas.
Her experience in the commercial side of the business includes positions as GM Sales and Marketing at the Sunday Times and deputy-publisher of the Sowetan, followed by two years as Director of Group Marketing at Ster Kinekor.
Anastacia was a member of the media task team that advised parliament on the transformation in the South Africa media industry and the inaugural head of the DMMA’s (Digital Media & Marketing Association, now IAB Interactive Advertising Bureau) Knowledge Network, which promotes digital media as a career of the future.
Anastacia believes that honour, integrity and truth are fundamental to all decision-making and she is dedicated to progressive leadership, knowledge acquisition and good governance.
Paul Middleton
Applying more than 38 years of experience in Marketing and Advertising, Paul is known for bringing perspective, balance, integrity and wisdom to the table at an industry, client and agency level. His knowledge of above and below the line advertising, retail marketing and merchandising makes him a trusted strategic communication partner.
Over and above having worked in the USA as well as guest lecturing at various advertising schools, Paul has been a judge of many industry awards. He has served on the boards of multiple Advertising and Media industry bodies and was the recipient of the award at the 2014 MOST media industry function for “a selfless contribution to the broader media and marketing industry for over two decades”.
The Hlumani Empowerment Trust: A support project for start-ups
Providing an enabling environment for marketing & advertising entrepreneurs
The Hlumani Empowerment Trust has been founded to unearth and incubate outstanding advertising talent.
Our mission is to empower enterprise growth for advertising and creative entrepreneurs who show high levels of passion and commitment to a career in the marketing and advertising industry.
Through the provision of office facilities and mentoring from some of the finest minds in the advertising, creative, digital and marketing space, Hlumani provides office space and an enabling working environment for advertising entrepreneurs to take their venture to the next level.
The programme calls for entrepreneurs to identify and service their own clients, attend the office most days and already have a registered business or idea when joining the project. The Hlumani Trust is not intended to employ people, but is rather a support space for start-ups and those wanting guidance as they create their own advertising or marketing agency
So if you have the talent, the self-discipline to grow a new business, and the energy to make it flourish, Hlumani can give you the nurturing office environment to support you for a set period. We will take care of the everyday needs of your business – from office space to coffee, so that you can concentrate on your business development. We will also supply mentoring and guidance, office and computer equipment and programming, and strategic and creative direction.
Candidates ideal for incubation are self-starting business minds who not only recognise opportunity, but proactively seek and create.
6 I’s FOR YOUR BRAND
INTERNALISE – Brand Strategy
INTERPRET – Communication Strategy
IDEA – Creative
IGNITE – Media
IMPLEMENT – Market Launch
INVESTIGATE – Health Check
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION
OPENNESS AND LIKE-MINDED VALUES
Dedicated marketing intelligence
Executive implementation
Shorter lines of communication
Accredited media
Measured cost effectiveness
CREATIVE
OBJECTIVE /_ CREATE, CURATE AND ACTIVATE
Unpacking ideas with effect and affect
• Campaign concepts
• Graphic Design, Illustration and Animation
• Commercial and Corporate Video Production
• Content Curating – “Through the Line Writing and Media Hub”
• Traditional ATL Copywriting
• Editing and Proofreading
• Events and Activations
MEDIA
OBJECTIVE /_ TARGET AND AMPLIFY
In-house media division with the ability to create unique and authentic media properties
• Media Strategy
• Media Negotiation, Buying and Verification
• Paid Media Campaigns
• Competitor Research Analysis
• Integrated Campaign Reporting
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
• Social Media Community Management
• Public Relations
• Content Marketing
STRATEGY
OBJECTIVE /_ ALIGN
Delivering strategic insights and local knowledge to build true vision
• Industry Intelligence
• Brand and Consumer Research
• Database Analytics and Insights
• Customer Lifecycle and Relationship Management
• Panel, Communities and Marketing Research
KEEPING EVERYTHING UNDER OUR ROOF MEANS KEEPING YOUR COSTS DOWN
• Account Management
• Media Planning, Buying and Placement
• Post Campaign Analysis
• Advertising, Marketing and Media Strategy
• Public Relations
• Concept Origination
• Creative Direction
• Digital Marketing and Strategy
• Social & Digital Paid Specialists
• Social & Digital Integration
• Social Listening
• Art Direction
• Copywriting
• Graphic Design and DTP
• Digital
• Launches
• Events
• Production Management
• Content Creation
• Media analysis and reporting
• Community management
• Research
CONNECT WITH US
5 Seventh Avenue
Parktown North
Johannesburg
+27 84 999 1405
anastacia@soulconnect.co.za