Branding

Berlin-based start-up brings upcoming African brands to the European market

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 17:33:17 +0000

Berlin-based start-up brings upcoming African brands to the European market

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Crowdfunding

Business

Branding

Africa

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Launch

Start-up

Business

Unlocking the potential of impact-driven African enterprises

The coolest and most exciting brands from the African continent will be available on the European market, thanks to German online retailer, MANUYOO.

The company aims to provide an innovative, sustainable and inspirational marketplace that promotes local manufacturers from all 55 African countries. Their first range of available products includes running shoes, beauty products, palm liqueur, chocolates – all representing mission-driven entrepreneurs.

Jan-Marc Lischka , Founder, MANUYOO

"We want to sell brands that cannot be found in any European shop.

These products are far away from the usual Africa clichés.

We believe in the trade, not aid philosophy which allows these small scale business to grow stronger and create value on multiple levels”, says Jan-Marc Lischka , founder of the online retailer platform, MANUYOO.

"We are in close contact with our partners on the field, and we know the personal stories, the plans and dreams behind these young brands", says Lischka.

The recently launched MANUYOO platform also works with industry experts, trendsetters and influencers to bring new products to the online store.

Beside the actual online selling point, they provide extra communication opportunities to their partners to share their story through digital channels and a self-published magazine with insights on production, people and impact.

The MANUYOO team has launched an online crowdfunding campaign in September 2020, intending to introduce their first range of products and raise capital to improve the online shopping experience for their customers.

According to their plans, pop-up stores will follow shortly, and the product range will grow step by step.

“We strive to offer a great variety of products as we want our customers to discover something new with MANUYOO continuously", says Lischka.

'Africa your time is now' - Fashion for mission statement

The financing target with their campaign on Startnext for the first round is 15,000 euros, which will be used to expand the online shop and prepare next products for market launch.

Almost reaching their target before the closing round proves that there is a segment of customers who want to join the movement and willing to pay for these high-quality, value-driven brands.

The team has set out the second round of fundraising to expand their offers by involving more enterprises and gain more ground on the European market.

Female led cosmetics manufacturer in Ghana - Kaeme brand

One of MANUYOO's first partners is Kaeme, a cosmetics manufacturer in Ghana.

The small enterprise processes Shea Butter and Black Soap, Ghana's traditional skin care products. Company founder Freda Obeng-Ampofo and her small team manufacture the products themselves, the raw materials come from a women's cooperative in Ghana's north.

Obeng-Ampofo wants to make Kaeme a world-famous brand, which will be on the shelves next to the global cosmetic brands.

"Kaeme will be a success story that will change the image of Ghana, and the image of Africa for the better", says, Obeng-Ampofo.

She adds that the cooperation with MANUYOO is a huge opportunity for Kaeme to gain a foothold in the European market.

" We want a paradigm shift in our relations with Africa.

For us, Africa is a continent of new beginnings, of innovation, of opportunities. A continent with courageous, imaginative, committed entrepreneurs.

Our goal is to trade with them at eye level in a fair and transparent manner.” says Lischka about why they started MANUYOO together with four colleagues.

"We aim to make it easier for African manufacturers to access the European market – which would be out of reach for single entrepreneurs - and present their products attractively”, says Lischka.

According to MANUYOO, currently, the trade between EU countries and countries of Africa is unbalanced.

A good 70 per cent of EU exports to Africa are industrial goods. In contrast, industrial goods account for only seven per cent of EU imports from African countries, and more than 65 per cent of EU imports from Africa are unprocessed raw materials.

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Marketing as a force for good to tackle social challenges

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 13:36:32 +0000

Marketing as a force for good to tackle social challenges

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Social Innovation

Branding

Profit with Purpose

Women on a mission: Challenging business as usual

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 13:30:52 +0000

Women on a mission: Challenging business as usual

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Business

Branding

Responsible Innovation

entrepreneurship

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Sustainable business

Social Innovation

Fighting the conventional to embed social, environmental values into business strategy.

Despite working in different fields, such as industry, academia, communication, three women have one thing in common. They are passionately working to create a new norm where embedding social, environmental values into business strategy will be part of business as usual. How do these strong female leaders are making change happen and influencing others too?

Sustainability in business

"I would probably describe myself as a corporate activist for sustainability, but I didn’t initially come down this route. I went to work in the traditional environmental sector, but once I became more aware of the climate challenge – both the scale and potential impact – and the role of business, I was hooked.

Since having children, I have become even more involved, worrying about their future, and selfishly about my own, as climate change is going to have an impact in my lifetime.

I have worked in corporate sustainability for over a decade. I spent several years as a sustainability manager for IKEA Ireland, which was an excellent opportunity to see and shape trends in this space.

I recently joined the team at SustainabilityWorks, a consultancy on a mission to help Ireland accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy. We are a unique team comprised of experts in sustainability strategy, finance, policy, innovation and communications. I really enjoy having the opportunity to support Irish businesses to make the necessary shift towards more sustain able business models.

It is exciting to be part of this change, I love the pace of innovation in this space. For me it’s all about looking beyond traditional business models based purely on profit and figuring out how a business can deliver more.

In my opinion this is not a question of if, it’s when! It’s not going to be a trend much longer, it is just going to be business as usual.

We have a lot to do in terms of educating leaders that this is not about sacrificing profit, and the importance of thinking long term rather than short term. To integrate sustainability into the core business, it has to start at the top with leadership commitment and creating an environment for employees where they can become part of the change. It has never made more sense for a business to act on sustainability.

All the questions we had earlier, like ‘is this the right time’ or ‘do people care’, are all answered.

There are two common misbeliefs regarding sustainability in business:

1. That you are conflicting with commerciality once you start talking about sustainability.

2. Thinking that sustainability can be a side project.

The biggest mistake to be made right now is to underestimate how much people care about this issue, how much they are looking for businesses to provide solutions, and how much longer are they willing to wait to see the changes that they demand.

There is a whole new generation of conscious consumers who are asking for this; employees are choosing workplaces that align with their values; investors are looking for additional information on environmental and social factors. All stakeholders are pushing businesses to drive climate action.

The quicker a business moves, the better they can leverage the benefits and opportunities of climate action. We have to understand that we have limited time left to make these changes, so a sense of urgency needs to come into the mix. We can all do something about it, and we need everyone to get involved, it is not just for people with sustainability in their title.

Embracing social innovation in education

"The traditional business model is to look for solutions that would be commercially viable to find a feasible gap in the market. However, if you are starting with a social, environmental challenge first and then finding out how to make the solution financially sustainable, you are in essence, creating a social enterprise. This can be more complex in terms of achieving goals on multiple levels (social, ethical, environmental), yet these ventures must also remain competitive against other more traditional business offers that are available on the market

It is vital that individual’s do not get caught up with praise when embarking on a social enterprise. I often notice that when people are presenting their idea about a social enterprise or purpose-driven business that they get a lot of acknowledgement. Of course, this can be justified as they are attempting to do something positive for a community.

Yet social entrepreneurs must continue with more probing questions like ‘That’s great that you liked our idea, but would you buy the product? Would you pay for it? Why? Why not?’

Especially in the beginning, when they are not actually on the market yet, the overwhelming feeling of being praised for their mission, might cloud their judgement and leave important business questions out of the equation.

There is a difference between “a customer should buy” and “a customer will buy”.

When I work with students who are passionate and have a clear vision with their socially driven idea for an enterprise, it is imperative that they base their project in reality. A robust feasibility study based on sound evidence and research helps to pre-empt any issues, test all assumptions and remove any entrepreneurial bias.

Sometimes I will advise them to allow an independent researcher lead a focus group or interview, someone who is not emotionally invested in the results. Being too close to it can affect how you will question and react, and will influence those who are providing their insights to you.

Distancing yourself from your idea can lead to crucial discoveries to address difficulties, which better reflects on reality. As a result, you have a better chance to achieve your goals.

Usually, value-driven companies start from a personal trigger moment and want to find a better way to deal with a particular challenge. To stimulate social enterprise within education, we allow students to explore social problems in a safe environment and provide experiences that would enable them to connect with these social groups or challenges.

Empathy is fundamental to build a solution that solves the real problem rather than just scratching the surface or dealing with misleading perceptions.

I am an ENACTUS faculty advisor, which is a global movement to inspire social innovation through entrepreneurial actions in third-level education. This programme helps to create a learning experience that inspires this empathy, critical thinking, and innovation irrespective of a student’s degree choices or intending career path.

I am always amazed by the ideas and solutions presented at the end of the programme. Homelessness the climate, mental health, the refugee crisis – these students put their hearts into creating robust, profit-making and viable social enterprise concepts that will help. Some even pursue their ideas and create real ventures.

I feel fortunate to work with them and see the shift in their thinking that will shape future workplaces and the world of business, including its ethos.

Marketing as a force for good

"Marketing is changing because the world is changing. The younger generation just thinks about brands and consumes in a different way which is challenging businesses to change too. Accessible and affordable sustainability products are becoming more of a trend on the market, and people are actively seeking out these alternative options as opposed to traditional offers.

One of the biggest barriers in the making that mainstream is that they are just not accessible to everybody.

To achieve a just transition to a more circular and net-zero carbon economy, we need to think about solutions that are available to all.

New businesses are more likely to put purpose in their core right from the ‘get-go’ phase and build a connection with their consumers from there. For existing businesses, especially for more prominent brands, it’s a challenge to find an authentic voice. Even when young people start seeing businesses shift, they don’t always trust it right away.

Greenwashing or the perception of greenwashing is something that these companies have to overcome at the first place.

It’s not just about changing for the better and doing good – being able to communicate this effectively to people is crucial.

Communication enables people to make a purchase decision based on values or purpose – and also puts pressure on competitors to do the right thing too.

It is evident by now that the days of 100 page CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) reports are gone. You need to make sure that your stakeholders are engaging with the content that you are producing. It has to be attractive – even fun – and easy to digest. The element of fun in social mission might be surprising, but it is a great way to get people involved.

Brand activism is something that we do a lot to raise awareness and connect global issues with a brand. We did a campaign for the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand where we created ice sculptures of politicians at public spaces, using a motto ‘if it’s melted it’s ruined’. The link between climate justice and the brand manifested in a way that made it easy to get the attention of their audience.

For new businesses, once the purpose is at the core, it will guide everything they do. A strong purpose will fuel a more impactful, trustworthy and authentic communication.

Personally, I think that this mindset could be the next norm in creating better businesses: take a step back, look around to identify social, environmental issues and find a way to tackle those by creating a financially viable organisation.

When we started to work with Tony’s Chocolonely, it already had a powerful social mission to make a chocolate that is 100% slave-free. The brand was built by journalists who saw the dark side of the chocolate supply chain – including child labour and modern slavery. They decided to start an experiment to see if they could make a slave-free chocolate bar, which led to start a business and build a brand to raise awareness.

In this case, it was creating profit from the purpose and not the other way round, which I think is inspirational for start-ups.

Marketing, for me, is about finding out why we do certain things! I studied philosophy in college, and it fascinates me how much it matters to raise the question of ‘why’ before we do anything. It inspires me to look at the world differently.

I thought a lot about walking away from the corporate world, but then I realised that probably I could have a more significant impact from the inside by working with businesses.

I believe that a brighter future lays before us if we are willing to question certain things and go through an ideology shift. We need to change people, culture, and why we create a business in the first place with the focus on what its function in society. I definitely suffer from eco-anxiety about what’s happening in the world with climate change, loss of habitats and the uncertainty of the next few decades.

With my work at the THINKHOUSE youth marketing agency, I feel like I’m doing something about it and face these challenges front on. I don’t want to sleepwalk through this crisis that we are in and ignore it. I want to have an impact on what is happening and be able to look back on my life and see that I did what I could.

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Branding for the next generation - Profit with Purpose mini interview

Szilvia Szabó — Fri, 29 May 2020 09:53:43 +0000

Branding for the next generation - Profit with Purpose mini interview

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What does it take to run a value-driven business for more than 20 years?

Szilvia Szabó — Tue, 19 May 2020 16:23:46 +0000

What does it take to run a value-driven business for more than 20 years?

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Responsible Innovation

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Positive Impact

The impact of coronavirus on brand trust

Szilvia Szabó — Sat, 09 May 2020 12:06:10 +0000

The impact of coronavirus on brand trust

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The Edelman Trust special report reveals the expectations of brands in the time of coronavirus pandemic.

Edelman conducted a 12-market study on the critical role brands are expected to play during the coronavirus pandemic where they interviewed 12,000 people in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, the UK and U.S.

From protecting the well-being of employees to shifting products and pricing to creating a sense of community, there are several areas where respondents recognized the need for specific brand action. 71 per cent agree that if they perceive that a brand is putting profit over people, they will lose trust in that brand forever.

The results call for value-driven leadership and that brands need to prove that people come first, not profit.

Respondents believe that brands can and should make a difference throughout the coronavirus crisis and the majority with 90 per cent globally want brands to do everything in their power to tackle this challenge and actively get involved.

There is a clear desire for them to become partners and collaborate with governments (90%) and provide a safety net by stepping where governments cannot respond appropriately to the virus (86%).

It is a great expectation that brands must focus their messaging on finding solutions instead of sales. 84% said they want to see how brands help people to cope with pandemic-related challenges.

Brands also need to consider that people want experts to be associated with messages. 78 % rating medical doctors as credible spokespeople for the brand’s virus-related actions, with celebrities (26 %) and influencers deeply discounted (28 %).

Eighty-four per cent of respondents globally said that they want brands to be a reliable news source that keeps people informed. There is more belief in earned media (national media at 64 % and local media at 62 %) than in brand advertising (53 %) and brand social media (51 %).

Image: Pexels

83 per cent want to see brand messaging that focuses on empathy, compassion and support with the struggles they face. Hearing from brands they use about what they are doing in response to the pandemic is comforting and reassuring to them (65 %). This the chance when brands can create a whole new level of connection with their consumers or in fact, lose their relationship forever.

Sixty-five per cent of respondents said that a brand’s response in the crisis would have a significant impact on their likelihood of purchasing it in the future. Over one-third of consumers said that they have started using a new brand because of the innovative or compassionate way that it has responded.

On the other hand, there is a massive risk to brands that are perceived to be acting unsympathetically. One-third of respondents have already convinced other people to stop using a brand that was not acting appropriately.

"At this moment of deepest global crisis, the public wants brands to step up, keep us safe, guide us and help us. Brands that act in the interest of their employees, stakeholders and society at large will reinforce their expertise, leadership and trust and immeasurably strengthen the bond they have with consumers," says Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman about the new role of brands.