Activating The Brand Connection

CYBERTORIAL: The Brand Connection ‘happened’ almost by chance. Community radio champion, The Media Connection, were going about their business as usual when they received a request from a particular retail client asking for “something more”.

The client requested an activation of sorts, on behalf of her client, who was opening a new store in Randfontein. We phoned the local radio station and asked them to help! Together we decided to send a popular presenter to the store with a PA system and some promoters. Mechanics were decided on and then everyone held their breath to see how it went; and it was a real success!

Suddenly the penny dropped and The Media Connection realised that their relationship with over 130 community radio stations around the country had given them a national footprint and access to talented, experienced individuals with the ability to activate brands, sample and communicate to communities in their preferred languages.

For the first two years, activations were an added value or secondary option offered by The Media Connection. Slowly but surely staff were trained and hired for various skill sets which included vehicle branding, sound engineering, staging, MC’ing, project management and brand communication.

That team of skilled individuals travelled throughout South Africa, working closely with community radio stations to deliver effective and memorable activations.

After a 35 day activation, as part of the Fifa World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca Cola, in 2010, The Media Connection decided it was time to officially launch this in house activation company.

October 2010 saw the official start of The Brand Connection and they kicked off by delivering the first 250 activations for Telkom’s then-new 8.ta cell phone network.

During the past three years the company has continued to grow from strength to strength, developing talented individuals and building resources in terms of gig rigs, staging, outside broadcast units and other promotional vehicles.