When fiction becomes reality

On Thursday 26 July, the ad agency on Generations (SABC 1 at 8 pm) that pitched for and won the PEP business presented PEP's new brand positioning and corporate advertising campaign. On Friday 27 July, PEP customers saw the new campaign played out in-store, in real life ... and as featured on Generations the night before. Posters and signage carrying the new corporate tag line: ‘Best Prices and more” - were set up in every one of PEP's 1 350 stores across the land. Generations viewers were therefore able to immediately make the connection between what they had just seen on TV and what they are now seeing in-store.

This is the first time a retail brand has been written into the script and storyline of a leading soap opera in South Africa and is a revolutionary way for ensuring the group's brand proposition is driven home in the minds of the consumers. Queen has been wearing PEP clothes on the programme in the six-week build-up to the launch in the 26 July episode.

The group's actual advertising agency is ZOOM, which is also the first agency in South Africa to open a dedicated ‘branded entertainment' unit. ZOOM conceived and developed the idea with PEP's marketing director, Marcus Banga and with the SABC and the Generations production team. The creative input and the format works so well that a deal has been signed to continue the collaboration for another 12 months so that the group's story may continue. The group's advertising and in-store marketing will also continue to reflect what happens to the brand on TV. This innovative alliance between SA's most popular soapie and one of South Africa's best loved brands is bound to set the scene for future partnerships of this type and might also spark some envy in a few marketing departments.

PEP's new brand proposition

Following a year of intense research and development, when the specialist brand agency, Yellowwood, worked with the group and with ZOOM to develop the new brand positioning so that it could reflect what the group's customers want. In all areas of its business, the group is utterly customer focused - focused on delighting its customers. The process with Yellowwood helped identify and package customer segments so that future brand messages are appropriate and in line with what they want.

Marketing director, Marcus Banga adds: “We needed to embrace more than a one dimensionsal brand proposition of ‘lowest prices' and deliver a value statement. In defining the business, PEP is the everyday best price variety store for family life essentials.” The PEP mission statement to its customers is: ‘We promise you and your family everything you need to look good and feel good – at the best possible prices, backed by trusted quality and friendly service'.

Banga continues: “The new tagline ‘best prices and more' means more stores, more variety, more friendly service, more smiles and excitement, more bargains and, as always, more buying power to give our customers the best prices. PEP will continue to champion low prices while focusing on delighting our customers.”