“Our strategy is to make products with a difference,” she explains. “Our products deliver beyond the basic requirements, it is enhanced quality and that is the difference. It’s about offering customers a perceivable benefit that makes us stand out from the rest of the market.
“We don’t only care about the actual products, but also how they are produced. Woolworths acts as a responsible corporate citizen by taking care of our surroundings, including the environment and the future of our planet.”
How would you describe Woolworths?Woolworths is a brand built on good values and is committed to doing things sustainably. Our Good Business Journey means that Woolworths is socially and environmentally responsible. We want to contribute to economic development and give back to communities while ensuring that we are treading lightly on the planet. Woolworths wants to offer customers value that is produced with values. Sustainability is at the top of our agenda.
We work with our suppliers to create products that are of the highest quality. Customers are looking for quality products, but also want to be delighted with innovation that addresses their food needs and keeps up with international trends.
What makes Woolworths ‘different’?Our values are what set us apart, and are the golden threads woven through our business. Our Good Business Journey is at the core of everything we do. Woolworths is known for quality and sustainability and that is what gives us a competitive edge. We offer the customer value with values.
Innovation is a big part of what sets us apart. But most importantly we deliver on flavour and taste, and make sure we use the freshest and finest ingredients to deliver the best food. We’re a brand with integrity and we make sure that our customers also get the best service consistently.
Woolworths is perhaps best known for its ‘quality’ offering. How has its branding played a role in achieving this ideal?Quality is our promise to our customers. In our supply chain, all of our processes are designed to ensure the highest quality standards are practised and adhered to. The quality of our input is what determines our output.
Explain your specific role as a brand manager of Woolworths.My role is to communicate with our customers, inform and educate about the brand, our offerings and initiatives. I need to maintain close contact with customers to be able to tailor-make food solutions that address both their articulated and unarticulated needs. We come up with marketing strategies and executions that proactively address customer needs through the services and products we deliver; it’s a team effort. It’s a constant customer engagement that requires the use of the most relevant channels to our specific target market.
Food is an intimate commodity. Consumers are conscious of what they put into their bodies now more than ever. Health has become the new wealth, the customer’s health and the health of their families is important. So we make sure that we offer the best we possibly can.
Describe a typical day at the office.There is no specific routine to my day, but there is one constant – we are always busy keeping the business running smoothly!
Typically, my week starts with a review of the past week and the rest of the week is dedicated to making sure that we deliver on the forthcoming plans.
In marketing, work is also dictated by seasonal campaigns that determine what is done when. My current focus is on winter, which has a theme that we translate into store design and key messaging.
A crucial part of my work is ensuring integration across our communication platforms – such as alignment between the physical and digital elements of our marketing campaigns.
My role as marketing manager for non-perishable foods is to ensure that this part of the business is effectively marketed. Everything that is communicated above and below the line about non-perishable foods comes from my team and I. Essentially, we are gatekeepers of information.
Which brands do you work on?We work on the Woolworths brands and are a proudly private label business. We do have popular national brands to complete the customer’s shopping.
Why is branding so important, specifically in the retail industry?Every brand stands for something, and only brand differentiation can ensure longevity. Consumers choose where they want to shop every day, and when they are offered a compelling brand proposition that translates into a pleasant shopping experience, they develop brand loyalty when faced with choice.
If your brand proposition is well defined, the customer will see the value in what you offer. My job is to ensure that Woolworths delivers consistently on its brand promise to ensure that customers are not just satisfied but also delighted. This is the only way to build a sustainable relationship that translates into loyalty.
What do you love most about working for Woolworths?I love working for a company with values that align so well with my own. I have seen how Woolworths makes the right decisions every day without taking the easy way when the right path is the difficult one. It’s about putting the customers first. The company consistently delivers on its promises, regardless of the cost. It’s inspiring.
Our leadership reiterates these core values when engaging with employees – values that we all embrace. It’s an organisational culture, and it’s fulfilling to be part of such a company.
Anything to add?It inspires me daily to see the shared value our business is creating for all of our stakeholders – customers, employees, partners and the environment.
We are constantly giving back to our communities, treading lightly on the planet, delivering with tomorrow in mind.
