Youth Marketing News South Africa

Campaign on the alert for smarties

Sasol regularly awards university bursaries to over 250 up-and-coming Grade 12 learners and BEng, BSc and BCom students every year. “To promote Sasol's bursaries programme among the smarties out there, we've launched a campaign that uses an awesome cast of seven characters,” explains Bronwyn Watt, Sasol group brand and marketing manager.

“Whiz kids, Einstein, Bright spark, Smart Alec, Four-eyes, Brainiac and Genius each have a little catch phrase and a distinctive style. These characters appeal to the target market by being quirky and fun.”

Because blue smarties are relatively few and different, they stand out in comparison to normal smarties So it goes with smarties of a different kind - the human kind. Being a brainiac, a bright spark, a whiz kid used to be something other kids might have used as a tease. Fortunately, times have changed and people have now realised that brainiacs stand out, whiz kids get noticed and it is now, quite simply, cool to be smart.

The campaign makes use of youth media platforms such as MXit, where potential Sasol bursars can download ringtones, skins and wallpapers - and stand a chance to win one of twocell phones and starter packs, courtesy of Virgin Mobile.

Sasol also has an online partnership with science and technology magazine, Popular Mechanics, where three Virgin Mobile cellphones will be given away in a competition on its website. Internally, Sasol gave its new smart bursars for 2009 a funky gift pack to welcome them as new Sasol bursars.

“Our aim is to make sure that as many brainiacs as possible hear about our bursary programme because, with Sasol, it pays to be smart and you can go so much further,” Watt saus

The package offered is for full-time studies and is all-inclusive. Upon successful completion of the study period, students will be employed within the Sasol Group through its Graduate Development Programme. Learners and students can apply by visiting www.sasolbursaries.com or calling 0860 106 235.

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