Kena Outdoor brings purposeful media to the emerging market

Inconsistent availability of basic services such as water and electricity has been a major challenge for many communities across South Africa. Although the effects of uneven service provision are felt by us all, the emerging market has been the hardest hit. As a company that prides itself on ploughing back to the communities we service, we are always looking for innovative ways of having positive social impact.

When Grandpa, a beloved brand, wanted to drive greater brand visibility and reintroduce its new packaging to its consumers, we saw an opportunity for a mutually beneficial approach. We wanted to bring purposeful media to the emerging market while maintaining that Grandpa is for the people.

As a team that is intimately familiar with the township economy, we decided to focus on the indispensable and ever present spaza shop owners, and see how we could enhance their service to the community at large as neighbourhood retailers. Identifying where Grandpa’s brand can be placed
in a sustainable and efficient way was the core factor in deciding to provide JoJo tanks and solar batteries to affected communities.

JoJo Tanks

With only 65% of South Africans having access to reliable water supply, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the water access challenges faced by many households and small businesses. Access to clean water is fundamental to the health and dignity of every one of us, every single day. Providing Grandpa branded JoJo tanks (rainwater collecting canisters) to water scarce communities was a creative response to this fundamental challenge. Placing the JoJo tanks at these spaza shops and car washes would not only be a water source at the heart of the community, it places Grandpa there too.

Solar Batteries

South Africa has dealt with the dreaded reality of load shedding for 14 years and counting, and the economic effects of rolling power cuts are most felt by those in the emerging market. To ensure that Spaza shops continued to power through the dark, we supplied branded solar battery packs that provided light and a charging point for the owner.

These solar-powered battery packs enable shop owners to keep the lights on for up to eight hours, with at least two light bulbs connected. With the lights on, business owners and the communities they service can continue to function, relieving some of the burden load shedding imposes on businesses due to loss of income and the need for costly backup power solutions.

The rollout of this strategy has already begun in selected parts of Gauteng, and we will soon be taking this initiative to other provinces such as Kwa-Zulu Natal. As unconventional as it is, this project has proven itself to be as effective as our high impact billboards across the country. Kena Outdoor is able to achieve such feats because we pride ourselves in adding value for our clients and the communities we work in.