Hip brand on retail partnership drive

Pick 'n Play will be retailing Hip2B^²'s range of digital products including, among others, the USB watches, the Beat Bag (a backpack with built-in amplifier and speakers), as well as a range of hip PC and laptop speakers. Hip2B^² will also be offering screensavers and other digital downloads on the Pick 'n Play site, for free, in line with its open-source philosophy.

Promoting education

Comments Jonathan Ackerman, marketing director of Pick 'n Play, "We have successfully partnered with The Shuttleworth Foundation on a number of projects and have always believed in the philosophy and goals of Hip2B^², which was founded by The Shuttleworth Foundation. As a non-profit, socially conscious brand, which offers well-priced and high quality products, we look forward to bringing the Hip2B^² messages, promoting education, to the South African youth."

Pick 'n Play, a recent addition to the digital music and mobile market, is an online offering from retail giant Pick 'n Pay. Users can log on to www.picknplay.co.za and access over a million music tracks, ringtones, mobile games and screensavers from global leaders in music like EMI, Universal and Sony BMG and well-known mobile content providers.

For the past three years, Hip2B^² has taken the role of the socially conscious youth brand of The Shuttleworth Foundation. Hip2B^² will continue to embark on various projects of social and educational development with The Shuttleworth Foundation. In positioning itself as a serious player in the commercial youth market, Hip2B^² is currently investigating and negotiating a number of strategic partnerships with other retail brands.

Youth market

"In seeking strategic retail partners, we are specifically focusing on companies that have a brand-connect with the youth market. Partnerships like these will allow us the platform to hone in with ever-increasing accuracy for positioning ourselves as a youth lifestyle brand, as well as a means to impart our brand values of promoting education to this market," says Laura Hallam, brand manager of Hip2B^².

In the spirit of seeking strategic alliances such as the Pick 'n Play partnership, Hip2B^² has also recently signed an agreement with Boogaloo, an eight-store national retail chain stocking skate, in-line and bmx-related gear, through which the Hip2B^² product range will be retailed. All Boogaloo stores will be stocked with Hip2B^² product before Christmas.

"We feel that our differentiator, and what gives us the edge with the socially conscious youth, is that we redistribute our profits into educational initiatives to the SA communities," says Hallam.

In addition to the youth-targeted product range, Hip2B^² publishes a monthly magazine and broadcasts a weekly television show, both addressing issues regarding science, maths and technology in a fun and interesting way. With the recent introduction of its own mobizine, along with a number of progressive initiatives that will be announced soon, it seems that Hip2B^² is moving in a mobile direction.