“Covid pandemic showed that your customer can change in a heartbeat”

Customer experience (CX) experts from some of the most recognised and successful brands on the continent, including Multichoice, Woolworths, Shoprite, Superbalist, African Bank, DHL and Rand Merchant Bank, will share their successes, failures and lessons learnt during the next edition of CEM Africa Summit, taking place from 10–11 November 2021.

* CEM = Customer Experience Management

“CX is about managing the end-to-end journey that a customer experiences with a brand or solution that makes them feel heard and understood—from touchpoint through to advocacy—of a brand, a company, a solution and more,” says Shannon Mackrill, co-founder of the CEM Africa Summit.

According to Mackrill, over the last three to four years the importance of the customer has grown in this very specialised segment of consumer marketing: “The movement towards the gig economy and on-demand solutions has helped shape customer expectations of companies. This puts brands to the test, increases competition and forces them to perform better.”

He says the biggest lesson that the market has learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic is “that your customer can change in a heartbeat. It is not this thing or ideal that is constant. Your customers’ needs change as technology and expectations do, and so should a brand or a business. The consequence will be falling behind and losing customers.”

ROI is key
November’s CEM Africa Summit will gather heads of CX, marketing, MDs, owners of companies or business units. “Essentially anyone who has an interest in their customers,” says Mackrill. “They attend to expand their knowledge and more specifically to learn from others who have faced challenges or successes in managing their own customers experience, practical insights and real examples from those who are entrenched within the industry. ROI is key, as well as demonstrating the power that great CX has on customer retention and creation.”

Honest retellings of CX experiences
The CEM Africa Summit has been around for a decade and has played a leading role in South Africa’s customer experience journey and has connected thousands of CX professionals over the years.

States Mackrill: “We are proud of having been at the cradle of this discipline, way before CX was a consideration, let alone a job title; and until today it is still an event that helps shape the way people think about and engage CX in their daily work lives and has been essential to push the boundaries of understanding and shaping the experience a customer has with a particular product, solution and company.”

He adds: “As always we look forward to honest retellings of leading companies’ customer-related experiences and projects. If they failed, how they failed and why. If they succeeded, explanation of their recipe for success. Panel discussions and keynotes, no death by power point, just real people telling real stories.” He continues, “this sentiment was a tough sell in the early years, however, nowadays it is essential in the vision and growth of a company. We have also seen CX shift to include employee experience as a means of manifesting good customer experience.”

The 25+ CX experts in the CEM Africa Summit programme line-up include:

• AutoTrader: George Mienie, CEO
• Dischem: Lynne Blignaut, Group Loyalty and Customer Rewards
• CX Visionary: Steve Towers, Process Management & CX enabler
• Rand Merchant Bank: Mumbi Odambe, Head of CX and Design
• Rand Water: Kamohelo Potloane, Head of Customer Experience Development
• Shoprite Group of Companies: Kia Abbott, Rewards Programme Manager
• South African Tourism: Debbie Damant, Head Visitor Experience
• Superbalist: Brenda Zuma, Customer Service and Operations Manager
• Woolworths: Hanz Rauch, Head of Digital Online Products
• African Bank: Eloise Boezak, Head Customer Experience
• Multichoice: Clint Payne, Senior Manager, Customer Experience
• Majid Al Futtaim Group: Qaalfa Dibeehi, Dean of Customer Experience Leadership Institute

Confirmed event sponsors so far include freshworks, Infobip, Insider, Rogerwilco and Verint.

How to join them?
CEM Africa returns via a world-class virtual event platform offering access to the live keynotes, panel discussions and the agenda. Attendees will be able to engage with the speakers and participate in Q&A sessions, polls and surveys. They can also contact exhibitors via chat or video call, exchange business cards with other participants and download brochures. To register and access the full programme, click here.

About CEM Africa
CEM Africa is the largest online CX event on the continent and is organised by Kinetic Events, which is a partner of The Vuka Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa).

Dates and location:
Dates: 10–11 November 2021
Venue: Online

Website: https://cemafricasummit.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kineticevents/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/CEMAfrica/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CEMAfricaSummit

Media registration: Use the code CEMPRESS to register here

Media contacts:
Adam Fletcher, Chief Marketing Officer, CEM Africa
Mobile: 071 130 9160
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Annemarie Roodbol
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

From a small grocery store opened by Luigi Lavazza in 1895, Lavazza coffee was born. It is synonymous of excellent Italian Espresso in over 90 countries and the leading brand of coffee in Italy. Lavazza coffee has been on an endless journey of innovation from blending coffees from different parts of the world to catering to the tastes of individuals, to new roasting machines that ensure aromatic excellence and allowing coffee to be prepared with beans and a capsule. Lavazza is a global leader and a premium coffee specialist true to exploring, discovering and reinventing the art of blending.

Lavazza coffee is being re-launched in October 2018 by Incobrands into leading South African retailers like Pick n Pay, Checkers and Spar. 

Retail Product Range 

Qualità Oro is the very first Lavazza blend, created in 1956 and is available in retail stores. The coffee is ideal for those who love to savour a premium blend daily. Made from a selection of the finest 100% Arabica beans, mainly from Latin America, this blend is fruity and aromatic, with hints of malt and honey suitable for all coffee makers.

Qualità Rossa is rich and full-bodied coffee, perfect for those who want to get off to a great and energetic start to their day. This uniquely blended coffee is made from a combination of Brazilian Arabica beans for body and sweetness with African and South East Asian Robusta beans fir intensity and warm notes of cocoa. It is a richly flavoured coffee ideal for an everyday coffee with its intense and energetic blend.

Crema E Gusto is ideal coffee for any occasion, with the perfect combination of intensity and full-body for the perfect latte and caffe latte. This creamy and full-bodied blend consists of a selection of high quality Arabica and Robusta beans with a fragrantly flavour and pleasant chocolatey finish. A classic Italian coffee and amongst Italy’s best sellers!

For the decaffeinated coffee lovers, Caffè Decaffeinato is the ideal decaf offer by Lavazza. Lavazza decaffeination method is natural and preserves the authentic taste of the quality coffee beans. The natural method results in a coffee rich and full in flavour and body, with notes of honey and almond. This coffee is perfect for any time of the day or night.

Lavazza Prontissimo offers more than just an instant coffee, it is a 100% Arabica blend enriched with 10% finely ground coffee to get a great premium tasting instant coffee. Prontissimo! CLASSICO presents a round and well-balanced taste with top notes of caramel. Prontissimo! INTENSO presents a strong and full-bodied taste with notes of roasted beans. For the taste lovers, Lavazza Prontissimo makes an extraordinary taste experience, in an instant!

Compatible Capsules 

Through dedication to innovation and quality, Lavazza has launched a new line of capsules compatible with Nespresso®* domestic machines. The creation of the capsules begins with a “Noble Dark Roasting” method — developed by the company – with the aim of extracting the most “noblest” of aromas. This is coupled with a velvety grind that yields a superior in-cup result, guaranteeing a smooth and even coffee extraction which preserves all the richness of flavours. The grinds are then blended with others from coffees of diverse origins to create a unique flavour profile for each product. Subsequently, to maintain all the freshness and aroma of the coffee, the blend is packed and sealed in a protective atmosphere with a technology called “Aroma Safe”

The new capsule line is a result of Lavazza’s expertise in leading the coffee industry with quality and innovation, combined with almost thirty years’ experience in the production and marketing of systems and products for the single serve segment. 

END

*Capsules compatible with Nespresso® domestic machines. Nespresso® is a trademark of a third party without any link with Luigi Lavazza S.p.A.

The PLNK watches team is burning with a desire to help leave a good footprint on earth. With Climate being such a looming problem for humankind PLNK Watches decided to design a watch with a purpose bigger than status and style, a watch that will bring as much value to the world as possible. PLNK Watches partnered with Food & Trees For Africa to help plant fruit trees and food gardens to communities that are in need. Wooden watches being so rare in South Africa there is an opportunity for such a unique niche if executed really well.

 PLNK Watches which is 100% black Female owned was founded with an aim to offer quality wooden watches that are stylish with a greater purpose driving it which is giving back to the communities that they serve.“It has always been a dream of mine to start my own business, the thrill of building something from scratch and making it a success while in the mist of challenges has been a driving force for me,”- PLNK Watches Founder, Boitumelo Jegeh 

For every sale PLNK Watches receives from the 1st of September 2018 a certain percentage will be donated to Food & trees For Africa. Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) is South Africa's social and environmental enterprise improving lives and landscapes towards healthy people on a healthier planet, since 1990. Over 4.2 million trees, 1000's of permaculture food gardens, bamboo projects and organic farms have been planted for poor communities. They have the potential, we have the knowledge and you are the key.

PLNK Watches is deeply rooted in nature thus their watches are made out of reclaimed or recycled wood. They pride themselves with the uniqueness of their timepieces and believe that you will love owning one or two of them. As recent winners of The Shoprite Hustle Entrepreneur of the Month it's shows that PLNK Watches has a product that is well thought-out and crafted for the unique person you are.  

You can show your support to PLNK Watches by heading to their Thundafund Campaign, just like Shoprite believed in their hustle you can also be a part of this significant project by donating a minimum of R100 or more towards the growth of their business. Every backer(Donor) can stand a change to WIN a His & Hers Wooden watch set Valued at R1400. All the backers will also be put on the wall of fame on PLNK Watches website and Social media,  they will also receive a 10% discount code towards the purchase of their very own wooden timepiece from PLNK Watches. 

4 Reasons why to invest in PLNK Watches

• Affordability

We work with the best suppliers but we are able to offer our watches for an affordable price by cutting out the middlemen, rental costs and excessive marketing costs and we pass the savings to you. That's why we are mainly an e-commerce store and you can find us on www.plnk.co.za

• Environmental friendly 

Our watches are made of 100% natural wood that is recycled or reclaimed, we guarantee you that it's checked for quality and we have the best.

• Continually improving

We have plans of increasing our product range and introducing new designs while retaining our core values of quality,style,affordability.

• We serve our community

With your help we aim at donating towards planting trees, food garden and Fruit trees to communities that are in need. We believe that food security and a healthy environment are fundamental human rights essential to our prosperity. These Efforts help families feed themselves and also planting trees remove megatons of Greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and restore Biodiversity.

Click here to find out more about PLNK Watches and get one step closer to winning your very own wooden watches for investing in this proudly South African wooden watch brand. 

You can follow PLNK Watches at:

Website

• www.plnk.co.za

Crowdfunding

• https://www.thundafund.com/project/plnkwatches

Socials 

Youtube

• https://youtu.be/QD3Pjufovps

Facebook

• https://web.facebook.com/plnkawatchesSA/ 

Instagram

•https://www.instagram.com/plnkwatches/

In 2016 independent consumer website Retail Price Watch conducted a survey of prices across South Africa’s seven biggest chains in four different categories. The items surveyed were national brands which were selected solely on the basis that they are available from all stores.

This year the comparison was slightly truncated because the same brands were not available at all stores: nevertheless the four “big name stores” are still represented.The chains were Checkers, Pick n Pay, Shoprite and Spar. The categories were baking ingredients, beverages, cereals and porridge, and staples.

The average price of each item in May from stores around the country was used in order to ensure that a single “special” did not unduly weight the overall price of the item.

Pick n Pay proved cheaper than the other three stores in all categories, although by a narrow margin in the Cereals and Porridge category, with less than one cent separating it from its nearest rival Checkers.

“It is noteworthy that only cereal and porridge prices appear to have stabilised or slightly reduced since July last year, while others continue to rise,” says Viccy Baker of Retail Price Watch.

Spar as the most expensive was 5.5% higher than Pick n Pay in the Baking Ingredients category and 5.1% more expensive in the Beverages category. Shoprite was the most expensive in the Cereals and Porridge category, with Pick n Pay beating it by 7.7%. In Staples, Spar came out an average 8.7% more expensive than Pick n Pay.

“This survey is not a basket of goods but it does present a rare opportunity to compare apples with apples, something stores and suppliers are very keen to prevent consumers from doing.

“For example, Cremora dropped its 1 kg pack (surveyed last year) for an 800g pack. The price appears to be lower yet if you adjust the price back to the kilogram price, you will find out that you are paying more per gram for the 800 gram pack than you were for the kilogram pack – “shrinkflation” in action!

“An objective price comparison also provides a reality check in demonstrating that prices move in a very narrow band and are similar over time, no matter which store you buy from. It’s up to consumers to demand value for money and not be taken in by so-called special offers (you have probably been paying more than the average for the special over the past few months so that it will appear as if the price has dropped). “

“All the dazzling technology, the big data and the sophisticated modeling  ….could not save American journalism from yet again being behind the story…”  

“Data is Dead”

Media commentators on the failure of the news media to predict a Donald Trump victory in the latest US Presidential elections.  

“This idiocy from a company based in a country that offers its electorate the choice of president between a liar and a bully.... Well done Mondelez you just don't get it do you... you've taken yet another confectionary (sic) icon and have trashed it.”  

A Facebook post after the manufacturers of Toblerone decided to reduce the size of its  iconic triangular product and increase the gaps between the chocolate triangles.  

Are South African FMCG retailers and manufacturers also guilty of “just not getting it” to the detriment of their relationships with customers?

Viccy Baker of Retail Price Watch, the consumer website which gives customers more choice when it comes to their purchase of household goods, believes that there is a profound disconnect between what customers expect from their brands and retailers, and what is being delivered.

“There is a plethora of research houses and an alphabet soup of acronyms and buzzwords serving the retail industry in this country.  

“Amidst all this noise the consumer’s trust in brands is rapidly disintegrating – and nobody seems to notice. Just three factual articles published by us in the online press about FMCG issues this year attracted 150 negative comments and fewer than five positive comments about retailers, from consumers.

“I think that there is outright profiteering going on with regard to food. Not to mention price fixing.”

“Let’s burn all the supermarkets.”

“So beware specials, very often the only special about them is that they are not special.”

“Bunch of scammers.”

There is general agreement that online comment on news stories represents the lowest level of communication. Nevertheless the simmering resentment that people feel against certain issues first rises to the surface here and on social media, and hard lessons have been learnt about ignoring it.  

 Baker cites recent examples of manufacturers and retailers riding roughshod over consumers.

“Bruce Whitfield spent more than five minutes berating Toblerone on the 702 Cape Talk Money Show last week, yet this is only one of more than 50 examples of “shrinkflation” recorded by our website over the past two years.  Toblerone is an exception in that it at least took the trouble to inform its customers of the impending changes. In most instances neither manufacturers nor retailers bother. The barcode remains the same despite the change in the product, directly against good retail practice.

“Pick n Pay Tuna for Cats jumped in one month from R9.99 to R17.99, an 80% increase with no apology or explanation. 

“Ritebrand Rooibos Tea 80 units sold by Shoprite, has increased in price by 54% since November last year, from an average of R18.19, to an average R27.99. This is shocking enough, considering that Rooibos tea is a 100% South African product. Yet 80 units of Lipton tea are now selling for an average R53.56, 106% more than November last year. No justification from the manufacturer or the stores, although Unilever declares it is “redefining” sustainable business practices and trying to keep jobs alive.

“Some Spar stores are now selling Snowflake flour 2.5kg for R32 a bag, and on average Spar’s cost of Snowflake is more than 23% higher than it was this time last year. Spar recently introduced a house brand canned mushrooms 285g tin. In fact the proportion of mushrooms in the can is 40% - meaning that the consumer is paying for 60% salt water!

“Woolworths, infamous in many people’s minds for its high prices, shows far greater consistency in its pricing. Presumably consumers are prepared to put up with high prices in return for a level of trust in this retailer.  

“In a basket of 20 national brands measured over a 3-month period this year, Woolworths changed the price of five products. Checkers changed the price of all 20 products, multiple times, as did Pick n Pay and Shoprite, with Spar close behind. Although some of the price movements were down, this often followed a steep hike (in one instance of 48%).

“Bewildered consumers now feel they enter these stores on the defensive, and the sight of merchandisers with long rolls of PI labels moving down the aisles fills them with a sense of panic.

“In contrast, when the price of sugar rose by 15%, Makro (not always blameless in its treatment of consumers) took the trouble to inform its customers well in advance so they could stock up before the price hike hit. This made good business sense for Makro and also put it into a favourable light with its customers.

Baker believes that loyalty programmes and specials have become ways for the consumer to feel he/she is “getting back” at the retailers, and are not in fact gaining greater brand loyalty.

“The researchers got it wrong when they dismissed Trump supporters as being un-American. Toblerone got it wrong by trying to cover a bitter pill with a sweet coating. There is a wave of civic action spreading throughout South Africa. Will it eventually reach the consumer sector?