www.
nexmedia
.co.za
Nex Media • THE MANY FACETS OF BTL THE ZINTO APPROACH
Achieving this is done in a unique way and involves all of the things which
Michelle is so passionate about. It helps enthusiastic, energetic and talented
school-leavers to find employment in the branding arena by engaging them as
actors, dancers and singers and using their innate talents to tell the story. A lot
of time and energy is spent in looking for, and attracting these young people to
follow their dreams in the performing arts while making a living and learning
the ropes of experiential marketing. Michelle prides herself on her knowledge
of South Africa. She commented, ‘I have travelled to and visited every place in
South Africa where people live and interact. I know my way around the country
and the relative travelling times from one place to another. People all over the
country want to be treated with respect and in a professional manner. As long as
we do this we will reach the right audience and be successful for our clients.’
Zinto has developed into a fully-fledged brand activation and event company
offering branded entertainment, main market activations, trade campaigns linked
to sales, educational school roadshows, CSI campaigns, talent management,
corporate theatre, as well as sound and video production. It specialises in
branded entertainment which involves packaging an entertainment event
around a brand to create a captivating and memorable experience.
The approach of attracting the right people and instilling in them a passion for
targeting audiences with messages which are personalised and respectful has
reaped enormous dividends for Zinto Marketing. Having started out as a company
with Michelle, Wimpie and nine people, it now totals more than 130 full-time
employees and around 150 part-time and contractual staff around the country.
To say that Michelle lives and breathes her work would not be an overstatement.
Zinto Marketing is based on a large plot in Linbro Park, the same plot which
Michelle and Wimpie call home. The large premises house the various vehicles
and trailers which are used in roadshows, activations, product launches and a
multitude of other events. It also houses all the equipment needed to effectively
and professionally stage these various events. Everything from sound systems to
LED screens, from generators to extension cables. In addition to storing all of its
own equipment and logistical requirements, Zinto also offers clients the ability to
store the promotional items and stock that will be used in the various activations.
This close link and interaction with clients extends to all of the company’s
activities. For all activations and launches, full scripts in various vernaculars are
written and designed to interact with the expected audiences. This includes the
choreography, spoken script, and branded music and songs. Clients are required
to view and approve every element prior to the event being staged. Every event
is practised and rehearsed until it can be carried out with military precision.
Every effort is made to ensure that clients’ requirements are met and even
exceeded. This includes the provision of all manner of services from printing for
branding purposes, including offering the branding of its own vehicles for specific
events. Vehicles are something that Zinto has no shortage of, offering everything
from Kitchen-tainers which are effectively self-contained kitchens on wheels,
branded mobile hair-salon tainers, through to the party bus, a double-decker
open-topped bus and a complete mobile stage built onto the back of commercial
trailers (Gig Rig). Gig Rigs are available in a range of sizes depending on the aim
of the event and the scale of the expected audience.
While the main focus of the company is to ensure that customers’ expectations
are met in terms of creating the right level of brand awareness, there is a
secondary consideration which is the development of the workforce. People
are brought on board who have a specific set of skills or talents which can be
developed through the performance of their duties. Dancers are provided with
a venue to practise, as well as the opportunity to perform. Singers are given the
opportunity to hone their voices and to carry out recordings in the Zinto studio
with the aim of pursuing a career but at the same time being provided with
an income.
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