[Orchids & Onions] Kudos to companies that bridge digital divide

© Angela Harburn – 123RF.com

The reality is that a cutting-edge tech medium like the internet seldom works efficiently on its own when it comes to marketing.

No point in having the most wonderful website, or app, if people don't know about it. And, how do you tell them... via the dinosaur media, of course.

That's exactly what Loot.co.za - which bills itself as an "online superstore" is doing. It regularly runs print ads, which look remarkably like the effective print retail ads for top brands like Cape Union Mart, Dion and Incredible Connection.

Good design, clean layout and prices pop out at you. So, you are pushed to purchase... and go to the website to do so.

Orchids for loot.co.za and the other digital retailers who have realised that, brilliant as it is, your clever medium doesn't work in isolation.

People (actually, mainly my wife) say I am too hard on those who make grammatical mistakes. Indeed, I am not immune to them myself.

But, I do really try to look further than some mere "my English is better than yours" points scoring.

That's because sometimes the grammar rules, which are shattered by so-called professional communicators and marketers are so basic, so obvious, and should have been learnt so long ago that one wonders what other foundational knowledge of their product they also lack.

If you don't know how to use an apostrophe, for example, how do I know that you can do a percentage calculation correctly, if you are an investment company?

If you are in any business, you should have a basic-level language literacy (in the tongue in which you try to communicate) and some numeracy, too.

So, I would worry a lot about two companies who co-operated this week to put out another press release which would have been shot down in a Std 5 (Grade 7) English class.

The release was distributed on behalf of a business which bills itself as "specialists in residency and citizenship by investment programmes".

The problem was that the release was headlined: "The Value of Dual Citizenship for African's Wishing to Take Advantage of Opportunities within the Continent and Abroad."

So, all this fuss about one African... because by using the apostrophe where it is that is exactly what you mean.

And it was not a typo either - "African's" appeared elsewhere in the company's release.

So, clearly the distribution company have no idea about where they should put apostrophes - not a good recommendation for a press organisation.

But then, neither, apparently does the relevant company.

I say that because any company doing a professional marketing campaign should meticulously check all material - including the copy.

If this was not done, it's shocking. If it was done - and it should have been by their international marketing manager, because her name is mentioned as the contact person - clearly grammar is not her strong suit.

Either way, it's poor execution and, because it has the potential to raise doubts about the entire competency of a company, this piece of communication gets Onions (please note: without an apostrophe before the s) for both companies involved.

There is nothing wrong with being so patriotic that you ignore everything else that is going on around you...

However sometimes you can go too far - even if your job is to be the chief praise-singer for your country.

So it was with Brand South Africa's chief executive officer Kingsley Makhubela, who gushed last Saturday over the Springboks' unconvincing win over Scotland.

"Once again," he opined, "the Springboks have inspired the nation and the world with their excellent performance in the Rugby World Cup."

I couldn't see a nation standing up and roaring as one in the aftermath of the win (there is still a long way to go for one thing and, for another, this country is not exactly 100 percent behind the Boks).

And, if that is the case, how is it that we inspired the world? Reality check, Mr Makhubela. Everybody expects you to be positive - that's in your job description.

However, please, let's not go so far overboard that we become the laughing stock of the world.

That's not clever brand building, so you get an Onion.

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