Perfectly pragmatic Pick n Pay

Pragmatic is probably the best way of describing the new look logo and all of the other elements of the extensive process it is putting into play.

But, pragmatic does not mean that it isn't exciting. Sure, to many pseudo marketers it will come as a disappointment. No radical changes to logos, no radical changes to advertising. But, to seasoned marketers, at first glance, Pick n Pay's plans must come as manna from heaven. Because, for some years now far too many "rebranding" exercises have been just that – rebranding and nothing else. Full of hype and lacking in substance. And dragging the credibility of marketing as an important business tool, even further into the mire.

Got the basics right

Pick n Pay has, as one would expect, seem to have got all the basics right. It did a significant amount of research and then built all the elements of the marketing mix around what the customer wanted to hear and not what Pick n Pay necessarily wanted to say.

And most interesting of all, when one looks at this entire strategy, the golden thread that runs very strongly through it all is simply a refocusing on customer service.

Ever since day one, Pick n Pay has concentrated on satisfying its customers and this new exercise clearly focuses in numerous ways on upping the ante in terms of what customers can expect from the company. Such as opening more tills when queues start to develop at the checkouts and making it easier for customers to communicate with the company.

Coal face

So many big organisations make the mistake of concentrating their branding on surface elements without paying much attention to what is happening at the coal face, with the result that all the money spent on making promises to consumers is lost when untrained, unmotivated and uninspired staff in the frontline provide shoddy service.

Already there are clear indications that this new project from Pick n Pay will become a much-used case history demonstrating what "re-branding" is all about.

True value

It also demonstrates to non-marketers the true value of marketing to a company. Not some magic ingredient, big idea or flashy award-winning advertising campaign, but rather a pragmatic, well-considered investment.

I have long been arguing that the acid test of whether a marketing exercise is on the right track is not whether marketers think it is great but whether accountants understand it in the first place. Whether ROI stares them in the face.

And as far as Pick n Pay is concerned, accountants all over South Africa will love what they're doing.

For more:

• What do you think of the new Pick n Pay logo [poll]
  
• New Pick n Pay ad campaigns launch Sunday [article]
  
• Fresh new look for iconic Pick n Pay brand [article]
  
• [Breaking news] Walmart director joins Pick n Pay [blog]
  
• New logo and brand identity for Pick n Pay [breaking news article]
  
• Pick n Pay revamping brand [breaking news article]
  
• [Breaking news] Pick ‘n Pay major announcement [blog]