Superfert - Design a Bag (2018)

MARKETING EXCELLENCE AWARDS 201815th November 2018Name of Firm: MALAWI FERTILIZER COMPANYAward Category: CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT OF THE YEARName of the Entry Project: SUPERFERT - DESIGN A BAG COMPETITIONDuration: 10th SEPTEMBER – 8th NOVEMBER 2018Key project deliverables: 1. Deliver a clear message – Effectively sensitise youth around recycling. 2. Effective audience engagement – Clearly define the audience and engage with a relative activity. 3. Broader context – How can we relate it to a topic of discussion locally and internationally. 4. Brand engagement – Through use of own product packaging and boost brand perception. 5. Sustainability – Is this a project that has potential for skills development and can be run annually? 6. Media coverage – Gain significant coverage to encourage other industry leaders to follow suit and open the basis for conversation to a larger audience.RATIONALE - WHY THE ENTRY DESERVES TO WIN THE AWARDWe have successfully achieved all the key deliverables set out in this project by linking atangible and legitimate social cause to a fun and engaging on-brand exercise. This is turnfurther built on our Social Investment portfolio and had a positive brand building spin off forSuperfert. In total we invested K5 million into this project – but the perceived impact has beenmore profound than a monetary value in that it has continued environmental awarenessthrough a recycling initiative and challenged individual talents and creativity. The project wassuccessful on a macro scale in schools and classrooms but also across a micro scale by buildingself-confidence of students who took part, prompting them to explore untapped creativity.This idea is unique, innovative and interactive.To see a profile on each winner and media coverage, please follow this link -http://online.pubhtml5.com/gkhu/ticg/Prepared by: David LecluseGroup Marketing Manager – Farmers World Group of companies

THE BIG IDEAAs a fertilizer company, we are environmentally responsible - particularly when it comes tothe disposal of our product packaging after market. To ignite a conversation aroundenvironmental awareness with the youth, we tasked 40 schools and 800 students across thecountry to help us creatively recycle and transform our packaging into a useful everyday bagin any size, shape or design.We provided the empty (clean) bags and spurred on by a cash incentive, the students got towork on the project, with 1 month to complete and submit their entries to the school officefor collection. The response from the students has been overwhelming. We received entriesof backpacks that had multiple zipped compartments, a bag with wheels and hundreds ofintricately designed and well thought out finished pieces.Prizes were in the form of cash, with two students from each region receiving K20,000 each;one for ‘Best Design’ which looked at functionality, durability and craft. The second was for‘Most Creative’ where originality and creativity trumped form and function. These individualsalso earned their school K100,000 towards the development of their facilities. Schoolsreported to the media that the money would go into new desks, long running expansion plansand stationery requirements. Total = 6 students + 6 schools.Tying in to the First Lady of the Republic of Malawi, Dr Gertrude Mutharika’s #BeautifyMalawiclean-up campaign, the media closely followed the Superfert creative recycling initiative andit was covered by four radio stations, three TV channels and the Nation and Timesnewspapers, creating positive brand perception for Superfert.We’ve been taken aback by the conversation this has sparked around creativity, recycling andthe welcoming reception we received from the schools; each encouraging us to continueinitiatives of this nature by engaging with schools in the future.

Due to the success of the campaign and response by stakeholders, wewill be running a similar creative recycling project annually, with scope of outreach coveringmore schools and the concept aligned to continually address environmental impact. We havebeen approached to run a similar project within a correctional service in Lilongwe, as part oftheir skills development program.This year’s project is being taken a step further to toll manufacture one of the winning designsthrough a centre in Nkhoma for the deaf and disabled. This will provide much needed fundsfor the centre and Superfert will use the bags for promotions and other handouts.ACHIEVING PROJECT DELIVERABLES 1. Deliver a clear message – Feedback from the students and schools has been positive that through this initiative, they’ve learned that recycling can be functional and practical to everyday life, also stating that instead of using a plastic bag to carry books to school, students can now make use of their Superfert bags which they proudly designed themselves 2. Effective audience engagement – 800 students across 40 schools in the country were effectively engaged on this project for a month during the school term, taking the projects home to show their parents and discussing ideas with peers and relatives. By connecting with the Malawian market on a real and relatable level, we expect that this is ultimately added value to the organisation, strengthening brand loyalty and product recognition and differentiation.

3. Link to a broader context - Tying in to the First Lady’s #BeautifyMalawi campaign, we encouraged students to take part in their own unique way to #BeautifyMalawi. Expanding globally; there’s currently a huge drive on environmental awareness and how recycling can positively impact a community and a country. 4. Brand engagement – We centred the project materials around our product packaging, which has become a powerful branding tool for Superfert within the schools, communities and across the country thanks to widespread media coverage. Every student was given a Superfert T-shirt and certificate of participation as a token of our appreciation; with posters, sign up forms and empty fertilizer bags made available at the schools. 5. Sustainability – The project has demonstrated immense creative and skills development mileage for us to repeat annually. It may not be in the form of a bag design and could be another functional and useful household item. We are in discussion with Miral Community – a centre for deaf and disabled in Nkhoma to toll manufacture a design for us. We were so impressed with their entries into the competition, that we would like the centre to manufacture 100,000 unused (due to old formulation) fertilizer bags and convert them into carry bags which will be used for purchase incentives in upcoming campaigns through our retail stores. 6. Media coverage – Has been positive in the conversation surrounding the project. With the story appearing on MBC (TV & Radio), Zodiak (TV & Radio), Times, Nation and Voice of Livingstonia. We featured the project on our Facebook page. There was an average of 5 teachers at each school that immediately uploaded a picture of prize- giving presentation to their WhatsApp status – which we consider effective media exposure in it’s own right.Thank you for reading our creative recycling case study – it has been a positive and influentialstep on the road to building sustainable community initiatives.To see a profile on each winner and media coverage, please follow this link -http://online.pubhtml5.com/gkhu/ticg/