The strategy outlined focuses on harmonizing Massmart's strategic pillars—Value, Trust, and Convenience—by aligning communication strategies to support the goal of succeeding in the African market. This involves developing a core message that encompasses these pillars and ensuring consistent messaging across all platforms. For example, customer feedback is used to refine these messages, making the communication more impactful. Storytelling is leveraged to showcase real-life applications of these strategic priorities.
Another key aspect is embracing Walmart's 'Everyday low cost' philosophy. This involves market research to identify areas for cost reduction, ensuring that these savings are effectively communicated to customers. Collaborating with suppliers for better terms is crucial to maintain competitive pricing and offering customers a perception of value. Training staff to communicate these benefits further supports this strategy.
Lastly, the 'Happy to help' customer service ethos emphasizes delivering excellent service, incorporating feedback, and recognizing staff efforts. Investing in staff training programs and technology solutions streamlines customer service interactions, ensuring a positive customer experience. Internal campaigns and incentive systems help in motivating staff to embody this customer-focused approach.
The strategies
⛳️ Strategy 1: Align communication with strategic pillars
- Develop a core message that integrates value, trust, and convenience into all communications
- Create guidelines for consistent messaging across all platforms and channels
- Train staff on the importance of the strategic pillars and how to communicate them effectively
- Use customer feedback to refine and enhance messaging for clarity and impact
- Implement a content calendar to ensure regular communication aligning with strategic pillars
- Collaborate with all departments to ensure communication reflects the unified business approach
- Use storytelling to highlight real-life examples of the strategic pillars in action
- Create targeted campaigns that emphasize the benefits of value, trust, and convenience
- Utilize visuals that reinforce the strategic pillars in marketing materials
- Regularly review and adapt communication strategies based on performance analytics
⛳️ Strategy 2: Embrace the 'Everyday low cost' philosophy
- Conduct market research to identify key areas for reducing costs while maintaining value
- Communicate cost-saving initiatives clearly to customers, showcasing affordability
- Highlight 'Everyday low cost' in promotional materials and customer-facing communications
- Collaborate with suppliers to negotiate better terms that allow cost savings transfer to customers
- Create a dedicated team to oversee the implementation of cost-saving measures across the business
- Monitor competitor pricing and adjust strategies to maintain a competitive edge
- Use customer feedback to identify areas where perceived value can be enhanced
- Train staff to communicate the benefits of cost savings to customers in-store
- Integrate 'Everyday low cost' messaging into online and offline customer journeys
- Review and report on cost-saving outcomes regularly to measure success
⛳️ Strategy 3: Promote the 'Happy to help' customer experience
- Develop a training program for staff centred on customer service excellence
- Create an internal campaign to motivate staff around the 'Happy to help' ethos
- Implement technology solutions that streamline and enhance customer service interactions
- Regularly seek customer feedback to guide improvements in service delivery
- Incorporate the 'Happy to help' message into all customer communications
- Use success stories of exceptional customer service in internal and external communications
- Offer incentives for staff who demonstrate outstanding commitment to customer satisfaction
- Develop a customer support system that is accessible and efficient for all customers
- Track and analyse customer service metrics to identify and address areas for improvement
- Celebrate 'Happy to help' achievements with recognition events and rewards
Bringing accountability to your strategy
It's one thing to have a plan, it's another to stick to it. We hope that the examples above will help you get started with your own strategy, but we also know that it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day effort.
That's why we built Tability: to help you track your progress, keep your team aligned, and make sure you're always moving in the right direction.
Give it a try and see how it can help you bring accountability to your strategy.
