The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Teamwork – the ‘Killer app’
I’m often asked what the main factors were contributing to the successful implementation of our Brand and name change programme. The biggest positive was that we had a new brand that everyone was proud of and passionate about. The biggest challenge was managing the level of complexity. We had 220 projects across 10 countries, so military-precision planning was the order of the day. With so many opportunities for things to go awry, relentless tracking across every single component, in every single project, across every single country was key.
But the real killer app was the Absa teamwork. We called it Absa Africa United. The desire to get things done, and done right, meant that everyone was not only invested, but totally passionate about their delivery. This meant that people were always quick to respond, agile in their solutioning and absolutely always prepared to go the extra mile. Without this we could never have delivered as seamlessly as we did.
When the big launch day came we were ready. And we rolled out to customer support and market positivity that, three years before, we could only have dreamed of. We knew that this was just the beginning. That we still had a long journey ahead of us but we had a meticulous plan, Then, what felt like two minutes later (it was actually a few weeks later), Covid 19 hit.
Adapting to the crisis
As we all know, a brand lives in the now. It lives in the minds and hearts of people. It has to be agile, responsive and always relevant. In an environment where a roll of toilet paper suddenly costs more than a barrel of oil, where lives and livelihoods become a balancing act, the best laid plans fall by the wayside. Guided by our purpose, our one north star, we had to ask ourselves ‘what do people need us to be right now’? And then we had to adapt accordingly.
Our role in society is more important than just selling products and services. When a brand behaves well, the numbers will follow. We immediately set about focussing our efforts on being part of the prevention messaging; to help spread the word and empower people to protect themselves, their families and our communities. And as hygiene becomes a new differentiator; we quickly re-engineered our branch protocol to include all relevant safety measures eg social distancing, regular cleaning, sanitising, masks, etc.
And of course we have accelerated our digital agenda. It was always front and centre for us, but now it takes on even more importance because it’s not just for us, it’s for the safety of our societies.
It also felt important to us to quickly and proactively offer payment relief to individuals and companies who were taking significant strain across the continent. Over and above this to make donations in every market to help local authorities in their broader health and humanitarian efforts.
If all of this adds, in some small way, to the greater good in this period of peak uncertainty, then we are on the right path. If we can play a small part in relieving the angst, be it for the family trying to keep food on the table, or the entrepreneur trying to cover his rental, or the large corporate trying to pay its staff, then our brand will be stronger for it. What a brand does is more important than what it says.
But I think what has been most inspiring for me through this whole crisis, is to see how the spirit of Africanacity has shown up, as usual, all across our continent.
From the medical fraternities in all countries keeping us safe, to the broader essential services delivering to our essential needs, or the individuals across the continent making a business out of making masks, or the small business in Mozambique 3-D printing face shields, or the matatu drivers in Kenya with their sanitiser dispensers fixed to the door, or the boda boda drivers in Uganda doing door-to-door food deliveries, the list is as endless as the inspiration it provides.
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Adapted from African Business Magazine
