28 November 2008
	8 Image & Brand Consultancy - THE AGENCY Brand-new priorities By Matebello Motloung Doing more than just offering services, this consultancy is spreading across the globe

Design and brand specialist agency 8 Image & Brand Consultancy has come a long way since it first opened its doors in Johannesburg a decade ago. Launched by CEO Laine Barnard in 1998, it has gone from being a little-known, three-man entity to a company that has 51 people, with offices in Southern, East and West Africa. Early this year, it repositioned itself as a consultancy offering a wider variety of services across different platforms. Though headquartered in SA, 8 Image & Brand earns 90% of its income from outside SA. Barnard, the agency's founder, sees its success so far as just the beginning. Business is booming, evident in the 52% climb in revenue to R68m, driven largely by new accounts. Of these, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) global contract is the most significant. The deal will position 8 Image & Brand well internationally as UPU is represented in 190 countries. "This has definitely been a highlight for us," says Barnard, who sold 50% of 8 Image & Brand to black-owned K Factory in 2001. The project is the agency's biggest to date. The company also clinched Zain, Kenya's second cellular network operator, which recently changed its name from Celtel. 8 Image & Brand does work for Zain in 14 African countries, among them Nigeria, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Chad, Uganda, Malawi and Zambia. The acquisition bears testimony to 8 Image & Brand's expertise in the mobile area, having helped successfully launch SA's third cellular company, Cell C, in 2000. The agency's Cape Town GM, Natali Dukhi, attributes the agency's phenomenal success to its culture of innovation and fun. "We also offer our clients end-to-end solutions. We don't come up with a design and then give it to another agency to execute. We do everything in-house," says Dukhi. Last year, the group's biggest client was Nokia East Africa. New business now means it's not even in the top four. In addition to Zain and UPU, the others are Botswana's mobile operator Be Mobile and premium vitamin and supplement brand Natrodale. They are part of a portfolio of 25 premium clients. Though each of 8 Image & Brand's offices has its own portfolio of clients, the bigger ones, such as Coca-Cola, MTN and Zain, are shared across offices. Barnard's leadership style, which encourages entrepreneurship and self-determination, has been a major contributor to the company's growth. Staff at the agency - from the account executive to a GM - are in charge of their own clients' budgets, under the supervision of superiors. Barnard is also hands-on, maintaining regular contact with the various offices within and outside SA. He also uses the opportunity to interact with clients in the markets the group serves. This approach is partly the reason the agency has successfully increased its footprint across the continent as it gives flexibility and independence. Dukhi says a drawcard for the agency is that Barnard is accessible. "All our clients know him personally and they know they have a direct line to him at any time," says Dukhi. Like any agency, 8 Image & Brand needs to attract and retain the best available talent. One way it does this is by following the Japanese philosophy, Kaizen. Literally, Kaizen means "continuous improvement". It is used by corporations as big as Toyota to drive efficiency and excellence. It requires companies to restructure and reorganise every activity to ensure they perform consistently at peak efficiency. It also has a strong people-centric element. "Because we work on a project-to-project basis, we don't have one individual running one account for five years," says Dukhi. "Rather, our staff is exposed to running various accounts. This helps empower the team, foster their confidence and improve their expertise in different fields." Dukhi says because 8 Image & Brand offers complete communication solutions, it is able to give clients uniquely packaged solutions that address their needs in a manner that delivers results to their bottom line. 8 Image & Brand Consultancy is also embracing new media platforms, among them mobile, as part of its growth strategy. The medium's high penetration levels, especially in Africa, ensure clients can reach consumers on the periphery of urban regions. Coupled with that is the agency's focus on forming meaningful partnerships with entities that complement or share its vision to be a leading global player.