Digicall solutions helps a market leader maintain its position

Beeld, a publication within the Naspers stable, is one of SA`s leading Afrikaans-language daily newspapers with a circulation of just over 100 000. It is published six days a week and distributed in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North Western Province, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. Its journalists and photographers regularly win awards.

Beeld has the highest ratio of subscribers to circulation in SA, with a loyal core of subscribers 60 000 strong. This is a notable achievement in Gauteng, described as one of the most competitive newspaper markets in the world. Maintaining and improving this position requires that the paper canvass its subscribers regularly.

During mid-2005, Beeld`s circulation department decided to increase its canvassing effort. With the department`s own staff already fully committed, contracting an outsourced call centre provider was a possibility - but Beeld was concerned about the risks involved in having a third-party talk to its clients and potential clients. Would an outsourced service provider be true to Beeld`s brand?

Beeld`s Circulation Manager Neil de Klerk identified Digicall as a potential service provider because he anticipated that its technology and focus on outbound call centre work would help the paper increase its canvassing effort. Digicall, he says, "impressed us from the first meeting. We liked the way they do business, the targets they set themselves and their drive. We felt comfortable entrusting them with our brand." Starting in August 2005, Digicall has supplemented Beeld`s own subscriber canvassing efforts by contacting both former subscribers whose contracts have lapsed, and potential new subscribers.

"There`s been a marked improvement in the number of people we`ve canvassed," says De Klerk. "We`ve effectively doubled our effort, and Digicall exceeded the targets we agreed on during the first two months. We`re very satisfied." Beeld has closely monitored Digicall`s custodianship of its brand, by randomly checking with subscribers who have been canvassed and by monitoring calls to its customer service line. "We`ve been very happy with the way they`ve handled it," says De Klerk. "Their agents are very well trained." As in any new relationship, he adds, there have been some things to iron out, "but whenever we identify an issue it`s dealt with and resolved very quickly. We`ll definitely consider doing more outsourcing."