Global technology company Acronis, specialist in cyber protection solutions, has partnered with business market research agency CG Consulting to gain an understanding of the African market conditions and identify the key stakeholders in various countries as it seeks to grow its distributor base on the continent.
“As a channel-centric organisation, Acronis strives to help our partners by providing best-of-breed cyber protection solutions so they can grow their businesses, in turn providing leading cyber protection solutions to their customers. The organisation has been pursuing several strategic investments globally to further its vision of advancing holistic cyber protection, with Africa seen as a priority region. Given the innovation and technology developments in South Africa, Acronis is focusing extensively on the market, with the aim to continue expansion into other countries across the continent,” says Rebecca Domingo, Regional Marketing Manager for Africa at Acronis.
The partnership leverages the experience and regional knowledge of CG Consulting, which has an extensive network of people on the ground throughout the continent. The insights and expertise offered by CG Consulting form an integral element in assisting Acronis in both the planning and execution phases of their campaigns.
“To date, we have seen very positive results thanks to the combination of high-quality data and a well thought through process. CG Consulting has people who speak the dialects of the different regions and provide us with invaluable insights into country-specific challenges. One of the many things that differentiates CG Consulting is its hands-on, collaborative approach. They get stuck in and do what it takes to ensure the job gets done. Their data is high quality, they are responsive and they embody teamwork in a way that can benefit a marketing team of any size,” adds Domingo.
According to Arlene Prince, GM and new business manager at CG Consulting, everyone has had to change their approach to doing business, with client retention becoming imperative due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyone is in the same boat. We have reached the point of either adapting to the market or sinking. Africans like the personal touch with trust being built over a cup of coffee or lunch. Once people will be allowed to do face-to-face meetings, things will pick up again. For now, everything we do has to be more deliberate, targeted and focused. This approach enables us to provide a compelling value proposition to customers like Acronis, as they look to strengthen their brand in Africa,” Prince says.
The past 18 months have forced businesses to evolve and adapt, to stay relevant. It is key to understanding the individual African countries that make up the larger market. This understanding provides businesses with the ability to plan and direct their marketing efforts to reach their targets.
Louise Robinson, sales director at CG Consulting, says when it comes to doing business in Africa, it is very much a case of expecting the unexpected.
“Nigerians might be happy to interact on WhatsApp and even send messages at 2am. You must adapt accordingly. Countries like Botswana, Zambia and Kenya had less extensive lockdowns than was the case in South Africa. By using our people on the ground in those countries, we could identify when people returned to the office and we could reach them there,” says Robinson.
Each country in Africa has different public holidays, elections also happen at varying times throughout the year, and then there are frequent internet lockdowns and coups to consider that add complexity to doing business on the continent.
“This is where it is critical to have local teams on the ground to get stuff done. And this is the value we provide Acronis and all our customers. It is about understanding the challenges of operating across the continent, planning ahead and getting the job done,” says Robinson.
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