Paige Collinson

I have been promoted to Head of Marketing at ASBIS Africa, where I oversee the strategic direction and execution of marketing initiatives for all the brands in our diverse portfolio. This includes globally renowned names like Apple, Bang & Olufsen, and many more. My focus to drive strategic growth through developing impactful campaigns. By aligning our marketing initiatives with business objectives, I aim to strengthen our market leadership in Africa’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

ASBIS Africa, a dynamic and innovative technology distribution company, stands at the forefront of the rapidly evolving digital landscape. As a leading player in the African market, ASBIS Africa is dedicated to providing cutting-edge solutions and a diverse portfolio of globally recognized brands to meet the ever-changing needs of consumers and businesses alike. My role will be dedicated to enhancing the company's presence by spearheading strategic marketing and communications initiatives for a diverse portfolio of globally renowned brands, including Canyon, LORGAR, ARKTEK, AENO, VGKE, LOEWE, Prestigio, Thomson, Seagate, Ubiquiti, and Bang & Olufsen. Leveraging my experience in crafting comprehensive marketing strategies, I am committed to reinforcing ASBIS Africa's position as a leading technology distribution company on the African continent. With a focus on innovation, collaboration, and brand excellence, I am excited to contribute to ASBIS Africa's continued success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

I played a crucial role in planning, executing, and managing experimental marketing campaigns for our diverse client base. I worked closely with clients, internal teams, and external partners to ensure seamless coordination and successful implementation of strategies. This position required a unique blend of creativity, organizational skills, and relationship management expertise. My key responsibilities were, but not limited to: • Understand clients' marketing objectives, target audience and brand guidelines to develop tailored strategies and campaigns. • Collaborate with clients to develop project briefs, manage expectations and provide regular updates on campaign progress. • Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, serving as the main point of contact and ensuring client satisfaction. • Serve as a key liaison between clients and internal teams, ensuring clear communication and alignment on project goals and deliverables. • Assist in the development of campaign concepts, messaging and creative assets. • Coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, managing timelines, budgets and resources effectively. • Track project milestones, deliverables and budgets to ensure projects/events/campaigns are completed on time and within scope on Trello. • Monitor and analyse campaign performance metrics, providing insights and recommendations for optimization to clients in monthly marketing reports. • Use data-driven insights to optimize campaigns, improve ROI, and drive continuous improvement.

Marketed smart home appliances branded Candy and Rosieres that use IoT based technology. I was responsible for all marketing functions in South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius: • Establish a marketing plan and strategy by analysing sales forecasts, planning and organising promotional activities, events, campaigns. • Manage all marketing activities, offering creative solutions with minimal budget. • Collaborate regularly with over 60 intermediaries including retail partners, salespeople, managers, marketing agencies, accounts departments, etc. • Maintain an inventory of sales support materials ensuring all resources are current and coordinate the creation of new materials as needed. • Planning and managing the Marketing and Promoter Budget which includes loading all marketing related invoices on SAP and submitting these to the Finance Department for timely payment. • Promoter Management (23 employees) i.e. interviewing and selecting appropriate candidates for Brand Ambassador positions, collaborating with sales manager on sales targets, providing regular product training to all new recruits, offering continuous advice and guidance on duties and best practices, arranging for uniforms and marketing collateral, overseeing monthly in-store activations. • Trade Marketing i.e. expanding the brand in new stores/regions and negotiating closure of non-performing stores. Responsible for briefing stand designs in to agency, approving renders, coordinating installation of stands with store managers and builders, ensuring correct displays are ordered and installed, regular maintenance of stands, regular store visits. • Product Management i.e. identifying a gap in the market and working with factory on product development, preparing payouts to evaluate feasibility, collecting all test reports from the business sector, submitting reports for local certification, planning and implementing new product launches. Also responsible for ensuring all LOA certifications are up-to-date.

Ja Trade offers safe, recreational spaces for people to spend time with their families, eat amazing food, listen to live music and interact with the small businesses of South Africa. Markets include: The Southdown's Night Market, The Boardwalk Night Market, The Castle Gate Night Market, The Ja Trade Farmers Market, The Good Mood Night Market and Junction 21 Indoor Farmers Market. I was responsible for: • Providing administrative support. • Managing vendor relationships. • Heading customer and client communications. • Overseeing and processing vendor applications. • Booking vendors for each market. • Implementing systems to record all data to be used for event planning.

In SA there is a lack of access to female hygiene products which negatively impacts young girls' ability to attend school. To address this social issue, I coordinated an event with the help of SilverStar Casino's CSI team at Thathulwazi Secondary School to celebrate International Day of The Girl Child. Palesa Pads provided the girls from Grade 8-12 with a fully inclusive kit of cleaning products and reusable sanitary towels. The event was a fun-filled, educational day that gave the girls the dignity they deserve.

As part of the annual practical component of my degree, I was tasked with a Brand Challenge. Over the four-week period, students work in multi-disciplinary teams across fields of specialisation which include brand managers, strategic planners, visual communicators, digital marketers, copywriters and multimedia specialists. These student teams are tasked to solve complex brand challenges with creative brand, business and communication solutions that are brought to life in innovative campaigns. • CrawfordSchools™ This brand challenged my team to attract an alternative target market to increase the amount of school enrolments at CrawfordSchools™ during Open Day season by 30% within 3 months with a budget of R1.5 million.

As part of the annual practical component of my degree, I was tasked with a Brand Challenge. Over the four-week period, students work in multi-disciplinary teams across fields of specialisation which include brand managers, strategic planners, visual communicators, digital marketers, copywriters and multimedia specialists. These student teams are tasked to solve complex brand challenges with creative brand, business and communication solutions that are brought to life in innovative campaigns. • GreenShare Energy This brand challenged my team to deliver a 24-month campaign to launch their solar energy trading app. We investigated the barriers to entry in the solar energy sector and developed a creative campaign to overcome these.

As part of the annual practical component of my degree, I was tasked with a Brand Challenge. Over the four-week period, students work in multi-disciplinary teams across fields of specialisation which include brand managers, strategic planners, visual communicators, digital marketers, copywriters and multimedia specialists. These student teams are tasked to solve complex brand challenges with creative brand, business and communication solutions that are brought to life in innovative campaigns. • Pledger Africa Our team was challenged to rebrand their volunteer app. We developed a new brand identity and designed a CI guide to better communicate the brand's vision and mission to the end-consumer. Our team was awarded the Brand Challenge Top Strategy award in 2017 for proposing the best strategy across all student teams.

I worked part-time promoting Ritmeester Moods Cigarillos at car shows and trade events.

During the School Holidays, I interned at SilverStar Casino in the Marketing, Hospitality and Food&Beverage Departments. I worked in the Marketing Department as a Marketing Intern. I helped with event set-up, administrative tasks, was taught how to use the event reservation system and job-shadowed the Marketing Manager where we worked closely on the 'Lekker Life Fees' event. Additionally, I was an intern in the Hospitality Department. I worked in the hotel with staff of all levels from cleaning to management. Thereafter, I interned in the Food and Beverage Department. Again, I was exposed to all levels of the department by working as an assistant in the kitchen, cleaning the restaurant, attending to customers on the restaurant floor and I shadowed the Food&Beverage Manager who exposed me to his daily duties.

The BCom Honours in Strategic Brand Management degree investigates and applies strategic models and tools to the practice of innovative and cost-effective brand management. Students are exposed to core components such as the financial management of a brand within prevailing economic conditions, brand and market analysis from a commercial perspective, the application of sustainable and ethical business and brand practice, the development of communication strategies in context of the competitive environment and internal realities, and the utilisation of metrics and models to assess brand performance and equity. Modules: • Brand and Brand Building • Strategic Brand Management and Leadership • Research Methodology • Practice of Strategic Brand Management • Financial, Economic and Legal Aspects for Strategic Brand Management • Brand Challenge

The BBA in Brand Building and Management degree develops students' insight and skill in launching, building and managing brands. This qualification combines strategy and creativity in business with financial management, economics, critical thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship. 1st Year Modules: • Brand and Marketing • Business Communications and Digital Media • Creative Development • Critical Thinking and Media Studies • Economics • Statistics in Brand Building • Accounting in Brand Building 2nd Year Modules: • Brand and Marketing • Business Communications and Digital Media • Creative Development • Critical Thinking and Media Studies • Channel Planning • Economics in Brand Building • Financial Management in Brand Building • Brand Challenge 3rd Year Modules: • Brand and Marketing Strategy • Critical Thinking and Media Studies • Sustainable Business Practice • Innovation and Business Management • Organisational Studies • Brand Challenge