Amanda Blair

Founder and Owner of abpr, Berne, Switzerland

Communication Strategy and Tool Creation
Tertiary School in Business Administration, Cape Town

February 12 – February 26, 2019

The working title of my assignment was “The Road to Woodstock”. Its content was a long way from flower power. It involved building a communication strategy and tools for this innovative business school that will move to a new campus in Cape Town’s vibey Woodstock district in 2020. This physical relocation is a symbol of an exciting phase of development. Among other things this encompasses a new, unique business degree curriculum, a commitment to diversifying TSIBA’s student mix, a new management team and complete re-branding.

Building on success

With over 90% of TSIBA’s graduates going directly into employment, the bar is set high for the next stage of the school’s evolution. This impressive track record (Stats SA’s 2018 report reveals that South Africa’s unemployment rate in the 15 to 24 age group stands at 52.4%) inspired me to make existing and potential students the focus of my work. My main collaborator, Clotilde Angelucci, arranged a series of discussion groups with a range of current undergraduates. In these frank exchanges I was able to learn what aspects of the TSIBA experience made it unique in their opinion. These included integrated two-way mentoring, a pro-active approach to entrepreneurship, a strong sense of community and credit-relevant internships. We then moved on to investigate current students’ role as influencers in future recruitment and promotion. A highlight in this context was working with the TSIBA cycling team. Alongside the goal of performance in grueling road races, this group of highly motivated individuals take on marshalling roles to contribute to safe streets and act as ambassadors for healthy living to younger kids i.e. TSIBA potentials. The latter was particularly evident at an Open Streets event in the Langa township which we attended together.

Down to Business

After analysing further target groups for future communication activity, including media, government and South African and international corporates, it was time to work on the strategy and action plan. With valuable inputs being delivered in regular meetings with CEO Leigh Meinert and Head of Fundraising & Brand Graham Moore, the messaging took shape. The final strategy document is a user-friendly handbook containing elements such as visual audience profiles, a story bank and a detailed work plan covering the full spectrum of communication channels, from social media to internal communication. Every few days we checked in with our focus groups to fine-tune to the environment and ensure that our theory could be translated effectively into practice.

Branching Out

Once the communication strategy was in place, it was immediately put to the test. The first step was an agency briefing, which got instant positive feedback. After that it was time to create a website structure to align with the new strategic approach. We then developed concise briefings and outlines for the annual report, leverage of the TSIBA cycling teams’ participation in the Cape Town Cycle Tour and a core statement for use in fundraising proposals and as an element of a TSIBA style guide.

Highlights and thanks

Working at TSIBA is a pleasure and privilege. All of the students I interacted with demonstrated exceptional social skills and an authentic sense of purpose geared to collective benefit. Staff were supportive, open-minded and all made me feel extremely welcome. I felt that the toolkit we created together had a practical character and look forward to seeing the various actions and activities being rolled out. I will not be going to the 50th anniversary Woodstock event in New York, but I sincerely hope I’ll see TSIBA in the groove in Cape Town’s Woodstock.