A total of 22 schools were targeted for the road show activation. Prior to the road show, Tradeway liaised with the school management regarding the Bursary Programme and also conducted pre-awareness activities amongst the students informing them of the upcoming Sasol road show activity to be hosted at their school.
"The success of our activations hinges on the personal interaction of promoters with brands. We invited promoters to attend casting sessions for the Sasol bursary roadshow," explains Michelle Francis, MD of Tradeway Promotions. Successful promoters were selected by Tradeway and Sasol and then underwent thorough training, which included communication skills, brand training, promotion mechanics and role playing of the planned activation. "In addition to the right team selection, we believe that it is our commitment to intensive training that prepares and equips promoters to execute a successful activation, which meets the client's expectations and objectives," adds Michelle.
The activations were aimed at capturing the attention of the learners in an entertaining way, while communicating the benefits of the Sasol bursary programme and securing active registrations through the provision of onsite access to the Sasol bursary website.
Tradeway Promotions kitted out a branded mobile unit complete with a mobile screen, sound system and generator for the supply of power at schools who did not have access to electricity. The activation incorporated the Sasol bursary messaging through interactive quiz games and fun activities where the learners were awarded with prizes, which encouraged participation, enthusiasm and comprehension.
In excess of 6 000 learners were reached during the two week activation, of which over 2 000 learners registered for a Sasol bursary.
"The success of the road show can be measured on various levels," explains Michelle "We applied our expertise in cementing relationships with schools prior to the commencement of the road show, and demonstrated our ability to manage the complexity of the activation on all levels, including supplying the client with ongoing measurement of results with respect to the number of learners who applied for bursaries, which was the key deliverable on the campaign. The core focus was not simply quantity of learners applying for bursaries but also the profile of bursary applicants who would fit the successful candidate profile," says Michelle.
"The road show has proved successful," comments Monica Luwes from Sasol Corporate Graduate Services. "The campaign results exceeded our expectations. In addition, we were pleased that the campaign seems to have inspired Grade 11 learners to work harder to improve their academic scores during 2011. Our hope is that when they get to Grade 12 and can apply for a Sasol bursary their chances of success will have improved, improving the academic caliber of applicants year on year."
Access http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R_dqmtebHE to view a two minute highlights video of the Sasol Bursary Road show.
