SA B2B tech companies, just accept it...

Your future lies overseas

by Ronelle Bester & Lizelle Carstens

Ronelle Bester

Founder & Account Director

With over 20 years of experience in PR and Marketing, Ronelle is one of the South African communications industry’s most influential voices. It was during her four-year tenure as the Marketing Manager for Dimension Data that Ronelle discovered her passion for the technology sector, and she went on to open Red Ribbon Communications. Ronelle has lectured extensively at Varsity College and UNISA and she attained her BTech in Public Relations Management from UNISA in 1996. Ronelle is a farm girl with a city heart and a love for traveling, trail running, interior and all things beautiful.

Lizelle Carstens

Account Manager

Lizelle is an award winning media specialist who understands the complex decision making that comes with the B2B technology industry. She’s experienced in providing simple, effective marketing and communication strategies that hit the right audience with the right message, ensuring highly successful results. Working with innovative start-ups, leading brands and world-famous multi-nationals, both agency and media side, she knows how to get excellence for clients. She holds a BA in Communications from the University of North West. Lizelle is authentic, consistent, versatile and fearless.

In the wake of the #ImStaying movement, I’m finding that when it comes to local businesses, many of our clients don’t really have a choice. For the first time ever, some local tech companies have to look beyond South Africa’s borders for growth opportunities due to a crippling economy and an oversaturated market. It’s a sad case of South Africa just isn’t big enough for the both of us.

To get business overseas, or in Africa, these tech companies quickly realise they’ll need to articulate their message to communicate their value proposition effectively to their target audience. This is where communication companies like tech specialist, Red Ribbon Communications can assist.

Who are we and what are we doing for our clients?

When a brand comes to us saying they want to expand to Europe or Africa, we start a journey with them to determine their brand strategy. We start by hosting a strategic workshop to determine their brand’s personality, key differentiators, character and purpose.

We help them to figure out what the value of their solutions are for their clients and to explain it well via storytelling. We assist them to demonstrate their broader purpose and communicate the issues that are close to their hearts, such as skills training, gender equality, and so on.

It is not only the business that you do, but how you do business that matters.

Content is king

We work with companies to create valuable and relevant content for their target audiences by rewriting their company brochure, writing up case studies, create white papers and even commission research in the countries they are targeting. Local insights and reliable data are priceless to prospective clients and media.

This content can then be used in sales presentations, for thought leadership articles, webinars, social media and digital marketing.

We are part of an international PR network

Red Ribbon is a boutique agency, but we’re part of a few global networks of independent PR agencies across Europe, Asia, North and South America with a heavy focus on B2B tech.

In our experience, it’s much better to work together instead of appointing silo PR agencies in each country. This really allows us to hit the ground running on projects, with the added benefit of working together as a team globally.

This also means clients get the best service and advice and far better results in the local markets. Owners of independent agencies make it their business to stay involved and deliver the best results possible for clients.

Being part of an international PR network helps us to benchmark ourselves against these agencies, allowing us to draw on shared knowledge and ultimately, continue being a world class agency.

What are your communication needs?

Regardless of the region you’re looking to tackle, making the decision to expand into uncharted territory can be daunting. And getting it wrong can also be extremely costly. That’s why it’s vital that brands make sure they are fully prepared for any market expansion and take the time to develop an international PR and marketing plan.

If you’re looking to discuss your communication needs a bit more, I would love to connect over a call.