Since the inception of the national lockdown in March, life on a personal and business level has been turned upside down. As such, it has been a hugely concerning time, characterised by fear for our health, and that of our families, friends, colleagues, employees, suppliers and clients. We are furthermore inundated by equally worrying financial news, with markets and businesses severely affected – even as companies and individuals scramble to get back to business and regain lost ground, as lockdown restrictions gradually ease.
As businesses, during times like this, the only way in which we can reach out to reassure our stakeholders – staff, suppliers and clients – is through consistent and impactful communications. As your communications and PR partner, we are there for you, standing by you at this time and ready to assist and facilitate your voice and your message being heard by the right target audience.
At KHC, we’ve assisted companies with a broad range of crisis communications – from fires in manufacturing facilities to fatalities – and the 2013 Ebola outbreak in Africa. We’re here to help you tell your key stakeholders about the measures your company has taken during the Covid crisis so far. Also, to communicate about how you are managing a safe and responsible return to business operations as the country emerges from the lockdown. Doing so will ensure your operations – and your target market’s perception thereof – remain as seamless and solid as possible.
Short, direct mailers are amazingly effective for conveying crucial communications to your key stakeholders. KHC can create these at short notice, as well as the full editorial spectrum of press releases, trends analysis, opinion leadership, client and project news…
So, whether you are still working remotely, or have begun a phased return to your manufacturing facility, workshop or office, we are there for you: on the phone, email, Whatsapp or MS Teams – and always!
We deliver contemporary, impactful and measurable PR across a broad range of industries, from steel fabrication to energy, engineering and Information Technology.
Kendal Hunt Communications is a South African-based PR and media consulting agency specialising in the industrial and engineering industries, amongst others. “Our aim is to provide clients in these industries with strategic media PR services, which have a significant and measurable impact on their businesses. Our PR campaigns cover a broad media spectrum and a variety of delivery platforms, from print, broadcasting and online to social networking media,” says Kendal Hunt, owner and Managing Director, who is also responsible for overall account direction and editorial quality control.
Kendal is ably supported by an experienced team of account managers, PR administrators as well as seasoned specialist industrial and technical writers. The team at Kendal Hunt Communications has over 70 years’ combined experience covering PR, media liaison, marketing, communications, advertising, journalism, writing, editing and media analysis.
”We pride ourselves on our personal and proactive approach in meeting your communication needs, which includes PR account management, editorial generation and media relationship building. If your company wishes to increase market visibility, raise brand awareness, influence key stakeholders and target audiences, and manage its reputation through effective media communication, we can provide you with the required expertise to achieve your strategic communication objectives,” Kendal advises.
The newest branch of First Cut, a leading South African provider of cutting, welding and grinding consumables and equipment, has opened its doors in Witbank. Zelda Vorster, who took on the role of Regional Sales Manager for Mpumalanga some six months ago, is at the helm.
Dekra Industrial SA, well-known across a multitude of industries including power generation, nuclear, oil and gas, construction, petrochemical and renewable energy, is braced and ready to expand its existing services to the water industry.
The Rand-Air CSR (Corporate Social Investment) team is involved with the upliftment of Ga-Mashupe Village, Marota Segolo in Limpopo Province. In recent years this has included supporting the community itself, as well as their local nursery school. The CSR team consists of Mpho Ngamlane, IPR (Industrial Plant Rental) Account and Communication Manager; Chantal Bekker, External Sales Representative, and Vincent Mgabi, National Service Analyst.
As part of a rapid growth strategy in providing a comprehensive training services offering, and with the vision of becoming among the top five industry training providers in South Africa, the Dekra Institute of Learning (IOL) and Willco Safety and Training (Willco) have entered into a distinctive partnership to broaden their industry training service offering.
Nitralife, a local pioneer in the manufacture and supply of nitrogen generation equipment since 1996, has recently supplied leading nano-active, antimicrobial sanitisers and mister manufacturer Nannochem, with a Nitralife nitrogen generator. This will assist Nannochem with the production of its flagship products, which are created for use in the current ongoing fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as against other potentially deadly pathogens.
As a fully registered Lifting Machine Entity (LME), Dekra Industrial SA is able to provide registered Lifting Machine Inspectors (LMIs) in various approved categories, to conduct comprehensive inspection and load testing services of lifting and rigging equipment. This includes overhead cranes, truck-mounted (TM) cranes, lifting tackle, mobile elevating work platforms (or ‘cherry pickers’ as they are commonly referred to), with offshore cranes shortly to be added.
While the famous poet TS Eliot wrote about the ‘still point in a turning world,’ we now know that a pandemic such as Covid-19 wreaks havoc with any form of ‘stillness’ – metaphorical or otherwise! On the contrary, it says ‘to hell with certainty, predictability or normality! Consequently, life has suddenly become an ever-changing battle fought against an unseen – but nonetheless insidious – covert enemy on shifting economic and social sands.
The resulting lockdown measures, while initially laudable and prudent, have dragged on – dragging an already struggling economy down to new and very unpleasant lows along with it.
However, as a long-standing PR person and irrepressible optimist, while acknowledging these harsh realities, I do not advocate dwelling on them. Having faced up to the ‘new normal’, it is up to each and every one of us to ‘dig deep. We need to get over ourselves and our understandable sense of shock at how swiftly Covid has forever altered the status quo – and start proactively using the tools available to rebuild our lives – and our businesses.
If your clients, staff and suppliers are your lifeboats in this stormy new sea, then I strongly postulate that consistent, strategic communications with those 3 key stakeholder groupings are the lifeline connecting you to them, and by definition also to one another.
Much has undoubtedly changed – but some things have thankfully remained the same. Human beings have been story-tellers since the earliest times; and that innate desire to ‘tell stories’ – and thereby create personalities, reputations and even legends – can all be summed up as the need and desire to communicate.
Therefore, no matter how bad the economy currently is, I challenge companies to resist the urge to indulge in ‘knee-jerk’ reactions, cutting all perceived non-essential services.
Stop! Think! Consistent communication of your brand, strategy, key messages and value proposition to key target markets is essential! Don’t be tempted to convince yourself that the Sound of Silence is your clients’ favourite song!
