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.
Rand-Air’s long-term rentals give customers peace of mind, by providing a turnkey solution which keeps costs predictable and downtime minimal. Featuring only the best products and round-the-clock service, many companies prefer this rental option instead of taking on the cost and responsibility of capital equipment ownership themselves.
Betterect, a South African specialist in steel fabrication and the erection of mining, petrochemical and other industrial structures, has for over four decades undertaken projects throughout Southern and Central Africa; as well as for clients as far afield as Austria, Italy, Germany and Australia.
Winning the prestigious award of Salesperson of the Year, took recipient Liesel Johnson, a seasoned sales consultant at Rand-Air’s Durban branch, by surprise at first.
When one is striving to stay on the cutting-edge in a fabrication or manufacturing environment, getting the balance right between high-performance equipment, consumables and the accompanying technical support is crucial.
Established ship repair and wholly Namibian-owned company Namdock, strategically located on the west coast of Africa in Walvis Bay, has resumed full operations with effect from Tuesday 5 May 2020.
In the age of the fourth industrial revolution and beyond, customers have ready access to a wealth of technical resources at the click of a button. In parallel with this digital awakening, customers’ requirements have become more intricate, causing astute companies to adapt their communication approach and service offering.
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!
