SA firm brings marketing business process knowledge home after UK success

In a reversal of the usual pattern, local software producers Jam Warehouse have launched their BrandDirector product in the South African market - having first scored a major success in the UK with leading retailer Tesco.

BrandDirector is a web-based software suite that automates many of the processes involved in new product development and brand management, as well as supporting collaboration across organisational and geographical boundaries.

"Big retailers, consumer goods manufacturers and financial services companies typically have thousands of branded products," explains new business director Denham Trollip. "That means they need to manage tens of thousands of brand elements, as well as multiple external service providers like design companies, repro houses and even manufacturers. BrandDirector pulls everything together so our clients can realise huge efficiency gains and increase their speed to market."

Trollip points out that while most big enterprises have spent years working on their business processes in areas like financial management, marketing functions have remained largely untouched. "There are still huge opportunities for business process improvements in marketing," he says. "At Jam Warehouse we have a deep understanding of the marketing and brand management process, which is one of BrandDirector`s big strengths."

BrandDirector has been tried and tested over four years at Tesco, one of the world`s leading retailers. "It involves a major change in the product development process," says Trollip. "Marketing resource management involves everything from the ingredients of a food product, for example, to digital asset libraries. BrandDirector enables centralised management of the whole process."

In South Africa, BrandDirector is currently in the final phases of user acceptance testing with the foods division of Woolworths. "We were looking for something that would enable us to manage our product development process from beginning to end, including all the packaging," says Woolworths` Jackie Fourie. "There are many elements in this process - everything from food recipes through photographs and copywriting - so it can get complex."

Trollip points out that BrandDirector`s capabilities can be extended to tracking and traceability of ingredients and products. "The recent Sudan Red scare was a good example - BrandDirector potentially provides a very quick, efficient way to trace products containing any particular ingredient, and recall or change them if necessary."

"From a business process point of view BrandDirector is right at the front of current international thinking," says Trollip. "We`re very proud to be able to bring it back home."