SmartSlip™- The Clever Way to Reward Your Customers!

Skip the entry boxes! SmartSlip lets you scan receipts, enter competitions and get instant rewards from your phone!

Have you ever taken a good, long look at your till slip? No, of course not! Why would you do something so boring? Well, there's some new tech available set to revolutionize how you view that tiny slip of white paper!

V5 Digital, in collaboration with Techsys Digital, our long-time cohorts in creative campaigns, now offers SmartSlip™. This innovative tool is designed to digitize that mundane piece of paper in a way that enhances customer engagement, verifies purchases in real time, and rolls out rewards seamlessly.

Scan your till slip to unlock exclusive promotions from top brands at different retailers nationwide!

Why You'll Love SmartSlip™

• Boost those sales: Who doesn’t love seeing those numbers going up?

• Verify purchases: No more "Trust me, I bought this." Let technology prove it!

• Reward on WhatsApp: Delight your customers where they chat the most!

Rewards could include, coupons, airtime, discounts, or promotional messages

How Does It Work?

The way SmartSlip™ works is as easy as 1, 2, 3…

1. Purchase a product: Customers buy their favourite items.

2. Snap and WhatsApp: Customers join the campaign on WhatsApp and upload their till slip photo.

3. Reward in Real-time: SmartSlip™ technology validates whether the purchase was made and, if so, can send out an instant reward.

SmartSlip™ uses patented technology to identify actionable data on your customer's till slip.

If you believe this is solely about running competitions, think again. With features ranging from on-pack codes to comprehensive dashboards, product surveys, and loyalty rewards, SmartSlip™ offers a multifaceted toolkit for marketers.

Its optical character recognition (OCR) technology, once a user opts in, learns more about shoppers by analyzing till slip data, revealing shopping location, items, and spending. This aids in improved campaign targeting and sending users promotions that are relevant to their needs.

Brands can run a promotional campaign via multiple different retailers across the country, verify that the correct purchase was made, and use the dashboard to learn in real-time which products sold well in which store as they watch the entries roll in.

Brands like Megabuild, Heineken, and Spar have already adopted the SmartSlip™ technology with significant success. With thousands of entries in short campaign durations, it's proven to be quite the crowd-pleaser.

The SmartSlip™ Chatbot used in a recent Heineken promotion

V5 Digital recently assisted Heineken in leveraging the SmartSlip™ technology for their UEFA Champions League promotion. Through an intuitive chatbot integration, participants were prompted to simply snap a photo of their till slips, which had to include a purchase of Heineken products from participating stores.

Once uploaded via WhatsApp, the chatbot verified the submission against the competition criteria and automatically entered the participant into a drawing for a chance to win 1 of 10 Home Entertainment Systems.

The campaign was a resounding success, featuring not just an easier entry process but also an interactive and highly engaging experience for Heineken consumers. To further incentivize participation, the chatbot even sent out broadcast messages throughout the promotional period. This modernized approach not only eliminated the need for physical entry slips but also allowed for efficient data collection and disqualification of duplicate entries.

Brands looking to innovate in this digital age can certainly take a leaf out of Heineken's book

But Why Should YOU Consider It?

• Scale: Use Whatsapp to verify purchases and reward your customers across thousands of stores.

• Innovation: No more bulky in-store entry boxes or customers fumbling around.

• Insights: Get to know and serve your customers better.

• Instant Gratification: Because we all love that quick reward.

• Efficiency: No extra staff training, costly store setups, or prize delivery hassles.

So, the next time you look at a till slip, remember, that it’s not just paper, it’s potential! Dive into this amazing opportunity to turn those passive receipts into an exciting engagement channel, and keep that cash register ringing!

Ready to launch an exciting campaign? Reach out to the V5 Digital Team by clicking the button below and join the movement of forward-thinking brands that prioritize innovative customer experiences.

Contact Us

Africa's Premier Marketing Event: Nedbank IMC 2023 Highlights & Insights

2 200 individuals, both online and onsite, attended the event, including V5 Digital's Customer Success Officers, Jürgen Teichert and Damian Hansen

If the Daily Maverick calls it “Africa’s most prestigious marketing conference”, it's a given that V5 Digital would be in attendance, ready to immerse ourselves in unparalleled insights and inspirations at the 2023 Nedbank IMC Conference.

The Integrated Marketing Council (IMC), a platform championing the progression and upliftment of the marketing industry, advocates for this industry’s rightful place at the boardroom table, nurturing the concept that the heartbeat of any business lies in marketing.

Upliftment of the youth is also a priority of the event which V5 Digital as a Pledge 1% participant appreciate greatly! A bursary programme, in exclusive partnership with Red & Yellow Creative School of Business and the IMC YOUTH1000 initiative (in partnership with MASA), are two ways the IMC help our rising young stars.

With humour and charm, the host with the most Donovan Goliath started the event by engaging with the virtual host Celestia, once again showing that AI is here to stay! The rhythmic beats from Lucky and the Afro Drums amplified the lively atmosphere and provided literal drumrolls for all the esteemed local and global speakers.

Comedian Donovan Goliath getting the crowd hyped up for #NedbankIMC2023

The conference kicked off with the celebrated Pearl Thusi taking centre stage, a vision in a Thebe Magugu dress. In a presentation titled “It’s Personal: How to build your own brand,” she laid down the blueprint of personal branding, dissecting it into three pivotal components.

"Something will only work if the gut and the heartbeat of the brand is functioning", Pearl Thusi

1. Inner Brand Sanctum: She highlighted the foundational spiritual enthusiasm that defines the core of a brand, emphasizing the importance of surrounding oneself with supportive individuals who can help avert imposter syndrome and nurture the authentic heartbeat of the brand.

2. External Brand Projection: She underscored the necessity of genuine representation in the public sphere, championing authenticity and the courage to be oneself even in the face of potential backlash, anchored in the belief that “If the brand is real, nobody can fault that”.

3. Digital Presence on Social Media: Pearl guided us through the intricate world of social media, urging individuals to create spaces that foster feelings of love, value, and acknowledgement through sincere and meaningful interactions.

Up next was a brand voted most admired and mentioned so many times they could get a co-hosting credit the always innovative Nando's. Doug Place the CMO of Nando’s Africa, Middle East, and South Asia and whose business card could be A4 size asked the C-Suite:

1. Do we Contribute: Run your business better! As the economy goes up we lift people out of poverty.

2. Embrace Chaos: Marketing works best at the edge of chaos. Have your feet on the present but your eyes on the horizon.

3. Collaborate: It’s not enough to win…you need to win-win with the industry as a whole!

"You have to embrace chaos, problems are what we get paid for. Literally...taking difficult things and making some kind of sense out of it" - Doug Place

Next Roanna Williams reminded us that creativity can change the world and Dustin Chick, Arun Sudhaman, and Shayoni Lynn discussed the future of reputation telling us that corporations are being held to a higher standard and should always be B2Everyone!

" Standing for nothing is very risky, and saying nothing on big issues is another form of statement" - Arun Sudhaman

As the conference moved forward, we delved deeper into the cornerstone of successful business operations and people-centric leadership. Mteto Nyati, the chairman of Wazo Investments, asked the audience to introspect on their leadership styles and qualities, presenting a pivotal question that resonated with many: "If you know all you know about yourself, would you apply for a job under you?"

“Leadership is not about being in charge it’s about taking care of the people in your charge” - Simon Sinek

The spotlight was then seized by the international speaker and Chief Innovation Officer at System1, Orlando Wood. In a persuasive narrative grounded in extensive research, Wood unravelled the dichotomy of "narrow-beam" and "broad-beam" attention in the context of the advertising industry.

Wood painted a portrait of a society losing its vibrant touch to the rigid adherence to analytics, leaving creativity in its wake. He challenges the industry to rethink the current approach that heavily leans on "narrow-beam" attention — a path fraught with detachment and rigidity.

In contrast, he advocates for a shift towards "broad-beam" attention which cherishes human connection, character dynamism, humor, and music to foster trust and build a long-lasting brand.

The Multiplayer Brand (Source - IMC Conference Facebook)

After a quick break Zoe Scaman, founder of Bodacious and former global head of strategy for Ridley Scott, dissected the evolution of User Generated Content (UGC) in her presentation "The Multi-Player Brand". Scaman delineated the progression of UGC into three phases:

UGC - Phase 1: The early text-based internet era birthed platforms for bloggers and forums, fostering new voices and ideas, with Google facilitating access to an array of information sources.

USC - Phase 2: In the past two decades, platforms like Instagram and YouTube spearheaded new entertainment formats and creator economies, giving rise to the influencer culture in the Web 2.0 era.

USC - Phase 3: The internet is evolving with platforms like Roblox and tools like generative AI fostering unprecedented democratization and decentralization in content creation. This shift, emblematic of Web 3.0, allows individuals to create without traditional gatekeepers, pointing to a future with collaborative ownership and dynamic brand definitions.

In her talk, Scaman also introduced the concept of the "cosy web", a reaction to the divisiveness cultivated by major social platforms, fostering smaller, safe spaces of like-minded individuals on the internet.

Everything in this video is generated using AI

She foresees a future of collective creativity with generative AI facilitating a democratization of creativity. Emphasizing the untapped potential of evolving technologies, Scaman urged brands to transition from a passive approach to a collaborative, open-source strategy, embracing the reciprocal value generated through cooperative brand-fan relationships, paving the way for a cooperative, mutually beneficial future in branding.

Luca Gallarelli's favourite marketing quote

The longer version of the quote.

Luca Gallarelli, Group CEO of TBWA\South Africa delivered a dynamic and impactful presentation titled "Living on the Right Side of Chaos: The Art of Effective Integration that Delivers Magic." He told the audience that, “Misfits aren’t misfits amongst other misfits,” urging them to embrace chaos and tension, the true foundations of creativity.

Marketing Up Close & Personal. Inside the Difference. (Source - @Linandz on X)

After an insightful 15-minute talk by Shukri Toefy the executive creative director of Woolworths took to the stage.

Brian Mtongana had everyone chuckling with his insightful presentation titled: Inside the Difference. He showcased the deep-rooted presence of Woolies in the everyday language of South Africans, humorously suggesting that phrases like “today is as cold as a Woolies store” and “Xhosa men are the Woolies of men” have become commonplace in our vernacular.

He joked that their shopping carts go for wheel alignments and elevated their bags to the “national carrier of South Africa,” highlighting their ubiquitous nature. More than just a light-hearted session, he underscored Woolies’ leadership in sustainability, reinforcing the truth that doing good is good for business.

What is the Woolworths deference?

Distinction

Innovation

Fresh consistency

Excellent quality

Responsible products and practices

Employees

Nimble

Customer experience

Engaged

After so many insights the crowd needed a good stretch!

Khensani Nobanda gave us 10 insights in 10 min

1. Get the basics right – Excellent briefs and clear communication are necessary.

2. Keep growing and learning – We can all be lifelong learners, and there is something to be learned from everyone.

3. Authentic storytelling builds trust – People want to connect with brands on a human level.

4. Appeal to consumers’ emotions - Emotion leads to action, while reason leads to conclusion.

5. Empathizing with clients – Brands need to relate to clients and what they’re facing to build trust.

6. The power of the collective – All for one and one for all! Collaboration requires unity of purpose.

7. Test and course correct – Being adaptive allows brands to test assumptions, take what works and leave behind what doesn’t work.

8. On-the-ground Experience – Doing the work on the ground can give us more insight than we know!

9. Consistency builds brand trust – Don’t lose brand integrity as you grow and scale up. Trust directly impacts your bottom line.

10. Sales is our duty; brand is our legacy – You’ve got to do both.

Photo of Khensani Nobanda presenting by IMC Conference Facebook

Next, we were treated to another fascinating panel discussion between Ann Nurok, Mpume Ngobese, Nkgabiseng Motau, and Zayd Abrahams about optimising the client/agency relationship showing that CEOs are from Mars and CMOs are from Venus.

"As agencies, we complain about not being understood by our clients, but, empathy goes both ways. As agencies, we need to understand our client’s business on every level which helps build relationships." - Nkabiseng Motau

What’s the difference between marketers and actuaries? Marketers don’t think their actuaries…

International speaker Ricardo Oberlander presented: The Changing Role of the CMO while Vodacom CEO, Sitho Mdlalose and the Brand and Marketing Communications for Africa Managing Executive at Vodacom, Andisa Ntsubane, discussed marketing and the economic challenges affecting business today.

Then it was time for some African flair! Mzamo Xala CEO of Avatar hit the stage in white socks to discuss African creativity and how it can drive business impact! How do we bring culture, commerce, creativity and technology together, suggesting we need to unlock our AI: African Intelligence.

"We are not African because we are born in Africa we are African because African creativity is born in us" - Mzamo Xala

The next big presentation of the day was delivered by Accenture Song's Nick Law who highlighted:

Seven principles for the future of creativity

1. Consistent principles, dynamic practices

2. Singular vision, collaborative culture

3. Loose with ideas, tight with execution

4. Creative needs technology

5. Get to deep simplicity

6. Start in the middle

7. To make new things, remake yourself

"Make it simple, make it human" - Nick Law

One of Red & Yellow's top students and bursar, Anganathi Beyile spoke about marketing purpose saying, “As Marketers, we hold the power to create perception and change the narrative, let’s use our power wisely.”

Followed by a masterclass on African Marketing by Harvard grad Ciko Thomas asking, "How do we infuse our African provenance, our African roots, in the brands for which we are custodians?"

Ciko tells the story of how Japan took something as quintessentially Scottish as whiskey and created one of the best versions of the drink by infusing the Japanese spirit into it. Diversity whether a gift or a challenge is an important part of marketing.

Image Source - IMC Conference Social Media

The conference continued with more great speakers but a personal favorite was Chief Experience Design Officer at VMLY&R, Kaleeta McDade sharing tips on how we can transcend from Storytelling to Storyliving!

Take a look at the creative ads possible when we move from campaigns to experiences!

VMLY&R turned barcodes on all milk cartoons into Oreo stacks, pairing the perfect dynamic duo

VMLY&R turned 100 years of product placement into an interactive, shoppable experience

I See Coke is a built-in Alexa skill that puts Coca-Cola on viewers' lips every time it pops up on the screen. To execute, VMLY&R catalogued thousands of hours of content. Using machine learning, to identify hundreds of Coca-Cola placements and create customized replies with an offer for every single appearance.

As the sun set on the illustrious 2023 Nedbank IMC Conference, and guests started moving towards the drinks table it was clear that everyone was buzzing with new ideas from the brilliant speakers who all have a deep-seated passion for the craft of marketing.

The V5 Digital team are ready to take all the innovative ideas, insights, and perspectives back to the office and infuse our future campaigns with African creativity!

If you are looking to enhance your brand's digital footprint and leverage the latest industry trends for unparalleled growth, there's no better time to connect with V5 Digital. Ready to ignite your brand's potential? Click the button below.

Contact Us

Selected photos sourced from: IMC Conference Facebook

Designing Personalized User Experiences with Data and AI? Keep This in Mind

Think of ethical UX design as an opportunity, not a constraint

To exchange personal information, users need to feel there’s a mutually beneficial relationship. Experts discuss the future of trust.

Today, more users are comfortable with companies using relevant personal information transparently and beneficially. In the 2022 Salesforce State of the Connected Customer study, 61% of survey respondents reported a level of comfort with these personalized user experience practices. That’s up from 52% the year prior. However, there’s no universal definition of what’s transparent and beneficial.

Design leaders are often the ones who end up determining what an ideal user experience looks like – and what it doesn’t look like. Let’s consider a few examples for context.

• An account executive on a customer call sees a chatbot open up with advice to change their tone to be more effective. This can feel like it’s inserting itself in an unrequested way.

• A consumer searches for, say, wedding ring jewellers on their laptop web browser. They later see an AI-targeted ad for event planners on their mobile social-media feed.

Many people describe experiences like these as creepy. It can cross a line when AI uses information or user behaviour from a different location, experience or device, without a clear explanation or consent process. However, that line can blur based on the user and their background.

“Users need to feel that there’s a mutually beneficial relationship between the company and themselves as they exchange their data for personalized services,” said Daniel Lim, Salesforce Futures Senior Director, who also worked on the “Ethics by Design” report with the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Reciprocate for personal data

Lim reminds designers that the value exchange today is still new. Today, customers get more personalized user experiences while companies gather data and gain insights. Yet not too long ago, customers simply paid for goods and services without giving up personal data. It’s a new day of information everywhere. By 2028, 221 zettabytes of data will exist worldwide, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). There are also powerful tools in the market to unlock customer data and actionable insights such as our new Salesforce Data Cloud.

Knowing this, Lim recognizes the act of mutually beneficial design to be an emerging design principle for building a future with more trust. He stresses this topic cannot be overlooked. “The internet changed trust forever,” he said.

Unlock customer data and actionable insights in real-time, at scale with Salesforce Data Cloud

Observe the ethical environment

He spoke about this on the podcast series “Voicing Relationships,” produced in partnership with House of Beautiful Business, the network for the life-centred economy. Besides the creepy/cool distinction being specific to the user, it’s also specific to society.

“What is good in society is completely contextual,” said Lim. “What’s ethical in a society is completely contextual, as well.”

Similarly, human-centred design offers a lens to inquire deeper about what’s important to users. Instead of making assumptions, having conversations can reveal insights that inform what personalized user experiences look like. “The future of personalization really depends on the use of technology to sense and respond to the context of each individual – understanding what their needs are and responding without explicit instruction,” said Lim.

Certainly, designers are increasingly aware of how to avoid deceptive designs. Now, in this new data- and AI-driven era, it’s also critical to avoid designs that users might describe as creepy.

Design elements like a pre-selected checkboxes could be viewed as deceptive or creepy

Prevent user discomfort

Incorporating ethics into design processes is a topic Emily Witt champions in her role as Salesforce Director of Cross-Cloud Research & Insights. “Our customers trust us to do the hard work of creating trustworthy experiences. We need to make sure we avoid creating experiences that feel invasive, manipulative, or anxiety-provoking.”

She’s found that explanations can go a long way to increasing comfort. Using language that puts users at ease might look like sharing why you’re requesting private information or what information you’re using to generate an output. It also helps to clearly communicate when companies employ AI – a transparent disclosure outlined in the Salesforce Acceptable Use Policy.

Marc Benioff says, “Technology is not good or bad, it’s what you do with it that matters.”

“We need to make sure we avoid creating experiences that feel invasive, manipulative, or anxiety-provoking.”

Emily Witt, Salesforce Director of Cross-Cloud Research & Insights

For example, when naming Tracey Bot, the contact-tracing Einstein Bot, the team intentionally included “Bot.” They did this to make it clear that AI is contacting them about their health. With personal medical information, there’s a risk of falling into what’s known as the uncanny valley. To avoid user discomfort, the team built in direction for organizations to only send a message if an agent can handle inbound calls. This example shows how human-centred design helps create personalized user experiences with data and AI that meet user expectations. They can even spark positive sentiment.

Generally, “don’t be creepy” is a common refrain in the tech industry. Customer companies can consider how users perceive the data-for-personalization value exchange. It requires responsible marketing personalization and responsible AI design principles. In fact, that’s how to pave the way toward increasing customer trust and loyalty. It all starts with designing solutions that keep these emerging ideas top of mind.

As a longtime Salesforce Partner, V5 Digital is committed to building trust with our users by consistently prioritizing ethical and responsible data practices and design.

Interested in providing your customers and consumers with a personalized user experience that builds trust? Press the button below, enter your details, and we'll promptly connect with you to explore personalized solutions for your needs.

Contact Us

This article was written by Kate Hughes for the Salesforce 360 Blog and adapted for the V5 Digital audience.