Canal Walk Shopping Centre launches new brand campaign featuring local social media icons
Since their rise in popularity in the mid-20th century, shopping centres in this day and age tend to reflect the communities they serve; delivering on daily wants and needs, as well as acting as central meeting points for young and old. Understanding the social importance a shopping centre reserves within a community led Canal Walk Shopping Centre to launch its latest brand campaign, #CWSquad, spearheaded by three homegrown, Cape Town-based social media icons.
“Understanding our customer has always been of paramount importance to Canal Walk” explains Camilla Lor, Regional Marketing Executive for Hyprop Investments Limited. “Being relevant to our customer within the societal context in which they live, work and play is key to our overall success, and so we turned to influential content creators within our very community to assist in delivering our brand message.”
Introducing the #CWSquad
The #CWSquad is made up of Nadia Jaftha, Aqeelah Harron Ally and Paula Lakay; three young ladies that will over the next year showcase the best Canal Walk has to offer across over 400 stores. When considering candidates for the campaign, it was important for Canal Walk’s Marketing Team that each squad member selected was not only already a friend of the brand, but also a greatly admired social media content creator offering their followers relevant and entertaining content.
“During the selection process, we naturally gravitated towards Jaftha, Harron Ally and Lakay because they effortlessly reflect who our customers are,” adds Lor. “From meeting friends for coffee and a catch up, doing a spot of wedding shopping, indulging in a shopping spree or two, grabbing a bite to eat or taking in a movie, Canal Walk has been part of these ladies’ lives every step of the way; as it has for so many of our customers.”
Over the next months, the #CWSquad will share with their followers everything from the season’s hottest lip colour, to where to find the best outfit for that special occasion…and anything and everything in between. “What makes the #CWSquad so impactful is not only are they respected and revered by their followers, but that they are genuine Canal Walk customers,” says Lor. “Customers no longer respond to disruptive, non-consumer centric content; they respond to recommendations from those they trust and admire.”
Meet the #CWSquad
Nadia Jaftha
Jaftha, known as the Content Queen by her fast-growing following, is always out and about creating hilarious pranking videos and relatable content. She has a charismatic, outgoing and vibrant personality, which captures her audiences on Instagram and YouTube.
Follow Nadia: Instagram | YouTube
Aqeelah Harron-Ally
The always elegant yet edgy Harron Ally is on the pulse of modest fashion styling and the latest beauty trends by means of her vlog. Along with her husband, Malick, she loves travelling the world and capturing their adventures. She is a total girl-boss, with a strong vision for her brand, Fashion Breed.
Follow Aqeelah: Instagram | YouTube
Paula Lakay
Most know her as Ms Paula Bee, through Instagram and her blog, but she recently got married to become Mrs Lakay. She is all about embracing and nurturing her gorgeous natural hair, as the Curl Queen, giving her followers beauty tips and tricks and capturing her life through vlogs.
Follow Paula: Instagram | YouTube
Plan of action
Month-by-month, Canal Walk will offer its shoppers a more in-depth look into each #CWSquad member’s life; highlighting their unique style by means of in-centre marketing touchpoints as well as via its direct marketing, and digital and social media platforms.
Canal Walk Shopping Centre is open from 09h00 to 21h00 seven days a week.
Social media and digital information for Canal Walk
Website www.canalwalk.co.za
CWSquad campaign information www.canalwalk.co.za/cwsquad
Facebook www.facebook.com/canalwalk
Instagram www.instagram.com/canalwalk
Twitter www.twitter.com/canal_walk
YouTube www.youtube.com/CanalWalkShopping
Hashtag #CWSquad
About Canal Walk Shopping Centre
Canal Walk Shopping Centre, Cape Town’s largest shopping centre, is situated in the Century City Precinct and is Africa’s leading super-regional retail mall. Conveniently located on the N1, and central to the Cape Town city centre and surround suburbs, its dominant presence attracts diverse shoppers from an extensive portion of the Western Cape, and further afield, with its comprehensive retail and leisure options. Canal Walk merges the world’s most desirable brands with shopping convenience, entertainment and everyday leisure, all in a majestic setting.
Canal Walk Shopping Centre is co-owned by Hyprop Investments Limited and Ellerine Bros (Pty) Ltd.
Canal Walk Shopping Centre is open from 09h00 to 21h00 seven days a week.
Visit www.canalwalk.co.za for more information.
In October 2017, the Canal Walk Shopping Centre management and marketing teams chose to feature real life brand heroes with real life stories that shoppers could relate to with the My Story My Style campaign. It boldly stepped away from past campaigns that utilised models as protagonists and focused on using role models.
