The advertising agency will include strategic, creative, media, digital, PR, event and activations divisions, offering above- and below-the-line solutions. The company says that is not moving away from the core services for which it is renowned, but rather incorporating them into its full offering, which now intends to include all facets of strategy, creative and PR to connect consumers and brands in more engagement opportunities.

Red Cherry is a level 1 BBBEE female-owned company, with the leadership team comprising women who are leaders in their fields. The new CEO Pheladi Mphahlele, along with longstanding team members Jenna Murray-Smith, Robbyn Burger, Faye Dawood and Aliki Frantzeskos, aim to bring their first-hand knowledge of subjects across the advertising, marketing, branding and creative disciplines to clients.

Mphahlele says the new positioning is the result of the agency's natural evolution from a strictly media and production-oriented offering starting in the 1990s, to the holistic service provider that it is today.

"We are positioning Red Cherry as a full-service advertising and marketing agency because that is what we have naturally grown into," Mphahlele says. "Over the years, we have successfully offered these services to our clients, but have still largely been seen as a media and production house. We are so much more than that and want the industry to see us for what we really are and the unique skills we bring to the table." 

The Red Cherry team strives to provide highly effective, affordable campaigns that deliver measurable results above and beyond client expectations. The team says it believes in effective creativity. The team says that their creativity is not intended to just win awards or impress judges, but to stir something within the intended audience to bring about an effective result — sales and new clients for brands and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Red Cherry Interactive's successes over the years include:
  • consumer comprehension levels of more than 97%
  • response rates of above 25% for leading financial institutions 
  • more than 120 000 TV-driven competition entries in several African countries for an international bank 
  • 42 000 entries in just two weeks for a proof of purchase campaign for an older, established brand 
  • 40 000 responses in a few days and a 4% increase in market share for a toothpaste brand 
  • a 46% sales increase during a three-month promotion for a leading FMCG brand 
  • 20 000 feet through the door and 350 cars sold during a popular vehicle manufacture's weekend promotion 
One area where the agency has built a formidable reputation is in the area of branded content. Red Cherry Interactive says that it has always sought to unite people and brands through content that connects and tells stories that matter. This is because the agency believes that traditional media and its associated creative are not enough in the changing climate.

Red Cherry Interactive aims to differentiate itself through its 360-degree service offering, with its own event and production facilities. The agency strives to have integrated production, creative and event capabilities and ensure that its campaigns are cost-effective (no added fees for outsourcing production). 

For more information, visit www.redcherry.co.za. You can also follow Red Cherry Interactive on Facebook or on Twitter.

*Image courtesy of Red Cherry Interactive