The pitch aims to be a call for small and micro business owners to 'Elevator Pitch' their business and business ambition and stand the chance to win a short-term cash investment with mentorship from a team of Brut celebrities.

Applicants are required to enter via the voice message feature on Instagram. The brand says that it has decided to turn its Instagram page into a business proposal platform as a means to make the campaign open to as many South Africans as possible, who are known to frequent platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Brut has indicated that it has partnered with:
  • DJs and entrepreneurs Sbu Leope and DJ Tira
  • golfer, television presenter and entrepreneur OG Molefe, and
  • rapper Solo.
The brand says that its mission is to not only help rebuild the economy during this recession, but also to offer guidance and mentorship from seasoned business owners 'who know how it's done'.

"Our goal is to support the next generation of entrepreneurs who we believe will help steer the South African economy towards a more prosperous future — especially with the uncertainty that entrepreneurs are facing," says brand manager Zola Ngwenya.

"In the context of this campaign, we're asking small and micro business owners to package their business stories, ambitions and visions into an 'elevator pitch' via voice message and send this to our Facebook and Instagram DMs to stand a chance to win the cash injection, as well as mentorship from thought leaders in their respective industries," concludes Ngwenya.

The competition process is as follows:
  • Submissions are to be shared via voice notes on Brut's Facebook and Instagram DMs.
  • From these submissions, nine finalists will be selected.
  • The nine finalists will be invited to take part in an 'Instagram Live Elevator Pitch showdown', where they will be given the opportunity to 'Elevator Pitch' their business to a thought-leader.
  • Each finalist will get three minutes to pitch their business to the Brut thought leader.
  • New questions will be posed, prompting the entrant to be confident and well-spoken.
  • Based off these answers, three winners will be selected who will each walk away with a cash prize and mentorship from thought leaders in their respective industries.
The prizes to be allocated are as follows:
  • First place: R150 000
  • Second place: R75 000, and
  • Third Place: R50 000.
For more information, visit www.unilever.co.za. You can also follow Unilever on Facebook or on Twitter.