Much of our work is in what we call “venture building,” or helping firms grow. One area that is always in demand is brand management, communication and branding. We have probably the most renowned German design agency, the Peter Schmidt Group, on board as a pro bono partner to work for our ventures if they want to (and usually they do). The latest result is what I consider some terrific rebranding of the WashKing brand (which produces organic toilets for slums in Ghana). The new brand – created on the ground in Ghana when the international PSG team was in Accra – makes toilets attractive, and more importantly, makes WashKing an attractive employer. It is not easy to find employees to sell toilets in slums. With such a strong brand as WashKing now has, however, it becomes decisively easier.
The next project we just agreed on is a “rebranding” of ACT to position it as a lifestyle AND B2B brand. An exciting balancing act that I’m sure the Africa Collect Textile team will do well with the Peter Schmidt Group.