HelloFCB+ and the City of Cape Town Inspire the World with Covid-19 Business Toolkit

The City of Cape Town’s Covid-19 Toolkit for SMMEs, a HelloFCB+ brainchild, is being used as a best practice model for post-lockdown workplace readiness in other parts of the world following its entry into ‘Cities Against Covid-19 Online Global Summit’.

The Toolkit, distributed in South Africa in May, was submitted by the City as an entry in the ‘Cities Against Covid-19 Online Global Summit’ hosted out of Seoul, Korea, from 1st June to 5th June. It contained face masks, hand sanitiser, safety posters and information on relief funding and support opportunities.

To the delight of both the City and HelloFCB+, not only was the kit welcomed by small, medium and micro-business owners in Cape Town, it caught the attention of other global metropoles, and will be referenced by many as a best practice model for workplace readiness going forward.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the economy and local businesses,” said HelloFCB+ chief creative officer, Mike Barnwell. “Our idea was a response to this, and was implemented by our City of Cape Town client’s Enterprise and Investment Department.”

The toolkit’s essentials were aimed at helping get businesses back to work after the lockdown period, assisting in combating the spread of Covid-19 and ensuring the health and safety of employees and customers. 

They were distributed to small businesses and factories over the course of a month at 17 activations at various City facilities across the metropole. Strict health and safety protocols were adhered to during each. Executive Mayor Dan Plato lent a hand in distributing some of the enthusiastically received bags.

President Cyril Ramaphoza was also impressed, commenting that the initiative was a great example of the City delivering to its citizens.

HelloFCB+ Account Leadership team Teagan van der Wath and Jessica Kees, who worked with art director/ designers Humaira Chohan and Vicki Smith, said: "We used emailers and social media to alert SMMEs about the free Covid-19 toolkits, and chose toolkit items that were lightweight, robust and would be genuinely helpful to all, including businesses that operate outdoors in all weathers."

The uptake of the toolkit applications and the gratitude from local businesses was heart warming, many taking to social media to express their gratitude.

“As the human connections agency, we believe in the power of building emotional connections between our clients and their audiences. The toolkit was a demonstration of this philosophy in action,” said HelloFCB+ managing director, Danielle Sneiders.

Phase 2 of the SMME Toolkit campaign, which targets the informal sector including informal traders and spaza shops, is currently underway and is gaining momentum by the day.