CASE STUDY – INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN
BUCO × SOCCER LADUMA
More than hardware — building communities. A national campaign that used soccer culture, local pride and a football legend to turn print and digital reach into real foot traffic across seven South African towns.
7
Activation Locations
4
Provinces
3
Channels
Print | Digital | On-Site
1
Football Legend
THE BRIEF
TURN HARDWARE INTO COMMUNITY
BUCO needed more than another retail promotion, it needed a reason for underserved and high-growth communities across South Africa to see the brand as one of their own, not just a place to buy building materials.
The brief drew on something people in these towns already loved: soccer. By partnering with Soccer Laduma and travelling with football legend Steve Lekoelea, the campaign could combine national media reach with genuinely local, on-the-ground trust.
THE FUNNEL
FROM PRINT CAMPAIGN TO CUSTOMER
Five connected stages, each channel built to hand off cleanly to the next.
Ads and advertorials in Soccer Laduma built awareness and promoted upcoming activations.
DIGITAL
Digital platforms amplified the messaging, ran competitions and drove interest.
ON-SITE
Activations created memorable, in-person brand experiences in each community.
IN-STORE
Promotions and offers turned that engagement into immediate purchases.
where it landed
Seven towns, four provinces.
Locations chosen deliberately for reach into underserved and high-growth markets.
Jane Furse
Limpopo
Komatipoort
Mpumalanga
Mafikeng
North West
Nyanga
Cape Town
Rustenburg
North West
Shayandima
Limpopo
White River
Mpumalanga
The Ambassador
StEVE LEKOELEA
Travelling with a football legend meant the campaign wasn’t arriving as an outsider. His popularity and genuine connection to these communities drove crowds and authentic engagement no billboard could have bought.
My Role
End-to-end, across every moving part.
Planning & Strategy
Owned objectives, messaging, timelines, budgets, and the integrated channel plan tying it all together.
Talent Management
Managed logistics and scheduling for Steve Lekoelea across all seven locations to maximise his impact.
Media & Digital
Secured print placements in Soccer Laduma and co-ordinated the digital rollout across platforms.
Event & Logistics
Planned and executed every activation end-to-end, including travel, accommodation and transport.
Community Management
Designed soccer-themed activities, competitions, meet-and-greets and giveaways to drive participation.
Monitoring & Reporting
Tracked performance, captured insights, and reported results and recommendations back to the business.
Key results
what was delivered
- High footfall across all seven activation locations
- Strong community engagement and brand visibility in every market
- Positive brand association and loyalty built at a local level
- Authentic connection driven by Steve Lekoelea’s influence and popularity — crowds followed him, not just the brand
Key success factors
Why It Worked
- Print, digital and on-the-ground activation working as one integrated system, not separate campaigns
- Execution localised to each community rather than a single national template
- A clear call-to-action connecting every piece of media back to an in-store offer or event
