CASE STUDY
YOU SPECTACULAR × ZANDO
An event on the brink of cancellation. A funding gap with no headline sponsor and the clock running down. I secured the sponsor, built the supporting portfolio and turned one sponsorship into a 66:1 return.
THE BRIEF
Save the event. Then make the sponsorship count.
YOU Spectacular, one of South Africa’s most prestigious celebrity awards was facing cancellation ahead of the 2013 event. A critical funding gap had opened up, with no confirmed headline sponsor and the clock running down.
The brief: Secure a headline sponsor and a curated supporting portfolio, fast enough to save the event, then make sure every partner was activated meaningfully across every available channel, with a measurable return to show for it.
ABOUT THE EVENT
- Glamorous red carpet awards ceremony, with a pre-event cocktails and champagne reception
- 800 A-list celebrities and VIPs, by invite only, with limited public tickets available
- South Africa’s top performers on stage; nominees participating directly in the live production
- An exclusive after-party with headline DJs, one of the most coveted invites in South African entertainment
Sponsorship Portfolio Secured
One headline sponsor. Five supporting.
ZANDO
South Africa’s newest and largest online fashion and lifestyle retailer secured as headline sponsor for their first major sponsorship and media partnership.
Crystal Creations
Shimansky
GHD
Mangwanani Spa
Tornino Lamborghini
Why Integration Works
A single placement is a moment. An integrated campaign is a movement.
The strategy behind this sponsorship rests on a simple principle: audiences who encounter a brand across multiple channels don’t just remember it, they act on it.
3–5×
More Likely To Convert
24%
Greater ROI Potential
90%
Higher Brand Recall
How The Integration Worked
Five media layers. One connected story.
Zando’s investment wasn’t confined to a single placement — it moved through five distinct layers, each one amplifying the others.
Print Announcement
Awareness, Weeks Before
Four double-page-spread voting call-to-actions in YOU Magazine drove awareness weeks before the event, reaching 165,000+ readers in each issue.
Digital Extension
Frequency, Online
YOU.co.za web advertising delivered 60,000 impressions, targeting online audiences who could click straight through to Zando's platform.
Social Amplification
Anticipation & Voting
Four social media posts across YOU's Facebook and Twitter built anticipation, drove voting participation and kept Zando front-of-mind in the run-up.
Live Event Activation
The Night Itself
Logo on the big screen, brand activation in the venue. 800 A-list guests experienced Zando's brand in the most aspirational context possible.
Post-Event Coverage
Ongoing Publicity
YOU and Huisgenoot coverage of the event extended the brand's presence. Multiple media outlets photographed and filmed celebrities on the red carpet generating additional editorial exposure.
What Each Channel Deliveredfor zando
Ten line items. One combined value.
|
CHANNEL
|
DELIVERABLE
|
PLATFORM
|
VALUE
|
|---|---|---|---|
WHY IT WORKED
FOUR REASONS INTEGRATION DELIVERED HERE
Right MEDIA OWNER
YOU Magazine's editorial DNA, celebrity, fashion and lifestyle, was a perfect brand alignment for Zando's fashion-retail identity. The audience wasn't borrowed; it was purpose-matched.
Right channel mix
Print built credibility and reach. Digital extended frequency. Social drove engagement. Live event delivered the aspirational brand moment. Each channel did what it does best.
Right audience, right moment
800 VIP guests, South Africa's entertainment and fashion elite, are precisely Zando's target customer. The event delivered them in a high-attention, emotionally positive environment.
Compounding frequency
Audiences saw Zando in YOU Magazine for weeks before the event, on social media in the days leading up to it, on the big screen on the night, and in post-event editorial. Frequency builds brands.
YOU consistently ranked #2 nationally across all consumer magazines, behind Huisgenoot.
YOU Spectacular 2013 exposure was embedded across 4 issues of YOU (DPS + full page) and 1 Huisgenoot full page — reaching a combined audience of over 1 million readers.
YOU MAGAZINE CIRCULATION
ZANDO SPONSORSHIP & RETURN
R300 000
Zando's sponsorship investment
R19,8 MILLION
Media coverage value
PRINT & ONLINE COVERAGE
