On the Brink Editor’s Note This issue of On The Brink features the young executives of Sampars who are leading the charge in “painting” their own
Credits Publishers Monumental Partners Limited 9 McKenzie Close, Kingston 8, St. Andrew Tel: (876) 969-2646 Email: info@monumentalpartners.com Website: www.monumentalpartners.com
portrait of the retail industry. The Sampars brand falls under the Derrimon Trading Group which has been getting its fair
Managing Editors
share of coverage in the media and on February 27th 2015
Kahlil Harris Christopher Goulbourn Tanya Sue Brice
will launch a new Preference Share to the market. Despite all the coverage received by Derrimon, The Sampars brand has remained out of the spotlight. On The Brink will delve into
Design & Contributions
the Sampars mystique and reveal their clandestine plans for
Our insight into their world will not be revealed by the CEO
Jheanelle Maturah Khaz Brown Tanya Sue Brice George Butler
as is common place, but from the young vibrant executives
Copyright 2015, Monumental Partners Limited
retail domination.
Ian Kelly, Craig Robinson and Sheldon Simpson, which have guided the vision and quietly executed the expansion of the brand both island-wide and across the world. They will quickly make mention of their five new stores including the two latest additions Old Harbour and St. Anns Bay. However, their focus is set on tapping into the overseas market with their online superstore WWW.SHOPSAMPARS.COM. We believe their discreet approach is about to change and if we go by what the young guns of Sampars have to say there’s about to be a wakeup call in the retail industry.
Facebook: @onthebrink Twitter: @monumentalp Instagram: onthebrinkmag
Contents
5
Canvassing the World
6
Breakthrough Results is the Business
8
Social Media Falls under PR
10
A Hunger for Growth with Craig Robinson
12
Making that Big Wave
13
Results Matter
14
Sheldon Simpson The Playmaker of the Derrimon Group
16
The New Millenial Perspective Ian Kelly Style
18
What’s the Buzz
20
The Importance of Business Strategy
Monumental Partners Limited is a leading marketing, public relations and web development firm. We also specialize in graphics, social media management, app development and event execution.
9 McKenzie Close, Kingston 8, St. Andrew | Tel: (876) 969-2646 | Fax: (876) 969-5446 Email: info@monumentalpartners.com | Website: www.monumentalpartners.com
NEW TREND 2014
Social Media falls under PR
Social Media... often referred to as Social Media Marketing has found a new home. It isn’t far; in fact just down the road to PR. 2014 has shown us that Social Media really falls under PR and not Marketing. The wider definition of marketing speaks to the management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. It includes the coordination of four elements called the 4 P’s of marketing: Product, Price, Place & Promotional Strategy. Promotional Strategy is commonly where PR has been placed, though with its growth and extended arms it’s large enough for a place next to marketing at the big boys’ table. In it’s truest definition, Harold Burson defined PR as “an applied social science that influences behavior and policy, when communicated effectively, motivates an individual or group to a specific course of action by creating, changing or reinforcing opinions and attitudes”. Our take from this is, marketing will influence your behavior while PR rides off of your opinions and complements them to its own advantage.
(Not Marketing)
NOW with the emergence of Social Media, has sparked possibilities for a pro-longed brand presence that could capture audiences, push promotions and build brand awareness. With this idea in mind, Facebook flies to forefronts of our minds. Looking also at other popular networks such as Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, these mediums were formed on basis of self-expression. Incorporating businesses into the mix, you’re now playing with opinion more so than advertising, which is right up PR’s alley. PR is usually earned, which indicates the purpose of staying relevant. Whichever industry you’re in, social media now demands that you’re knowledgeable in the trade not just on the surface. Your Pinterest account for Clorox can’t just push the new Clorox product for colours. It must feature the latest laundry tips, even out of its territory, such as how to dry shoes in the dryer without noise or damage or cleaning those driveway oil stains. And once you’ve earned your right as a reliable and accurate voice, you’re now trustworthy and thus noteworthy. Now ask the question…with this newfound prominence via social media, hasn’t effective PR been achieved?
A Hunger for Growth
Sampars Main Man Craig Robinson There’s something charmingly distinguishable about Craig Robinson, and this is without mentioning his smile, or his cheekily debonair look. A brief chat in the aisles of Sampars reveals his easygoing nature, his cool but methodical approach, and clues to an unyielding sense of humor that surfaces at unexpected moments. Craig has been the institutional face of Sampars over the years and has earned much respect from his colleagues following a certain robust air surrounding the wholesale chain, sparked by him. In his own words, describing his role as “The Resource” for all store managers, he’s challenged with an end goal of operating a successful business unit. Robinson, also and most importantly has been chartered the task of making Sampars a sure-fire household name. While admitting the supermarket is well known to businesses, institutions and shops, building the awareness to householders as an affordable alternative to regular supermarkets lie within his current motives. Popping into Sampars, you’ll find Craig meeting with his team, partners or suppliers, but rarely free. The perception being, this is a habit both in and out of office. When asked about his downtime, in his genial nature, refuted the question instantaneously with “downtime…what downtime??” Further drilling into his life though revealed he’s fond of movies, in his
downtime, and so a film with a sensible storyline would hold his attention on Netflix. Our intentions in meeting with Mr. Robinson were clear; geared at releasing his hunger for growth tactics at Sampars. But before we get into business, we were curious to know, how does a student who left high school with the intention of studying medicine become the Divisional Manager at Sampars Cash & Carry. He explained, midway in his studies at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, a quick selfevaluation showed an absence of that passion to pursue medicine, which led to majoring in Zoology. After recovering from the shock of Craig holding a BSc. in Zoology, he revealed his next move thereafter was the MBA program at the University of New Orleans. With his customary boyish charm, he alluded to his natural entrepreneurial skill-set, that sat in his back pocket, patiently waiting for its moment to shine. Looking back, he divulged, “…while at high school I was either lending money at a profit to my classmates or finding some item to sell”. In hindsight, he recommends that persons study and pursue goals that are in keeping with their natural abilities and personalities. A mindset so palpable with Sampars’ now “expanded
A Hunger for Growth
evident differential with their competitors.
reach and foot print” in adding new locations, making a total of five spread over three parishes. Now, down to business! Many businesses don’t fancy admitting when they’re keeping close tabs on their competitors. However, in this industry we’ve seen so many changes of late, who couldn’t possibly keep a close eye out. It seems every time you’re driving to your usual grocery store, there’s a new name on the wall. And upon entry, a politely and decently clad staff member is there with an approach to subscribe for a rewards card. With some supermarkets no doubt a cut above the rest, Sampars included, there’s still a very competitive sphere. Taking into consideration consumer preference, the past few years have proven that the many innovative and even reworked old fashion ways, reel in customers. The launch of shopsampars.com, on a wider scale distinguishes Sampars from many of its competitors. Staying home and receiving your groceries just isn’t offered at your nearby supermarket. And quite honestly that’s a hard benefit to compete with. Still, the challenges are there and with the latest addition to the fire, Mega Mart’s new 24/7 opening hours, the public has been curious over the response of its competitors. Asked just how he intends to compete with recent competitive strategies, Robinson countered with “in business it is not always possible to be all things to all men. It’s important to know the space you are working in and be the best at it. So at Sampars it’s not about doing what everyone else is doing but making a difference with what we do”. He went on to say “we carry the items that people need especially when faced with a decreasing disposable income”, what seems to be the
The matter of a decreasing disposable income has become an all too bitter reality for many Jamaicans. We’ve somehow forcibly forged a society that has to cut costs all around including our household expenses, a prime target market for Sampars. Nevertheless, Robinson admitted this contracting economy has been the company’s biggest challenge. Starkly accepting that while financially stricken persons still have to eat (and to their benefit this is the business they’re in), persons might change their diets and the quantities of purchases to match their pockets. Concluding the tightening economy affects them deeply. At the close of the day, Craig points the success of Sampars to his world-class team, recognizing that without their overzealous efforts the wholesale chain wouldn’t be growing at its increasing rate. Coining one phrase to describe the day-to-day runnings: “this business is a team sport”. And following the run of play, the Old Harbour Store Opening’s official launch will be the latest venture by his team.
If you can’t make big waves yourself recognize the simple shifts that can influence the movers & shakers. 2014 said: there is always room to reinvent. Looking around, it’s easy to get scared and redirected by certain industries. Take for example the fast food industries. With Burger King, Wendy’s, KFC or McDonald’s around it’s easy to talk yourself into starting your own fast food company and competing against these guys. You might think maybe I need a kosher based food chain or a “for vegans shack” just to be unique, but both of which are out of your specialty zone. You’re just a simple burger lover that adds a special ingredient to your burgers that you believe sets you apart from the rest. Well then go for it! That’s what we learnt! No, you’re not going after the burger king market, you’re going after “Everald’s Wacky Burgers”, for argument’s sake, a market which is for those that want the opportunity to put anything they can think of into their very own custom made burger. Who knows… you may have a personal chef on hand, and your burger company takes in some wacky special orders filled with your favourite treats, takes them and miraculously creates your own skittles burger. The point is, Everald’s Wacky Burgers could be a hit. Finding your own niche within the market and reaching that niche is what will make you successful. You just have to stick with it and not be bullied by fear of your competitors. Taking this locally, now that we’ve got your attention, we invite you to study the iceberg theory. This is to say, be careful of what may look like it isn’t much on the surface because below its packing heat! Cal’s manufacturing, the iceberg in this story, relatively well known for its syrups, holds an impressive line
of kitchen products such as vinegar, purified water, soup mix and ketchup to name a few. Speaking of ketchup many of you may also know Cal’s Ketchup. Hats off to Cal’s for stepping into such a competitive market. But in true innovative fashion they walked in with a new suit on. Known to the market as the ‘poor an boasty’ Cal’s hit the ketchup scene with a 10z carrier which fit perfectly in line of affordability and convenience for their niche market. With the goal to fall in line with the niche, Cal’s inadvertently attracted the market of the big boys to the success of the smaller packaged ketchup. Cal’s made big waves by reinventing this product, and though we can’t say with surety, it sparked the introduction of Grace’s smaller package of ketchup. That’s right, by supplying their own niche, they broke into Grace’s market so much so that Grace responded. Indeed the little guys can influence the big boys and Cal’s proved just that.
Sheldon
Simpson
The Playmaker inside Derrimon Trading Company Ltd.
Sheldon
Simpson is busy moving back and forth –on and off- the set of our photo shoot and his office. He’s graciously allowed us to impede his busy day and accommodate an interview. Which means he is constantly moving, ensuring our team is equipped and settling nicely, directing staff and attending to work needing his immediate attention in his quarters. One thing is striking to us, before the interview has started we can tell he’s quite the multi-tasker. His very tall figure is your first encounter with him even some distance away as many would say and upon finer observation of his mannerisms he seems quite agile with a stapled preference to being active. It comes as no surprise when we finally sat down to learn of a peak in his previous position as a Supervisor at his brother’s Texaco Service Station was to climb to top of the Tanker to measure the amount of fuel. Indeed, this confirmed he was an active person at heart and cemented later when he mentioned some of his pastimes included relaxing with his wife, reading, dining out and cited “anything outdoors”. His features are warm, friendly and unavoidable, all necessary characteristics for operating in the field of Marketing, Business Development and Building Brand Awareness. His journey to Derrimon, while fairly long was rather serendipitous in preparing him for the post he now holds. Fresh out of University in 2001, the Divisional Manager at Derrimon, went straight
into the working world. As his aching to work in the marketing field governed his actions, he soon enough landed a position at a company called Billboards on Wheels. Though a brief stint there, the company had the exclusive contract to do advertisements on JUTC buses; Simpson’s first taste of marketing w h i c h would only be a
puzzle piece for his future. A little way and farther down the road, in passing one can easily conclude Simpson is a highly motivated character and a clear communicator. Moving swiftly through the walls of Derrimon Trading, as we observed, he appears right at home. He laughs when asked about any guiding philosophies that influence his function. We associate his amusement as a ‘respectful bow’ to the road behind him; going on to share “the relentless pursuit of perfection (adopted from Lexus), and genius can’t be rushed (that just came to me one day in my quiet time” –proving our thoughts right). So just how has his financial background aided him? When speaking to the major
challenges faced by Derrimon, Simpson states that these fall under typical issues of any new brand, the main chartered with building the brand’s awareness. A challenge which Simpson’s solution lies in creative tactics balanced with tight marketing budgets. He recapitulates the need to be innovative, following this up by noting a relentless desire to be better, though not necessarily bigger, is required. This may seem like a daunting task to some, but for Simpson, his naturally insatiable appetite for knowledge and passion about his work, simplifies this process tremendously. And it doesn’t hurt that in the eyes of Derrimon’s quick moving arrow, there’s never a dull moment in his role. Luckily for him and the company, in his own words, “Delect products provide that ‘weird’ combination of high quality products at an economical price. It’s like buying a Lexus without paying the ‘Lexus price’”. His strategy for growth was simply put “Always seek ways to improve yourself (now) and use trends and foresight to put yourself in position to take possession when opportunity comes (future)”. Interestingly enough we noticed a transcending and similar theme in Simpson’s and Craig Robinson’s interviews. Both believed in the impact of a team as Simpson put forth “No man is an island.” Simpson revealed it’s “virtually impossible to achieve growth without partnering with other companies in this industry”; an approach, which seems to resonate amongst staff at Derrimon. In fact there’s an air of coalition once you’ve passed the security post. Is Derrimon secretly chanting “Teamwork makes the Dreamwork”? We think so, and we think its working!
The New Millennial Perspective “I live by the mantra, God First, Family second and Career third… I believe if you are happily balancing the three, you will have a healthy home and a rather successful career”
The title itself, Chief Financial Officer, may easily come off as intimidating and demanding position. Considering that Ian Kelly’s role looks at Derrimon and all entities under the division. So what exactly does Ian’s job entail? As he delivers his job description, he states, his role spans from acquisition of new entities, review the financial performance of each unit within the business segment,... ensure that the Company is in integrity with its stakeholders, ensure that the technology that is required to drive the business is functioning and review and address the Control Environment and internal Controls. This we thought was quite the mouthful, as Kelly appears cool and calm while attending to work in his office. With his key role at Derrimon, its difficult to imagine Kelly is a huge sports fan; asking ourselves when does he find the time. A trend it seems as yet another member of our featured Dynamic Derrimon duo is rather active, participation in long distance running activities such as 5k’s, 10k’s ½ marathons and marathons. To top this off Mr. multifaceted himself, is a fervent reader, revealing he is presently reading quite a few books, Malcom Gladwell Davis and Goliath, Joel Osteen Its Your Time and Richard Brandt One Click…. Jeff Bezos and the rise of Amazon.com to name a few. Knowing well ahead of time Ian Kelly’s story would be an interesting one, we started with what many have asked; just how do you pull it off each day? “I live by the mantra, God First, Family second and Career third… I believe if you are happily balancing the three, you will have a healthy home and a rather successful career” said Kelly. A formula which has proven successful, with Kelly’s arrival at the company synonymous to an impressive expansion in the Sampars brand.
Kelly, was up for the task to ensure Sampars remained relevant citing this as key in progression in the industry. With technology’s takeover of many business operations, and falling under Kelly’s control, we sought to find his views and actions to making way for tech. he pointed out the company, continues “to invest in technology for both our point of sale technology as well as our on line platform”. More importantly he speaks this concept, that “success is aided by being current with cutting edge technology for the retail platform”. A refreshing perspective that we conclude is a result of his millennial advantage. Its no secret the younger generation has now reached the boardroom and have shared their views, and creative ideas in keeping with the changing times. Kelly concluding with “cost is mitigated with planning and re-investment of profit in specific areas of the business”. By nature Kelly appears as a silent river. And after a conversation with him it is
confirmed. We asked, as the most appropriate person to ask this, what he believed was the right strategy to achieve growth both today and tomorrow. Impressively enough, he argued the point of finding the right balance. “The stages of life and business requires sacrifices and investment and that must be done in order to establish the base and the long term viability. My strategy involves investing with clear and defined objectives, monitor the implementation, access the outcome at various milestone and tweak as we go along. I have never been afraid of failure… bumps has always ben a feature of success. You become a failure if you are not prepared for these bumps”. Kelly, quite knowledgeable in his trade lives by the guided principle that to be transparent and to be honest always makes life and decision easy; which agrees with him. It is our final word that a moment with Ian Kelly is the most rewarding one.
What’s the Buzz by On the Brink
Capri-Sun Awards Ceremony
Cal’s RJR Cross Country Launch
What’s the Buzz by On the Brink
Hi-LO Manor Park Launch
Stay Alert Campaign Flash Mob
THE IMPORTANCE OF A BUSINESS STRATEGY By George Butler
Many business operators become so caught up in the day to day running of their business that they devote little time to considering their business strategy for the future. Yet putting a little time aside now can benefit your business significantly. While you're pre-occupied with the daily demands or minor crises of your business, things are happening in your blind spot! Advances are occurring in technology and your clients' demands for faster and more efficient service are increasing. Meanwhile, your nearby competitor may be busy developing a business strategy for the future, determined to climb over you to the top! A little business analysis and strategic planning now might help you take the lead. Do you want to remain competitive in your field? If you do, spend time on your business by analyzing your current situation. Develop a business strategy and a technology strategy that will help your business grow and develop profitably as trends, technology and client expectations change.
Analyze Your Business As you analyze your business and plan your new business strategy, you'll need to consider several aspects of your business. These should include human resources, technological assets and processes, advertising methods and the needs and desires of your clientele. Are you meeting your clients' expectations? Are you taking full advantage of the Internet and all it offers? Are there new trends emerging that may require you to change your product range or upgrade the services that you offer? If there are, making those changes before your competitors do can give you a major advantage and increase your profits! Consider your current methods of operation. Can you apply new technology to increase the efficiency of your business? Will the technology you have now be adequate in the future? Are your employees utilizing your technology to the advantage of your business or do they need additional training? Technology and the changes it brings are inescapable. It advances at an ever-increasing pace and for many over-worked business operators, it's only too easy to slip behind and lose touch with change. It pays for modern businesses to have a technology strategy in place to ensure they remain competitive
Developing A Strategy The content of your technology strategy will depend on the nature of your business - whether you sell technology or simply use it in the running of your operation. If you sell it, part of your technology strategy will be designed to ensure you keep up to date on available products. There are other things to consider too - are changes in technology likely to bring about new trends or products? Depending on the nature of your business, your strategy may include new ways of marketing your products or services, product development, plans to attend relevant conferences and expos, or simply ensuring that you're subscribed to industry publications for up to date information. If your business is service orientated, the major role of technology in your business is likely to be in the day-to-day operation of your business. That is no less important. The quality and speed of your service can be determined by the quality of the technology you are using. Quality and speed of service are vitally important to your clients. If you want to be competitive or take the lead in your field, keeping your systems up to date is a necessity. Think about some of the businesses that have left you unimpressed in recent years and why that occurred - it's quite likely that as you walked out the door you considered them to be behind the times! Having a business strategy for the future and a technology strategy to keep you in front will give you a significant advantage over your possibly out of touch competitors.