As a veteran of the local packaging design and branding industry, Gail Macleod encourages fellow designers to embrace disruption and unconventional ways of doing business in the ‘new normal’.
STRATCOM BRANDING is a leading South African agency specialising in strategic brand communications and packaging design. For over 20 years, Gail Macleod’s team has been creating breakthrough branding solutions and packaging them for the FMCG market.
STRATCOM BRANDING is a leading South African agency specialising in strategic brand communications and packaging design. For over 20 years, Gail Macleod’s team has been creating breakthrough branding solutions and packaging them for the FMCG market.
Gail attributes growing up in an entrepreneurial family to paving the way for her to become the founder of a successful company. ‘I recall helping in my grandfather’s farm stall as a five-year-old. He would put me on the counter and I would make the transaction on this antique till. It was thrilling.’
She adds that with success comes failure and that through observing her father’s experiences she learnt early on that you can pick yourself up again, go forward and take the next steps. ‘Fear of failure can hold you back, what’s more important is how you pick yourself up after you fall.’
Gail adds that her father, who is over 80, currently has several business tenders in the pipeline. ‘I’ve asked him if he doesn’t want to relax and retire; but he says that for him, retiring isn’t relaxing, it’s dying.’
First steps
Gail explains that a loan from her mother for her first computer made it possible to establish Stratcom Branding in 1996. ‘I started off in my kitchen when I was in my 20s, and knew that I wanted to work with listed companies, so I set about sending 300 handwritten promo letters to companies every week. I personalised each envelope, directing it to a particular person at the company to ensure that it was read and not thrown away.’
This strategy paid off and the company grew project by project, including Distell’s Amarula brand as well as the Nando’s iconic bottle design.
‘In the early stages, I had more ambition than common sense,’ Gail quips. ‘I started as a fine artist and a graphic designer. I had no initial business plan, so I found a dynamic young person specialising in finance to help me write it. Now it seems all I do is plan and strategise.’
Distinctive packaging
After two decades, Stratcom Branding expanded into a global alliance with branding and package design agencies from the US, Turkey, Brazil, China, Russia and Germany.
Agencies in the GLBA network all have over 20 years’ experience, enabling them to work alongside brands at each stage of development. Each office is also staffed with specialists across all design disciplines.
‘GLBA enables all of the agencies to be locally relevant with global capabilities. We’re able to assist if regional expertise is needed to create relevant packaging solutions by providing innovation ideation through to full implementation on sustainable, digital AI in packaging and cost optimisation with trend predictions. Gail drives the strategy through the discovery, innovation, white space ideation, branding and design solutions.
Today, Stratcom Branding provides commercially successful solutions for African, American, Asian and European brands. The company’s customers include McCain, Tiger Brands, Kellogg’s, Parmalat, Twinsaver, Adcock Ingram, and many more on and off shore.
What advice would she give to other female entrepreneurs in the packaging industry? Gail makes two recommendations – the first is trying to strike a balance between home and work life. ‘Drawing on your loved ones’ support and spending time relaxing with them will help to break the day’s stress,’ she says. In the second instance, Gail advises taking a break and enjoying a natural space. ‘This will help you to reconnect with nature’s sense of peace and encourage your resilience to bubble back up to the surface, no matter how tough conditions get.’
