Classically-skilled agencies are scrambling to acquire a broader skillset as the line between BTL, ATL and TTL fades and makes way for more integrated, full-service solutions. Enter Cart.
Cart Agency is the brainchild of former The Creative Counsel ECD, Joash Daniel and reinvents how brand challenges are approached and solved.
Cart Agency is a fully integrated, specialist-led shopper marketing, creative consultancy. Powered by Tradeway Brand Activation and Experiential, Cart has hand-picked the industry’s best and merged with Tradeway’s creative team to provide clients (and brands) with strategically-superior brand solutions that pack a creative punch.
Joash explains, “While our solutions are creatively-focused, they are also strategically-led. We ask questions the whole way. How do we create real impact for our clients and their consumers? What will it take to change behaviour to the point of profit? We ask questions because questions lead to answers.”
Cart is powered by Tradeway – an agency founded in world-class BTL campaign execution. Michelle Storey, CEO, says, “An independent creative agency was the next logical step for Tradeway. We cut our teeth on simple, in store campaigns but have seen our offering (and client base) grow exponentially since the introduction of a creative department in 2014. The acquisition of major accounts including Samsung Activation, MTN Activation and MTN Events in addition to longstanding clients like Nestle, A-B Inbev, Tiger Brands and Parmalat has afforded us the opportunity to introduce a creative offering aligned to our mission of always exceeding our clients’ expectations.”
Joash is joined by Tradeway Agency Head, Caity Parmenter, who has headed up the Tradeway Creative division for the past 3 years.
Caity says, “Tradeway’s most powerful weapon is authenticity and Cart is no different. What we propose, we deliver. Backed by Tradeway’s one-of-a-kind, transparent promoter management software, Promoforce, top-class execution and an all-round spirit of support, we are poised to take on any brand challenge. And have fun while doing it.”
The team’s vision for the agency is to be a hybrid of strategic consultancy, on-the-ground research and insight, and front-of-wave creative concepts. The business will not be classified as traditional ATL or BTL but rather a media-agnostic agency that solves brand problems. The team are currently working with a technology partner in India to develop a unique shopper marketing AI – a first in the industry.
“Before we even look at the brief, we critically-assess the brand challenge. We believe that blindly following a client brief without understanding the core problem is naïve and dangerous. Cart will become a strategic partner for our clients – someone you can call in the middle of the night to chat about ROI,” explains Joash.
Joash Daniel will captain the ship as Managing Director while Caity Parmenter takes her seat as Executive Creative Director. Cart has also engaged a number of other industry experts who will take up their positions over the coming months.
“Joash and I have been privileged to work on some of the country’s (and world’s) biggest accounts. Cart is the manifestation of decades of hard graft and we couldn’t be more excited to lead this agency of the future together and provide real, quantifiable and creatively-inspiring work to our clients.”
Cart launches with R100m a year of captive Tradeway business as a starting point and is Level 1 BBBEE.
Welcome to Cart.