The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
ZIMBABWE Newspapers’ top products — The Sunday Mail, The Herald and Star FM — have again made it into the 2021 Marketers Association of Zimbabwe’s (MAZ) top 200 brands in Zimbabwe, signalling the integrated media house’s continued market dominance.
In a speech at the 2021 Superbrand Business Breakfast in Harare on Friday, Superbrand adjudication committee chairperson, Dr Denford Mutashu, urged corporates to prioritise customer relations.
“As brand custodians we must understand that times have changed and consumers are moving to various channels and that is where our products must be found,” he said.
“Ensure brand visibility through social media and other channels.
“Ladies and gentleman, the consumer is now more powerful and empowered than ever, so let us be wary of the negative factors that might destroy our brands. Let us also try to engage and respond to consumer enquiries timeously. We have seen some brands being shamed for failure to engage with their consumers on these channels.”
Dr Mutashu urged companies to protect their brands and products, saying it takes a lot of investment to build a brand.
“As we sit down to discuss Superbrands as your adjudication committee, we are so much cognisant of the fact that brands are assets and very expensive assets indeed which take huge investment to build,” he said.
“Our discussions and deliberations are guided by such thoughts, hence our decisions as the adjudication team are very positive and factual.
“This is the reason why we continue to incorporated auditors and research consultants to ensure that all loopholes are closed.”
The Superbrand concept is an international concept that was adapted by MAZ in 2010, which aims to identify brands that are performing above and beyond others within the market.
This year’s adjudication committee comprised eminent people in business and academia including Dr Eve Gadzikwa, Dr Gifford Hapanyengwi, Mr Luckson Gwara, Mr Clive Chinwada, Chipo Mashingaidze, Florence Chirwa and Gloria Zvaravanhu.
