I'm driving up Buro Crescent in Durban, on my way to the Expand a Sign office. Informal stalls selling fruit, sweets and cool drinks are strewn along the roadside. As the pedestrians meander past on their travels, the tired-looking gazebos that house each makeshift shop look somewhat in keeping with the dishevelled, dusty surrounds of the area.
But then , as I make my way down the road and closer to Expand a Sign, a familiar sight comes into view. And another! Perched on the roadside, gloating with pride like peacocks on display, are 2 Ex-Dome instant canopies. One blue, one pink. With a mad grin on her face, the newest recipient of her very own Ex-Dome gazebo is Pretty. Each and every day, she has supplied the neighbourhood's workers with refreshments, snacks and meals from within a tent that was barely clinging to its rusty old legs. And now she has her own fold-away branded store. Look out Spar - Pretty has joined the game!
Leon, on the other hand, has been our 'guinea pig' and Ex-Dome tester for 2 years now. 5 days a week he sets up and takes down the same gazebo without complication. With any new product comes alterations and advances, and Leon has tested all of our R&D changes. As we try new printing machines and fabrics, he has been presented with a new Ex-Dome 'skin' which he replaces effortlessly. Expand a Sign has been the leader in portable instant advertising and branding for over a decade. We know that displaying and promoting yourself works. Whether an international franchise or a small business self starter such as Leon, being noticed counts. And helping just 2 people like Pretty and Leon to stand out from the crowd and improve their sales is both rewarding for us and beneficial to them.
I'm now craving one of Pretty's sandwiches - gotta go.
Cheers,
EAS.