Clare Holburn-Archer, CMO of CAFU

By Clare Holburn Archer, CMO, CAFU

2020 has been a year of contrasts. At the start of the year, we were hit by the Covid-19 pandemic which has proven challenging beyond compare – personally, professionally, socially, emotionally – the list goes on. But it has also been a year of growth, as it is human nature to adapt and evolve by focusing on lessons learned. And if patterns of global challenges are anything to go by, such moments in time serve as a catalyst for innovation and technological development. The launch of Airbnb after the financial crisis in 2007/08 being a case in point.

But that’s not all. Alongside such digital and technological advancement, it also pushes certain fundamentals to the fore, almost shooting us ‘back-to-basics’ if you will, by forcing us to focus more on the ‘human’ side of things. This has never held more truth for brands than our current times. Particularly for brands that wear the crown of being ‘disruptive’.

As the Chief Marketing Officer of one such disruptive brand – CAFU, the first on-demand fuel delivery and car service in the region, I can say with certainty that being disruptive isn’t just about the latest technology (even though we pride ourselves on our technological prowess). It is a mindset of complete innovation which is coursing through the veins of the CAFU team – the way you look at an issue or an opportunity and find a different way to enhance it. It is as much about the day-to-day as it is about creating a new and exciting proposition.

A disruptive brand is also one that works hard at predicting the needs of its consumers and trying to always stay a step ahead. And the fundamentals trifecta of purpose, positivity and permutation are what has seen our new user figures shoot up 124% per month during, and despite this period.

Allow me to explain:

Purpose

Brands need to make money to survive and thrive. True. But it is equally important to prioritise customers and the communities in which you operate. Purpose is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’, it is an imperative for brands, alongside profit.

This year has shifted the focus for brand growth and strategy towards the value our products and services bring our customers. It is important to understand that the world has changed for our customers and the wider community in which we operate within.

Now is the time as a brand to demonstrate that understanding by looking macro – it’s not about the value of your individual products and services. It is about the value that your existence as a brand brings by starting with the ‘Why’ – your why. Get that right, and everything else falls into place, as it then becomes the central focus of your business strategy to deliver the ‘what’ and the how’.

At CAFU, everything we do is centred around our customers to ensure our service is simpler and smarter, to help create a more convenient and hassle-free existence. And we live and breathe this across all our products and verticals, from removing our delivery fee earlier in the year to support our communities during the pandemic, or pioneering the Ghaf Tree Project which forms the central pillar of our newly launched “CAFU Sustainability Deal’ to plant a million Ghaf trees in the desert using drone technology. The whole really is greater than the sum of its parts.

Positivity

Times of adversity call for a greater push to keeping a positive outlook in order to make the most of a trying situation. And our customers are looking for such positivity and reassurance from brands too. Bold and confident brands that showed relevance to the changing world that unfolded before us, will inspire confidence in consumers.

This has been a year of uncertainty, and at CAFU we not only acted positively but also boldly by creating our own sense of certainty in a sea of uncertainty by accelerating our innovation programme. One of my personal highlights this year, was changing our fuel delivery trucks from Grey to Teal after the lockdown lifted, to signify calmness, strength and safety, and to serve as a symbol of what we call ‘optimism on wheels’.

The scale of change can vary from small to grandiose, but a positive outlook that cuts across the marketing spectrum can reassure customers as it shows them that we have shifted our gears into problem-solving and innovating for the new normal.

Permutation

Agility to reorganise, restructure and essentially widen and diversify our approach is perhaps a brands greatest strength and hope to survive and thrive, especially in the midst of a pandemic.

This could mean changing your tagline and positioning to capture the value and relevance you bring to your customers during these times (at CAFU we highlighted the contactless nature of our services as we knew that was important to our customers) or adapting campaigns to make the most of the current situation.

With global air travel still a concern, our ‘Weekend Adventure’ campaign sought to encourage users to explore the hidden gems of the United Arab Emirates which was totally in line with the national agenda and created a different kind of value for both, our customers and our brand.

As we continue to experience further uncertainty, we close the year feeling more positive and hopeful for what 2021 and beyond will bring. I believe it is a combination of these three fundamentals that will determine which brands survive, which succeed, and which come out of this with a whole new recipe for growth.