ACTIVATE MARKETING
Gift in Cape Town

Activate sources from a supplier base of over 6,000 importers, manufacturers and distributors, as well as importing directly. This range of suppliers ensures a very wide range of options for our clients, and we can put together packages to suit every budget and occasion. Activate also works very closely with its printers, embroiderers and brand application specialists, so that the client’s preferred branding option is sourced and specified correctly. We can also advise of the best options, depending on the job or product. Our aim is to make sure that our clients get the most effective product at the right price. The 2015 range of Garmin GPS systems has been released! We are distributors of all Garmin products, both automotive and outdoor, and are currently the sole supplier to the City of Cape Town. One of the major areas of competitive advantage is the outsourcing of non-core activities. As a specialist procurement organisation, Activate has researched various models in use around the world, and operates a purchasing model that is proven to improve response time, save very significant costs, reduce administration and allow access to the latest and best supplies. Research has shown that there is a world-wide move to outsource purchasing to specialists, who have the advantages of focus, a wide and deep knowledge of products, prices, suppliers and trends in the area of specialisation. Many companies around the world and some in South Africa are currently implementing outsourced procurement systems. At this stage, Activate is mainly focusing on procurement of branded Marketing-related items, as this is our specific area of expertise and a potentially large saving for clients. However, there is no reason why other supplies cannot be procured using the same systems, and we currently source diverse items for clients (eg GPS units, corporate clothing, sports equipment). Most companies make use of branded items such as posters, signage, Point-of-sale, corporate clothing, corporate gifts and other Marketing-related items. There is an opportunity to eliminate elements of this chain, thus saving significant costs while simultaneously reducing supply times. This is achieved by using a specialist Marketing Procurement provider, who acts on behalf of the end user to source, procure, store and distribute branded items. Savings are possible because the specialist has a detailed and current knowledge of the industry, enabling suppliers and prices to be benchmarked or optimised, professional systems used and the latest, most effective products found. Another important issue is that internal Marketing & Sales resources usually take on the responsibility to find, select, order and distribute branded items. A specialist procurement company eliminates these problems, enabling Sales and Marketing to spend their time more effectively in client-focused areas. The use of a specialist procurement company can deliver many benefits to client organisations. While it is clear that specialist procurement is an outsourced activity that can save costs and reduce load on internal resources, there is a concern that flexibility and service levels can be adversely affected. However, the Activate concept allows complete flexibility, and if users prefer to buy certain items via another channel or supplier, there is no problem in doing this. However, we usually insist on being consulted in this case, purely to ensure that brand identity and standards are maintained. A weakness in some centrally-controlled procurement models is that there is total focus on systems and supplier management, and personal service with the clients may be lost.