This follows the Eco Pioneeer Challenge which was launched early this year, nationally through the social-media medium campaign to encourage Facebook and YouTube users to devise their own eco friendly projects.
Having launched the Total Evolution ULP95 Ultra Low Sulphur fuel on the market in 2011; the company decided it needed a campaign to position the brand as “eco aware” and to communicate various benefits of the product.
Today at Hyatt Hotel, Rosebank- the winner of the strenuous challenge was named as Zenobia Baumgarten who won a cool R20, 000 from Bothaville, Free State Province, having beaten other contenders from Sasolburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Gauteng, respectively.
Winners Zenobia and husband Hermann, have decorated their house having recycled objects and crafts collected from various wastage stations within the Bothaville area to make ends meet.
The company was started in 2006 and still family run.
Asked what will they do with the money, the chubby and over-the-moon Hermann with broken Queens’ Language, said we’re going to invest it in our son’s education.
“Firstly, we would like to thank God for affording us this chance and to my family.”
“Our son is the one who encouraged us to enter, and this will be his payment for his education,” says Hermann who acted as ‘spokesperson’ for his wife.
Before venturing into decorations and art, Hermann used to operate unsuccessfully internet and farming businesses, respectively- however, after the influence of the wife who is an ardent decorator, they established their own company.
“We would like to extend the hand of appreciation to Total SA for believing in our unique concept and hope others would follow suit,” says Hermann.
In the first part of the campaign, Total committed to planting a tree for every Face book Fan acquired. This part of the campaign was called Fans for fresh Air.
The Eco Pioneer part of the campaign followed as the second phase to build on the momentum of the first phase.
Its aim was to prove to the newly acquired “fans” that Total is an eco-aware company which seeks to find content that would fit well into the social media.
Nadia Vosloo, the Communication Specialist at Total SA, says since the concept has been well received by all and sundry, they look forward to an exciting and bigger project next year.
As a result of the hype, the Eco Pioneer Challenge will be an annual campaign.
“With these kind of responses and commitment from both our Facebook and YouTube users, this project follows hot on the heels some of our environmental campaigns which highlight the importance of preserving environment, and being eco-friendly towards them in the country,” commented the workaholic Vosloo.
Total SA has more than 530 dealerships throughout the country, and also supports all the Kruger National Parks environmental projects in the country.
“This campaign is proof that it is possible to innovate and create a following in any category within social media,” said Willem van der Merwe, managing director of Trigger Isobar, who were responsible for executing the social campaign.
