"We are just at the start of the overhaul, and the ambition is to better connect people with our work for children in South Africa. As leaders in the NGO (non-governmental organisation) space, we recognise the value of leveraging all relevant communication tools available to help us raise awareness of our cause, and to support our fundraising initiatives," says Rodney Knotts, marketing manager for Save the Children South Africa.

He adds, "As generous as we are, South Africans are fatigued with requests for donations and, often, we don’t see the difference being made. I am privileged to witness the changes Save the Children makes in the lives of children daily and I want to share this with our supporters."

The agencies aim to deepen engagement with the public, and to build retention and growth through digital and mobile media and new technologies, as well as provide brand-building solutions in a crowded market.

"We know Christmas campaigns often generate a lot of interest, so we want to be prepared for our upcoming 'Bags of Hope' campaign, which will be rolling out at the end of November this year. It is a concept that will resonate with South African’s and, so, we aim for our digital platform to mirror this innovative campaign," says Knotts. "When you work in digital, you know the options seem endless, but that’s what we want to do with this digital transformation." 

"For non-profits with limited resources, digital offers us the opportunity to cost-effectively explore innovative platforms. The digital space also opens us up to a much wider audience, which is vital to increasing public support for our cause," Knotts adds. 

Stijn Smolders, CEO of Sprout Performance, says, "Our agency culture is one that is socially aware. We thrive on being involved in work that means something and has the potential to make a meaningful impact. Furthermore, when one contributes to a project that is close to one’s heart, it tends to produce better results."

The charity is currently in the process of updating its platforms in preparation of the new digital offerings, which will launch in January 2018.

For more information, visit www.savethechildren.org.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.