The toolkit, which was distributed in South Africa in May, was submitted by the city as an entry in the summit hosted out of Seoul, Korea from Monday, 1 June to Friday, 5 June.

It contained face masks, hand sanitiser, safety posters and information on relief funding and support opportunities.

The City and HelloFCB+ have indicated that not only was the kit welcomed by small, medium and micro-business owners in Cape Town, but it also caught the attention of other global metropoles and will be referenced by many as a best practice model for workplace readiness going forward.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the economy and local businesses," says HelloFCB+ chief creative officer Mike Barnwell. "Our idea was a response to this and was implemented by our City of Cape Town client's enterprise and investment department."

The toolkit's essentials were aimed at:
  • helping get businesses back to work after the lockdown period
  • assisting in combating the spread of COVID-19, and
  • ensuring the health and safety of employees and customers.
The kits were distributed to small businesses and factories over the course of a month at 17 activations at various city facilities across the metropole. According to the duo, strict health and safety protocols were adhered to during each. Executive mayor Dan Plato lent a hand in distributing some of the kits.

HelloFCB+ account leadership team Teagan van der Wath and Jessica Kees, who worked with art director / designers Humaira Chohan and Vicki Smith, says, "We used emailers and social media to alert SMMEs about the free COVID-19 toolkits, and chose toolkit items that were lightweight, robust and would be genuinely helpful to all — including businesses that operate outdoors in all weathers." 

The uptake of the toolkit applications and the gratitude from local businesses was heartwarming, with many taking to social media to express their gratitude, says the duo.

"As a human connections agency, we believe in the power of building emotional connections between our clients and their audiences. The toolkit was a demonstration of this philosophy in action," says HelloFCB+ managing director Danielle Sneiders.

The agency says that phase two of the SMME Toolkit campaign — which targets the informal sector including informal traders and spaza shops — is currently underway and is gaining significant momentum.

Individuals are encouraged to view the campaign's social pages on Twitter and on Instagram. 

For more information, visit www.fcb.co.za. You can also follow FCB Africa on Facebook or on Twitter.