Alan Kaplan

B.Econ (Hons) M. Comm. PhD

Executive Director

Experience

Alan’s strength lies in a combination of excellent academic qualifications, diverse business experience at a senior level and advanced business skills in key areas. In addition Alan has creative writing and conceptualizing skills which added considerable value to stakeholders over time.

Following a three year period of lecturing and tutoring at the University of Natal, concurrently with his postgraduate studies, Alan was appointed marketing manager of Cadbury Schweppes South Africa, with a focus on new product and market development, a role he undertook with considerable success.

This accomplished, Alan embarked on a career in consulting, focusing on international advertising agencies. His clients included: J. Walter Thompson, Bates Wells, Lindsay Smithers FCB, BBDO and others. His long term client and stakeholder relationships and repeat business bear testimony to the high level of achievement during this time during which clients acknowledged his significant contribution in retaining and acquiring new accounts.

At a later stage, Alan broadened his consulting base to ‘client side,’ including media groups, the largest of which was National Magazines, a division of Media 24, a company listed on the JSE, and one of the largest media groups in South Africa. In this capacity Alan was responsible for new product and editorial development, as well as the introduction of reader market research panels across major magazine titles. These were used to gather and analyse valuable ongoing information from readers, as well as affording advertisers an opportunity to include research questions of their own. Responses were analysed, strategized and presented by Alan in an optimal manner, on behalf of National Magazines, thereby adding considerable value across stakeholder groups. As a consequence, advertising volumes and goodwill rose significantly.

In addition Alan was involved in key areas of change management on the market research, marketing and sales fronts. During this period Alan was National Magazine’s ambassador to over 60 of their top clients, across areas as diverse as food & beverage, finance, travel, fashion, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and agriculture, where in addition to standard panels, many specialised panels were formed, which are still active to the present time. One of the most significant being the ground breaking agricultural sector.

Alan’s experience and perspective were further enhanced from his experience at owner/director level of a boutique market research house, Marketsolve, with clients the calibre of National Magazines, Defy Appliances, Electric Centre, Minolta, Ciba Geigy and World Vision. Clients expressed the view that Alan’s analytical and creative input contributed substantially to their success.

Between 1990 and 2006 Alan was the owner and CEO of Crestra Advertising and Marketing, a full service agency, whose accounts included: BASF, Dow Chemical, Wellcome-Cooper, Agrevo, Aventis, Kynoch, National Magazines, Kamillen Products and Mayford-Sakata, to name but some. During this time Alan was successfully involved with the launch and development of many brands including: Termidor, Zero, Finale, Goliath Gel, Mayford-Sakata Gardening Range, Coopex, Coopermatic, Hercules, Kynoch Air Fresheners, and others.

Since arriving in Australia in 2007, Alan has been involved in consulting across a number of key product and service sectors, with considerable success. A large percentage of new business has been on the basis of referrals which bears testimony to the level of client satisfaction.

Areas in which Alan consulted in Australia, include: Stain removers (national brand in Coles and Woolworths), education, paint (conventional and flame resistant), thoroughbred racing, keyless systems, freight insurance, functional beverages (energy drinks and new category), medical and dental devices, and others.

In 2010 Alan was honoured by the CEO of the International Advisory Council for the Marketing Profession in Canada by being appointed as a member of the International Advisory Council.

Professional Qualifications and related

Bachelor of Economics (Honours)

Master of Commerce.

PhD

Member: International Advisory Council for the Marketing Profession. (Canada) 2010