Pandanus Consulting helps Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce & Industry support private sector businesses during COVID-19 crisis.
In a crisis, effective communication can make the difference between leading or becoming irrelevant. In the case of small businesses, staying connected to clients, suppliers, employees and government is key to survival.
BLP quality approved business advisor, Pandanus Consulting in Vanuatu, recently showed us how effective communication can open opportunities during desperate times.
In our latest blog we talk to Nicky Barnes, co-Managing Director of Pandanus Consulting in Vanuatu, about the business support they provided BLP’s in-country partner Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council during the COVID-19 crisis.
Pandanus Consulting based in Port Vila, Vanuatu is a multi-disciplined strategic marketing agency, co-founded in 2010 by Nicky Barnes and Jackie Potgieter, who together have over 30 years experience in marketing, advertising, media placement, project management, web design and branding.
Pandanus Consulting offers unique local knowledge, skills and experience, tailored to the needs of small businesses in Vanuatu and the wider Pacific region and are BLP quality approved business advisors.
Supported by Business Link Pacific, they provided business advisory services to the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC), in the form of crisis communication support during the COVID-19 and Tropical Cyclone Harold crises.
The VCCI is Vanuatu’s National Private Sector organisation, established in 1995 as a Statutory body with 16 member councils that represent Vanuatu’s private sector. The VBRC is a sub-committee of the VCCI and is responsible for coordinating and strengthening the engagement of the private sector in the areas of disaster risk reduction, resilience building and recovery activities.
This project was unique in that the majority of total cost of business advisory services was covered equally by the BLP Subsidy and Pandanus Consulting, providing the client with a close to zero cost solution.
“The COVID-19 crisis motivated us to get involved,” explains Nicky. “This level of business disruption was unprecedented and I could see that we could assist the whole sector by providing support to the VCCI in this way. That was worth us co-funding on behalf of the whole business community.”
From L-R: Nicky Barnes & Jackie Potgieter
Both the VCCI and VBRC were in need of business advisory support services when the COVID-19 crisis reached its peak in mid-March, causing most countries around the world to implement strict lockdown and border control measures. Pacific Island nations were hit hard; the tourism sector was at a standstill, business was in decline and supply chains were heavily affected.
At this extremely uncertain time for SMEs in Vanuatu, it was necessary for the VCCI and VBRC to invest in a strong crisis communications strategy, in order to disseminate crucial information efficiently and effectively to the private sector.
Pandanus Consulting assisted the VCCI and VBRC to create and implement a short term response communications plan which included; designing and producing a range of effective marketing materials, increasing social media presence on Facebook (where the majority of ni-Vanuatu get their news from), filming short videos to make announcements and share important information, supporting the set up of an Employee Business Support Centre (which in April alone saw over 500 clients) and developing effective messaging to help business owners understand the complex economic situation.
“With crisis communication, you need to be able to react very very quickly and often in an environment where there is a lot of noise and demand for information,” says Nicky.
“There is no way we could have done this project if we hadn’t already been working and living in Vanuatu for the last 12 years, learning the languages, the political environment and the different audiences. We had to act quickly and provide our services within a very unique environment, which made this project quite challenging but also dynamic and exciting”.
Pandanus had just started to assist the VCCI and VBRC with their COVID-19 response, when Tropical Cyclone Harold hit Vanuatu, adding yet another dimension to the project. Both organisations were navigating new territory during the dual crises, and Pandanus Consulting’s business advisory support provided them with the tools needed.
“We were helping both the VCCI and VBRC communicate with their audiences, in Bislama, English and French, during a time where there was a lot of misinformation appearing online and confusing people.”
An example of social media marketing created by Pandanus Consulting
Business advisory support services improved the capacity of the VCCI as the private sector body able to provide reliable, timely and clear information, during times of crises.
“We used communication tools like short videos and frequent messaging to shine the light on opportunities for leadership in a crisis. The VCCI lobbied and advocated for the business community during these crises, and without the communication tools in place, the private sector wouldn’t have been aware of the business resources and support available to them,” explains Nicky.
Another example of social media marketing created by Pandanus Consulting
“Going forward this is a really great thing for the VCCI to achieve. They’ve become the go-to organisation for the private sector during this uncertain time”.
Nicky’s advice for business owners who are starting to move through the crises and into recovery mode is simple: stay active.
“I think it’s important for businesses to stay active, even when there is a crisis. There are means of communicating with your audiences that aren’t very expensive and are still effective. If your brand becomes dormant, you’re much less likely to be the first choice of provider when the crisis ends, so it’s important to keep your public profile active”.
“Of course then once you are able to, investing in a BLP business advisor like Pandanus will help move you in the right direction”.
Pandanus Consulting will be assisting the VCCI and VBRC with a second phase of business advisory support using the BLP 100% Subsidy support package, including work around tourism advocacy and communications training for both organisations.
If you are a Pacific Island-based business with between 5-50 employees, and you have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, you could be eligible for the BLP 100% Subsidy Support. Please click HERE to read more about the terms and conditions for this subsidy, and contact your in-country representative for more information.
You can also try the new Business Continuity Planner, a free online business tool designed to help you plan for business resilience and preparedness.