The challenge
Cerebos is South Africa’s most recognised salt brand, with a legacy in family kitchens across the country. But the retail landscape was shifting. An influx of artisanal salts and niche FMCG competitors meant that even a household name needed to modernise its digital presence and maintain relevance in an increasingly crowded market.
Cerebos needed a trusted agency to:
- Manage their growing social media audience
- Ensure positive, real-time engagement with consumers
- Navigate public relations and any potential crises in the media space
Prior to GNL’s involvement, Cerebos’s social media lacked consistency, personality, and strategic engagement — and this was beginning to reflect in declining brand visibility online.
The solution
GNL created an integrated marketing approach to both enhance online brand perception and protect media reputation, positioning Cerebos not just as a salt brand, but a relevant, family-focused staple in the modern consumer’s kitchen.
Key strategic pillars included:
- Establishing a consistent corporate identity and brand voice across all social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
- Creating engaging, educational content with a relatable, authentic tone to appeal to foodies, parents, and everyday home cooks
- Leveraging influencer partnerships, where foodies and lifestyle creators received Cerebos hampers in exchange for product use and brand mentions
- Introducing hyper-local social media targetingto align with in-store activations, helping bridge online engagement with on-the-ground sales events
- Always-on community management, ensuring customer queries and complaints were turned into opportunities for positive brand interaction
- Full-scale PR and media liaison, including crisis communication and reputation protection via GNL’s extensive journalist and editorial network
execution
GNL posted fresh content across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter 1–2 times weekly, strategically boosting content around key campaigns like Heritage Day, Mother’s Day, product launches, and giveaway competitions.
The team ideated and executed social campaigns end-to-end: writing content, managing CTAs, selecting winners, and engaging with followers throughout. Meanwhile, monthly reports offered in-depth insight into campaign performance using native platform data.
The results
Over a three-year period, Cerebos saw significant growth and brand momentum across social channels — all on a modest budget:
Instagram following more than doubled
From 2,027 (Jan 2020) to 4,546 (Dec 2023)
Facebook audience grew
From 38,098 to 39,646 over the same period
Meta reach topped 628,108
In 2023, with total annual ad spend of just R7,000
Engagements reached 15,071
Across all platforms in 2023
One highlight?
A surprise brand mention by former SARB Governor Tito Mboweni, sparking a surge in positive engagement
GNL has managed Cerebos’s social media presence and created content for its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. They have also executed strategic news media communications and liaison for the brand. They work closely with our brand ambassadors, other service providers, and our in-house marketing team to achieve the overall brand strategy for Cerebos.
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