Dynamic trailblazer, Laura Thomas embarked on her entrepreneurial journey in 2014 when a chance to work with RockCorps, a charity backed by major celebrities, made her realize the need for her own agency. Leaving behind her high-profile advertising job, Laura seized this pivotal moment to start Salt & Candy, launching her new venture. Discover the bold decisions that shaped her inspiring story.
Glamour: What inspired you to transition from working with major global brands to founding your own agency, Salt & Candy?
Laura: The year was 2014. I had just started a new job as a group account director at a well-known advertising agency and was preparing to burn the midnight oil, but I thought I would take this meeting. I left the office at 7 p.m. and headed over to the Radisson in Johannesburg. The meeting turned out to be with the head of an organisation called RockCorps, an internationally renowned charity using music to inspire the youth to take charitable action. Performers such as Lady Gaga were some of the artists who had graced the stage for RockCorps previously. It was the first time they had started this initiative in South Africa, and a little brand called Coca-Cola had decided to sponsor them. They were looking for a marketing agency to assist them, and after meeting with the CEO, he decided I was the right person for the job. The only problem was I didn’t have an agency.So I decided to start one. Yes, as simply as that. It’s how my journey of starting my own business began. A simple yes to the unknown.
Glamour: How have your experiences with brands like SABMiller, Coca-Cola, and HBO influenced the strategies you implement at Salt & Candy?
Laura: I would say my time working in London for HBO had the most significant impact. They had adopted a very flexible work model. The team consisted mainly of freelancers from around the world, with me being one of them. The talent they hired was specific to the job specs and always fresh with great new ideas because they hadn’t worked on the account for too long. We were allowed to work from where we liked as long as we delivered the work and kept track of our hours. I personally never enjoyed working nine-to-five slots. Creativity cannot be placed in a box, so why should I? Good ideas can’t thrive in environments designed to stifle them. Not only was the work being done, but it was also being done better and not begrudgingly! The flexibility was a massive help for Moms specifically, who now had the time without the scrutiny, to fetch their children from school and still be able to deliver incredible work.
It completely changed how I saw successful teamwork, and it inspired the blueprint for how I run Salt & Candy until this day. I have created a culture of flexibility that nurtures an equitable work-life balance and as a result, attracts seasoned professionals from Africa, the U.S., and Europe. The different time zones allowed us to be more flexible with our team. It also gives us great insight into how the rest of the world is working, making us a great well-rounded team. The sustainability of this model has been proven time and time again not least when we managed our way through the COVID storm.
Agencies struggled to maintain their rhythm and create trust with their employees as the WFH model became the norm. For us, it was business as usual. In fact, it was two of the most successful years of business for us. Our turnover hit seven figures and we began to win industry awards.
Glamour: In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges and opportunities for start-ups in today’s digital marketing landscape?
Laura: Sadly, 80% of my new clients come to me needing a complete marketing overhaul. They’ve been misled by so-called ‘professionals,’ resulting in significant spend with little to show for it. This has led to widespread distrust in the industry, creating huge challenges for those who genuinely want to do things right. So my advice is simple:
Be honest.
Be honest about your capabilities. Stick to what you know and excel at it. There is a time and place to ‘fake it ‘til you make it,’ but not when it's at the expense of someone else, especially for start-ups where every cent needs to be accounted for. Don’t be the reason someone loses money and hope!
Be honest about the scope of work and your boundaries around it. Nothing makes a relationship sour faster than being misaligned on what is being delivered and, more importantly, what is not being delivered. Make sure your terms and conditions are clearly written in a signed contract. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of acquiring a new client, but we must remember the sometimes tedious yet necessary details!
Be honest with yourself and your client about what kind of return the client can expect, and be clear on what success looks like for you both.
Suppose you’re embarking on a rebrand or launching a new campaign. This is the fun part of marketing, but remember, pretty is as pretty does. Your new brand might look stunning, and your campaign might seem ingenious, but that’s subjective—akin to a parent boasting about their child’s cuteness. This is where the rubber meets the road with what I like to call ‘accountable marketing.’
At this juncture, I implore you to set aside personal biases and focus squarely on results. Every ad, post, and email must justify its existence.
Without measurable (and mutually agreed upon) outcomes, you can’t ascertain the value of a marketing initiative or the value you’re adding!
Glamour: Can you share an example of how Salt & Candy’s approach has significantly benefited one of your clients?
Laura: Salt & Candy is a small business. After 11 years, we understand what it takes to develop, maintain and grow an idea into a successful enterprise better than most. It’s that shared understanding and empathy which sets us apart when we develop marketing and business development strategies for clients, and then execute them in the marketplace.
Our proudest projects took place in 2020, which was no ordinary year thanks to Covid. In our minds we quickly understood, as only a nimble digital business perhaps could, the difference between the Before Covid and the After Covid world. Critically, not only would we have to think, behave and work differently, so would our clients and so would their customers.
Salt & Candy quickly focused on the development of a “Survive. Revive. Thrive.” mindset for both ourselves and our clients. As conversations with clients developed in Q1 2020, we quickly found our first Survive client. Within days of the first LockDown period commencing in March, we found ourselves working with a unique, double-headed challenge. uBank, a small challenger bank with a tight focus on mining and agricultural communities had just launched an all-new mobile money product with MTN. uBank wanted to move into a Thrive space as lockdown started. Its customer base had just been locked down - they were absolutely in Survive mode.
Our award-nominated campaign was called “Real Heros Wear Masks”, and focused absolutely on getting a new low-cost mobile wallet product out to those who needed it most to Survive, whilst ensuring that uBank & MTN could start to Thrive in a new environment.
During the first stretch of the COVID-19 lockdown, we noticed an overlap of both potential and existing customers and essential service workers. To celebrate and recognise these brave people, we came up with a campaign that would hero the essential service worker, while also notifying them of the existence of MoMo and its ability to connect people in various digital ways. The campaign was sensitive to the rules of social distancing and maintained the family values of the brand’s core identity as well as stayed within our overall theme of connection.
Playing into Ubank being the people’s bank, we turned everyday people into heroes. In this case, our heroes were front-line workers who wore masks. This is not about them wearing uniforms, as some of them don’t. What is important is that they wear masks, which is the play against the ‘not all’ phrase. This simple campaign message was a salute to our heroes of South Africa. The results were astounding. 1 million new customers were acquired for the bank in just 12 weeks using ONLY organic means of content. (No Paid Media spend) This KPI was set to 1 year.
Glamour: How has your certification as a Neuro Linguistic Practitioner and your experience as a life and business coach impacted your approach to leadership and client relations?
Laura: I am a firm believer that personal development affects every aspect of your life, with your professional life being at the top of that list. NLP has helped me immensely. When you start doing ‘the work,’ you begin to peel away layers of yourself. Think of the layers that Shrek speaks about; he describes them as onions. Every time you strip away a layer and dig a little deeper, you discover something new about yourself that you never knew existed. And every time that happens, you have to deal with something else that might change your mind, your perception, and your outlook on the world. Going deeper and dealing with pain and things that hurt has actually created more empathy in me, not less.
The more empathy and realisations I have about myself, the more empathy I can show to others. When you have empathy, you're much more capable of being in touch with other people's thoughts and needs. This concept is directly related to marketing. Marketing is really about understanding humans, how they experience brands, and the emotions attached to them. When you become aware of those emotions, you’re more likely to be able to tap into the emotions that drive people.
Glamour: Can you discuss the importance of authenticity in digital marketing and how it aligns with your personal philosophy?
Laura: In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, I’ve found that authenticity is crucial for building a strong and engaging brand. It’s no longer effective to adhere strictly to the traditional rules and practices of the past. Instead, I encourage a focus on crafting your unique path and niche through radical authenticity, consistent experimentation, and constant iteration. Following someone else's playbook will never allow you to truly shine; it’s about understanding and showcasing what makes you extraordinary.
I believe Women have a unique edge in digital marketing because they often lead with empathy and a focus on community-building, which is pivotal in fostering trust and engagement. By being genuine and transparent in communications, we can strengthen relationships with our audiences, making them more likely to engage with our content and support our initiatives.
I also admire how female influencers leverage authenticity to build trust and drive engagement. There has been a significant rise in creating relatable content by sharing personal stories that resonate deeply with audiences, fostering a sense of community and loyalty. This shift from glamour to authenticity has transformed marketing strategies, enabling us to connect more meaningfully with our audiences.
Glamour: How do you stay ahead of digital marketing trends and ensure that your strategies remain innovative and effective?
Laura: While it’s relatively easy to stay updated on trends with an internet connection, the real challenge lies in crafting original ideas for campaigns. To spark creativity, I make it a point to step outside the confines of my office. Taking a walk, engaging with real people in real-life conversations, and drawing inspiration from everyday experiences can be incredibly invigorating. I find that exercise and nature are exceptional teachers and can help clear the mind, offering fresh perspectives and insights. The most brilliant ideas often emerge outside of four walls, when we allow ourselves to explore the world around us and absorb the unexpected nuances of life.
In addition to these personal practices, I also engage with industry thought leaders, attend webinars, and read the latest research to keep my strategies innovative and effective. This combination of staying informed and finding inspiration in the world around me allows me to remain agile and creative in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Glamour: What key lessons have you learned from your entrepreneurial journey that you would share with aspiring business owners?
Laura: The harder I work, the luckier I seem to get. That’s not a coincidence.
There is no cookie-cutter way to succeed. If it was that easy, we all would be billionaires. So, stop looking for the exact right way to do what you want to do. Find your own unique groove and pursue it with bravery.
Be grateful for failures. Rejection is often redirection to what you’re meant to be doing.
Dreams are for free. The sky is not your limit, your mind is. I strongly believe personal development is strongly linked to professional success, and you can’t have one without the other.
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