A B2B specialist Public Relations and Marketing Communications Agency
Who we are
Brandfundi exists to provide expert PR services to companies in the B2B space, helping to build, repair and/or protect brand reputations with integrity and professionalism. Michelle Cavé started the business in 2015, following a PR and marketing career that began in 1999. Agency experience spans across various sectors with specialist experience in corporate communication, issue and crisis management, content creation and corporate social responsibility.
Brandfundi exists to provide expert PR services to companies in the B2B space, helping to build, repair and/or protect brand reputations with integrity and professionalism. Michelle Cavé started the business in 2015, following a PR and marketing career that began in 1999. Agency experience spans across various sectors with specialist experience in corporate communication, issue and crisis management, content creation and corporate social responsibility.
A proud member of NSBC
Jury member at the 2019 and 2020 PRISM Awards, Africa’s most sought after public relations and communication awards.
Named Best Boutique Marketing and PR Agency in Johannesburg
for the 2019 African Excellence Business Awards.
Awarded
Content Creation Service Of The Year – Gauteng – South Africa, hosted by CorporateLiveWire South Africa Prestige Awards.
Mission statement
Brandfundi is driven to shape and manage brand reputations through strategically creative tactics that serve to educate audiences, raise awareness, leverage brand strengths and opportunities, and align experiences with the brand promise. Through integration across the communication channels, and by holding the brand accountable, Brandfundi aims to grow and sustain the brand’s equity amongst its internal and external stakeholders.
Mission statement
Brandfundi is driven to shape and manage brand reputations through strategically creative tactics that serve to educate audiences, raise awareness, leverage brand strengths and opportunities, and align experiences with the brand promise. Through integration across the communication channels, and by holding the brand accountable, Brandfundi aims to grow and sustain the brand’s equity amongst its internal and external stakeholders.
Mission statement
Brandfundi is driven to shape and manage brand reputations through strategically creative tactics that serve to educate audiences, raise awareness, leverage brand strengths and opportunities, and align experiences with the brand promise. Through integration across the communication channels, and by holding the brand accountable, Brandfundi aims to grow and sustain the brand’s equity amongst its internal and external stakeholders.
What we do
We build and manage brand reputations by crafting and managing perceptions amongst internal and external audiences. Our services include;
Strategy development and implementation:
Reputation Management
Using PR techniques to build, reaffirm or shift perceptions about a brand through consistent messaging, behaviour and share of voice.
Issue & Crisis Management
Identifying potential issues, and preparing a framework of responses through holding statements, FAQs and media training for key spokespeople to navigate each possible situation with considered approach.
Corporate Communication
Leveraging strategies and tactics to engage with internal and external audiences about the company’s business strategy and objectives.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Strategically supporting, sourcing and/or aligning the corporate social responsibility initiatives to the overall business or brand strategy.
Other services:
Writing:
Press Releases | Thought Leadership Articles | Blogs | Websites | Newsletters | Speeches | Brochure Copy | Case Studies | Company Profiles | Biographies etc
Training:
Practical PR Boot Camp Coaching (media relations, communication skills, research, content management and content planning) | Media Training | Social Media Masterclass
Content Creation:
Social Media | Design | Infographics | Podcasts & Vodcasts | Webinars | Advertorials | Internal Communication | Collateral Development/Marketing Communications
Event Management:
Roadshows | Launches | Conferences & Exhibitions
Brands that have trusted us
Career experience
Y&R SA • TBWAHuntLascaris • Standard Bank • SA Fashion Week • Vodacom • Team Barloworld • John Deere • Aqua Online • Wunderman • Nampak • N3TC • Adcock Ingram • Synectics • SABC (Corporate) • Sony • ITEC • Kemtek • Kelly • Sub Urban Films • Brother SA • Ericsson • International Hotel School • Taxifone • Tiger Wheel & Tyre • Pouyoukous Foods • Times Media Publishing • Nando’s • Cellfind & iFind • Clover Mama Afrika • Imperial Fleet Services • Coca-Cola Light • Switch Design • Corenza Para-C (Adcock) • Russian Bear • Lipton Ice Tea • Safety Lab
Testimonials
Michelle’s Brandfundi isn’t just another PR agency.
When we launched a technically complex product into the SA market, Michelle spent hours by our side learning about the technical details of our product and devised ways for us to talk about our own technology in simple, understandable terms. Brandfundi understands tech.
If you’re a tech company that needs help getting your brand out and understood, Brandfundi is one of the best in the business!
Llew Morkel
Founder, CEO at Fraxeum Foundation
Michelle Cave is a sure thing. She optimises integrity, professionalism and intelligence. She always has the Client’s business and brand’s best interest at heart which might challenge the Client itself but will always prove to serve them in the long run. Michelle has an amazing sense of the horizon or North Star for a Client and steers their business methodically towards it. What I also love is the way she brings the humanness to the fore in presenting a business or brand to its desired market. And when hardship befalls a company there is not better confidant to have at your side guiding you to calmer waters. Steward, custodian, pathfinder are labels that come to mind when I think of Michelle. You will always find her influence going beyond why you hired her in the first place. She is a sure thing…!
Fraser Lamb
Executive Chairman, McCann Worldgroup, Africa
I approached Michelle at Brandfundi as she came highly recommended. She was contracted to create a burst of awareness for my agency, and help to position it as the one of the country’s largest, black creative agency’s. And she did not disappoint. Michelle achieved quality editorial results quickly within the three-month campaign, and was reliable, professional and great to work with. She has vast knowledge of this industry’s media and her exposure to opportunities is impressive. I would personally recommend Brandfundi based on her results-driven approach and likeable character.
Monalisa Sibongile Zwambila
CEO, Riverbed
Michelle partnered with our agency to manage our PR for around two years. Our working relationship only ended as a result of an acquisition that created duplicate services. Working with Michelle was easy. She pays excellent attention to detail and always delivers on time. Furthermore, her experience and strong media relationships in our industry were a valuable asset to our team and helped us raise our profile significantly over the period.
Mathew Weiss
Managing Director Superunion
This testimonial serves to confirm that Michelle Cave, trading as Brandfundi, was employed by myself as MD of Ikineo in August 2015 to create a PR communications strategy for the business.
Michelle and her comprehensive planning and implementation were key components of us being able to create positive PR for the company and key individuals. This enabled us to focus on our core proposition while she managed through a seamless and competent strategy to:
- Grow awareness of our business offering amongst perspective client resulting on enhanced pitch invitations and business growth
- Reinforce existing clients’ engagement through Brand building strategies
…read more
Debi O’Brien
MD Ikineo Customer Relationship Marketing Agency
Brandfundi has been a major part of our company’s Sub Saharan Africa communication strategy since April 2016.
Besides normal day to day communication, we have had some significant events impact our business, from industry resin shortages to industry strikes. Brandfundi has developed the communication together with our key stake holders, and seen to the successful implementation thereof.
Working with Brandfundi is always professional, and a pleasure.
Sharin Sweet
Head of Sales Sub Saharan Africa ALPLA Trading SA (Pty) Ltd T/A ALPLA South Africa
I contracted Michelle of Brandfundi in 2018 following a request to my business network for a high quality, owner run, bespoke Investor Relations and Communications company. She came highly recommended for my particular requirements. At the time I was co-founder and CEO of UBUCore (Proprietary) Limited, a blockchain based financial services startup founded in 2016 and preparing for a significant multi-market launch, including several digital asset exchange listings. Michelle proved to be as recommended, being highly professional, proactive, extremely punctual and strategic. Given that blockchain financial assets were new to the market, she had a lot to learn in a short timeframe and proved more than equal to the task.
Justin McCarthy
Chief Executive Project Ubu
The best companies are ones that tell you something about your business that you didn’t know or think to profile. I first started working with Michelle Cavé ten years ago at a large Worldgroup Agency where she headed up the PR department. Back then, her strengths were always in strategic deployment of PR disciplines across the agency and elevation Of both the reputation and profiling Of the agency in the network.
Her meticulous and steadfast strategic organisation Of all marketing co-ordination efforts, profiling and thought leadership always ensured that the agency was well positioned in the marketplace.
Caro White
Founding Business Director Shopper Foundry
Having worked with Michelle in both the advertising agency and production house space I can truly attest to her PR and Marketing capabilities on both counts.
Her keen insight into the SA marketing landscape both from a strategic and channels perspective makes her invaluable to any company seeking to grow their presence or embarking on a publicity drive to gain market presence.
Michelle’s ‘always-on’ approach is refreshing and any prospective client will benefit from the passion and fever with which she approaches every facet of a client brief.
Prenneven Govender
Managing Partner Braille Films
I have known and worked with Michelle Cavé for a number of years. Most recently I chose her as a business partner for The Observatory International in RSA. Why? Because I have always been impressed by her dedication, professionalism and knowledge of her specialism. We have not been disappointed. And neither will you!”
John Little
Regional Managing Partner, Middle East & Africa, The Observatory International
Michelle is one of those people I would love to work with more. She’s strategic, professional and she gets an amazing amount done.
Sarah Britten
Strategy Director, Labstore SA
Michelle joined us at a very challenging time for our PR Division. She impressed us with her quick grasp of the issues at hand and also how rapidly she took the helm to steady the ship. Her ability to instill confidence in clients and staff alike, was a great benefit to us. Michelle is an excellent communicator and has a very well developed sense of responsibility. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and I found her to be honest, straightforward, and the ultimate professional. I’d love to work with her again.
Nick Olivier
Chairman, Black Khaki Group
Her relationships with journalists are deep and strong. She is proactive and persuasive. She not only has the relationships and experience, but also strong instincts that make her manage communications thoughtfully and sensitively. She knows how to make the best of good news and how to contain unfavourable stories.
Aviva Ebstein Kroninger
Chief Communications Officer, Y&R Advertising and VML
Let’s start a conversation
This testimonial serves to confirm that Michelle Cave, trading as Brandfundi, was employed by myself as MD of Ikineo in August 2015 to create a PR communications strategy for the business.
Michelle and her comprehensive planning and implementation were key components of us being able to create positive PR for the company and key individuals. This enabled us to focus on our core proposition while she managed through a seamless and competent strategy to:
- Grow awareness of our business offering amongst perspective client resulting on enhanced pitch invitations and business growth
- Reinforce existing clients’ engagement through Brand building strategies
- Continued creation of internal campaigns to facilitate and support staff wellbeing
Michelle was an integral part of the success of the agency, Ikineo for the 2 years I was involved in the business before I left to move to the United Kingdom. Her astute business acumen and ability to engage relevant stakeholder, media and digital channels all combine to build a strong brand message and seamless PR communications solution.
Michelle and Brandfundi will be an asset to any business.
Debi O’Brien
MD Ikineo Customer Relationship Marketing Agency
The best companies are ones that tell you something about your business that you didn’t know or think to profile. I first started working with Michelle Cavé ten years ago at a large Worldgroup Agency where she headed up the PR department. Back then, her strengths were always in strategic deployment of PR disciplines across the agency and elevation Of both the reputation and profiling Of the agency in the network.
Her meticulous and steadfast strategic organisation Of all marketing co-ordination efforts, profiling and thought leadership always ensured that the agency was well positioned in the marketplace.
Engaging with Michelle years later with her own PR company Brand Fundi has proved to be incredibly rewarding and inspiring When I came to Michelle to help launch my new shopper marketing offering, she was instrumental in providing the critical pathway to a retail thought leader to position both the launch offering story, as well package the content to the channels with the most impact.
Part Of her consulting services were to develop the best narrative and ensure that the market offering was clear on our differentiation.
I have always appreciated that Michelle goes the extra mile to connect both the opportunity and space to stand out from the crowd quickly. For me, the Brandi Fundi offering is more than just a marketing PR consultancy, Michelle plays a very active and hands on role in seeking more strategic opportunities to put forward, and is super passionate about profiling for distinction versus just market exposure.
Michelle is also a great sounding board on thought pieces that are better tailored for the challenging climate a business operates in, and is not afraid to challenge a direction that may not be of value to a longer term vision.
Part of the reason I really love working with Michelle is the humility with which she works, and she gives a lot more to every project than you expect. You will always get more value than you probably paid for, which is not often in this business. Hold on!
“The ability to connect opportunities with strategic ways to reconsider how your business is profiled and accelerated is a truth strength of Michelle Cavé and the professionalism offered by Brand Fundi. Going the extra mile is more than the mile, it’s pretty much the whole yard.
Caro White
Founding Business Director Shopper Foundry
I contracted Michelle of Brandfundi in 2018 following a request to my business network for a high quality, owner run, bespoke Investor Relations and Communications company. She came highly recommended for my particular requirements. At the time I was co-founder and CEO of UBUCore (Proprietary) Limited, a blockchain based financial services startup founded in 2016 and preparing for a significant multi-market launch, including several digital asset exchange listings. Michelle proved to be as recommended, being highly professional, proactive, extremely punctual and strategic. Given that blockchain financial assets were new to the market, she had a lot to learn in a short timeframe and proved more than equal to the task. She is well connected and reputed in the financial publishing industry (where we were solely focused) and did a wonderful job of keeping many balls juggling simultaneously as we navigated our way around an unregulated space resulting in multiple changes to strategic and opportunistic thrusts throughout her tenure of about 18 months. Coming from a background in marketing communications, I have owned and run multi-disciplinary service agencies, including investor and public relations firms, and the old adage of what you put in equates to what you get out holds firm. Michelle had a tough task following the incessant changes we faced and never once faltered. That we didn’t use her to capacity was of our own making, and sadly were never able to test her capabilities fully. Michelle is quiet, attentive, discreet and a true professional. That said, she is no pushover and is not an order-taker, but quietly confident, firm and persuasive. She was a genuine pleasure to work with and I would engage her again without hesitation. When you work with Brandfundi, you work with Michelle. That is a rare and valuable asset to any business in a awash with medium and large players where the initial engagement is with the senior partners, whereafter you rarely see them again.
Justin McCarthy
Chief Executive Project Ubu