How Bloem Plaza grew foot traffic by 20% in January on R42K
January is usually a quiet month for retail. The festive rush is over, wallets are tighter, and foot traffic drops. Bloem Plaza decided not to accept the slowdown.
With only R42 600 to spend, the team launched Tlisa Book’a Tseo! — a back-to-school campaign built almost entirely on partnerships.
The idea was simple
Spend R300 or more anywhere in the mall and your child gets five schoolbooks covered for free at a dedicated station inside the centre. Practical. Useful. Exactly what parents need in January.
To turn a useful service into something people would talk about, Bloem Plaza brought in partners who added real weight:
- SuperSport provided sponsorship and media exposure worth R250 000, generating an estimated R750 000 in PR value
- Marumo Gallants FC sent five players to meet shoppers and help at the activation
- Bon Hotel sponsored a lunch experience as a campaign prize
- Mr Central SA supported the day while raising awareness for the Men Against GBV initiative
Suddenly a book-covering station became a proper community event.
What happened next
Families came. Football fans came. People stayed longer, spent more, and left with covered books and a good story. Social media content and partner amplification carried the campaign far beyond the mall’s doors.
The results
Every target was beaten:
- R800 000 in added partnership value
- 9% increase in turnover year-on-year (target was 5%)
- 20% increase in foot traffic year-on-year (target was 1%)
- 169 911 social media reach
- 58 000 Facebook Reel views
- 13 714 Instagram Reel views
The wrap it all up
Great marketing is rarely about bigger budgets. It’s about smarter collaboration.
With a modest R42 600 and the right partners, Bloem Plaza turned a practical back-to-school offer into R800 000 of value — in simpler terms, for every R1 spent, they generated roughly R18.80 in partnership value — and delivered growth that most centres only dream of in January. A strong example of how strategic partnerships can amplify a campaign and create real impact for both the mall and its community.
