Before founding the Three Apples Group, he worked in the financial industry. He has more than 10 years of work experience in operations and investment banking. During this period he gained experience in business management.
Fredrick Alban is managing director for Three Apples Group, a business consulting, marketing and digital creative agency in Tanzania.
Before founding the Three Apples Group, he worked in the financial industry. He has more than 10 years of work experience in operations and investment banking. During this period he gained experience in business management.
He has also attended various management skills courses involving business presentation and how to run a company. He shares his experience with Success.
Three Apples Group is a digital design agency based in Dar es Salaam. We specialise in corporate branding, graphic design as well as content management systems.
We also offer a range of web design services including: web development, e-commerce services, SEO services and email marketing. We also offer a range of graphic design services including logo design and exhibition booths.
Why should a company have a branding consultant if they are already working with an advertising agency?
From time to time both will work together for the good of the client. Advertising agencies and brand consultancies both strive to create brand insistence - creating a ‘category of one’ brand with no substitutes. Advertising comes after branding has started.
Traditionally, an advertising agency focuses on promoting brand awareness and recall, concerned with how to convey the brand to the targeted consumers.
Today things have changed, you may have noticed that marketing and advertising are now part of branding and it is the brand consultant you should look for if you want to build a brand. This doesn’t mean it is the end of the advertising agency.
Definitely not, still we need good advertising agencies that promote brand awareness but the process has changed and the advertising agency can no longer be given responsibility for building brands.
Suppose I am starting fashions magazine, how would you help me brand it and reach my target audience?
Branding is one of the most important considerations for a new magazine, whether it is a business, fashion or sports magazine.
We can help you translate fashion into a magazine; our brand consultants can give you advice on a strategy and positioning while our graphic designers will help you with logo design and visual identity.
But also, we will help you with your publication and create an authentic look for your magazine, both print and online. We will closely work with you to define or re-discover exactly what it is that will make it stand out from the crowd.
Our website designer will configure the coding of your online magazine to ensure you can upload pictures and embed videos; and help you with SEO strategies and social networking for you to reach your target audience.
Are Tanzanian companies making use of your services?
Yes, many companies in Tanzania make use of us in many creative works, marketing and distributions. We still have a long way to ensure our client portfolio keeps growing.
Describe the new Tanzanian consumer
Things are changing very fast due to technology. New Tanzanian consumers are well informed and have info at their fingertips. With the fast moving technology and affordable internet access, their choices are wide and their decision is influenced by what is happening in the world.
Therefore branding should not only focus on print but also in social media platforms such as Twitter, facebook, pinit and instagram.
What do you anticipate will be the biggest challenge for you as a managing director?
The role of managing director in any company is a large responsibility.
I am focusing on business growth and see our brand presence across Africa. But I see this as not an easy task, therefore we must focus to alter our current business models to focus on unexpected future trends.
We need to invest in innovations that provide a foundation for the future, while protecting the business from exposure to financial loss.
What are your goals for your agency?
My goal is to see Three Apples Group becoming an award winning creative agency in Africa, this is my biggest goal.
We want to focus on building engaging, accessible and creative digital projects across Africa and being part of the world class creative .
How does this job compare to your childhood dream job?
It’s very much related. I wanted to be a banker; my childhood dream job and my work experience in the bank industry has given me wide experience in running this company.
So in that sense I have gotten the chance to have a go at my dream job and have even gone beyond that.
What do you like most about this career?
What I like about this career is that a lot of it has to do with your personal sense of responsibility.
To be on top of the game, anyone who plans to lead a company must be responsible. This means that you must always be in control and not constantly reacting to events and situations.
