SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY | COMMUNITY MARKETING | HOSPITALITY CONTENT
Executive Snapshot
From 2016 to 2024, I managed brand strategy, creative direction and marketing communication for IT Corner Melville.
The Johannesburg business combined a non-alcoholic café and Mediterranean eatery with free Wi-Fi, study space, printing, copying and IT support. Its audience included students, professionals, remote workers and local patrons.
Facebook was the primary channel because it matched the audience and community focus. Content was cross-posted to Instagram, while WhatsApp supported direct promotions, customer contact and delivery marketing.
The Communication Challenge
IT Corner offered several services under one roof. Without a clear strategy, the business could appear fragmented rather than useful.
The content needed to market food and hospitality while explaining the value of Wi-Fi, workspace, printing and technology support. It also needed to reflect Melville’s informal, culturally varied and humorous character.
My Role
As owner of Design Simplified, I led the client relationship for eight years. My responsibilities covered brand strategy, creative direction, content planning, copywriting and social media management.
I also guided menus, promotional material, in-store communication, staff brand understanding and the website. This connected marketing with the customer experience.
The Community Content Response
I built the social media voice around three themes: food, useful services and local personality.
Food posts promoted meals, coffee and offers. Service content positioned the venue as a place to work, study, print, connect and receive IT support. Humour gave the brand a familiar voice that reflected its patrons.
Facebook carried community information, conversation and promotions. Instagram extended selected visual content. WhatsApp provided a direct route for enquiries, menu sharing and delivery orders. The website brought the full offer together.
COVID-19 Continuity
When restaurant closures began in 2020, the business needed to move from venue-led hospitality to home delivery.
Design Simplified continued providing strategy and marketing support at no charge. We kept communication active, promoted delivery menus and explained how customers could order from home.
This maintained brand continuity when silence could have weakened customer connection.
Business and Brand Value
The eight-year programme positioned IT Corner as more than a café. It communicated a community hub where hospitality, work and practical support met.
What This Project Demonstrates
Long-term brand management, hospitality marketing, Facebook strategy, Instagram content, WhatsApp marketing, community engagement, copywriting, creative direction, website communication and crisis response.
View the Creative Work
Group the posts that show friendship, local culture, warmth, coffee rituals, and the social atmosphere of the café. These help establish emotional connection and neighborhood relevance.
This cluster should showcase how food and promotional offers were marketed in a way that still felt aligned to the broader brand voice. Rather than generic specials, the posts used warmth, humor, and visual storytelling to make everyday offers feel engaging and relevant.
Cluster the posts focused on students, remote workers, books, laptops, productivity, and the “office away from office” idea. This is one of the strongest strategic differentiators and should be a clear section.
Group together the IT, copy center, printing, and business-support visuals. This shows the brand’s unusual hybrid model and makes the strategy feel commercially smart.
Finish with special offers, Valentine’s promotions, January promotions, holiday posts, and campaign-driven visuals. This shows flexibility within the system and how the brand stayed culturally current.