Red & Yellow Marketing Students Tackle Real-World Campaigns with Freddy Hirsch

That philosophy comes to life through an exciting collaboration with Freddy Hirsch, one of South Africa’s most recognisable food and spice brands. Marketing Strategy students from our BCom Marketing and BA Visual Communication degrees were challenged to develop brand strategies and campaigns for several Freddy Hirsch sub-brands, giving students the chance to apply their creativity and strategic thinking to a live client brief.

Learning Marketing by Doing

At Red & Yellow, students are immersed in practical work from the very beginning of their studies. Rather than waiting until graduation to engage with businesses, students collaborate with real companies throughout their academic journey, gaining hands-on experience that prepares them for the realities of the creative and marketing industries.

The Freddy Hirsch project is a perfect example. Students have been tasked with unpacking the challenges and opportunities facing Freddy Hirsch’s newer and emerging sub-brands. Their goal is to think strategically about how to position these products, connect with consumers and ultimately get them onto retail shelves.

“We've put together some interesting challenges for Red & Yellow's students. We've given them one or two brands that have just launched, and asked them how they'd get it to their consumer and on the shelves.” – Freddy Hirsch’s Group Head of Marketing, Clive Moore.

For students, projects like this offer something incredibly valuable: the opportunity to present ideas to experienced industry professionals while gaining insight into how established brands think and operate.

Behind the Scenes at Freddy Hirsch

As part of the collaboration, Marketing Strategy students were invited to tour Freddy Hirsch’s business operations and facilities, led personally by Clive Moore and National Warehouse & Logistics Manager, Wayde Springleer

The visit gave students a rare behind-the-scenes look into the scale and complexity of a national food brand, from production processes and logistics to product development and marketing strategy. More importantly, it allowed students to engage directly with the people behind the brand and ask questions about the realities of growing and sustaining a business in a competitive market.

Experiences like this form a key part of Red & Yellow’s learning approach. Students are exposed to the people, environments and challenges that define the industries they want to enter.

Building these connections early also gives students a major advantage when it comes to networking and future career opportunities. By working with businesses throughout their studies, Red & Yellow students begin developing professional relationships long before they graduate.

A Brand Built on More Than Products

Part of the project also involved understanding the rich history behind Freddy Hirsch itself.

The Freddy Hirsch story began with servicing scales for butcheries, but the business quickly recognised that its customers needed far more than just weighing equipment. Over time, Freddy Hirsch expanded its offering to include everything from butchery equipment and machinery to spices, seasonings and food solutions, evolving into the trusted brand it is today.

That evolution has taught the company an important lesson about branding: products can be copied, but strong brands are far harder to replicate.

“It’s easy to copy a recipe. We are about building a brand that can’t be replicated – backing the Springboks and Bafana Bafana. We ask ourselves how to continue growing our brand,” says Moore.

For Red & Yellow students, hearing directly from a brand leader about these challenges and strategies provided invaluable insight into the role marketing plays in long-term business success.

The Power of Storytelling in Marketing

One of the key themes discussed during the project was the importance of storytelling and emotional connection in building consumer trust.

“How you tell your story and how you get your brand across is a big differentiator. If people link you to the Springboks, there’s trust,” Moore explains.

These are the kinds of conversations that bring marketing theory to life. Students are able to see how concepts like brand positioning, emotional resonance, and consumer perception influence real-world business decisions.

And for Red & Yellow’s BA Visual Communication students, the project also highlighted the powerful relationship between strategy and creativity, demonstrating how visual storytelling and branding work together to shape consumer experiences.

Building Future-Ready Marketers

Projects like the Freddy Hirsch collaboration reflect Red & Yellow’s broader commitment to preparing students for the future of work.

For Red & Yellow students, opportunities like this prove that learning extends far beyond the classroom. It’s about gaining access to industry leaders, understanding how businesses operate, and developing the skills and networks needed to thrive in competitive creative industries.

And that’s exactly what makes Red & Yellow one of the first choices for students looking to build careers in marketing, branding and creative business.