How did it all start?
The company was founded in 2005 by David van der Walt in Johannesburg, South Africa. He saw an opportunity to create the type of company that he would like to work for. This company had to have a light footprint, be geographically mobile, adapt easily to market changes and talk directly to the needs of clients.
It had to drop the use of technical marketing terminology, while still being cutting-edge in the background. It had to use a mix of closely related services and apply those towards one central goal; Empowering entrepreneurs to create successful businesses, thereby improving the South African economy and the quality of life of all South Africans.
Cognite is a cloud-based company
Cognite has been a cloud-based company since it started 17+ years ago. This Work-From-Home team distribution has become very popular during and after the Covid-19 spread of 2020. Our traditional center has always been Fourways in Johannesburg North. We have assisted clients all around the globe from Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia to Australia.
We specifically chose to be cloud-based for these great reasons:
- Traffic is boring
A person spends an average of 31.5 hours sitting in traffic. That’s almost 4 complete business days. We would rather let our team members spend that time with their families and recharging their creative batteries. We work to live, not the other way around. This extra time is great for morale and relaxation. - Travel is dangerous and pollutes
Not having to travel to work reduces the risk of accidents, injury, insurance claims and the massive impact that internal-combustion vehicles have on our environment. - No Seat Fillers
Being in your own environment allows you to be more productive. We work on results, not time spent in an office chair. - Being Responsible
We are all quarantined. If someone gets sick, there won’t be a risk of infecting others in the company. This keeps the company running efficiently and keeps people healthy. - Connected at the hip
Online collaboration platforms and high-speed internet connections means that we can stay in touch continuously with each other and our clients, locally and internationally. - Migration Friendly
Team members could move around the country with minimal impact on the company’s efficiency. This also means that we can include personnel from far flung regions and they could seamlessly slot into our modular structure.
What values drives us?
- Practicality
We talk straight and action quickly. - Guidance
We guide our clients on the best option for their goal and budget. We also write weekly articles for entrepreneurs and SME business owners, informing them of new marketing possibilities. - Transparency
All source files, content, account profiles and campaigns created for you, belongs to you. We have full transparency on why we should do something, how it should be done and what have been done. - Clear Communication
We are great communicators. We are clear about the information that we need, making sure that it is sent in time and following up on the responses. We do not leave anything up to assumption. If you do assume anything, please contact us to confirm. - Low Risk
Our Marketing Retainer is a month-to-month service and can be cancelled at any time. It is our responsibility to keep on performing for us to keep the retainer moving forward.
What type of company would be a perfect fit for Cognite?
We love to work with companies that have these sets of features:
- Small To Medium Business
Although our individual services are available to large brands, our main marketing focus is around small to medium companies. - Clear Communication
We love to work with clients that pay attention to the details, ask us questions if they don’t understand and have proper availability. We are there to move a project forward and we ask our clients to keep up. - Understanding the need to market
A lot of companies that come to us say that they used to get a lot of sales, either through word of mouth or repeat business, but that it slowed down over the last year or two. That would not sustain a company. You would need to actively improve your corporate identity, your message, call to action and then put it in front of those that have never heard of you. - Properly allocated marketing budget
A good marketing budget is between 5% to 9% Gross. You would need this to keep your market share or grow. Generally, most companies under-allocate, but will increase allocation when the ROI potential becomes clear.
Meet some of the brands that we have worked with.
How did others experience Cognite?
“Cognite listens well and delivers at the pace I work with! Well done!”
Nomvula Kungwane, Khweza Engineering Projects Construction
“Thanks so much for great service, no, excellent service, the professional manner it was handled,
the courtesy to let me know what will work and what not.”
Suzette Truter – CieSoft
“Cognite has understood my needs, my vision, and made it reality,
while guiding me through the whole design process.”
Cecil de Jongh, Soco Dance Studios
“We cannot express how pleased we are with the level of professionalism,
creativity, level of service and end results that was delivered.”
Nosipho, Interactive Research And Development SA
“Thank you so much for all the hard work. I thought I could design my own brand logo
until you showed me what you propose and it completely blew my mind.”
Sandile, Indalomed
“Thanks Cognite for the amazing service; helpful advice and excellent customer service!”
Esta Rademeyer, ABC Personnel
“My experience with Cognite has been outstanding.
It could be the best I’ve received from any of our service providers to date.”
Leroy, Geeks N Nerds Records
“Cognite was just phenomenal in handling my needs.
Very efficient, communicates timeously and excellent turnaround time.”
Zuza Ndlovu, Cafe Afromeat
