TOUCAN, an agency which partners with its clients to plan and execute interactive advertising and social media strategies, signalled its entry into the Guyanese market by hosting a complimentary breakfast seminar at Pegasus Hotel, in Kingston,  Georgetown, on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media, the Managing Director, Mr. Douglas Ames, said the entity decided to enter the local scene because of the business opportunities available and the belief that it can do a lot of good work here.
He expressed the view that the Guyanese marketplace is growing and the outlook for the economy is positive, since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected a growth rate of six percent in 2014, which is great, considering the state of other economies around the world.
Ames said his is an international agency with Caribbean routes and there is a lot of synergy, between Guyana and the Caribbean islands, where it wants to tap into new markets.
According to him, what sets his agency apart from its competitors is that its small team, of about 55 persons, are present internationally, allowing for leverage of resources from other offices.
He said that gives them a global perspective in order to plan campaigns and determine how they should be structured, based on the clients’ target market.
In addition, Ames explained that another element which sets them apart from their competition is their pay for performance model, which fits into the current trend of the rapidly advancing social media and Internet advertising which makes some persons fearful to invest money in it.
He said the pay for performance approach, which aims to remove this fear, allows persons to make payments of only a percentage of the agreed amount in case of failure but obligates them to make full payment once the target is met.
Monthly spend
This facility is available to all clients who list Toucan as their interactive advertising agency of record and this requires a minimum monthly spend, said the company’s brochure.
According to Ames, as a result of their introduction to Guyana, they are hoping to achieve economies of scale for businesses in the country by using the agency as a means to acquire new markets in other Caribbean islands.
He said, the interest expressed in Guyana, so far, has been good and he is thoroughly impressed with the level of service received since they have not encountered any challenges in setting up the business.
Ames said he is interested in but not limited to medium to large businesses, as they are able to operate more effectively with a higher budget.
About the tourism industry locally, Ames said he would like to see more online advertising and marketing of the product, which he describes as a unique one.
He said, once it is established that there is business interest in Guyana for them, they will open a local office and staff recruited here will be sent for training, which includes participation in international seminars to learn about interactive advertising and marketing.
Ames announced that, within the next two to three months, they will be staging a programming competition where young and upcoming software developers would be encouraged to submit their concepts and ideas before a judging panel and have the opportunity to gain employment at Toucan and win cash prizes.
The interactive session yesterday included discussions on the world of social media and online advertising; how to convert fans to sales; how to effectively build brand awareness; best practices and how to start a successful online ad campaign.
Among those who participated in the seminar were representatives from Car Care Enterprise, Republic Bank, Scotiabank and Courts (Guyana) Limited.
With offices in Dubai, India, Kenya and the Caribbean, Toucan has a unique perspective on how to approach advertising in local, regional and international markets and engage with an online audience.
Toucan handles social media for clients such as Caribbean Airlines, Digicel and all of COURTS regional branches.
The agency was incorporated in Dubai and offers advice on Internet Advertising & Marketing, Online Consumer Engagement, Web Design and Publishing, Search Engine Optimisation and overall campaign management to businesses in emerging markets.