The prestigious OK Grand Challenge jackpot promotion – an annual shopper’s promotion run by OK Zimbabwe roars to life on the 3rd of June 2023.
Addressing delegates at the Ok Grand Challenge Final Acceptances event at the Borrowdale Racecourse in Harare today, Juliet Ziswa, the Marketing Director of Ok Zimbabwe took participants along the journey of the shopping extravaganza by highlighting that the first edition of the promotion was launched in the month of April 1888 and the promotion is now 35 years in running.
“It started as a 3-year Horse Race Day event for punters before it was subsequently tied to the OK Retail Business The first promotion ran across 6 weeks leading to the Race Day. For a purchase of five Zimbabwean dollars ($5) a customer would receive one of five coupons randomly at each till point
“After 35 years the OK Grand Challenge has grown to be the Biggest Promotional Brand in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa. It has created the largest horse race attendance numbers on the continent and still lives on today as the most anticipated horse race. We shall witness the best quality horses, battling it out on the race course, with the best competitive spirit. Competition forms us, it inspires us and gives us a better world to look forward to,” Ziswa said.
She said the year 2023 is special and described it as a season of happiness that comes with a new OK Stores brand with an incredible positioning that emphasizes happiness.
“It has been called, “My Happy Place.” This is in line with the OK Zimbabwe purpose which says, ‘we exist to make happiness tangible by planting smiles on our employees, our customers, our suppliers, our shareholders and the communities we operate in’. There’s no better way to make our customers happy & delighted than by creating “theaters of happiness” or “happy places”: We do this across our platforms and touchpoints.”
The marketing executive revealed that the retail giant intends to plant smiles on the faces of its employees, and chose to include the customers in the process to make it more participative.
“We said, please recommend the staff members in our stores who have served you well and our customers have done that so well every week till now. We have seen great excitement around this initiative as we have been rewarding a service staff every week of the OK Grand Challenge.
‘Through the partnerships that we have forged over the years, our Supplier partners came ough again this year and ensured that we give The Biggest Savings of the year through discounts that we passed to our customers. They have also contributed over 40 cars that will be won on Race Day. So many smiles will be planted on many fas faces as we have also seen in the past. This day is really about changing lives and giving hope to everyone.”
The OK Zimbabwe customers have had to enjoy weekly prizes in every one of the retail giant’s 52 stores during the OK Grand Challenge. This is over and above the discounts they have been getting on all products participating in the promotion. The Happy Saturdays have also been overwhelmingly successful. Every weekend, customers would be treated to surprise gifts in any of OK Zimbabwe’s 52 stores, a move which left many with hearts full of happiness.
With the OK Zimbabwe community in mind, they started running a “Friends of St Giles” campaign within the OK Grand Challenge to support vulnerable groups, particularly the St Giles Medical Rehabilitation Centre. They were calling upon customers to donate any amount to a Merchant code, for which they would match the donated amount, dollar for dollar.
“We believe that through our wide network, we can be a bigger force for good in the communities that we operate in. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a beautiful time to be alive and to witness another year of history being made and we thank Zimbabweans for the awesome privilege to serve them one more time,” Ziswa added.
Scott Buchan, the Vice Chairman of Mashonaland Turf Club, the owners of the horse-racing, thanked Ok Zimbabwe for partnering their institution over the years. The horse trainers and jockeys promised delegates fireworks in this year’s edition of the OK Grand Challenge Promotion.