A 'diamond' in the marketing industry

A diamond is not only a precious stone; for many, it's also a girl’s best friend.

For mother-and-daughter duo Luzaan Blaauw and Schwané Schumacher, their diamond is Diamond Marketing and Events (DME).

As founders and co-owners of the digital marketing company, the pair started small almost three and a half years ago, offering services to start-ups and emerging businesses.

“We saw a gap in the market and jumped in with both hands and feet,” said Schumacher.

DME specialises in digital marketing, brand building and awareness, website development, event planning and management, and, as of this year, photography and videography.

For Schumacher, nothing quite felt right before DME in terms of her career, so once she and her mother founded DME, everything started to fall into place.

“I have always had an aptitude for creativity and communication, persuasion, and a heart for people. Light bulb: What better combination than helping people and companies start their businesses or excel their existing business by being creative in an era where social media has become the mainstream of information and using the art of persuasion to cultivate business?” Schumacher pointed out.



A perfect pairing

According to Blaauw, working with her daughter is the best decision she could have made. She said the pair works really well together and that her daughter is the best business partner to have in this venture.

However, like any other business, DME has faced its fair share of challenges. One of the challenges was getting started and recognised.

“In a market monopolised by the few marketing firms that were already established at the time, it was a challenge to get DME to become a household name,” Schumacher explained.

Nonetheless, the two persevered and made sure to keep tabs on new developments and to research any impending changes on social media platforms to provide their clients with premium service.

The co-owners’ advice to aspiring youth wanting to build a career in the events and marketing industry is to be bold, brave and believe in yourself.

“A good plan executed violently today is better than a perfect plan executed next week. Stop waiting for the perfect moment, or a sign,” Schumacher said.

She added: "We as Namibians need more people who take leaps of faith, think outside of the box, and ultimately create more job opportunities for their fellow Namibians.”