Group President of Blue Beat Digital, Barry Taitz began his journey in South Africa as a one-man operation with a sprinter, going door to door, selling mobile SIM cards and importing accessories and items from China for the South African alternative and rural markets.
Despite his humble beginnings in a small suburb of Cape Town, Barry has always used his initiative and been resourceful. He has the courage and grit to go out and do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. He believes that empowering and enhancing the lives of others, is the key to success and wealth creation.
Blue Beat Digital
The USA business started as a digital marketing and e-commerce company supplying and distributing some of the world’s most recognized mobile accessory brands under their umbrella on various 3rd party platforms such as Amazon. Blue Beat Digital also developed a range of its own affordable accessories such as cables, wireless chargers, power banks etc. In 2019/2020, Blue Beat Digital was awarded the fastest growing business customer on Amazon. When Covid hit Blue Beat Digital was able to use its online presence to sell hugely demanded PPE items on Amazon and went on to develop its own specialized website for these items.
Barry refers to it as “Thriving on the opening of digital doors, whether it be third party e- commerce sites or your own digital platform with the application of very different and unique marketing techniques. The objective is to capture the customer, and the brand essence on all the different platforms.”
As a leader in the mobile distribution industry, the company is continuously looking for common ground between the organization and its customers, intending to create a sense of unity and a dream team environment. Through focus, intention setting, and cutting out the mental clutter, they can work towards being more efficient and effective, which increases their ability to achieve the company’s objectives, goals, and targets.
As CEO
Barry is a well-recognized entrepreneur, innovator, and change agent who has not only built some innovative business ideas but has also pushed and transformed the global economy for the better with his experience in distribution into untapped/rural markets. Barry relates to entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk and Branson that started out just like him, which encouraged him to broaden his worldwide business vision for the telecom/mobile sector.
“Anyone with grit and determination can undoubtedly change the world”. According to Barry, as a CEO, you are frequently in the spotlight and expected to provide direction, leadership, and inspiration, so there is little room for error. Knowing this, he no longer sees his errors as failures, but rather as opportunities to learn and develop. To meet some of his challenges as a CEO, he has realized that setting limits is critical to have the energy and time to focus on the company’s goals and stay ahead of the innovation curve.
“One of the benefits of being a CEO is that you are your own boss and may make your own decisions. Being at the forefront of Blue Beat Digital allows me to let my creative energy flow freely while having fun and trying new things”, explains Barry.
“I feel that having wealth enhances who you are; the more wealth and abundance I create, the more I can serve others, and the very opportunity to give and choose who I help and empower every day makes me a better person, and that is the ultimate measure of my success”. Barry has been driving the organization to new heights with his determination.
Thriving During the Pandemic
The epidemic hit the world with a blow not long after the company established itself as an online distributor with its warehouse based in California as part of its initial plan. To sustain themselves in the pandemic, Blue Beat Digital had to pivot and diversify from its core focus as a pre-paid sim-card and mobile accessory distributor, adapting to become a resourceful PPE distribution company, delivering medical supplies like face masks, face shields, gloves, hand sanitizer, thermometers, and more right to the doorsteps of Americans across the country.
“In the aftermath of Covid, we needed to expand our wholesale web inventory, offering large selections and special rates for medical facilities and enterprises,” says Barry. With the outbreak of the pandemic, the company focused on getting the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to people in a timely manner, overcoming hurdles, and fulfilling urgent orders.
As an immigrant, he felt it was his responsibility to use his global network to improve the lives of Americans. “If you want to make a difference in the world and you have the capacity, resources, and cash to do so, your superpower as an entrepreneur can be used to set an example of choosing to put people before profit.”
At the time, Blue Beat Digital launched a “million mask contribution challenge,” which received tremendous support and was a great success. The company invited all distributors in and around California to make Blue Beat their major supplier of PPE. Blue Beat Digital also endeavored to donate masks to hospitals and health care organizations in need.
To remain a success, Barry and his team believe in developing connections centered on helping local and small businesses. For future commercial dealings, this translates into a trusted relationship with wholesalers and customers alike.
Significance of Innovation
Barry believes, “Innovate or you die.” The team likes to be at the pulse of innovation and is always looking to improve. Barry mentions, “we give others the opportunity to model what we’ve done in other trialed and tested markets”, and in fact, a failure resulting from thoughtful experimentation that generates valuable information can also provide a positive outcome.
He further adds “We experiment with new technology, new distribution channels, and alternative routes to get stock out every day. We listen to our customer network who are looking to grow and experiment with new offerings. As a result, everyone is given a chance and we are always open to new experiences.”
Each Monday morning, Barry communicates with his global team. “Every week, we re-set, re-adjust and re-focus where the business needs to, so that we can stay ahead of our competitors,” he says. “We’re continually evolving and changing.”
Understanding the Market
Blue Beat has made it a point to master the art of capturing and retaining their consumers’ attention by identifying and grasping how to interact with them and, as a result, transforming them from a one-time buyer to a loyal client with reduced churn and longevity, and hence a greater ROI.
Barry finds that everything is achievable when you understand how to impact your market positively and ethically. It all starts with your capacity to catch the customer’s attention by cutting through the noise and developing and altering mindsets from the norm.
“We think that today’s version of consumer influence is the ability to feel and experience the brand, and to transcend beyond the constraints of reaching a customer.” “One of our fascinating projects is that we are currently sponsors of drifting race events all around the world,” Barry explains. “Being in the heart of the communities, earning their trust, and becoming a part of their culture has enabled us to develop our eagle of freedom and continue to evolve, defend, and future-proof our business, as well as any other brand’s eco-system.”
Everything at Blue Beat Digital is measured in terms of ROI. Every week, the team evaluates their performance against the planned projection to see if they are meeting or surpassing expectations, and then adjusts or changes the campaign appropriately. To ensure that the business continually exceeds expectations, the marketing spins up or down. There is ongoing engagement with all the clients to ensure that everything is completed. “So, each day, we’re comparing ourselves to a target and a projection,”.
The Motto
For Barry, it’s been an amazing journey as Blue Beat Digital has gone into new markets that have been challenging, learning new ways of thinking and new cultures, but the company has tackled every single challenge. Barry says, “We’ve built solid relationships, put down our roots, and planted trees in Africa because of our sincerity and hard work in empowering communities. The effort and hard work we have put in during uncertain times in the last year, has opened a slew of possibilities for the coming year, and we wish to collaborate with others and share.”
Barry believes that the more individuals the company can empower, the more deals can be made, and the more information can be shared with the rest of the world. His greatest wish for the year 2022 is to share his resources and knowledge with as many businesses as possible.
