Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. Charlene Rolls on editing NewsNow. Trigger Isobar makes many moves. White Star Maize Meal wants agencies to pitch. The Brand ConneXion wins Post Bank. VWV scores for Mercedes Benz. Positive Dialogue wins Spindel. Welcome to the Red Zone. All the moves in media.
Who’s moved where
This week’s BIG move: Charlene Rolls takes over NewsNow
Firstly, congratulations on your appointment. What, to you, are the major challenges of producing a weekly news magazine in a world driven by breaking news every minute of every day, and delivered via multiple online platforms?
We’re constantly bombarded with news and information every day so our challenge is to take that news, analyse it and help you make sense of it. We all want someone to help us find meaning, don’t we? Whether it’s from our friends, our loved ones, our teachers, and our religious organisations. In a world where there are few filters – especially online – we want someone to help us to understand the world in which we live. That’s where NewsNow is right now. We do the reading and searching and filtering and processing of content and present the best of it in a beautiful package.
How is NewsNow’s advertising looking and do you have plans to develop that aspect further?
We are currently looking at innovative ways of reaching out to advertisers. As you’re probably well aware that pie is very, very small and we’re looking at ways in which we can get our slice too – not easy for a fairly new publication with a niche market.
Why the decision to go large with illustrated covers? (I love them.)
Thank you! We’re having so much fun with them. There are so many magazines on our shelves – beautiful, attention-grabbing magazines – so we needed to do something to stand out.
Our illustrated covers also say a bit about who we are – smart, irreverent, sharp and although we’re serious about news we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
What media/apps can you not live without and why?
I’m a big fan of technology so my iPad, cellphone and Kindle are a big part of my life. All my new books are bought on Kindle and I buy international magazines and newspapers on iPad. I read international newspapers on iPad and local ones in print – although I’m preferring the digital versions more and more because they’re easier to read.
I prefer to read the print versions of magazines though – curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and a mag is not quite the same with an iPad! And I do love magazines. I read so many – some for work, some for pleasure but I get something out of every magazine that crosses my path (even if it’s to see what not to do).
The apps I use most on my phone: Facebook, Twitter and Accuweather (a MUST if you live in Cape Town!). If I didn’t consume as much news through the many publications we have in the NewsNow office I suspect I would use more of the news apps I’ve downloaded but rarely use.
Your vision for where you’ll be in five years?
In this day and age it’s hard to say where you’ll be. I’ve learnt in this industry nobody can predict where he or she’ll be in the next five months much less the next five years.
New appointments for Trigger Isobar
Newly appointed CEO from the Isobar network Markus Grannenfelt has announced several new appointments within the media agency. “We have successfully completed the transformation of this formidable agency and aligned the business with the Isobar network. I’m really happy to announce that Willem and the team have managed to attract some of the best talent in the industry to this effect: Marco Russolilllo (formerly Gloo) joined in January as creative director in Cape Town and has since built up a formidable creative team around him.”
In Johannesburg Hanlie Kriel joined Gustav Greffrath as creative director in April. Kriel has 11 years worth of experience at top SA agencies like The Jupiter Drawing Room, DraftFCB, Joe Public and Saatchi & Saatchi, plus two years at a boutique digital agency in London.
Greffrath comments: “The diversity of our team of creative directors enables us to solve communication and business problems for our clients on all fronts. We are already seeing great results since Hanlie and Marco joined the team and our recent client acquisitions are testament to this.”
New board appointment at Isilumko
Brendan Powell has been appointed director of Isilumko – incorporating Isilumko Media, Isilumko Staffing and Studentwise – an appointment that is effective immediately. As general manager of Isilumko Media for the last four years, the below-the-line activations and experiential media arm of the group, he will remain actively involved in the running of the business and will serve on the board for the group.
Powell has been with Isilumko Media since 2008 and says, “I am delighted at this opportunity and look forward to the challenge ahead, with the significant momentum we have built over the last three years we are excited for the future. Isilumko is a solid performing business with a great future.”
Powell has a deep-seated passion for people and has strong strategic business acumen. He is widely regarded and acknowledged as an expert on the subject of experiential activations.
What’s out there
White Star Super Maize Meal announces creative agency pitch
South Africa’s favourite maize meal brand, White Star, is undertaking a creative agency pitch.
“One of the ingredients in White Star’s recipe for success is its young, modern character. As such, it’s important that we keep our creative concepts fresh and innovative.,” says Sasko Grain marketing manager, Danie Bower says. “We are inviting our incumbent agency, and a small selection of other creative, mid-size, agencies to pitch for the opportunity to work on the next exciting phase of our brand journey.”
“We will be appointing a vibrant agency that has an understanding of the cultural dynamics of the mid-LSM market, can provide strategic input, and has strong capabilities in both the above and below-the-line design space.”
Who’s won what
Post Bank selects The Brand ConneXion
The Media Connection’s brand activation specialist, The Brand ConneXion, has been contracted by the South African Post Office to promote its Post Bank accounts and services across South Africa, from June to August.
The Brand ConneXion’s Post Bank road-show commenced in Bushbuckridge on 8 and 9 June, and will visit numerous areas across the country namely Nelspruit, Botshabelo, Phutadidjaba, KwaMashu, Orange Farm, Soweto, Mdantsane, Mokopane, Tzaneen, Giyani and Emalahleni. The last activation will take place in Empangeni on 20 and 21 August 2012.
“The Brand ConneXion provides marketers with extra mileage in the community radio sphere, with branded vehicles that patrol local communities to get consumers to the activation site, and also take the message on air via the local radio station,” explains The Brand ConneXion’s Simon Milne.
Elements of the road show include community radio airtime, a branded gig rig, promotional giveaways, professional MCs and promoters from the local communities.
“Branded promoters and MCs cross live to the local community radio station in each area during the activation, ensuring impressive foot traffic directly to the Post Office in that area,” says Milne. “We are also using local artists from each community to provide even greater entertainment value for consumers.”
Spindel PR campaign awarded to Positive Dialogue
Cape Town-based Positive Dialogue has been awarded a prestigious new client campaign – Spindel: a specialist laundry dryer that has just been launched in South Africa.
Positive Dialogue will be incorporating an integrated approach using traditional PR and digital blogger relations in order to assist Spindel in creating brand awareness, educating the market about the product’s unique benefits and positioning Spindel as a pioneer within its industry.
“Partnering with Positive Dialogue is an important first step in our journey towards positioning Spindel as a trusted household name within South Africa,” says Paul Dimaio, director of Spindel.
VWV Appointed by Mercedes Benz
Award winning brand experience agency, the VWV Group, was recently appointed to conceptualise and manage the Mercedes Benz AMG stand and hospitality area at the Top Gear Festival in Durban.
Who’s making moves
An exciting new era for Trigger Isobar
For the last four years the Cape Town branch of Trigger Isobar operated as a digital media planning and buying specialist agency, whilst the Johannesburg branch housed all creative, social, content and technology functions. Due to demands in the convergent world, the Cape Town offering has been repositioned to include all services offered in the Johannesburg office.
The Cape Town media offering quickly grew into one of the largest digital media agencies in South Africa with more than 20% of all bought digital media in South Africa originating from Isobar & Aegis Media clients in 2010 and 2011.
“The growth of the Isobar media business over the last four years is testament to the advantages of belonging to the Aegis Media Group. Trigger Isobar effectively became the digital media planning extension for the Aegis Media sister agencies and was soon able to compete with other giants in the industry in terms of buying volumes and publisher negotiations,” says managing director, Willem Van der Merwe.
Recent client wins for the agency include the Baileys Africa digital account, Wild Fruit Juice, Nike Retail, Nokia Content and the Nokia East Africa social media business.
Say hello to The Red Zone
Finally, “after abusing, cajoling and lightly caning our IT team, wwww.theredzone.co.za, SA’s newest marketing, advertising and media website is live and in test phase”.
The site replaces the bi-monthly Journal of Marketing that The Future Group stopped producing two months ago.
“We’re well aware that the media website space is crowded, but if you’re looking for some thought-provoking insight and new ideas, move your mouse in our direction, give us a test and let us know,” says Jeremy Maggs.
Take a look at www.theredzone.co.za
Talk2Us launches Interaction Academy courses
To meet the demand for more face-to-face communication between leadership and staff in businesses across Africa, Talk2Us has developed a detailed Interaction Academy to help facilitate quality interactions between stakeholders.
The Academy consists of over 40 specialist courses ranging from How to Handle Difficult Conversations, Change Management, Conflict in the Workplace, Generational Communication, Business Writing Skills, The Art of Influence, and others.
“It’s not the interaction itself that matters – it’s how you deliver it, and the perception you leave with others: is it positive or negative? Would they remember the interaction with pleasure, or simply dismiss it and forget it? says Linda Hamman, CEO of Talk2Us.
“These interactions depend on your understanding of the mechanics of communication, how best to apply them and deliver an influential interaction with an outcome that is powerful and positive, which will lead to the next positive interaction.”
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