The Media Online’s weekly round up of moves in media. Bruce Burgess to leave Posterscope. Donald Clarke joins Rapid Blue. Jake Bester joins Dalmatian as executive creative director. Gwen Ngwenya to take up post in political arena. Rekha Sohun joins Emperors Palace as new Hospitality GM. Hansgrohe appoints The Lime Envelope as PR agent for Africa. New website and media intelligence solutions from Newsclip. G&G Digital launches breakthrough photography and videography services. CNN and Dangote Industries deepen partnership with new TV brand campaign. Illovo appoints Boomtown for consumer research project. Google-Getty deal is good, but more needs to be done. Cassim’s Kitchen brings unique listening experience to 5FM fans. Etiket takes silver at Midas Awards.
This week’s BIG move: Bruce Burgess to leave Posterscope
Group managing director for Posterscope Sub-Saharan Africa, Bruce Burgess, will be leaving the out-of-home communications agency at the end of this month.
Burgess, whose name is synonymous with Posterscope having been there for the past nine and a half years, explains the reason for him leaving, “I have achieved all of the goals that I set out when I took over Posterscope SA from a personal growth, business positioning and commercial performance perspective, so the time has come for me to move on.”
During his time at the agency, Burgess held a number of positions, starting out as OOH strategist in October 2008, before being promoted to OOH Development Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa for Aegis Media two years later. A stint as Development Director for Sub-Saharan Africa for Posterscope followed, before he was moved to his current role.
Along with these role changes, Burgess has seen the agency grow, develop and evolve as well, particularly over the last two years. “The real shift in strategy has been to position ourselves as location experts, rather than just an OOH/billboard agency, which has enabled us to move to profitability and we are still enjoying a great client winning streak,” he explains.
“We have invested heavily in new tools and data, and have adopted a culture of learning and innovation. The staff teams have really upskilled themselves all round and have demonstrated that they can drive the new proposition from the bottom up.”
Burgess is confident that he is leaving a business which is “primed for rapid growth and positioned to lead the marketplace” with a team that is “highly motivated, uniquely skilled and is attracting even more talent at present”. His parting message to the team? “Keep challenging the status quo as a business, and keep challenging yourselves to avoid being comfortable.”
He has no professional ventures lined up after his departure commenting, “You only live once, so I am taking some time off to travel, surf and work out what professional challenge I will pursue next.”
The 2017/2018 SA Freelance Media Industry and Rates Survey is live!
This is a critical tool to gather relevant information on the sector and most importantly, to assess current rates trends which we believe will help set the financial parameters for freelancing businesses.
We estimate that the survey will take around 15 minutes to complete. When you have some quiet time, grab your favourite beverage and please go to https://bit.ly/2C24Nwe
Your input and time is greatly appreciated.
All comments are welcome at survey@safrea.co.za.
People moves
Donald Clarke joins Rapid Blue
Television production company, Rapid Blue, has announced that Donald Clarke, Executive Producer and founder of production company, Lucky Bean, will be joining the Rapid Blue team as Commercial Director and executive producer.
In 2016, BBC Worldwide invested in Rapid Blue, which is recognised as the company of choice for producing many international formats and has garnered some of the most prestigious awards in the local and international arena, from SAFTAS to IEMMYS. Over the years, Rapid Blue has produced a range of hit television series including BBC Worldwide’s The Great South African Bake Off, Come Dine With Me South Africa and Strictly Come Dancing as well as others including SA’s Got Talent, Is’thunzi, The X Factor, Four Weddings and Pawn Stars to name but a few.
Duncan Irvine, CEO of Rapid Blue, said, “We are delighted that Donald has agreed to join us at Rapid Blue as he brings deep experience of producing award-winning content in South Africa and across the continent, including some of the world’s most recognisable formats as well as compelling, original shows and branded entertainment. Donald’s first job out of university was with Rapid Blue and so we have a long-established relationship with him.”
Jake Bester joins Dalmatian as executive creative director
Ad industry heavyweight Jake Bester has recently been appointed as partner and executive creative director (ECD) at Dalmatian Advertising.
Bester has 18 years of creative experience to his name, starting with an 11-year stint at Ogilvy Cape Town and most recently as ECD at Publicis Machine, where he helped build the agency from it’s inception in 2009. He is well known for his work on blue-chip brands such as Red Bull, Volkswagen, SAB, Adidas and Nando’s and has been the recipient of numerous local and international awards.
Bester joins at a time when the Dalmatian is enjoying exceptional growth, with a number of exciting new client gains in the last few months.
Gwen Ngwenya to take up post in political arena
The IRR has announced that its COO, Gwen Ngwenya, is to take up a post in the political arena. Ngwenya has been appointed as the Democratic Alliance’s new head of policy, and is to be sworn in as an MP.
IRR CEO, Frans Cronje, said: “Gwen is a formidable individual with a deep commitment to the success of our country. She will play a very important role in restoring public confidence in Parliament.”
Rekha Sohun joins Emperors Palace as new Hospitality GM
Emperors Palace has announced the appointment of Rekha Sohun as the resort’s new general manager of hospitality. Sohun brings a wealth of experience to her new role, having held numerous senior positions at various hotel groups across southern Africa, including the role of general manager at a range of prominent star rated hotels in Johannesburg.
At Emperors Palace Sohun is responsible for leading and providing strategic support to all hospitality departments to ensure guests enjoy consistently memorable experiences at The Palace of Dreams.
She will also oversee the hotels’ management teams, whilst working closely with various stakeholders to maintain service standards, best practices, operating controls, policies and procedures.
Business moves
Hansgrohe appoints The Lime Envelope as PR agent for Africa
The Lime Envelope has announced that the organisation has been appointed as the PR agency for Hansgrohe Africa.
The agency team will be responsible for the development and execution of PR campaigns and media relations for Hansgrohe Africa, with a focus on generating increased brand awareness.
As part of the internationally active Hansgrohe Group, Hansgrohe Africa is a leading innovator in technology and design across the globe.
“We are honoured to be involved in the South Africa operation of such a reputable international company. Not only are the products world class, the fact that the company is so passionate about enjoying the beauty of water in a responsible manner, is wonderful” says Sarah Martin – Agency Director of The Lime Envelope.
New website and media intelligence solutions from Newsclip
It’s a New Year and a new phase of Newsclip Media Monitoring’s (Newsclip) development. The media intelligence company has transformed its solutions by implementing artificially intelligent technology. In line with this new step, Newsclip has relaunched its website.
The new website provides in-depth details about these services, which includes media monitoring of print, broadcast, online and social media channels. Newsclip also provides advert monitoring and media coverage reporting services, amongst other offerings.
“The website’s new look showcases our ever-evolving solutions,” says Catherine Dabbs, a representative of Newsclip. “We continue to expand what our products can do so that our clients always have access to cutting-edge technology.”
With this technology, Newsclip is responding to the demands for smarter media monitoring tools. AI technology powers Newsclip’s media insights for brands
“With these new AI-powered features, we provide brands, businesses and organisations with instant insights into their media coverage,” says Dabbs. “Our team is closely involved in every step of making this happen, from training our Data Engine to producing in-depth analysis of the insights this system delivers.”
G&G Digital launches breakthrough photography and videography services
G&G Digital has officially launched photography and videographic services that break through the noise and hit the creative and strategic mark for clients. The dedicated content team aims to create images and video that drives action with engaging rich media for use across all digital channels.
The G&G studio consists of first-rate camera and lighting equipment and post-production facilities. G&G offers everything from brand narratives and animations to corporate videos. The team manages the full production spectrum from concept and scripting, to directing, cinematography and post-production.
G&G are passionate about creating images that not only meet, but surpass its client’s brief. With state-of-the-art photographic equipment, experienced in-house photographers offer high quality lifestyle, product, portrait and social photography that best represents the brand. The team is also proficient in post-production editing and re-touching.
Illovo appoints Boomtown for consumer research project
With proven expertise within the FMCG sector, the Boomtown strategy department is working on market research into the main markets for the popular brand.
“We’re familiar with the FMCG markets across various African nations, and have worked with multiple household brands,” said Stuart Innell, Boomtown lead strategist. “The entire team is incredibly excited to be working with another iconic South African brand and forming a long-term relationship.”
CNN and Dangote Industries deepen partnership with new TV brand campaign
CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) and Dangote Industries are expanding their long-term partnership by renewing Dangote’s sponsorship within CNN Marketplace Africa, launching a new brand campaign on CNN TV and Digital, and – in a media-first – integrating Dangote Industries with a video series on cinematic storytelling network Great Big Story:
This partnership makes Dangote Industries the first African brand to be part of Great Big Story, which was launched by CNN and Turner in 2015 to tell amazing stories that appeal to today’s global generation of intellectual, curious and connected consumers.
Since launch, Great Big Story has told more than 1 650 original stories from over 95 countries, has over ten million fans around the world and has an average age audience of 29.
Dangote is associated with the Great Big Story series Eyes on Africa, which tells the stories of individuals across the continent making a difference to their community.
All videos are introduced with Dangote Industries branding and use sophisticated data-driven targeting to reach key audiences via social media, Great Big Story’s app and website, and on Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
CNNIC has also extended Dangote Industries’ sponsorship within the continent’s flagship TV business show, CNN Marketplace Africa. Dangote now sponsors Profit Point, a segment within the weekly show which asks business leaders how they achieved success and when their companies reached profitability.
Google-Getty deal is good, but more needs to be done
SAFREA has applauded the partnership between Google and Getty Images that was announced earlier this month with a view to preventing photographic copyright infringement.
The two digital media giants signed an agreement that provides Google with a multi-year licence allowing the use of Getty’s images in its products, with a few conditions attached.
It is hoped that the agreement will go some way towards preventing such piracy, and encourage users to visit the website that a particular image appears on.
While the partnership is a positive step in the direction of building better protection for photographers’ copyright, it is clear that much more needs to be done in the digital realm.
Honouring the rights of media professionals, photographic and otherwise, is still largely the responsibility of the internet user, and piracy remains rampant. With just a few clicks and detours, it is still possible to download copyrighted images – and this needs to be addressed.
SAFREA, as an organisation that includes many freelance photographers, would like to see further steps being taken to uphold copyright online.
Making moves
Nando’s and M&C Saatchi Abel are on a mission to put autocorrect in its place as they invite South Africans to #rightmyname.
In their quest to highlight typically South African challenges, Nando’s, together with its advertising agency M&C Saatchi Abel, have launched #rightmyname in continued effort to contribute to the broader dialogue of South Africa.
“At Nando’s, we’ve always loved celebrating South Africa’s diversity. So when we noticed that after more than 30 years, spellcheck still highlights Nando’s as a mistake, it got us thinking. What about other names in South Africa? Names like Nokuthula, Elodie, Darawees and Tebatso. Why are their names highlighted as mistakes too? Not cool,” says Doug Place, chief marketing officer.
Jake Johnstone, advertising and media manager at Nando’s Southern Africa, agrees. “We started the campaign to address a challenge within the organisation, where South African names – including Nando’s and PERi-PERi were highlighted as errors by spellcheck,” he explains.
He adds that the campaign has now been taken to the public by inviting all South Africans to sign onto rightmyname.co.za, a website where people can add their names to a database that will be made available for download on Human Rights Day, 21 March 2018. The list of names can then be used to update users’ computer dictionaries, so that nobody is made to feel like a mistake again.
Cassim’s Kitchen brings unique listening experience to 5FM fans
As part of 5FM’s continuous strategy to bring youthful South Africans together through the power of music, The Weekender5 presenter Kyle Cassim launched his monthly vlog Cassim’s Kitchen last month. The Facebook Live Stream sees Kyle bring together his two passions – his love for music and food – in one space on the last Thursday of every month between 7pm and 8pm.
The idea was born out of an intimate night with friends, where he cooked and entertained his guests with a live set; Kyle now invites 5FM listeners on a new journey into his kitchen. With invited local guest DJs playing a one hour set live, Kyle has an opportunity to interview his guest while delighting with his culinary ability.
Listeners can expect his next episode this week Thursday, 22 February at 7pm; where Kyle cooks for special guest, legendary dance DJ and music producer Mark Stent.
5FM’s station manager Justine Cullinan says that radio stations are no longer the only space in which you can get your music. “Digital music streaming providers are adept at curating playlists that provide a soundtrack to your mood or an activity that you are engaged in while listening. Cassim’s Kitchen is one of the ways in which 5FM is responding to changing behaviour in terms of how South Africans consume and experience music. This Facebook Live Stream gives the 5FM community an opportunity to cook and listen simultaneously, which harnesses the live and shared experience of radio that is its most powerful asset,” she says.
Tune into www.facebook.com/ThePowerof5FM on Thursday at 7pm for a glimpse into Cassim’s Kitchen, where viewers can engage with Kyle and have him respond to posted comments and questions on the stream.
Etiket takes silver at Midas Awards
“Nothing beats the exhilaration of receiving an international award, a silver Midas to boot! That we have broken through the clutter on this prominent world stage, makes it all the more rewarding and fully compensates for all the effort and time that went into conceptualising and crafting the final work.”
So says Ricardo Rocha, executive creative director of the creative consultancy Etiket, who recently received a silver Ingot at the Midas Awards in New York for their innovative FNB entry titled Harmonograph. The work was created to market the FNB Franchise Leadership Summit with the theme ‘Disruption’.
“FNB has earned a reputation for winning local and global awards for its products, services and technologies. It is an honour for ETIKET to add another award to their trophy cabinet with this silver Midas award,” Rocha said.
“This award is ETIKET’s second international recognition and first Midas award, so it is a big feather in our caps and we are really proud of this achievement. The fact that we were awarded a silver in a category where McCann New York’s ‘Fearless Girl’, took the Grand Award for its winning entry promoted State Street Global Advisors’ SHE fund (an investment fund for companies with more women in leadership) boosted our self-confidence to enter more work in more categories in 2018.
Diary
If you want to find out about our courses in Johannesburg, please email news@writerswrite.co.za (Please include the name of the course.)
