Briefly… Posterscope Worldwide opens Nairobi office; Talking about a radio revolution; New Media shines at international awards; DStv Mobile launches the all-new Drifta USB; kalahari.net, kalahari.mobi and now also kalahari.com; Jacaranda 94.2 BIG payout; Isilumko Media activates male models
Posterscope Worldwide opens Nairobi office
Posterscope Worldwide launched its Nairobi office that will also act as the headquarters for the greater East African region. Kenya is the 23rd market globally that Posterscope is venturing into and the second after South Africa in Sub Saharan Africa.
Christian Skipper, Posterscope Worldwide International Development Director, said that the decision to venture into Kenya was necessitated by the growing influence and economic strength presented by the East African community and Kenya being the regional hub presented a natural choice for office location. He further lauded the remarkable economic recovery exhibited by the country in the wake of the post poll chaos and the global economic slump.
“Kenya is a significant market for us and our multinational clients as is exhibited by the fact that it is the second market we are venturing into in Africa. We are indeed very excited to be here and I want to assure you of our commitment to this market,” said Skipper.
Posterscope is a dedicated out-of-home media agency that prides itself on offering its clients new generation, exciting and innovative Out-of-Home media solutions. Using tools such as GPS mapping, comprehensive Out-of-Home competitor analysis and billboard campaign previews on a site by site basis, Posterscope is able to make strategic recommendations to companies looking to invest in the Out-of-Home space.
Talking about a radio revolution?
Wits Radio Academy Hosted by the Wits Radio Academy, supported by the National Association of Broadcasters, is hosting Joburg Radio Days to talk about convergence, mobile, development, creative programming, the state of radio journalism, Zimbabwe broadcasting reform and a whole lot more.
Speakers at Joburg Radio Days include: Tim Davies, head of audio & radio at the BBC; Clive Dickens, COO of Absolute Radio, London; Chris Bannon, programme manager at WNYC, New York; Prof Allan Thompson, Carleton University, Canada; Omar Essack, Executive Director of Kagiso Media; Terry Volkwyn, CEO of Primedia Broadcasting; Bob Mabena, Kaya morning anchor; and Zimbabwe Minister of State, Jameson Timba.
Dates: 27 – 29 July 2011, Venue: Professional Development Hub, Wits University, Braamfontein, Cost: R3000 (discounts for group bookings and bursaries for community radio are available).
Registration details and the full programme are now available at https://www.journalism.co.za/joburg-radio-days.html.
New Media shines at international awards
New Media has received two prestigious international awards for work it has done for clients, MultiChoice SA and MNet. The awards, Apex 2011, run by New-York-based agency Communications Concepts, honour excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the ability of magazines and newsletters to achieve overall communications excellence.
New Media won in the Custom-Published Newsletter section for its MultiChoice SA newsletter Network News (published in August/September 2010). The second award it received was in the Custom-Published Magazines & Journals section for its bi-monthly MNet newsletter, Inner Magic (January/February 2010).
Caroline Pritchard, Communication Specialist for MultiChoice said she is “thrilled” with the award for the New Media product. “The newsletter, published monthly, is a highlight on our calendar,” says Pritchard. “We love the graphics, news and layout and are exceptionally happy that New Media has been recognised for their forward-thinking work.”
On awarding New Media in these two categories, the judges said the competition had been “exceptionally intense” with more than 3 300 entries.
Both Network News and Inner Magic are no strangers to awards. Last year they were recipients of the SA Publication Forum 2010 awards. New Media has produced Network News since May 2007 and Inner Magic since March 2009.
DStv Mobile launches the all-new Drifta USB
DStv Mobile has introduced the latest member of its family – the new DStv Mobile Drifta USB. Like the original Drifta, it functions as a portable decoder, allowing users to connect to DVB-H broadcast mobile TV and access DStv Mobile content live on their computers. The sleek device gives new meaning to the concept of “work and play”, tapping into the needs of South Africans who enjoy a fast-paced urban lifestyle.
The Drifta USB connects directly to a PC via the USB port and does not need to be paired with a device through Wi-Fi. “It’s just a matter of loading the Drifta USB application onto your PC,” explains Mark Rayner, general manager: DStv Mobile South Africa. “After that, you simply plug the Drifta USB into your PC and launch the application. Within seconds you can then enjoy DStv Mobile content.”
The same great channels are available across all DStv Mobile capable devices: sport, news, music, cartoons, and general entertainment will thus continue to inform and entertain subscribers. And now, viewers on mobile can watch MNet Series too as it has been added to the mobile bouquet.
The launch of the device comes just in time for the start of the Rugby World Cup. With most matches being played during South African working hours, the Drifta USB’s ability to access the games via a computer is sure to prove ideal for viewers.
kalahari.net, kalahari.mobi and now also kalahari.com
Following hot-on-the-heels of its mobile commerce offering, kalahari.mobi, the first mobile commerce offering of scale in South Africa, kalahari.net announces that it is now also available via kalahari.com online or via mobile devices.
“Over the last 12 years, kalahari.net has become synonymous with online retail in South Africa. By taking ownership of all our domains and properties, we ensure that our customers can find us, irrespective of what they type into the browser, the applications they launch, or the platforms they use,” said Says Gary Novitzkas, CEO kalahari.com, a division of MIH, the Naspers owned company. “Furthermore, this fitting dot com addition the growing kalahari commerce offering is anticipation of us taking best in class knowledge in online product merchandising, pricing, and usability to a wider audience on the rest of the continent in the near future.”
This precedes news from the leading online retailer that it will reach one million registered shoppers towards the end of July 2011 – a significant milestone for eCommerce in the country.
Jacaranda 94.2 BIG PAYOUT
It’s about as easy as guessing the mystery amount when R10 is too high and R8 is too low… except for the fact that we’re not talking tens, but thousands to tens of thousands of Rands! Jacaranda 94.2’s Big Pay-Out is back!
Up until 29 July 2011, all you have to do is SMS the word “BIG”, followed by where you’re from, to 37942. Then stay tuned weekdays between 6am and 7pm because once an hour, every hour, one listener will get a callback and a shot at guessing the mystery amount. Get it right and the cash is yours… not bad for a R1.50 SMS!
So, keep your cell phones charged… keep your thumbs fighting fit… and your ears glued to Jacaranda 94.2. Because with Jacaranda 94.2, THE BIG PAY-OUT could be one phone call away!
Giving customers a little piece of heaven
The home of espresso is renowned for a number of other delicious exports such as pizza, pasta and… gorgeous Italian men, of course. Successfully supplementing an extensive above-the-line campaign, Isilumko Media executed an activation – inspired by the latest flavour in the Nestle Heaven ice cream range Nestle Heaven Café Latte – by employing dishy Italian-looking male models to take the message to market.
The campaign, conceptualised with creative agency JWT, saw Isilumko Media, recruit male models to stir up passion among lunchtime patrons at various Italian-style restaurants across the country. The handsome promoters used their “Italian” charm to get patrons lunching at Col’Cacchio, Doppio Zero and Piatto, to treat their taste buds to a free Nestlé Heaven Café Latte ice cream. The activation has also sparked additional interest in the on-pack promotion that offers a chance of winning a state-of-the-art espresso machine.
“We have had a phenomenal response to the Nestle Heaven Café Latte activation. The attractive promoters’ charm, in conjunction with the ‘random act of kindness’ (RAK) strategy (in the form of a free ice cream) has warmed customers’ hearts to this winter campaign. When executed in the correct OOH environment, activations of this nature are always a success,” commented Brendan Powell, general manager of Isilumko Media.
