Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up that looks at who’s moved where, which companies have scored what accounts and how to find out what opportunities are out there through our jobs site, powered by Memburn. All the moves in media.
Who’s moved where
The week’s BIG move: Sarah Bullen new group editor of TOPCO Media
Topco Media has announced that it has appointed editor, author and media personality, Sarah Bullen, to the position of group editor in charge of all its titles. TheMediaOnline caught up with her to discuss the job and its challenges.
Q: What do you think will be the most pressing challenges of this job?
A: With most of our titles I am lucky that they have a very defined readership and a solid track record of being really authoritative voices in the industry. The readership of top-level business and government players means that we are not competing for newsstand sales, so my focus this year is going to be on delivering a definitive magazine in each of the sectors we publish in (environmental and social governance, empowerment, top companies). The business-to-business market can so often deliver a dry read, so my focus is to create a magazine that is contemporary, entertaining, as well as informative.
I learned during my days as a derivates reporter at Euromoney Publications that it takes an exceptional writer to make the most complex policy, or financial jargon, something anyone can read, and understand. In those days I was certainly not one of those exceptional writers, which could be why I was moved onto the obituaries section. But I hope to work with those experts and opinion-makers who bring an easy read to a modern reader. With the existing titles it is really a question of building on a really solid reputation, and to extend the titles into more events and leadership forums. We are also launching a new monthly Management title this year and taking ESG Green Pages into a quarterly title after its success as the official publication at COP17 – so that is the most immediate operational challenge.
Q: What is your leadership style?
A: I find that increasingly people are looking for meaning in their work. It is not simply enough anymore for people to just earn a salary and execute a job. For myself – and for so many staff I have worked with – I notice that people also want to feel as if they are making a difference in the world, or in their own lives. So I like to encourage ingenuity, fresh ideas and a workplace that encourages people to grow and find their passion. I like to identify the individual, and what niche will be a good fit for them. I have been running writing workshops, coaching writers in journalism and novel writing, so one of my passions is to grow quality writers through mentoring.
Q: Have you worked in the business-to-business environment before?
A: No. My magazine career has been diverse as I have crossed between radio and print, but most of my editing background is in consumer or customer titles with the last title being the fun kulula.com comic life magazine. I hope the strong commercial sense from that segment will stand me in good stead in this market. I do think the B2B environment could do with a more commercial and engaging treatment. I never got the memo that business should be boring. I don’t do boring and I would like to make this sort of high-end read sexy and very contemporary. I would like to raise the bar in terms of presenting our readers with great analysis on high-level ideas.
Q: How do you balance your work/life/parenting imperatives?
A: I would love to say something very profound, perhaps a quote from Kahil Gibran. But the reality is that I just work it out as I go along. Most of the time I get it a bit wrong and end up marking addition errors in the sales forecast, or telling my daughter so send me a meeting request. I come from a large family and we all just flow into each other’s lives to make it all works and make sure all the kids are loved and nurtured. If I get really stressed I scream at my husband who then tells me to go for a long run. It works for us. Either that or a coffee at the Woolies Café.
Q: How will you adjust to the corporate world after being independent, and writing books, and making doccies. Won’t this take some adjustment?
A: It is a change, but also a welcome one. As much as I have loved the challenge of contract work, and the excitement of moving from great idea to great idea, I have also missed the professional growth you can achieve in a company. I do have another book in the pipeline so I feed my creative side that way.
Q: What are you most excited about in taking on this job?
A: The challenge of working on annual or quarterly magazines is so different from a monthly title. The depth of analysis and the quality that you can bring to a publication given this time frame intrigues me.
At the same time new media and technology have always fascinated me. The challenge publishing companies all over the world are facing is the move to digital. It is really exciting to work in such an established company, with such a strong market niche in a time where the playing field is open to a new model.
Q: Can you unpack the smart cities summit a bit more for us?
A: By 2050 more than 80% of South Africa’s population will live in cities. The challenges presented by the rapid population growth demand that cities transform. We have put together an event taking place in Durban on the 6/7/8th June 2012. I expect that it will be most future-focused event on urban planning in Africa. We have secured powerful speakers and idea leaders who will cover a host of local challenges, most notably: inefficient transport services, outdated water and waste networks, adapting IT integration, rising pollution levels, an increased demand for energy, a strain on health and security, education and poor urban management.
The Dept of Environmental Affairs as well as ESG Green Page are supporting the event and we expect it to be a really critical and exciting space.
Topco Media’s publications include Top500 South Africa’s Best Managed Companies, Impumelelo, ESG Green Pages, Top Women and Top Performing Companies.
Paul Rotherham makes The Weekend Special
Saturday nights on Jacaranda 94.2 have always been jam packed with the dance hits that you know and love… now well known radio personality Paul Rotherham has taken to the air from 8pm with the ‘Weekend Special’ where he’ll continue bringing you great party anthems.
Rotherham started his radio career at Radio Benoni High, moving on to presenting the weekly National Magazine Programme for the South African Defence Force, as well as working in community radio and later building a big league career as a member of the one of South Africa’s leading breakfast shows, which he bid farewell in 2011.
He is a passionate, Ferrari-crazy petrolhead who enjoys running, gym and flying powerkites in his spare time.
McDowell is new IPRA President for 2012
Johanna McDowell, South African resident and British citizen, has taken up the role of President of the International Public Relations Association. She was elected to the position during 2010 and has served as President Elect during 2011 as well as being a long term member of IPRA since the early `90s.
“IPRA has been my guiding light through the course of my PR career which followed on my earlier advertising career activities. The past 18 years have been memorable for the amount of change and development that the PR industry worldwide has been through,” McDowell says.
Setting out her plans for 2012, McDowell emphasises the need for IPRA to remain relevant. “IPRA has an extraordinary history and has paved the way for many other similar organisations and PR professionals in the world. Remaining relevant during the times of great social and technological change is key to IPRA’s success. Luckily we have been embracing these changes are on ongoing basis.”
InMobi appoints marketing director for Asia Pacific
Bangalore- InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile advertising network, has announced the appointment of Anita Swan as regional marketing director, Asia Pacific. She will spearhead the company’s marketing strategy for the region alongside the global executive team.
“We’re very excited to head into 2012 with Anita at the helm of our marketing efforts in Asia-Pacific. 2011 was a year of tremendous growth for us. Anita will help us further fuel the regional mobile ecosystem, given her extensive regional experience, marketing expertise, and advertising background,” said Atul Satija, vice-president and managing director of InMobi, Asia Pacific.
Swan will be responsible for expanding InMobi’s marketing efforts in SEA, China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India with the local marketing teams in these markets. She brings with her over nine years of experience in the telecommunications space in the Asia Pacific region and a further seven years in the digital advertising space.
New marketing officer for Glass Recycling Company
The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC), the not-for-profit mandated with the promotion of re-use and recycling of waste glass in South Africa, has appointed Theodorah Modise as marketing officer.
Modise’s academic background includes an Honours degree in Social Sciences, as well as qualifications in marketing and public relations. Her previous experience includes working as a marketing executive for both an accounting professional body and an accounting firm.
Who’s won what
Ogilvy PR Cape Town is all in
Ogilvy Cape Towns and adidas South Africa announced the appointment of Ogilvy PR Cape Town as its dedicated consumer and corporate communications PR agency with immediate effect.
“We are confident that Ogilvy PR Cape Town’s commitment to elevating its clients’ brands across all media platforms as well as its firm grasp of 360° social media practices will go far in positioning adidas South Africa as a local and global leader in sporting innovation and lifestyle trends,” says Gavin Cowley, marketing director of adidas South Africa.
Ogilvy PR Cape Town was awarded the PR business following a three-way agency pitch in November 2011. As part of its mandate, Ogilvy PR Cape Town will initiate and maintain consumer and trade brand awareness, commentary, conversation and thought leadership regarding the adidas brand across Sports Performance and adidas Originals ranges, partnerships, sponsorships and events.
“adidas is already an established brand synonymous with not only technological advancement in sport and fashion design, but a global icon revered across all nations and cultures,” adds newly-appointed executive director of Ogilvy PR Cape Town, Priscilla Urquhart. “Ogilvy PR Cape Town is committed to working with the adidas team in taking the brand to a new level, across all its media and key stakeholder communications, aligning consumer and corporate messaging. We are proud to be associated with adidas.”
NXT\ takes the Joburg Zoo into the mobile-giving marketplace
Award-winning digital communications agency, NXT\ Digital Innovation, has been appointed by the Johannesburg Zoo to develop and manage its national sms-to-give campaign dubbed; Project Honey Badger. Aimed at visitors on the go, animal enthusiasts and the general public, the campaign will allow donors to easily and inexpensively contribute towards the upkeep of the zoo by sending a simple text message.
Who’s making moves
Page Three Media forms alliance with PHD Worldwide
Page three media, named top specialist media agency in South Africa at the 2011 MOST Awards, has concluded a strategic alliance with 21-year-old multi-award-winning international media company, PHD Worldwide, based in London.
PHD Worldwide has acquired a 70% shareholding in page three. Page three media MD Anne Dearnaley and directors Lynnette Heyns and Ilan Lazarus retain a 30% shareholding and will continue to drive the agency that in four years of trading has reached billings of over R1 billion. The directors say that ‘to achieve the goals we have set ourselves we needed to match our unique DNA with an international leader, and the decision went with PHD Worldwide.’
Mike Cooper, CEO of PHD Worldwide, says page three media is an excellent fit for the PHD culture. “We believe it will faithfully deliver our thinking and approach to clients in South Africa. All of us across our 72-office global network are really excited to be welcoming them to PHD Worldwide.”
“As a pioneering media network that is focused on providing clients with exceptionally creative and innovative media solutions around the world, we have enjoyed a great deal of success in recent years in terms of major new global client wins and outstanding industry recognition,” he says.
In the past month PHD has picked up the USD$200 million media planning and buying account for mobile handset company Sony Ericsson and won hotel group Hyatt’s global digital media planning and buying business.
Rank TV and SABC partner for commuter entertainment
Rank TV and SABC have renewed their long-standing and successful partnership, created in 2002 through which commuters have been informed and entertained by SABC content. The public broadcaster provides content that is aired at the 13 Rank TV sites nationally to the 2.6million daily Rank TV viewers (TGI, 2011).
Commuters are hooked and remained glued to the mega electronic billboard as they enjoy a range of local shows such as Jika ma Jika, Jam Alley, Zola 7 as well as live crossings to a host of special events, such as the 46664 concerts and the opening of parliament.
“For the SABC, Rank TV is a fantastic way to advertise to consumers because it offers an almost captive audience. We have whole queues of people in a very boring situation, so what Rank TV does is give people something to watch and something to talk about,” says Yvonne Johnson, head of marketing at SABC. “I believe the SABC plays an important role in society, and through this partnership we have an opportunity to engage with commuters in a completely different environment.”
As the SABC prepares for exciting changes, ComutaNet is also keen to see how this will add further value to this already fruitful partnership: “We are looking forward to the launch of the SABC’s new digital channels as it will give us a greater variety of programming to choose from. SABC is the perfect content provider as we serve a very similar, if not identical, audience,” says Karen van Wyk, GM of marketing and digital media at ComutaNet.
With the anticipated launch of two additional regional television channels, SABC4 and SABC5, ComutaNet will have access to more programming in more diverse languages, further meeting the needs of the mass commuter market. SABC4 will broadcast in Tswana, Sesotho, Tsonga, Venda and Afrikaans as well as English, to the northern provinces of the country. In the southern provinces, SABC5 will broadcast in Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele and Swazi, as well as Afrikaans and English. Unlike other SABC TV services, SABC4 and SABC5 will not be available via satellite.
polish PR opens for business
polish PR, a new public relations, publicity and communications consultancy situated in Kroonstad, Free State, and headed up by Bronwyn Petersen, has opened its doors. It will predominantly specialise in leisure, hospitality and corporate representation.
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