Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. Melinda Shaw resigns as editor-in-chief of Heat magazine. Mikateka Media wins Transnet account. Edgars goes with M&C Saatchi Abel. SEACOM awards contract to Idea Engineers. SIMONSAYS signs Prominent Paints.
This week’s BIG move: Heat editor-in-chief, Melinda Shaw, resigns
Media24 Weekly Magazines has announced the resignation of the editor in chief of heat magazine, Melinda Shaw. Shaw has been with heat since October 2003. André Neveling, current editor of tvplus, will be acting editor of heat in its transition period before the appointment of a new editor.
“Over the past years Melinda has built a strong editorial team and published an international title which under her leadership has grown into one of the strongest media brands in South Africa. This is a remarkable achievement in a highly competitive environment. We would like to wish Melinda all the best with her new plans. We shall really miss her in our team, but we do respect her decision. I have no doubt that her career will continue to grow from strength to strength,” says Willem Breytenbach, GM of the Media24 Weekly Magazines Division.
“My time with heat has been challenging and enormously satisfying and I will always be grateful for the opportunities and growth that it has afforded me. I will be sad to say goodbye to the unique and extremely talented group of people who make this brand so compelling. At the same time I am very excited to be embarking on a new adventure,” says Shaw.
Shaw will be launching a media consultancy that will connect brands, personalities and media across a variety of platforms.
Melinda Shaw was South African founder editor of heat magazine and has been at the helm of the title for the past eight years. Before that she was the launch managing editor and later deputy editor of FHM in South Africa.
Who’s won what
Edgars appoints M&C Saatchi Abel as communications agency
Edgars Department Stores has confirmed that M&C Saatchi Abel has been appointed as the full communications and advertising partner for Edgars with effect from April 1, 2012.
“It is a key appointment for Edgars given the role this partner needs to play in supporting Edgars’ role as one of the leading fashion retailers, bringing fashion, choice and value to its customers,” says Belinda Godfrey, marketing executive. “We are impressed with M&C Saatchi Abel’s depth of experience in the retail sector, both locally and internationally”.
Jacques Burger, Gauteng CEO for M&C Saatchi Abel said the company was hugely excited about partnering with Edgars on a communications level in achieving their business objectives.
The Independent Agency Search & Selection Company facilitated the tender process on behalf of Edgars.
CARAT Nigeria kick starts 2012 with $70-million deal from MTN
As the African market gets more and more competitive and the pitch for client business becomes fiercer it is a notable accolade for CARAT Nigeria to walk away with this $70 million deal whilst pitching against some of the largest agencies in Africa.
MTN publicly stated that the pitch was beyond their expectations and the strategic depth and in-sight into their brand was remarkable.
CARAT Nigeria will manage and execute all MTN’s media (bought, owned and earned media across all platforms) planning, strategy, sponsorship management and buying services within the region.
Engineering communications ideas for SEACOM
SEACOM, a privately owned and operated pan-African ICT enabler driving the development of the African internet, has appointed Idea Engineers as its media relations agency yesterday [March 1, 2012].
SEACOM financed and developed the first broadband submarine cable system along the eastern and southern African coastlines, bringing with it a vast supply of high quality and affordable internet. In service since July 2009, SEACOM has seen more than 10 fold increases in bandwidth penetration in several of Africa’s most underserved nations. African countries include: South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Djibouti and Ethiopia.
SEACOM believes in a world where the African internet experience is characterised by abundant local content, minimal latency, fast download speeds, uninterrupted video streaming, and interconnected African markets. This vision is at the heart of SEACOM’s commitment to Building the African internet.
Mikateka Media races ahead with Transnet account
Mikateko Media has been awarded the Transnet internal communications account after a hotly contested battle for the tender put out by the large parastatal.
“We really understand the big and complex business of Transnet,” says Bulelwa Mtsali, editorial director for Mikateko, who is also one of its founders. “Because it’s a vast organisation with new energy, a developmental mandate and a clear strategy of consolidated change, Transnet presents great opportunities for internal communication, on a multitude of levels and platforms.”
Knowing how to speak to different audiences is one of Mikateko’s greatest strengths, and is a prerequisite for communicating with Transnet’s 55 000 employees, whose positions range from train maintenance to executive management, adds Mtsali. The internal communications programme uses a variety of audience appropriate media and language to engage with Transnet’s diverse workforce.
With a monthly print run of 33 000, One Magazine is Transnet’s largest internal channel, and under Mikateko’s management, has won much recognition within the publishing industry. In the prestigious 2011 South African Forum Publishers Awards (SAFPA), One was awarded First Runner-Up for Excellence in Design and Most Improved Magazine, and Second Runner-Up for Best External Magazine and Best Magazine Cover.
The Travel Corporation Renews with marcusbrewster
The Travel Corporation (TTC) has re-appointed marcusbrewster as its PR agency of record. TTC comprises four leading travel brands: Trafalgar, Contiki, Insight Vacations and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.
“We are delighted to have helped the TTC brands record some of their best trading figures ever,” says agency chairman Marcus Brewster. “TTC shared with us that some of their business units were the top performers for 2011 in the global network. It simply shows that even in a depressed economy, forward-thinking clients who continue to invest in marketing and promotion can see great returns.”
SIMONSAYS signs Prominent Paints
SIMONSAYS communications has been appointed by one of South Africa’s leading paint manufacturers, Prominent Paints, to handle its communication requirements for the launch of a new product range, Sherwood; to maximise its sponsorship of The Home Channel’s “Disaster DIY” programme; and to support its latest advertising campaign.
The PR appointment was effective of February 2012. One of its focus points is to support the newly launched More than Just Colour advertising campaign. The company’s sponsorship of the “Disaster DIY” show includes an eight minute segment called “Make it Better with Prominent Paints” which will be enhanced by various PR activities where the brand’s paint is under the spotlight for offering more than just colour.
“Prominent Paints will this year celebrate its 31st year of manufacturing and it’s an exciting time for us to be partnering with this well established brand,” says SIMONSAYS communications MD, Melanie Stevens.
House of Brave to create CI for Tournament of Hope
House of Brave has won the Sunshine Tour and the International Federations of PGA Tours new ‘Tournament of Hope’ CI development and advertising communication.
The blue chip golf tournament is set to tee off in South Africa for the first time in 2013 and will take place from November 25 and culminate on December 1 – World AIDS Day.
“Not only does this leading golf tournament serve as an amazing opportunity to showcase our country, including our world class creativity, but it importantly highlights and brings awareness to the HIV/AIDS cause,” says Vanessa Pearson, founder and creative director of House of Brave.
“A tournament of this calibre deserves nothing less than an exceptional creative and strategic approach and we are perfectly poised for the challenge. We are looking forward to the high level creative opportunities and challenges across multiple media platforms from design to activation to mass communication and to the impeccable implementation.
Fashion Media awarded Greenstone rights
Fashion Media, Unlimited’s in-store advertising partner for Edgars and Red Square stores, has been awarded the exclusive interior advertising rights to the newly launched Edgars outlet in Greenstone shopping centre.
Who’s making moves
Business ‘Unusual’
‘The Unusuals’ is the name of a new eventing company that launched this week, and which has “a mandate to provide clients with an experience that is completely unique and memorable”.
Roxana Maraj, The Unusuals MD, explains: “We achieve this through a deep understanding that every single event experience is unique and therefore we are equally unique in our approach. However the one constant is always innovation. We make use of all the best platforms available and integrate international leading trends with local leading flavour, to deliver a world class outcome.”
The company historically existed as a division of The Creative Counsel Group (TCC), trading under the name TCC Events, but as of March 2012 has been officially launched as an independent entity.
