Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. New editor to steer CAR. Joe Public grows it talent pool. Habari Media wins LinkedIn global sales rights. marcusbrewster Secures top philanthropy event. Positive Dialogue Communications wins Hiring Bounty client. Conversation LAB secures Chubb Fire and Security business. Bletchley Park appointed by wonga.com for SA market. An Echinaforce to be reckoned with, with Brandyourcar.com. Grand-Pa recommissions Provantage to paint the township ‘blue’. Two awards won by Safrea members this week. Cellfind & mapIT form Strategic Alliance.
This week’s BIG move: New editor to steer CAR
Seasoned journalist and media specialist Steve Smith is to step into the editorial driver’s seat of CAR, RamsayMedia has announced. He joins SA’s leading men’s interest title on 18 June, becoming only the eighth editor in the automotive brand’s 56-year history.
Currently editor of The Red Bulletin, Smith was also at the editorial helm of SA Sports Illustrated for five years. As a motoring journalist he contributed to a wide range of publications, including Cosmopolitan’s Women on Wheels supplement, which he edited in 2012.
He has also made a name for himself on the bookshelves in recent years, having co-authored the bestselling autobiographies of Herschelle Gibbs and Sarel van der Merwe.
Smith’s broad range of experience includes marketing and publishing – and an in-depth knowledge of the digital world. He was motoring writer, managing editor and subsequently editor-in-chief of website portal Tiscali World Online, while the SA Sports Illustrated website saw significant growth during his tenure.
CAR publisher Neil Piper said he was very excited to have a specialist editor of Smith’s calibre join the team.
“Steve brings a distinctive set of skills to the position – a passion for motoring coupled with knowledge of the broader motoring industry, considerable editorial and specialist multiplatform knowledge, and experience in leading large teams. I look forward to working with him to enhance our activities on all platforms, maximise consumer engagement and deliver great content.”
A self-confessed life-long motoring enthusiast, Smith said he was “keenly anticipating” the challenges of his new job.
“From as early as I can remember, cars have been imbedded in my psyche. Starting with my father’s old Alfas, through to the classics I’ve owned as an adult, they have featured large in my life. As a journalist, I’ve driven every new car I could get my hands on and jumped at every opportunity to write about them. CAR magazine has been with me on that journey. I started reading it in my teens and it not only fed my appetite for all things automotive, it also seeded the notion of a career in journalism. Imagine then being given the opportunity to be the editor of this iconic magazine! ”
Who’s moved where
Joe Public grows it talent pool
Communications group Joe Public has made a number of senior appointments to further strengthen the team.
Suraya Pillay, with 20 years’ experience in the advertising industry, has been appointed as Joe Public’s head of media buying and planning. From a buyer at Y&R in 1993, she made her way up the corporate ladder at OMD and the Grey Group before being promoted to the board of directors at Mediacom (WPP). “Media is my passion and I’m looking forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Joe Public,” she says.
Belinda Jane Shea has been appointed as Joe Public’s production director. She joined the advertising industry in 1989 at Grey Advertising, before moving to the Jupiter Drawing Room in 2000. She brings a wealth of experience in facilities, traffic, radio/TV production, print production and art buying to Joe Public.
Tarryn Pitchers has been appointed as Joe Public’s marketing manager. Having previously held the post of Senior Account Manager at Ogilvy Public Relations (Johannesburg), she was the only senior account manager to be elevated to a member of the management committee in her tenure. Pitchers brings diverse knowledge to the Joe Public brand having managed FMCG, advertising and technology clients such as KFC South Africa, Ogilvy and Mather South Africa and Altech Autopage Cellular.
Lebo Masilela has been appointed as HR director. She has 10 years’ experience in human resources and has worked for multinationals such as South African Breweries as well as the banking, FMCG and construction industries.
At the beginning of 2013 Khuthala Gala Holten rejoined the Joe Public family, this time to head up the Nedbank business as executive business director. Her experience in both above and below-the-line has ensured that she has become an expert in through-the-line management. Holten brings a wealth of experience to the business having previously managed blue chip clients, Distell and Old Mutual.
“Joe Public is very excited about the addition of these high calibre individuals to our team and we look forward to working with them to deliver on our client’s growth objectives,” says Joe Public CEO Gareth Leck.
Who’s won what
Habari Media wins LinkedIn global sales rights
South African born and bred Habari Media recently earned its global stripes with the announcement that it had not only won LinkedIn Champion 2013, an international award that recognises the best of the best sales partners on the massive LinkedIn platform, but also the right to sell global advertising space on this incredibly popular medium to its local clients.
LinkedIn, best described as the definitive business-oriented social media network, was launched just over a decade ago and has grown to acquire over 225 million users hailing from over 200 countries around the world.
Habari Media has represented LinkedIn in Africa since 2009, during which time it has grown exponentially to the point that it currently boasts 7.2 million members across the African continent and over 2.5 million from South Africa alone.
The award was presented at the LinkedIn Sales conference in London, which is held annually to share best practice, provide specialist sales training and focus on upcoming innovations on the platform. It recognises performance against sales targets, sales acumen, product knowledge and innovation.
“This award not only proves that Habari Media has what it takes to compete on the international stage, but with the international sales rights is actually giving us the opportunity to do just that. Brands will be able to reach international audiences, showcasing their products and services. This is especially true for global or pan-regional brands whose head offices are located locally”, says Marius Greeff, head of channel management at Habari Media.
“What this means for South African-based clients is that Habari Media are now exclusively affording their clients the opportunity to run campaigns targeting international audiences, increasing their profile on the global stage and thereby opening their doors to conduct business at an international level.”
marcusbrewster Secures top philanthropy event
Integrated PR firm marcusbrewster has been appointed to manage all publicity, sponsorship and communication services for Shimmy Beach Club’s participation in The Global Party 2013 (TGP), an international charity fundraiser. The Shimmy gala, an invitation-only event on Saturday 29 June, will be staged simultaneously with other parties in 120 cities around the world.
“Internationally, TGP will host 360 000 of the world’s VIPs, celebrities, jetsetters and high-rollers at a network of glamorous events that link luxury with philanthropy,” says Shimmy Beach Club director, Shawn Mace. “We are delighted that Cape Town has been recognised as one of the world’s party cities and that Shimmy has the distinction of being named a TGP venue”.
Located at the V&A Waterfront, Shimmy Beach Club has nominated AIDS NGO Wola Nani with its Orphans and Vulnerable Children Programme (OVC) as the benefiting local charity. All 360 TGP events around the world will raise funds for children’s causes.
“Our appointment to the TGP account is proof that we identified a gap in the market with our new offering of managed communication services,” says the firm’s chairman Marcus Brewster.
Positive Dialogue Communications wins Hiring Bounty client
Positive Dialogue Communications has been awarded the Hiring Bounty account. Local tech-start up Hiring Bounty is a crowdsourced recruitment offering that aims to address skills shortages within the digital, marketing and IT sectors. The platform enables business to leverage the crowd’s trusted networks to find the best candidates faster and at a lower cost.
Managing director and founder of Hiring Bounty, Greg Schneider, confirms that it was Positive Dialogue’s integrated traditional PR and social media approach that set them apart from other agencies.
Positive Dialogue was awarded the account after a three-way pitch process. “By combining best-practice fundamentals of traditional PR with the network of blogger influencers that we have relationships with, we are able to implement impactful, emotive and creative campaigns that deliver consistent editorial results and PR return on investment,” says MD, Tracy Jones.
“We are pleased to have been awarded the Hiring Bounty account and are confident that we will be able to deliver meaningful results for this exciting, non-conventional recruitment solution,” says Jones.
Conversation LAB secures Chubb Fire and Security business
Up and coming creative agency Conversation LAB, hot on the heels of their Mr Price Sport and Hirsch’s business wins, has now added international fire and security giant, Chubb Fire and Security South Africa to their fast-expanding client base.
Conversation LAB has been appointed to develop and execute Chubb South Africa’s marketing strategy and creative portfolio – including all print activity, website redesign, search engine optimisation and CRM activity.
Commenting on the new business win, Kevin Power, managing director of Conversation LAB said, “Chubb is a leading global brand. This is a significant win for us and one that we are extremely proud of. The safety and security sector in South Africa is fiercely competitive and our strategy will be to publicise the Chubb advantage through innovative and bold strategies delivered through multiple touch points.”
Conversation LAB’s first Chubb campaign will be launched in May, through both digital and printed media.
Bletchley Park appointed by wonga.com for SA market
Wonga.com, an online lender, has appointed Bletchley Park as their creative marketing agency in SA after a successful pitch process.
“We are really excited to have wonga.com on board; its international pedigree speaks for itself and we can’t wait to get started in helping the team to solve their ‘Beautiful Problems’,” says Jonty Fisher, managing director of Bletchley Park.
The appointment covers creative development for above- and below-the-line campaigns for wonga.com in South Africa.
Wonga.com was founded in London by two South Africans who wanted to create a digital finance company fit for the twenty first century. “Our mission is to solve people’s short-term cash flow problems in a responsible manner, by delivering a solution that empowers consumers and provides a genuine alternative to traditional sources of credit,” says Kevin Hurwitz, CEO of wonga.com SA.
An Echinaforce to be reckoned with, with Brandyourcar.com
SA Natural Products (Pty) Ltd has selected Primedia Unlimited’s Brandyourcar.com to generate awareness around the natural immune booster, Echinaforce, which is running from 1 May to 31 July 2013, on a fleet of carefully chosen branded cars in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
Transit media specialist, Brandyourcar.com, has selected fit and active working moms aged between 30 and 45, with school-going kids aged between three and 16, to become brand ambassadors for Echinaforce during the A.Vogel Echinaforce marketing campaign.
“These women are health conscious and aware of the importance of natural and complementary medicines for their family. They believe in the efficacy of complementary natural medicines and will be using Echinaforce daily for the duration of the advertising campaign,” says Brandyourcar.com’s Jeff Ostrom.
Grand-Pa recommissions Provantage to paint the township ‘blue’
The Provantage team was briefed by Grand-Pa to paint the township Grand-Pa blue in a recent campaign aimed at dominating Spaza shop fronts on the main roads and intersections in Tembisa, Soweto and Diepsloot.
“Grand-Pa is a well-known brand in the townships and the brand team briefed Provantage on leveraging this awareness through making use of highly visible sites. The project is a continuation of the 2012 campaign, which saw the start of the brand painting the blue, so to speak. The newly painted Spaza shops are highly visible to those living in the township; with the added value of a strong brand message,” says Makhetsi Phakoa of Provantage.
Who’s making moves
Two awards won by Safrea members this week
Southern African Freelancers’ Association members Kerry Dimmer and Bettie Coetzee-Lambrecht have respectively won a literary and photographic award this week in light of their outstanding work.
Freelance journalist Kerry Dimmer, has scooped up the prestigious SAPOA Property Journalism Award for Property Feature Journalist of the Year.
South Africa’s premier property media were celebrated by the commercial and industrial property industry at the 45th annual SAPOA International Convention and Property Exhibition at Sun City on 15 May.
Brian Azizollahoff, Chairman of the SAPOA Property Journalism Awards Committee, explains that “Each entry is judged along a stringent set of criteria that includes accuracy, clarity and consistency.”
Dimmer was one of eight finalists who were in the running for the sought after Property Feature Journalist of the Year Award. In the end, according to Neil Gopal, CEO of SAPOA, it was her fresh new style of writing and thought-provoking articles that earned her top honours. Dimmer walked away with R10 000.00 in prize money and a trophy.
Safrea’s Bettie Coetzee-Lambrecht was announced one of the showcase winners in the ArtSlant 4th 2013 Showcase international photo-competition, in the fine art category. ArtSlant.com, is a contemporary art network with 15 editions worldwide, running programs that bring opportunities for exposure and exhibition to a worldwide community of contemporary artists.
“Safrea congratulates Dimmer and Coetzee-Lambrecht on their fantastic achievements and wishes them continued success in their freelance careers in the future,” says Safrea chair, Helen Ueckermann.
Cellfind & mapIT form Strategic Alliance
South Africa’s location-based mobile and wireless application service provider, Cellfind, has formed a strategic alliance with mapIT, leading international digital mapping partner throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. The alliance will enable Cellfind to extend its services and expand into new markets in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Cellfind has built a name for itself in the industry by providing mobile phone tracking, traffic updates, corporate solutions, asset tracking, SMS emergency alerts and panic assistance.
The venture will involve Cellfind using mapIT’s GIS (Geographic Information System) platform in order to extend its range of services to new customers.
‘We will be using mapIT’s infrastructure in order to get to the end user,’ explains Quentin Joubert, product manager of Cellfind. He says the partnership with mapIT will also enable Cellfind to vastly improve its location based application with feature rich capabilities to increase the value to the customer and proposition to the Mobile Network Operator (MNO). ‘We are also delighted to announce that mapIT will be the preferred GIS supplier for the Cellfind LBS (Location Based Services) hosting solution for Africa.’
‘This is an exciting development,’ says Etienne Louw Managing Director of mapIT. ‘Not only will the partnership allow Cellfind to take its tried and tested applications elsewhere but it will be able to offer new services as our platform can provide richer functionality, so even local users will notice an improved and more detailed service.’
Note: TheMediaOnline has a job advertising service. The site is read by media professionals across South Africa. A job posting on the Media Online Costs R342 (incl VAT) and appears for 30 days. It appears both on The Media Online and Memejobs.com.
