Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. RamsayMedia restructures to ‘focus for success’. New MD for Carat Jo’burg. Willem van Bosch appointed at Moving Tactics SA. A+E Networks UK signs Jablonska as director of distribution. Agencies are invited to apply for Sasol’s creative agency business. Burger King chooses Carat for its SA rollout. Black Africa Brand Consulting wins Gauteng Tourism again. MANGO-OMC to handle communications portfolio for Salepartners. Brother Printers renews with Golf Unlimited. Tribeca Public Relations appointed by Orange Business Services. Experienced trio launch WhyFive – a fresh take on market research. MTV & Fish Eagle on track for a winning Durban July.
This week’s BIG move
RamsayMedia restructures to ‘focus for success’
Changes to the executive structure at RamsayMedia have resulted in several key promotions that will allow for a renewed focus on the strengths of the individual brands in the stable and equip the company for greater profitability, chairman Alan Ramsay says.
Among these: chief financial officer Werner Schmidt has been promoted to chief operating officer, circulation marketing manager Ian Dinan will become publisher of Getaway and Andrew Solomon will relinquish his role as head of digital publishing to take on the role of general manager of RamsayMedia’s customer, B2B and sports titles.
Neil Piper, publisher of the Auto & Tech division, will concentrate exclusively on CAR and Leisure Wheels, while Alan Duggan, editor of Popular Mechanics, will also serve as that brand’s publisher.
The moves come after extensive discussions at board and executive level on the most effective and agile way to operate in the changing media landscape, and have been implemented with immediate effect.
One thing that will not change, however, is the cornerstone of the company, Ramsay explained. “The fundamental principle of media is to make great content that attracts more readers, viewers and listeners – and results in a great business with excellent rewards. That goes for all platforms.
“We will certainly take account of the learnings of the recent past with respect to sharing ideas, systems, contacts and even content, but going forward our objective is to ensure that individual brands are responsible for their own success – driven by dedicated, focused, passionate leaders with the skills to steer the brands into the future. Essentially, our maxim now is ’focus for success’.”
The restructuring means several key positions need to be filled, among them marketing services manager, circulation marketing manager and national sales manager for Popular Mechanics, as well as several sales posts, he added.
Who’s moved where
New MD for Carat Jo’burg
CaratSA has welcomed back Lwandile Qokweni, who will take over as MD of its Johannesburg office. Qokweni was previously Carat’s sub-Saharan media manager, in which he was tasked with servicing and growing top-end clients such as Proctor & Gamble (West Africa), MTN Ghana, Coca-Cola (Kenya and BLNS – Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland) and Nokia sub-Saharan Africa.
Prior to that appointment, Qokweni was a senior media strategist and business head unit for Carat in Johannesburg, where he ran accounts such as Old Mutual, iWyze, Just Fun Group and Cell C Retail.
He says he is raring to go and is looking forward to taking up the reins in Gauteng.“I am looking forward to working with Quinton and the amazing team at Carat Johannesburg to redefine media in South Africa and continue finding new and innovative ways to make our clients’ brands relevant to their target audiences.”
Quinton Jones, MD of CaratSA, says Qokweni is the perfect man for job.“Lwandile is a fantastic leader for Carat Johannesburg. He understands the culture of the agency and is able to take us to the next level. I am thrilled to be working with him again.”
Willem van Bosch appointed at Moving Tactics SA
In May 2013, Willem van Bosch joined Moving Tactics SA, the leading South African digital signage solutions company, as Solutions Development Manager. Van Bosch will be responsible for supporting the X2O platform in South Africa and will be leading the Digital Signage Solutions division in Johannesburg. He will also be actively involved in growing the Moving Tactics business.
Van Bosch hails from Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal, where he was schooled and completed his studies. He first started working for ArcelorMittal in 1997 where he qualified in Industrial Instrumentation and Process Control.
Van Bosch is passionate about digital signage as a business solution and says, “Digital signage is still perceived as a complicated, unmanageable, waste of money solution by many. This cannot be further from the truth. Digital signage is simple and, if done correctly, can give your business a major boost and take communication to your clients and staff to a totally different level. All the research proves this.”
His expertise and broad experience in the digital signage industry promises major growth for Moving Tactics and digital signage in South Africa.
A+E Networks UK signs Jablonska as director of distribution
London: A+E Networks UK, a joint venture between A+E Networks and BSkyB, has appointed Katarzyna Jablonska in the newly created role of director of distribution.
Jablonska will be responsible for linear and non-linear network development across the UK, Central Eastern Europe, South Africa, Benelux and Nordic footprint. She will support driving growth of the portfolio of high-quality, ground-breaking A+E Networks UK’s channels including HISTORY, Crime & Investigation Network, BIO®, and H2.
Jablonska will report to A+E Networks UK VP of commercial operations, Bakori Davis. Her appointment is effective immediately.
Before joining A+E Networks UK, Jablonska was commercial director at Universal Global Networks, responsible for management of all key revenue streams, driving new channel launches and developing long-term sales strategy. Previously she worked as regional director for Central Europe at Fox Channels International.
What’s out there
Agencies are invited to apply for Sasol’s creative agency business
Sasol has started a formal tendering process to find a new above-the-line advertising agency to handle its creative production business. The successful agency will take overall responsibility for further developing the Sasol brand on an inter-agency basis to present an integrated solution to the company’s business challenges, while building on the success it has achieved in the market.
Agencies that fulfill the following requirements are invited to e-mail Sasol.Brand@sasol.com before, 12:00 on Monday, 3 June 2013 to request more information.
The provisions are: Level 3 or improved BBBEE accreditation; Part of an international network of creative agencies; A minimum of five years agency experience with large corporate brands; A proven track record of corporate brand marketing for an international brand; Credentials which include work that was completed in the last 18 months
“This is an exciting opportunity for the right agency to come on-board with Sasol as we continue our journey to build value in our brand,” said Vusi Cwane, Sasol’s general manager: group corporate marketing and operations.
“We anticipate strong interest from leading agencies and look forward to receiving innovative applications for this significant three year contract opportunity,” says Cwane.
Agencies who submit applications which meet the above mentioned requirements will be invited to complete Request for Information documentation.
Who’s won what
Burger King chooses Carat for its SA rollout
Carat SA has been appointed to handle the media strategy and planning for global fast food giant Burger King, which gained its first foothold in Southern Africa when it opened its restaurant doors in Cape Town earlier this month.
Quinton Jones, MD of Carat SA, says launching an iconic American brand from Carat’s Cape Town office presents a fantastic opportunity for the company to showcase its expertise and creativity in the FMCG arena. Carat won the business in partnership with King James, who will be handling the creative aspects.
“We are thrilled to be working on a global power brand, especially as we have been entrusted with doing the media for the launch in SA. We are looking forward to doing amazing work,” he says.
Burger King is the latest addition to an impressive list of clients attained by Carat within the first quarter of 2013. These include Monash University Australia, Mutual & Federal and AFB (Ghana and Kenya). The latest new client wins come on the back of Carat’s successes last year, which included General Motors, Woolworths and Massdiscounters.
Black Africa Brand Consulting wins Gauteng Tourism again
Black Africa Brand Consulting has just been appointed the preferred brand agency for the Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA. The Gauteng Tourism Authority is mandated to develop and promote tourism in the province of Gauteng.
Passionate about their South African Heritage and creating great African brands, the offices of the Black Africa Group were jubilant earlier this week after the announcement of having been awarded the second phase of the brand strategy project for Gauteng Tourism, which is on implementation. The agency recently and successfully completed the strategic development and positioning work.
“We are thrilled to have been awarded the second phase and we look forward to a mutually empowering partnership uniting two passionate African brands not only locally in South Africa but for the greater good of the African tourism industry as a whole,” says Marisa Holley, CEO of Black Africa Brand Consulting.
MANGO-OMC to handle communications portfolio for Salepartners
Launched in 2013, Salepartners is an online hub that consolidates all services and tools required by owners and landlords to market, sell or rent their property online. MANGO-OMC was appointed in April 2013 to handle all the communication needs of the site.
“Salepartners offers a service that traditional estate agents cannot hope to match. Due to the traditional model applied by the estate agency businesses and the lucrative nature of the industry during times of rising property prices, there has been little or no response to changing customer needs. This has created the opportunity for an innovative business, which listens to customer needs, exploits market forces and changes the status quo,” says Smith, CEO of Salepartners
“This is a first for South Africa, with the potential to go global very quickly. We believe that Salepartners brings an essential service to the general public – one that enables you to sell your home yourself, but not by yourself,” says account director, Nicole Capper.
Brother Printers renews with Golf Unlimited
Brother Printers has renewed its advertising contract with Primedia Unlimited’s subsidiary Golf Unlimited, because the media owner has proven itself as the ideal advertising partner with which the advertiser can reach business owners, chief executive officers and managing directors.
The national advertising campaign targets high LSM 9+ consumers, and is flighting on two holes across Golf Unlimited’s National GPS screen footprint.
“This provides Brother Printers with sector exclusivity for the duration of the campaign, enabling the company to increase its share of voice with brand exclusivity in an environment where it can dominate the sector in terms of messaging,” says Golf Unlimited’s Pieter Groenewald.
Tribeca Public Relations appointed by Orange Business Services
Tribeca Public Relations has been appointed as Orange Business Services’ public relations agency in South Africa.
Orange Business Services is the global B2B arm of the France Telecom-Orange group and provides integrated IT and telecoms solutions for businesses. Its African operation is headquartered in Johannesburg, with a growing presence throughout Africa.
Tribeca PR will be responsible for driving awareness of the Orange Business Services brand across sub-Saharan Africa, enhancing its reputation as a global thought leader in IT and telecoms solutions.
“Tribeca PR has a wealth of experience working with multinational corporations that are active in Africa,” says Cian Mac Eochaidh, co-owner and director of Tribeca PR. “We look forward to drawing on our knowledge of the region to work with the Orange Business Services’ team in helping them achieve their business objectives.”
Who’s making moves
Experienced trio launch WhyFive – a fresh take on market research
Success in business depends on asking the right questions. ‘Why?’ is always the right question, say the founders of newly launched market research business WhyFive; and marketing wisdom holds that if one asks ‘Why?’ five times, any question will be fully answered.
After 22 years of successful partnership in Bateleur Research Solutions, Gordon Hooper and Alan Todd joined forces with seasoned media specialist Stuart Lowe. The three worked together for four years in joint venture RamsayMedia Research Solutions (RMRS), while Lowe was MD of RamsayMedia. The wealth study TopEnd was one of the fruits of this partnership, based on the methodology they developed. TopEnd remains in RMRS and the new business WhyFive will act as a sales agent for the product.
By focusing on the right questions and deploying innovative online methodology WhyFive Pty Ltd aims to unlock genuine insights for marketers.
Why WhyFive? “Because – unlike most market research operations – WhyFive is not focused on selling research services” explains Lowe. “The value we offer is in market reports aimed at specific vertical markets.”
WhyFive’s first product, The SA Body Image Report, is a good example of the value of WhyFive market reports: “If you are in the health and beauty industry, this is an invaluable guide to understanding consumer views and preferences in this market” says Lowe. “It is available in printed report form, including cross-tabulated data.”
The company started trading on 1 May with a corporate identity created by award-winning design agency Berge Farrell. The cheeky pay-off line ‘Non-fiction’ attests to the factual nature of WhyFive reports. “Our reports are non-fiction; the insights, assertions and descriptions are factual or empirically true” say the directors of WhyFive.
MTV & Fish Eagle on track for a winning Durban July
Music channel MTV (DStv Channel 130) and premium brandy Fish Eagle are looking to be first past the post with their spectacular MTV Eagle Air themed village at Durban July 2013. MTV and Fish Eagle have joined forces with event innovators Velti Events to create the ultimate racecourse getaway, combining futuristic glam with cool comfort and hot entertainment – all just a few paces from the hustle and bustle of the racecourse.
Covering more than 8,000 square meters, and spread over six giant inflatable domes, MTV Eagle Air provides the ultimate entertainment experience for discerning race-goers, providing non-stop fun for music lovers, fashionistas and gamers.
Liquideep and Mafikizolo are the first of many artists and DJs to be signed up to serenade guests at the MTV Eagle Air village, while Comedy Central (DStv Channel 122) will be providing a special stand-up comedy zone. A range of fashion shows will also be staged throughout the day on a purpose-built catwalk.
The MTV Eagle Air village will be open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on Saturday 6 July 2013. To book your tickets for the village, including individual and corporate packages, go to your local Computicket outlet, or click here.
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