Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. B2B tech agency on growth trajectory. Kirsty Sharman appointed CEO of Retromedia. Brand Union announces leadership change. Mxit appoints Michelle Randall. ABF secures two new EXCO members. Conversation LAB picks up PEG clothing and skating account. ANN7 celebrates its first anniversary. Offshore Excellence Award for marcusbrewster.
B2B tech agency on growth trajectory
Niche B2B tech agency, DUO Marketing + Communications, has not only added four more accounts to its portfolio, but also five new staff members in a little more than three months.
“We are excited to find that both local and international technology companies are realising the benefit of a smaller, more niched agency and are encouraged by the opportunities that have presented themselves over the last three months,” says CEO Judith Middleton.
These new business wins, and hires, coupled with the opening of a fully fledged regional office based in Morningside, represent the beginning of what it believes is an exciting growth phase for the company.
“The speed with which the team and the client base has grown is both exhilarating and daunting all at the same time. But it is a good challenge for any organisation to have to tackle,” Middleton says.
In line with this growth strategy, Middleton has extended her leadership team, by bringing on board PR veteran, Dominique Pienaar as the regional manager for Gauteng, and promoting Andre Fourie to head of the business unit in Cape Town
DUO was founded in 2004 as a specialised B2B agency for technology companies who require PR services in South Africa.
Who’s moved where
Kirsty Sharman appointed CEO of Retromedia
Kirsty Sharman has been appointed CEO of Retromedia, a new online media-buying agency based in Johannesburg, recently launched by Retroviral Digital Communications.
Sharman and her team provide brands with the ability to target their online content to niche, relevant audiences, by identifying applicable digital platforms and utilising these as advertising space. Previously a senior consultant at Retroviral, Sharman’s innovative and practical approach to online content marketing has earned her great respect in the South African online community, and she enjoys recognition of colleagues, peers and clients alike.
Sharman’s online repertoire is proof of her suitability for the role: she has an established and successful blog that has its own e-store, and working with business partner Leigh Fowle, she has also built Girl Geek Dinnersinto a highlight of the Johannesburg social networking scene.
Brand Union announces leadership change
Brand Union South Africa has appointed a new managing director, Kagiso Musi, who will be based in the Johannesburg office. Musi joins Brand Union as a member of the WPP Group, most recently having held the position of executive director and board member at Jupiter Drawing Room, another WPP Group agency.
“Kagiso is a relationship person, a business developer and culture builder. She is known to always back her people no matter what. We are told she never left a dry eye in the Jupiter halls when she left to take a 4-month sabbatical before joining BU,” says Hermann Behrens, Brand Union’s Africa and Middle East CEO.
Gary Bryant, who has successfully held the position as Brand Union’s Africa MD at the Johannesburg office for the last three years, will be moving to the London office as strategy director.
Musi will work alongside Brand Union’s chairman, Mpho Makwana, Africa and Middle East CEO Hermann Behrens, and the Brand Union SA executive team in continuing the momentum the company has built under Bryant’s leadership.
Mxit appoints Michelle Randall
Local mobile social network Mxit has appointed Michelle Randall as a sales consultant for the Johannesburg Mxit sales team.
Previously the new business manager at Universal Music and Brands, Randall has over the past six years become a key member of the advertising and media industry. She has a Bcom in Marketing Management from UJ and began her career in 2008 with United Stations in advertising sales. She was soon promoted to handle media sales for a large portfolio of national advertisers across all United Stations channels. In her final year at United Stations, Michelle headed up a new Radio Station entrant Vuma FM, as the national brand manager.
“We’re really excited to have Michelle join our team and are confident that her energy, attitude and experience will be a huge asset to both Mxit and our clients,” says Andrew Kramer, Mxit’s VP of sales.
ABF secures two new EXCO members
The ABF has announced the addition of two new committee members. They are Olav Westphal and Jacqui Klug, both from the Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB).
Westphal has long been a participant in the Advertising Benevolent Fund’s fundraising events. “We’re confident that Olav and Jacqui’s contributions to this committee, especially on the fundraising side will be invaluable,” says Sharlene Vallance, executive committee member. “The industry can expect to start receiving emails from our new committee members, encouraging participation in our upcoming activities.”
Klug and Westphal join the established committee of Riana Stander, John Bowles (NAB), Andy Rice (Adfeature on 702 and brand consultant), Chirene Campbell (Owlhurst Communications) and Sharlene Vallance (e-venture).
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Who’s won what
Conversation LAB picks up PEG clothing and skating account
Digitally focused creative agency Conversation LAB has added the trendsetting clothing and skateboard brand, Peg, to its list of established retail clients.
Conversation LAB has been appointed to evolve the companies brand identity both online and in-store ensuring a strong digital presence across social and search marketing. Central to the strategy will be developing PEG’s ecommerce offering.
“We are excited to be working with PEG and helping to take their brand to the next level – especially the push into e-commerce which is right for their audience and the timing is perfect. We are going to have a lot of fun with this young, fresh brand,” said managing director Kevin Power.
Who’s making moves
ANN7 celebrates its first anniversary
ANN7, South Africa’s 24-hour news channel turns one today. From a challenging launch, the channel has settled down and says it now “leads the market with innovation and differentiation, thanks to the efforts of a dedicated and passionate team”.
“We have been constantly augmenting our resources to enhance our reach into smaller towns and to make our content relevant for the man on the street and will continue to do so,” said group editor, Moegsien Williams, adding that, “ANN7 has survived as a positive voice against all odds and is here to stay.”
In a statement, ANN7 said its innovative approach to the past elections was widely applauded, especially its flagship programme SA Decides, in which nine news teams took to the road, travelling the the length and breadth of our country to hear first-hand the issues upper most in the minds of ordinary South Africans.
Offshore Excellence Award for marcusbrewster
Managed communications services and PR consultancy marcusbrewster has been named South Africa’s Best Onshore & Offshore Focused PR Firm at the Offshore Excellence Awards in London.
Other South African companies who were honoured include NedGroup Beta Solutions (Sustained Excellence in Capital Markets), Old Mutual Private Equity (Best Offshore Focused Multi-Boutique Investment House), Standard Bank (Most Trusted Offshore Banking Group of the Year), Stanlib Collective Investments (Offshore Focused Multi-Manager of the Year) and Werksmans Inc (SA Based Offshore Investment Team of the Year).
The awards recognise law firms, advisers, banks and companies who ”though tireless work, dedication to innovation and commitment to peerless customer service have surged ahead to establish themselves as leaders in the offshore industry” according to Mark Toon, editor of Acquisition International, the convenor of the awards.
“From keeping pace with the latest ever-changing legislation and regulations to overseeing complex operations that span the globe, it takes a special kind of business to excel in the offshore industry which is why we’re honoured to receive this recognition,” says chairman, Marcus Brewster.
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