Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. Ireland/Davenport thanks Vodacom. Susan Credle to Join FCB as global chief creative officer. Strategic communications director appointed at marcusbrewster. Management changes at Primall Media and Mallworx. Black Snow Digital appoints Ronel Gerber as Soci. Jam Media appointed as digital agency for Fast Company South Africa and The Intrepid Explorer. Agency challenges the confines of conventional job hiring
This week’s BIG move: Ireland/Davenport thanks Vodacom after global agency shift
Following decisions taken at a global level, Vodacom will be consolidating its advertising and communication portfolios into one agency group. With the digital and retail portfolios currently within the Ogilvy stable, the above the line account will also be moving to the monolith.
“Decisions such as these are never taken lightly, and while Ireland/Davenport has delivered exceptional communications over the past three years that have served the brand incredibly well, we understand the commercial reasons and needs that have led to this decision. We are incredibly proud of the work we have produced on Vodacom, both from a creative and an effectiveness perspective,” says Ireland/Davenport MD, Sue Napier.
Campaigns from the agency proved to be extremely successful, and the summer campaigns for 2013 and 2014 bear testament to this; 2013 saw two television commercials in the Top 20 in the Millward Brown Best Liked Ads list for the year, including Best Liked Ad of the Year as voted for by South African consumers.
“Its been an amazing time, we’ve created some incredible work for the client, the results of which speak for themselves and through the process we’ve learnt so much. We know what we are good at and what we love to do. We take this opportunity to wish the new agency well as they take on the challenge of working on this incredible brand. We truly do see this as an amazing opportunity to move our agency forward into its next exciting phase. And as always we will ‘Work hard. Be nice. And love what we do’,” Napier said.
Who’s moved where
Susan Credle to Join FCB as global chief creative officer
FCB Worldwide CEO Carter Murray has named Susan Credle as FCB’s global chief creative officer. Murray and Jonathan Harries, who has served as FCB’s global chief creative officer since 2006, jointly began a search for Harries’ successor a year ago. “The moment we met Susan, we both felt that she would be the perfect creative leader, given our ambition of being a true creative/business partner to our clients to help change consumers’ behavior,” said Murray. “Susan is joining a group of talented creative people and her wealth of experience, perspective and leadership style will make us all that much better.”
Harries will become chairman of the network and continue to inspire and counsel. “There is no one who has worked harder and cares more,” said Murray. “The chairman title and role, at its best, should be held by someone with stature who commands respect in a company. I can think of no one who deserves that title more.”
Credle was most recently chief creative officer at Leo Burnett USA based in Chicago. She joined in 2009 and is credited with spearheading a creative renaissance, creating a collaborative culture, shoring up existing clients and attracting new marketers to the fold.
Credle, who started her career at BBDO New York after graduating from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1985, quickly made her creative skills apparent to agency leaders through her tenacity and perseverance. She served as a copywriter and a creative director before ultimately being appointed EVP, executive creative director. During her 24-year tenure at BBDO, she reinvented the iconic M&M’s characters, helped turn Cingular Wireless from a small challenger brand into a category leader, and created award-winning work for clients including Bank of America, FedEx, Gillette, Lowe’s, PepsiCo, Pizza Hut and Visa.
Strategic communications director appointed at marcusbrewster
Integrated PR firm marcusbrewster has appointed industry heavyweight Andre Fourie as strategic communications director.
In the newly created position in the Cape Town office, Fourie’s primary focus will be on strategy formulation, content development and feature writing, issues management and top-level client service and strategic counsel. In addition, Fourie will drive the integration and measurement of various marketing and communication campaign components for the agency’s clients.
Fourie is a senior consumer, business and digital PR professional with a decade’s experience providing a broad range of strategic communication and publicity services to companies and brands in the technology, business, hospitality, sports, events, government and political spheres.
Commenting on the appointment, consultancy founder and chairman Marcus Brewster says: “Andre brings management level expertise in business-to-business, consumer, advertising and social media sectors. His ability to translate complex concepts into simple, useful and usable information, paired with a focus on proactive issues management, has helped his clients navigate often tricky consumer and business perceptions to achieve measurable increases in reputation and market awareness. As the agency powers into its 25th anniversary next year, I am delighted to have Andre’s acumen and sector insights to bear on our own future as we map out the evolution of the communications industry and stake out the high ground for the business.
Management changes at Primall Media and Mallworx
Molefi Moloantoa, CEO of Primedia Unlimited’s Mall Division has announced the resignation of current executive: sales and marketing Lee Curtis and the subsequent promotion of sales manager Deshendri Smit.
“We wish Lee every success as he begins the next leg of his journey. As a business we are completely behind him and support him 100%,” says Molefi. “Lee remains a great friend and associate of Primall, Mallworx and the Primedia Unlimited Mall Division.”
Lee adds: “It’s been an incredible 10 years with the Primedia Unlimited group and I’m really grateful to have had the learnings, backing and support from the team. I echo the decision to have Deshendri take over the executive sales and marketing role as she’s already formed solid client relationships, has the respect of the team and brings enormous skills and proficiency to the business.”
Molefi said Deshendri’s transition into her new position will be seamless from both a client and staff point of view. “With Deshendri having worked with Lee initially as an account manager for four years and later as sales manager for two years will definitely assist with the continuation of the business sales and marketing strategy.”
Black Snow Digital appoints Ronel Gerber as Social Media Manager
Specialist digital marketing agency, Black Snow Digital, has welcomed new social media manager, Ronel Gerber, to the team.
With an Honours Degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the North West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Gerber has managed an array of digital accounts spanning the retail, sports, property and lifestyle sectors. Gerber is a problem-solver whose strong creative and conceptualisation skills have helped clients achieve powerful online marketing results.
“We are happy to have Gerber join our team of digital marketers as more and more clients are seeing the value of social media in today’s digital world,” says Clinton Muir, managing director of The Black Snow Group: Her strategic skills, passion and experience will add even greater value to our clients.”
Who’s won what
DUO Marketing + Communications celebrates four new clients
Specialist B2B Tech PR and digital marketing agency, DUO Marketing and Communications has signed on four new clients this month. Retainer clients execMobile, Flickswitch, Gamma Fly and Lorge are joined by project client Gartner Symposium, which returns to Cape Town in September this year with a new theme ‘Rise to the Challenge’.
“We are delighted to acquire clients that are all innovative disruptors in their industries and by their very nature, aligned with our business vision,” says DUO Marketing and Communications CEO, Judith Middleton.
execMobile is renewing its relationship with DUO to drive awareness amongst business professionals of its data roaming cost reduction solution. Flickswitch, a mobile SIM connectivity management company approached DUO to handle the PR and marketing of its easy to use dashboard that allows B2B enterprise companies full control of SIM card expenses. Gamma Fly, currently the only South African based Gamification technology company, delivers a solution using data to influence behavior change in the workplace. Lorge, delivers end-to-end ERP, CRM and BI business management solutions.
“In addition to new business, we have deepened our service offering to some of our long term retainer business including Vox Telecom who has commissioned us to manage thier online presence and increase sales from its digital assets,” says Middleton.
Jam Media appointed as digital agency for Fast Company South Africa and The Intrepid Explorer
Insights Publishing has appointed 360-degree communications agency, Jam Media, as their digital agency for two of their magazines, Fast Company South Africa and The Intrepid Explorer.
Fast Company South Africa inspires a new breed of innovative and creative thought leaders who are actively inventing the future of business. The magazine is one of the most progressive media brands in the United States and was brought to South Africa in 2014.Fast Company joined Jam Media’s growing client basket this May.
The Intrepid Explorer, which launched in 2013, is an outdoor adventure and travel magazine that features South Africa’s top travel writers, adventurers, environmentalists and experts revealing the best of the best that the outdoors can offer one.
‘We are very excited about working with Jam Media on our flagship titles and have no doubt with their expertise that our digital platforms will grow from strength to strength, said publisher editor, Robbie Stammers
Who’s making moves
Agency challenges the confines of conventional job hiring
In keeping with their trend of engaging and progressive thinking, INDAYI has incorporated a new approach in interviewing for and filling an important frontline position. Traditionally employers advertise a position, conduct interviews and hire the appropriate candidate. INDAYI have taken on a fresh approach by embarking on a creative social media campaign which included three bright and colourful adverts detailing the key qualities required by prospective candidates as well as the details of when, where and how to apply on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This stands in stark contrast to dull, text-only adverts traditionally used to advertise a position.
Once the candidates were selected through a thorough short-listing process over a number of days they were invited to a day at the office which included game playing and interacting with INDAYI employees to fine tunes and finger nibbles as the befitting crescendo of debuting the revised recruitment process, thus giving the candidates a chance to experience the INDAYI culture and making them feel comfortable and at home before the final interviews were conducted – after which the best candidate was chosen. This fresh approach is expedient in ways not only to the candidates who were put at ease but to the company too as the candidates were effectively introduced to the ‘corporate culture’.
The enthusiasm and progressive thinking put into this job hiring technique was perfectly summed up by Hlangulani Msomi, director and founder of Indayi Communications, when he says; “With INDAYI excellence is inescapable. We want to thread our corporate culture of creativity and vibrancy in all that we do in order for our growth in the industry to be marked by our ability to break the molds of convention.
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