Three high-level media professionals have resigned from their jobs to form a new independent media agency offering services in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Previous group managing director of Carat SA, Quinton Jones, with former group managing director of MEC Nota Bene, Erica Gunning and media consultancy owner, Hanlie van Eck, have united to create Planit Media, which they describe as an “agency born in the digital age providing integrated solutions”.
“Speaking on behalf of all three owners in the business, starting a media agency has been on our bucket list for a long time. It was all about finding the right partners and the timing to do it. Based on the experience all three of us have, we all bring different strengths to the table and where the media industry is at the timing seemed perfect for 2016,” Gunning said.
“Media agencies are facing a massive talent and skill shortage at the moment, which is resulting in media being undervalued by clients based on non-delivery of services,” she said. “With digital now fully integrated in the media solution for clients, there are very few strategists who know how to provide clients with a holistic media solution.
“So the biggest challenges media agencies will face in 2016 will be delivery issues, innovation, holistic media solutions and declining media budgets requiring smart planning. Which we as local and experienced media agency will be able to deliver on.”
Global agency buyouts have been a recurring theme over the past couple of years. But Johanna McDowell, managing director of South Africa’s Independent Agency Search and Selection company (IAS), told The Media Online back in 2014 that a consequence of these mergers and acquisitions would be a ”plethora of startups”.
“Agency people by nature are start-up people. So it’s all very well buying up agencies but eventually those who’ve sold their businesses to global agencies will think ‘okay, done this now, what’s next’. We’re in for interesting times,” she said at the time.
Delivering real value in media to clients beyond just the price they pay for the media
Asked if starting a new media agency now, while this global game is being played out, was a risk, Gunning said, “Starting your own business is always a risk, but we believe as a local independent we will stand out in terms of our service levels to clients based on most agencies part of groups where they get lost”.
So what makes them different? “Delivering real value in media to clients beyond just the price they pay for the media,” said Gunning. “Our challenges will be to show how we can offer better value in media than the big media global groups at a local level to clients,” she said.
She outlines Planit Media’s business proposition. It will offer holistic and integrated solutions, she said. “ Planit+ is a value model delivering true value at multiple levels, driving ROI and business results. We have senior people at MD level, with solid media experience, working on your business. There’s a partnership network that delivers the best in the industry, tailored to your requirements. And we are passionate about our people and our clients,” she said.
Planet+, Gunning explains, is a “model we have developed that relies on value delivery across four key segments that can be tracked as part of KPIs and a Risk and Reward Model. It’s all about delivering improved Efficiency and Effectiveness at every level, with every opportunity and with every media connection – maximising media delivery and business results”.
Planit has a few local clients, but is working on signing up new business. They are using PR to spread the message, and will be utilising social media assets to “connect with our network”.
