The acquisitive media technology firm is eyeing more deals as it looks to build scale and clout.
Few companies can claim to have a first-mover advantage, tapping into a market fertile with opportunities.
Yet, media technology firm Tritech Media is fast building scale in South Africa’s largely untapped digital media space.
Tritech Media, a newbie that provides precise corporate digital communications for marketers using its various technologies and consumer digital content, continues to bulk up through acquisitions.
The company extended its acquisitive path last week by acquiring a 20% stake in data and lead generation company Geospatial Data Solutions (GDS) for an undisclosed amount.
GDS transforms datasets into marketing insights to identify consumer patterns and market trends. The company already has a database that includes about 22 million customers.
CEO William Kirsh, a media veteran and founder of Primedia, says the acquisition of a stake in GDS is in line with its ambition to dominate the precise marketing and communications space in and around South Africa’s shopping malls.
“If the retailer in a shopping mall wants to drive customers to its store, what GDS can do is take its rich database of consumers and overlay it with that of the retailer in the mall to determine and plot where potential new consumers are. This will ultimately enable retailers to more precisely market their offering to their consumers and potential new ones. The richness of the data enables precise communication with consumers,” Kirsh tells Moneyweb.
Tritech Media – which is less than a year old after evolving from Value+ Nettwork, which Kirsh launched in 2010 – has recently pulled in a slew of other acquisitions.
In addition to GDS, it acquired a 51% interest in real-time proximity-based advertising technology Ionizr in April, to enable mall owners and retail tenants to deliver promotions and specials. Other acquisitions include: a 45% stake in gaming industry innovator GameZBoost and a 25% stake in mobile rewards platform TuYu.
These acquisitions complement Tritech Media’s three aspects of media technology; digital media, customised content and proprietary technology to both consumers and corporates.
Incorporated into its three-fold focus are companies like Amazing Vouchers which delivers freebies, discounts and two-for-one offers to consumers and corporates; data analytics firm Eighty20; and Colony, which enables companies to build a digital profile of their consumer. Tritech Media also owns WOW Marketing, GameOn!, The Loyalty Box, Mygeni, One Point, Crossgate, PeppaCoin and Opengate.
Tritech Media, through Opengate, has the exclusive prepaid distribution rights for iTunes, Google Play and the world’s digital content brands across 2 000 Pick n Pay, Makro, HiFi Corp, Checkers and Dis-Chem stores. “I anticipate that we will meet or even exceed the 4 000 stores target for our prepaid vouchers in physical stores by the end of this year,” says Kirsh.
Tritech Media has set its sights on more acquisitions in the domestic market. As Kirsh puts it: “There are many opportunities locally and we want to make sure that we really consolidate this space.”
It has more appetite for corporate communication opportunities, although the company is already well represented on this front. “On the consumer digital content side we have access to the world’s best digital content, so bulking up on consumer digital content is not a priority. We are finding companies that are approaching us and they can see the benefit of being in our group.”
Offshore opportunities are on its radar, and Kirsh says activities have already begun and would be announced in due course.
This story was first published by Moneyweb and is republished here with the permission of the editor.
