The Media Online’s weekly round up. Kgaugelo Maphai new MD of The MediaShop Sandton. Boomtown takes LexisNexis brief. Cricket SA appoints PR Powerhouse to promote development cricket. Targus appoints Axiz and Tarsus Distribution as master distributors. Big news for high school rugby as Virseker launches Virseker Beker. The Customer Experience Africa Awards announced to celebrate industry leaders.
This week’s BIG move: Kgaugelo Maphai new MD of The MediaShop Sandton
Not even one week after The MediaShop opened the doors at its brand new offices in Johannesburg, group managing director Chris Botha has announced the appointment of Kgaugelo Maphai as the new MD of the Sandton office, effective 1 April.
“It’s been a whirlwind few weeks, that’s for sure,” Botha said. “We’ve been looking for the right candidate for quite some time now to head our Johannesburg office and to take on additional management responsibilities. We all agree that Kgaugelo is the right man for the job.
“His passion has always been about understanding our diverse South African consumers, their behaviour, what influences them and how to effectively communicate with them within their own environments. We’re confident Kgaugelo will bring a lot of dynamic, innovative and different thinking into the agency and we’ll support him 100% of the way.”
Maphai is a marketer and entrepreneur who has experienced all aspects of marketing, media and communications within the client, media owner and agency working environments. His previous positions include group marketing services manager at Peermont Global (Pty) Ltd, national trade marketing manager at SABC Radio, national sales manager at East Coast Radio (Pty) Ltd, key account manager at e.tv and acting portfolio sales manager at MetroFM.
“I am thrilled to be entrusted with the position of MD at such a progressive agency,” Maphai said. “… I’m looking forward to the challenge and to working with a fantastic group of people.”
Who’s won what
Boomtown takes LexisNexis brief
Boomtown has been briefed by LexisNexis South Africa to develop a unified brand value proposition and to develop a strategic plan to take it to market.
In November 2015, LexisNexis South Africa, part of RELX Group, acquired Korbitec from the Naspers Group, and established LexisNexis South Africa as the leader in conveyancing solutions in the local legal market.
“With our acquisition, and the merging of organisations into one, it is important for us to establish the right brand within South Africa in order to add value to all our stakeholders,” remarks Thabo Molefe, LexisNexis South Africa commercial director.
“We have been working behind the scenes researching and strategising for a number of months,” adds Boomtown MD Andrew MacKenzie. “We’re all about allowing our people and clients to realise their possibility. And through our in-depth research when it’s time to roll out the proposition to market, LexisNexis will be another brand we’ve helped do just that.”
Cricket SA appoints PR Powerhouse to promote development cricket
Johannesburg-based PR agency, PR Powerhouse, has been appointed by Cricket South Africa (CSA) to handle communications for its national hubs and Regional Performance Centres Programme.
The strategically crafted programme, with a solid investment of R60 million from Cricket South Africa provides playing infrastructure facilities, and offers a formalised progressive competition platform that develops quality black African cricketers, working toward’s Cricket South Africa’s mission to make cricket a truly national sport of winners.
“CSA was looking for an agency that is in tune with transformation in South Africa and which would be able to assist in reaching the right audiences with its messaging about the RPC and Hubs Programme,” says PR Powerhouse managing director, Lebo Madiba. “We have a wealth of experience in conceptualising and implementing special projects and programmes, and look forward to working with CSA on this exciting initiative.”
Targus appoints Axiz and Tarsus Distribution as master distributors
Targus, manufacturer of mobile and computer accessories for the mobile workforce, has appointed Axiz and Tarsus Distribution as its preferred master distributors for Southern Africa.
Both distribution companies will serve corporate and retail markets regionally with the full range of Targus products. The range spans Targus’s signature laptop and tablet cases, as well as accessories and peripherals including docking stations, privacy screens, laptop coolers, locks, styluses, and screen protectors among others.
“Southern Africa is a significantly important market for Targus and we believe that the distributor partnerships with Axiz and Tarsus Distribution will enable us to grow our business and offer better service to the market place,” said Mohamed El Aougri, sales director for Targus in South Africa.
Who’s making moves
Posterscope SA partners with WWF and says YES to renewable energy
Posterscope recently ran an added value campaign to the value of 2 million for the WWF to raise awareness of the Earth Hour movement.
Earth Hour is a global citizen movement of positive change for the environment, which was celebrated on Saturday 25th March – for one hour from 08:30 to 9:30pm. People were encouraged to switch off their lights as a symbolic gesture of unity to reflect on our impact on the planet.
This year, WWF-SA decided to go one step further for Earth Hour by asking citizens to sign a petition addressed to Eskom, which has been stalling over the implementation of renewable energy contracts.
Dr Morné du Plessis, CEO of WWF South Africa, commented: “In order to avoid the extreme impacts of runaway climate change, we need to reduce our carbon emissions urgently by introducing more renewable energy into the energy mix. Yet, the bulk of South Africa’s carbon emissions come from electricity generated by fossil fuels such as coal and oil. This has to change.”
Posterscope SA’s Bruce Burgess added, “Posterscope SA fully supports the WWF’s Earth Hour initiative and urges the rest of South Africa to sign the petition to encourage the introduction of renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions. As active citizens we all need to make a concerted effort to conserve our planet.”
The WWF’s petition closes TODAY and together with Posterscope are encouraging everyone to visit the website at www.wwf.org.za/earthhour to sign the petition.
The Dan Nicholl Show returns for a fifth season
With another season of celebrity guests, big-name sports stars and entertaining misadventures around the world, The Dan Nicholl Show, sponsored by BrightRock, returns to SuperSport as season five of the talk show kicks off on 5 April 2017.
The combination of sports guests with stars from other walks of life has made for a successful formula, and the four seasons to date have gathered a strong following for the show, which will continue its hour-long format with host Dan Nicholl. The show celebrated its 50th episode during season four.
“To have reached a fifth season, with number six to follow later this year, is wonderful, although I still can’t quite believe we’ve come this far,” admits Nicholl, the show’s host and executive producer. “I get to hang out with cool people once a week and have fun with them, so I couldn’t have a better job.”
Big news for high school rugby as Virseker launches Virseker Beker
Afrikaans insurance brand, Virseker, has announced that the high school rugby trophy, formerly known as the Virseker Beeldtrofeë, will be sporting a brand-new look and will now be known as the Virseker Beker.
Virseker is well-known for its service delivery in, and support of, Afrikaans, through stage productions like Afrikaans is Groot, as well as the promotion of Afrikaans education, where more than R10-million has been invested in, amongst others, Akademia, the Rapport Onderwysfonds and the development of Afrikaans study apps.
“Afrikaans is the language of our hearts. We work in Afrikaans, we learn in Afrikaans, we sing in Afrikaans and we play rugby in Afrikaans”, says Dawid Botha, spokesperson for Virseker.
“Since its inception 97 years ago, as the Interhoërskool Beker, this Northvaal trophy has undergone quite a few name changes, but has always remained synonymous with first class schools rugby. We stand firmly and proudly behind it!”
More good news for rugby fans is that some of the games of the 2017 tournament will also be broadcast on kykNET.
The Customer Experience Africa Awards announced to celebrate industry leaders
The inaugural Customer Experience Africa Awards will take place in Cape Town on 15 August at the Century City Conference Centre. The event has been conceptualised out of the great success of the Customer Experience Management Africa Summit, currently in its sixth year running.
The CXA Awards celebrate and promote the highest level of customer experience across Africa. The show will be a meeting place for leading CX experts, and will catalyse healthy competition between leading specialists and companies alike. The event aims to bring together the top innovators and thought leaders in this field, to step into the limelight in front of a panel of industry expert judges, which will be showcased at the prestigious gala dinner on 15 August.
