Our weekly round up: Get ready to join The 947 Breakfast Club. Another BIG move, just in: HEINEKEN announces worldwide partnership for Rugby World Cup 2019. Michelle Botha joins Wag the Dog Publishers. Dominique Pienaar appointed CEO for DUO Marketing + Communications. 99c appoints new MD for Johannesburg. Hema Ghela joins Tribeca Public Relations. Gugulethu Cele joins Kaya Bizz. RushSports appoints Boomtown to develop and grow its brand. Hippo.co.za awarded global Trusted Service Award 2017. USB sponsors ‘GURUS’, a brand new show on CNBC Africa. Meltwater launches real-time business update tool: Executive Alerts.
The week’s BIG move: Get ready to join The 947 Breakfast Club
Anele Mdoda will take over the 947 breakfast show from 3 April and together with a powerful supporting cast and the best playlist to wake up the city, The 947 Breakfast Club will be open to anyone who wants to join.
As with the iconic movie of the same name, The Breakfast Club brings together a diverse group who end up finding common ground – and having a lot of fun.
In addition to the chemistry between the existing crew – larger than life Anele, smooth talker Alex Caige on traffic, sassy Thembekile Mrototo on news and straight talking Cindy Poluta on sport – they’ll also be welcoming a brand new member to the team: Frankie du Toit who will be coming on board as co-presenter.
Frankie and Anele go way back, right to their very first day in a radio studio, when both were part of the same intake at their campus station, Tuks FM.
“Our shows used to overlap so we saw each other everyday, and we ran a very successful promotion together that stood out for me in my early career,” said Anele. “I remember going to support his band when they played – even when they sucked! But those days are long gone and he’s done so well since then – I’m very excited to be working with Frankie again.”
Frankie has solid experience on breakfast radio as he was a long serving member of the breakfast team at Jacaranda FM before he moved to 5FM, where he has been hosting a night time show. On TV he presented the music show Hoor Hoor on KykNet for two seasons from 2013 – 2015 and is currently the writer and producer of the popular KykNet Top 20 show.
The 947 Breakfast Club goes live at 6am on Monday 3 April, tune in and join up.
Just in: Heineken announces worldwide partnership for Rugby World Cup 2019
Heineken has announced it will be a Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan. The new agreement with the sport’s governing body, World Rugby, will see Heineken, the world’s leading international premium beer brand, continue as an official partner of rugby’s leading global tournament. The partnership plays an important role in supporting the brand’s global business growth objectives.
Heineken’s relationship with World Rugby – one of the most recognisable and longest-standing partnerships in sport – dates back to 1995. The new deal encompasses Rugby World Cup 2019, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 and the World Rugby Awards 2017.
As a Worldwide Partner for Rugby World Cup 2019, Heineken will continue its popular match traditions across the 12 venue tournament, such as the Heineken Coin Toss and the Heineken Back Stage Stadium Tour. The partnership will also include exclusive pouring rights, LED pitch boarding exposure and tickets giveaways. To celebrate, Heineken has released a short film that features ambassador and rugby legend Scott Quinnell sharing his Rugby World Cup memories, with a hidden twist.
Who’s moved where
Michelle Botha joins Wag the Dog Publishers
Wag the Dog Publishers, a company within the Iconic group, has bolstered its sales team by appointing Michelle Botha as general manager of sales and sponsorships.
In her new position, Botha will be selling on all the current Wag the Dog Publisher print and digital brands, including The Media, The Media Online and EasyDIY, while at the same time exploring new revenue streams. Before moving to Wag the Dog Publishers, Botha was employed at Caxton’s Lowveld Media branch, overseeing all of its products as group sales manager. This branch is Caxton’s largest one by number of publications and includes 14 newspapers, eight title websites and two magazines.
“Michelle not only has a strong sales background in terms of her experience but is also very good at motivating and inspiring sales teams. We view her appointment as a positive step in the growth of Wag the Dog Publishers. This will also provide me with the necessary time to build new initiatives off our existing base of well known brands including The Media, The Media Online, and EasyDIY,” says Sandra Gordon, founder of Wag the Dog Publishers and CEO of the Iconic group.
Botha first gained sales experience as a telemarketer for an insurance company before moving into field sales. She was then involved in labour broking for eight years, before her first foray into media occurred when she was appointed as sales manager of MPower FM, now known as Rise FM. Commenting on her sales career, Botha says, “I have sold everything from bricks to people”.
When asked why she was looking for a new job Botha says, “It was time for me to broaden my horizons as far as experience in the media field goes as well as building a client base network.” She will be bringing her life motto to her new position which is, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing”.
Dominique Pienaar appointed CEO for DUO Marketing + Communications
After 14 years at the helm, Judith Middleton, founder of DUO Marketing + Communications, has announced that she is stepping down as CEO to focus on business development, finance and the growth of the company’s digital product range.
“The time is right: we are a strong, growing business that has paved a way for our future success. We have been planning the move for 18 months as it’s time to allow Dominique, an existing member of our leadership team, to take over the reins and drive the business through to the next phase of its growth,” says Middleton.
Effective from 1 March 2017, Dominique Pienaar will take over as CEO. She has worked for DUO for the past three years as regional manager in the Johannesburg office and has been closely mentored by Middleton.
“I’m incredibly honoured – and slightly nervous – to take on this role. Judith leaves some big shoes to fill, but with her support and the team’s backing we will continue to deliver the same quality of work that we are known and respected for,” adds Pienaar.
Pienaar will be based in the Johannesburg office and will visit the Cape Town office and its clients on a regular basis. Middleton will remain in Cape Town supported by Regional Team Lead, Ruth Riordan.
99c appoints new MD for Johannesburg
Masego Motsogi has been appointed managing director of Ninety9cents’ (99c) new Johannesburg agency. Motsogi, who holds a degree in community and health psychology and a higher diploma in integrated marketing communications, has a career in marketing that spans over 15 years. She has worked at Ogilvy & Mather, The Jupiter Drawing Room and South African Breweries, and was previously a Business Unit Director at FCB before joining 99c.
“From the moment I stepped inside 99c I felt the warmth of its people and culture, and I knew it would be a good fit for me,” says Motsogi. “I am excited about the opportunity to expand the business in the Johannesburg market, and deliver on the agency’s ethos of producing great work that sells.”
Andrew Brand, managing director at 99, adds, “Opening an agency in Gauteng is something we’ve been planning for a while, but finding the right person to lead this journey has been crucial. I knew from the moment I met Masego that I had found the person we’d been searching for.”
99c Johannesburg opened for business on 1 March.
Hema Ghela joins Tribeca Public Relations
Tribeca Public Relations has appointed Hema Ghela as an account director. Hema leads a Tribeca consultant team that works on the Respublica and Consulta accounts among others, and is responsible for new business development, strategic leadership, and personnel management.
In her previous agency roles, Hema worked on a variety of technology and corporate accounts, including the likes of IBM, Vodacom Business and Vodafone, Nedbank Retail and Business Banking, Samsung Electronics and Dell Commercial and Dell Consumer. Hema holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Psychology.
“Hema’s corporate experience, as well as her work in hospitality, tourism and entertainment, adds a wealth of diverse insights to Tribeca’s portfolio,” says Nicola Tarr, team leader at Tribeca Public Relations. “She has already established strong relationships with her clients, and a loyal following among her Tribeca team.”
Gugulethu Cele joins Kaya Bizz
Business journalist Gugulethu Cele has joined Kaya FM as the new host of Kaya Bizz as of 6 March 2017. After the departure of Steve Bacher in June 2016. Thuli Magubane was standing in as host, while simultaneously hosting the financial advisory show My money and me. Magubane will continue as a contributor to Kaya Bizz while continuing to host My money and me Tuesdays 8-9 pm.
“I am excited to be joining Kaya FM and engaging with Afropolitan’s on their financial aspirations on an individual as well as business level and helping them get there. Kaya Bizz has proven to be a powerful platform which has allowed Afropolitan’s to be more than just observers of the market, as such I am looking forward to building on the foundation that has been set,” says Cele.
Gugulethu is a seasoned finance and business journalist who also works as a Senior Anchor at CNBC Africa, where daily she engages with c-suite executives, political leaders and captains of industry from across the continent, covering a range of issues from market moving news, current affairs and economic insights. Her previous work experiences include Talk Radio 702 and providing market report updates for Moneyweb and their affiliate’s SA FM and Lotus FM. Some of her career highlights include attending and reporting from the 2014 and 2016 Annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the 2015 World Economic Forum in Africa.
Who’s won what
RushSports appoints Boomtown to develop and grow its brand
Boomtown has announced that leading bicycle distributor RushSports has appointed the agency to handle its company branding, and the marketing for its brands it represents in South Africa. Focusing on the world’s leading brands, including Santa Cruz, Juliana and Maxxis, RushSports was established in 2005, and is fast becoming a leading distributor in Africa with ambitions in developing markets.
This move comes after the company, which is headed up by respected cyclists and entrepreneurs Andre van Aarde and Brandon Els, have brought onboard legendary, three-time downhill mountain bike, world champ, and Santa Cruz rider Greg Minnaar, as a director.
“RushSports has moved its head office to Port Elizabeth recently, and like us, Boomtown is based in the city and has a national reputation,” says Els. “Its international awards attracted us to the agency, but the most important reason is that Andrew MacKenzie who heads up the agency is a committed mountain biker who regularly races endurance events and understands the market and environment that we operate in. No other agency in South Africa would be able to offer this combination.”
Hippo.co.za awarded global Trusted Service Award 2017
Online insurance and financial services website, Hippo.co.za, has won the 2017 Feefo Trusted Service award, an independent seal of excellence that recognises businesses for delivering exceptional experiences, rated by real customers.
Trusted Service is awarded to businesses that use Feefo to collect genuine ratings and reviews. A badge of honour, this accreditation remains unique as all the awards are based purely on the interactions with verified customers. This feedback has been collated by the Feefo review platform, with the accolades being awarded based upon performance.
In order to win the 2017 award, a company had to maintain a rating of between 4 – 4.5 stars with a minimum of 100 reviews or more between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016. Hippo.co.za maintained a score of 4.4 and received more than 3 000 reviews in the above-mentioned period.
Derek Wilson, head of Hippo.co.za, commented: “It’s a real honour to receive this award from Feefo. To be recognised for delivering exceptional experiences to our customers is a great achievement.”
USB sponsors ‘GURUS’, a brand new show on CNBC Africa
‘GURUS’, a new series of high-impact interviews with premier league business thought leaders, filmed in South Africa, will launch this March, exclusively on CNBC Africa.
Sponsored by Unique Speaker Bureau (USB), the show features extraordinary thought leaders who ignite audiences in the international conferencing circuit. GURUS enables a new format delivery for these speakers’ insights. Regarded by leading business event planners as a ‘preferred speaker bureau’ in South Africa and Africa, USB is currently growing its service offering on the continent as an investment into building better conferences for business, with more measurable return.
Audiences will see each speaker, in action, on stage in front of a live audience, followed by the show’s host Justin Cohen placing them in the hot seat and pushing them even harder to reveal the truth about their hard-earned success.
Thirteen episodes of the show will be broadcast every Thursday evening at 21h15 Central African Time (CAT). The first episode will pilot on 02 March 2017 and will feature Gambian-born London-based business guru and renowned motivational speaker René Carayol. It can also be viewed on DStv channel 410 and StarTimes channel 309.
Who’s making moves
Meltwater launches real-time business update tool: Executive Alerts
Meltwater, a global leader in media intelligence solutions, is launching a bespoke tool created specifically for the executive called Executive Alerts. The service provides users with the most critical insights about their company, competitors and industry, sent directly to their smart device, enabling top-level decision making in an instant.
Executive Alerts uses leading machine learning technology to detect anomalies across various data types which might present an opportunity or a threat to your brand. These data types range from link-based media, social media and advertising spend, as well as search engine marketing. The service provides senior business leaders with 5-10 key alerts that are delivered each day with a brief summary of the salient points.
“Senior executives across all functions and sectors need accurate, real-time data from outside of their company to make sound decisions, and Executive Alerts empowers them to do just that,” says Zubair Timol, director of strategy EMEA, Meltwater. “With billions of conversations taking place online every day, it’s previously been impossible to keep up with what’s being said about your brand and the industry it operates in, but that changes now.”
