Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. Neo Mashigo joins M&C Saatchi Group South Africa as creative partner. Grey Africa appoints Jeanette Grove as creative director of content and social. Peter Kohlöffel appointed national sales manager of Golf Ads. Greater Than appointed to promote Bypass. GGi expands client base with two new accounts. Playmakers become first SA Agency to win at Clio Sports Awards. German innovation consultancy expands to South Africa. Key clients to address out of home’s biggest issues at FEPE International Congress. Clicks Pharmacies increase revenue with introduction of digital signage network
This week’s BIG move: Neo Mashigo joins M&C Saatchi Group South Africa as creative partner
Adding to the impressive lineup of creative leadership, M&C Saatchi Group South Africa has appointed multi-award winning Neo Mashigo as creative partner.
“We are tremendously excited to welcome Neo to our Cape Town office, where he will be an active creative custodian and the key creative partner on two of our most prominent global brands – Heineken and Strongbow – as well as their brand portfolios within M&C Saatchi Africa,” says Mike Abel, founding partner and chief executive, M&C Saatchi Group South Africa. “As a creative company founded on the principle of ‘Brutal Simplicity of Thought’, we believe that Neo can both inspire and motivate our teams to continue to produce impactful, effective work for our local and international clients.”
As both a strategic and creative talent, Mashigo will be tasked with further developing the M&C Saatch Group of Companies by partnering with Gordon Ray (founding partner: ECD Cape Town) and Adam Weber (partner: ECD Johannesburg) within M&C Saatchi Abel on key initiatives and campaigns, as well as the leadership teams from partner agencies Dalmatian, Creative Spark and Avatar.
Who’s moved where
Peter Kohlöffel appointed national sales manager of Golf Ads
Seasoned sales and marketing professional Peter Kohlöffel, currently national sales manager: ProActive, has been appointed to the position of national sales manager of Golf Ads. With a solid track record in leading and managing sales teams (he headed up a management services team in sales and marketing at 3D Marketing) as well as leadership experience in multinationals like Adcorp, DHL Express, Dermalogica SA and Pfizer SA, Kohlöffel’s vast knowledge of strategy-driven campaigns will take Golf Ads™ to new heights. Golf Ads™, a division of Provantage Media Group (PMG), currently services 180 golf clubs and courses in South Africa, reaching an audience of 500 000, both on-course and off-course.
Simon Turck, MD and co-founder of Golf Ads says he is delighted to welcome Peter to the position: “Peter’s knowledge and expertise will start a new chapter in the exciting growth story of Golf Ads. We look forward to his valuable input in the team as we take the company to the next level.”
Grey Africa appoints Jeanette Grove as creative director of content and social
Jeanette Grove has joined Grey Africa from Quirk, and prior to that gloo and Ogilvy. She brings to Grey just over 21 years’ experience in the broadcasting, advertising and communications industries in both South Africa and the UK.
Starting her career in local production as a video editor, director, and scriptwriter, Grove then moved to the UK, where she was an assistant producer and content writer on a live music show called The Pulse. Her time in London afforded her valuable work experience – specifically in live television, webcasting, and digital copywriting.
Upon her return to South Africa, she further extended her portfolio by working in the corporate communications industry, which gave her first-hand experience in political, cultural, environmental, and social communication.
Grove is passionate about good content, and describes herself as a storyteller, writer, and ideas person. She is fluent in four languages and has the depth of knowledge and experience to lead social and content teams in telling a brand’s story online.
“Social media should never be an afterthought. It is an intrinsic part of any brand’s communication, and a useful platform before, during, and after a campaign”, she said.
Who’s won what
Greater Than appointed to promote Bypass
Greater Than has been appointed to manage the public relations and social media for Africa’s first medical thriller, Bypass. The film, due for national release at Ster-Kinekor cinemas on Friday, 12 May 2017, highlights the reality of the illegal trade in human organs.
“Having worked with the brilliant team at Greater Than, and experienced first-hand the commitment, dedication, passion and creativity they employ in their projects, they were an obvious first choice for Bypass,” comments Natalie Becker-Aakervik, international actress who takes the lead in the movie.
The film’s street stunt held this month in Cape Town has already caused a great stir and as a result The Organ Donor Foundation of South Africa has seen almost 40% increase in donor registrations.
Produced by Media Village Productions, BYPASS also stars well-known actors Hakeem-Kae Kazim, Deon Lotz and Greg Kriek. The film aims to encourage us all to help stop the illegal trade in human organs by becoming donors and save lives through legitimate channels.
GGi expands client base with two new accounts
Integrated communications agency GGi Communications has added two clients to its roster, expanding its capability and expertise across its consumer and corporate practices.
Consilium Capital, a financial services and asset management company offering investment advice to individuals, corporate and retirement benefit clients, which was founded in 1996, has appointed GGi as agency of record to manage its PR and communications and to handle positioning of Samki Koti, the incoming CEO.
GGi has also been appointed by Saint-Gobain, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of materials for interior building solutions, to handle a rhino conservation sponsorship campaign for its Gyproc Rhino brand.
“What is so gratifying about this client and revenue growth is that it is based on how we’ve leveraged the PR approach to directly support the clients’ business strategies,” says Jennifer Stein, GGi’s managing director.
Volvo continue to drive TransCape
After their maiden voyage with the TransCape mountain bike race proved a resounding success, Volvo Car South Africa announced that they would extend their involvement to 2018.
The Grand Départ of the seven-day event between Knysna and Franschhoek in the Western Cape has been set for February 4.
ASG Events chief executive Wynand de Villiers said partners such as Volvo played a critical role in the operational requirements of the 614km off-road ride.
He said the availability of 12 XC90 vehicles, which provided a shuttle service to and from the race villages, had proved a hit with the participants and organisation this year.
De Villiers said their relationship with Volvo Car South Africa went deeper than an average sponsorship, calling them a “genuine partner in every sense”.
“Besides backing the tour with a monetary sponsorship and providing a fleet of of SUVs, the drivers who took care of shuttle duties were meticulous and personified the word ‘responsible’.
Playmakers become first SA Agency to win at Clio Sports Awards
Playmakers has become the first South African agency to win an award at the prestigious Clio Sports Awards in New York. The agency was awarded a Clio for its Coca-Cola campaign #ThatsGold @SuperSportTV in the Partnerships, Sponsorships & Endorsements category. The campaign entailed creating a series of commercials around the 2016 Olympic Games where fans determined the content of the commercials through social media conversation.
“We are immensely proud of this achievement to be recognised on the global stage. Coca-Cola have recently given us the opportunity to lead on Global Charters and to go out and win an award on the global stage like the Clio is massively rewarding not only for Playmakers but the team at Coca-Cola South Africa,”said Playmakers CEO, Richard Dunn.
Dunn credits not only the client and the agency in the success but also the part that DSTV Media Sales & SuperSport played in producing the campaign.
Who’s making moves
German innovation consultancy expands to South Africa
German innovation consultancy, Seedlab GmbH, has expanded internationally with the launch of Seedlab South Africa in early 2017. The company helps corporates manage digitalisation successfully and brings seven years of experience and tested innovation methodology to South Africa.
Seedlab works with companies to identify new business models; introduces them to startups and entrepreneurial ways of working, such as the Lean Startup approach and rapid prototyping. It embeds innovation into their DNA and ultimately helps them take new, disruptive business models to market.
Seedlab South Africa was founded by digital strategist, Elli Gorgievska, and technology journalist, Vanessa Clark. German founder, Regine Haschka-Helmer plays an active role with local clients. The new company is currently working with estate agency RE/MAX Living to optimise the property sales cycle.
“I’m excited about applying our proven innovation techniques and methodologies in the South African market,” said Haschka-Helmer. “But it’s definitely not about parachuting in our ways of working. What we learn in a South African context will be applied during our work with clients in Europe too.”
Clicks Pharmacies increase revenue with introduction of digital signage network
Clicks, the largest health and beauty-focused retail chain in South Africa, with more than 600 stores and over 450 in-store pharmacies nationwide, has partnered with Moving Tactics to install and roll-out a digital signage network within their Clicks Pharmacies nationally.
According to Ray Smeda, head of Digital Media at Moving Tactics, South Africa’s leading digital signage solutions company, “The first phase of the digital signage installation at 130 Clicks Pharmacy stores was completed in March 2016; phase two at a further 120 stores was finished in October 2016; and an additional 150 stores will be done by October this year. Use of Software-on-Chip (SOC) technology that facilitates media players being built into the screens, which leads to less downtime and technical problems, resulted in a more streamlined installation and saved on costs”.
The digital screens, located behind the pharmacists, flight advertiser content and infotainment to keep customers engaged and interested. Feedback from customers has been positive and the consolidation of Clicks’ in-store digital strategy has given smaller suppliers and Schedule 0, 1 & 2 drug companies an opportunity to promote their products and services in this highly-regulated space.
Key clients to address out of home’s biggest issues at FEPE International Congress
Barry Louth, head of UK media planning of European pay-TV leader Sky and Richard Brooke, media operations and strategy director of Unilever (Europe) will address some of the key issues facing the global Out of Home industry at next month’s FEPE International Congress in Stockholm.
Speakers already announced include Carat global president William Swayne, who will give the keynote address to open the Congress, and new FEPE board member Noomi Mehta of Selvel One who will discuss the rapidly expanding Indian out of home market.
The Congress, with the theme ‘A Time of Revolution – Earning the Right to Win,’ will be held in Stockholm from 7-9 June.
Louth will discuss the importance of out of home to the UK’s biggest advertiser, alongside Paul McCormack of Rapport, Sky’s out of home specialist agency. Unilever’s Brooke will outline how the rapidly expanding global Out of Home industry should address the issue of sustainability, a key plank of Unilever’s corporate and marketing philosophy.
Other speakers include Eric Newnham and Adrian Skelton from specialist agency Talon, who will give a rare insight into one of the UK’s biggest and most successful Out of Home agencies and the issues the wider industry faces.
Barry Frey, president and CEO of the US Digital Place Based Advertising Association (DPAA) will reveal how digital out of home is overtaking home-based TV and video as the medium of choice for farsighted advertisers. Also on the subject of digital, FEPE International executive director designate, Bob Wootton, will a chair a panel on the live issue of Programmatic Advertising with representatives from all sides of the industry.
