The Media Online’s weekly round up of moves in media. Yvonne Beyers is the new editor for Huisgenoot. Lyn Jones appointed In Touch Media regional manager. Tribeca Public Relations welcomes Mmabatho Segole to the team. Mfundo Ntsibande appointed to NFVF council. Tribeca Public Relations promotes Kelly Webster to account director. Mediamark appointed as a Vodacom Strategic Sales Channel Partner. Reed Exhibitions appoints Stratitude as PR agency for International Sourcing Fair. King James Group adds top shelf beer brands to portfolio. Meropa Communications in Top 250 global PR agency list. WAN-IFRA joins INJECT, a consortium of 14 international partners to develop journalist creativity and efficiency tools. Media24 appoints international advisory forum to accelerate digital growth. MTN extends holdings to include second digital billboard. OLC ups the ante with new office to call their own. New video series on recent advertising law developments.
Yvonne Beyers is the new editor for Huisgenoot
Yvonne Beyers, Gauteng editor of Huisgenoot and YOU, has been appointed the new editor of Huisgenoot, effective 1 June, Media24 has announced.
“Beyers is a seasoned journalist with a thorough understanding of the Huisgenoot brand and market,” said Minette Ferreira, general manager: Media24 Weeklies. “As editor of the busy Gauteng office for the past four years, she has played a leading part at our weekly magazines. I wish her all the best and look forward to the future with her at the helm of the crown jewel in our magazine portfolio.”
The position became vacant with the appointment of Henriëtte Loubser as editor of Media24’s Afrikaans digital news service, Netwerk24.
Since starting her journalism career at Die Burger in 2003, Beyers gained extensive experience at several Media24 newspapers and magazines; among others as writer for Huisgenoot and the former Insig, and as national editor of By, the Saturday supplement to Media24’s Afrikaans dailies. She also presented the kykNet magazine programme ‘Flits’ for a year.
Beyers obtained all four her degrees cum laude – a BA and BPhil Journalism from the University of Stellenbosch, a BA Honours from the University of Cape Town and her MSc in English literature from the University of Edinburgh.
“It is a great honour and privilege to be named the editor of this fantastic brand just as it is entering its second century and a challenging but exciting future,” said Beyers.
Who’s moved where
Lyn Jones appointed In Touch Media regional manager
Lyn Jones has been appointed as regional manager for In Touch Media, one of the country’s few independent out of Home (OOH) media companies.
For Jones this is a step that is in keeping with her belief that the OOH landscape is evolving dramatically. “I look forward to growing and developing In Touch Media’s strategic and implementation services to benefit brands and the OOH sector as a whole.”
Jones was previously the marketing and research manager sub-Saharan Africa – JCDecaux Africa (formerly Continental Outdoor Media), a position she held for nearly 12 years. She has also played a key role in the development, registration and research methodology for the OMC (non-profit organisation for the OOH industry) and ROAD survey.
Margie Carr, MD of In Touch Media, says her appointment allows the company to expand its offering. “The expertise and experience that Lynn brings to In Touch Media will allow us to provide even deeper OOH solutions countrywide to meet the growing needs of our current as well as potential customers.”
Tribeca Public Relations welcomes Mmabatho Segole to the team
Tribeca Public Relations has welcomed Mmabatho Segole to the team as an account executive, responsible for providing public relations support and consultancy to Saab Grintek Defence, Shield, fastjet and Junior Achievement South Africa (JA South Africa).
Segole’s four and a half year PR career has seen her work with varied corporate and consumer clients including Nedbank Capital, Nedbank Private Wealth, Nedbank Retail, Nedbank CSI and Transformation, McDonald’s South Africa, Uber SA, Rolex SA, Clover Mama Africa and Franklin Templeton Investments.
“Mmabatho’s experience from financial services to high-end consumer brands – and her passion for CSI work – will really add value to the growing, dynamic team she has joined,” says Nicola Tarr, team leader at Tribeca Public Relations. “Her charismatic and eager-to-learn personality is admired, and she is already indispensable to her colleagues.”
Segole holds a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications from the University of Johannesburg and is currently working on her BA Hons in Integrated Marketing Communication.
Mfundo Ntsibande appointed to NFVF
The SABC has ongratulatds Mfundo Ntsibande on his appointment to the Council of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF)
Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa announced the names of people to be appointed as new members of the Council of the NFVF. SABC’s Ntsibande will be part of the new 10-member council to serve from the 01 May 2017 to 30 April 2020.
Ntsibande is the senior marketing manager corporate marketing: transversal at the broadcaster and as a seasoned marketing professional he will be expected to give strategic oversight and direction to the NFVF. His experience spans over 15 years in media, marketing and broadcasting. This includes working in various facets like print media, television, radio and advertising.
“I am honoured and humbled to be appointed as a Council member, I look forward to serving with pride while making a positive contribution to the NFVF, as well as the South African Film Industry” says Ntsibande.
Tribeca Public Relations promotes Kelly Webster to account director
Tribeca Public Relations has promoted Kelly Webster to the role of account director. Webster joined the agency in February 2013 as a junior account manager, and has been promoted in recognition of her outstanding service to her clients and her growing confidence in providing strategic counsel.
Webster’s current clients include Saab Grintek Defence, fastjet, Shield and Junior Achievement South Africa. Previous experience includes work on Mastercard, eBucks, Tintswalo Holdings, Qantas, and various FMCG brands. She was named the Public Relations Institute of South Africa’s Up and Coming Public Relations Professional in 2012.
“Kelly has been an invaluable asset to Tribeca since she joined us four years ago, and we are delighted at how she has grown her skills and professional confidence in that time,” says Nicky James, co-owner of Tribeca Public Relations. “She has excelled while working on clients from very diverse industries, applying the solid principles of public relations to achieve exceptional results for them.”
Webster holds National Diploma in Public Relations and Communication from the University of Johannesburg.
Who’s won what
Mediamark appointed as a Vodacom Strategic Sales Channel Partner
Vodacom ‘On the Line’ has announced Mediamark as a strategic sales Channel partner representing its mobile and app channels, including SMS, Please Call Me, MMS, video and a wide range of other Vodacom advertising products.
South Africa truly is a mobile nation, boasting over 80 million mobile connections and approximately 150% penetration into the addressable market.
Head of digital at Mediamark, Mark Botha, says, “We are delighted to be entering into this partnership with Vodacom as it provides us with a foothold in the mobile market which we have not truly had to date. We look forward to working with our clients to leverage this opportunity and provided additional value to our offerings,”
“Advertisers are no longer looking for ‘paint by numbers’ media plans, but rather integrated and holistic solutions that will add value to their media plans and result in a tangible ROI. The scale of mobile audiences that the Vodacom partnership brings together with Mediamark’s world class selection of Radio, Web, and TV properties puts us in a perfect position to offer truly Multi-Platform solutions that will move the needle,” Botha says.
Reed Exhibitions appoints Stratitude as PR agency for International Sourcing Fair
Stratitude has been appointed as the PR agency for the inaugural International Sourcing Fair (ISF), taking place from the 13 – 15 September 2017 at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg. The fair is the first of its kind in Africa and is set to transform the face of buying across the continent.
ISF is a trade-only event and provides a platform for international suppliers and manufacturers to connect directly with local distributors, retailers and procurement departments from South Africa and the rest of the continent. The fair provides access to the latest global innovations, and retail and commercial product ranges for the home, office, gift and hospitality sectors.
“We are very excited to be working alongside the Reed Exhibitions’ team on the launch of the fair,” said Stella Carter, head of client service at Stratitude. “It’s a landmark event for Africa, and it’s our task to build the ISF brand and create awareness of the exhibition in South Africa and across the continent. As a member of AMIN Worldwide, Stratitude has access to an effective African network, which puts us in a good position to introduce and expand the ISF brand to the desired African countries.”
King James Group adds top shelf beer brands to portfolio
Integrated agency, the King James Group has been awarded the AB InBev Global Brands business following a three-way pitch process earlier this month.
Through this new partnership, the global brewers, known for building some of the world’s most loved beer brands, will collaborate with the award-winning creative agency to establish and grow its international brands in South Africa.
“We are excited to be working with King James as our key partner on Global Brands going forward. The team has a passion and great understanding of what we are wanting to achieve and together we can create great excitement in the beer category in South Africa and into Africa,” says Alastair Hewitt, brand director: high end and global brands at AB InBev.
“King James was founded on a liquor brand, and since then much of the work we are most proud of was done in the category. So yes, the prospect of working on such extraordinary beer brands as these has us absolutely salivating,” comments Alistair King, Chief Creative Officer of the King James Group.
Meropa Communications in Top 250 global PR agency list
Meropa Communications has again been recognised as one of the 250 largest agencies in the world.
Independent industry watchers, The Holmes Report, ranked companies by 2016 turnover and the number of employees in each firm. Its annual rankings published this week, list Meropa at 240 in the top 250, with annual turnover of US $4.69m – 34% up on 2016 turnover of US$3.48m – and 80 employees.
Meropa is one of only two South African agencies on the list – and the only one judged on actual, not estimated, figures.
It is the sixth time that Meropa has been ranked in the world’s top 250, and Meropa managing director Patrick Gearing says Meropa is “delighted” to have made it onto the list again.
WAN-IFRA joins INJECT, a consortium of 14 international partners to develop journalist creativity and efficiency tools
WAN-IFRA has been selected by the EU’s Framework for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020, to help facilitate the transfer to market of a new toolkit for modern journalism. The INJECT project unites 14 partners in six countries that are developing new digital technologies for news organisations. The goal is to improve the creativity and productivity of journalists in a digital world, so they can continue to perform their crucial role in open societies.
As journalists are under increased pressure to produce stories for a 24/7 news cycle and discussions about churnalism, filter bubbles and fake news raise questions about the possibility to do so, finding ways to continue producing original and quality stories is more urgent than ever.
With the tools developed through INJECT, WAN-IFRA hopes its member publishers will be at a distinct advantage over those who simply own the production and platforms of news gathering and distribution. “The EU funded Horizon 2020 programmes create an opportunity for traditional publishers to take ownership of their own development, and disrupt the earliest digital startups that were born out of the portal and search eras, and we are proud to be an engaged player in that process,” says Vincent Peyrègne, WAN-IFRA CEO.
Who’s making moves
Media24 appoints international advisory forum to accelerate digital growth
Media24 has announced the creation of a Digital Advisory Forum (DAF) of international experts to further strengthen its digital media and ecommerce operations. The four-member DAF brings considerable international ecommerce, classifieds and digital media expertise from Europe, the United States and China to South Africa’s leading media company. The members all held senior positions at companies ranging from Scandinavian media and classifieds powerhouse Schibsted, The New York Times (NYT), Naspers and eBay.
“Media24 is repositioning itself to reap the benefits of the new digital world,” said Media24 chairman, Professor Rachel Jafta. “To help shape the strategy for longevity, the board and management have recognised the need to learn from international experts, hence the creation of the Digital Advisory Forum.”
DAF chair Sverre Munck, who recently retired from Schibsted where he was executive vice president, said: “Media24’s digital accomplishments in media, ecommerce and job classifieds have been considerable. As Media24 continues its transformation to becoming Africa’s leading digital media publisher, we are thrilled to provide our extensive experience from major international media and e-commerce brands to the DAF. Our participation allows for an exchange of this experience with the talented Media24 management team.”
The other members are Yasmin Namini, Pat Kolek and Evelyn Chan.
Media24 CEO Esmaré Weideman said while its strong and trusted print media portfolio remained core to operations the company was fully focused on its digital media assets and diversified operations such as efashion, ecommerce and digital services. “We have our eyes on the future and we have high ambition to be one of what I believe will be only a handful of print media companies worldwide who will flourish in the digital space, both in terms of audience numbers and financial success. We have built South Africa’s largest digital media business by far. The DAF, with its impressive collective digital and ecommerce experience, will accelerate our execution on that ambition.”
MTN extends holdings to include second digital billboard
MTN has extended its iconic long term holding sites to include a second freeway digital billboard in Johannesburg. MTN was the first to market on the large format freeway digital billboards in 2013, on the N1 Western Bypass, targeting commuters travelling from the Northern suburbs of Gauteng towards the West Rand and the Southern suburbs. MTN’s new freeway digital billboard is on the M1 South Freeway, facing traffic travelling North from Soweto and the Southern suburbs of Gauteng towards the JHB CBD, targeting commuters going towards the Northern and Eastern suburbs of Gauteng. Both sites belong to out of home specialists Primedia Outdoor, with the second being a new installation.
According to Tania Grobler of Mindshare, the second billboard was included to extend reach to a different market. “Both sites are highly visible on main arterials, ensuring mass visibility,” she says, adding that the traffic passing the site means that MTN reaches a captive audience during peak hours.
“The benefit of digital is the ease of a quick turnaround time, which makes real time messaging very possible,” says Grobler.
Jorja Buckham, marketing services manager for Primedia Outdoor, notes that the metrics achieved are astounding. According to the ROAD measurement, the unduplicated reach for the combined two sites comes to 1,128,927, with an average frequency of 14 over a four week period. This equates to 15,793,670 impacts. By extending the digital freeway network holding with one digital site, MTN has increased their total reach by 18% to achieve a total of 30% of City of Johannesburg over a four week period,” says Buckham.
OLC ups the ante with new office to call their own
Offlimit Communication (OLC) has enjoyed well over a decade breaking barriers and submerging consumers in first of its kind unforgettable experiences as one of Africa’s most renowned BTL/ experiential agencies.
OLC has now moved into its’ own space in Sandton, in a brand newly built office that is exclusively owned by the agency. The creative space (housed in Impala Office Park), was built from scratch and deliberately designed to inspire the creative clan of team OLC.
Change and keeping on the innovative pulse has always been a priority for the agency, so in addition to a world class website makeover, the company is undergoes this milestone move to new premises in line with its many exciting changes.
“We are thrilled to have built and have ownership of a space that is perfectly tailored to the needs and ethos of OLC- that being optimised creativity, productivity and kick-ass execution. It will definitely reinforce our established leading position in our own space but most importantly keeping our OLC family spirit high.
The eco-friendly office park and this new office was deliberately designed and fitted to optimize the lifestyle centric approach the agency prides itself in. To be frank, we owe our amazing team this new slick space,” commented Jerome Cohen, MD at OLC.
New video series on recent advertising law developments
The Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA) has announced that it has released a new video series on recent developments in advertising law around the world.
Intended for both marketers and their counsel, the series provides an overview of recent changes in the law affecting advertiser in different countries. The videos are available, for free, on GALA’s YouTube channel here.
“The laws governing advertising around the world continue to change at a rapid pace,” said Jeffrey A. Greenbaum, GALA’s Chairman, and Managing Partner of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz in New York. “This video series should help marketers stay abreast of some key developments.”
Each video features a short presentation by a leading advertising lawyer in a specific country, on recent developments in advertising law in their jurisdiction. This new video series covers the following countries: Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Holland, Ireland, Mexico, Poland, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates.
