Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. Lord Hollick joins BrandsEye. Kagiso Media announces new key executive positions. FCB Africa appoints group chief account leadership officer. YouTuber Caspar Lee joins UK-based Agency Influencer as chief innovative officer. Irvine Partners expands to Lagos. Seven Colors Communications scores UFI LOC account. AVATAR Cape Town marks its regional presence with great growth. Hisense renews Emirates Lions partnership. Have You Heard relaunches with new identity as hyh. Local AR specialist expanding offering to include custom AI solutions. CNN launches new daily news show for Snapchat, ‘the update’. Finalists of the 2017 RDMAs announced. Jo’burg business author goes global with audio books.
This week’s BIG move: Lord Hollick joins BrandsEye
UK businessman, Clive Hollick (pictured left), has joined the advisory board of South African opinion mining company BrandsEye.
Hollick is a former chairman of the House of Lords economic affairs committee, a director of Honeywell Inc and Trafalgar Entertainment, a partner of GP Bullhound (technology advisers and investors), a member of the Royal Society advisory board and the previous CEO of UBM plc, a global media and financial services business.
“Clive has a huge amount of knowledge and experience in both the commercial and political realms which we believe will be key in helping us grow and develop our business across the globe,” said BrandsEye CEO JP Kloppers.
“When I was approached by BrandsEye, I was extremely impressed by their unique approach to data analytics, which combines human understanding with world class technology to create accurate opinion data,” said Hollick.
“There have long been concerns about the accuracy of sentiment data, especially in the world of social media analytics, with pure AI approaches struggling to correctly interpret human nuances. By adding the human element, through the Crowd, the BrandsEye team have found the missing link in accurate opinion data, a point they proved when they called both Brexit and the US Elections in 2016.”
People moves
Kagiso Media announces new key executive positions
In line with Kagiso Media’s strategy of delivering multi-channel solutions and building capacity to operate in an increasingly digitised world, the major media group has announced four key staff appointments. The company has been rapidly expanding its digital brands, deep consumer insights and digital capabilities to execute against its strategy around community-building via high-value content and platforms.
The executive level appointments are Cornia Smargiasso as the head of multi-channel integration, Dianne Broodryk as head of CSI and education, Eric Clements as the digital transformation lead and Thabo Dabengwa as the head of short-form video.
Group chief executive, Mark Harris says that the market should expect Kagiso Media to feature more prominently as its value proposition builds on the already strong relations in the trade, held by its companies.
Smargiasso will assist the Group’s various media assets in developing multi-channel products and services to address the attribution requirements of advertisers and build campaigns that draw on a diverse range of media and research assets.
Clements will be the driving force of some of the strategic shifts to digital that cut across all aspects of the media Group’s structure.
As part of the Group’s drive to identify and create new opportunities in the education eco-system, Jacaranda FM’s Breakfast show’s Broodryk will also be on ensuring the already prolific CSI activities of the Group companies are maximised.
Dabengwa is currently GM of ReelAfrican, Kagiso Media’s VOD platform that aggregates African content for audiences worldwide. He will continue to oversee ReelAfrican strategy in his new role.
FCB Africa appoints group chief account leadership officer
FCB Africa has appointed Romaine Mackenzie (left) to a new portfolio within the FCB Africa group of agencies. As group chief account leadership officer, Mackenzie will be responsible for working closely with all group companies to entrench the goals and ambition for account leadership across FCB Africa’s business.
Making the announcement, FCB Africa Group CEO and chief creative officer, Brett Morris, said today’s dynamic marketing environment means the account leadership role must evolve much more rapidly along with the changing needs of the business.
“Agencies and other marketing service providers are no longer bound by single disciplines that do not fully participate in the consumers’ world. Instead, they deliver game-changing creative work that engages with consumers across all platforms.
“By making account leadership relevant for the now and the future will ensure we drive the best client relationships that deliver insights, strategies and work that consistently achieves this goal.”
Morris said Mackenzie had been instrumental in driving this process, along with the account leaders, on some of FCB Joburg’s biggest clients.
YouTuber Caspar Lee joins UK-based Agency as chief innovative officer
South Africa’s YouTube sensation Caspar Lee (left) has been appointed as chief innovation officer of UK-based social media marketing agency Influencer. A London-native by birth, Lee moved to South Africa as a child, but has been residing in London since 2013. The YouTube personality and vlogger has stolen South Africans’ hearts since he created his YouTube channel in 2011, and has since amassed a following of over nine million followers across his two channels. He also boasts a whopping 3.7 million followers on Instagram and 4.67 million on Twitter.
Influencer is a new, unique data-driven platform that uses big data to connect brands with content creators with a high social media following. The company takes a brief from a brand and matches it to relevant content creators who suit the brand best, whether they cover fashion, technology or food and drink. The platform is the next step in the growing trend for social media marketing and is set to revolutionise the way brands engage consumers.
Lee will be tasked with leading the strategic and business direction for Influencer clients, which include Uber, Badoo and Withings. The 23 year old will be joining a young team; with the average age being 22 and the CEO, Ben Jeffries, being just 21 years old.
Business moves
Irvine Partners expands to Lagos
Public relations and integrated marketing agency Irvine Partners has announced that it has expanded to Lagos, Nigeria. “Nigeria is a dynamic and important market and our clients need us there,” says CEO Rachel Irvine.
“A physical presence in the country means we are able to directly service our international clients in the Nigerian market, and Nigerian clients internationally,” she adds.
The new office is in addition to Irvine Partners’ offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and is being headed up by Marian Balogun, who has extensive experience in handling external PR for multinational firms, and deep knowledge of Nigeria.
The Lagos office is already tasked with handling blue-chip accounts such as Google Nigeria, which the agency also represents in South Africa, and will be aggressively pursuing new business opportunities, says Balogun.
“Irvine Partners continues to enjoy significant expansion. We’re creating avenues for our clients, existing and new, to have reach in global markets where they can grow their business and reputation meaningfully and sustainably,” Irvine comments.
Seven Colors Communications scores UFI LOC account
The UFI LOC (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) under the leadership of incoming UFI president Craig Newman, have announced the appointment of UFI NGL recipient Neo Mohlatlole’s company, Seven Colors Communications, to be the PR and sponsorship service provider for the 84th UFI Global Congress. The global congress will be held for the first time in Sub-Saharan Africa from the 1-4 November 2017 at Sandton Convention Centre.
The billion dollar exhibition industry will be hosting their 84th Global Congress in South Africa as part of their rotation among regional partners. The 2016 leg was held in Shanghai, China and attracted over 600 Industry leaders and major players in the exhibition industry. This brings a lot of opportunity for local concept holders, venues, convention bureaus and exhibition industry service providers on the African continent. As Africa has been earmarked as one of the future growth regions.
The Congress couldn’t have come at a better time in the industry. Newman, who is also the CEO of the Johannesburg Expo Centre, has just been announced as the incoming president for the international association, the closing of the congress will mark the beginning of his tenure.
Big global brand wins for Avatar Cape Town
With a new appointment by Virgin Active Red and an extended scope from Chevron South Africa, AVATAR Cape Town marks its regional presence with great growth.
“AVATAR will take an innovative approach in building Virgin Active Red’s brand and reviewing the brand strategy as we work towards an official, fully integrated launch campaign” says, AVATAR Cape Town managing director, Mthunzi Plaatjie (left). Virgin Active Red launched in South Africa in 2014 and currently has 12 gyms across the country.
Chevron SA has also extended AVATAR’s role on its Caltex account to include digital media planning and buying. “It really makes sense, and there’s a huge advantage, to putting everything in one house,” says Plaatjie, adding: “We can now develop content strands that speak to Caltex’s broader brand strategy, and effectively plan the digital media accordingly.”
The Cape Town office is taking the industry by storm says Plaatjie. We have recently moved to bigger premises, right in the heart of the city and have also completed a project in Lagos, Nigeria for Pepsodent, which is a Unilever brand in West Africa. There’s still more to come from the Cape Town office as we are continually looking to expand throughout the continent.
Avatar is part of the M&N (Formerly AIH) group of companies, which is wholly owned by Zibusiso Mkhwanazi and Veli Ngubane.
Hisense renews Emirates Lions partnership
It was only recently that the Lions had Johannesburg (if not the whole of South Africa) clinging to the edge of their seats after the team tackled their way to the final wrung on the Super Rugby ladder. Though a South African victory was not secured for the Lions going against the Crusaders in the final, they still managed to win hearts for taking the country so far into the tournament. In light of this national camaraderie, Hisense South Africa is therefore proud to announce that the company will be renewing their status as the Official Electronics Partner of Lions Rugby for another year.
The sponsorship will stretch across the 2018 Vodacom Super Rugby and Currie Cup competitions, with Hisense receiving exclusive signage rights within Emirates Airline Park. As before, the Hisense logo will continue to proudly appear on the right shoulder of the Emirates Lions and Xerox Golden Lions kits.
“This partnership aligns well with our local AIM HIGH campaign which endeavours to re-ignite the aspirations of South Africans. With Emirates Lions always aiming for the top, their motivation to perform meets ours,” says Hisense South Africa’s marketing manager, Claire Noyes-Smith.
Have You Heard relaunches with new identity as hyh
Pioneering South African BTL and word-of-mouth agency, previously known as Have You Heard, has announced the expansion of their service offering under a new name, hyh. Under the hyh umbrella, the agency now offers fully integrated creative, design, digital, media, events and communications services for both existing as well as new clients.
hyh’s offering makes use of a dynamic traditional and influencer-led communications department that incorporates research and insights to provide creative solutions and execution for their clients that deliver impactful business results.
Established seven years ago by industry mavericks, Jason Stewart and Ryan McFadyen, the agency is renowned for its abilities to use the power of influence and word-of-mouth to provide consumers with relatable experiences that ultimately change attitudes and behaviour towards brands.
Local AR specialist expanding offering to include custom AI solutions
On the back of a sharp increase in interest in augmented reality (AR) from local brands, NMPi Labs have renewed their strategic partnership with global visual discovery specialist, Blippar, launching new customisable offerings – all firsts for the South African market. NMPi is also gearing up to meet a growing demand from companies in Australia and Asia.
“We have seen a sizeable jump in interest and uptake in our AR offering over the past 10 months. This has been driven in part by technologies becoming more mainstream, but also by massive investment from the phone manufacturers which see AR in particular as a strategic growth area,” explains NMPi head, Johan Walters.
NMPi Labs has been working with agencies, post-production houses and directly with brands to design and deliver AR campaigns. Particular interest has come from printing and packaging companies as well as the retail and financial services sector.
CNN launches new daily news show for Snapchat: The Update
CNN, an original Snapchat Discover launch partner, has unveild The Update – a brand new daily Snapchat Show that provides a rundown of the biggest news from CNN reporters and bureaus around the world. CNN will provide a daily Show that runs at 6:00 pm ET, and produce breaking news segments.
Tapping into the largest global newsgathering operation, reporting from CNN’s own anchors, correspondents and reporters will publish on Snapchat throughout each day and time zone, with rolling updates as news breaks. Each Show will feature five or more stories from CNN’s team around the world, further cementing CNN as a key source of breaking news for Snapchatters.
“We are introducing our brilliant cast of world-class anchors and reporters to a young audience in a smart, accessible way with ‘The Update,” said Samantha Barry, CNN’s Executive Producer for Social and Emerging Media. “In today’s news environment, people are hungry for news and they want a quick update of where things are at within one tap of their phone. So, we’re serving that up, speaking their language and delivering it in beautiful, vertical, mobile friendly video.”
Grey Group acquires major stake in hug digital
Grey Group has acquired a majority stake in hug digital, a leading independent regional digital marketing agency, based in the Middle East. Founded in 2009 by Oussama Jamal (chairman) and Tim Baker (CEO), hug digital is one of the largest and fastest growing 360° digital agencies in the MENA region.
hug digital provides digital campaigns, social media, content, influencer and activation marketing, web and mobile app development, media planning and buying as well as digital research, analysis and social listening.
“Grey Group’s acquisition of hug digital enhances our leadership position in the MENA creative and digital space,” said Nirvik Singh, Chairman and CEO of Grey Group Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. “It underscores Grey’s commitment to expand our offering and deliver quality, value-added services to our clients.”
Headquartered in Dubai (UAE), with offices in Egypt and India, hug digital employs around 145 full-time staff. Their blue-chip client roster includes more than 70 international, regional and local brands such as Americana (Hardees, TGI Fridays, Krispy Kreme), Al-Futtaim (Al Futtaim automotive group, Toyota, Honda, Lexus), Majid Al Futtaim (Ski Dubai, Magic Planet, iFly, Little Explorer, LEGO), Commercial Bank of Dubai, Dubai Tourism, HMD Nokia, Shell, Festival City Group, Nestle’s Maggi, Clorox, Sarai by MNHD and Emaar among others.
Making moves
Finalists of the 2017 RDMAs announced
Diageo SA is pleased to announce that after receiving more than 300 entries into its seventh Responsible Drinking Media Awards (RDMAs), the finalists have been selected as follows:
Best Newspaper – Nicole Arends (Varsity Newspaper), Le Roux Schoeman (Die Burger) and Zoe Mohapo (The Sowetan)
Best Online – Sharlene Rood (News 24), Daphne Grundling (Netwerk 24) and Le Roux Schoeman (Netwerk 24)
Best Magazine – Ernusta Maralack (Kuier) and Kieran Legg (Men’s Health)
Best Broadcast – Mohau Mamafha & Eusebius McKaiser (Talk Radio 702), Cleopatra Jones (SABC 3’s Special Assignment), Nomfundo Mzolo (Gagasi FM) and Veronique Smal (MFM)
Best Community Media – Nomfundo Mzolo (Gagasi FM), Veronique Smal (MFM) and Simphiwe Dlamini (Ugu Youth Radio)
Best Best Up & Coming – Veronique Smal (MFM), Nomfundo Mzolo (Gagasi FM) and Cleopatra Jones (SABC 3’s Special Assignment)
The RDMAs recognise journalists and media at large for their efforts to positively influence perceptions and habits related to the irresponsible use of alcohol.
“The number of entries into this year’s Awards has been outstanding,” says Joanne Botha who has sat on the RDMA judging panel for the past three years.
Winners will be announced at an official awards ceremony on 31 August 2017.
Fastjet has largest Facebook following in Africa
African low-cost airline fastjet this week became the airline with the largest Facebook community in Africa, passing the 1.1 million-mark in the number of followers in its orbit. The airline recently reimagined its content strategy on the platform in line with consumer feedback and customer service with initial successes affirming the carrier’s leading position on social media amongst its peers.
A recent customer survey by fastjet indicated that Facebook remains the more popular method of engagement for its customers at a preference rate of 80% compared to Twitter and Instagram. Evidenced by its organic growth rate, Instagram is fast becoming more popular as an engagement platform while Twitter’s newsfeed-style remains a platform where price and special-offers are digested quickly and responded to fast.
“Over the past few years different social media platforms have become quite defined in shape and purpose,” says fastjet spokesperson Hein Kaiser, “and according to our customers Facebook remains the most popular channel to engage on all levels.”
Jo’burg business author goes global with audio books
Douglas Kruger is one of SA’s most prolific business authors. In the past four years, he has published five business books with Penguin Random House SA, including provocative titles like ‘They’re Your Rules, Break Them!’, ‘Is Your Thinking Keeping You Poor?’ and ‘How to Make Your Point Without PowerPoint.’ Rounding up the list are: ‘Own Your Industry’ and ‘Relentlessly Relevant.’
This past week, his books went global.
After a year-and-a-half’s grueling recording work, the titles have been accepted onto the Audible site, the world’s leading online platform for digital audio books, ensuring that business strategy with a uniquely South African flavor can now be heard by entrepreneurs and aspiring experts anywhere on earth.