The Media Online’s weekly round up of moves in media.Vega invests R3 million in the next generation of industry decision makers. New fit and fab editor for fitness mag. IMM Graduate School announces appointment of new chief marketing officer. East Coast Radio bids farewell to the Traffic Guy. Deputy CEO appointed to the Hytec Group. Pangaea Alliance enters new phase. Boomtown working with Propella incubator. Engen and Edcon partner up for rewards. 10th Street Media appoints Tribeca Public Relations. Tribeca PR provides content support for Batsumi Travel. Lemok Group launches SMME packages. Night of 1000 Drawings tickets on sale. Ads24 offers customers creative tailor-made packages for a great return on investment. Bounce News scoops top innovation award. Internet Solutions breaks ground on prefabricated extension of Parklands DC. Reserve Bank Governor, Lesetja Kganyago, Dr Patrice Motsepe, and Finbond Group take the accolades at 2017 Sunday Times Top 100 Company Awards. Liquorice Named Agency of the Year by the SA Mobile Marketing Association. Bad dad jokes’ get glory on East Coast Breakfast 07 November 2017
This week’s BIG move: Vega invests R3 million in the next generation of industry decision makers
Vega, a brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE), supports transformation in South Africa’s brand communication fields with bursary programmes and annual events, like the famous ‘Vega Brand Challenge’, that nurture the next generation of decision makers.
“We want to make sure that every student who passes through our doors, regardless of their background, has the tools to build a successful career and make valuable contributions towards the growth of South Africa’s creative economy,” says Shevon Lurie, managing director at Vega.
There are currently 73 bursary students registered at Vega, many of which are recipients of bursaries from the Vega Grant Fund. Bursaries from this fund are typically granted to deserving second and third year and honours students who have a strong academic record. The Fund is supported entirely by proceeds from the Vega Brand Challenge, an annual event, in which students form their own brand consultancies and tackle real-life briefs for real-life clients.
Vega emphasises the importance of students being paid for their work and ideas to instil a sense of ownership and give them practical insight into the realities of the working world. In addition, with the money they receive being re-invested towards helping others enjoy similar opportunities, the students play an active role in nurturing the next generation of talent.
“Our bursary programmes are designed to create a ripple effect, so that our students understand how hard work, determination and innovative thinking can have a positive impact on other young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds,” says Lurie.
In addition to bursaries supported by the Fund, Vega provided seven KZN-based students with full scholarships in 2017 as part of its ongoing association with the Loeries Creative Future Scholarship programme, which provides deserving youth with bursaries and education opportunities in creative fields worth over R1 million. Each bursary covers the cost of tuition, accommodation, travel expenses, textbooks, and a laptop.
People moves
New fit and fab editor for fitness mag
Maverick Publishing Corporation, publishers of leading, home-grown female health and fitness title, fitness, have announced the appointment of Mariska du Plessis (left) as the magazine’s new editor. She takes over the editorial reins from long-standing editor and co-publisher, Tanja Schmitz, as work commences on the title’s best-selling January-February issue.
“Mariska is a prominent figure in the local health and fitness community, having built her popular MariskaFit online and social media profile over the years,” explains Schmitz. “She is also a competitive Bikini athlete and has worked for leading local supplement brand, USN. Her experience and reputation, and her established network in the industry makes her the ideal choice for the role of fitness magazine editor, particularly given our shift toward digital content creation.”
Du Plessis first gained publishing and writing experience while working at a custom magazine publisher, before moving to a digital media agency, where she developed her social media acumen and honed her strategic content creation and curation capabilities.
IMM Graduate School announces appointment of new chief marketing officer
The IMM Graduate School has appointed Charmaine du Plessis (left) as chief marketing officer. Du Plessis will be responsible for overseeing the sales and marketing strategy for the institution. The IMM Graduate School is the well-renowned and reputable provider of higher education offering qualifications in marketing, supply chain and business management, enjoying a solid history of assessing, delivering and conferring degrees, diplomas and certificates of the highest academic integrity.
Du Plessis brings a wealth of experience to the IMM Graduate School with over 15 years’ experience in strategic communication management in higher education. Commenting on her appointment, the institution’s CEO Mr Dalein van Zyl said, “Charmaine brings invaluable experience to both the institution and the students. We look forward to her strategic acumen and extensive knowledge, and are confident the IMM Graduate School brand will be elevated to new heights.” Prior to joining the IMM Graduate School, Ms du Plessis worked at Varsity College, for the University of Johannesburg, and also enjoyed an insightful tenure as a Fulbright Fellow at Pennsylvania State University.
East Coast Radio bids farewell to the Traffic Guy
East Coast Radio has said a fond farewell to the traffic legend Johann Von Bargen (left), fondly known as JVB. After 33 years in radio and having been with East Coast Radio since it was born, Bargen has decided to retire.
East Coast Radio programming manager Zane Derbyshire says, “JVB has been has been reporting on the roads since before East Coast Radio came about. He is widely recognised as one of the top traffic guys in the country and he is also a world-renowned defensive driving specialist. We’d like to thank JVB for all his years of service and for reliably guiding our listeners to and from work every day for so many years. He has been a pleasure to work with and the team, including our listeners, will miss him.”
The station’s general manager, Boni Mchunu, adds, “JVB has been a good friend to the station and our listeners, therefore we can never say goodbye. We will simply say see you soon on the KZN roads. Thank you for your reliable reporting and all the best for your new chapter.”
Deputy CEO appointed to the Hytec Group
Tillmann Olsen (left), who hails from Bosch Rexroth in Germany, was appointed Hytec Group deputy chief executive in August 2017. The position is temporary only, as Olsen is groomed to succeed CEO John Wingrove, who retires on 31 December 2017 after leading the group for a successful 16 years.
Olsen, who brings European and Far East country experience to the position, liaised with Wingrove for the 18 months preceding his appointment. His 18-year long career to date incorporates senior positions in the Bosch Group and Bosch Rexroth, where mergers and acquisitions and post-merger integration, as well as change management, proved to be his forte. He was responsible for integrating Mannesmann Rexroth and Bosch into the new Bosch Rexroth organisation and, having done so successfully, was deployed to China for three years to oversee additional organisational purchases and integration.
“We are part of a successful worldwide group, but we are also in a position to act independently,” Olsen points out. “This provides us with the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds – the strength and power of a large corporation and agility and speed, two of Hytec Group’s key success factors.
Business moves
Pangaea Alliance enters new phase
Pangaea, a leading digital advertising alliance, is transitioning to a new lead partner and introducing tech and data capabilities to offer advertisers more opportunities to connect programmatically with a premium audience of over 200 million monthly users.
The new phase will see CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) taking the leadership in line with the alliance’s successful transition from inception into a fully-fledged, working alliance. The Pangaea Alliance was launched in Spring in 2015, spearheaded by the Guardian, and joined together some of the world’s most prestigious news brands for programmatic collaboration. CNN has been involved in Pangaea since formation and will now take a more active role to bring its expertise in programmatic and data technologies to the initiative.
General manager Fiona McKinnon, sales director Martin Bojtos and the Pangaea Alliance team will be based at CNN’s London operation and work closely with Rob Bradley, CNNIC’s VP, Digital Commercial Revenue and Strategy, the CNNIC digital team and all Pangaea partners.
Pangaea has also selected tech partner AppNexus to provide a managed and self-serve programmatic solution that enables brands and agencies to reach Pangaea’s highly targeted upscale audience through a single buying point. Clients will benefit from enhanced targeting and audience insights across the Pangaea inventory made possible by new tech integrations such as server and header bidding solutions by all Alliance members.
Looking forward, Pangaea is developing a new digital advertising trading platform as part of the Dennis Publishing-led Project Arete, which earlier this year received funding from the Google Digital News Initiative.
Engen and Edcon partner up for rewards
Engen has launched an exciting new partnership with Edcon’s Thank U loyalty programme. Engen’s head of retail, Seelan Naidoo, said the partnership was another way that Engen is putting customers first.
“By partnering with one of the most popular rewards programmes in the country, this initiative will offer Engen and Edcon customers additional value and more ways to earn loyalty points,” said Naidoo.
In order to earn Thank U points customers need to swipe their Thank U card at participating Engen service stations, before payment is processed, when purchasing fuel. Loyalty programmes have developed significantly over the past few years and research has shown that consumers often plan their monthly budget around their reward programmes.
10th Street Media appoints Tribeca Public Relations
10th Street Media has appointed Tribeca Public Relations (Tribeca) as its public relations partner to position the company as a leading creative production agency in South Africa.
10th Street Media is a strategic content production agency that specialises in the conceptualisation and creative execution of content, and offers strategic guidance, concept generation, creative implementation, design, video and audio production, post-production and animation. The agency’s primary medium is video, but whether the communication and art are explored through digital or traditional channels, the goal is simple – to elicit emotion.
“The business has grown substantially in recent years, evolving from a production-focused company to increasingly providing strategic, creative input to our clients’ businesses,” says Darren Kerr, founder and executive producer at 10th Street Media.
Tribeca PR provides content support for Batsumi Travel
Batsumi Travel, a Pretoria-based travel agency providing corporate and leisure travel management services, has appointed Tribeca Public Relations (Tribeca) to develop a monthly digital newsletter as part of its stakeholder communications strategy.
Tribeca’s services include content development, design and distribution of a monthly email newsletter, as well as support in growing Batsumi’s client database.
“Tribeca’s content team will assist Batsumi in developing strategic content that not only speaks to the people important to its business in the corporate and leisure travel spaces, but that also aligns to Batsumi’s long-term strategic business objectives,” says Tribeca co-founder, Cian Mac Eochaidh.
Batsumi Travel is a 100% black woman-owned company established in 2010 by founding member, Lisa Sebogodi. The company provides a full spectrum of travel management services, such as flights, accommodation, car rental and conferencing.
Boomtown working with Propella incubator
Boomtown is working with Port Elizabeth-based business incubator, Propella to enhance the brand and move it towards its own corporate objectives.
Following a series of workshops, Boomtown has created a brand positioning for Propella, and consolidating its corporate identity, with the roll-out to commence early 2018.
“We love working with, and supporting SMEs in the Bay and allowing them to realise their potential,” remarks Boomtown MD Andrew MacKenzie. “Partnering with Propella, means not only will it benefit from an improved brand positioning, but the businesses it works with will also have a greater chance of success when we share our insights with them and guide them on their growth path.”
Speaking about the partnership, Anita Palmer, the business incubation manager for Propella, adds: “We have a bold vision for supporting the successful development and sustainability of new innovation-based businesses and being the first choice for the commercialisation of smart products and services in our region.”
Lemok Group launches SMME packages
The Lemok Group has launched a number of packages to help SMMEs develop a narrative outside of normal sales messaging to really create a brand story people will connect with.
“In the past year, my team and I have found that small businesses would often want to implement social media strategies as an affordable marketing tool, but may feel that they do not know where to begin or may not have the R10 500 minimum monthly budget we charge,” said CEO Lebogang Mokubela.
“As a result, we have been working in the background to research and create packages that seek to help SMMEs navigate the complex world of social media marketing to drive lead generation, brand growth and engagement, while still being affordable.”
Mokubela said he’d found small businesses struggle, from a social media marketing perspective, because they are simply logos and not brands. “What I mean is that there is no narrative (story) around the business, which makes it hard for audiences to connect with the SMMEs.”
Lemok Group packages include an element of public relations.
Ads24 offers customers creative tailor-made packages for a great return on investment
With a wide range and reach of publications across the mass market, Ads24 has proven itself time and again for providing innovative 360 platforms that allow its clients to get their message across effectively, providing great return on investment through tailored campaigns across digital and print.
An example of a campaign, where 360 degree integration was successfully implemented, was when Ads24 and Soccer Laduma teamed up with Phumelela, South Africa’s leading betting operator to expand Phumelela’s in-press betting vertical, Soccer 6.
“We are experts at content creation and marketing, which is enjoyed by readers, viewers and advertisers because the content is not perceived as being a hard sell. It works very well for a campaign like Soccer 6 as we can integrate the message across all of our platforms,” said Peter du Toit, Soccer Laduma editorial director.
Making moves
Bounce News scoops top innovation award
Bounce News, 24.com’s personalised news app in Nigeria, was crowned Best News and Entertainment app at the annual AppsAfrica.com Innovation Awards 2017. The awards, now in their third year, celebrate the best in mobile and tech from across Africa. Entries are judged by an independent panel of industry experts.
Bounce News offers users personalised news from Nigeria and internationally. Launched just seven months ago, the app was specifically developed to focus on both news and entertainment, which makes this recognition especially rewarding, 24.com head, Andreij Horn, says.
“Bounce News is truly a trendsetting app. It uses advanced machine learning algorithms to uniquely personalise the content streams for each user. To achieve this, Bounce News has a strong editorial team producing a steady stream of quality news and entertainment content every day. At the same time the app aggregates additional local and international news to ensure it provides its users with a full content stream on the topics they’re really interested in. It’s also very light on data.”
Internet Solutions breaks ground on prefabricated extension of Parklands DC
Internet Solutions, the leading pan-African telecommunications service provider, has broken ground on a prefabricated extension to its Parklands data centre.
The extension is the first of its kind at this scale in sub-Saharan Africa. Its design accommodates flexible modules, tailored to specific market requirements, contained within a modern exterior structure.
Phase One, due to come online in July 2018, will contain 130 racks while subsequent modules will be ordered in configurations best suited to client demands. On completion, at a total cost of approximately half a billion Rand, the data centre will provide a total capacity of 572 racks and 2.2 megawatts of IT power.
“On completion of the Parklands expansion project, Internet Solutions will boast the most ideally-located, carrier-neutral data centre in South Africa,” says Matthew Ashe, Executive: Data Centres at Internet Solutions. “It hosts the Johannesburg Internet Exchange, and is in close proximity to some of the continent’s most important business centres, which makes this data centre the obvious choice for local and multinational enterprises alike.”
Reserve Bank Governor, Lesetja Kganyago, Dr Patrice Motsepe, and Finbond Group take the accolades at 2017 Sunday Times Top 100 Company Awards
The Sunday Times Top 100 Companies is one of the most anticipated events on South Africa’s business calendar, where industry leaders gather to celebrate the JSE-listed companies that have performed consistently well in delivering the highest shareholder returns over the past five years.
The Sunday Times Business Leader of the Year Award is considered the ultimate accolade as recipients are decided by CEO’s of the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies from the previous year. Kganyago joins an elite list of prominent business leaders including Pravin Gordhan, Johan van Zyl, Michael Jordaan, Phuthuma Nhleko, Johann Rupert, Brian Joffe, Graham Mackay, Maria Ramos, Adrian Gore, Whitey Basson and Dr Christo Wiese.
South African mining magnate and philanthropist, Dr Patrice Motsepe, received the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies Lifetime Achiever Award, as decided by the Sunday Times and two independent panellists. Dr Motsepe is the founder and executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, non-executive chairman of Harmony Gold, and deputy chairman of Sanlam.
“It seems the name for Motsepe has been in the business community for an eternity, but its name that only came to the fore in dying years of the previous century with his purchase of an unwanted gold mining asset from Anglo,” said Ron Derby, editor of the Sunday Times Business Times. “In the years that have followed, he has managed to grow a significant mining business through African Rainbow Minerals and like titans before is amidst a diversification drive that has seen him moving into banking. Looking at previous winners of this award, the panel could only come to one conclusion that his name belongs amongst them, as one of a still a few, black businessmen that have managed to emerge from more than 20 years of the new South Africa.”
Full results of the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies will appear in the 12 November 2017 edition of the Sunday Times newspaper.
Night of 1000 Drawings Tickets on Sale
The 1000 Drawings volunteer committee have been in full swing this year mobilising people to create art for charity. “Now we’re focusing on pulling together an awesome event,” says Kelly McGillivray, owner of theSQUAD Creative Events, “We’ll have unique art on offer, a big party, raise money for charity, and celebrate the regeneration of inner-city Joburg.”
The event will be held at Number 1 Eloff Street, Hangout Jozi on Thursday 16 November. Tickets are available from Quicket at R100 per head; or R120 at the door. Anyone interested in art will love the doodles, photos, embroidery, mosaics, pewter – donations of all kinds – all on sale for R100 a piece.
The Night of 1000 Drawings event is made unique by being a celebration of Johannesburg and the passion of its citizens, as witnessed by the thousand die-hard people who pitched up in the pouring rain last year. But if you need more enticement, there’ll be live music, food trucks and a full bar service for those on a liquid diet. The artist line up is a one-of-a-kind musical extravaganza featuring Percy’s Perseverance, Go Barefoot, African Rhythm and the incredible Samthing Soweto, with NomiSupasta as Master of Ceremonies.
We look forward to seeing you there and encourage people to please buy tickets online before the event to avoid queues. All proceeds from the tickets and the art sales go to the Bjala Foundation and Streetlight Schools.
Liquorice Named Agency of the Year by the SA Mobile Marketing Association
Liquorice, a DigitasLBi company, was named Agency of the Year by the South African Mobile Marketing at its annual Smartie Awards. Liquorice also won five awards for its work. This comes off the back of Liquorice winning a total of seven awards at the MMA Awards in Istanbul last week for across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, including the prestigious Jury Special Award.
Liquorice’s #NamethemSavethem campaign for Amarula won special jury in Instanbul, two golds and a silver in SA for it’s innovative use of mobile to help save African elephants, who are disappearing due to ivory poaching at a rate of one every fifteen minutes. The mobile platform allowed over 400 000 consumers to name and design their own personal elephants which were then printed individually on Amarula bottles and sold in store.
Miles Murphy, Founder and CEO of Liquorice, commented, “It’s an honour to be named Agency of the Year. Africa is a mobile first market and we are proud to be leading the way in helping brands innovate in the mobile space to connect with consumers.”
Bad dad jokes’ get glory on East Coast Breakfast 07 November 2017
The cheesiest jokes of them all now have their very own feature – Darren Maule’s Bad Dad Jokes airs on East Coast Breakfast and features online every two weeks. The segment sees Darren go head to head with someone, from a listener to a celebrity, and the first person to crack a laugh is the loser.
So what is classified as a bad dad joke? Darren explains, “It’s a clean silly joke that is safe enough to tell the kids and simple enough for them to enjoy. Most people outgrow them but there seems to be special place in our hearts for very bad, painfully lame, excruciatingly cheesy dad jokes, the worse the better ergo – Bad Dad Jokes.”
The feature is an opportunity to tell jokes that are normally socially frowned upon. Darren adds, “The game asks for the worst and the most lame jokes, so the pressure is off and anyone and everyone can compete.”
Darren Maule’s Bad Dad Jokes recently featured Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout and there is no telling who will go head to head with Darren next. It could be you, or someone you know pulling out their best one liner.
He releases a video every 2 weeks of telling jokes to his guests and they tell him jokes back and they are not allowed to laugh.
Catch the latest video here:
