This week’s move in media: Comedian Khathu Litshani and TRANSIT.TV partner. Turner appoints new leadership for the Africa, France, French-speaking territories and Israel regions. Onkgopotse JJ Tabane joins SABC 3, news time changes. Collective ID Announces Brenda Khumalo as new managing director. Johanna McDowell joins Women In Marketing advisory council. Mondelez South Africa welcomes Natasha Grimett. Sprout Performance Partners welcomes new business development manager. Otis South Africa appoints Nicolas Branly as service director. Planet Sport serves up Tennis365.com. House of Brave announces empowerment deal for agency group. APO Group unveils world-first print monitoring for press releases distribution in Africa. Mycybercare and TFG partner to bring cyber insurance to cellphone customers. eNitiate Partners with Social Media Week Lagos. The Loeries opens 2018 entries with bold new look. Global public relations associations commit to enhancing public trust through ethics. Vega students get the nod in WPO Worldstar Student Awards. Writers Write announces business writing courses. SCOPEN Marketers Masterclass Trends of the South African communications industry.
This week’s BIG move: Comedian Khathu Litshani and TRANSIT.TV partner
Khathu Litshani (left) has announced a content driven partnership between TRANSIT.TV and himself. Besides being a DJ and public figure Litshani a renowned comedian with a loyal following. TRANSIT.TV is the only commuter channel that reaches a national audience. The funny videos and other content sourced from Litshani will help keep TRANSIT.TV channel audiences – estimated to be around 13 million monthly – entertained on a daily basis – nothing beats a good laugh every now and then.
“This partnership with TRANSIT.TV is huge for me because it expands my brand and also works as a medium that reaches my supporters nationally. It also exposes me to people that have probably never heard of me but will appreciate my comedy. Comedy has become a central part of my life and I love sharing it with the masses. I love making people laugh, seeing all their reactions to my videos humbles me because it means that I entertain people from simply doing what I love. Things have been going very well for me as a public figure in the industry and this is all because I just live my life the best way I know how to and allow God to do the rest, says Khathu.”
With ten years of broadcasting relevant content, TRANSIT.TV entertains millions of commuters at major train stations, bus ranks, taxi ranks as well as taxis nationally. TRANSIT.TV broadcasts in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Free State, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.
“We are very excited to have Khathu on board as part of our Transit.TV content offering. Comedy is something that our audience appreciates and we felt that Khathu’s relatable yet entertaining approach to everyday situations was a great fit for our platform. We look forward to growing this partnership as both DJ Khathu and Transit.TV continue to evolve and entertain,” says Nicole Myburgh, marketing manager.
People moves
Turner appoints new leadership for the Africa, France, French-speaking territories and Israel regions
Turner has announced a new organisational chart for its activities in Africa, France, French-speaking territories and Israel with the nomination of two leaders reporting into Jaime Ondarza, senior vice president for Southern Europe and Africa who heads French market activity since 2010.
Guillaume Coffin has been promoted to the position of VP head of commercial and business development, covering all sales activities for the group. These include channel distribution, advertising, content sales and digital media income.
Julien Borde is joining Turner in the newly created position of head of channels for the region. He will be in charge of all editorial activity for Turner’s kids and general entertainment brands, a brief that includes content, marketing, communication and digital media.
Onkgopotse JJ Tabane joins SABC 3, news time changes
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)’s commercial television channel, SABC 3 has moved the 18h00 news bulletin to 21h00. Peter Ndoro and Francis Herd will remain as the presenters of this bulletin, while Chriselda Lewis and Aldrin Sampear will present the weekend edition.
The channel is also introducing a brand new current affairs programme, Frankly Speaking, at 20h30 from Sunday 11 February 2018. This programme is an interactive show using Skype and social media to encourage amplified viewer participation.
Frankly Speaking will be hosted by the renowned media personality Onkgopotse JJ Tabane. Tabane is one of South Africa’s leading media and communications specialists, as well as a community activist and a business executive. He is an author and also a regular columnist for various publications.
The new current affairs programme will look at news of the day and preview important upcoming stories through high paced headlines.
These changes are informed by a great need to stay relevant, innovative and to keep up with the fast growing digital trends in the media space.
Collective ID Announces Brenda Khumalo as new managing director
Recently rebranded advertising agency Collective ID, formerly Ireland Davenport, has announced Brenda Khumalo as the agency’s new managing director (MD), effective 1 February 2018.
Khumalo (left) was appointed as executive client services director in March 2017, and later, acting MD following the departure of former MD, Carmen Chilton.
“Generally, this sort of pride is reserved for parents whose child has won a Nobel prize or won an Olympic medal. When Brenda first joined ID eight years ago, she was ear-marked as a future leader, now, she is taking the reins as MD. She has run some of our largest and most complex pieces of business over the years and has earned the title of MD twenty times over.” says John Davenport, Collective ID’s founder and executive director.
Collective ID undertook a radical change in their transformation journey in September 2017 when the agency increased its black ownership from 25.1% to 51%. Collective ID encapsulates and reinforces the cooperative way in which the agency works, combining their experience and expertise and collaborating in the name of collective wisdom.
Khumalo has 12 years experience and has worked for Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, DDB and Mortimer Harvey on clients such as Standard Bank, Edcon, Vodacom and South African Tourism.
Johanna McDowell joins Women In Marketing advisory council
Women in Marketing has announced the appointment of Johanna McDowell (left) as a member of its advisory council for 2018. Currently the managing director of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company, McDowell is the only representative from South Africa to be appointed on the advisory council.
“It is a great honour for me to have been asked to serve on the advisory Council of Women in Marketing (WIM). I will be joining some well-known and highly respected international council members who have all been chosen for their demonstrated commitment to marketing and to women during their careers,” said McDowell. “I am looking forward to being part of this international team and to assisting WIM with their plans to host the 2018 WIM awards in South Africa in August this year – the first time that these awards will take place outside of the UK.”
Mondelez South Africa welcomes Natasha Grimett
Natasha Grimett has been appointed director, category planning and activations for Southern, Central & East Africa at Mondelez South Africa.
Grimett has led cross-functional teams with leading local and international fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies. With extensive experience in developing and executing category strategies to create customer and shopper value, she has a record of success in generating growth, driving efficiencies and optimising operations. She is extremely passionate about leadership and the continuous improvement and building of capability within the organisation.
“I am really excited and energised by the opportunity to be part of the Mondelez South Africa leadership team. Our powerful brands, great people and authentic organisational values are the foundation for a company that will grow from strength to strength. The company is passionate about its employees, and celebrates diversity and being a great place to work,” Grimett said.
Sprout Performance Partners welcomes new business development manager
Sprout Performance Partners has welcomed a new staff member to a recently formed executive position. Last month Oliver Ribic (left) was appointed as new business development manager.
Having been in the digital performance space since 2011, Ribic is well versed in this market which is bolstered with his Business Bachelor’s Degree, Marketing and his Honours in Business Philosophy. He specialised in marketing, specifically in digital performance and ecommerce in the South African market.
Ribic joins Sprout from a Cape Town-based marketing consultancy, IncuBeta.
CEO of Sprout, Stijn Smolders, said, “Oliver is a driven individual who has a solid history of success. We warmly welcome him to our team and anticipate great things from him. He’s also demonstrated that he’s an exceptional fit to our team.”
Otis South Africa appoints Nicolas Branly as service director
Otis South Africa has appointed Nicolas Branly to the position of service director, reporting to the MD: Otis Africa, Daniel Daphne.
Branly (left), who joined Otis France as Field Supervisor in 2009, holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Applied Economics from the University of Paris Dauphine, and MS Mechanical Engineering and Production Systems from Ecole Centrale Paris.
He has served in various positions within the organisation throughout his tenure including Project Manager (Mordernisation of Major Projects); Key Accounts Manager; Field Manager: Maintenance and Repair and Senior Manager Branch Services.
His new role will see Branly driving performance and growth in service, maintenance, modernisation and repairs.
Business moves
Planet Sport serves up Tennis365.com
Tennis365.com, part of Planet Sport Publishing owned by the South Africa-based, Ole! Media Group, was launched last week to take advantage of the growing interest in the sport around the world. Tennis365.com will go beyond the usual coverage of the Grand Slams, to deliver year-round news, scores, entertainment and useful betting information.
Edited from Planet Sport’s headquarters in Leeds, United Kingdom, the site joins the Planet Sport Publishing’s growing sports media digital network of six million monthly unique users that includes award-winning Football365, TEAMtalk, PlanetRugby and PlanetF1.
Launching on web, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and shortly on BBM, Tennis365.com will offer fast live scores, breaking news, betting previews, features, quizzes and video news.
CEO of Ole! Media Group, Deseré Orrill, congratulated the team in Leeds, saying: “Tennis popularity is on the rise as evidenced by the appetite for news, increased interest in betting opportunities, added long-term participation in the sport and the numerous requests we have received in the past to construct a service of this nature. Game, set and match to Tim and his team for delivering an engaging and informative service, which I have no doubt will rapidly grow to equal the success of our other sites.”
House of Brave announces empowerment deal for agency group
The true meaning of transformation in the South African advertising industry is finally coming to the fore with the acquisition of 25.1% share by FastGro Investment Holdings (a 100% black owned investment firm) of independent agency House of Brave (HOB) as well as the appointment of new group CEO Karabo Songo (left) and chief future officer, Musa Kalenga. The company is now strongly positioned as a serious challenger to the existing status quo.
Songo has taken the reins of the business to focus on true empowerment at a time when the agency is rapidly expanding. These developments also take place against the backdrop of the crucial transformation legislation currently facing the South African advertising industry, culminating in the MAC Charter, which takes effect in April 2018.
Songo’s ability to hone in on these key aspects of the deal stems from the fact that he is no stranger to the inner and often fraught workings of the advertising industry, having sat on the board of the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) for many years while his keen interest in successful business is shown through his current position as Chairman of the Commonwealth Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs (CAYE) SADC amongst others.
APO Group unveils world-first print monitoring for press releases distribution in Africa
APO Group has unveiled its print monitoring workflow system for press releases distributed across Africa. For the last couple of years, APO Innovation Lab has worked towards developing an advanced automation tool that pinpoints where customers’ press releases have been picked up in newspapers and magazines across the 54 African countries, whether they are in English, French, Portuguese, Arabic or local languages such as Afrikaans, Zulu and Swahili. During the test, more than 400 print publications were monitored, and 1000 print clippings collected.
This significant breakthrough opens up new possibilities for organisations. They will now be able to gauge their message penetration in print media and gain valuable insights on how the national, regional, local and pan-African press responds to their communication efforts.
Mycybercare and TFG partner to bring cyber insurance to cellphone customers
For the first time ever, customers buying cellphones from TFG (The Foschini Group) will be financially protected, and covered for financial losses incurred due to online cyber fraud. TFG and top local cyber insurance company Mycybercare have partnered to bundle Mycybercare policies with cellphones sold via TFG stores.
Customers, who purchase a promotional cellular bundle deal from TFG during the offer period of 1 February to 30 April 2018, will be automatically protected from fraudulent online purchases, virus attacks, fraudulent EFTs, phishing scams, fraudulent in-app purchases, as well as tap & pay fraud. Cellphones that will be bundled with a policy are Nokia, Hisense, selected Samsung, Sony, Mobicel and hi Ace and hi Pulse devices.
eNitiate partners with Social Media Week Lagos
eNitiate, a Pan-African digital agency, has announced its partnership with Social Media Week Lagos (SMW Lagos) as social media analytics partner.
SMW Lagos, produced by AFRIKA21, returns to Lagos for it’s sixth edition on the 26 February – 2 March 2018. Lagos is the first African city to host the annual event, and is one of the 12 cities around the world to host the Social Media Week conference in February. To date over 25,000 people have participated in SMW Lagos.
The SMW Lagos 2018 theme ‘Closer’ will explore the intensifying conflict between community and individualism. The conversation will bring together a diversity of perspectives to discuss the most productive ways to harness these forces to drive innovation, improve consumer experiences and bring people together.
“Our partnership with SMW Lagos started in 2017 and we are very excited to be part of this conference. In addition to the partnership, I will be delivering a “must-attend” talk for developers, entrepreneurs and digital agencies who need to keep a close eye on Facebook growth trends and developments” says Bra Willy, Founder of eNitiate.
To learn more about Facebook Stats: Why Nigeria Is On The Radar? or SMW Lagos 2018, click here.
Making moves
The Loeries opens 2018 entries with bold new look
The 2018 season opens with a bold new look to celebrate 40 years of rewarding creativity. The iconic new logo that makes the distinctive Loerie the centrepiece, combined with a striking brand identity, was designed by 2017 Loeries Grand Prix winner, Grid Worldwide.
The entry deadline for all work across Africa and the Middle East is 15 May, and all work must flight before 31 May.
Andrew Human, CEO of the Loeries, said he was expecting more than 3 000 entries this year, with at least 20% of those coming from outside of South Africa.
“The Loeries is the benchmark of the best work being produced in our region,” he said. “We began in 1978 to promote a brand new medium in South Africa: Television! Forty years later, the Loeries has evolved into the most recognised mark of excellence in the advertising and brand communication industry across Africa and the Middle East – covering 70 countries and over 2 000 languages!”
All information on this year’s categories and entry guidelines can be found on loeries.com.
Global public relations associations commit to enhancing public trust through ethics
The current crisis in trust is diminishing the ability for institutions, governments and organisations to operate effectively in society. Fake news and an inappropriate use of automated communications in particular, erode trust and reputations in institutions.
To counteract this and take a leading position on the global practice of public relations, several professional associations met in Madrid to explore possible enhancements to their codes of ethics that, as a whole, guide hundreds of thousands of professionals around the world.
Participants in this global discussion on codes of ethics agreed to explore ways to enhance and elevate public relations´ reputation as the guardian of trust through the enhancement of codes of ethics and an agreement on an overarching set of principles to guide the profession.
Through a collaborative effort, participants agreed to work on raising the standards for the public relations profession on a global scale.
A task force of the organizations involved will examine in detail the building blocks that currently exist in how practitioners should practice public relations. We believe there is value in having a single set of principles and behaviours that everyone can promote. This will not replace existing individual association codes but will provide an agreement on an overarching set of principles.
Participants recognize the need to launch a campaign around the importance of a trustworthy practice of public relations while also examining current codes.
Vega students get the nod in WPO Worldstar Student Awards
Vega campuses across the country are buzzing with excitement after four students were recognised in the 2017 WPO International Packaging Design Student Competition, a global platform open exclusively to students who have won awards for packaging design in their home countries.
Eliana Raff and Page Lotze received a WorldStar Student Certificate of Merit for their joint project, “Ripe Time, Ripe Place”. Casey Ogilvie and Jason Walden each received a WorldStar Certificate of Recognition for their packaging submissions for and Bakers Eet-Sum-Mor Biscuits and Ensure. These students were part of Vega’s 2017 entries for the local IPSA Goldpack Awards, who were entered into the WPO International Packaging Design Student Competition.
“We are so proud of all our students whose work made it to such a prestigious and globally-recognised platform,” says Ria van Zyl, Academic Navigator at Vega. “This achievement is particularly special for both the school and the students as it is the first time Vega has been recognised in these awards.”
Please note: ABC changes postal address
The new postal address for the Audit Bureau of Circulations is:
P O Box 52352
Saxonwold, 2132
Diary
Writers Write announces business writing courses
The Writers Write business writing course teaches business people how to communicate in a concise, accurate, and effective way.
The course includes:
- A grammar refresher.
- Business writing skills.
- Business writing templates.
- Email correspondence and email etiquette.
- Storytelling for business.
- Report writing.
- Writing proposals.
- Writing for the web.
When? 20-21 February 2018
Where? Dunkeld North, Johannnesburg
Dates:
20-21 February 2018
OR
17-18 April 2018
OR
5-6 June 2018
Email news@writerswrite.co.za for more information.
SCOPEN Marketers Masterclass Trends of the South African communications industry
SCOPEN is gearing up for its 2018 marketers masterclass three cities tour – the first stop was Johannesburg at the IoD on 7 February 2018 from 2pm – 4:30pm, the second will be in Durban, Umhlanga on 22 February 2018, the tour comes to an end in Cape Town on 1 March 2018. The masterclasses will detail insights into the Trends of the South African Communications Industry.
Among these trends are:
- Preferences for integration v specialisation
- Creating a long list – how marketers are doing this
- Satisfaction levels with agencies
- Contribution by agencies to business growth of marketers
- Concerns with the consumer and their changing environment
- Creative agencies to watch and follow
- Media agencies to watch and follow
The class is aimed at senior marketing executives – marketing directors, marketing managers and senior brand management. It is free of charge for respondents who participated in the study fieldwork with us and R 2500,00 ex VAT per person for other marketers.
All attendees will receive a complimentary printed copy of the 2017/18 agencyScope Marketers’ Report containing the 15 trends.
To enrol for this class and please be in contact with: Hlamazi Mabunda – hmabunda@scopen.co.za – or call us on 010 594 0281.
