Moving Tactics launches specialised Digital Content division. Abarder takes on new role at ANA Publishing. FCM Events appoints new team leader. Hitchings to join JCDecaux. IMImobile SA launches mVideo as demand for video delivery soars. Atmosphere lands three weighty new content clients. TLC and Hubble sign new advertisers. Africa Energy Forum and African Business magazine celebrate. New doors open for Simonsays with new client signed up. Mastercard acquires Oltio to accelerate digital payments adoption in Middle East and Africa. Discovery Communications completes acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive. GIBS’ Acumen magazine celebrates five years converting business thinking to business action. Hit CNN International show to run five days a week. Meet the web banners revolutionising online display advertising: Dynamic Ads. AMASA congratulates class of 2017 and calls for 2018 applicants.
This week’s BIG move: Moving Tactics launches specialised Digital Content division
Moving Tactics has launched a Digital Content division to provide a specialised content service that will maximise the value their clients achieve from their digital signage investments.
The company already provides a host of value-add complementary services that make the most of their digital signage network installations, such as Digital Media, Retail Analytics and Digital Impact.
Chris Day, managing director of Moving Tactics, says, “It’s very important for us to offer a comprehensive digital signage service from hardware, software and content. At the end of the day, the network is only as good as its content. For this reason we see the value in offering a content service to our clients to ensure maximum return. The industry growth has helped us gain experience in more than just content animation and with this growth, Moving Tactics has established a specialised service in content strategy, content development and content analytics”.
Moving Tactics Digital Content will be headed up by Ryno Colyn (above), who has 14 years’ experience in the digital signage industry in content strategy and development, play listing, scheduling, networks and installations. In the retail space, he has worked within Woolworths to develop and grow their in-store digital offering and has also established the content strategy for the Clicks and Clicks Pharmacy’s digital signage networks. Most recently, he has developed the content strategy for the MTN digital in-store network as well as developing content for their Brand and Touch channels.
People moves
Abarder takes on new role at ANA Publishing
Gasant Abarder has been appointed executive editor: new media at ANA Publishing, a magazine division of Independent Media.
ANA Publishing produces premium magazines such as Fast Company, Intrepid Explorer and African Independent and encompasses the print and digital platforms.
“Fundamentally, there are very little changes. I bring a considerable 21 years of experience in print, television, radio and online to the table – nine of which have been spent in editorial management positions. It’s a matter of applying all that knowledge across the 360 degree solution or whatever fashionable word is currently used to describe multimedia publishing,” said Abarder.
Asked if he enjoyed a challenge, Abarder responded: “Ha! I feel like that’s a trick question. I do enjoy challenges and this one will be no different.”
He said while he would focus on his new portfolio, there was enough talent and quality people at Independent Media to fulfil his previous role as regional executive editor of the company in Cape Town.
FCM Events appoints new team leader
FCM Travel Solutions has appointed incentive travel specialist Samuel Herman as its team leader for FCM Events. With a qualification in travel management and over 14 years’ experience in incentive travel, Herman’s focus will be to raise the profile of FCM Events, enhance the brand and upskill the FCM Events team.
“Our goal as FCM Events in the short term will be to expand our client base, not only in terms of providing incentive travel services to existing FCM clients, but also corporates that currently do not use FCM Travel Solutions for their corporate travel requirements,” says Herman.
Herman says despite a weak economy, incentive travel has continued to flourish in South Africa. “Incentive travel is more memorable than simply giving staff a bonus. In fact, it is when the economy is weak, that a travel incentive can help to stimulate performance among staff despite the competitive environment. It’s also hard to organise a travel incentive in-house because it requires specialist knowledge.”
Newsflash: Hitchings to join JCDecaux
Chris Hitchings, former CEO DSTV Media, has resigned to join JCDeCaux in a senior capacity .
Business moves
Atmosphere lands three weighty new content clients
Atmosphere Communications has announced that it had secured three new content retainer clients: #AfterAccess, Trematon and USB-Executive Development (USB-ED). The client wins are in line with the firm’s strategy of growing its content marketing division.
Julie Etheridge, director of Atmosphere, said she was delighted with the new business wins. “In many cases, content is now at the core of marketing spend so the demand for quality content strategies is on the rise. In response, we have built a content product that is a fast-growing revenue stream.”
The wins are #AfterAccess, (a global research initiative), Trematon, (a listed investment holding company) and USB-ED (an executive leadership and management training company)
The consultancy’s expertise in securing publicity is an advantage. “We know a good story when we see one so we’ve evolved this to work in the paid, shared and owned space. And we’ve extended our distribution models into new avenues so that the right stories get in front of the right people.”
Tribeca PR takes the driver’s seat
Secure Drive has appointed Tribeca Public Relations (Tribeca PR) as its public relations partner to position the company as leaders in secure passenger transportation services.
“We are excited and confident in the role PR will play in growing Secure Drive’s already impressive reputation locally and in Africa & the Middle East,” says Nicola Tarr, Business Unit Director at Tribeca PR.
“Tribeca’s approach to positioning Secure Drive as the secure transportation provider of choice to business travellers appealed to us, as did its focus on building a strategy with multiple approaches that responds directly to our business objectives,” says David Boers, General Manager at Secure Drive.
TLC and Hubble sign new advertisers
Primedia Unlimited’s indoor lifestyle advertising specialists TLC and Uber’s preferred in-vehicle entertainment partner, Hubble, have jointly signed advertising deals with Samsung, VISA and Nescafe Gold.
“TLC has the exclusive rights to sell high viewability video on Hubble’s interactive touch screens in Uber vehicles,” says Greg Bruwer, TLC’s managing director. “It’s an ideal platform in which to engage on a one-on-one basis, with tech-savvy, early adopters in the high income market, and we’re thrilled to have signed on these three fantastic brands.”
Samsung has secured 500 of Hubble screens in Uber vehicles around Johannesburg, showcasing a brand channel and TV reel to promote the launch of two new phones, Nescafe Gold has created a game that consumers can engage with during their commute in 100 vehicles, while VISA is showcasing a TV reel promoting various products.
IMImobile SA launches mVideo as demand for video delivery soars
IMImobile SA has announced the launch of mVideo, a high-resolution mobile video delivery solution available across South Africa.
mVideo allows mobile marketing and enterprise customers to streamline the creation and delivery of high-resolution video content across multiple communication and media channels, such as email (as attachments or a link to a cloud-hosted video), social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), YouTube, and mobile app.
The announcement follows the recent GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, where the demand for video delivery was identified as one of the key mobile trends.
“With smartphones able to access and stream full-length HD videos in seconds, the media, marketing and broadcast industries need a viable way of delivering high-quality video content optimised for the diverse range of devices and channels. As a result, traditional video delivery formats such as MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) simply cannot deliver the video experience customers desire,” says Devon Meerholz, chief creative Ooficer at IMImobile SA.
IMImobile’s SA customers use videos for in-store screen experiences, social media promotions, as well as the personalised distribution of video-based itemised bills and bank statements.
Africa Energy Forum and African Business magazine celebrate
Celebrating 20 years of projects, deals and partnerships, the Africa Energy Forum will celebrate its 20th anniversary in Mauritius from 19-22 June. As the official publication of the Forum, the 9th Africa Energy Yearbook will reflect on the achievements of Africa’s energy sector over the last 20 years with a special anniversary edition examining the role, which the African power community has played in these successes.
Content from the yearbook will also be compiled into a Special Energy Report to be published in African Business magazine and circulated throughout the magazine’s global distribution network. The report will feature a number of CEO interviews, thought leadership pieces and in-depth analysed on a number of energy-related issues that are shaping the African continent. Distribution will reach 300 000 readers at business lounges and newsstands in over 75 countries.
New doors open for Simonsays with new client signed up
Local door manufacturer, Dezign A Door, has appointed Simonsays Communications to handle its full gambit of communication requirements, including traditional media relations, blogger activations, and digital marketing. The appointment is effective 1 March 2018.
Simonsays MD, Melanie Stevens, says, “We are delighted to be working with such an experienced industry leading business. We intend to further develop the already solid reputation of this local business by assisting the brand with opportunities that will enhance their presence among new and existing audiences.”
Discovery Communications completes acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive
Discovery Communications, Inc. has announced that the company has successfully completed its acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. Moving forward, the combined company will be officially known as simply: Discovery, Inc.
“Today marks another critical milestone for Discovery, as we become a differentiated kind of media company with the most trusted portfolio of family-friendly brands around the globe,” said David Zaslav, president and CEO for Discovery. “As a new global leader in real life entertainment, Discovery will serve loyal and passionate audiences around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains across every screen; deliver new ways for advertisers and distributors to reach highly targeted audiences at scale; and leverage our leadership position to create new value and growth opportunities for all of our stakeholders.”
The name change to Discovery, Inc. demonstrates a new focus on growth in the areas at which Discovery excels, telling stories across deeply loved genres and empowering superfans to explore their world wherever and whenever they choose.
In Africa, the acquisition sees Food Network and the Travel Channel join Discovery’s popular stable of networks currently available in the market; Discovery Channel, TLC, Discovery Family, Investigation Discovery (ID), Animal Planet, DTX and Discovery Science.
Mastercard acquires Oltio to accelerate digital payments adoption in Middle East and Africa
Mastercard has completed its acquisition of mobile payments technology company Oltio from Standard Bank Group.
The acquisition builds on Mastercard’s longstanding relationship with Oltio, a startup that pioneered and patented several mobile payments and banking solutions, including an authentication technology. Today, that technology enables consumers to authenticate Masterpass digital wallet purchases in South Africa using their bank PIN and mobile phone.
Over the coming months, Mastercard will leverage Oltio’s technology, people and infrastructure to enhance and scale its existing suite of digital solutions for merchants and issuers in cash-orientated, emerging markets – in turn, enabling them to deliver more seamless payment experiences to the consumer.
“Too many consumers and merchants in the MEA region are stuck in a cash economy that doesn’t work for them,” says Mark Elliott, division president for Mastercard, Southern Africa. “By combining our joint expertise, technologies and reach, we can bridge the divide between the region’s cash economies and the digital future, bringing the benefits of digital payments to more people and businesses.”
Making moves
GIBS’ Acumen magazine celebrates five years converting business thinking to business action
The University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in association with publisher Contact Media and Communications, is celebrating Acumen magazine’s fifth anniversary. Acumen magazine is the school’s business publication that serves as an influential platform connecting corporate South Africa with some of the country’s most dynamic business executives from various sectors of business and commerce.
Chris Gibbons, editor of Acumen, says, “GIBS has achieved stunning success by investing in top-quality academic staff, admitting only the best and brightest students and backing them with superb infrastructure. The school allowed me to apply exactly that approach to the magazine. With a brief to be the best long-form business magazine in South Africa.”
Howard Fox, commercial director of GIBS says, “Acumen is far more than just a communication channel to the GIBS constituency of C Suite, Directors, and middle to senior management. It allows us as a leading business school to give back with the latest business thinking, to encourage even greater business action in South Africa and increasingly the continent.”
Through collaboration with GIBS, Contact Media and Communications looks forward to another five years of setting the benchmark for excellence in the business to business magazine category.
Ultra-stylish Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence gets involved with Fashion Week 2018
Attention will be turned towards Cape Town between the 21 – 24 March 2018 for AFI Cape Town Fashion Week where AFI flaunt their unique approach to showcasing fashion in truly exceptional style and selected designers are set to present their Autumn/Winter 2018 collections in the mother city’s most iconic spaces. The gathering of fashion lovers and designers alike in one of the most beautiful cities in the world will allow them a uniquely African experience, immersing them in culture, colour and couture.
The ultra-stylish, chic and sophisticated Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence will be sponsoring four fantastic prizes this year each entailing four nights accommodation in a standard room for two people, a delicious dinner at the Stratus Room where Chef Pontac creates a culinary paradise with his innovative and unique take on local favourites and delectable breakfast, to the value of R18 000.00 each.
Hit CNN International show to run five days a week
CNN Talk with Max Foster is to run five days a week from Monday 12 March, the network announced. The panel show, which airs on CNN International and live streams on Facebook simultaneously, was launched in May 2017. In addition to CNN International’s global TV audience, it reaches up to two million Facebook users. Programmes stimulate thousands of comments online from across the world, many of which are added live to the debate on air. Topics reflect the major news stories and talking points of the day
Host Max Foster will be joined by regular guests Ayesha Hazarika MBE, former UK Labour Party Special Adviser who is a columnist for The Scotsman and London Evening Standard as well as a comedian and broadcaster; UK radio station LBC presenter and political publisher, Iain Dale; and Liam Halligan, known for his regular columns in Britain’s Sunday Telegraph, The Spectator and Unherd.com. CNN correspondents and other experts will also regularly join the show as guests; Christiane Amanpour, Nima Elbagir and Fred Pleitgen have all featured in recent shows.
Gill Penlington, senior director, News & Events Programming at CNN International, said: “From the very beginning this show has struck a chord with audiences. The level of engagement we’ve seen has been phenomenal. Having a daily edition of the programme will allow us to get into a wider range of topics through the week and broaden what is already a diverse and highly flexible agenda.”
Meet the web banners revolutionising online display advertising: Dynamic Ads
SPARK Media have launched a ground-breaking new technology in online display advertising: Dynamic Ads – data-driven, innovative banners which allow for targeted ad customisation, adapting the ad for the viewer according to their location and weather conditions, thereby increasing its relevance.
According to the British Retail Consortium, weather has the biggest influence on consumer behaviour, after the economy. It affects consumers’ emotional state, drives their purchase decisions based on the context they find themselves in, and even dictates how much they are willing to spend. There are huge opportunities for brands to tap into this insight using Dynamic Ads, targeting consumers with relevant messaging based on weather conditions, amongst other dynamic variables.
For example, a rainy day would be the perfect opportunity for an online retailer to encourage consumers to shop online instead of braving the rain to the mall, or for a take-away app or restaurant to encourage eating in, or a clothing retailer to display a special on umbrellas and raincoats. Restaurants could use one of the other variables, the timing or day part variable, to target customers with breakfast, lunch, dinner or weekday specials. The opportunities are endless across all industries.
Diary
The state of Research in the Advertising Media and Marketing Industry – Are we keeping with the times?
Join AMASA Joburg as we host, Nielsen, KANTAR, PRC, OMCSA (OOH), ROOTS and other media research currency representatives as well as key agency and marketing representatives to discuss the state of research in advertising media and marketing industry. Are the industry research tools adaptable enough to cater for the fast changing consumer lifestyle, is information overload helping decision making processes or will fusion of different research currencies be the answer? What does the future look like?
AMASA JOBURG MARCH FORUM
Date: Wednesday, 14 March 2018
Time: 16:00 for 16:30
Venue: VEGA SCHOOL, 444 Jan Smuts Avenue, Bordeaux, Randburg
AMASA congratulates class of 2017 and calls for 2018 applicants
The Gordon Patterson AMASA Learnership Programme (GP-ALP) has yet achieved another successful year by bringing new blood to the industry. We are proud to present the Class of 2017, candidates who received the AMASA Bursary and completed their 4-month Media Management Course in 2017.
Five of these talented young stars are available to explore new opportunities in the industry.
Please contact Memoria Masilela if you have permanent / internship vacancies available in your organisation.
AMASA is now gearing up to award 2018 GP – ALP Media Bursaries to 10 (ten) deserving candidates, based on their drive and willingness to become future game-changers of the industry.
Qualifying candidates must have completed their matric/higher education and be seeking a head start in the media and advertising industry.
The candidates will be picked according to their potential for the industry and can be nominated by their industry peers or employers to be part of the Gordon Patterson AMASA Learnership Programme.
The AMASA Bursary consists of:
- Enrolment into the highly acclaimed Media Management module endorsed by AMASA in Partnership with VEGA – the 4-month course takes place twice a year
- Enrolment and all-expenses paid for the annual AMASA Media Planning Workshop
- A copy of AMASA’s Textbook “Nuts and Bolts of Media Planning”.
Candidates are required to complete the AMASA Media Bursary Nomination Application 2018 from.
Applications are open from the 1 March 2018 till 31 March 2018. Interviewing process will commence on the 19 March 2018 for the first set of candidates and then resume on the 2 April 2018 for the second set of candidates.