The Media Online’s weekly round up of moves in media. London-based thenetworkone joins the 2019 Nedbank IMC Conference as sponsor and partner. Curro Holdings appoints brand manager. Jacaranda FM’s Martin Bester surprises with Afrikaans reggae single. Ogilvy launches Social.Lab South Africa e-commerce offering. Endulini Fruit appoints Boomtown. Red Carpet Creative celebrates 10-year anniversary and wins 15 On Orange events portfolio. Montego Pet Nutrition gets a bold new look.
BRC battling to find new CEO
Despite a statement from Broadcast Research Council (BRC) board chairperson Monde Twala in early February that the appointment of a new CEO for the industry body would happen very soon, it appears that the process is taking longer than anticipated.
Questions were raised after the BRC sent out a note to the industry announcing the cancellation of its events around the latest BRC RAM data (Jan to Dec 2018, February release).
Former BRC boss Clare O’Neil’s name was still listed on the masthead at the bottom of the release as the CEO, despite her having already moved on to working for another company at the beginning of this year.
The note did touch on the subject of appointing a new CEO, stating, “The board has engaged an external recruitment agency to ensure that the best candidate is appointed to lead the BRC and as such, the process continues forward. Updates to the industry will be provided upon finalisation.”
Keep your eyes on The Media Online for news about the appointment of the new BRC CEO. As soon as the person is revealed, we will have the details.
The BRC RAM February 2019 release presentation was published on the BRC website yesterday. Click here to see the data.
People moves
Curro Holdings appoints brand manager
Natasha Mkhize has been appointed as brand manager within Curro Holdings’ marketing division, effective from February 2019. Mkhize joins South Africa’s largest JSE-listed independent school operator from Oceana Group, where she previously held the roles of international and senior brand manager for Lucky Star.
She brings with her a proven track record of identifying growth opportunities, developing relevant and quality brand material across all media, implementing new product concepts, and developing brand plans and positioning.
Mkhize holds an array of tertiary qualifications, among which include, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from Stellenbosch University, as well as a Digital Marketing Certificate from the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business. She is currently in the process of completing a Master of Business Administration at the University of Stellenbosch Business School.
Jacaranda FM’s Martin Bester surprises with Afrikaans reggae single
Martin Bester has introduced a brand new and exciting genre into the Afrikaans market with his latest single, which is set to take the industry by storm.
Konings, According to Bester, is reminiscent of past summer holidays. It’s about friends, holiday romance, sitting around the fire, sunsets and special memories. “The genre is Afrikaans Reggae. At my performances, I always do a Bob Marley song and everyone sings along. It has a feel-good vibe and reminds you of a lazy vacation and that is what I wanted to create,” he said.
The artist does not want to reveal too much about the upcoming music video at this stage, but has confirmed that it will be filmed on the beach.
Business moves
London-based thenetworkone joins the 2019 Nedbank IMC Conference as sponsor and partner
The 2019 Nedbank IMC Conference has announced that thenetworkone team is on board as one of the sponsors of this year’s conference, taking place on 14 March 2019 at Fox Junction in Newtown.
The debate over independent agency versus global holding company network rages on in the communications world. However, one company is challenging the concept of bigger is better by creating the largest global network of independent agencies worldwide. London-based thenetworkone, advocates for independent agencies and the benefits that go along with working with owner-managed, less cumbersome creative businesses of all kinds.
Paul Squirrell (left), director of thenetworkone, likens their business model to that of Uber or Airbnb. “These companies don’t own the individual cars or guest houses in their network but simply bring clients together with businesses in a global network of need versus service. This is what we do at thenetworkone, we put clients in touch with agencies of all disciplines in different parts of the world depending on needs. We create bespoke global networks on-demand.”
thenetworkone has accredited 1 200 independent agencies across 109 countries globally.
IMC CEO, Dale Hefer, has a long-standing relationship with thenetworkone which started when she was an enthusiastic member while running her independent agency, Chillibush. “I have always been a fan of thenetworkone and I am delighted they are part of the conference,” she said.
Ogilvy launches Social.Lab South Africa e-commerce offering
Ogilvy has launched Social.Lab, its social media performance division. Internationally, Social.Lab is the fastest-growing company in the Ogilvy network, combining creative content ideas with smart paid-media targeting to drive business results.
“The Social.Lab partnership is the latest step in Ogilvy’s journey to support clients in their digital transformation,” said Ogilvy CEO Alistair Mokoena. “Social.Lab offers tools that combine strategy, content, media and performance. It is transparent and measurable, using data-driven AI to provide relevant content to audiences and encourage awareness, consideration and purchase. We believe that with impactful ideas we will enable our partners to make their marketing budgets stretch further.”
Christophe Chantraine has been appointed managing director of Social.Lab South Africa, having relocated from the Ogilvy Social.Lab in Brussels, where he was head of media. Social.Lab will operate in Cape Town and Johannesburg, with a team of 18 media experts combining Social.Lab’s paid-social expertise with the creative excellence of Ogilvy South Africa.
Endulini Fruit appoints Boomtown
Eastern Cape citrus producer and exporter, Endulini Fruit, has appointed Boomtown as its retained PR agency.
“We were looking for an agency that combined an in-depth FMCG knowledge and understanding of the Eastern Cape economy, but also had an international footprint, with a proven ability to raise profiles rapidly and change public perception through the media,” said Pietie Ferreira, Endulini Fruit CEO.
Boomtown will provide ongoing PR and stakeholder engagement support for Endulini Fruit, which is looking to grow its farming production and export business through partnerships.
Red Carpet Creative celebrates 10-year anniversary and wins 15 On Orange events portfolio
Wine, hospitality and luxury brand marketing specialists, Red Carpet Creative, celebrates its ten-year anniversary; an award for top Food and Beverage PR Agency and new client acquisitions to kick off a strong start to 2019.
On Thursday 21 Feb, Cape Town Experiences awarded RCC the Most Popular Public Relations Company in The Food and Beverage Industry. This celebrated awards ceremony features the talent, vision and service excellence of Cape Town’s finest in the industry. Voting was nominated by a contributing 60% via an esteemed panel of judges and 40% decreed by the Reader Choice Votes.
The turnkey marketing solutions agency also won the events and activations portfolio for 15 on Orange Autograph Collection Hotel, with an extensive line-up of immersive eventing experiences for both locals and visitors alike. The Urban Oasis, which has recently undergone a multi-million Rand refurb, now offers a brand-new pool deck, two exquisite new bars and a glamorous new 550 m2 spa and trendy new restaurant opening in the coming months.
BWT‘s Pink continues to light up Formula 1 in 2019
The Best Water Technology Group stays on the F1 grid, continuing as a Formula 1 principal sponsor in 2019. This year, the two pink cars with drivers Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll will be racing as team SportPesa Racing Point F1 Team.
After two successful years, BWT, Europa’s leading water treatment company, is continuing its commitment to Formula 1 in collaboration with Racing Point. Andreas Weissenbacher, BWT CEO, commented on the association: “There were no doubts about our interest for continuing our Formula 1 engagement. We would like to get all fans enthusiastic about our Pink livery. Our sponsorship activities are meanwhile an important part of our brand and marketing strategy with its high end engagement in the top class of motor sports.“
Making moves
Montego Pet Nutrition gets a bold new look
South African pet food brand, Montego Pet Nutrition (Montego), has rebranded to a look that better reflects the company as it is today – a growing, progressive, innovative and successful business. This follows Montego’s recent R70-million factory expansion that boosted production capabilities in response to increasing market demand for high-end, quality ranges of pet food and treats.
“There’s no denying the momentum and positive energy here. Montego’s a brand that’s going places. It’s exhilarating!” said Wilfred Cawood, marketing manager at Montego Pet Nutrition.
The rebrand includes a new logo and redesigned packaging for the pet food brand’s popular ranges. The brand, which has always stood for, and endeavoured to provide, Wholesome Goodness, now carries a new tagline: ‘Better Every Day’, reinforcing their commitment to evolving and improving Montego’s product and service offerings, as well as their impact on staff and surrounding communities.
Mobiclicks positions for growth at Parktown Quarter
Mobile advertising specialist Mobiclicks has joined the growing marketing, advertising and design community located at Joburg’s Parktown Quarter.
Situated at the prominent corner of 3rd and 7th Avenues in Parktown North, Parktown Quarter has emerged as a hub for small to medium-sized creative agencies who appreciate the central location and choice of eateries perfect for entertaining clients.
“From a start-up offering purely click-based mobile ad solutions, we’re now a digital platform partner representing leading global ad tech and media solutions exclusively in Africa,” said Mobiclicks founder, Shaun Rosen.
The new address enables the specialist mobile marketing firm to interact more often with clients at the actual location where creativity, execution and implementation takes place.
For the Diary
The fourth annual Colours of You South Africa (COYSA) Creative Festival will take place at The Gallery on Produce on 4 March.
The COYSA Creative Festival will feature more than 40 local creative exhibitors from various fields and will set the stage for creative excellence and showcase the vibrant and varied cultural pulse of Nelson Mandela Bay.
COYSA co-founders Gerard Addison and Zinzi May commented on the upcoming festival saying: “Since 2014 we have been fortunate enough to help stoke the fires of creativity in Port Elizabeth through festivals, exhibitions, talks and networking activations, all with the support of the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA).
“We aim to give exposure to the wide pool of creative prowess in Nelson Mandela Bay providing a platform that allows us to celebrate our true colours and what it means to be a South African through creativity and culture.”.
Date: 30 March 2019
Time: 3pm – 11:30pm
Venue: The Gallery on Produce, 7 Produce Street, South End, Port Elizabeth
Tickets are available from R80 online from Quicket, https://qkt.io/coysa-18 and R50 for students.
