The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: IAB SA Future of Measurement Committee updates industry
The IAB South Africa launched the Future of Measurement committee in August 2020 with the aim of better understanding the current and anticipated future needs of the industry regarding digital measurement. It would use this understanding to inform the IAB SA Digital Measurement Tender and any further activities that the IAB undertakes in order to better support the measurement requirements of the industry.
The primary point of reference for the committee in understanding the industry’s measurement needs has been the IAB Measurement Survey, which was run from December 2020 to January 2021. The measurement survey was shared with a diverse group of respondents, representing views from across industry stakeholders, the results of which have now been distilled by the committee into an industry statement of needs which is in review with the IAB SA Measurement Council and IAB SA Executive Board.
“The measurement survey was hugely beneficial to support in our understanding of current and future needs of the industry, and we’re very excited to have such clear direction with regards to how we take measurement forward as the IAB. As a committee we believe that this positions us well for the upcoming tender process, and any further measurement activities that the IAB takes on in the future,” said Imraan Rajab – IAB Future of Measurement committee lead and COO MediaCom South Africa.
With the measurement survey and a guiding statement of needs drafted the committee in review with the IAB SA Measurement Council and IAB SA Executive Board, the commmittee aims to publish and manage the RFP for the IAB SA Digital Measurement Tender in late April, with the aim to appoint a measurement partner for 2021 – 2024.
People moves
FoxP2 brings experienced strategy, management brain into the fold
FoxP2 has brought Sello Leshope, an industry veteran with many years of strategy development and business management experience as well as Loerie and Apex Awards wins to his name for both copywriting and strategy, into its fold as strategic planning director effective 1 April.
Leshope joins FoxP2 from Ogilvy Africa where he was previously the regional strategic planning director for the group and deputy managing partner and head of strategy for Geometry, its shopper marketing agency.
FoxP2 was recently ranked as South Africa’s most creative medium-sized agency on the Loeries Official Rankings 2020 for the second year running.
“I’m excited to join FoxP2 and be part of their narrative,” said Leshope. “I’ve always admired them for their remarkable creative work but it’s been amazing to see them mature into the well-balanced powerhouse they are today while not only retaining, but sharpening their creative edge.”
Leshope’s experience as lead of a cross-functional strategy team overseeing disciplines including shopper, brand, digital and consumer insights across multiple markets and categories is impressive.
JCDecaux South Africa has new managing director
JCDecaux, the global leader in outdoor advertising, has announced the appointment of Sebastian Musendo as Managing Director for JCDecaux South Africa, effective from 15th of March 2021, reporting to Martin Sabbagh, CEO Middle East and Africa of JCDecaux.
Musendo is a well-regarded and accomplished business executive with over 30 years of experience in supply chain excellence and strategy execution across various industries and leading multinationals. Until recently, he was the Head of Supply Chain Strategy and Transformation of Transnet, and before that, he served as Managing Partner at Afri-Global Supply Chain Solutions.
Musendo brings to JCDecaux a proven track record working with high-performance companies within the FMCG sector. These include industry leaders Tiger Brands, where Sebastian served as Group Services Executive, with group oversight of Marketing, Supply Chain, Customer Care and IT. He held numerous leadership roles at SABMiller, with his last assignment being Head of Indirect Spend, which included oversight of marketing spend across the organisation.
Read more here.
CNN alum tapped as first female CEO of OkayMedia
OkayMedia, the multimedia organisation dedicated to uplifting the artistic and progressive voice of global black culture, has announced that author, award-winning journalist, and former CNN International anchor Isha Sesay has been appointed to the role of CEO. Sesay will combine her decades of reporting experience –including groundbreaking global coverage of social injustice and the experiences of women and girls – and entrepreneurial spirit to the visionary team at OkayMedia, which includes the digital publications OkayAfrica and OkayPlayer. Central to her priorities will be expanding the company’s commitment to innovative storytelling that moves the culture forward.
Sesay has also been appointed to the OkayMedia board of directors – which includes Sam Hendel, co-founder of Dataminr; and Shawn Gee, president, Live Nation, Urban and manager of The Roots – and named co-founder and CEO of OkayMedia’s new production arm, SPKN/WRD. The boutique production company will bring seldom heard global voices and fresh perspectives to the forefront, across feature films, documentaries, television, podcasting and publishing.
“I’m so thrilled to be joining the OkayMedia family,” said Sesay. “This is an exciting company that has long done great work that I have admired. I can’t wait to bring to life all my ideas to expand our content offerings and ways to expose this fantastic brand to even more people in Africa and beyond.”
Umhlobo Wenene FM welcomes two sports presenters to its line-up
Umhlobo Wenene FM will be making minor changes to its current line-up, which has successfully served the station’s audience in the past year. The station is proud to announce that Putco Mafani and Ongeziwe Mjana will be joining the station’s superb line-up as sports presenters from Thursday,1 April 2021.
Mafani is not new to the station and has vast experience in the world of sport, including sports sponsorship, marketing and communications. He is a well-known broadcaster across South Africa and beyond its borders. Putco brings his immense talent and creativity into the shows that he will be presenting.
Ongeziwe Mjana is also not new to the world of radio broadcasting as she has been a sports commentator and standby presenter in one of Umhlobo Wenene FM’s sister stations. She brings an exciting flavour to the weekend sports shows on Saturday and Sunday afternoons between 15h00-18h00. Her impressive experience will add to the station’s already talented female presenters and commentators.
Vele Manenje joins Skeem Saam, SABC1’s daily drama series
Freedom Day is a day we commemorate a major South African milestone, but Skeem Saam is also to welcome a new face, SAFTA award winner Vele Manenje. Manenje will be introduced to the show playing the character of ‘Evelyn’ who seems strange at first, makes a sudden delivery at Charles’ shop. Hailing from Ga-Mothiba, Evelyn is a former schoolteacher who is intelligent and well-spoken. She is also a zealous reader with a fondness for poetry and meets a man with whom she forms a deep romantic connection. Any guesses as to who the mystery man might be?
Vele was born in Venda but grew up in Johannesburg. Starting out as a child presenter on a number of kiddies shows, she had the desire to pursue the arts at a very young age.
‘The Danny Painter Show’ celebrates 140 000+ views, joins Jacpod platform
Following the runaway success of the first season of ‘The Jo and Danny Show’, the popular vodcast is not only getting a brand new format for season 2 – but it’s expanding its reach.
The show, which first season was anchored by Jacaranda FM host, Danny Painter and local musician Jo Black, focuses on spreading positivity, motivation and human interest stories.
Since its debut in August 2020, the show has received more than 140 000 views, drawing audiences from far afield like United States and the United kingdom.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that our little bonfire idea in hard lockdown would become something that people loved this much!” Painter says about the first season’s success.
The second season, which kickstarted on March 1, saw the ‘The Jo and Danny Show’ rebrand as ‘The Danny Painter Show’, with Painter as the core host and executive producer. Black, who left the show to record a new album, says that he is excited to see the new season.
Business moves
Leagas Delaney to open Johannesburg office with Investec as founding client
Leagas Delaney was appointed as Investec’s global brand agency, effective 1 February 2021. The firm, which was founded in London by Tim Delaney, has worked with Investec in the UK for the past three years and is in the process of hiring a dedicated team in South Africa to work on the account.
“We’re proud to be extending our relationship with Investec. We’ve had the pleasure of working with the UK arm of the business for the last few years and it’s a real privilege to be opening up, in the dynamic South African market, alongside such an iconic brand. The team can’t wait to get started’, said Gareth Davies, CEO, Leagas Delaney.
Commenting on the appointment, head of brand for Investec South Africa, Heather Casey said: “This is an exciting move for Investec as our partnership with Leagas Delaney marks the first time that we have appointed a global brand agency. Strategically, we are on a journey to ensure a more consistent marketing approach across every geography and business specialism, in line with the Group’s stated strategy to bring clarity, simplicity and focus to every aspect of Investec. We look forward to working with the Leagas Delaney team to achieve this outcome.”
BOO! wins rights to Bidvest Premier Lounges and BidAir airport buses
The advertising contract for BidAir’s fleet of buses at OR Tambo International Airport and Cape Town International Airport, has been awarded to BOO! Surprising Media Solutions. This includes the rights to manage advertising inside the Bidvest Premier Lounge network across all eight airports.
The Bidvest Premier Lounges are the largest network of business class lounges in South Africa and the buses are highly visible on the ORTIA and CTIA runway area as they transport passengers between the terminal and the respective airlines.
BOO!’s Airport division is a stand-alone within the BOO! stable, developed for media opportunities within the lounges as a global first.
“The airport lounges are very close to our heart, we pioneered the advertising platform over 10 years ago in South Africa, and the advertising market’s reaction to our product mix has been amazing,” said Dave McKenzie, CEO of BOO! Surprising Media Solutions. “We are privileged to have exclusive agreements in place with the SLOW lounges, as well as the soon to re-open SAA lounges. BOO!’s Business Class product is also available in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique and we are in discussions to expand our footprint even further. We have had a long-standing working relationship with the Bidvest Premier Lounges and this new appointment enables us to formalise the relationship for the foreseeable future. Working with the Bidvest Premier Lounge, BidAir and MSC Sports teams to enable brands to communicate with a premium market in a premium environment is very exciting.”
Sanlam presents bold rebrand
Sanlam, Africa’s biggest non-banking financial services group, has announced a business reboot around a purpose-led rebrand. Through a new range of products and services, as well as through a host of innovations that seek to empower the continent to make wiser financial choices, Sanlam’s new positioning (Live with confidence) is not simply a new pay-off line, but a maxim they’re seeking to live by, and restructure their entire business around, too.
How so? By providing more Africans with the knowledge, tools and resources necessary to participate more meaningfully in the mainstream economy. This includes a range of bold initiatives, including new data- and AI-led innovations such as a Confidence Coach Chat-bot to up skill financial literacy, an Annual Financial Confidence Index to pinpoint regions where capacity building is imperative, and the launch of the Sanlam Moola-Money Family Game Show, the country’s first ever financial education family TV game show, in April.
“Instead of simply imploring people to change their financial habits, we’ve set out to practically include them more in the economy and to have a better relationship with money, thereby, empowering a greater confidence in all of life,” said Sydney Mbhele, Sanlam’s Chief Executive of Brand.
Together with their creative agency partner, King James Group Africa, Sanlam set out to redefine the essence of what makes them tick—and to match this with the inherent challenges and opportunities surrounding them.
Careers Magazine drops price in support of readers’ pressured wallets
Careers Magazine has cut its print price by 30% to R35 as an investment in the youth whose spending is under pressure due to the harsh economic climate and job losses during Covid. The digital copy now sells for R25.
In spite of the print industry and economy in decline, demand for the youth magazine’s content is increasing and the publication has been experiencing a 10% month on month growth, said Careers editor Gugulethu Mhlungu.
“Especially now, the youth are looking for answers to navigate their careers as they face an economy in decline and dwindling job opportunities. The price cut enables our readers more affordable access to that valuable information which we are constantly improving.”
She says results from a recent survey by the magazine confirmed an even spread of readership from university students exploring their careers to more established youth in mid to senior management as well as almost 20% of readers over 35.
“Results showed 28.38% of readers are between 18-25, 27.03% are 25-30, 19.59% aged 30-35 and 20.27% are older than 35. The survey also showed that career guidance, personal finance and inspiring work-related stories were at the top of the content most important to readers.”
Bathu and Steers join forces with Culture Curators to #FuelYourJourney in Phanda campaign
Proudly South African local brands Steers and Bathu have joined forces to inspire South Africans with the Bathu X Steers #FuelYourJourney campaign. #FuelYourJourney celebrates the real hustlers and go-getters who will stop at nothing to make their dreams a reality. The digitally-led campaign has brought together a refreshing group of artists, musicians, culture curators and influencers who embody the hustler’s spirit and are a part of the Phanda Nation.
Their recently released campaign video features the matriarch of Until Until Amahle Jaxx, independent rapper/singer/songwriter Kevi Kev and content curator and healer Candice Dube on their grind, hustling to make their dreams a reality. During these unprecedented times, these young people are pushing through the challenges and through their talents, skills, music, businesses and content, they are embodying what it means to ‘Phanda’.
Eskimi and Anzu partner to offer programmatic, blended in-game advertising to brands Across the world
Anzu.io has announced a partnership with Eskimi, a full-stack programmatic and data platform, to increase opportunities for brands to access the exploding gaming market via in-game advertising. The gaming audience has reached over 3.1 billion players worldwide, with a market revenue of nearly $175 billion. This live partnership through OpenRTB integration offers brands the opportunity to programmatically reach the incredibly diverse, engaged, and lucrative gaming audience via display and video ads across mobile, PC, and console platforms.
Anzu serves fully blended in-game ads in recognised IAB standards, making the platform fully aligned with the programmatic standards and bringing scale to in-game advertising. Fully GDPR, COPPA and privacy compliant, its SDK technology — integrated into games — delivers high-quality direct traffic with full control over ad placements and first-party data that enables advanced targeting. In addition, partnerships with leading third-party AdTech vendors such as Moat and Nielsen guarantee fraud-free, brand-safe environments and brand impact measurement. In fact, Anzu’s blended 3D ads deliver 23% higher viewability than typical 2D display ads, feature ad fraud rates way below industry standards, and demonstrate considerable brand uplift and recall.
Making moves
GroupM expands its academy to more African markets and appoints a subcommittee to manage growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
GroupM SSA announced today that in order to meet the needs of an expanding market, it has extended the GroupM Academy GradX program established in South Africa in 2020 to Kenya and Nigeria with plans to add other markets in the future. Furthermore, GroupM has appointed a steering committee for SSA that will harmonise processes across owned offices and affiliates.
According to Federico de Nardis, GroupM Sub-Saharan Africa CEO: “Groupm has had a strong and direct presence in all key markets in SSA for a long time. With this market expansion, we’ve recently taken a number of decisions to strengthen our focus on three strategic pillars of people, data and technology in order to help our clients grow their businesses.”
In its first year, GroupM Academy’s 11 graduates have been absorbed internally at GroupM and the intention is to position future available graduates to clients and affiliate partners in the region. Speaking about the Academy, Serah Katusia, Groupm and Mediacom MD East and Central Africa commented, “The aim of the program is to nurture the new generation of media and marketing experts of the future. In Sub Sahara Africa, media talent is limited, we want to drive this agenda from the front, we believe that strengthening our teams as well as those of our clients and partners in emerging media markets sets us apart in the continent.”
The steering committee includes all senior leaders from Groupm and the agency networks Mediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker in the key markets namely Serah Katusia and Hemang Doshi from East and Central Africa, Seni Adetu from Nigeria, and Ashish Williams, Lwandile Qokweni, Zia Namooya and Derek Sim from South Africa. The committee will be chaired by Federico de Nardis, CEO, Groupm Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Empathy for Breakfast Show relaunched
The Empathy for Breakfast Show was relaunched on 30 March 2021, with this season including guests from all over the world. The innovative online show, hosted by bestselling author and empathy leader Mimi Nicklin, began during the first lockdown in 2020. Designed to provide inspiration and upliftment to people during this unsettling time, the show was shot from Mimi’s bedroom and reached over 75 000 people.
The new season will continue to bring to life candid conversations about the importance of empathy and understanding in our tumultuous and disconnected world. Nicklin will host experts, professionals and well-known faces from across the globe to lead insightful, mind-changing conversations over a cup of tea or breakfast.
“Our mission is to get the world familiar with, talking about and aware of what empathy is and why need it. I deeply believe that the more the world talks about empathy, the more empathy we will have.There has never been a time when we need it more than now,”said Nicklin.
Mediology celebrates 15 years in business
To start a media agency and just survive is no small feat; but to grow exponentially is phenomenal. It’s something that Ana Carrapichano, CEO of Mediology, can lay claim to. From the company’s humble beginnings in 2006, to becoming the leading independent media agency in South Africa, Mediology’s success is testament to Ana’s remarkable leadership, and her skill in shaping an exceptional team.
Any great leader would agree that a company’s most valuable assets are its people. “A great agency is great talent. We have a lot of smart people at Mediology who I love and respect. Our new CEO Chats with all employees are aimed at getting to know what makes them happy and what they want for their future. I don’t want people to be disengaged, dissatisfied and frustrated at work.”
Read more here.
It’s time to celebrate… restaurants
The XXL Edition of Restaurant Week South Africa has officially opened its website for bookings on www.restaurantweek.co.za. This edition will take place from 1 April until 2 May. Restaurant Week South Africa also announced the launch of its newly designed website. The new website is faster, easier to navigate, and more user-friendly.
During Restaurant Week South Africa diners will have the opportunity to explore South Africa’s top restaurants for a great price. Exclusively during this month, 100 of SA’s best restaurants will serve a Restaurant Week Special at a set price: starting from R145 for a two-course lunch and starting from R245 for a three-course dinner. The participating restaurants have limited availability to ensure social distancing.
Facebook’s multimillion media buying business up for review
AdWeek reports Facebook has put its global media planning and buying business up for review. “Facebook has the privilege of partnering with top agency talent across our brand portfolio, and as any company would, we will be exploring agency support that will best align with our media needs for 2021 and beyond,” Facebook said in a statement to Adweek confirming the review. It is being conducted by consultancy, ID Comms.
