The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Soccer Laduma consolidates its place at with launch of Soccer Laduma League
Soccer Laduma, the biggest soccer publication in South Africa, has never rested on its laurels. From its print beginnings, it has agilely transformed across media platforms to become the biggest active football community in South Africa. Now it has launched the first Soccer Laduma League, powered by PUMA, with the support of Mettlestate and Gaming Ventures, who are esports and gaming content specialists.
With the objective of growing awareness as well as accessibility to large-scale esports events, Soccer Laduma’s vision is to create a hub for players of all skill levels, not just top tier competitive players. Any player is eligible to enter, which is likely to enhance spectator value as there is the exciting opportunity for new local talent to emerge.
There will be three groups: Amateur, Premier and Legends League, with separate group stages running over the season. The Grand Finals will be live streamed to Mettlestate’s Twitch TV at the end of July 2021.
“We’re incredibly excited to be launching the Soccer Laduma League and to have the guiding expertise of Mettlestate & Gaming Ventures handholding us in our foray into the world of gaming. We share their vision of having this league becoming the league of choice for players of all skill sets across South Africa. With PUMA coming on board to power the initiative, we have no doubt that together we will be creating a world class product that will service the South African gaming community’s growing passion for esport,” said Clint Roper, Soccer Laduma GM.
While this league is exclusive to PUMA, it is a clear demonstration of how Soccer Laduma is open to engagement with brands and keen to explore exciting opportunities that will engage its devoted soccer fans.
Current Soccer Laduma gaming site users are predominantly male (92%), reside in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (92%) and 25-44 (63%) making them an attractive segment of the market. The brand is exploring further gamification opportunities.
With such a strong presence across platforms Soccer Laduma is well poised to work with brands to co-create relevant bespoke content. Podcasts, video content and bespoke microsites driven by exclusive content are just some of the possibilities.
Launched in 1997, Soccer Laduma holds the title of the highest selling sports publication in the country with a weekly circulation of 92 238 (ABC Q1 2021). Its commitment to providing its readers with breaking news, interviews and analysis of local and international football complemented by user-generated content, has taken it from print across web, mobile and social media platforms.
To register visit: SL League
People moves
Henley MBA Dean’s Creative Industries scholarship awarded to Alexander Leibner
Media entrepreneur Alexander Leibner has been awarded the Dean’s Creative Industries Scholarship to study his executive MBA at Henley Business School Africa.
It’s full circle for the seasoned media man who started his media career while he was still at high school, broadcasting on campus radio at Rhodes Music Radio (RMR) in Makhanda (Grahamstown), before working on RAU Radio at what is now the University of Johannesburg, as he completed his BComm degree through Bond University.
His two-decade long media career began at Talk Radio 702 where he worked as a producer, before moving to MultiChoice, initially on K-TV and then latterly as creative director developing flagship programming across multiple channels. He then moved to Africa Business News (ABN), where he spent over 10-years, some of which as head of group marketing of ABN, which owns CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa, and latterly heading up ABN’s event production company.
At the end of 2019, he left to venture on his own, establishing a digital first media start-up, the Sandton Media Group and joining Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve as well, as a consultant and speaker, contributing to the futurist’s global think tank, an independent and innovative consultancy to Fortune 500 companies on future trends.
Leibner had actually planned to do his MBA at Henley Africa at the start of 2020, after completing his PDBA at Pretoria University’s Gordon Institute of Business Science, but then COVID-19 struck.
The Niche Guys ba kgetha Lucky Makena go ba Creative Director
The Niche Guys ba tšere kgato ye e kwagalago mabapi le kgolo ya khampani ka go kgetha Lucky Makena go ba Creative Director. Pele ga ge e tla ba leloko la The Niche Guys, Makena o be a šomela M&C Saatchi Johannesburg. Maitemogelo a gagwe a akaretša go šomela Ogilvy, JWT, Primedia Broadcasting le Tsalena Media, moo e beng e le Creative Director a etile pele mpshafatšo ya Thobela FM le Motsweding FM.
Makena o hlalositše pego ye ka go re: Go ba karolo ya The Niche Guys ke kgato ye ke e tšeelago godimo. Nnete ke gore, go ba Creative Director ke phihlelelo ya mengwaga yeo ke e šomileng mmogo le ditsebi tša Marketing. Ga go na khamphani e kaone go feta The Niche Guys go tšweletša leeto le la ka pele. Ebile ke dumela gore lenaneo la bona la cloud-based operations le tloga le bontšha gore ye ke khamphani ya sebjalebjale!
Leigh Augustus, CEO ya The Niche Guys, o hlalosa ka fao go thwalwa ga Creative Director go bontšhang kgolo ya khampani. “Re thabile kudu go amana le Creative Director e bjalo ka Lucky Makena. Go thwala ga gagwe ke karolo ya go gola ga The Niche Guys mme bjale re na le bašomi ba ‘talente tša go fapafapana ka Johannesburg, Durban le London. Bohle ba kopantšhwa ke lenaneo la rena la cloud-based operations. Re tshepetše go Makena go eta pele lesolo la The Niche Giuys la go hlagiša mešomo ye e kgahlišang lefase ka bophara.”
“Lucky Makena ke monna yo ke šomileng mengwaga le yena Ogilvy Johannesburg le Ogilvy Durban morago bjale,” go realo Creative Partner, Cameron Krieger. “Ke mo tshepa kudu gore o na le dika tšeo di nyakegang go re eta pele bjalo ka Creative Director: Bokgoni bja thlolo, kelotlhoko, tsebo le bokgoni bja go bolela le go ngwala maleme a mmalwa. Botsebotse, mothaka wo ke Niche Guy!”
Ye nngwe ya dikarolwana tša Makena ke go šoma gotee le The Niche Guys Partner Rory Jacobs go tšweletša pele katološo ya TNG.Production, lefapa la The Niche Guys.
Go thwalwa ga Lucky Makena go latella go lemogwa semmušo ka lengwalotlhatse ga The Niche Guys ke B Corp, mabapi le tsamaišo ya khamphani ye ya go hlokomela bašomi. Ikopanye le The Niche Guys go hi@thenicheguys.com and for the statement in English, click here.
Tumi Sethebe joins Riverbed as executive creative director
Award-winning agency Riverbed has welcomed creative industry heavyweight Itumeleng Sethebe as the agency’s new executive creative director.
With over a 20-year career under his belt, Sethebe has worked on some of the world’s most loved global and South African brands, at agencies that include TBWA Hunt Lascaris, Metropolitan Republic and Ogilvy. He has been Executive Creative Director at both Havas, and most recently McCann1886.
“I am excited to join Riverbed as its core ethos of producing brave, effective work deeply resonates with me,” hesaid. “I have always strived to inspire compelling creative work by challenging the thinking of the teams I work with.”
Riverbed founder and CEO Monalisa Sibongile Zwambila sees Sethebe as the right fit for the agency. “I believe Tumi has the passion and ability to play a leading role in enabling our ambitions,” she says. “His wealth of experience is complemented by remarkable leadership skills, with a dynamic ability to inspire and build teams through mentorship and guidance, driving strong creative outputs.”
New Balance South Africa appoints a new marketing manager
Sports footwear and apparel brand New Balance South Africa has announced the appointment of Angie Austin as the company’s new marketing manager. Austin has taken on the role to replace Katharine Stewart who has moved into the national sales manager role.
Having been at New Balance for seven years, Austin has worked in various departments and takes on the marketing manager role with a broad understanding of the business’s operations.
“I’m excited and thrilled to take on this new role. I have worked closely with the marketing team since my start in 2014, working on big projects such as the New Balance partnerships with Comrades Marathon and Cricket South Africa. I believe that the experience I have acquired across the business will be valuable to the team. I’m also a keen “working mom athlete”, so working for a sports brand like New Balance is an absolute cherry on top for me,” said Austin.
Austin is also an avid trail runner; mountain biker and currently competes at national level for Surfski and Canoeing. Her passion for sports has inspired her to give back to her community by coaching Micro Nippers at the Fish Hoek Surf Lifesaving Club, a club that teaches the basics of lifesaving and beach safety every week throughout the summer, to over 300 children aged between 4 and 14 years.
Business moves
GroupM and Choreograph expand Audience Origin offering to 12 African markets
GroupM SSA and WPP’s Choreograph are expanding their proprietary Audience Origin data service into 12 markets in Africa, in response to a growing need from clients for better quality of data and insights around consumer attitudes, preferences and behaviour.
Audience Origin, formerly known as LIVEPanel, will be available in Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda.
Audience Origin is an integral part of WPP’s newly-created Choreograph, a global data products and technology company operated by GroupM, purpose-built for an era that demands a new approach to data management, usage, and brand growth.
According to Federico de Nardis, GroupM Sub-Saharan Africa CEO: “Audience Origin provides an unprecedented depth of understanding of the human mindset, through a connected global data foundation that uses privacy-first data collection via our proprietary consumer survey. This is a great opportunity for our key clients to gain insights into the lesser researched African consumer segments.”
Ramona Daniel, Audience Origin research director, added: “The Audience Origin product is even more relevant and urgently needed in Africa, where in many markets advertisers have historically lacked robust and reliable consumer research data, that is not only local, but can be also aggregated for a global point of view”.
Kantar launches SA’s biggest ever consumer panel
Kantar, the evidence-based insights and consulting company, has launched a new consumer panel in South Africa – the largest in the region, and the second to be built upon digital data capture capabilities, after Kantar’s panel in UAE. The panel will provide global and local brands and retailers with an in-depth understanding of the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) purchasing habits of the dynamic South African population, enabling them to measure their competitive performance and find new growth opportunities. The first dataset will be published in July 2021.
The new panel will measure the FMCG purchasing behaviour of more than 6,500 South African households at launch – the largest sample in the region. Covering all nine provinces, the panellists are representative of all socio-economic groups.
The digital capture methodology enables each panellist to provide continuous information about all their grocery purchases via barcode collection and in-the-moment trip records, using their smartphone. This reduces data lag and increases the robustness of the data collected.
Cheapflights appoints Irvine Partners as their South African PR agency
Irvine Partners public relations and integrated marketing agency has been awarded the Cheapflights communications account in South Africa. Irvine Partners will be responsible for reintroducing Cheapflights into the market as the travel industry recovers from the devastating impacts of COVID-19, and make the public aware of the various offerings available on the popular travel platform.
“As travel starts to come back, we see a great potential for Cheapflights in the South African market. We are excited to team up with Irvine Partners to help educate the media and travellers on our unique brand proposition and product offerings that help consumers find great travel deals for their next domestic or international adventure,” commented Laure Bornet, VP & GM EMEA for KAYAK, that manages Cheapflights.
“The last year has been incredibly challenging for the travel and tourism industry. We believe there is an opportunity to revive the urge to travel, and grow awareness around Cheapflights and how their products can help South African travellers find great travel deals. We are excited to partner with Cheapflights to achieve that,” added Irvine Partners CEO, Rachel Irvine.
Luxity announces luxurious rebrand
Luxity, South Africa’s luxury reseller, has unveiled a luxurious new look. Proving that sustainability is at the heart of luxury, Luxity has been making designer dreams come true for almost five years through its unique omni-channel position, retailing authentic, pre-owned luxury items that are in immaculate condition
Pronounced ‘lux-city’ one may think the name is simply made up of ‘luxury’ and ‘city’. However, the true essence of this unique brand epitomises the best of inimitable luxury from fashion capitals all over the world while making fashion dreams come true for all South Africans.
With an understated black and white colour palette, Luxity’s new look does exactly that. It includes timeless symbols that signify the past and the future, which are incorporated into the core X at the centre. In this way, the past and the future meet in perfect harmony to create a circular, sustainable economy. It encompasses the known and unknown, what once was, what is right now and the formidable future that lies ahead.
As Luxity enters its journey of repositioning from pre-owned to sustainable, the new branding is underpinned by the company’s dynamic vision to keep innovating. “Over the years, we have helped South Africa realise that there is no stigma when it comes to shopping pre-owned, and now, we’re taking that further” said co-founder Michael Zahariev. “Luxity’s vision revolves around ensuring that you’re able to not only pass down those unforgettable pieces for generations, for the greater good, but for our beautiful planet too.”
Anzu and Verizon Media’s global deal brings new premium in-game advertising opportunities to Verizon Media ad platforms
Anzu.io has announced a global deal with media technology company Verizon Media, which houses a trusted ecosystem of premium brands and industry-leading technology platforms.
Anzu’s platform gives media buyers the ability to drive brand awareness through unintrusive in-game ads that reach the thriving and diverse global gaming and esports community. Anzu’s fully blended in-game video and banner ad placements are served in brand-safe environments across mobile, PC and console games, bringing scale to the in-game advertising industry.
Verizon Media has established itself as a forward-thinking media brand that provides its clients with access to next-generation advertising opportunities across established and emerging platforms and channels. Its already strong foothold in the gaming industry will be bolstered by the partnership with Anzu.
Anzu’s director of business operations, Yaniv Rozenweig, said, “Our new partnership with Verizon Media is a testament to Anzu’s platform and strengthens our position as a leader in the in-game advertising industry. We are pleased to welcome Verizon Media advertisers to our platform and provide them with exclusive opportunities to deliver their campaigns to a growing and receptive gaming audience.”
Tekkie Town & Umbro partner in long-term arrangement for exclusive lifestyle range
Umbro South Africa and Tekkie Town have signed a long-term partnership deal that will see the global sportswear brand and the retail giant team up for the introduction of an exclusive lifestyle range.
The lifestyle range will be available through Tekkie Town exclusively, with Umbro’s world renowned double diamond set to become a prominent feature in over 400 stores as well as online.
“We are excited to partner with such a dynamic retail partner. Tekkie Town provides a platform through which we showcase our brand across South Africa and share with consumers a collection that has been designed and developed with them in mind,” said Umbro South Africa chief executive officer, David Ricketts.
“We believe the partnership with Umbro is relevant to our current and future strategy. The brand resonates with our target consumer market and fits well within our existing brand stable of global sportswear brands,” added Mohamed Dewan, merchandise and marketing executive for Tekkie Town.
AdNotes network launched in KZN
The CSIR, in partnership with the UNDP, the Old Mutual Foundation and the Office of the KwaZulu-Natal Premier is launching the AdNotes Rural Television White Space Network in KwaXolo, Ray Nkonyeni Municipality at Ugu District, Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The main objective of the project is to implement wireless network infrastructures for providing affordable broadband internet connectivity to the neediest communities around the country. The project is funded by the UNDP and implemented by the CSIR.
The newly completed network puts KwaXolo at the forefront of digital advancement (4IR solutions), as the rural area of KwaXolo and township of Gamalakhe become among the first to deploy internet services using TVWS technology. TVWS refers to unused frequencies in the wireless spectrum between TV broadcasts that can be utilised to provide broadband.
Making moves
The Empire strikes back with new digital studio for hosting hybrid events amidst the pandemic
The Empire Conference and Events Venue in Parktown has completed the build of its Digital Hybrid Event Studio to support businesses requiring professional services and facilities for hosting a hybrid of digital conferences, webinars, and in-person events.
“A hybrid event model combines a live in-person component with a virtual event hosted on a digital platform,” explained Taryn Westoby, Head of The Empire venue.
“Understanding the uncertainty that still lies ahead for the country under a possible new wave of Covid-19 infections, a hybrid event model is a very appealing proposition for brands and businesses looking to safely and effectively continue with their conference, trade show, business meeting and award events investments until unrestricted in-person events can resume again in the future.”
The launch of The Empire’s Digital Hybrid Event Studio follows the refurbishment of the outdoor Rooftop, Ballroom, and Cocktail Bar spaces.
“While The Empire is in a comfortable position to support socially-distanced gatherings, we’ve also seen that many organisations are in need of technically equipped spaces to effectively reach their remote online audiences who cannot attend in-person,” said Westoby.
The collaboration with Immersive – specialists in creative event-technology – ensures that The Empire’s Digital Hybrid Event Studio is technically equipped to the highest standard and supported with digital production expertise.
The Empire is hosting open days on 2 – 3 June 2021 where clients are invited to view the venue, as well as the new Digital Hybrid Events Studio.
Reed Exhibitions Africa Inclusion & Diversity: Inclusivity that is economic, emotional and empowering
When it comes to core principles, Reed Exhibitions Africa is not just an advocate of both inclusion and diversity (I&D) across all its divisions, but an active, results-oriented participant, said Martin Hiller, a member of the I&D committee at Reed Exhibitions Africa.
“Reed Exhibitions Africa has had a I&D committee, mission and mandate for some years now, based on an understanding that while diversity often focuses on differences in race, ethnicity, disability, religion and gender, among other things, inclusion is what ensures our employers and employees feel a sense of belonging and support from the company,” Hiller said.
“A vital area of inclusion in South Africa is previously disadvantaged individuals and communities, where we see economic inclusivity and opportunity,” he added, noting that the company is committed to mirroring the melting-pot diversity of the country.
In the exhibition and events industries, Hiller says support of diversity is not only an “in-house business imperative”, but a core ethic that is carried through in all the company’s messaging.
“With every show or function we promote, our messaging is by the diverse for the diverse. This is why we believe it’s so important to have people representative of every possible community sector working with us. How could we know the intricacies of diversity if we didn’t have people with first-hand knowledge sharing in our decision making?”
Hiller says the diversity at Reed Exhibitions Africa has strengthened the company culture over the years, and given it a reputation for working closely with groups such as LGBTQI+ and other often-marginalised organisations.
SABC News and Current Affairs launch #coverup safety campaign
The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) News & Current Affairs division has launched a #COVERUP campaign. This campaign comes amid the rise in Covid-19 infections and increasing fears of the third wave of the pandemic. It also coincides with the country’s second phase of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout programme.
The campaign’s primary objective is to create awareness and encourage citizens to continue adhering to non-pharmaceutical preventive measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The SABC’s editor-in-chief, Phathiswa Magopeni, said: “The recent increase in coronavirus infections is a concern not only to the citizens, but to all journalists in the country who have to face the invisible danger and continue to cover stories of various communities, putting their own lives at risk while delivering an essential service to the public. The concerns about the third wave are real, and as SABC News we deem it necessary to play our role in line with our mandate, by providing public education and the right information to promote responsible behaviour to contain the spread of COVID-19”.
In the next three weeks, SABC News will intensify its efforts through this campaign to promote the wearing of masks, hand sanitising and maintenance of good hygiene in all essential spaces. The #COVERUP campaign will be carried on SABC News and Current Affairs programming on radio, television and digital platforms. It will run in all 13 of SABC News’ broadcast languages.
SABC2 in search of the Coolest OG in the Land
SABC2 is partnering with Rebelintown Productions in a new, first of its kind, reality series,The Coolest OG’s, which will give 12 senior citizens a chance to compete for a R100 000 cash prize and the title of The Coolest OG.
The Coolest OG’s starts on Sunday 6 June 2021 at 18:30. An OG is someone who is incredibly exceptional, authentic and excellent in a classic way. Someone who is an expert in many facets of life and someone who has been around for a long time.
Featuring contestants from all walks of life, the series was shot across the country over 50 days and 50 nights, during the height of the global pandemic as the show captured the lives of 12 senior citizen from the ages of 60 to 80, confined in the safety of their own homes and exposed to fun and unusual challenges, ultimately on a quest to find THE COOLEST OG of them all.
In true reality format, the episodes are not scripted and the opinions expressed are not edited. The OGs are authentic. They are real. It is their lives. They are simply the coolest OGs.
The Coolest OGs is a uniquely produced reality voice over driven series, whereby the contestants will be judged by a panel of four, 20-year-old experts, comprising of Zipho Sithebe, a fashion expert and a student pilot, Sbu Makamedi a performance expert who is a SAFTA Golden Horn winner who also won best actor at the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy, Adon Domeyera passionate international music producer and engineer working with artists across the globe and Allison Greenlees a food expert who has been running a successful catering business since the age of 16.
“Our elders have so much to teach the youth and this show gives 12 of them a chance to share their story with the world. The series is not only informative and insightful but great fun for the viewers,” said director Bheki Ncube. “
Diary
There’s never been a better time to launch an ecommerce business in South Africa
According to Dr Alistair Mokoena, country director of Google South Africa, one of the key features of the Covid-19 pandemic is the migration of consumers from traditional to digital platforms.
“We’ve seen massive growth in search activity on the Internet, as well as a spike in the monetary value of online transactions,” he said. “This migration has played into the hands of online and omnichannel businesses. Those that do not have an online presence and those that have not invested in ecommerce capabilities have been found wanting, and their business models are under threat. More and more organisations are starting to accelerate the execution of their digital transformation strategies. For this reason, the time to launch an ecommerce business is now.”
One of the platforms supporting the launch and growth of ecommerce businesses in South Africa is Ecommerce.co.za, which will be hosting the inaugural Ecommerce Challenge on 30 June 2021. For one day only, 50 speakers will unpack the ins and outs of ecommerce, sharing their lessons, insights and how to navigate online retail in the South African environment.
To find out more about Ecommerce Challenge, the pitching competition, or to register for talks, visit www.ecommerce.co.za/challenge.
Why marketers should care about a cookieless world
User data concerns. Government privacy regulations. The end of marketing as we know it? Hardly.
Join the first in a series of webinars as we dive into the state of online identity today, and prepare you for success in the very near future.
- Date: 8 June 2021
- Time: 11am CET
- Register here.