The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: South Africa’s first interactive Livestream mall is launched
The Macmillan dictionary describes Shoppertainment as “an approach to retail marketing that combines shopping and entertainment”.
This is a brave new world where retailers aren’t just in the business of trying to sell stuff – they are also in show business needing to capture people’s attention and even more challenging, to keep it.
Last week saw the soft launch of liveshopping.co.za, pioneering Shoppertainment in South Africa as the first interactive, livestream mall.
Headed up by serial tech entrepreneur, Joy Des Fountain, the dynamic South African woman behind global tech brands twodots and myFanPark.
“LiveShopping.co.za is a combination of elements we have witnessed and researched over the last two years and how it has developed into an important tool for brands to reach and engage with existing and new customers in China. It has steadily moved across the globe and we believe that South Africa is ready for it. Further to this, we continue to hear from brands how the use of social media marketing is becoming more expensive and in many cases, less effective.” explains Des Fontein.
“The communities are there, brands have invested substantial money in digital marketing to build these. LiveShopping.co.za now provides a low-risk way of interacting, entertaining and transacting with these communities. We also have long-standing relationships with creators who are niche experts. This is the perfect opportunity for creators to host their own live shows, where everything they talk about is shoppable in video.”
LiveShopping.co.za is focused on interaction and entertainment first, with commerce as a by-product of positive interaction. Creating content that is entertaining helps brands and creators build authentic relationships with their audiences and helps customers better understand the products that they are buying.
Nick Dreyer, co-founder and CEO of the iconic South African company, Veldskoen Shoes, was the first to go live on LiveShopping.co.za. “I am so proud to have been the very first live stream shoppertainment show on the continent of Africa. What a thing to achieve, and it feels like we are part of the future. We are so grateful as Veldskoen Shoes to be part of this incredible movement, not just as a business but as part of the online experience on our continent.”
Another superb addition to the LiveShopping.co.za platform is South African actress, television star, businesswoman, socialite, wife and Mom, Mpumi Mophatlane. “I have had the pleasure of building a large online community and working with many brands. Teaming up with LiveShopping.co.za now means I can take this even further by interacting, sharing and shopping on my live shopping show and I cannot wait.”
People moves
IdeateLabs expands senior leadership team
IdeateLabs, one of India’s largest independent digital-first marketing solutions providers, gets on board Raman Minhas as the chief creative officer and Megha Ahuja as executive vice president – client solutions. They will work from the Mumbai office and report to Vrutika Dawda, director at IdeateLabs.
Business moves
FEDHASA and MultiChoice SA have partnered for hospitality
FEDHASA and MultiChoice SA have partnered to offer the beleaguered hospitality sector, which was greatly disadvantaged during the pandemic, affordable video entertainment for their guests.
The deal sees paid-up FEDHASA members benefiting from DStv Business subscription discounts depending on the type and number of active subscriptions in their account and the contract term they sign up for 12- to 24 months. The subscription-only bundle is for the DStv Business segment and targets selected businesses.
Said Rosemary Anderson, FEDHASA chairperson: “FEDHASA is delighted to have partnered with MultiChoice SA to deliver this important cost-saving benefit to our members. The hospitality sector was one of the most affected by Covid regulations and we are still clawing back our recovery as we begin our first peak summer season since the pandemic began.”
The special DStv Business subscription contract for FEDHASA members is an extension of their support for the hospitality sector, says Anderson.
“MultiChoice SA is pleased to have joined forces with FEDHASA to support the hospitality industry, considering the severe impact to these businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. As DStv Business we pride ourselves on putting our customers first and this initiative allows us to play a part in revival of the industry.” said Rochelle Knock, executive head of product and base management at MultiChoice South Africa.
Epic Outdoor to unveil a solar-powered mega-format DOOH screen on Johannesburg’s N1 Highway in early 2023
Epic Outdoor, a niche media company specialising in the development and marketing of large-format, high-impact static and digital out of home (DOOH) platforms, has announced a new digital billboard site on the N1 highway. The property was specifically designed to accept advertising and at 400m2 the international-standard LED will be the largest roadside LED in South Africa, by far.
That’s bigger than two tennis courts!
While the concept is similar to screens in London, New York and Dubai, those billboards target pedestrians predominantly. This is a massive roadside digital LED, on a bespoke building that has a run up of more than 800m. It will be impossible to miss.
All the traditional OOH metrics are amplified by the combination of the size and positioning of this screen. “It all adds up to a site with incredible impact. The site ticks every single box, it’s unique in the South African context,” said Rene Hedley, director of Epic Outdoor.
DStv expands BBC Studios’ channel portfolio with the launch of the sixth BBC channel, BBC UKTV
BBC UKTV (DStv channel 134) will launch on DStv Family, DStv Access and DStv Easy View from Thursday 15 December 2022, offering more DStv viewers access to a variety of entertainment, natural history series, soaps, and children’s shows from BBC Studios’ award-winning catalogue.
BBC Studios’ sixth channel on DStv will be scheduled to match the viewing habits of families in South Africa with a range of genres for all ages to enjoy.
The launch of BBC UKTV joins BBC Studios’ existing channel offering on DStv including BBC Earth, BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle, CBeebies and BBC World News.
BBC Studios’ existing suite of channels will continue to offer first-run of brand-new premium programming such as Strictly Come Dancing, Frozen Planet II and fresh local shows such as Come Dine With Me South Africa and Homegrown Tastes South Africa.
“We have strengthened our partnerships, which has in turn strengthened our content offering, therefore, we are extremely excited to introduce BBC UKTV to our viewers. As Africa’s most loved storyteller, we are always looking to offer top entertainment to our DStv customers and the launch of this channel aims to do just that,” said Georginah Machiridza, executive head of general entertainment channels at MultiChoice Group.
SAIPA appoints Tribeca PR as its communication partner
The South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA), a digitally transformed professional accountancy organisation (PAO) in South Africa, has appointed Tribeca Public Relations as its PR and communications partner.
Tribeca will support SAIPA with external and internal communications including but not limited to media relations, stakeholder engagement, content and digital strategy development to grow the company’s online presence and engagement, as well as crisis management should the need arise.
With over 15 000 members and 40 years in the profession, SAIPA represents qualified accountancy and finance professionals including accountants and tax practitioners in practice, commerce and industry, academia and the public sector.
“Tribeca has the relevant experience and a passionate team to support SAIPA with an effective always-on PR and communications strategy,” said Kelly Mossop, account director at Tribeca Public Relations. “We hit the ground running following the procurement process and, aside from working extremely well with the SAIPA marketing and executive team, we believe that the Institute’s services and member support has a positive impact on society.”
Disney+ arrives on Playstation5 consoles
Disney+, the streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, has made the streaming app available on PlayStation 5 consoles from beginning 6 December 2022 in South Africa.
With over 1000 films, more than 1500 series and a slate of 200 exclusive Originals from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more, Disney+ offers fans the greatest stories, all in one place, and the next few months are set to be full of entertainment.
This December is no different and PS5 fans can embrace the festive season with a streaming stocking stuffed with viewing pleasures! December on Disney+ means more than just classic Christmas movies (although there are lots of those too!), with blockbusters like Amsterdam landing this month, new episodes of Willow, The Santa Clauses and American Horror Story there is enough to keep the entire family entertained.
Mastercard and PayFast support SMEs
For the second consecutive year, Mastercard and PayFast have partnered to support SMEs, driving online transactions that offer a convenient and secure way to pay. Running from 14 November until 19 December 2022, the Priceless campaign will see 75 lucky winners walk away with R10000 each when paying using their Mastercard card and checking out through PayFasts online interface.
“We’re excited to partner with Mastercard for a second time to shine a light on South African e-commerce stores and promote local entrepreneurs. This year the campaign aligns with the busy retail season that kicked off before Black Friday and runs up until the end of the year. This gives small businesses, many of whom may not be able to afford big discounts or deals, the opportunity to still participate in driving much-needed sales by promoting the cash prizes that are up for grabs to their customers through the campaign,” said Colleen Harrison, head of arketing at PayFast.
Making moves
MRF implements audit result into latest MAPS
After a successful audit of the Marketing Research Foundation’s (MRF) Marketing All Product Survey (MAPS) underlying processes, procedures, and protocols, the implementation of the audit recommendations is well underway.
Although the MRF had hoped to release the latest MAPS data covering the July 2021 to June 2022 fieldwork period, towards the end of November, it was decided to prioritise the implementation of the auditors’ recommendations to further improve the stability and reliability of MAPS. This involves adjusting how the sample data is weighted to more accurately reflect population figures.
“Arriving at an ideal weighting framework is a highly technical and iterative process that requires time and accuracy,” said MRF’s CEO, Johann Koster.
The audit showed that past MAPS releases achieved weighting efficiencies of approximately 71%, which is acceptable by international standards, however, the adjustments being made will improve that to 75%; this means more stable and reliable data. It is extremely important to the MRF that released data to agencies and marketers is of the highest quality and integrity. “We firmly believe that the extra time and effort that we put in now to achieve these higher data efficiencies is well worth it,” confirmed Koster.
The MRF is aiming to release the data for the July 2021 to June 2022 fieldwork period in January 2023, coinciding with the industry return from a well-deserved festive season break and in time for marketing budgets. The exact date will be confirmed and communicated to the industry as soon as possible.
SABC Video entertainment will launch a Festive pop-up channel
SABC Video entertainment has launched a festive pop-up channel available, until the 8 January 2023 on www.sabcplus.com.
The channel is urban youth-focused, rooted in modern South African pop culture, offering content that speaks to the youthful African generation and celebrates Festive lifestyle and general current trends.
Also on the platform is The Pop Profiles series, which started on 6 December at 10 pm. The series tells the stories of pop stars, from their earliest performances through breakthrough singles to world domination. The show features stars such as Lady Gaga, Allen, Pink, Snoop Dog, Eminem, and Britney Spears.
The Festive Pop-Up Channel will also present the Biggest Weekend With Sam Smith, Katy Perry World Tour, Billie Eilish Glastonbury Festival, Jorja Smith with her live performance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2019, Ed Sheeran Live at iTunes Festival and Janelle Monae Glastonbury 2019 Festival.
Loop Digital app launches in South Africa and introduces JayEm band
The Loop NFT digital platform has launched in South Africa and introduced its first local talent Jay Em Band. This launch showcased Loop’s metaverse space in Decentraland and highlighted the label’s ability to transition artists seamlessly between the physical and virtual worlds. Artists perform in real life (RL) and simultaneously as their avatars in the metaverse and musicians and technicians who worked on the album are given access to the Loop Decentraland and Discord spaces.
This was a first-of-its-kind event for the music industry in South Africa.
“How we access and consume music is evolving rapidly,” says Andreas Kyriacou, chief technical officer of Feel My Flo, “and the Loop x Jay Em NFT Project is going to change how we do that dramatically.”
The project brings together two of the most exciting technological developments to emerge in recent years, the decentralised power of Web 3.0 (also known as Web3) and NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Used together, they are about to change the way music lovers experience and engage with the artists and tracks they love the best.
