The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Find Your Freedom campaign unlocks R147-million and 755 jobs for Cape Town’s tourism sector
Cape Town Tourism’s international campaign, Find Your Freedom, has played a significant role in saving Cape Town’s tourism industry from the adverse effects of the global pandemic. The campaign’s innovative, award-winning, and first-of-its-kind immersive travel experience has generated an impressive R147 million in direct and indirect expenditure and created approximately 755 employment opportunities.
Considering arrivals at Cape Town International Airport, just over 370 000 international visitors were welcomed between January and March 2023, with March boasting a 105% recovery rate when compared to the same period in 2019. Additionally, the Mother City welcomed close to 800 000 domestic visitors over that same period, recording a 75% recovery in March.
Leigh Dawber, chief marketing officer at Cape Town Tourism, the City of Cape Town’s official destination marketing and destination management organisation, says the campaign aimed to harness a choice-driven experience to strongly and aggressively drive tourism to the Mother City. “The results of our Find Your Freedom experience far exceeded what we ever expected. The gamified interface resonated with millennials and brought over 5 000 international bookings through Expedia in a very short period, generating close to R50 million in direct expenditure”.
The Find Your Freedom campaign’s remarkable success also contributed to the city’s accommodation recovery story. Average occupancy in February was 85%, compared to 78% in February 2019, and average room rates increased to R2 567 in February this year, up from R2 026 in 2019. That’s a phenomenal recovery compared to the Covid-19 period, where room occupancy rates fell right down. Dawber states that the campaign was successful in attracting countless visitors to the Mother City and created 248 direct employment opportunities when many were in economic turmoil following the chaos caused by Covid-19.
The creative experience earned Cape Town Tourism numerous global awards, from the Destination Industry Award at the International 2022 ‘X. Awards’ to the title of ‘Most Viral Campaign’ at the Supersonic New Generation Awards, and also being recognised at the City Nation Place Awards with the highest commendation in the category of Best Communication Strategy for Tourism globally.
Dawber adds that by pushing the right buttons at the right time, Cape Town Tourism was able to reignite travel to Cape Town just in time for high season. “We needed to be innovative in our approach to grab the interest of those wanting to travel. Find Your Freedom has proven to be our most important, most immersive and most successful travel experience to date. But what added to this success was our brand collaborations and smart partnerships. By collaborating with TikTok, Expedia and exciting GoPro content creators, we managed to transform the way the Mother City is marketed and showed how innovative partnerships can help revive a tourism industry that was rocked by the pandemic”.
People moves
Wavemaker appoints Tammy Wilson-Schultz as new chief strategy officer
The South African division of international media house Wavemaker has appointed a new chief strategy officer, Tammy Wilson-Schultz. Wilson-Schultz joined Wavemaker in November 2021 as a business unit director and assumed her new position on 1 May 2023.
In her former role, Wilson-Schultz was responsible for managing Wavemaker’s prestigious Tiger Brands account. This position required strong team management and client leadership capabilities, as well as exceptional strategic and innovative thinking skills, and acute financial acumen. It was her impressive management of this account, combined with her strategic abilities and her way with people, that ultimately led to her promotion.
As her impressive CV shows, Wilson-Schultz is passionate about media and has dedicated most of her career to date to enhancing her digital media and strategy knowledge and skills.
Zareef Minty announced as CEO of Afribiz Media
Zareef Minty’s appointment as the CEO of Afribiz Media is a significant development in the media industry in Africa. Minty, who is a Forbes Africa 30 under 30 list maker, is a young and dynamic entrepreneur with a wealth of experience in the media and marketing industry.
At the age of just 29, Minty has already made a name for himself in the business world.
Minty’s vision for Afribiz Media is to create a world-class media conglomerate that will change the global narrative about Africa. He believes that the company has what it takes to become Africa’s first unicorn company, a start-up that is valued at over $1 billion.
“Imagine having a world class media conglomerate in Africa that is thriving and changing the global narrative. Imagine that conglomerate is led by young people. Imagine that conglomerate becoming Africa’s first unicorn company. You don’t have to imagine anymore, I would like to introduce you to Afribiz Media,” said Minty
One of the key strategies that Minty plans to implement is to disrupt the marketing and public relations space by offering world-class services to all clients. The company will offer a range of media services, including social media management, PR, marketing, branding, features, SEO, and more.
The company has already received endorsements from global leaders and stars such as Akon and Jordan Belfort, who is known for the movie The Wolf of Wall-street. These endorsements are a testament to the quality of the services that Afribiz Media plans to offer.
Lay’s Launches No Lay’s, No Game with local football legend Lucas Radebe
Watching football with your friends is good, but watching football with friends and Lay’s is even better.
Football is more than just a sport for South Africans, it’s part of our DNA, our culture, and the fabric of our society. Therefore, as we count down to the UEFA Champions League 2022/ 2023 finals, Lay’s South Africa brought South African Football legend, Lucas Radebe, to the doorsteps of the country’s most dedicated football fans. As part of these surprise visits, he announced the No Lay’s No Game platform.
“Lays Is the everyday premium chips brand with the vision to democratise joy, filling the world with joyful moments and being part of those moments that matter — so much so, that our chips have become synonymous with the enjoyment of watching a game. With club football’s most epic competition with the best players and fans in the world coming up, they ought to have the #1 chips brand in the world, which is why Lay’s chips are the official snack for the UEFA Champions League,” said Giulia Iorio-Ndlovu, senior marketing director at PepsiCo South Africa.
INMA elects 10 top media executives to Board of Directors
Members of the International News Media Association (INMA) elected 10 new executives to its governing Board of Directors during the non-profit organisation’s annual business meeting on Wednesday. The new INMA Board terms begin 1 June.
Executives elected to new board terms are:
- Marcelo Benez, executive commercial director, Folha de S.Paulo, Brazil
- David Dinsmore, executive vice president, chief operating officer, group operations and platforms, News UK, United Kingdom
- Carsten Erdmann, editor-in-chief, digital products, Funke Media, Germany
- Frederic Kachar, chief executive officer, Infoglobo, Brazil
- Frank Mahlberg, managing director, BILD and B.Z., Axel Springer, Germany
- Mapula Nkosi, managing editor, City Press/Media 24, South Africa
- Gerold Riedmann, managing director and editor, Russmedia, Austria
- Pam Siddall, co-president, Advance Local, United States
Business moves
Outdoor Network Launches Its first rotating digital billboard in East London
Outdoor Network, part of the Provantage group of companies and a leader in the digital and static billboard advertising market, has installed their 19th digital rotator in Beacon Bay, Eastern Cape. The 3×6 rotator is the first of its kind in the region, and stands tall over Old Transkei Road, between Putney Avenue and Beaconhurst Drive, East London – a primary arterial route with high traffic volumes. This location makes the rotator perfectly positioned for advertisers looking to reach targeted audiences as Outdoor Network continues to strengthen its national foothold across key metros and urban areas.
Outdoor Network’s rotating billboards are the first of their kind, built using technology that enables them to rotate twice a day to achieve optimal reach during peak traffic times in the morning and afternoon. This unique feature is exclusively provided by Outdoor Network, yielding double the exposure for advertisers and delivering wider-reaching brand impressions.
SlikourOnLife empowers South African creatives through new fintech solutions
SlikourOnLife, the South African Hip Hop and culture magazine turned content and influencer agency, is now be offering fintech solutions dedicated to empowering the country’s creative community. With a focus on artists, musicians, entrepreneurs and creative enthusiasts with a passion for supporting the culture, SlikourOnLife will provide innovative financial solutions and tools to nurture these creators’ careers.
SlikourOnLife introduces two cutting-edge platforms: SOLDistro and SOLWallet. SOLDistro, an online music distribution platform, enables artists to effortlessly release their songs on all major streaming platforms and stores, with unlimited free music uploads. While also introducing an artist investment fund overseen by Prowess, a fund management company managing over 10 billion rands of investor money.This platform also offers promotional and financial tools to help artists build their careers while taking only a modest royalty fee.
Complementing SOLDistro is SOLWallet, an advanced transaction platform tailored to the needs of African creatives. Artists using international DIY distribution platforms who get paid their royalties through global fintech companies normally decide to forfeit their fees because of the tedious process to be onboarded that aren’t built to accommodate the locals. On the SOL Wallet users can add their bank cards, request a SOL Wallet virtual Mastercard with 0 transaction fees on POS platforms, facilitating secure sending and receiving of mobile payments.
Members will also enjoy exclusive rewards and discounts, with plans to provide creator loans against PO’s and royalties for creatives working with agencies or musicians with a revenue track record from their streams in the near future.
CineCentre unlocks a premium, rewarding experience for movie-goers
“CineCentre and thrill” could be far more rewarding then “Netflix and chill”. That’s the word from AB Moosa, CEO of Avalon Group/CineCentre Cinemas, a right-for-the-times entertainment offering for the post-Covid consumer who is looking for a fun time out while getting rewarded at the same time.
The company has been involved in the South African cinema and entertainment scene for more than 80 years. In this time, it has consistently brought many firsts to the South African cinema market, including ‘Budget Tuesday’ discounted movie prices and luxury cinema seating, to name a few.
The latest innovation is for movie-goers to get various discount rewards – valued up to R360 – for every qualifying purchase – whether a movie, refreshments or both. This means cinemagoers get multiple times more in rewards than what they’ve purchased. Rewards can be redeemed at a range of lifestyle businesses, including fast food chains, a grocery retailer, a mobile data provider, a variety of spas, domestic airlines, an intercity bus service and family entertainment venues. For every qualifying purchase, customers can choose from four reward categories. There is no membership or subscription fee required.
Making moves
WOO Global Congress in Lisbon to highlight sustainability
Sustainability will be one of the top items on the agenda at the World Out of Home Organization Global Congress in Lisbon from7-9 June.
WOO has just announced a Sustainability Task Force led by blowUp Media CEO Katrin Robertson and she will be one of a heavyweight panel discussing the subject in Lisbon on the second day of Congress.
Joining her on the panel moderated by dentsu head of out of home Ben Milne, will be Adam Green, senior vice president and general manager of Broadsign Reach, Judd Guthmiller, vice president International Daktronics, Clear Channel UK CMO Martin Corke and Stephanie Scheller (co-founder OMG Momentum, driving sustainability transformation in media and marketing)
WOO president Tom Goddard said: “Sustainability is arguably the major issue for the world’s big companies right now. But they’re grappling with sustainability in manufacturing and the supply chain so the task of reducing advertising emissions falls increasingly on media owners and customers, including tech suppliers and agencies.”
Google Expands Flood Alerts to 80 Countries, Including 8 New Countries in Africa; 23 Countries now covered in Africa
Google has announced the expansion of its Flood Hub platform to cover 80 countries worldwide, including the addition of eight new countries in Africa. To date, 23 African countries are on the Flood Hub. This expansion comes as part of AI-enabled efforts to address the devastating impacts of floods and provide critical support to vulnerable communities. The Flood Hub platform now offers forecasts up to 7 days in advance, benefitting a population of 460 million people globally. This expansion extends the reach of Flood Hub’s valuable services to countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan and Thailand.
The Flood Hub platform has been available in several African countries prior to this expansion, including Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, South Africa, and now, with the expansion, it encompasses 60 additional countries. These new countries include Burundi, Eswatini, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. The inclusion of these countries ensures that a broader range of African communities facing high flood risk and extreme weather conditions can benefit from Flood Hub’s accurate and timely flood forecasting services.
Hold the phone! Jacaranda Day captured by the Huawei p60 pro is back with more music you love
Two major brands, HUAWEI and Jacaranda FM, announced their collaboration for one of the most popular entertainment events on the music festival calendar – Jacaranda Day 2023.
Jacaranda Day captured by HUAWEI P60 Pro will take place at Idle Wild Country Estate, Centurion, Saturday, 12 August 2023 and tickets are available from www.jacarandafm.com. Adult tickets will cost R250pp, children under 13 may enter for R150pp, and family groups (2 x adults and 2 x children) will cost R700 per family to attend.
“What an event to look forward to! Collaboration and not mere sponsorship is what we’ve come to expect from prominent industry players. A powerhouse communications technology brand like HUAWEI collaborating with a radio station as beloved as Jacaranda FM, is going to set the barometer for family-friendly music events in Gauteng. Wait till you see the line-up!” said Deirdre King, managing director of Jacaranda FM.
- Refentse
- Goodluck
- Matthew Mole
- Mafikizolo
- Demi Lee
- Martin Bester
- DJ Kent
- Rob Forbes
- Early B
- Prime Circle
- Karlien Van Jaarsveld
Diary
Rogerwilco launches 2023 Township CX Report
Digital marketing agency Rogerwilco invites all media to attend a live webinar launching the latest edition of its Township CX (Customer Experience) Report for 2023, developed in conjunction with Survey54.
Now in its third year, the report reveals that despite challenges such as load shedding, high unemployment and rising food prices, the township economy is showing resilience and innovation.
A quarter of South Africa’s population lives in townships – almost 12 million people – who account for billions of rands in spending power. The Township CX Report polled more than 1 000 individuals living in townships across the country to understand their perceptions on spending, saving and the brands that resonate with them.
A panel of experts will unpack some of the trends driving this thriving market including how township residents earn money, where they spend it, who they trust and why.
Date: 7 June 2023 l Time: 10H00 l Place: Online webinar
Speakers include:
- Mongezi Mtati: Marketing Manager, Rogerwilco
- Stephan Eyeson: CEO & Co-Founder, Survey54
- Brian Makwaiba: CEO, Vuleka
- Sanele Gaqa: Director, SupplyPal
- Thabo Manenje: Brand Manager, Bathu
- Jessica Boonstra: CEO & Founder, Yebo Fresh
Please sign up for the webinar here
If you can’t get to Cannes Lions, Cannes Lions will come to you… hosted by Ster-Kinekor
The 70th edition of the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity takes place in Cannes, France, from 19 – 23 June this year. This much anticipated and globally celebrated festival is recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the creative industry but, like the Academy Awards, not everyone gets invited!As in previous years, Ster-Kinekor and an expert industry panel including some of this year’s Cannes jury members, will share highlights of their personal Cannes experiences, discuss current and future trends emerging from the festival that got their creative juices flowing, and showcase some of the award-winning work across the categories they are judging.
The two official Cannes Lions Wrap-Up events take place from 10:00 – 12:30 on 12 July at Ster-Kinekor Mall of Africa (Midrand) and 14 July at the Ster-Kinekor V&A Waterfront cinema complex in Cape Town. Tickets are R100 per person, with all proceeds going back into the creative industry to support various deserving projects.
These speakers have been confirmed for the official post-Cannes Lions Wrap-Up events, hosted by Ster-Kinekor:
- Sylvester Chauke – founder & chief architect: DNA Brand Architects (and ‘trendspotter’ at the Cannes Lions Festival)
- Loyiso Twala, chief creative officer of McCann Worldgroup (Print & Publishing Lions Jury)
- Clare Trafankowska, managing director of iProspect SA, dentsu (Media Shortlisting Jury)
- Jeana Theron-Khoury – director, Darling Films (Film Craft Lions Jury)
- Cannes Young Lions Winners – SA:
- Raphael Kuppasamy – Joe Public
- Bernice Mosala – Joe Public
“As the official Cannes Lions Festival representative for the South African market, we are delighted once again to be bringing the insights, trends, learnings and winning campaigns direct from the stages of Cannes to our cinemas, for the benefit of the local industry,” said Lynne Wylie, chief marketing officer of Ster-Kinekor.
Bookings for the two official Cannes Lions Wrap-Up events on 12 July in Johannesburg and 14 July in Cape Town are now open. Book your tickets at www.sterkinekor.com or download the SK App on your smartphone.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Conference
The AfCFTA Conference will present the Agreement, the opportunities it creates, the anticipated economic benefits, and potential pitfalls.
The Conference will also examine opportunities for women, young entrepreneurs, and small and medium enterprises. It will also explore ways to expand intra-African commerce and to craft the trade rules and regulations needed to make the AfCFTA work for key industries and business owners. Finally, the event will provide stakeholders with the information they need to access new markets and expand intra-African trade.
In addition, the conference will provide a platform for professionals to debate how South Africa’s exporters can leverage the AfCFTA and utilise it as an instrument for economic growth. We look forward to you joining our speaker panel and share your experience and insights.
Click here to book.
