The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Grid Worldwide delivers another game-changing African rebrand | The New Showmax
In a bold move to revolutionise streaming in Africa, MultiChoice has launched the new Showmax.
As a company that builds brands, Grid Worldwide has worked with MultiChoice over the past 18 months to deliver a Showmax product that is stronger at every touch point.
“Brand elevation is about curating an end-to-end solution that caters to customer needs, improves the user journey, enhances brand status, and ultimately builds business equity in a way that is meaningful and impactful,” said Xavier Marot, general manager at Grid and agency lead for the MultiChoice account.
The rebrand of Showmax is holistic in every sense and tailored for Africa in functionality and experience. The multi-million-Rand investment into the content offering, new products such as Premier League in your pocket, competitive price points, and strategic partnerships are a testament to the group’s ambition of scaling rapidly across the continent.
Showmax’s utilisation of best-in-class streaming technology has not only widened the product offering but compelled the brand update to be considered from a digital-first perspective. Grid integrated heavily into the streaming platform, ensuring that every element of the user interface enhanced the overall brand experience whether on mobile, laptop or television.
In addition, brand applications were reviewed for predominantly mobile users, as 60% of the African population access the internet via their mobile devices.
People moves
Sunshine Shibambo brings the advantage as integrated director at The Racket Club
The Racket Club, a full service experience-led agency based in Cape Town and Johannesburg, has appointed Sunshine Shibambo as its new integrated director, a position specially created for her unique expertise and leadership.
In this multifaceted role, Shibambo will spearhead the integration of creative and strategy, aligning the company’s thinking and executions.
Grant Pleming, founder and managing director of The Racket Club, expressed his enthusiasm for Shibambo joining the team: “Sunshine fits our culture with her entrepreneurial spirit and get it done mindset, having run her own agency Cheri Yase Kasi pre-Covid that held accounts with Distell, DSTV and SAB. Sunshine has kept her feet within the industry since then, working with numerous brands on creative, strategy, and execution. With her one foot heavily dipped in SA culture she’ll be there to make sure we are essentially impacting culture and not just following it.“
With almost two decades of experience, Sunshine boasts a solid and respectable footprint in the marketing and advertising industry, encompassing a diverse mix of clients and South Africa’s influencers, event managers, corporate brands, PR and media companies. Her career has been marked by a commitment to cultural impact, a key metric at The Racket Club.
Robbie Kruse announced as the host of kykNET’s new reality series Klein Paradys
Popular radio and TV presenter Robbie Kruse has been announced as the host of kykNET’s new original format reality series, Klein Paradys, set to air on the channel late 2024.
In Klein Paradys, six competing teams – each consisting of two individuals with an existing relationship – will renovate and style a micro-home in the hope of winning R1 million. The micro-homes transformed for the series must offer five-star accommodation to potential guests.
Kruse, who began his radio career at Tuks FM at the University of Pretoria, has been a presenter at several big radio stations, such as 5FM, Jacaranda FM and RSG. On TV, he was a long-time host of Bravo! on kykNET. Robbie is also a restaurant and pub owner, involved in property development, and continues to work as a MC.
As the host of Klein Paradys, he will be responsible to guide the audience and the contestants into the design adventure. His enthusiasm and go-getter personality will be with the duo’s every step of the way and help facilitate ratings ceremonies and judges’ critiques.
“When I was asked to be the host and heard what it was about, the decision to say yes was very easy. I love the concept, and it’s a privilege to work with the Afrokaans team, who produce the series,” says Kruse. “I enjoy optimising small spaces, like my wife and I’s rooftop bar in the middle of Pretoria – a spot that was previously unused but has a world-class view. This series will be a delightful challenge for the participants.”
Radio power duo continue successful relationship
Kagiso Media Radio (KMR) and Phil Dowse Media (PDM) have extended their successful partnership for an additional two years until the end of 2026.
This fruitful collaboration has consistently delivered remarkable results both on and off air for Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio, bringing listeners some of the most talked-about on-air promotions, rewarding talent and staff development initiatives, record-breaking ratings, and numerous industry accolades.
The long-standing relationship has enabled Phil Dowse Media to have a deep appreciation for, and gain profound insights into, the South African market.
Dowse has twice been named International Radio Consultant of the Year and works with many of the world’s top radio stations and media networks, including the number 1 Australian Network ARN, Europe’s NRJ, and the UK/European network Bauer Media. He has also worked with several of the USA’s major networks including The Walt Disney Company.
“Phil Dowse Media brings a wealth of international knowledge and experience to the South African marketplace, and we love being able to share, adapt, and utilise this expertise to deliver the best radio content to our listeners. Phil has been a real partner to our content teams, and they thrive on the cutting-edge information he brings them from around the world,” said Nick Grubb, KMR CEO.
APO Group appoints Laila Bastati as chief commercial officer
APO Group has announced the appointment of Laila Bastati as chief commercial officer.
Bastati has more than 15 years of experience in international business development, strategic partnerships and operations with a proven track record of building and managing cross-functional and geographically distributed teams.
This experience makes her perfectly suited to manage commercial operations and strategy for APO Group, which is the only truly Pan African communications consultancy. The company’s staff are spread across the continent providing deep knowledge and expertise of Africa’s diverse and complex media landscape to more than 300 clients.
APO Group’s unique model combines strategic Public Relations knowhow with the continent’s leading press release distribution service, providing clients with unparalleled Pan-African communications support. Bastati will be responsible for driving revenue and attracting new clients as APO Group looks to move to the next level of growth.
Business moves
Good Hope FM partners with ULTRA – the premier electronic dance festival on the continent
Good Hope FM, Cape Town’s Original, is proud to partner with ULTRA, the original and best premier electronic dance festival on the continent.
The festival, presented by Smirnoff Storm, is set to rock Cape Town to its foundations on Friday, 1 March 2024 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse.
ULTRA South Africa will feature global superstars Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Afrojack, W&W and Vintage Culture will be headlining the 2024 festival with Major League DJZ and Shimza as support acts.
South African original and hometown hero, Kyle Watson, as well as British DJ Melé, have joined the bill, with other smashing Mzansi legends, Dean Fuel, Mia and Timo ODV, performing on the main stage and Dwson, Fka Mash, Jamiie, Leighton Moody, B2B, Cassiem Latief and Roz performing on the RESISTANCE stage.
Following the record-breaking attendance in 2023, ULTRA South Africa 2024 promises to uphold the renowned ULTRA Worldwide standard, delivering top-tier electronic talent, cutting-edge technology, and grand-scale productions.
Good Hope FM’s Great Drive with Kyeezi will also be broadcasting live from the event, with tons of cool activities for fans to enjoy.
“Good Hope FM has always been home to the best in music and the biggest parties the Mother City has ever seen,” says Good Hope FM Programme Manager, Gerard Muller, “ULTRA is one of the biggest music highlights on the planet, featuring absolute banger sets by international acts, as well as the crème de la crème of SA’s very own originals. We are massively proud to be part of this – THE party in 2024 that you do not want to miss.”
Rogerwilco enhances digital Marketing through AI-based neuroscience product
Rogerwilco, an end-to-end digital customer experience (CX) agency, has added a cutting-edge AI-based predictive neuroscience tool to its suite of services to guarantee the biggest bang for advertising design buck. This innovative product, called Neurons, resold through a partnership with Ergon Consulting, marks a significant advancement in the field of digital marketing and creative asset optimisation.
Neurons is an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that predicts how audiences will respond to visual stimuli by analysing focus, cognitive demand, clarity, and engagement. By testing creative assets before they are launched, Rogerwilco can now predict how these assets will resonate with target audiences. This predictive capability allows the agency to select the most effective advertising imagery for campaigns, significantly reducing the need for traditional, budget-heavy test-and-learn A/B campaigns.
“Integrating Neurons into our workflow signifies a giant leap forward for Rogerwilco and our clients,” said Charlie Stewart, CEO of Rogerwilco. “By leveraging this technology, we can now ensure that our clients’ media budgets are utilised more efficiently, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of their campaigns.”
With the average person encountering between 4,000 to 10,000 adverts daily, the challenge is capturing attention, and ensuring memorability. About 90% of decision-making occurs subconsciously, influenced by shortcuts the brain develops over time. Neurons excels in predicting these subconscious responses, enabling marketers to design more effective campaigns.
Backed by over two decades of neuroscience research, the company boasts one of the world’s largest neuroscience databases, including data from over 170 000 individuals. This rich database provides deep insights into brain responses, eye tracking, behavioural patterns, and feedback.
MO Agency attains Elite HubSpot Partner Status, a first for the African continent
MO Agency has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Elite HubSpot Partner on the African continent, earning the highest ranking in the HubSpot Partnership Programme.
This achievement is a testament to years of dedication and a robust collaboration between MO Agency and HubSpot. Luke Marthinusen, the driving force behind MO Agency, and his exceptional team have showcased an unparalleled commitment to the HubSpot platform.
MO Agency’s expertise in enabling leading South African businesses like Mazda, Altron, iKhokha, EasyEquities, 4Racing, SAPRO, VAT IT, Peach Payments, Offerzen, and Life Healthcare to navigate and optimise CRM, software integrations and harness the power of customer data with a single source of truth.
“I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Luke Marthinusen and the entire MO Agency team for achieving the remarkable status of Elite HubSpot Partner. Your dedication to the HubSpot platform and commitment to helping clients achieve seamless software integrations have truly set you apart,” remarked Ilario Savi, partner development manager at HubSpot.
MO Agency’s achievement not only raises the bar for African excellence but also serves as an inspiration for businesses across the continent. The strong team culture at MO Agency, reminiscent of HubSpot’s own values, has contributed significantly to this milestone.
“We are grateful for the support and collaboration with HubSpot, and we are excited about the next steps in our journey. This achievement is a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication, as well as our incredible partnership with HubSpot,” said Marthinusen.
Salesforce’s Einstein copilot is here
Salesforce have today announced the public beta availability of Einstein Copilot, a new customisable, conversational, and generative AI assistant for CRM.
Unlike other AI assistants or copilots that lack adequate company data to generate useful responses, Einstein Copilot enables Salesforce customers to generate responses using their own private and trusted data, while maintaining strict data governance and without requiring expensive AI model training.
As a result, Einstein Copilot can answer questions, summarise content, create new content, interpret complex conversations, and dynamically automate tasks on behalf of a user, all from a single, consistent user experience embedded directly within Salesforce’s #1 AI CRM applications.
This is made possible by combining a conversational UI, a foundational large language model, and trusted company data that enables Salesforce users to tap into the power of generative AI and interact with their applications in entirely new ways.
“AI is the single most important moment in the history of our industry. It will deepen customer relationships, increase productivity and drive higher margins at every company,” said Marc Benioff, Chair & CEO, Salesforce. “Our new Einstein Copilot brings together an amazing intuitive interface for interacting with AI, world-class AI models and above all deep integration of the data and metadata needed to benefit from AI. Einstein Copilot is the only copilot with the ability to truly understand what is going with your customer relationships.”
Making moves
Less talk, more action! South African creatives are designing for social impact
Design is a powerful tool for change. As part of reshaping the industry’s paradigms, this year’s theme for Decorex Africa, the continent’s leading decor and design showcase, is Designing for Impact.
It marks a commitment to thinking beyond traditional boundaries and identifying the sweet spot that lies at the intersection of creativity, commercial viability and societal impact.
Decorex Cape Town (6 to 9 June 2024 at the CTICC) and Decorex Joburg (1 to 4 August 2024 at the Sandton Convention Centre) will be anchored by this theme. The shows will consider the societal and planetary impact of design, with particular focus on encouraging sustainable choices in exhibitors, and reducing waste. Every exhibitor will be given a sustainability audit when they sign up and the website will feature guidelines on making more sustainable decisions.
“We all need to step out of our comfort zones, and embrace innovative approaches that recognise the power of our collective impact,” says Bielle Bellingham, executive creative director of Decorex Africa.
“We need to make radical changes to our relationship with our home – the planet. We need to create sustainable solutions that are accessible and affordable to all, shaping a future where sustainability is not a privilege, but a universal reality. This year’s theme acknowledges that design is an attitude of resourcefulness and resilience, and should reflect a holistic, and robust approach to problem-solving for our country and continent. Are you with us?”
With designing for impact top of mind, it is encouraging to see how many South African creatives and collectives are, like Decorex Africa, stepping in and making changes. Many of the goals of accelerating the circular economy in Africa through design are discernible in Circular Squared – a Cape Town-based non-profit that champions circular economic thinking and urges aspiring entrepreneurs in manufacturing and retail to adopt regenerative practices.
SANEF to host media capture seminar
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) invites you to a seminar to introspect and discuss Media Capture: How Lobbyists and Propagandists Hijack the Opinion and Analysis sections in news media.
The seminar is organised in partnership with the Code for Africa. Code for Africa has conducted the research intended to give local media managers and development strategists a clearer understanding of exactly how newsrooms are subverted, while also offering pragmatic suggestions for how media defenders might improve their resilience to capture.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation will also conduct a separate dissemination session of the Know Your Rights Guides, a legal tool designed to equip journalists with a practical understanding of the laws on defamation and journalistic sources in South Africa
(see Understanding Defamation Laws in South Africa and Understanding laws on journalistic sources in South Africa)
- When: Tuesday, 7 March 2024
- Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay, Marine Dr, Summerstrand,
- Time: 8.30am – 3.30pm
The Savanna & Showmax Laugh Africa Comedy Festival 2024: And Still We Laugh
The Savanna & Showmax Laugh Africa Comedy Festival will take place from the 5th to the 7th of April 2024. This festival will transform the Sandton Convention Centre into a hub of laughter, with a stellar line-up headlined by the legendary comedian Eddie Griffin.
Attendees will enjoy a three-day laughter-filled journey with over 50 local and international comedians across three stages – where they will enjoy comedy in English, SeTswana, SePedi, IsiZulu and Afrikaans. The festival line-up showcases a perfect blend of familiar faces and fresh talent, including local favourites like Tumi Morake, Alfred Adriaan, Mashabela, and Chris Mapane, alongside social media comedy content creators.
Laugh Africa introduced the innovative ‘Just One Ticket’ concept, making the festival accessible to every comedy lover. It offers access to all shows on their ticketed day, with prices ranging from R340 for general access to R7 500 for a VIP experience.
Enjoy Black Action Month on Movie Room this March
Movie Room is celebrating Black Action month this March starring Denzel Washington. Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, producer and director. In a career spanning over four decades, Washington has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and two Silver Bears.
Enjoy this thrilling Black Action Month movie line-up, with some classics featuring the talented thespian Denzel Washington Jr. Cosy-up with the family and end the week with these exhilarating weekly blockbusters on Movie Room, on DStv channel 113.
Movie Room has got you covered for some couch time with 24-hour entertainment and Action Sundays as part of the Denzel Washington marathon with riveting blockbusters such as 2Guns; Devil in a Blue Dress; and Roman J.Israel,ESQ.
