This week’s media moves. Ogilvy & Mather SA appoints Chris Gotz as chief creative officer. Poppy Evans joins COSMO as new fashion director. Kelly Butler joins FOX International as SVP of Fox Sports Europe and Africa. FAIRLADY announces new beauty editor. DMMA draws Mxit into digital fold. Livewired Public Relations wins The Menlyn boutique hotel. Tuned-In Publicity gets some Clout. OMG! New media group creates a one-stop digital hub.
Who’s moved where
Ogilvy & Mather SA appoints Chris Gotz as chief creative officer
Ogilvy & Mather South Africa (O&M SA) has appointed Chris Gotz, the executive creative director of Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town (O&M CT) to the role of chief creative officer of the group.
“I am excited to tackle this new role and hope to take the work across the group to even greater heights,” says Gotz. “While this is great for me personally, I really never could have made it this far without all the amazing work from the teams I have worked with in Cape Town over the years. There is so much talent in this business, and where there is talent anything is possible.”
O&M SA CEO Abey Mokgwatsane says Gotz is “an important voice in our industry and in our company. He has done us proud in his tenure as the chairperson of the Creative Circle, the representative forum for South African creatives, and we salute him for flying our flag as a creative leader. His role will be to add further vision and purpose to our creative output and to drive integration and digital fluency for the benefit of our company, our clients and their brands.
Gotz will work closely with Neo Mashigo and Mariana O’Kelly, the joint Executive Creative Director’s at Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg, as well as across the O&M SA group, infusing teams with his creative energy and flair.”
Poppy Evans joins COSMO as new fashion director
Poppy Evans has been appointed as the new fashion director of COSMOPOLITAN South Africa. One of the youngest fashion experts in the country, Evans has taken over the reins from Robynne Kahn and will be in charge of directing the development of COSMO’s fashion policy as well as reaffirming its position as a fashion authority in South Africa.
“We are very proud to welcome Poppy to the COSMO team,’ says Cathy Lund, editor of COSMOPOLITAN. ‘We have very exciting plans for 2014 and Poppy will be a key player in helping us to grow the COSMO brand in print, digital and through events.
Evans has served on a number of South African fashion panels, including the AFI Fashion Week designer selection panel, and is sure to impart her knowledge and experience of the industry. “Joining COSMO marks a new era for me,” says Evans. I am looking forward to getting to know the COSMO reader and everything that 2014 has in store for her.
Kelly Butler joins FOX International as SVP of Fox Sports Europe and Africa
FOX International Channels Europe and Africa has announced the appointment of Kelly Butler as SVP FOX Sports Europe & Africa. The former CEO of Setanta Africa joins FIC Europe & Africa’s executive staff following the company’s acquisition of Setanta Africa, which was approved by the Irish Competition Authority on 6 November 2013.
With years of experience in satellite, cable, broadcast television and new media, Butler, who will be based in London, brings a wealth of knowledge to FIC’s sports programming activities. She counts successful launches of sports TV networks in the US, Asia, United Kingdom and Africa among her main achievements. For the last 12 years, she has worked in different posts at Setanta Sports, most recently as the CEO, shareholder and director of Setanta Africa, the sports channel bouquet broadcast to over one million homes throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and recently acquired by FIC.
FAIRLADY announces new beauty editor
FAIRLADY has announced that Kelli Clifton has accepted the position of beauty editor.
“In her three years in our beauty department, Kelli has demonstrated both an excellent work ethic and a deep passion for the beauty business,” says FAIRLADY editor, Suzy Brokensha. “As de facto FAIRLADY beauty editor for the past eight months, Kelli has shown herself to be a gifted stylist and an informed and committed member of the team – in other words, she has shown that she is more than capable of filling the demanding portfolio of FAIRLADY beauty editor.We are very happy that she will be taking on the position!”
Who’s won what
DMMA draws Mxit into digital fold
Mxit, the mobile social network with a user base of approximately 6.5 million monthly active users in South Africa, has joined the Digital Media and Marketing Association (DMMA). The move not only allows the mobile giant to have the weight of the official industry body behind it – it will also enable the DMMA to gain access to audience data for mobile users.
Mobile is currently under-reported by the DMMA’s official measurement provider, Effective Measure (EM), as there are a number of challenges with gathering data across these devices – particularly feature phones. With Mxit coming on board, the DMMA is now able to incorporate more mobile data in its reporting. Mxit functions on over 8 000 different mobile devices, and a mechanism is being developed that will allow the DMMA audience survey to appear on cellphones that have the mobile network. Data gathered from these surveys will then be weighted against the AMPS universe to provide a realistic audience picture, and Mxit apps will also appear on the EM leader boards.
Livewired Public Relations wins The Menlyn boutique hotel
Livewired Public Relations has announced that The Menlyn Boutique Hotel, a 5-star Pretoria development, has appointed them as their PR agency of choice. “We are excited to be on board with The Menlyn Boutique Hotel,” says Lucinda Boddy, managing director of Livewired PR. “We aim to open up their channels of communication to their target markets, exceed all their communication objectives as well as grow their profile within the market”.
Livewired has successfully positioned companies in the FMCG, pharmaceutical, travel, property, construction, engineering, motoring, NGO and leisure industries, as experts and leaders in their respective fields.
Tuned-In Publicity gets some Clout
Tuned In Publicity will be working with Cindy Alter, former front lady of ‘70s super-group Clout. The Johannesburg-based entertainment PR business will handle strategic public relations and will also be managing a number of projects including a new solo single and album release set hit the market in March 2014.
Clout sold in the region of 12 million albums and is best known for their smash hit ‘Substitute’, which was number one in 10 countries globally and made the number two spot in Britain. The band disbanded in the early ‘80s and had a brief reunion and tour in 2004. Since then, Cindy has been a part of a number of bands including Zia and most recently country pop act Alter Irving with ex-Ballyhoo member Stewart Irving.
Who’s making moves
OMG! New media group creates a one-stop digital hub
Three South African digital companies have combined forces to help Africa’s media businesses make money from online and mobile publishing, and create better ROI for advertisers.
Ole! Media Group, which formed in September this year, sees the coming together of complementary businesses to meet the ever-increasing need for media companies to monetise their content online: TEAMtalk media, creator of one of Africa’s largest digital content hubs, with a focus on sports and entertainment content syndication and custom publishing; MobiMedia, mobile content and engagement marketing specialists, and AddSwitch, a provider of holistic digital advertising strategies and solutions.
Combined, OMG presents a unique offering that is forging notable digital inroads on the African continent. Recently invited to share this insight at the African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) in Addis Ababa, Tim Legg, Group CEO and co-founder of OMG, says, “It has become almost an accepted truth that digital media houses don’t or can’t make money. In fact, the same three principles of traditional media monetisation apply to digital channels as well; charge users to consume content, charge advertisers to access your audience and monetise the audience through value added services “.
“Our business model has successfully adapted these timeless principles to the digital media sphere”.
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