Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. Rob Vember takes the driver’s seat at Kfm. Sharlene Safi joins Twisted Toast Digital. HoneyKome appoints ‘beekeepers’. The Ole! Media Group establishes HoneyKome – a specialist digital engagement division. APO to deliver press releases to 250m devices.
Who’s moved where
Virginia Hollis appointed chair of Saarf
Virginia Hollis has been appointed chairman of the South African Audience Research Foundation (Saarf) effective from 12 March 2014. Hollis and CEO Ettiene van den Berg, in conjunction with current stakeholders in the media and marketing industry, are tasked with the challenge of ushering in the next chapter of media audience research in South Africa.
While the precise outline of the future has yet to come into focus, SAARF is in the process of extensive stakeholder engagement and are tackling the task with vigour to ensure that they keep abreast of industry changes in an increasingly complex world of data, intelligence, metrics and measurement. Its stakeholders span the media and marketing industry of South Africa and the business model will encompass a new mandate, scope of work, structure, processes and funding. Her appointment solidifies her previous position as acting chairman of Saarf.
Rob Vember takes the driver’s seat at Kfm
Kfm has announced that radio host Rob Vember will be taking over the Afternoon Drive show from Monday (5 May]. Vember takes over from Tim Thabethe, who will move to hosting the evening show weekdays from 7 – 10pm.
Vember grew up in Belville where he attended Kasselsvlei High School but has been living in Joburg for the past five years. He moved back to the Mother City in early 2013 and has been broadcasting the lunchtime show on 5FM from the Sea Point studios since then.
“Rob has a national profile but is a Capetonian at heart. For years he has been passionate about local, Western Cape, focused content and now he gets to do just that at Kfm,” says station manager, Colleen Louw.
Sharlene Safi joins Twisted Toast Digital
Sharlene Safi is a graphic designer with 11 years’ marketing and media industry experience. Her design philosophy centres on attention to detail, process and keeping things simple. Whether it’s print design or digital design, quality, creativity and surpassing expectations is what she strives for in her work. Safi has spent much of her work life in magazines and has worked on Entrepreneur, heat and FHM, amongst others. She is a creative individual who loves a challenge.
HoneyKome appoints ‘beekeepers’
New digital engagement agency HoneyKome (part of the Ole! Media Group) has appointed Dylan Kruger as agency director. He was formerly head of strategy at HelloComputer. “Because we believe that concept and strategy are the key elements in getting digital right, we specifically recruited a creative digital strategist,” said CMO, Desere’ Orrill, who was instrumental in establishing HoneyKome.
With 15 years’ experience as a marketer and strategist, Kruger has written and implemented digital strategies for major brands such as Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Nivea, Ford, Toyota, Lexus, Samsung, FNB, Standard Bank, as well as various brands in the Pernod Ricard group.
Kruger will add his personal stamp to the HoneyKome team, whose skills include a comprehensive shopping list for brands looking for a winning digital recipe. They include: creative concept and strategy, design and development, content creation and distribution – including in-house copywriting, photography and videography teams, social media management and community building, experiential marketing and the implementation of related technology requirements.
In short
Keolebogile Maphologela has been appointed as a traffic co-ordinator for the media operations department at M-Net.
Tamara Moss has been appointed as a traffic co-ordinator for the media operations department at M-Net.
Nozipho Mabaso has been appointed as a business analyst for the media operations department at M-Net.
Natasha Jones has been appointed senior account manager at Positive Dialogue Communications.
Who’s making moves
The Ole! Media Group establishes HoneyKome – a specialist digital engagement division
Digital media organisation, the Ole! Media Group has launched HoneyKome a specialist agency, which will focus on the creation and implementation of strategic digital engagement models for brands and companies.
“HoneyKome has grown out of our mobile marketing division, MobiMedia, which specialises in mobile communication and helps brands engage with mobile consumers. As a natural progression, and to meet our clients’ requirements, our services have expanded across all digital and social media channels. The formation of HoneyKome is the embodiment of this expansion,” says group CMO, Desere’Orrill.
In choosing the name HoneyKome, the company sought to emphasise the element of engagement which is so central to any marketing campaign. The parallel is drawn between bees pollinating (and thus activating) a garden, and the pivotal role which digital has come to play as the active ingredient in marketing today. With a service offering that promises “digital pollination for brands”, HoneyKome will concentrate on growing customer engagement through ‘sticky’ strategic solutions.
In addition to HoneyKome, the Ole! Media Group comprises the founding company – mobile marketing agency, MobiMedia; digital publisher, TEAMtalk media; and AddSwitch, a specialist premium and programmatic digital media sales, planning and buying agency. The new division will provide the organisation’s well established customer base with strategic digital marketing services, drawing on a dedicated team of “honey bees” as well as the wide range of in-house competencies within the Ole! Media Group as a whole.
Putting African fashion on the map… and at your fingertips
South Africa’s first locally owned and produced fashion network that is geared towards marketing the clothing, design and textile industries in Africa by way of online magazines, fashion events, and an interactive online presence has been launched.
Created to support and promote African fashion, Style Africa will launch its first online magazine mid May 2014, which can be accessed via the website. With two editions per year, the magazine promises to be jam-packed with fascinating in-depth stories, exclusive interviews, fabulous fashion ensembles, ‘how to’ styles and so much more.
As a magazine by Africans, for Africans, Style Africa aims to showcase the vast pool of talent within Africa – from established, well-known designers, to up-and-coming young talents. Not only do we feature creatives from within the design and textile sphere, but also local artists from the music, TV and film industries. The team behind Style Africa is a diverse group of South Africans with a wide range of experience that encompasses TV, radio, magazines, advertising, marketing, design and online –all of which is reflected in the content.
APO to deliver press releases to 250m devices
APO clients’ press releases will now be available on 250 millions mobile devices, including MTN Group, Airtel, Orange, and more, in 30 African countries.
In Africa the most effective PR tool is now the mobile as it reaches the broadest market.
Africa Wire®, the service for newswire press release distribution in Africa, now allows press releases to be received by more than 250 million users; via most accessible networks such as MTN, Orange, Airtel, and more.
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