The Media Online’s weekly round up. Johann Botha honoured at memorial service. Ocean Outdoor Group chairman Tom Goddard is new FEPE President. Internet Solutions and Rain bring commercial LTE-A to South African ISPs. Ads24 wins an award as the best business to work for. Media and local business partnership seminar. Gala releases book on worldwide sweepstakes and contests.
Farewell to brave Johann Botha
Carte Blanche producer Johann Botha is being honoured at a memorial service in Centurion today. Botha was the former producer, presenter and executive producer of the SABC’s environmental programme 50/50, as well as a presenter and producer of kykNET’s environmental programme Projek Aardwolf, before joining Carte Blanche as part of its investigative team.
Botha was killed at the Zebra Inn, in Johannesburg’s Maboneng precinct, last Wednesday along with his friend, Werner ‘Swazi’ Perchtold who owned the restaurant. Police arrested two men aged 27 and 32, and a 19-year-old woman, on Tuesday.
The Carte Blanche team said they were “devastated” by his death, calling him one of the programme’s finest producers. “Johann was immensely talented and had a depth and breadth of experience which makes him simply irreplaceable,” said George Mazarakis, Carte Blanche executive producer, in a statement.
“Johann was a brave, creative investigative journalist with a kind and gentle nature. He could executive stories on the Johannesburg billing crisis – his most recent report – with as much ease as a piece on the penguins of Betty’s Bay; he was comfortable reporting on politics or the arts”.
“His loss is a loss for the entire broadcasting industry and he will be sorely missed. We are outraged that yet again, a precious life has been lost to the scourge of crime. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and his friends.”
The memorial service will be held at the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk Van Afrika, in Lyttleton.
People moves
Ocean Outdoor Group chairman Tom Goddard is new FEPE President
Global Out of Home business association FEPE International has elected Ocean Outdoor Group Chairman Tom Goddard as its new President. FEPE International represents Out of Home media owners, agencies and technology partners worldwide.
Goddard, who has led CBS Outdoor’s international division, Viacom OOH, Metro Advertising and Maiden Outdoor and is also chairman of MarketingForce, has been a FEPE board member since 2015.
He takes over from former Clear Channel International Europe President Matthew Dearden.
Dearden says: “In electing Tom as our new President we are fortunate to have someone to lead FEPE to even greater heights as a truly global force in the Out of Home industry at a time of great media change.”
Business moves
Targus appoints Tribeca Public Relations
Targus, a global supplier of carrying cases and accessories for mobile lifestyles, has appointed Tribeca Public Relations (Tribeca) as its communications partner in South Africa.
Tribeca will support Targus in increasing awareness of the brand in South Africa, growing its market share, and introducing the company’s wide range of products and services beyond laptop bags for which it is primarily recognised.
“Targus launched the original laptop bag back in 1983 and is recognised in South Africa as one of the bestselling and premium quality laptop bag brands,” says Samantha Robinson, account director at Tribeca Public Relations.
“Our communications objective will be to ensure that South African office workers, who due to the rise of mobile connectivity and the advent of hot desking, are no longer bound to one specific office or desk, are aware that Targus has the best products and solutions for their specific needs.”
To this extent, Tribeca will adopt a 360-degree, multi-channel, earned, owned and paid communication strategy to secure reviews, thought leadership and feature articles, and profiles of key Targus spokespeople.
Internet Solutions and Rain bring commercial LTE-A to South African ISPs
As of 12 June 2017, Internet Solutions, a pan-African telecommunications service provider, and Rain (previously known as Wireless Business Solutions), will offer commercial LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) to local internet service providers (ISPs).
IS will act as Rain’s ‘open access’ go-to-market partner for its fixed LTE-A product. Targeting local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) whose customers will benefit from fibre-like mobile connectivity, Internet Solutions and Rain anticipates that offering competitively priced access to LTE-A will present local ISPs with new growth opportunities.
“Access to LTE-A on the Rain network, with streamlined provisioning of service from Internet Solutions, is an attractive proposition for ISPs that have identified LTE-A as a driver of business sustainability, through an expanded product portfolio and infrastructure savings,” says Murray Steyn, Executive Head: Wholesale at Internet Solutions.
Making moves
Ads24 wins an award as the best business to work for
Ads24 won the Best Business to Work for Award at Media24’s annual award Gala in May. The event was the culmination of Media24’s annual conference, Teamspeak.
“We are honoured to have received this accolade. Teamwork and keeping our employees inspired and happy is one of our key organisational pillars at Ads24. This recognition from Media24 is a feather in our cap and helps to keep us motivated while bringing in revenue for Media24’s much loved news brands,” said Ané Honiball, general manager of Ads24.
Winners in six categories across Media24’s print, digital and ecommerce businesses were celebrated at this awards gala, which was held at Cape Town harbour’s E Berth passenger terminal and hosted by WeCan24 project manager, Renaldo Schwarp. On the Dot, Huisgenoot, Spree and News24 were the night’s big winners.
“We have the best teams in the industry,” said Esmaré Weideman, “the Media24 awards gala was all about celebrating excellence and innovation. It’s an honour to work with individuals, teams and divisions who are committed to delivering work of the highest standard, irrespective of where they may find themselves in business.”
Ask Afrika partners with the FIA Awards in financial services benchmark
Ask Afrika partnered with the Financial Intermediaries Association of Southern Africa (FIA) to conduct the research survey that culminated in the highly anticipated 2017 FIA Awards ceremony, held on 8 June 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre. The Awards celebrate the financial services brands that provide the best overall product, relationship and service to the country’s financial advisors and insurance brokers.
Lizelle van der Merwe, CEO at the FIA said, “We are thrilled to have worked with Ask Afrika in taking the 19th annual FIA Awards to the next level and look forward to utilising the survey results in raising awareness of the value of the FIA, our members and our private sector supporters to consumers in the coming year.
“Ask Afrika’s deep understanding of brands and consumers fits perfectly with the FIA’s objectives of raising awareness amongst consumers in respect of the value provided by brokers and financial advisors. They have the necessary experience assist the FIA in leveraging the intellectual capital that resides in the FIA Awards, thereby delivering back to our members and making a real impact on service levels and the perception of brokers and advisors within South Africa.”
Media and local business partnership seminar
In uncertain economic times, it is not surprising when advertising expenditure plummets but is that really the wiser choice?
In a bid to answer this Capital Media the publishers of Pretoria based Rekord local newsapers decided to embark on an advertising education drive on 18 May at The Farm Inn, Silverlakes.
Three guest speakers, experts in their fields demonstrated the importance of advertising even in difficult times. Dr Christo van der Westhuizen (group CEO of Brand Et Al) discussed the importance of establishing a trusted and recognisable brand.
Debbie Joubert (Recruitment Specialist Consulting) addressed the importance of pairing the correct candidate to the required key performance areas. Pieter du Plessis (ActionCOACH) explained how SMMEs can all survive by remaining aware of the pitfalls during start-up and the formative years.
Capital Media – now 30 years old – as a trusted partner discussed its affordable advertising offerings for both its Rekord hardcopy and online platforms. Research by Rekord proves it is loved by its readers and that online visitors interact regularly it via Facebook and Twitter .
Capital Media’s aim is to support, partner and help local businesses especially during difficult economic times. Rekord business manager Chris Mcinga said that the Capital Media‘s seminars are aimed at assisting local businesses in their various areas of operation especially marketing. “We aim to achieve this by exposing the business community to experts in industries inorder to equip them with tools to run their businesses”.
The next Capital Media local business seminar will be hosted in August. For more information contact: Adri Bouwer adrib@rekord.co.za 082-820-2713 or 012-492-1265
Gala releases book on worldwide sweepstakes and contests
The Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA) has just released a new book, Sweepstakes & Contests: A Global Legal Perspective. The book provides an overview of the laws governing sweepstakes and contests in more than 50 countries around the world.
“We are thrilled to publish the definitive guide to conducting sweepstakes and contests around the world,” said Jeffrey A. Greenbaum, Managing Partner of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz in New York and GALA’s Chairman. “We hope that this book becomes an invaluable resource to marketers as they market to consumers globally.
Organised by country, each chapter outlines how sweepstakes and contests are regulated in that country, providing detailed information on country-specific rules, filing requirements, prizes, tax liabilities, and important cases.
“There are two huge legal challenges when advising clients on global sweepstakes and contests – the wide range of applicable law and the marked lack of international harmonisation,” said Catherine Bate, a Partner at Miller Thomson LLP, GALA’s Canadian member, and the lead editor of the book. “This book will help brands, agencies, and their legal advisors to navigate the challenges.”
The report is available for purchase on Amazon.com.
