The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: TMI Media awarded the Sanlam and Santam traditional media business
TMI Media, a member of the Matrix Communications Group (Matrix Group), has been awarded the prestigious traditional media business for Sanlam and Santam after a hotly contested five-month pitch process.
TMI Media has been recognised as a leader by winning a number of awards, including the Financial Mail Adfocus Independent Media Agency of the Year in 2017 and 2018. In 2020, the agency retained the Woolworths traditional media account and signed Adcock Ingrams consumer segment in 2021.
“We are delighted for the opportunity to work on two fantastic brands, and more importantly with good people who are passionate about their business. We are looking forward to partnering and delivering change on Sanlam and Santam,” said Quinton Jones, MD of TMI Media.
Added Kgaugelo Maphai, chairman of the Matrix Communications Group: “Pitching is always a daunting experience, especially now, where you’re likely to present to a group of panelists virtually. When we launched the Matrix Group, it was critical that we invest and partner with some of the best local agencies in line with our strategy of building a leading pan-African integrated communications group. In TMI Media, we have an agency that is award-winning and has continuously punched above its weight, and now having the opportunity to work with two iconic South African financial services market leaders, we have the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to partner with our clients in driving their business growth.”
Sydney Mbhele, group executive for brand at Sanlam Limited said it was so critical for his team to spend time finding the right agency for their businesses. “These decisions are not taken lightly and we believe in long term partnerships. All the agencies that pitched were thoroughly evaluated by our panel consisting of procurement and marketing leaders within Sanlam and Santam. Both businesses were impressed by the standard of the pitches, but unanimously agreed that TMI Media were the agency of choice.”
People moves
Boomtown gears for growth in 2022
Hot on the heels of bringing creative heavy-weight Thule Ngcese onboard to further buff its creative output, Boomtown has added four other ambitious young South Africans to its team, effectively beefing up its account management, strategic and creative credentials.
The newcomers are account director, journalism and media studies graduate Dudu Hlatshwayo; brand and communication strategist Marvyn Msipha, art director Mongezi Xhoma, and copywriter Musa Nhlapo.
Together with Ngcese, they are based in the agency’s Johannesburg office but work on its clients with a national footprint including Nescafé Ricoffy, South African National Space Agency (SANSA), Lafarge, Hogan Lovells and Easigas.
Collectively, the newcomers have worked on close to 50 brands.
hoola Modern Agency appoints new business director as they move into international markets.
hoola Modern Agency is set to continue to grow their national reach and is excited about their move into the international market. They recently welcomed advertising industry heavyweight, Pedro de Carvalho, to their leadership team as new business director, to drive national and international market penetration and elevate their business offering as they forge ahead into the 2022 financial year.
De Carvalho’s career in the advertising industry spans two decades, starting in 2000 with an independent agency, before joining Ogilvy South Africa, where he spent 13 years honing his skills, including serving as a board member for Ogilvy Cape Town, Geometry Global and Zoom Advertising in addition to fulfilling the role of retail and new business director prior to joining hoola.
“I have always been passionate about creating work that works,’ said de Carvalho, “and have been privileged to lead teams and partner with clients for some of South Africa’s biggest retail and FMCG brands over the past 13 years, including Pepkor, Shoprite Group, Massmart, Moresport Holdings, Cash Crusaders, S.C. Johnson & Sons, and British American Tobacco to name a few.”
Media24 Lifestyle appoints Thulani Gqirana as editor-in-chief of DRUM
Media24 Lifestyle announced DRUM editor Thulani Gqirana has been appointed editor-in- chief of DRUM, now overseeing all the properties in the iconic brand’s stable.
Gqirana has successfully transitioned the main DRUM property from print to digital in the year the historic publication celebrates its 70th birthday. She will now also oversee all print, digital, audio and broadcast properties for the brand.
The 37-year-old from New Brighton in the Eastern Cape holds a BA Hons in Journalism as well as a National Diploma in Journalism, both from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). She has worked at various newspapers, including The Herald and Mail & Guardian, as parliamentary correspondent at News24 and in magazines as assistant editor of DRUM and Move!
In the past year, along with editing drum.co.za, Thulani has overseen the launch of DRUM podcasts, virtual stokvel events and a gripping true crime drama, Behind the Headlines, which was streamed online and aired on DStv channel Honey.
Boomtown seeks graduates for Bayeza 2022
Full-service agency Boomtown is seeking university or college graduates from the marketing and advertising disciplines to join its Bayeza Graduate Internship Programme.
For the 2022 intake, Boomtown is looking for graduates from across South Africa to fulfil the internship roles available in its Eastern Cape and Johannesburg offices, art director, conceptual designer, animator, social media manager, web developer, marketing assistant, digital strategist, immersion specialist video editor and account executive among them.
The application process will comprise three phases – submission of a CV and indication of which position is most desirable; receipt of a brief and subsequent submission of the response to that brief; and an interview during which the submitted brief will be assessed.
Applications close on 22 November 2021.Successful applicants will need to be in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) or Johannesburg, ready to start work on Thursday February 1, 2022. Further information can be found here.
Primedia Outdoor appoints Steve Duck as Western Cape Executive
Primedia Outdoor has appointed Steve Duck as executive: Western Cape. Duck will oversee all aspects of the business in the Western Cape region which includes sales as well as rights and development for both the outdoor and malls division.
Duck has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the media sector having worked across several Primedia businesses over the past 14 years. He has made significant contributions to the overall success in his role as sales manager, where he has successfully managed the Cape Town team and cultivated meaningful relationships with key stakeholders across all the areas of the business. Steve has also been recognised as Primedian of the year in 2018 for his continued dedication to the business.
Primedia Outdoor promotes Trust Masarirambi to sales manager: malls
Primedia Outdoor has promoted Trust Masarirambi to the position, Sales Manager: Malls for their South African market.
Masarirambi possesses a wealth of knowledge relating to the mall environment spanning more than 11 years and brings with him extensive experience in sales, marketing, and advertising in the retail sector. He has played a pivotal role as sales manager for the PrimeCourts division at Primedia Outdoor since 2013, where he has proactively grown the portfolio and a powerful team over the past few years and will undoubtedly, add tremendous value to the business in his new role.
“As a division, we’ve achieved many milestones, including awards for excellence (recognised by the South African Council of Shopping Centres – SACSC) for specific sites, the business as a whole in terms of the role played in generating additional revenue for property owners and some first-to-market concepts like experiential pop-up shops” said Masarirambi.
Four CMOs from SA selected for IRG100 Leadership Programme
The Institute for Real Growth has announced the IRG100– the 100 chief marketing officers (CMOs) and other senior growth leaders selected for its flagship IRG100 Leadership Programme.
This year’s list includes leaders from all backgrounds and experiences, from over the world, and almost every industry. Organizations represented include Amazon, Arla, Bayer, Copa Airlines, Danone, Electronic Arts, Ikea, Intel, Meatless Farms, Microsoft, PayPal, Save the Children, Shell, P&G, The United Nations Global Compact, Unilever, and many more.
Distell CMO Kushilla Thomas, Distell marketing director Natasha Maharaj, Nedbank group head of marketing and corporate affairs Kensani Nobanda and Ryno Holm, head: business change & digital transformation at. Distell, were selected to take part.
The IRG100 Leadership Programme helps CMOs and other growth leaders drive more humanized growth that creates value for all stakeholders, colleagues, customers, communities.
The Institute for Real Growth (IRG) is not-for-profit and independent and is supported by WPP, Facebook, Google, Salesforce, Optimizely, Morning Consult, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYUSPS), the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, CKGSB, the CMO Council, the Exetor Group and Spencer Stuart.
Business moves
Wunderman Thompson SA wins Rentoza pitch
Rentoza has officially appointed the digital division of Wunderman Thompson SA to deliver full-service communication, albeit digitally led. The scope of work includes strategy, content creation, radio, media planning, reporting and community management.
Michael Oelschig, the agency’s unit managing director, said, “What is so exciting about this partnership is the ability for Wunderman Thompson to really live its purpose of inspiring growth for ambitious brands. While Rentoza has been around for a few years, they are still a startup in many ways. Through their incredibly exciting, innovative, and of course, ambitious business model, they are primed for exponential growth over the next few years. Being a part of driving that growth with them is really why we do what we do in this business.”
Virtual platform offers new ways to engage SA’s entrepreneurs
For the past decade, entrepreneurial pitching competition and workshop programme Engen Pitch & Polish has been teaching South African entrepreneurs how to hone their investment pitching skills and enhance their likelihood of receiving funding or investment for their businesses. This year, after years on the road, the competition took an entirely new digital approach – and showed that participation and engagement in entrepreneurship has never been higher.
Together with long-term title sponsor Engen Petroleum and gold sponsor Nedbank, programme owner and organiser Raizcorp reimagined Pitch & Polish as an online edutainment series.
The competition ended last month, with Cape Town-based duo Pieter du Plessis and Viljoen de Kock winning prizes worth R1 million for their business GUDGU which produces sugar-free cordials and syrups. Runner-up Gomolemo Motshwane secured R100 000 in cash, and second runner-up Ouma Tema won R50 000.
But for Raizcorp, the real success of the new digital format was in its ability to reach – and engage – new audiences. The virtual Engen Pitch & Polish received 2 371 competition entries from across all nine provinces, of which more than two thirds (68%) were youth between the ages of 18 and 25, and more than 40% were female.
World Out of Home Organization adds seven new members from all main global markets
The World Out of Home Organization has added new members in Argentina, Mexico, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the US and UK. Taggify in Argentina is a digital out of home (DOOH) programmatic platform; Mexico-based GPO Vallas is a major media owner in Latin America; Digital Signage Consortium in Japan is a trade body with over 140 members while Override Media is a Saudi Arabian digital transport specialist.
Dongfang Chuxiao Media Group is a fast-growing DOOH owner in China, Los Angeles-based Kevani is a sales organization that promotes national and local brands through innovative outdoor advertising destinations. OOH Capital is a London-based international consultancy and advisory company to owners and investors in Out of Home, cities and municipalities.
WOO COO Mark Flys said: “With new members across the world coming on board all the time WOO is now a truly global organization. These new members span all aspects of the OOH industry. The steady growth in the organization, accelerating as we recover from the pandemic, augurs well for WOO’s in-person Congress scheduled for May in Toronto.”
Making moves
You FM turns two
Two years ago YOU FM was born broadcasting its first ever show from temporary studios at 214 Beyers Naude Street in Rustenburg.
A lot has happened since that day including but not limited to Covid-19 and the accompanying which tempered with the normal ways of doing business and led to the collapse of many an entity.
You FM is pleased that it did not just survive this difficult period but grew stronger and achieved among other things steady audience growth, financially sustained itself, developed a programming formula that’s based on listener interest and put it ahead of industry peers.
The station is also proud of its talent development initiatives and has, during the 24 months of its existence, recruited many a youngster who have grown into popular regular hosts.
LG launches global ambassador challenge for Gauteng residents
LG Electronics is launching a contest to help solve local problems and empower communities in South Africa. With an open invitation to all Gauteng-based residents in South Africa, the LG Ambassador challenge presents a unique opportunity to those who wish to build a better society and become recognised as an LG brand ambassador.
The LG Ambassador Challenge calls for the best and brightest entrepreneurs, designers, scientists, students, and others who want to step up as local leaders in Gauteng, to answer the question, “What is the biggest social problem in our community and how can it be resolved?” This initiative, which is being run in partnership with Korean Food for the Hungry International (KFHI) in six countries, encourages individuals and organisations to submit ideas on how to solve local community issues. Two winners will each be awarded LG Ambassador status and provided with a grant of $10,000 from LG, as well as help from local NGOs and individuals, to turn their ideas into reality.
The LG Ambassador Challenge will be held between 15 November to 31 December and the two winners of the LG Ambassador title, as well as the $10,000 grant for their initiative, will be announced on 17 January 2022. Any resident of Gauteng with an idea to solve a community problem or improve the lives of residents is encouraged to enter at shorturl.at/bquxX
