Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. OFyt celebrates first year with a bang. A sad farewell to Kgomotso Makgamatha from PRWorx. Gabi Goldstein joins FoxP2 Johannesburg. Simone Puterman joins MarkLives as editor-at-large. Keri-Ann Stanton to head Joe Public’s new PR division. Cinemark scores with Kim Cox. Continental Outdoor Media appoint a new client services manager. New MD appointment for GGI. Ogilvy & Mather’s new global appointment shows data means business. People on the move at Popular Mechanics. Livewired PR partners with GlobalCom. Fraser Alexander appoints human.kind as its advertising agency. SA Home Owner rides the airwaves.
BIG moves: OFyt celebrates first year with a bang
OFyt – the ‘old friends, young talent’ advertising agency (managed by Gary Leih, Jono Shubitz, Paul Newman and recent Johannesburg addition and old friend, Greg Burke) was founded to help grow and nurture youngsters who are just starting out in the business – and has had a cracker first year.
From a seaside office in Muizenberg, OFyt now has a permanent office in Johannesburg, where Ryan Jans has been promoted to the position of GM and oversees the Kia account.
Aphiwe Mcotyelwa has been promoted to the role of GM of OFyt Activation, where he is charged with expanding the activation client portfolio.
Bev Willcocks has taken on the permanent position of head of client service in Cape Town while Gavin Joffe has been designated ‘digital firestarter’ at OFyt Johannesburg.
Michelle Geere has joined as national digital business director, where she now partners with Jamie Meyer, who is digital creative director.
Tilldan Bungani has blossomed from intern to account executive on the HTR account.
OFyt Johannesburg is growing rapidly and Chelane Lewis (DTP manager), Bongani Ntombela (copywriter), Sifiso Tshabalala (art director) and Candace Ingarfield (account management intern) are all new appointments there.
The Cape Town office is now well established and has welcomed Michelle Fisher as a DTP operator, Ryan Cowie as retouching and finished art head, and Caitlin Leih as the digital studio manager.
“A year ago,” says Leih, “all we had was an idea and a long-term dream. Since then we are thrilled to have picked up key accounts in hard-fought pitches, opened an office to service our Gauteng clients and burnished our young and bright team with a combination of avuncular mentoring, tough love and letting them learn from their own mistakes.”
A sad farewell to Kgomotso Makgamatha from PRWorx
It is with deep sadness and regret that we announce that on Sunday, 18 August 2013, our colleague and friend Kgomotso (KG) Makgamatha tragically passed away. We have not only lost a colleague, but also a close and irreplaceable friend.
KG, as he was affectionately known, started with PR Worx in November 2012 as an eager account executive but we have come to know him as a dedicated professional. Constantly asking questions and eager to learn, his passion for communications was compelling. We believed that he had a glorious future in PR ahead of him.
Clients and media he dealt with on a daily basis can attest to the competence he brought to their interactions. He will be remembered as a dynamic and committed professional who took on the challenges of his demanding position with unwavering enthusiasm.
KG’s passing is a great loss to his family, his many friends and us, his colleagues. We are grateful for the time we had working together and getting to know him as a talented colleague and a special friend. His kind and generous heart, his quiet sense of humour, and his warm, friendly demeanour, will always be remembered.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family. Kgomotso will be dearly missed by all of us whose lives he touched.
Who’s moved where
New board for DMMA
The new Digital Media and Marketing Association (DMMA) Board, as elected by its members, was announced at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) last Thursday. A revised constitution that incorporated several fundamental changes was also accepted by unanimous member vote.
Nikki Cockcroft, former chair and executive director who announced earlier this year that she would be stepping down from the DMMA, gave her closing address at the AGM: “The DMMA began as a small body for a developing industry. It has played an integral role in growing the South African digital landscape and we have seen the industry’s massive expansion over the last ten years.
“In order for the DMMA to continue to play a critical role in supporting and growing this industry, our constitution needed to be revisited and revised – with the support and approval of our members. Like the digital industry, the DMMA too has grown – revealed by the healthy cash flow-positive status of this year’s financials. It was vital for our structure and constitution to reflect this maturation.”
The new constitution incorporates a two-tier structure. An elected Board that has an absolute mandate from the membership, and ultimate fiscal and fiduciary responsibility in terms of Section 21 law; and an appointed Steering Committee (Steerco), selected by the Board, who will handle the day to-day work of the organisation. Overlaps between these two structures are permitted on the basis that a Steerco member either delivers on their projects or is replaced.
The board elected is as follows:
Chair: Jarred Cinman (Native)
Vice Chair: Gustav Goosen (The SpaceStation)
Online Publisher Representative: Tim Spira (eNCA)
Agency Representative: Fred Roed (WorldWideCreative)
Treasurer: Andrew Allison (Quirk)
Gabi Goldstein joins FoxP2 Johannesburg
FoxP2 Johannesburg has made a key appointment by hiring Gabi Goldstein as client service director. Goldstein previously held the role at Net#work BBDO Johannesburg.
She brings more than a decade’s advertising and marketing experience with her that spans various industry categories. This experience, coupled with her qualifications in psychology and social anthropology, has afforded her insight into a range of business challenges and marketing approaches.
“Recruiting and empowering talent is one of the most important elements of FoxP2’s DNA and ongoing success, and like Cape Town, we are building an environment in Johannesburg where people come to do the best work of their lives,” says Charl Thom, group MD of FoxP2. “
Simone Puterman joins MarkLives as editor-at-large
MarkLives.com, the South African advertising, marketing and media site, has announced the appointment of Simone Puterman as editor-at-large. Puterman(@SimoneAtLarge) is the former managing editor of Bizcommunity.com and currently serves as deputy chair on the South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) online subcommittee. She is based in Paris, France, until end of June 2014.
MarkLives.com editor Herman Manson (@MarkLives) says the appointment adds further senior editorial muscle to the site. Puterman will be involved in improving the high editorial standards set by the independent news site, as well as in expanding and managing its social media strategy.
MarkLives.com launched last year as a journalism-driven alternative to existing trade media in South Africa.
Keri-Ann Stanton to head Joe Public’s new PR division
Communications group Joe Public has announced the appointment of Keri-Ann Stanton (@KAMuses) to head up its new PR division that will officially open its doors on the 1September.
“We believe that one of the key strategies to deliver on our clients growth requirements is to provide the full spectrum of strategically aligned communication services. Public relations has never been offered by the group so we are very excited that Keri-Ann has joined the team to launch this new division,” says group CEO, Gareth Leck.
Stanton has more than 20 years experience in journalism, corporate communications, marketing and public relations and was the owner and founder of Kezi Communications. In 2011 Kezi Communications was named as a finalist at Finweek’s AdReview Agency of the Year awards. Stanton sold the company in 2012.
Cinemark scores with Kim Cox
Kim Cox has had a sales career in pharmaceuticals, real estate and mining. But it’s been her work in the media for the advertising company that represents Ster-Kinekor, which caught the account executive for Cinemark’s fancy.
“Cinema is by far the most exciting and interesting medium, and although it is not considered mainstream , many agencies and clients are changing their views and are seeing the enormous benefit of adding cinema onto a TV campaign,” says Cox.
It’s Cox’s ability to build great relationships, provide excellent service and most importantly drive sales for their brands that is the secret to her success. She enjoys scuba diving, biking and travelling the world.
Continental Outdoor Media appoint a new client services manager
Agnieszka Gryn has been promoted to the role of client services manager at Continental Outdoor Media in August 2013.
This role focuses on dealing with clients and suppliers (printers and flighting companies) in the facilitation of production of campaigns on all formats.
Gryn began her career at Continental Outdoor Media as junior sales representative in 2009. She Completed a Programme for Management Development at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in June 2013.
New MD appointment for GGI
GGi Communications has announced the appointment of Jennifer Stein to the position of managing director with effect from 1 August. Her appointment sees her take over the reins of the company as it celebrates its 30th year in business. She will work closely with Gillian Gamsy who founded the consultancy in 1983, and who continues to participate as group CEO.
“Jennifer joined GGi earlier this year and was the natural choice to lead the business. Jennifer has a strong focus on strategy, and her extensive corporate and consumer PR experience across international and local brands will be advantageous for both our South African and global clients,” says Gamsy.
Stein’s career experience over the last 20 years has seen her work across numerous accounts, such as SAB, Ford Motor Company, SAP, Lenovo, Adcock Ingram, Reckitt Benckiser, Nike, the Richemont Group, Accenture, and the Fountainhead Property Trust.
Ogilvy & Mather’s new global appointment shows data means business
Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) is making a bold leap into the future with the appointment of Todd Cullen as global chief data officer of Ogilvy & Mather, announced in New York on Monday.
Cullen will extend O&M’s global data and analytics practice, consisting of 1 000 experts worldwide. He will focus specifically on identifying unique and emerging data sources and techniques, building scalable predictive analytics models, applying the insights across the spectrum of marketing communications solutions that O&M offers.
“Data and analytics are not new for Ogilvy & Mather. It’s in our heritage. David Ogilvy worked for Gallup before he started his agency and we’ve been using data to uncover insights and optimise our campaigns for over 20 years,” said Miles Young, Worldwide Chairman and CEO of O&M.
Ogilvy & Mather South Africa (O&M SA) CEO, Abey Mokgwatsane says, “What this appointment validates even further, is that if anything is about to transform the way marketing works, it’s data.”
People on the move at Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics has welcomed Brett Soutter as national sales manager. Having established himself as a top sales performer for the sci-tech brand and its sister titles, CAR and Leisure Wheels, over the past three years – he was named RamsayMedia’s salesperson of the year in 2011 and 2012 – his promotion is recognition of the extensive marketing knowledge and drive he is able to bring to the role.
Prior to joining RamsayMedia, Soutter spent more than a decade as key accounts manager with Primedia Campus Media, where he also notched up awards for his sales achievements.
Native ad provider Respond makes moves
Former Association of Online Publishers (AOP) managing director Lee Baker and former Microsoft publisher partner lead Paul Hickey have been recruited by native ad provider Respond, to help publishers differentiate the advertising inventory on their sites using customisable native ad formats.
Baker joins Respond as chief marketing strategist and Hickey joins as commercial director. The pair join former MD at the Guardian and Observer, Chairman of the Newspaper Publishers Association, co-founder of Media Week, and Respond investor, Tim Brooks.
Who’s won what
Fraser Alexander appoints human.kind as its advertising agency
Human.kind advertising has been appointed as Fraser Alexander’s advertising agency. Fraser Alexander is an established and respected solutions provider to the mining industry, both in South Africa and internationally.
Initially, human.kind’s focus will be directed on a long-term, intensive brand repositioning exercise for the business, which currently has a varied business offering that falls under many brands. “Our aim is to position Fraser Alexander and its various offerings as a strong, cohesive and unique market leader,” says Paul Williams, business unit director at human.kind advertising.
“The company has a 100 year heritage – namely of mining sector materials, water and waste handling success, and is a force to be reckoned with in this arena. Our job will be to make sure its innate strengths are clearly identifiable through robust brand redevelopment.”
Who’s making moves
Livewired PR partners with GlobalCom
Livewired Public Relations has announcde their recently secured position as the exclusive South African partner to the GlobalCom PR network organisation. GlobalCom is a worldwide group of full-service PR and Marketing Communication agencies, whose main goal is to provide clients with superior strategic and cost effective solutions in the multi-market PR industry.
“This partnership allows Livewired to access the GlobalCom PR Network’s 1 400 experienced consultants in strategic locations around the globe, giving us an international edge as well as the opportunity to be part of a community that is driving industry standards and trends in PR,” says Lucinda Boddy, managing director of Livewired PR.
“Livewired being set apart from other agencies in the country has provided us with a platform to exclusively share information with leading agencies abroad who have in depth, on-the-ground experience. We in turn are now able to offer this information to our clients when required.”
SA Home Owner rides the airwaves
SA Home Owner magazine (SAHO) has taken a bold step for South African home and décor print publications, and announced the launch of its Internet radio show, The Home Owner Show.
Times Media (TM) recently launched a streaming Internet link, broadcasting regular interviews with well-known TM personalities from Sunday Times, Business Day, Sowetan and other TMG brands – as well as SA Home Owner’s own editor, Kerry Hayes – and is now in the process of introducing specialist shows from across the Group’s brands.
The Home Owner Show will be broadcast for the first time on Thursday 22 August 2013, from 2pm to 3pm, hosted by Hayes and co-host Christell Bisett, SAHO’s national sales manager. Tune in on www.sahomeowner.co.za and join the conversation on Twitter @Kerry_Hayes and @SAHomeOwner #HomeOwnerShow #TMLive
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