Media Moves… TheMediaOnline’s weekly round up. Conversation LAB snaps up ex-Google staffer. Ogilvy & Mather saddened by resignation of Julian Ribeiro. Groupon South Africa appoints new CEO. Hero makes staff announcements. FusionDesign appoint integrated communications manager. IAB South Africa renews relationship with Effective Measure. Nedbank appoints The MediaShop. Habari Media appoints Owlhurst Communications. Symeology selects a Z-CARD® as a conversation starter. FIVESTAR PR and Social Mojo appointed to represent Lawhill Luxury Apartments. Primedia Lifestyle Group secures its first shopping centre outside of SA. Net#Work BBDO executive creative director receives global recognition. Samsung Electronics West Africa is launching Celltick’s ‘Start’ based technology
Who’s moved where
Conversation LAB snaps up ex-Google staffer
Full service creative agency, Conversation LAB has hired ex-Google employee Edward Spearman to head up a range of large agency clients. Spearman will report directly to agency MD, Kevin Power.
“This is a significant hire for us and one we are extremely excited about. Holistic search and eCommerce are major growth areas for us as a business and Ed brings with him deep experience in this space, not just at Google but previously from his years in London with Jelly Fish and other large agencies,” Power says.
Spearman will be client lead on a range of the agency’s biggest clients as well as working very closely with the search and content teams to ensure integrated and joined up thinking.
“It’s refreshing to find an agency that thinks the way Conversation LAB does and the pace and enthusiasm which everyone operates at. It feels like London! The mix of talent and the accounts that Conversation LAB has assembled in such a short space of time underlines the agency ambitions and I am really looking forward to being a part of this team and getting to know Durban,” Spearman said.
Ogilvy & Mather saddened by resignation of Julian Ribeiro
Julian Ribeiro has resigned as the managing director of Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg after eight years at the agency to pursue professional challenges and interests outside of the Ogilvy network.
Ribeiro has had a great run at O&M; he is the longest serving MD of a major agency in South Africa and has a number of extraordinary achievements under his belt. Joining O&M, in 2006, Ribeiro has in that time doubled the profits of the business and has led from the front to ensure that the agency scaled the Twin Peaks of creativity and effectiveness.
Ribeiro has been at the forefront of O&M’s digital conquest, having built what is now OgilvyOne Worldwide Johannesburg from scratch into one of the top digital agencies in the country. His mantra, “Great work will set you free” has manifested in incredible work, which has included ‘Skop’ and the ‘So Good’ brand launch for KFC, the 2010 Soccer World Cup campaigns for FIFA, Castle, BP and SA Tourism, Channel O’s ‘Young, Gifted & Black’ and the recent Lucozade campaign.
Ogilvy & Mather South Africa will announce the appointment of a new Managing Director of the Johannesburg office in due course.
Groupon South Africa appoints new CEO
Groupon has announced entrepreneur, Emilian Popa, will be the new country manager for Groupon South Africa. With a proven track record of founding and co-founding a number of online retail businesses, Popa will take the helm of the company as it continues to transition from a daily deal site to a true online marketplace.
Popa’s previous roles include leadership roles at Twangoo, Rocket Internet, Africa Internet Accelerator, Zando, 5rooms, Wimdu and Airizu China, DealHayom Israel and Lamoda. He has MBAs from both Columbia Business School and London Business School and over 10 years of consulting experience.
Coinciding with Popa’s appointment, Groupon also announced the two founders of its South African business, Daniel Guasco and Wayne Gosling, are to step down. After setting up Twangoo from their garage in July 2010, the company was acquired by Groupon after six months and grown by Daniel and Wayne into the multi-million rand operation it is today.
FusionDesign appoint integrated communications manager
Leilahn Albertyn has been appointed as the integrated communications manager for FusionDesign, a full service integrated brand agency based in Cape Town.
Albertyn brings with her a wealth of skills in visual and written communications from over a decade in the corporate arena, and says that joining FusionDesign affords her the opportunity to upskill herself in terms of global marketing communication trends, as the corporate environment was very limiting in this aspect.
Carmen Lerm, chief creative officer of FusionDesign, says Albertyn, who has a Master’s Degree in Public Relations Management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, with a research focus on communication strategy and employee communications, will be spearheading integrated communications with mobile innovation – incorporating both intranet and corporate sites.
Hero makes staff announcements
Hero, a communications agency based in Cape Town and Johannesburg, has made a number of new staff appointments and promotions for some of its rising industry-leaders.
Andrew Hall was awarded the position of co-managing director of Hero. His experience, exceptional knowledge, performance and passion saw him ascend the ranks rapidly to now lead the 55 strong national agency.
Kyle Harker has been appointed as accounts director. His key role is to have a vast knowledge of their clients’ businesses as well as plan and execute plans to ensure their success.
Douglas Ghambala has been appointed as junior web developer of Hero. Amongst his specialities is the engagement and development of World Wide Web applications.
Who’s won what
Nedbank appoints the MediaShop as its media agency
Nedbank has announced that it has appointed The MediaShop as its media agency, effective 1 August 2014, following a competitive pitch process.
Thulani Sibeko, managing executive of group marketing, communications and corporate affairs at Nedbank, says, “When we embarked on the process to find a new media agency, we were looking for a partner to share the Nedbank story in the most relevant and influential media, contributing to us achieving our vision to be Africa’s most admired bank.”
“The MediaShop is very excited about being afforded the opportunity to work with an amazing organisation like Nedbank. We are proud and honoured to be selected as their preferred partner. The agency is really looking forward to the challenge of making Nedbank’s media stand out in what is a very tough and cluttered environment,” says Chris Botha, group managing director of The MediaShop.
IAB South Africa renews relationship with Effective Measure
After a rigorous tender process, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) of South Africa, formerly known as the DMMA, has re-appointed Effective Measure as its online audience measurement supplier. Over the four-year contract period, Effective Measure will provide a multi-faceted, evolving solution to the IAB and its members that include web and mobile tag-based audience measurement and online survey mechanisms, as well as a media-planning tool that includes key metrics such as unique visitors, page impressions, visits and visit duration.
“The IAB is focused on ensuring that the South African digital industry is supported by the highest grade metric solutions possible,” says Ryan Harris, IAB’s head of measurement. “The development of a credible ‘single currency’ market, with a central set of data that can be referenced by all stakeholders, allows us to give every member the opportunity to work on a level playing field.”
Habari Media appoints Owlhurst Communications
Owlhurst Communications has been appointed as the preferred communications partner for digital sales house Habari Media, following a five-way pitch.
“Owlhurst nailed the brief. We were impressed with their presentation and approach to our business. Their intimate understanding of the marketing and advertising industry and established media contacts is an added benefit. We look forward to working with them,” says Habari Media MD Wayne Bischoff.
Owlhurst will handle all publicity and public relations requirements for Habari Media and will provide strategic planning advice to the company.
FIVESTAR PR and Social Mojo appointed to represent Lawhill Luxury Apartments
Luxury travel and hospitality specialist FIVESTAR PR has been appointed to manage all PR requirements for Lawhill Luxury Apartments in Cape Town. The boutique PR agency will be working cohesively with Irit Noble and Social Mojo to strengthen its online presence and put some social mojo into the engagement with their audience in South Africa and internationally.
Located at the V&A Waterfront, in the heart of the marina, Lawhill Luxury Apartments offers a luxurious ‘home-away-from-home’ experience to the discerning traveller.
Primedia Lifestyle Group secures its first shopping centre outside of SA
Primedia Unlimited’s shopping centre marketing specialists Primedia Lifestyle Group has been appointed the agency of choice for Namibia’s Maerua Mall. This is the first centre that Primedia Lifestyle Group is representing outside of its 40 shopping centres within South Africa.
The consultancy agreement includes full shopping centre marketing strategies and implementation by Primedia Lifestyle Marketing Services. This will be supplemented by an updated brand CI, including logo design and brand guide for the centre, coupled with media planning and buying services provided by Primedia Unlimited sister companies Red Pixel and MediaXpress respectively.
In addition, Primedia Unlimited’s integrated CRM solutions company SourceCRM will be responsible for the centre’s new website development including monthly updates and maintenance.
Russell Hobbs takes centre court with Primall
Primedia Unlimited’s shopping mall advertising specialist, Primall Media, is featuring Russell Hobbs’s advertising campaign that offers consumers a chance to win ‘unforgettable moments in Rome, Paris or London’.
The campaign, set to run over a period of three months, will allow consumers a chance of winning an ‘unforgettable’ trip to Rome, Paris or London just by purchasing any Russell Hobbs product. Maximum campaign impact has been achieved by utilising lift banners, escalators and hanging banners within centre court areas.
“Currently the advertising campaign is running in Sandton City, Canal Walk and Gateway, but an additional mall – Eastgate – will be included during the third month to achieve additional reach,” says Primall Media’s Lee Curtis.
Symeology selects a Z-CARD® as a conversation starter
Symeology Business Accelerator has selected a credit card-sized Z-CARD® as a compact ‘mind-map’ of the company and the services that it offers, to be used during its ‘free to good home’ drive which sees the company setting up appointments with 500 companies that it has never dealt with before.
“We don’t believe in the ‘death by PowerPoint’ presentation route and are thus using the Z-CARD® as a conversation starter to connect with people,” says Symi van Aarde, Director Extraordinaire.
Designed by visual artist Michaelcelliers.com, the Z-CARD® uses custom graphics to portray a concise representation of the company’s core functions and important partners.
“Our investors went completely ‘gaga’ over this – they loved the graphic representation and the fact that you can see everything we do and stand for at a single glance. For the very first time they really understood how everything fits together,” Van Aarde says.
Who’s making moves
Net#Work BBDO executive creative director receives global recognition
Brent Singer, joint executive creative director at Net#work BBDO has been appointed jury chair of the Audio and Audio Technique panel at the CLIO Awards. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the CLIO Awards. The CLIO awards are the most recognised international awards competition for advertising, design, digital and communications.
On receiving the appointment Singer says that being asked to participate on any jury is always an honour. “But, being asked to chair a jury is like getting a much bigger pat on the back, like from a brontosaurus, if they had hands.”
The CLIO Awards will take place on 1st October, during New York City’s Advertising Week and will be hosted by Alec Baldwin.
Samsung Electronics West Africa is launching Celltick’s ‘Start’ based technology
Celltick, a global leader in mobile initiated commerce, has announced its partnership with Samsung Electronics West Africa, the leading marketer of Android devices in Nigeria. Celltick will create a custom Galaxy 11 interface based on its Start application that will become the Galaxy 11 default start screen for Samsung Android phones in Nigeria. Celltick’s Start is a next-generation, intelligent Android interface, providing personalized functionality so Android users can get what they need from the first screen of their phone.
“It is our mission to provide our customers with the best possible mobile experience,” said Emmanouil Revmatas, Director IM, Samsung Electronics West Africa. “Our partnership with Celltick allows us to create a custom Galaxy 11 localised interface for our users in Nigeria and Africa as a whole delivering a completely unique user experience.”
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