The Media (September 2019)

INDEPENDENT INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE

Finding

INSIDE:

ALL the winners

the human connection in media planning

Media agency legend DAWN ROWLANDS

Media owner Legend

FAHMEEDA CASSIM-SURTEE

Media AGENCY RISING STAR Julio rodriguez

Media OWNER RISING STAR

IMPACT!

How the digital revolution has hit newsrooms

The Media | www.themediaonline.co.za

AWARDS 2019

ISSUE 183

Kerri Prissman

BELL & SHEPHERD AWARDs Clare O’Neil Jennifer Daniel Brenda Wortley

Dawn Rowlands

more music you love

WEEKDAY MORNINGS 06H10, 07H10 & 08H10

September 2019

Contents

Issue 183

46 MOST AWARDS WINNERS 08 Robust and representative The 2019 MOST survey results 27 Media Owner Legend Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee 30 Media Agency Legend Dawn Rowlands 34 Media Owner Rising Star Kerri Prissman 36 Media Agency Rising Star Julio Rodriguez 39 Shepherd Award Brenda Wortley

40 Bell Award Clare O’Neil 41 Bell Award Jennifer Daniel FEATURES 42 Has media planning lost the

human connection BRITTA REID sifts through the data to discover what’s up in modern media planning.

46 The state of South Africa’s newsrooms LUCINDA JORDAAN takes a look at the digital devastation, and what modern newsrooms look like now.

50 50 The Africa Brief Media companies working across the continent share their thoughts on the opportunities, the challenges and the next big thing.

Regulars 02 Ed’s note

06 Who are you?

I am Jo Lumka 54 The Hotseat Uyanda Manana

Cover 2019 MOST Media Agency Legend Dawn Rowlands, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Sub-Saharan Africa.

INDEPENDENT INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE

ED’S NOTE

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On the record… The end of an era, the start of a new one

T

he MOST Awards is now in its 11th year, a record of extraordinary endurance and testament to the role the awards play in the work of media agencies and media owners. The chance to recognise and rate the service that media owner sales teams and their agency partners provide each other is clearly useful to both sides, and they use the results as a means of improving their standing in the commercial side of the media business.

This year, close to 600 planners, buyers and sellers of media space took part in the survey; not only that, but respondents were skewed towards more senior and experienced people, reported researchers Freshly Ground Insights.

Eighty five media owners and 39 media agencies took part in the 2019 survey.

This year’s awards not only mark the first The results of this event in a new decade of the MOST Awards, but also the fact that the awards have new year’s survey show owners. Founder Sandra Gordon has bowed that good old out, passing the baton to Tiso Blackstar Group, fashioned sales skills which has bought Wag the Dog’s media assets.

The results of this year’s survey show and techniques have that good old-fashioned sales skills and techniques have not gone out of fashion, not gone out of and that relationship-building is an essential fashion. component of successful buying and selling of advertising space. As Freshly Ground Insights points out, the importance of the working relationship, ease of communication, and the mutual respect between them should never be discounted.

While this issue of The Media is devoted to the MOST Awards, we have also added some essential reads from the media owner and media agency space. We take a deep dive into the human connection in media planning, as technology and data play increasingly important roles in the ‘art and science’ of the craft. We have also taken a close look at what is happening in South Africa’s newsrooms, where over the past decade or so massive changes have played out. How have South African newsrooms adapted? And we’ve asked players in the African media space to give us their insights into the opportunities and challenges they face in working on the continent, as well as what they believe will be the next big thing.

The Media, got to love it.

Glenda

EDITOR Glenda Nevill glenda.nevill@cybersmart.co.za Multimedia Journalist Michael Bratt brattm@tisoblackstar.co.za CONTRIBUTORS Iza Grek, Lucinda Jordaan, Britta Reid ART DIRECTOR Darren Rosenberg Ideaology SALES MANAGER Kalyn Fagan fagank@tisoblackstar.co.za 011 280 5467 SALES Vanessa Tiddy tiddyv@tisoblackstar.co.za 011 280 3058 PRODUCTION Michelle Pretorius michellep@ideadesign.co.za GENERAL MANAGER, MAGAZINES Jocelyne Bayer bayerj@tisoblackstar.co.za PUBLISHED BY Tiso Blackstar Group (Pty) Ltd Hill on Empire, 16 Empire Road (cnr Hillside Road) Parktown Johannesburg 2193 Postal Address: PO Box 1746 Saxonwold Johannesburg 2193 Telephone: 011 280 3000 Copyright: The Media. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material.

The Media is published by Tiso Blackstar Group (Pty) Ltd. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Tiso Blackstar Group (Pty) Ltd. All advertisements / advertorials and promotions have been paid for and therefore do not carry any endorsement by the publisher.

Subscribe to The Media Online’s free newsletter Visit www.themediaonline.co.za

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who are you?

WHO ARE YOU? I am Jo LumkA Siphokazi Shanice Lumkile, also known as Jo Lumka, is the host of AMPD Live on www.theeye.tv. She plays a pivotal role in bringing the music of young artists to the airwaves, and also provides financial education for those in the music business. called AMPD Live, which airs every Wednesday from 2 to 4pm. I go in guns blazing with emerging artists, covering live interviews and performances, and inspiring, financial education topics.

What is behind your show, AMPD Live? What do you hope to achieve with it?

The show is powered by Old Mutual to which I broadcast at the AMPD Studios. It is aimed at educating emerging artists on how to be money savvy. It’s no secret that a lot of musicians leave this earth without money, but an impressive portfolio or catalogue is all that’s left behind.

So what the show does is have musical icons engage with aspiring artists and share raw conversations on what ups and downs they’ve had to endure in the industry.

Furthermore, educating them on how to make better business decisions with their music careers and enjoy lustrous success by being financially wise.

What three things can’t you live without?

Cleanliness, ambition, and my gifts/talents.

Who is your superhero and why?

In fantasy, my superhero is Invisible Woman. She can create an invisible force field in someone’s body and blow it up without anyone knowing. Swag! In life, my mom is my superhero. She has a solution for every tricky situation.

What set you on the road to having your own show on The Eye? Jon Savage, who is one of the founding members of the digital station along with Catherine Grenfell, had been looking for me after hearing my voice on campus radio (Rhodes Music Radio). I was 18 years old and he kept an eight minute recording of my then teenage voice and found me six years later to hire my now 25 year old voice to be a part of his station. He created a show for me P 6

In five years’ time you will be…

On commercial radio having won at least two Liberty Radio Awards for good broadcasting (any category). I will be referred to as Dr Lumkile because of my love for the anthropological studies discipline. My mom will live in a palace. And maybe feature in Isidingo in a short role playing a super smart character with a fluid personality and complex in her thinking. That’s how five years looks at present. Though, it may change...

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Welcome to the HOME OF MORE!

Go beyond a frequency and get more from the multi-faceted and diverse voices on Primedia Broadcasting’s platforms.

Come home to big personalities that are movers and shakers, influencers and disruptors, thought-leaders and game changers.

Visit www.primediabroadcasting.co.za to get your dose of more.

MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

Healthy and Robust All the MOST Awards winners This year’s MOST Awards saw stiff competition, as happens every year, with some companies retaining their top spot from last year, some new winners, and some surprises. Almost 600 planners, buyers and sellers of media space participated in this year’s MOST Awards survey, one of the best-ever response rates since their inception in 2008. BRAD AIGNER and NICOLE BANKS deliver the results.

“This year’s survey has been one of the smoothest ever.

Maybe it is because my colleague, Nicole Banks was in charge,” quipped Brad Aigner, managing director of the MOST Awards’ research partner, Freshly Ground Insights.

“The profile of the respondents was skewed to more senior and experienced people in media, which always gives us a strong sense of comfort about the robustness of the research results. In total, 75% of respondents have been working in media for six years or more.”

Project director, Banks added, “In addition to a robust sample, it is important that the sample is fairly representative of the universe that it represents, which is what was achieved. So we are happy.”

The research methodology The 2019 MOST Awards survey, which went into field in May, rated and ranked 85 media owners and 39 media agencies via an online, self-completion method. The owners were segmented into eight categories by media type, while the agencies were split into ‘full-service’ and ‘specialist agency’ categories respectively. In order to qualify for a ‘sheep award’, a company needed to receive a minimum of 30 votes. For a ‘lamb award’, the qualification criterion was 25 to 29 votes.

As a starting point, respondents were presented with the rankings criteria against which they were to rate media agencies and media owners. They were asked to rank these criteria in order of importance to themselves in their respective company roles. These criteria were used to weight the rankings scores given to each company listed in the survey.

The media owners criteria For the media owners’ part of the survey, the most important criterion, as ranked by media buyers and planners, was ‘Knowledge of Own Brands and the Media Landscape’. In fact, in most of the 11 years that the survey has been conducted, this criterion has been ranked as most important.

Similarly, the criteria ‘Sales Service Delivery’ and ‘Knowledge of Client Brands and the Market Landscape’ have more often than not been ranked in the top three P 8

criteria over the years. Any media owner aiming to be ranked as the best-of-the-best has to achieve top marks for these three criteria, otherwise they will fall short. Notwithstanding this, any person who thinks the remaining three ranking criteria are not important will be sorely mistaken. In fact, it is often these criteria that have determined the top positions for a category and for the overall MOST Award.

So, the message to media owners is to get the basics right first. Do not neglect the critical importance of training and mentoring your sales teams and, equally importantly, giving them the tools and materials with which to do their jobs properly and effectively. Another important message is to not trivialise the importance of good old-fashioned sales skills and techniques.

‘Promptness’ and ‘preparedness’ have long been recognised as crucially important skills, and remain so today. Once a media owner has ticked the ‘basics’ boxes, they should focus on the ‘relationship building’ criteria.

These include ‘Involvement’, ‘Administrative Service Delivery’ and ‘Innovative Solutions’.

Remembering good and bad Our media industry has always been, and is still, a relationship-driven one. There are actually not as many people in the industry as one might think. People get to know each other. They remember the good (or bad) service they may have received from a media owner sales representative or when a booking has been completely botched.

The media agencies’ criteria For the media agencies’ part of the survey, respondents were also asked to rank the rating criteria in order of importance. The research data revealed that the criterion ‘Knowledge of Client Brands’ was ranked as most important among media owners, followed by ‘Knowledge of Media’ and ‘Communication and Collaboration’.

From the performance criteria importance rankings among media owners and media agencies, it is evident that depth of knowledge of a client’s brand/s is considered a mutually critical success factor in media planning and The Media | themediaonline.co.za

MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

selling. The same goes for knowledge of one’s craft, be it media planning, buying or selling.

The research also confirmed a third and equally important element common to the buying and selling side of media, and that’s the manner in which the parties interact with each other. Specifically, the importance of the working relationship, ease of communication, and the mutual respect between buyers and sellers of media space, which should never be discounted. To ‘win’ in the MOST Awards, irrespective of whether you are on the agency or owner side, you need to excel in knowing your client, knowing your craft, and working with your partners.

MOST for Media Owners 2019 A total of 3 135 votes were cast by media agencies and clients in this year’s MOST Awards survey. Media owners were segmented into eight categories according to media type. Owners operating in more than one media type were permitted to be listed in more than one category, if requested. A total of 85 media owners were recorded in this year’s survey.

RADIO CATEGORY 2019 The winner of the radio category in 2019 is Primedia Broadcasting.

This was the Primedia team’s third category win in the MOST Awards and two-in-a-row, as they retained top spot from last year. One voter was particularly impressed with the Primedia team’s customer-centric approach.

“They changed their business to be client-centric, which allowed them to be more responsive, more innovative and much, much more flexible.” Another voter liked the extent to which the Primedia sales team has been empowered to make decisions. “Decisions can be made on the fly without having to get consent from the stations. Primedia is able to commit on behalf of the stations and it creates a collaborative environment.”

Rank 1 2 3

Radio 2019 Primedia Broadcasting Mediamark United Stations

Votes 129 141 68

MOST Score 7.57 7.42 7.39

to get back to the top of the rankings in 2020. The Mediamark team has always been rated particularly highly against the ‘Service’ criterion and 2019 was no different, with one voter describing the team as, “always on the ball, always available, great communication and presence from them that makes you feel like you are a valued client. They also think TTL even though they are radio, the way they upsell their digital platforms is excellent”.

Another said that Mediamark is, “A great team that goes out of its way to immerse you into its brands. They have innovative ways of integrating information with sales.

Really awesome to deal with.”

As a relatively small team, United Stations always punches above its weight, so should feel proud of its third place ranking this year. A voter explained, “The United Stations team is always willing to go the extra mile to create tailored solutions for clients. They are present and readily available and can certainly be relied on to deliver premium proposals before the deadline.”

TELEVISION CATEGORY 2019 This year’s winner in the television category is e.tv. This was the team’s third category win in the MOST Awards, edging out DStv Media Sales for top spot. This year the category featured a newcomer in the top three rankings, Viacom (MTV).

Rank 1 2 3

Television 2019 e.tv DStv Media Sales Viacom (MTV)

Votes 124 144 87

MOST Score 7.61 7.52 7.22

In 2018 the e.tv team was ranked second in the television category, so its move into the top spot is surely satisfying for the team that impressed one respondent, who said, “e.tv sales staff are fantastic, which in our industry seems to be rare lately. Always willing to help, they go beyond to make a campaign happen.” Similarly, another said this about the team: “Sales team are always visible and engaging. Will go the extra mile and respond quickly to briefs and requests. Excellent admin. They’re one of the few media owners that do really cool stuff to build relationships with their media agency partners”.

Mediamark is the runner-up in the radio category in 2019, which pipped the United Stations team into third place. Mediamark has won the radio category on no fewer than eight previous occasions (four as Radmark and four as Mediamark), and was rated as the Media Owner of the Decade in the category at the 2018 MOST Awards.

Catching conversations The DStv Media Sales team must be wondering what it has to do to win the category again, having last won in 2016. The team has consistently received the most bestin-category votes over the years, with this year being no exception (72 best-in-category votes).

Immersed in brands So, while second position should be considered a positive result, it is likely the Mediamark team will be very eager

“The media owners that tend to do better are the ones that are in the office catching conversations and coming up with ideas to solve issues that creep up. The DStv

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MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

Media Sales team is very visible and involved. I have received more updates from them on their brands and upcoming innovative spaces than any of the others,” a voter said.

Another added, “They frequently share new, innovative and relevant information. Their knowledge of their own brands and of my client, are far beyond the norm. They are committed to building strong business relationships with agency people and with client. Their admin is also excellent.”

There is no doubt that the DStv Media Sales team is a strong and proud competitor, so media agencies should expect fireworks from them in future.

Upped their game From the following voter comment, it is evident that the Viacom team has worked hard to earn its third place ranking this year. “From having barely no interaction with Viacom to knowing exactly which stations they represent and exactly what their offerings are – they have upped their game 100%”. The Viacom team impressed another voter who said, “Viacom is absolutely a breeze to work with. Not only do they deliver with the best possible packages for our specific budget, but they always overachieve on ARs they promised. Speedy response and build a great relationship with the Viacom peeps.”

Cinema category 2019 There is no doubt that the Ster-Kinekor team is a strong, experienced and settled one that knows its stuff and how to deliver to its clients’ expectations. As one voter said, “Feels like a true partnership. Briefs are handled quickly and efficiently. Lots of passion for own brand and good strategic understanding of where cinema fits into the media landscape.” Said another, “They work very hard to maintain the love that people have for the cinema without suffocating them with the fast-growing world of marketing.” Notwithstanding the strong Ster-Kinekor results in recent years, the Cinevation Popcorn team has also always been highly

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rated, so much so that many respondents found it difficult to differentiate between the two. Others, however, believe, that the Cinevation Popcorn team is the best. One said: “Pro-active ideas – always looking at new ways on how to get clients on screen.”

Rank 1 2

Cinema 2019 Ster-Kinekor Sales Cinevation Popcorn

Average

Votes 88 53

MOST Score 7.89 7.67

142

142

The winner of the cinema category in 2019 is SterKinekor Sales, making it four category wins in a row.

OUT OF HOME CATEGORY 2019

This year saw a first-time win for Relativ Media in the out of home category.

Rank 1 2 3

Out of Home 2019 Relativ Media Primedia Outdoor Wideopen Platform

Votes 48 79 30

MOST Score 7.84 7.82 7.67

The Relativ Media team can be justifiably proud of its achievement considering the size (26 companies) and competitiveness of the category. Judging from some of the voters’ responses, it is evident the team has put in plenty of hard work to be able to compete at the highest level. One said, “They have really stepped up their game and have become a force to reckon with in the OOH segment.”

Another described the Relativ Media team as: “The way they have grown their business to build very strategic

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MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

inventory, as well as the impact of their work shows that they are very deliberate about excellence.

Their sales team is solid and always on the ball and their management is very involved, which is always refreshing.” A third added: “The pride they take in themselves and their company is phenomenal. They also make sure they position themselves and align themselves to the way the market dictates. They constantly put their best foot forward. It is always a pleasure dealing with them.”

The extra mile The runner-up in the category this year is Primedia Outdoor, followed by Wideopen Platform. The Primedia Outdoor team can consider itself unlucky, considering the tiny margin of difference between its overall MOST Awards score and that of the category winner.

A voter summed it up neatly: “Professional at all times, always thinking of a creative means of executing our campaigns. Going the extra mile time and time again”.

Another echoed this sentiment, “Primedia has amazing service excellence and is always ready to bring a solution to the table whether it be innovation or budget-wise.”

The Wideopen Platform team is new to the out of home podium, although it has ranked relatively frequently in the top five of the out of home category over the years. Voters were impressed with the team’s involvement, service delivery and their quality inventory.

the AdColony team achieved top scores across all of the sales performance criteria.

In addition, the team was described by a number of voters as particularly good at listening to their needs.

“AdColony is constantly innovating by listening to what we and our clients need. Their service delivery is excellent and they really do care about a campaign from start to finish. Their sales reps are all incredibly knowledgeable and willing to assist wherever possible,” explained one. Another said: “Always on time. Always eager to exceed expectations. Always willing to do great work”.

Rank 1 2 3

Digital 2019 AdColony Google The SpaceStation

Votes 59 56 50

MOST Score 8.40 7.63 7.14

The Google team and The SpaceStation followed, with Google retaining its second ranking from 2018 and The SpaceStation moving up from fifth last year to third this year. The Google team was described as, “Best products.

Collaborative. Intelligent sales team. Always innovating.

Best partners”, while another voter had this to say about The SpaceStation team: “They just know what to do. They seem to be growing by each campaign, the innovation is great and not to mention the involvement.”

DIGITAL CATEGORY 2019

Newspapers Category 2019

The digital category this year revealed a media owner that has built a significant gap between itself and its competitors from a MOST Awards perspective. A repeat of 2018, the AdColony team is ranked as the best media owner sales team in the digital category, an outstanding achievement. Clearly punching way above its weight,

Ads24 dominated the newspapers category this year.

They are clearly on a roll. In 2017, the company won this category and in 2018, it was placed second. Since then, the Ads24 team has built a significant space between itself and its perennial competitors, Tiso Blackstar Group and Spark Media (which didn’t place in the top three this year).

Outshining the rest! mmap.biz

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michele@mmap.biz +27 (11) 463 9835

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integrated outdoor solutions

MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

Rank 1 2 3

Newspapers 2019 Ads24 Tiso Blackstar Group The Citizen

Votes 121 72 31

MOST Score 8.06 7.67 7.55

The Ads24 team was rated particularly highly in the ‘Knowledge’ criterion this year, with a voter commenting: “Their knowledge of the media industry is second to none, client relationship is amazing. When presented with a client brief, they go the extra mile with regards to research and presenting 360 degree solutions that are innovative.”

Another said: “The Ads24 team goes above and beyond traditional newspaper print. They offer integrated solutions over multiple platforms and non-traditional print solutions. What sets them apart is their enthusiasm for innovation and the commitment of their team.”

The Tiso Blackstar Group team was described as: “Best innovation, sales team and editors deliver a world-class product, are very involved, are concerned about delivery to brief and are able to exceed expectations”. The Citizen sales team was last ranked in the top three in 2010, so makes a welcome return this year, filling the third placed position. The team was highly rated on its service delivery.

While the magazines category listed nine media owners in this year’s survey, only two achieved the minimum number of 30 votes to qualify.

of pressure on the category from a declining advertising sales perspective. Notwithstanding this, the category did deliver a dominant winner this year, namely the team from Media24 Lifestyle, which repeated its wins in 2018 and 2016 – a commendable achievement.

Rank 1 2 Average

Magazines 2019 Media24 Lifestyle Caxton Magazines

Votes 61 37 168

MOST Score 8.25 7.53 6.94

Clearly, the Media24 Lifestyle team is highly rated by clients, with one commenting: “They tick all the boxes – from knowledge of own brands, client brands, agency relationships, innovative thinking, walking the extra mile, excellent service delivery – you name it. Excellent.”

Another said: “Very good service levels and always visible in the agency, have persevered during tough times and always with a smile and positive attitude”.

The Caxton Magazines team has also been a perennial top performer in the MOST Awards, winning the category in 2014 and 2015 and usually never outside of the top three placings. This year the Caxton team was ranked second by quite a significant margin. However, one expects that the team will pull out all of the stops to eliminate the margin in future. Consistency has served Caxton Magazines well, with one respondent saying: “Constant contact even in times when we are not placing ads. Consistency, solutions and results driven”.

Media Sales Consultants Category 2019

Magazines Category 2019

LO HEL NA ME IS MY

Earl

While the magazines category listed nine media owners in this year’s survey, only two achieved the minimum number of 30 votes to qualify. It was unclear whether the brands in the category have been relatively less effective in making an impact within media agencies or whether this was indicative P 12

The Media Sales Consultants category has grown significantly in recent years. In 2016, when the category was introduced into the MOST Awards, there were five companies listed. In 2019 this rose to 15. This category growth is indicative of the dynamism in our industry, particularly with respect to technology. From a MOST Awards perspective, a ‘Media Sales Consultant’ is a company that does not wholly own nor have exclusive rights to sell media space on behalf of the brand/s that it represents. The winner in this category in 2019 is Ad Dynamo, which handles the Twitter brand.

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THE TOOLS HAVE CHANGED, BUT THE STORIES HAVE REMAINED.

STORYTELLING IN EVERY SHAPE AND FORM. P R I N T | D I G I TA L | T V | E V E N T S

Make sure your brand is part of the story – contact us on 011 877 6067 or elodie.booyens@media24.com

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MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

Rank Media Sales Consultants 2019 1 Ad Dynamo (Twitter) 2 Vicinity Media Average

Votes 36 31 244

MOST Score 8.15 7.98 7.58

From voters’ comments, it was evident the Ad Dynamo team is at the top of its game. One voter summed it up by describing the team as, “Just amazing. Excellent service, excellent people, and excellent media”. Vicinity Media, in second place this year, is clearly also a dynamic team. One voter described Vicinity Media as having, “Excellent technology, reporting, strategic thinking and forward thinking, which helps drive deeper business conversations”. Another voter said that: “The consultants always know what they are talking about and always challenge the industry norm with innovation.”

helpful, reliable and in general just amazing.” The second placed team, Mediamark, delivers the digital function within the broader Mediamark offering. They are a strong performer in the MOST Awards, having placed third in the digital category in 2017 and 2018. Similarly, Massiv Media, ranked third in this category this year, won the overall MOST Award for Media Owners in 2017 and was ranked third out of all media owners in 2018, proving that you do not necessarily need to be big to be the best.

MOST Award 2019 – Media Owners

Lamb Award for Media Owners 2019

The winner of the MOST Award for Media Owners is AdColony, repeating this fantastic achievement for a second time in succession. Clearly, the AdColony team has taken media advertising sales to a new level, delivering top-notch service to its clients. The following comments from voters sum up the team: • The Lamb Award is awarded to a media owner from any category that does not achieve the minimum 30 votes to qualify for the MOST Award, but which got between 25 and 29 votes, so just missing it. Generally, the media owners that win the Lamb Award are either smaller companies or those that are more niche focused with respect to their service or product offering. Notwithstanding this, large corporate brands are not precluded from the category, provided they received the required 25-29 votes.

This year Exponential Media is the winner of the Lamb Award for Media Owners.

Rank 1 2 3

Media Owner Lamb Award 2019 Exponential Media (Digital) Mediamark (Digital) Massiv Media (OOH)

Votes 27 28 29

Most Score 8.02 7.65 7.63

The Exponential Media team, which operates in the digital media category, was simply described by a respondent as: “Nothing is ever an issue with these guys. They are smart,

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•

“Excellent service, proactive approach, customised client solutions.”

“Outstanding, innovative, methodical, and all underpinned by data that proves their worth in gold.”

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 7 10 11 12 13 14 15

Top Media Owners 2019 Votes Most Score AdColony 59 8.40 Media24 Lifestyle 61 8.25 Ads24 121 8.06 Ster-Kinekor Sales 88 7.89 Relativ Media 48 7.84 Primedia Outdoor 79 7.82 Tiso Blackstar Group 72 7.67 Cinevation Popcorn 53 7.67 Wideopen Platform 30 7.67 Google 56 7.63 e.tv 124 7.61 Primedia Broadcasting 129 7.57 The Citizen 31 7.55 Caxton Magazines 37 7.53 Ad Outpost 30 7.53

Category Digital Magazines Newspapers Cinema Out of Home Out of Home Newspapers Cinema Out of Home Digital Television Radio Newspapers Magazines Out of Home

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MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

The winners of the magazines and newspapers categories, Media24 Lifestyle and Ads24, were ranked second and third overall respectively this year, demonstrating the great strides that the group has made in recent years. The Media24 Lifestyle team “strives to do things differently and always has innovative ways to deliver to client requests,” said one respondent. Another voter said, “I work closely with the team on a daily basis and there are never any issues. They are always quick to respond, innovative and very involved. Their service delivery is outstanding.”

Not to be outdone by its magazines counterpart, someone described Ads24 as having the ability to “constantly innovate and engage and iterate their offering.

They’re not stuck in the ‘old-way’ of doing things, but are always looking for new ways to package their offering to create entirely new opportunities that benefit my brands”.

MOST FOR MARKETING SERVICES 2019

The MOST Award for Marketing Services excellence was introduced in 2018, with the inaugural winner being Mediamark. Marketing services is considered by most people to be an integral support function to advertising sales, as well as a vitally important organisational function in its own right. In 2018, during the planning and development of the new award, four performance criteria were identified as most important from a marketing services perspective: • Market intelligence – Data and research analyses, adding value to client presentations, packaging relevant information to address client briefs; • Relationship building – Relevant activations and events in support of the sales function; • Trade marketing – Strategy, brand management, advertising, collateral, and campaign management; • Reputation management – Communications strategy, company reputation and image management, thought leadership, public relations, and social media.

As with the MOST for Media Owners and MOST for Media Agencies components of the MOST Awards survey, respondents were asked to rank these four criteria in order of importance. The criteria rankings’ scores were then P 16

used to weight the criteria scores given to each company.

This year, the four criteria were ranked in importance as follows: Ranking Score 1.

Relationship building 7.81 2.

Marketing intelligence 7.78 3.

Trade marketing 7.35 4.

Reputation management 7.05 Rank 1 2 3

Marketing Services 2019 Ads24 Mediamark DStv Media Sales

Votes 41 46 40

MOST Score 8.62 7.94 7.91

The winner of the MOST Awards for Marketing Services in 2019 is Ads24.

Ranked third last year, the Ads24 team must be pleased with displacing last year’s winner of the category, Mediamark, into second place this year.

The Ads24 marketing services team has made a big impact with its media agency clients and partners this year. Numerous respondents specifically mentioned the fun and educational events run by the team. One respondent said: “Their events are great fun and are educational too, whether it be about their titles or about the future of the world. Their Food for Thought event was a huge eye-opener.” Another said: “The campaigns rolled out to clients from Ads24 are innovative, informative and

Ranked third last year, the Ads24 team must be pleased with displacing last year’s winner of the category, Mediamark, into second place this year. entertaining. This makes it extremely valuable to their clients. Their Food for Thought events are mind blowing.”

A third voter had this to say: “Ads24 makes an incredible effort at all stakeholder levels to engage and inform not only our industry, but our clients as well. They go far beyond the muffin and a coffee.” And arguably the biggest compliment of the lot, a voter said: “Each year we are surprised by their innovative, interactive campaigns that support the sales force to achieve their goals.” That is the most important role of marketing services.

The Mediamark marketing services team, ranked second in the category this year, is a very effective and highly rated unit. One voter explained: “They do different roadshows and host In the Know events which I find The Media | themediaonline.co.za

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2019/08/22

11:05

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HOT OFF THE PRESS!

Winning a MOST 2019 Award is big news.

Congratulations to all the winners.

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MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

very insightful. They bring fresh data to the table and not just BRC data.” Another said: “They have implemented their In the Know series and have committed to training and educating the industry by sharing their marketing intelligence and keeping up with industry changes and technology.” A third shared this view: “They keep their marketing campaigns up to date and fresh. They always have different and exciting activations – not death by PowerPoint. Adding real insight and value to the brands they represent.”

The DStv Media Sales marketing services team, ranked second in the category last year, was relegated into third place this year. Notwithstanding this, any company that underestimates the efficacy of the marketing services effort in supporting the media sales teams will do so at its own peril. One respondent summed this up neatly: “Marketing services’ strategies and brand marketing complement and support their DStv Media Sales team.

Evaluating their performance based on these four criteria, they offer the full onestop-shop deal. Their sound communication strategies, brand management, advertising of the medium and events in particular, stand out in the industry.”

The Marketing Services category is smoking hot and going to grow into something special. Watch this space.

agencies, and an especially high score for its ‘Knowledge of Client Brands’. One respondent said: “They know the industry in which they are based and their knowledge of client brand is fantastic. The research they put into client and product planning goes above what is needed. They are a great company to work with.”

Rank 1 2 3

Specialist Media Agencies 2019 Alphabet Soup Posterscope TMI Media

Votes 43 32 35

MOST Score 7.72 7.66 7.28

Alphabet Soup has been a strong competitor in the MOST Awards over the years, so has clearly found the right recipe for working with media owner partners. A voter offered this sentiment: “They are engaged with

media owners and their clients. They are aware of Est. 1993 the needs of their clients and media partners and try MOST for Media Agencies and accommodate each as 2019 effectively as possible. They A total of 1 246 votes were are a small specialist agency cast by media owners in You’d dig it the MOST operating effectively as a the 2019 MOST Awards Vincent - John Travolta team and deliver exceptional survey. Media agencies Pulp Fiction (1994) results.” were segmented into two A third said, “They are a categories, ‘specialist media small and very agile agency agencies’ and ‘full-service that knows the media industry media agencies’. For the extremely well. They hire MOST Awards, a specialist good staff and nurture them agency is defined as a to become very professional media experts.” company that either provides in-house planning and/ Specialist, out of home media agency, Posterscope, was or buying for one media type only, or a company that ranked second in the category this year. A respondent provides either in-house planning or buying for one or described the team as being “incredibly knowledgeable in more media types. A full-service agency is a company new technologies and the full media landscape. They are providing in-house planning and buying for more than usually one of the first to adopt a new advancement in one media type. In 2019, a total of 13 specialist agencies the industry. They are easy to connect with and generally and 26 full-service agencies were listed in the survey. make time to see you and are open to helping us improve and learn”. Another said: “They are responsible for a Specialist Agencies Category 2019 wide range of brands/clients in various categories, which The winner of the Specialist Agencies Category, making it means they need a myriad of solutions for their clients. three in a row, is Alphabet Soup. The team achieved high They stay fresh and current by engaging media owners rating scores across all six of the ranking criteria for media

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The Media | themediaonline.co.za

MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

through knowledge sharing and collaboration so they can deliver first, best, or both to their clients.”

TMI Media is a relative newcomer to the media industry, so its third place ranking in a short space of time is impressive. A respondent said of the TMI Media team: “They consistently deliver good work that looks beyond the norms and is well researched to deliver the best results for their clients. They are transparent and not insecure about having open discussions with clients and media owners.” Another said: “They are an amazing bunch of people, passionate about what they do and so willing to share their knowledge and collaborate in the best interest of their clients.”

Trust, at scale.

Mobile

Video

Full-Service Agencies Category 2019

Social Display C

M

Y

Based on its MOST Awards rankings in previous years, it is unlikely that anyone would be surprised to hear that The MediaShop Johannesburg has won it again this year. However, few people would have expected three companies in the same group to take the top three rankings.

An incredible achievement, The MediaShop Johannesburg, The MediaShop Cape Town and the group’s new agency, Meta Media Johannesburg were ranked first, second and third respectively in this year’s full-service agencies category.

CM

MY

Programmatic

CY

CMY

Rank 1 2 3

Full-Service Media Agencies 2019 The MediaShop (Johannesburg) The MediaShop (Cape Town) Meta Media (Johannesburg)

Votes 84 41 46

MOST Score 8.12 8.02 7.76

K

Audiences

Native

Data

HELLO

IS MY NA ME

Earl

MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

Fifty voters rated The MediaShop Johannesburg as the best in category, and gave their reasons for this. One said: “They are consistently a great agency to work with...

They are trying to help educate the industry through their Landscape Series of talks. They have retained good staff with many of their employees having worked there for long periods. They welcome media owners as partners.”

Another said: “They welcome discussions about doing things differently, but most importantly they embrace the basic fundamentals of media strategy and planning, which I think a lot of agencies have lost in an attempt to chase and demonstrate innovation.”

A third said: “The MediaShop continues to stand out as a media agency. They have stand-out values including professionalism, an open door policy, collaboration, communication, extensive knowledge, sharing of media insights, industry vision, and commitment to partners (clients and media owners). It is a pleasure to work with them, always.” With comments like these, and another 47 like them, it is no wonder that The MediaShop Johannesburg has won the MOST Award for Full-Service Agencies seven times in the last 10 years, including the Agency of the Decade title in 2018.

Also in The MediaShop stable, The MediaShop Cape Town makes a first-time appearance in the top three rankings. The Cape Town team achieved a particularly high score for the ‘Knowledge of Clients’ criteria as well as high scores for the other criteria. A voter explained: “The team is professional and enthusiastic and passionate about the clients they represent in the market. They always take time to build relationships with media owners and are open to new and innovative ways of delivering to their clients. They are a wonderful team to work with.”

Another said: “The staff makes the difference; they’re

With comments like these, and another 47 like them, it is no wonder that The MediaShop Johannesburg has won the MOST Award for full-service agencies seven times in the last 10 years very approachable and willing to get your brand to their clients.”

Making it a MOST Awards slam-dunk this year, newcomer to the industry, Meta Media Johannesburg, was described by one respondent as: “Consistent and professional. They communicate with us regularly on their clients’ needs and give feedback in a very constructive manner.” Another said, “Working with them feels like a partnership. Appetite for risk – they are open to testing new products. Very open about client needs and challenges, making it easier for media owners to create relevant products.”

LAMB AWARD FOR MEDIA AGENCIES 2019

The 2019 Lamb Award for Media Agencies goes to Initiative Media Cape Town, making it two-in-a-row. The Cape Town-based, full-service agency achieved high scores for every performance criterion, with particularly high scores for ‘Professionalism’ and ‘Communication and Collaboration’. A voter commented: “They are a small team of five ladies; however, they always make time to meet. They share information and they listen to what is happening in our (media owner) space. They are honest and not afraid to take a proposal to their clients. Unlike many agencies that just do what clients say... they push boundaries.”

Rank 1 2 3 Average

Media Agency Lamb Award 2019 Votes Initiative Media (Cape Town) 28 FCB Africa 26 Carat (Cape Town) 28 82

MOST Score 7.79 7.25 7.07

IS A BRAND’S BRIDGE TO RELEVANCE.

A Global Communications Agency Built to Grow Brands Through Culture

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MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

FCB Africa takes second place in the Media Agency Lamb Award category.

The FCB Africa team was described as bringing “fun and entertainment to the advertising world. They always hit the nail on the head. FCB is one of the few agencies that understands the South African market and its diversity”. Third ranked Carat Cape Town was described as “super organised” and particularly good with its communication.

MOST Award 2019 – Media Agencies

They are most professional, most innovative and engage the most with media owners.

A large focus is placed on staff training; they pride themselves on relationships The overall winner of the MOST Award for Media Agencies in 2019 is The MediaShop Johannesburg.

The MediaShop Cape Town earned a commendable second place and Meta Media Johannesburg took third place in this year’s overall agency rankings.

Rank Media Agency 2019 Votes The MediaShop 1 84 (Johannesburg) The MediaShop 2 41 (Cape Town) Meta Media 3 46 (Johannesburg) 4 Alphabet Soup 43 5 Posterscope 32 5 MediaCom 42 7 PHD 78 8 Wavemaker 50 9 Vizeum (Johannesburg) 53 10 Carat (Johannesburg) 45

MOST Score

Category

8.12

Full-service

8.02

Full-service

7.76

Full-service

7.72 7.66 7.66 7.64 7.58 7.50 7.47

Specialist Specialist Full-service Full-service Full-service Full-service Full-service

There is no doubt that from a MOST Awards perspective, The MediaShop is king, now having won the overall award seven times in 10 years. Many voters rated The MediaShop Johannesburg as the best-of-the-best and gave some insightful perspectives: •

•

“Progressive and understanding of the landscape, The MediaShop is always open to collaborate and actively pursues engagement with media owners. They are consistent throughout the teams, at all levels (planners, strategists and buyers). They always make time and provide honest and open feedback.”

“They are about long-term relationships that are fair and where you feel they are your partners. They are honest with their feedback, very knowledgeable about their clients and open to innovation which they are

9 MONTHS OLD, WITH 30 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE.

Don’t let our age fool you. Park Advertising is the holding company of Meta Media and The MediaShop. With 30 years of history and experience, our agency group is not just award-winning, we also specialise in providing best-in-class communication solutions for our clients. For more info visit parkadvertising.co.za The Media | themediaonline.co.za

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MOST AWARDS 2019 RESULTS

•

quick to tell you will either work, not work or what to improve on. They are always involved and walk the journey with you.”

In this industry, media owners are not treated well. We are expected to pay for parties that we aren’t even hosting, we get undercut and taken advantage of. The MediaShop go out of their way to curb that behaviour.

They see us as partners, not just suppliers, and it is a nice change that we hope to see filter through to the rest of the industry.”

A voter summed up The MediaShop Johannesburg succinctly: “They are most professional, most innovative and engage the most with media owners. A large focus is placed on staff training; they pride themselves on relationships. As an agency, they are pioneering the way forward for their clients, media owners and staff. They don’t just say fancy things, they act on them too. Other agencies can learn a thing or two from The MediaShop JHB.”

Brad Aigner has 30-years’ experience in media and market research. Aigner has worked as a media analyst, media planner and media director on various local and international brands. He has worked as the Sales & Marketing Director at the publisher of Business Day and Financial Mail, and later as the MD of Universal McCann South Africa.

Aigner has a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and an M.B.A Degree from the Wits Business School.

Nicole Banks has a Master’s degree in research psychology. She completed her internship at SABC Content Enterprises, where she gained extensive experience. She has five years research across a variety of sectors in quantitative and qualitative research.

MOST AWARDS: Media Owner Legend

Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee

The vivacious smile on

the face of the tiger In her early 40s, Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee is considered by some to be too young to be a Media Owner Legend. Yet the accomplished CEO of DStv Media Sales is being honoured at the 2019 MOST Awards as a legend in the industry, despite some fierce competition for the honour. By GLENDA NEVILL. Fierce competition is not something Cassim-Surtee is afraid of. After all, this is a woman who is a qualified soccer commentator and linesman, and was the first woman in South Africa to apply for a boxing referee licence. At the time, she was an ad sales rep at City Press with a sideline in sports reporting.

The Media | themediaonline.co.za

In retrospect, she told the Future Leader Forum, she believed she ought to apply to be a professional referee to prove she knew about boxing. “During that part of my career I constantly faced discrimination just because I was a woman.

But, it’s the challenges that make us stronger, so we have to face them head on,” she says.

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MOST AWARDS: Media Owner Legend

Cassim-Surtee was appointed CEO of DStv Media Sales when television started facing its own challenges, those posed by streaming TV and video on demand. With consumers in the pound seat, the question arose on how to monetise the new ways of watching, as the 30-second TV ad started going the way of massive print ad campaigns.

Cassim-Surtee remains unfazed. TV, she says, is the most evolved medium of our time in terms of hardware and content. Changes in consumer behaviour and ‘tellyporting’ are a reality. “My view is that the TV landscape will become even more exciting. More choice due to more players in the market will bring more viewer fragmentation,” she says. “We have to embrace the change and offer advertisers the opportunity to be a part of content everywhere; our solutions need to be more bespoke for the future,” she told The Media recently.

‘I can do anything’ The eligibility criteria for being considered a Media Owner Legend are that contenders must be consistent performers with a strong reputation for transparency. They display leadership, passion, commitment, mentorship, inspiration, consistency, wisdom and are relationship builders, and brilliant negotiators, involved internally and within the media sector.

Being a strong leader means not just surviving the downturns and challenges, but seeing them as an opportunity.

That is a strength inherent in Cassim-Surtee, whose motto is, “I can do anything even if it scares me.” Consumers complaining about pricing and repeats? Threats from new video channels? Make a plan. “Like most businesses, we are impacted by tough economic conditions that impact our customers. We are fortunate to have a business that provides great value, irrespective of which of our subscription packages you take up,” says Cassim-Surtee. “When circumstances change, we offer an opportunity to upgrade for an even greater variety of content.”

Cassim-Surtee has been with DStv Media Sales for nearly 22 years. In that time, she has worked her way through commercial sales, handling sponsorships, and leading the sales team until she became sales and marketing director, and then CEO. Ballsey salesperson “Fahmeeda is always passionate about her brand and always engaged with her clients. She ensures that business does not get in the way of relationships, but she also doesn’t allow relationships to get in the way of business. It is a fine line walked by only a handful of successful media sales executives over the years,” says Gordon Muller, himself a former Media Agency Legend.

“But beware the vivacious smile on the face of the tiger; she is a tough negotiator. Once the deal is done, though, you always have the reassurance of knowing that what she says she will do, she will do. And what she says can’t be done, can’t be done,” he adds.

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That’s a sentiment echoed by Magnetic Connection’s Virginia Hollis. “I’ve known Fahmeeda since she started at DStv, so I’ve seen her rise through the ranks. From a ballsy sales person to a dynamic businesswoman, I even had a pet name for her in the day! She is extremely energetic, charismatic and charming, and is a great person to deal with as she calls it like she sees it.

Being a strong leader means not just surviving the downturns and challenges, but seeing them as an opportunity.

“What I think I most admire about Fahmeeda is that she doesn’t like saying no, she always wants to find a solution even when the problem seems insurmountable,” says Hollis.

Prior to joining the company, she worked as a freelance sports journalist and boxing correspondent for the SABC. But moving into the commercial side of the media industry meant upskilling.

Cassim-Surtee had no hesitation in adding to her skills. She’s studied at Wits Business School, Harvard Business School’s executive education facility, and the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Clearly, her dedication has paid off.

“There are times when one wonders about industry awards; this isn’t one of them,” says Muller. “It is well deserved. And I don’t even have to say to Fahmeeda, ‘enjoy the celebration’, because that’s the other thing about her; she’s not scared to join the party.”

Career highlights Oct 1992 – Dec 1997: Advertising sales, City Press.

Features writer, live sports events, cricket, boxing, African football.

Jan 1996 – Jan 2003: Freelance sports reporter/SABC boxing correspondent.

Jan 1998: Joined DStv. Worked in commercial sales, sponsorship. Became group sales and marketing director.

Jan 1999 – Jan 2004: Freelance sports journalist.

2003: University of Stellenbosch Business School. MMP. 2006: Wits Business School. Marketing management.

2007: GIMT. Media leadership programme.

2011: Wits Business School. Negotiation skills.

2013: Harvard Business School. Programme for leadership development.

2014: Harvard Business School. Advanced negotiation skills.

2015: Stellenbosch University. Extended degree programme.

The Media | themediaonline.co.za

MOST AWARDS: Media AGENCY Legend

A long overdue award for humble legend Dawn Rowlands With a career spanning over 30 years in media, Dawn Rowlands’ accomplishments and contributions to the media sector are certainly the stuff of which legends are made. By MICHAEL BRATT. From becoming the media director of the third largest agency in South Africa at the age of 26, to founding Posterscope and then laying deep roots at Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) as its CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa, Dawn Rowlands is the deserving winner of this year’s MOST Awards Media Agency Legend Award.

A person who works closely with her is Koo Govender, CEO for Dentsu Aegis (South Africa). “Dawn has a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge within the industry as well as the strong ability and passion to guide and empower individuals along the way. She is my go-to person with a wealth of knowledge – my Google and Toolkit,” she says. “Dawn is always willing to help and assist no matter what time of the day it is, and she is committed to every single task she is given as well as to the media industry.”

Govender lists being business savvy, competitive, hard working, decisive, loyal, ambitious, brave, humble, and innovative as some of the ingredients in Rowlands’ recipe for success, but says she also has integrity, passion, and determination, traits which ensure she stays at the top of her game.

Driving business expansion across Africa On the business side, she has driven DAN Sub-Saharan Africa Network’s growth on the continent, expanding its footprint in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania; taking the agency group from five owned markets to 10 in just six months with over 1 500 staff.

She has played a pivotal role in building the Dentsu Aegis Network’s reputation through thought leadership programmes, as well as her personal awards, accolades and presence at the industries top awards ceremonies.

An award-winning individual Her raft of personal accolades include starting over 10 businesses in Africa, the Gold Stevie Award for Maverick of the Year (2012), and being named AdReview Advertising Dawn Rowlands P 30

The Media | themediaonline.co.za

Redefining Media We do this through understanding and activating real people in media to drive business performance.

@carat.ssa @CaratSouthAfrica www.carat.com

MOST AWARDS: Media AGENCY Legend

Achiever of the Year (2012), South Africa’s businesswoman of the Year (corporate) by the Business Women’s Association of South Africa (2012), Nedbank Business Woman of the Year (2013), and Access International Business Woman of the Year (2013).

“As the leaders of the Dentsu Aegis Network SA and SSA, we spend a lot of our time travelling for business and these trips would never be the same without Dawn by my side. After long, stressful, busy days we always seem to be able to squeeze in some last minute shopping and a glass or two of fine, red wine together while we reflect on the day. Dawn has a serious sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) from a business and entertainment level, which is evident in her being the last one at the party and the first one at the meeting the next morning,” adds Govender.

Adelaide McKelvey, CEO and founder of iAfricaHub, who has known Rowlands for over 15 years, recounts the “quite interesting” early years of their professional relationship, as the two found themselves on opposite sides of the negotiation table.

Genius commercial know-how “Dawn is intuitively smart and has the ability to outwit her opponents at every angle. I would like to attribute that to female intuition, but actually it’s real genius commercial know-how – a skill that I have always admired of Dawn’s.

She is considered and very hard to disagree with, yet we always managed to find a win-win for both our respective businesses, as she also always remains fair,” comments McKelvey.

“She has the courage of her convictions and has proven many sceptics wrong in the past two decades. Her open minded and innovative approach to media has worked in her favour. Dawn does not follow the masses and very definitely follows her own path. She is wise to what works on our continent and is quick to adapt and find the fastest route to successful outcomes. I have always admired Dawn’s tenacity and drive as she has built one successful business after the next,” she adds.

To qualify as a Media Agency Legend, the candidate has to be a consistent performer with a strong reputation in the industry. They need to have characteristics such as leadership, passion, commitment, mentorship, inspiration, relationship builder, brilliant negotiator, consistency, wisdom, involvement internally and within the media sector; someone who sets the bar for future leaders.

Rowlands certainly possesses all of them, and she can definitely be placed in the same class as previous winners, who include the late Gordon Patterson, Virginia Hollis, Gordon Muller, Michelle Meyjes, Harry Herber, Rob Smuts, Bryan Gibson and Celia Collins.

McKelvey sums up many people’s sentiments perfectly when she says: “This award is so long overdue. Dawn has been a legend long before the award. Her many successes P 32

Educational and career history 1985: Graduated matric at Camps Bay High 1987: Top media student, Communication and Media Studies at AAA School of Advertising 1988 – 1990: Media planner, Bates Wells 1990 – 1991: Sales executive, Capital Radio Network 1991 – 1996: Media strategist, Ogilvy 1996 – 1998: Media director, DDB 1998 – 2003: Shareholder, Nota Bene 2003 – 2009: CEO and founder, Posterscope 2010 – Present: CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa, Dentsu Aegis Network

in the media industry speak for themselves. She is one of the hardest working, most dedicated individuals I know and is a well deserving recipient of this award. Sincerity is hard to find in the media industry. Yet I have always respected Dawn’s honest approach to everything she does. She is a gem and an indisputable media legend.”

Michael Bratt is a journalist for The Media Online and The Media, titles in the Tiso Blackstar Group.

He has a Bachelor of Journalism degree with Honours from Rhodes University. He is the current deputy president of the Johannesburg Chapter of the Professional Speakers Association of South Africa.

The Media | themediaonline.co.za

ACCELERATING BUSINESS GROWTH THROUGH MEDIA.

CAPE TOWN Mezzanine Level |West Block I Upper Eastside 31 Brickfield Road | Salt River | Cape Town PO Box 16016 | Vlaeberg | 8018 021 442 5870 JOHANNESBURG Building 1 | First Floor | Albury Office Park Albury Road | Dunkeld West | Hyde Park Johannesburg |South Africa | 2196 011 507 9000 The Media | themediaonline.co.za

Anne.vanrensburg@vizeum.com Byron.John@vizeum.com

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THERE ARE 2 SIDES TO EVERY STORY FACT

MOST AWARDS: Media Owner Rising Star

Digital driver Kerri Prissman: A star on the rise

OPINION

We tell the stories that mainstream media often skirt. Our publication attracts an educated, affluent & refined national audience who expect fact over opinion.

OVERVIEW Mainbody: Definitive source of news & investigative news.

Business: 385 000 quality business readers (second most read business title).

Education: Informs educators & government on the sector.

Friday: The go-to for lifestyle, travel, arts & culture.

Readership: Our print readership of 427 000/week and 1.1million unique browsers/month drive the economy, actively transform society and always influence debate. They are high income earning, upper LSM individuals who work full time, or are self-employed. They enjoy new technologies, such as online and social media.

P 34 For more: mg.co.za/page/advertising-1/

Kerri Prissman

This year’s Media Owner Rising Star winner is passionate about all things digital, and isn’t shy about educating and giving back to the media industry around this medium. By IZA GREK. “Insatiable, fantastic, incredible” are just a few of the words that describe the attributes of this year’s Media Owner Rising Star Award recipient, Google’s agency relationship manager in South Africa, Kerri Prissman.

She is a worthy winner of this accolade, with a proven appetite for doing the best – and then some – for clients.

“Kerri has made a commendable contribution to the industry through her hunger for knowledge and her insatiable passion for people and the industry,” says Celia Collins, who heads up Amplifi South Africa.

Education is key She strives to push her client and agency teams to better their market positioning, driving a collaborative and forward-thinking agenda. She is also an active member The Media | themediaonline.co.za

MOST AWARDS: Media Owner Rising Star

of the IAB education council and is passionate about creating educational and job opportunities in the digital space.

Prissman’s knowledge of the media landscape coupled with her passion for data and technology make her a force to be reckoned with and a worthy recipient of the award.

With skills transfer in her domain and her staggering grasp of everything tech, “She will train the most junior person in our organisation to the most senior, and her ability to understand the digital sector is phenomenal,” says Clare Trafankowska, digital director at Carat.

Chris Botha, group managing director of Park Advertising, says that Prissman is “second to none” in terms of industry training and “the work she’s done on training people on Google platforms has been astounding. I think she really does drink the cool aid and she buys in 100%. She’s fantastic”.

Passionate partner Adds Collins, “Kerri has been the most incredible partner to work with and we do not use the term ‘partner’ lightly. She has an innate knack for balancing her Google mandate with what is best for (and required by) both the client and agency.”

Collins also comments on her energy and drive. “As someone who goes above and beyond in terms of demonstrating value, no task is too small, nor too great for her.”

Says Trafankowska, “Kerri has been an incredible asset in terms of partnering with the Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) throughout the business, and at all levels: from senior management through to delivering high-level and impactful workshops for various implementation teams.

As a market leader, Prissman balances tenacity with empathy. Tranfankowska adds, “Kerri encompasses a true salesperson, pushes where needed, understands what she is selling and has an enormous passion for what she is selling, partners with the right people to gain knowledge and has compassion. She is always up for a fun session and always

The Media | themediaonline.co.za

does everything with a smile. Kerri has the makings of a real star!”

In a word, “outstanding”, and a well-deserving recipient of this year’s Media Owner Rising Star Award at the MOST Awards.

career history 2010: University of Cape Town – Tutor, Department of Philosophy 2011: Essential Trawl – Online Promotor 2012: Reqoop – Digital marketing assistant 2013: Aqua Online – Digital media lead 2014: Google - Local partner coordinator 2015: Google - Agency relationship manager

Iza Grek is an editor, subeditor, blogger and awardwinning journalist based in Johannesburg. Her interests include media and advertising, personal development, psychology, and lifestyle and organisational development.

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MOST AWARDS: Media AGENCY RISING STAR

The long-haired, fresh-faced boy who’s become an exceptional media mind Having been a finalist for the Media Agency Rising Star Award last year (narrowly missing out to winner and then-colleague Ricardo Lopes), it’s now Julio Rodrigues’ time to be in the spotlight. By MICHAEL BRATT. A familiar face around the OMD offices, having worked there in various roles for the past five and a half years, Julio Rodrigues has established quite the reputation for himself in the industry with clients and media owners.

His LinkedIn profile is testament to his popularity, with him having received 23 recommendations. One of them, written by former Standard Bank chief marketing and communication officer, Nikki Twomey, stands out and gives Rodrigues a ringing endorsement.

“Julio is a valuable partner to the Standard Bank marketing team. He is knowledgeable about our business and provides clear thinking on the best way to maximise media opportunities. He bases his reasoning on sound facts and analysis. I have found him to be extremely responsive and delivery orientated. Nothing I ask is too much trouble and his passion for what he does shines through in all our engagements. He has a collaborative, co-operative style and his friendly and engaging personality make it a pleasure to work with him,” it reads.

Julio Rodriguez P 36

His massive contribution In his current role as business unit director for Standard Bank at OMD, Rodrigues still works closely with the banking group.

But both OMD managing director Marco Santos, and Josh Dovey, CEO of Omnicom Media Group Africa, stress his contributions to the agency group go far beyond this single account, as well as the scope of his job title.

“Julio gets involved across multiple spheres of the business, but remains true to the clients’ needs and knows how to prioritise relevant projects.

Historically, strategy was at the core of Julio’s function. To date he has shown exceptional versatility across all business demands,” says Santos.

Progressive thinking and an eagerness to challenge norms are just two of the characteristics Santos believes make The Media | themediaonline.co.za

MOST AWARDS: Media AGENCY RISING STAR

Educational and career history 2004: Graduated matric at Kings School West Rand

2012 – 2013: Media and digital strategist, OMD Media Direction

2005 – 2007: Monash University – BCom, Marketing and Management

2013 – 2014: Head of convergence, Mediamark

2008 – 2009: University of Johannesburg – BCom Honours, Marketing Management

2014 – 2015: Head of media strategy, OMD Media Direction 2015 – 2016: Strategy director, OMD Media Direction

2009 – 2010: Media (digital) strategist, Mindshare

2016 – Present: Business unit director for Standard Bank, OMD Media Direction

2010 – 2012: Channel strategist, Nota Bene

shear brilliance, shear excellence, shear beauty, shear style, not just shear luck, shear willpower, shear envy, shear leader, shear euphoria, shear persistence, shear delight, shear joy, shear determination, shear fact, shear exception, shear wonder, shear tenacity, shear potential, shear flattery, shear emotion, shear AWARDS 2019

Mail&Guardian AFRICA’S BEST READ

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Rodrigues a rising star. Indeed these are contained in the criteria for the Rising Star Award, along with other traits such as excellent relationship skills, being open minded, innovative, confident, outspoken, and decisive. The Rising Star is also described as a person who is “involved in the industry, can be considered a game changer and is developing a profile, someone to watch”.

In Rodrigues’ LinkedIn bio, he says his career goal is, “to make a difference wherever I go and stretch myself in everything I do”. He adds, “I’m a passionate, creative thinking, business minded, straight talking, result driven individual. I’m excited by new challenges and believe in the importance of team work.”

The roots maketh the man Someone who is familiar with the Media Agency Rising Star Award (having won it last year) and Rodrigues (having previously worked with him) is Ricardo Lopes, group account director at Dentsu Redstar.

Lopes points to Rodrigues’ roots and upbringing as a major contributor to his character and successes.

“Anyone that knows Jules, knows that he is a straight talking voice in the industry. I have often had to hold back a chuckle or two, at some of the remarks he has made to fellow professionals and clients alike (irrespective of title or position).

“However, to understand Julio, is to understand where he comes from. Growing up in a hardworking, entrepreneurial family, he started working in the family business at a young age, which is where he probably gained his talents for negotiating and dealing with confrontation. I remember, in the first couple of years (in the industry), he would still go help at the family restaurant every Friday evening, without fail,” he says with admiration.

“This upbringing has created, arguably, one of the best commercial minds in the industry now and one that is committed to the improvement of any business he leads. In the 10 years we have been in the industry together, I have seen a long-haired, fresh-faced boy become an exceptional media mind and inspiring, thoughtful leader to the people he works with.”

A client-centered approach Dovey lauds Rodrigues for the way he deals with clients.

“He gets things done and is totally honest in his views.

Clients value this enormously. In his position he makes a huge contribution. He is a team builder and very hands on. Clients know he has their back,” Dovey says.

Rodrigues joins an elite group of previous Media Agency Rising Star Award winners, which includes Chris Botha, Ryan Williams, Tanya Schreuder, Wayne Bishop, Ilan Lazarus and Ricardo Lopes.

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MOST AWARDS: Shepherd Award

with Robert Rudd, they’re really making some serious inputs into our industry research.”

Brenda Wortley

The special one leading the flock The MOST Awards’ Shepherd Award celebrates selfless contributions to the media and marketing industry, honouring an individual who has given a great deal for the betterment of the sector. It is fitting that this year’s winner is media research doyenne, Brenda Wortley. By MICHAEL BRATT. Describing herself as a “truth seeker”, “curious about people”, and “passionate about technology and data, and how the two can be used together to improve business intelligence” in her LinkedIn bio, Brenda Wortley has over 25 years of experience in the communications industry and in pioneering research development.

“If you look at her lifetime in this industry and what she’s given back to the research field, she’s really led,” comments Virginia Hollis, strategic media director at Magnetic Connection. “Different thinking. And where she’s working now

The Media | themediaonline.co.za

Driving and pioneering media research Indeed, Wortley has been at the forefront of media research many times. She previously served on various technical committees at the now defunct South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF), and later at the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRC), was instrumental in implementing and managing the return path data panel (DStv-i) for MultiChoice, and she currently assists in auditing TAM panels around the world. She has also contributed to various local media publications and training programmes.

Independent media consultant Britta Reid shares similar sentiments as Hollis about Wortley, praising her for her long, tireless and intelligent service to the industry.

“She thinks before she speaks, and when she speaks she does so with respect. While she commits absolutely, she remains objective and fair. She epitomises integrity and humility. I am deeply impressed by her willingness to count herself among those who failed at SAARF, but then worked determinedly to fix the problems,” Reid elaborates.

Good heartedness and altruism Wortley’s determination, good heartedness and altruism also shine through in her charity work. The eight Comrades Marathons that she has run were dedicated to raising funds for Hearts of Hope, an organisation that she has been involved with for over 16 years, which helps children affected by and/or infected with HIV/Aids.

Explaining why Wortley is so deserving of the Shepherd accolade, Chris Hitchings, sales and marketing director at JCDecaux Africa, says, “Brenda is one of the top media research scientists in our industry. Throughout her career, she has mentored and grown numerous young, talented individuals. She happily gives of her time and knowledge, and teaches people to properly apply their minds to defining the problem, before deciding on the tools to solve it.”

He also reveals some fun facts about her, including that when she drinks champagne her nose gets very itchy, every year after the Comrades, she says it is her last one, and that she’s a nervous flyer. “She and I were once on a terrifying flight down to Cape Town on a wild, stormy evening. We both thought we were going to die – I’ll never forget her hysterical giggles.”

Head coach at GSM Quadrant, Gordon Muller, has the last word, succinctly summarising why Wortley deserves this award. “One swallow doth not a summer make; Brenda deserves this award because of the depth and consistency of the body of her work. Like José Mourinho she’s a ‘special one’ and she has been at the cutting edge of her craft both as an agency and media owner executive over many years.”

P 39

MOST AWARDS: Bell Award

News. They joined forces again when appointed to the board of the parastatal in 2010. As far as I recall, Peter Matlare had recruited her to improve the business and bottom line. From all accounts she was excellent at her job and if you look at revenues at the SABC under Matlare you will see that it was possible to run a proper public broadcaster (with news and current affairs centre stage) AND make a profit. Then, under the Funde Board and (CEO) Dali Mpofu, revenues collapsed.

When our board took office, the beginning of 2010, Clare focused a lot on trying to turn around the collapsing revenues and in fact under our board, we managed to pay back most of the Nedbank loan (with a government guarantee of over R1bn). But as you know, our board collapsed, or was dissolved in 2013 after increasing clashes with Motsoeneng who was then acting COO. She certainly stood up to him and tried to do the right thing. From my experience of working with her, I think she is very worthy of recognition”.

Clare O’Neil

A GAME CHANGER She’s an often-controversial figure in South Africa’s media world, but there’s absolutely no doubt about her impact on the industry. Clare O’Neil is the co-winner of the MOST Awards’ Bell Award in 2019. By GLENDA NEVILL. From being on the board of the SABC to launching and maintaining the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRC SA) over five years, O’Neil’s name is known throughout the media sector.

SABC Pippa Green initially worked with Clare at the SABC – she on the business side of TV advertising and Pippa head of Radio P 40

BRC “She drove the BRC process,” says head of Park Advertising (The MediaShop and Meta Media), Chris Botha.

“Alphabet Soup’s founder Nikki Lewin agrees. “Clare is a controversial figure. That being said, she has always been passionate about this industry.” Lewin adds that O’Neil was “remarkable” in that she managed to transform the research into a stable broadcast currency, through some of the most difficult phases of its inception.

When she left the BRC after her five year tenure as CEO, chairman of the board, Monde Twala, said her biggest task had been ensuring the transformation of the actual audience research methodology, meaning that all the research products of the BRC, namely TAMS, RAM, the Establishment Survey and SEM, as well as the Establishment Survey’s Products and Brands module, reflected and were representative of the South African population.

“With the restructuring of the TAMS panel, the BRC RAM tender created and managed by the NAB Radio Committee, and the Establishment Survey tender (which included a new socio-economic model, the SEM), the South African media, marketing and broadcasting industry has seen, under the leadership, expertise, diligence and professionalism of Clare, that the transformation of audience research has been accomplished,” said Twala and the board.

O’Neil and her team were responsible for implementing a system that mirrors South Africa’s demographics. Previous studies done by the South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) didn’t, thus delivering skewed results.

Now the BRC panels represent a 79% black population, not the 56% that SAARF used.

That was the raison d’être for the creation of the BRC. It was about transformation on every level. “We had to transform outputs and ensure sample frames that looked like South Africa,” says O’Neil.

A principled and brave campaignerfor change.

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MOST AWARDS: Bell Award

She’s just incredible at what she does Jennifer Daniel, along with Clare O’Neil, is the co-winner of the Bell Award at this year’s MOST Awards. She is currently Regional Director of Africa/Asia Pacific at Telmar Media Systems.

By IZA GREK. Sifiso Falala, CEO and founder of Plus 94 Research, has worked closely with Jennifer Daniel as both are part of the Pan African Media Research Organisation (PAMRO).

“Apart from her daytime job, she is so committed to the media research industry from mobilising different companies and players across the board, which includes the likes of research suppliers, marketers and non-governmental organisations in and outside of South Africa, and this is to help the media research industry to conduct better research,” he comments.

Connecting people Agreeing wholeheartedly is Lauren Shapiro of Kuper Research, who talks about the unfailing and enduring commitment that Daniel brings to making PAMRO “the functional and effective organisation it has become”. Shapiro says, “Each year, Jen puts in the leg work to ensure an exceptional PAMRO conference.

She is a bit of a magician, as she always manages to pull out of her hat the most interesting and relevant people to share their knowledge with the continent.”

Connecting people is one of her strengths. “She encourages everyone to work together as a team to ensure that the industry is striving towards producing more accurate research and higher standards of delivery that may be expected by clients,” Falala says. “She is somebody who does not spare an ounce of energy when it comes to sharing her thoughts and ideas and above all, she motivates others to work towards

Jennifer Daniel

the good of the industry. She has incredible spirit and energy, which is an important asset for us as media researchers.”

Her research skills are particularly notable, with the ability to assimilate data at a granular level.

Skills and talent “She understands data from a sampling point of view. She understands data in terms of processing, weighting, big and small data, survey data and all types of data, and she is able to manage all of this and talk about it in a practical way,” he adds.

The manner in which she negotiates, her skills and talent that get others to see the benefits of working together – that is Jennifer Daniel.”

Shapiro describes Daniel’s all-consuming passion and enthusiasm as “quite contagious”, adding that “her ability to get people to rally together and make things happen is both admirable and inspiring. Jen most deservedly should be recognised for the contribution she has made and continues to make to the media research fraternity in South Africa and throughout Africa.”

GLOBAL REACH. LOCAL EXPERTISE. T R A N S F O R M YO U R D ATA I N T O I N T E L L I G E N T I N S I G H T S The Media | themediaonline.co.za

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© 2019 Telmar Group Inc. All rights reserved.

P 41

Media planning

Does the art of media planning need to be revived?

With data and automation playing a key role in modern media agencies, has media planning lost its human connection? It’s a vital question. By BRITTA REID.

Ashish Williams

Byron John

Whether media planning is an art or a science has not only been a perennial debate, but it has also provided the title for the local industry textbook on the subject. Detractors of the discipline have tended to point to an over-reliance on research for decision-making, that then becomes blinkered and lacking in nuance.

More recently, the denigrators have pointed to the advancement of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the deluge of digital data now available to marketers and advertisers, to tip the scales of the argument heavily towards the science end of the spectrum.

An extension of this line of thinking is to suggest that media practitioners have lost sight of the humans in the equation.

In fact, Marco Santos, managing director of OMD, argues P 42

Kagiso Musi

that “omni”, which he describes as “one technology platform providing real-time data, analytics and precision marketing capabilities… enables us to be people obsessed… (It) ultimately delivers an effective, seamless and entertaining media experience, building richer relationships between people and brands”.

His Omnicom colleague at PHD Johannesburg, managing director Wayne Bishop, similarly enthuses over the “beautifully visualised dashboards” delivered by their planning and collaboration platform or business ecosystem, SOURCE, and pragmatically points out that “such tech automation makes lives better… freeing up head hours”.

MediaCom CEO, Ashish Williams, underlines that automation “allows humans time to think” and for agencies The Media | themediaonline.co.za

MEDIA AGENCY OF THE YEAR 2009

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MEDIA AGENCY OF THE DECADE 2009 - 2018 www.mediashop.co.za

Media planning

to put “human capital in the right place”, focusing on strategic thinking rather than engaging in the laborious grind of manually crunching numbers.

The prevailing view is that removing these previously timeconsuming phases of analysis allows media practitioners to build better relationships with their clients, to work more closely with them in defining the business problems they face, and partner with them to craft business building solutions.

Bishop explains that it gives media agencies a greater ability to build trust, that fundamentally important human connection, with their clients: In PHD’s case, it has enabled them to assume a more “consultative role”.

The changing agency ecosystem has impacted on the type of people agencies are looking to recruit. Williams points out that while the agency now employs fewer people, it carries a higher wage bill, as specialisms do not come cheap. Bishop suggests the industry is employing better quality staff, and points to the staff profile becoming younger. He attributes this not only to their stamina, but also to their appreciation of the efficiencies of technologies.

Global interaction Besides efficiently dealing with data, another benefit of proprietary agency systems is that they are designed to facilitate team interaction across the globe, bringing more human brain power and experience to bear on the challenge of growing client businesses. For agency staff, it means that location is no longer an obstacle to being exposed to the best global minds and expertise. In the case of MediaCom – its tagline is ‘People First, Better Results’ – Williams elaborates on how 7 200 hours of training material is available to help staff explore and unlock their growth potential.

Media agency staff have benefitted from technological advances, but do they have a better understanding of the consumers they are trying to influence? Making sense of

Sune Beyers P 44

Graham Deneys

multi-source data is one way of gaining insight into these human targets.

Wavemaker CEO Lwandile Qokweni explains that in his agency, “truly understanding one’s client and customers is aided by various tools powered by a live panel, which is a digital study of consumer media and buying behaviour …

We also rely on a number of industry tools powered by the AMPS study, and partner information, especially in the digital sphere, including but not limited to listening tools on social, Google Analytics, etc”. But he points out that “data is merely information. The crucial difference is a process that allows you to convert the data into actionable insights to empower the brand to bring consumers to making a purchase”.

Creative articulation Carat’s group strategy director for SA/SSA, Graham Deneys, endorses this view, stating that his agency is always looking for insights from data. He argues that “humans and human truth have always been paramount to media planning and strategy” and points out that Carat has developed a stand-alone strategy department that focuses on developing insights and nurturing planning output in briefs accordingly. “This function services all clients at Carat and is positioned side by side with account directors who control the larger client relationship including strategic deliverables.”

Claudelle Naidoo, MediaCom’s managing director (previously head of insights and new business director) stresses that the company’s ‘The System’ promotes accountability and better return on investment (ROI).

However, such systems are ultimately tools. Bishop points out that their successful use is ultimately dependent on a human component. It is a person who makes decisions around the definition of the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are input into the system, for example.

Wayne Bishop

Claudelle Naidoo The Media | themediaonline.co.za

Media planning

Deneys points out that “creative and media agencies should was an exploration of Thohoyandou. Getting out from behind be basing all work on one unifying insight between them one’s computer and exploring the world of the actual people … This approach allows us to deliver effective, integrated who buy the products or are helping to sell, should certainly campaigns across bought, owned and earned channels with a provide different insights from those that quantitative can focus on touchpoints that will deliver on client objectives and provide. assist in guiding creative articulation”.

The newest agency in the Park Advertising stable, Meta Byron John, managing director of Vizeum Johannesburg, Media, is run by Kagiso Musi, a newcomer to the media further expands on the Dentsu Aegis perspective, saying agency world. This is a signal that this is not intended to the company has “invested a lot of time and money in be another media agency. An experienced marketing and consolidating the media ‘orchestra’ under one roof … to communications executive, with both Wunderman and achieve what we call ‘ecosystem planning’.” In his explanation Jupiter Drawing Room on her CV, she also stresses the of this approach, he lists communication strategists, brand importance of knowing consumers and being out in the real managers, CMOs, creatives, designers, copy writers, media world. Built in a creative agency environment, her view is strategists, buyers, planners, data crunchers, researchers, that always asking questions, especially “so what” is the way search, social, programmatic specialists etc. Each, he says, to get to meaningful insights: It is not enough to know that “knows the role they play, the importance of what they bring Generations draws large audiences, one needs to know why to the party and the mutual that is. She is determinedly collaboration required to working to eradicate the build the best campaign historic divide between possible”. This suggests media the traditional and digital practitioners now require not disciplines in the agency, only good communication insisting that everyone in the skills, but also high levels of teams has the broad exposure emotional intelligence. that will give them rounded A treasured tenet of global and granular insights into real media agencies is ‘share and consumers. apply’. This, together with clear definitions of best practice, Market immersions may suggest that staff in local Ana Carrapichano, founder offices might be somewhat and CEO of Mediology affirms, constrained in the exercise “Media agencies (should) strive of their craft. However, to understand consumers, at Mindshare’s managing director, least, that should be in our Sune Beyers, recalls the DNA … Media and creative S T R AT E G Y | D E S I G N | M E D I A | I M P L E M E N TAT I O N challenge of finding the local should work hand in hand – nodal idea around which the this is where the best work thinking could be built for their comes from.” She says “we successful KFC pitch. Having have and are investing heavily TH A N young graduates capable of in our consumer insights tapping into local culture and division … Our aim is that this INTEGRATED ADVERTISING AGENCY lingo facilitated that. division becomes the heart www.ebonyivory.co.za 9 19 6 9-2 0 1 of the agency – feeding Understanding complexities trends and insights to our Of course, media agencies strategy teams, both online are not microcosms of our country. Isla Prentis heads up and offline … Our aim is that our insights team understands the recently established human intelligence unit, Tirisano, target markets, media and brands to the fullest. Not only from at The MediaShop. The Tswana word translates into “to a desktop point of view, but full brand on-the-ground target EI 6483 Most Awards 85x85mm_FA.indd 1 2019/08/20 14:48 work together with little effort”. She believes it is crucial to market immersions”. constantly question, learn and explore the world around us, The media agency ecosystem is changing: Automation has and that numerate media practitioners should never forget to brought efficiencies and speed to some of the processes, put on the human hat and look through the consumer’s lens. but it is not a substitute for human intelligence in defining She points out that “Sandton is not South Africa” and even a and solving marketing problems. Likewise, multi-source, diverse agency team needs to make an effort to understand quantitative data is not necessarily the best way to understand the country’s complexities and local nuances. the motivations of real human beings. Some media agencies To this end, cross-disciplinary agency groups have been have identified this as an opportunity and have set about undertaking a series of immersions, the most recent of which making it a differentiator.

EXPR SSION INSP RATION S VER ARY. NI

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P 45

The newsroom

The state of South Africa’s newsrooms The digital revolution has forever changed the way news is sourced, distributed and consumed, and has obliterated our understanding of the traditional newsroom. By LUCINDA JORDAAN. Any revolution carries its own momentum of change, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is no different. The world, it seems, has gone topsy-turvy, with fascism on the rise and protest action everywhere from the Cape Flats to Hong Kong – and anyone with a smartphone and broadband is privy to it.

Though, whether we believe what we see and hear – and the reasons why – is a whole other story.

P 46

Bolstered by blustering politicians lambasting mainstream media as fake news on their social media platforms, the distinction between news and propaganda has become ever more blurred. Alarmingly, online attacks on journalists, news outlets and against press freedom have escalated to violence, intimidation and serious injury – leading the South African National Editor’s Forum (SANEF) to lay a controversial The Media | themediaonline.co.za

The newsroom

Grappling with the gig economy So while the State of the Newsroom report holds few surprises, it does reveal the extent of the impact of the digital revolution on the traditional newsroom, notes journalism and media studies lecturer, Alan Finlay, who edited the report.

“I think three things stood out for me: Firstly, that there is a strong need to develop the institutional support for freelance journalists, particularly in light of the retrenchments in the industry, which are set to continue.”

This is outlined in the report by contributor Dr Glenda Daniels, who writes, “It is difficult to quantify the exact number of job losses over the past years ... People I interviewed for this research suggested there could easily still be 10 000 ‘media workers’ in South Africa – some of whom are freelance journalists with most in public relations and part of the ‘gig economy’ – a day here and a day there of writing, researching, editing, content creating or hustling.”

With ongoing retrenchments and closures (the most recent being the Mail & Guardian’s August announcement that further retrenchments were imminent) Finlay points to a need for trade unions and associations, such as the South

The Media | themediaonline.co.za

African Freelancers Association (SAFREA), to “relook the kind of support they offer journalists… and remake themselves in a new context” – much as journalists are being called to upskill and restructure their services and offerings.

“The way they (unions) operated in the past is going to have less and less relevance as we move forward, and the so-called ‘industrial age’ of journalism begins to atrophy in South Africa,” he adds.

Interestingly, the report also notes that unions have historically struggled to get journalists on board. Unionists interviewed for the report claimed that “journalists felt they were ‘too important’ to be unionised, but are now regretting it”. The Media Workers Union of SA announced in August it had merged with ICTU. Bleak as the media landscape may be, news consumers have never had it better, with a wide variety of platforms to source their news and entertainment information from.

Site news24.com

Unique browsers 7 301 866

timeslive.co.za

3 953 239

iol.co.za

3 888 473

ewn.co.za

3 585 820

enca.com

2 291 435

sowetanlive.co.za

1 824 844

thesouthafrican.com

1 793 330

Huffington Post (now defunct)

1 630 453

Netwerk24

1 352 184

citizen.co.za

1 299 606

Source: Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2019 - digitalnewsreport.org

complaint against the Economic Freedom Fighters in the Equality Court to protect journalists from intimidation and threats.

This, at a time when the need for unbiased reportage has become crucial – and many cash-strapped media houses shy away from investing in credible journalism.

These are just some of the issues brought into stark relief in Wits University’s most recent, annual State of the Newsroom Report. Declining circulations, massive job cuts, closures, and the impact of tech platforms on advertising revenue and overall news credibility are global phenomenons that have been widely reported, studied and disseminated.

P 47

The newsroom

Yet another notable takeaway from the report, says Finlay, is “the growing strength of community radio, particularly in the metropolitan areas.

In Gauteng, for example, the top community stations are now starting to shape the radio landscape more vigorously, and are taking on stations like YFM.” Print news, too, may be battling, but Finlay’s third insight is an optimistic view that this may well level out. “I think there are signs that the readership of some newspapers – such as the Sunday Times – is stabilising. While it is likely that we will see some titles collapse over the next one to two years, I think we will start to see print news consolidate with a base of loyal readers,” he notes.

Key takeaways from the report •

•

There is something fatalistic about the current situation: If you are not doing a good job at the news, then you probably should close down.

It is a tragedy if you are doing a good job – then we should be worried.

•

inCredible concerns The disaccreditation of three Sunday Times’ investigative articles (the SARS ‘rogue unit’, Cato Manor ‘death squad’, and illegal deportation of Zimbabweans to face execution); the SABC’s ongoing corruption and financial woes, and Independent Media’s published accusations against journalists, editors and rival publications, have all contributed to a lack of public trust in the media – leading to a call from SANEF for an inquiry into media ethics and credibility.

Bloggers, citizen journalists, and the fact that anyone with a smartphone can report the news, has upped the ante for working journalists, who liken modern newsrooms to a ‘content mill’. It doesn’t help that training and skills development, too is lacking – largely, notes the report, because retrenchments hit senior journalists hardest, and newcomers – employed at a lower salary scale to work across multimedia platforms – lack mentors to help upskill them.

This, claims the report, has led to the death of beat journalism, a global phenomenon where only certain sectors such as politics, finance, and investigative stories are covered by specialist journalists.

•

Beating a new investigative path Lack of upskilling and training is also notable not only in the quality of articles published, but also in the number of entrants for the Taco Kuiper Award, which is reserved solely P 48

•

•

•

•

•

Newspaper circulations continue their downward spiral, with a few titles seemingly on the brink of collapse and even top-selling Daily Sun dropping about 20% in circulation over the past year.

Community print media is shrinking too: The sector employed about 4 000 journalists 10 years ago, but these numbers – and the number of titles – have since more than halved. Membership to the Association of Independent Publishers for community newspapers is also less than half its number (575) in 2008, now down to about 200 (2018).

Beat journalism is dying, globally. In South Africa, this trend “appears to go hand-in-glove with training outfits in media companies having closed down due to budget cuts, well-staffed sub desks being culled to a minimum, young reporters being thrown in the deep end in newsrooms with no mentors, and news desks which rewrite copy as there is no time to train reporters in what was wrong or right with a story”.

Donor-funded journalism is on the rise, and is allowing for new synergies, as witnessed with the collaboration between amaBhungane, Daily Maverick and News24 on the #GuptaLeaks series.

Journalists are being harassed, intimidated and threatened in the line of duty; allegations of harassment and bribes are common, especially online.

Closures and retrenchments continue apace: in May, Tiso Blackstar Group announced the closure of tabloid newspaper Sunday World, and retrenchments across various publications. In August, the Mail & Guardian announced a further round of retrenchments. This follows scores of journalists having been let go from all the major media houses (Tiso Blackstar, Media24, Independent Media) and the shutdown of Afro Worldview (ANN7), Ndalo Media and Huffington Post.

Many retrenched journalists are unsupported when they lose their jobs and unions have little influence outside of the SABC. Most of them have joined the gig economy, but are struggling to survive, and SAFREA, the only association that represents freelancers in South Africa; is itself struggling to attract members.

On the upside, independent online news sites are growing, and the launch of Newzroom Afrika in May promises a massive improvement on the Gupta-owned ANN7.

Media credibility is under question, particularly in light of the increasing number of complaints to the Press Council: 533 complaints were received over the past year, and more than 100 complaints were adjudicated by the Press Ombudsman in the same period.

The Media | themediaonline.co.za

The newsroom

for investigative reporting. Neither the Sunday Times nor the Mail & Guardian submitted any entries last year. According to the report, most striking is that “the number of outlets which considered themselves to be practising award-worthy investigative journalism jumped from… a peak of more than 20 in 2014 and then down again to just a few last year”.

In a country where the scale of government (and private sector) corruption is still becoming clear, investigative journalism has never been more vital, and fortunately, South Africa still has a robust investigative journalism sector. It’s bolstered largely by a new trend: donor-funded journalism.

“New Frame, GroundUp, Daily Maverick, and now, the Vrye Weekblad, all show that serious commentary and journalism is not dead,” posits Finlay. “New forms of collaboration are important – between small, independent news outlets or between progressive donors and journalists. We are already seeing both in South Africa, which I think is good. The Wikileaks role that News24 has taken on is also interesting.

This is another way to stay relevant.”

That the media landscape has changed is as irrefutable as the fact that we need news, whether we seek it in print or online. How and where we source it depends on the quality of the content, says Finlay. “I think, at least in print, the drop in readership is not just about people getting their news online

The Media | themediaonline.co.za

or a disinterest in news. It speaks to the quality of the news in many print publications – and I mean throughout the publication. It’s not good enough to have a good front-page story, but weak content in the rest of the publication. There is something fatalistic about the current situation: If you are not doing a good job at the news, then you probably should close down. It is a tragedy if you are doing a good job – then we should be worried. Although I think news in print is important, we shouldn’t be over-sentimental about change. The purpose of journalism is good journalism, in whatever form it takes.”

Lucinda Jordaan is an independent writer, researcher and editor with extensive experience in all media, covering various fields from academia and finance to education and lifestyle.

P 49

AFRICA

The African brief GroupM recently released its first Africa Media Index, a collaboration with In On Africa, that delved into five factors in each country surveyed: Economy and Business, Media Landscape, Media Consumers, Technology, and Governance and Legislation. In brief, it found the continent’s media landscape is a “whirlwind of change and growth in activity” with power that can be “harnessed by knowledgeable investors”. By GLENDA NEVILL. “Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) hosts 17% of the world’s population today, but only represents 2% of world GDP, and even less when we look at advertising investment, which is $2.6 billion or 0.47% of global investments. However, due to mobile and internet expansion, strong urbanisation and a booming middle class, the next 30 years should tell a very different story,” according to the Africa Media Index.

We asked several media companies operating on the continent for their views on where the opportunities lie, what challenges they face, and what they believe will be the next big thing.

URBANISATION AND TRADE DEREGULATION WILL UNLOCK OOH OPPORTUNITIES Donald Liphoko | Marketing director for Sub-Saharan Africa at JCDecaux Africa P 50

Q: What is your sense of the African opportunities available in the sector in which you operate?

Rapid urbanisation and the deregulation of intra-African trade barriers will unlock supply chain and logistics for manufacturers and service providers targeting the one billion people in the subcontinent. Despite media fragmentation and the rise of digital media platforms, out of home media will flourish, as the growing middle class is concentrated in some of the fastest growing cities in the world. According to McKinsey, 24 million Africans will move to cities each year between 2015 and 2045, compared to 11 million in India and nine million in China. Nigeria alone is projected to add 189 million urban dwellers between 2018 and 2050.

Approximately 80% of SSA’s retail market transactions occur in informal channels, with the highly fragmented East and West Africa retail environments underserved by formal retailers. This is a real opportunity for OOH operators to grow with brands and consumers as they enter the formal retail market.

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Q: How are you taking advantage of those opportunities?

JCDecaux operates and manages advertising in more than 2 000 premium malls worldwide, and will be offering its expertise to retail property owners and brands. Retail is highly dependent on consumer spending and we have a competitive advantage in optimising retail sales performance using intelligent advertising structures and data analytics.

Q: And the challenges you believe are impacting on your business?

Regulation and enforcement of by-laws to protect consumers, advertisers and OOH media owner rights remains weak across SSA. This has resulted in the erosion of commercial value for the out of home medium in markets where there is high clutter and fragmentation resulting in low advertiser return on investment (ROI). In this environment, landlords are not able to optimise rental revenues and there is a disincentive for media owners to invest in quality infrastructure. The lack of outdoor industry association coherence has also hampered the ability of the sector to develop research tools that strengthen our go-to-market propositions relative to competing media types. This is more pressing in light of the unchecked market share LOUDER THAN WORDS inroads of digital media.

with business-to-business (B2B) advertising at the airport, in comparison to B2B advertising in any media other than out of home. We are gearing our operations to increase our footprint to offer quality advertising environments for this exciting market.

UNCERTAINTY USHERS IN WAVES OF INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS Sipho Fakela | Advertising sales at Marnox Media

Q: What is your sense of the African opportunities available in the sector in which you operate?

Africa as a continent is often difficult to predict and this is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing in that the uncertainty can bring new opportunities one would otherwise not have in an advanced economy, where there is no drastic change from one state of affairs to the next.

The uncertainty ushers in a wave of innovative solutions that appeal to the continent’s customers and citizens, created by both local and international organisations.

The opposite can also happen, in that an entire industry or sector can be completely destroyed by ACTIVATIONS|MEDIA|MARKETING a single unpredicted and Q: What is the ‘next big thing’ www.oomph-africa.com unprecedented move by a and how are you tapping into country’s government, where that? a political decision is made The $80 billion African aviation behind closed doors in the wee hours of the morning, market is one of the most exciting out of home opportunities, destroying businesses that have been actively participating in with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that particular country’s economic growth and prosperity for projecting a 5.1% growth in passenger numbers across the years. region by 2035. Currently 44% of Africa’s passenger traffic The positive news is that in 2019, like in 2018, SSA will be transits through just six countries – South Africa, Nigeria, home to several of the world’s fastest-growing economies, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mauritius. Newly refurbished according to the IMF. While this is great news for most of the aviation hubs such as the 22 million passenger p.a. Bole countries that have seen their economies grow rapidly year International in Addis Ababa, and the 6.2 million passenger on year, it is unfortunately not the case for South Africa as our p.a. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport are redeveloping their economy has struggled to get out of the difficult times. retail outlets, hotels, and leisure and entertainment zones to This is a great opportunity for our industry, as it means most commercialise passenger and visitor flows. Business decision South African businesses and brands will be looking to the rest makers constitute a significant share of passenger traffic and of the continent to expand and improve their balance sheets. are set to grow as the African Free Trade Area comes into This is more so for our retailers who have gone into the rest effect. Through implicit testing, JCDecaux’s Airports: Open of Africa quite extensively, as some of the countries have seen for Business study proved that business decision makers year on year growth and this brings more opportunities for associate the attributes of successful brands more strongly

OOMPH!

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Africa

Q: And the challenges you believe are impacting on your business?

The biggest challenge is that more clients are becoming price driven, and often overlook strategic value and input for the lowest price. Loyalty, accountability, and a proven track record in this sector is fast becoming a thing of the past, as clients give business to whoever is offering the lowest rates. This is detrimental to the industry as a whole, and our business.

South African businesses to expand and tap into the increasing middle class, who have disposable income and a taste for quality products offered in a modern retail environment.

Q: How are you taking advantage of those opportunities?

Africa is a blank canvas, and media owners are always open to new ideas that will help them propel their offering to meet the ever-growing needs of consumers from a media consumption perspective. The openness and willingness to adapt to new, Q: What is the ‘next big thing’ and how are you tapping into innovative ways of selling advertising by our over 200 media that? owners across the continent, is a great opportunity for us, Africa is a mixed bag of as it allows us to offer South opportunities and we are African brands, advertising continuously investing in new Lesotho, Namibia, Lesotho, Namibia, Lesotho, Namibia, Lesotho, Namibia, Lesotho, Namibia opportunities that local and partnerships to try and offer global brands are accustomed Botswana, Eswatini, Botswana, Eswatini, Botswana, Botswana, Eswatini, Botswana, Eswatini our clients more value with to, at a fraction of the price Angola, Mozambique, Angola, Mozambique, Angola, Angola, Mozambique, Angola, Mozambique each campaign. We recently with a local touch for each Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania collaborated with a South market.

Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi African-based radio specialist We can no longer view Lesotho, Namibia, Lesotho, Namibia, Lesotho, Namibia, Lesotho, Namibia, Lesotho, Namibia agency for a campaign in ourselves as a predominantly Botswana, Eswatini, Botswana, Botswana, Eswatini, Botswana, Eswatini, Botswana, Eswatini Namibia, and the success of media buying business, Angola, Mozambique, Angola, Mozambique, Angola, Mozambique, Angola, Mozambique this was amazing. or a media representative Zambia, Kenya, Zambia, Kenya, Zambia, Kenya, Zambia, Kenya, Zambia, Kenya, Zambia, Kenya Not only has it created a company, as the work we do Tanzania, Ghana, Tanzania, Ghana, Tanzania, Tanzania, Ghana,Tanzania, Ghana,Tanzania, Ghana better relationship with the is far beyond this. To remain Nigeria, Malawi, Nigeria, Malawi, Nigeria, Malawi, Nigeria, Malawi, Nigeria, Malawi client in that we have changed relevant and the best in our the way they see the radio field, we now offer a wide Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini,Namibia, Ghana medium, it has also helped the range of solutions to clients to Print • Radio • Television • Outdoor • Online local media industry and more make sure that we help them Media Buying • Media Planning • Media Landscapes stations are starting to relook navigate the African territory how they sell the medium. This effectively and efficiently. will hopefully increase the level Our media owners are fast of trust among South African becoming omni-channel brands on the capabilities organisations, it only makes Print Radio TV Outdoor Online of media owners across sense for us to adapt our own the border, unlocking more expertise and offerings to Tel: + 27 11 789 6614 • www.marnox.co.za budgets for us and more ROI match those capabilities that for brands. we have worked years to bring Brands that are willing to to the market, by constantly explore new ideas and think outside the box will continue to advising and guiding them to adapt to new technologies and reap the rewards of the vast opportunities that exist in Africa. ways of doing things, without losing their identities and their uniqueness.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES AND IDENTIFYING We recently facilitated two store openings in different SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS countries for one of South Africa’s biggest retailers. Both were highly regarded by the client as one of their best openings Cameron Maclear | Business unit director | OMG Africa ever on the continent, even surpassing some of the local division openings. This was achieved by being able to leverage added value and public relations for the client by using the long Q: What is your sense of the African opportunities available term relationships we have built with media owners in both in the sector in which you operate? countries. This at a fraction of what it would have cost to do The countries across the continent are all unique and in the same campaign in South Africa, even in one of Africa’s various stages of development. Each has their own set of most expensive markets from an advertising and media challenges and opportunities. The opportunity for a media perspective.

AFRICA

MEDIA OWNER REPRESENTATIVES

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agency is to understand what these are in each market and identify sustainable solutions at scale, which will lead to improved service for our clients. Experienced media professionals and an established network are the first steps to realising this goal and these relationships need to be maintained, nurtured and supported through training and development initiatives, which build industry leading capability and global best practice.

Q: How are you taking advantage of those opportunities?

By tapping into Omnicom international’s tools and resources, and through technology and strategic partnerships with quality data providers, there is an opportunity to develop systems which can more accurately measure media performance and consumer behaviour across multiple territories, cultures, languages and varying degrees of fragmentation and connectivity, consistently.

Q: And the challenges you believe are impacting on your business?

Decentralised financial systems, insular industries, lack of funding, slow development, maladministration, poor compliance, and limited access to electronic media channels.

Q: What is the ‘next big thing’ and how are you tapping into that?

Urbanisation, infrastructural development and increased connectivity. We leverage our international relationships to ensure that we keep updated with the latest trends and developments across all media, but particularly in the mobile space. Information sharing across the network and regular interaction with the respective offices across the continent are key. We value our people and ensure that they are well travelled and have first hand experience of the countries they work in.

Congratulations to the

AWARDS 2019

Media Agency of the Year

AFRICA, THE NEXT FRONTIER FOR GROWTH Rory Brien | Chief operating officer | Oomph! Africa Q: What is your sense of the African opportunities available in the sector in which you operate?

How long is a piece of string? Africa is the next frontier for growth and the global community recognises this. Numerous opportunities exist, however brands that adapt a one-shoe-fits-all approach will finish last. Relevance, relevance and more relevance.

Take the time to understand the African consumer; their creeds, culture and nuances, and they will be willing to listen to your message.

Q: How are you taking advantage of those opportunities?

Oomph! has become the trusted partner in matchmaking brands with African consumers. Leveraging off a collective think tank of Africa’s best, experiential minds, we provide our clientele with a one-stop solution that is accountable, relevant and driven to exceed expectations.

Q: And the challenges you believe are impacting on your business?

Poor general economic performance in the SADC territories tends to refer across the continent, especially on brands whose marketing budgets are driven from South Africa. Luanda, N’Djamena and Lagos are the most expensive cities in Africa and fall into the top tiers on a global scale. If you combine the US, China, India, Europe and Japan – they all fit into the continent of Africa. The challenge often involves guiding mindsets to adopt an individual approach, rather than painting the continent with the Mzansi brush.

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THE HOTSEAT

With: Uyanda Manana

There’s a new creative agency on the block, and it is headed by managing director Uyanda Manana, who has returned to South Africa after years of working abroad in London and the UAE. Manana brings a wealth of truly integrated, global, blue chip experience to the leadership of BE. I am 41 years old and so far in my career… I’ve (finally) learnt that there is still so much out there to learn. And that’s incredibly liberating and exciting. I now view my life, my work, my relationships and opportunities through a totally different lens.

consumer experiences, is a huge growth area. We are moving from a position of creating consumer experiences across connected touchpoints to using technology to connect with people, touching them on a more human level.

What excites you most about your new position at BE? The opportunity to drive – and lead – the kind of positive change I’ve been longing to see in our industry and our country. What I’ve always loved about the creative industry is that we have the ability to use communication to shape our cultural and social narrative.

The worst job you’ve ever had? Not many people know this, but when I first got to London in the early 2000s – before landing my job at Publicis UK – I worked as a painter and decorator. I was essentially a handy (wo)man for a few weeks (overalls and all) – and it nearly killed me.

What were the challenges in setting up a new creative agency, especially in this climate? And those that lie ahead?

Defining the ‘why’. It was not so much a challenge, but a necessity often overlooked when starting a business. We had to explore why we were in the business, what our purpose was and why anyone should care. Ultimately, we needed to challenge ourselves first and foremost.

The task going forward lies in making our business purpose a lived experience for our staff, clients and the communities that we touch.

The quality you most respect in people is… the ability to truly forgive. It’s taken me some time, but I now appreciate the power and strength that lies in forgiveness. Like a good friend of mine always says: “Unforgiveness is like drinking the poison and expecting the other person to die.”

What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned on your media journey? The one that’s stayed with me throughout the years is that clients (people) don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Your best qualities are… I’m an optimist.

What is going to be the biggest thing in the creative advertising sector this year? I think customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX) has yet to come into its own in South Africa. While it’s been on the agenda for a while now, for many organisations and brands, it’s just lip service. They, together with their partner agencies, either fail to see the benefit to the bottom line or they just don’t understand it. The brands and teams that get this will win.

I also think the leveraging of technology, such as IOT, artificial intelligence, and gaming, to enhance P 54

Your pet hate is… Aggression.

What scares you most? Being mauled by a dog. The thought is absolutely terrifying.

Your personal motto is… Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Your worst qualities are… I can be pretty obsessive and overthink certain things, which drives those close to me a bit loopy.

Your personal motto is… God favours the brave.

A perfect day would be… Waking up without a to-do list; a day wide open with possibility.

If I could have dinner with someone living or dead it would be… My late father. He passed on when I was five or so and I would love to have a father-daughter chat with him, hear what he thinks about life, love, anything … and everything.

The gadget/s you can’t live without and why? My mobile phone, because I’m a working mama to a 5 year old, little girl. I am always on call.

Your addiction is… Shopping on the online deals website, OneDay-Only. It’s become a problem.

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#ShopKaya www.shopkaya.co.za

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MEET THE TEAM BEHIND THE BRAND The Gagasi FM success story is realised by the dedicated management team who are responsible for the day to day operations as well as the long-term vision of the business. The captain of the ship, Vukile Zondi, joined the station in 2011 as Programme Manager and in 2014, he became the station’s Managing Director. Zondi has lived radio all his professional career.

From becoming a Programme Manager for Gauteng’s YFM at the tender age of 22, he went on to become the Programme Manager for 5FM at 24 and ultimately joining Gagasi FM two years later.

Under his leadership, Gagasi FM took a clear direction in terms of it’s positioning as the urban black young adult radio station and became the biggest regional commercial radio station in the country.

Another biggest highlight was a process of redefining its business model and realized a need for a shift from just being a radio station to becoming a media lifestyle brand. This has seen the enhancement of online and events platforms, and these becoming more than just brand extensions, but the essence of the brand, alongside the traditional on-air platform.

Playing a critical role throughout that process has been the station’s Head of Brand, Phinda Magwaza who joined the station in 2016. She is the former Marketing Manager for MTV and MTV Base, also having years of marketing experience in the corporate sector. Magwaza brought with her valuable expertise in the space of brand development and youth marketing. As the brand custodian for the station, she occupied a leading role in the brand refresh exercise that saw the station launching its new logo towards the end of 2018. The brand refresh also gave identity to the new business model, with brand Gagasi becoming the umbrella brand for channels i.e. Gagasi FM, Gagasi Online and Gagasi Events.

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Vukile Zondi

Phinda Magwaza

The Gagasi Online channel has already seen the introduction of the new website, www.gagasiworld.co.za. The new look website carries a fresh and interactive content structure that drives consumer engagement. It has also been designed to cater for the needs of advertisers in terms of its functionality and value.

Beyond the new website, the online offering also includes social media pages that have been growing consistently in terms of followers.

The event portfolio consists of annual flagship events such as the Gagasi FM Beach Festival and Gagasi FM Red Star Experience which is the station’s lifestyle marquee at the Vodacom Durban July, all of these have been growing each year in terms of size and their experiential offering.

While growth in the online and events portfolios have been quite significant, the traditional on-air product is still very much the integral part of the business, with Gagasi FM being the biggest regional radio station in the country. At the core of this success story has been the Programming strategy that talks to the targeted upwardly mobile professional audience. As the Programme Manager, Mimi Kesaris has been responsible for overseeing what goes on-air. Kesaris has been with the station since P4 Radio days and was part of the transition to Gagasi FM in 2007 in his capacity as the Music Manager. He was appointed as the Programme Manager in 2014.

One of the station’s key differentiating factors from a programming point of view has been that of young talent development, rather than going for big names which has been a common approach in the industry in recent years. Some of the youngsters that joined the station a few years ago are influential figures today; not only behind the mic, but also in the broader entertainment space.

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Mimi Kesaris

Minenhle Nxumalo

Khulekani Shandu

Janine Choudree

As the music radio station, the choice of music that makes it to the playlist forms a vital part of the programming strategy. The core genres in terms of how the station is formatted are RnB, Hip-Hop, Gqom and Dance music. As the proudly KZN station, Gagasi FM has also been at the forefront in terms of promoting the Durban music scene. Over the years the station has been part of the journey of the evolution of the beat, from the days of Durban Kwaito, to House, then Hip-Hop and now Gqom music.

The station was recently joined by a seasoned broadcaster Makhosi Khoza as the On-air Specialist, the role primarily responsible for on-air talent development within the Programming department.

Another critical element of the station’s on-air offering over the years has been the credible News and current affairs. The man behind Gagasi FM News is the seasoned broadcaster Alex Mthiyane who is the News Manager and the Host of the flagship current affairs show, Indaba. Mthiyane’s track record in broadcasting and news reporting speaks for itself. Straight from tertiary and at a very young age, he joined SABC as a news intern and worked his way up behind the mic; eventually becoming the breakfast show host at Ukhozi FM. He then left to join KZN Provincial Government to be in charge of media liaison for then KZN MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Dr. Zweli Mkhize. However, it was not long before the radio bug hit him again and he made his way back to the airwaves, joining Gagasi FM when it started 13 years ago.

His experience and influence have been the driving force behind the Gagasi FM newsroom over the years and as a result, Gagasi FM News has been the leader in terms of telling authentic KZN stories. When it comes to Inda-

The Media | themediaonline.co.za Alex Mthiyane

@gagasiworld

Vivek Ramsey

Nerissa Maharaj

ba, other than hosting high profile guests on current issues, the show also has a lifestyle segment on different days that covers Business, Culture and Sex matters.

As a commercial radio station, there is a need for Gagasi FM to ensure that it remains commercially competitive and to creatively respond to the needs of advertisers. Minenhle Nxumalo is the station’s Head of Creative & Promotions, the department that is responsible for the processing and execution of client campaigns across on-air, online and on the ground platforms. Nxumalo first joined the station in 2009 as on-air talent and worked her way to becoming breakfast show producer and co-host. She was then promoted to the position of Creative & Promotions Coordinator in 2011. She left the station in 2015 to join SAB Corporate Affairs as Licencing Specialist and re-joined the station in 2018 to lead the C&P department.

This is the essential part of the business as it deals directly with client briefs and translating them to campaigns that must deliver measurable impact and return on investment for clients.

Looking at the client retention rate and new advertisers that the station continues to attract, it is the testimony on the ability of the brand channels to deliver value to advertisers.

With the calibre of the management team and their vision for the business, Gagasi FM is set to continue growing from strength to strength.

The station also has support departments such as Technical that is headed by Nerissa Maharaj, Finance headed

by Vivek Ramsayi and Human Resources headed Janine Choudree. As part of Brand there is also a strategic Corporate Affairs component headed by Khulekani Shandu.

@gagasifm

@gagasifm

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To the 2019 Most Award winners. Congratulations for standing out from the crowd.