YEARBOOK 2021 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND OPINION - IAB SA

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YEARBOOK 2021 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND OPINION - IAB SA
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND OPINION

                                                       YEARBOOK 2021
                            www.themediaonline.co.za

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Contents                                    22 MEDIA AGENCY: AFRICA
                                                                          Media has the potential to be the
                                                                          biggest catalyst for human connection
                                                                          and change, and we know it,
                                                                                                                    46 MAGAZINES: SOUTH AFRICA
                                                                                                                       There’s no doubt the country’s
                                                                                                                       magazine sector has been
                                                                                                                       hard hit, but some publishers
                                                                          writes ROXANNE BOYES.                        are rolling with the punches
                                                                                                                       and making a plan,
                                                                       24 MEDIA AGENCY: GLOBAL                         writes SANDRA GORDON.
                             5 FROM THE EDITOR                            If there’s a single best practice to
                                 On the record                            working with in-house teams, it’s         50 DIGITAL PUBLISHING:
                                                                          the focus on ensuring that agency            SOUTH AFRICA
                             6 PRESS OVERVIEW                             teams are closely connected to               The upshot of the pandemic
                                 The question is, how do you get          them, argues BENOIT CACHEUX.                 was massive increases in
                                 audiences to recognise the role of                                                    online readership, says
                                 a diverse media in a democracy?       27 AUDIO AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT                   RIAAN WOLMARANS, as online
                                 The other side of the story is,          This year, the BRC is moving from            publishers embraced technology
                                 how do you get journalists to            a radio measurement paradigm to an           and a mobile-first approach.
                                 heed and listen to audiences?            audio measurement model, to ensure
                                 DR GLENDA DANIELS has                    it captures the full spectrum of          52 PROGRAMMATIC:
                                 some answers.                            audio, writes GARY WHITAKER.                 SOUTH AFRICA
                                                                                                                       A solid, integrated martech
                             8 MEDIA AGENCY OVERVIEW                   31 RADIO: SOUTH AFRICA                          and adtech stack is an
                                 Performance is key in making             Radio in South Africa experienced            essential driving force in
                                 the South African 2021 media             sweeping changes in 2020,                    achieving business (not just
                                 ecosystem successful, and                says TIM ZUNCKEL, who                        marketing) objectives,
                                 agencies have the opportunity            believes there’s a shift in needs            JOE STEYN-BEGLEY believes.
                                 to design what good looks like,          and required skills in 2021.
                                 writes CLAUDELLE NAIDOO.                                                           53 DIGITAL ADVERTISING:
                                                                       36 STREAMING: AFRICA                            SOUTH AFRICA
                            12 CREATIVE OVERVIEW                          YOLISA PHAHLE is bullish                     Change will happen at a dizzying
                                 If we want to drive business growth      about the growth of streaming in             pace, and it will be happening
                                 in 2021, we need to be proactive,        Africa, pointing to research that            everywhere at once – from
                                 not reactive. We need to move            predicts it will grow fivefold by 2025.      privacy and policy decisions to
                                 out of last year’s shadow, says                                                       addressability and attribution,
                                 UYANDA MANANA.                        40 TELEVISION: GLOBAL                           says PAULA HULLEY.
                                                                          Covid-19 necessitated change at
                            15 AFRICA OVERVIEW                            breakneck speed for brands, says          57 OUT OF HOME: SOUTH AFRICA
                                 The Africa Brand Summit asked,           NICOLE GREENFIELD-SMITH, who                 The pandemic prompted many
                                 what investments, technologies,          discusses Thinkbox TV research on            OOH operators to look inwards,
                                 skills, policies and leadership          how broadcasters adapted to adversity.       says SIMON WALL, whose
                                 are needed to help turn the                                                           efforts to use his infrastructure
                                 situation around? Convener            42 PUBLISHING: SOUTH AFRICA                     to support SMEs created a
                                 SOLLY MOENG answers.                     The truth is print now offers unique         trigger moment for his business.
                                                                          niche audiences of extremely
                            20 MEDIA AGENCY: SOUTH AFRICA                 valuable and loyal readers, writes        59 OUT OF HOME: GLOBAL
                                 Let’s lean in to hope, but let’s do      JOSEPHINE BUYS.                              OOH media was
                                 it with eyes wide open, and include                                                   disproportionately impacted
                                 scenario planning against what        44 NEWSPAPERS: SOUTH AFRICA                     bythe crisis, but the good
IMAGE: SUPPLIED

                                 we now know about the effects            Not all newspapers are on their knees        news is that the global OOH
                                 of the virus on absolutely               in South Africa, says BRITTA REID            market is forecast to grow at
                                 everything, says KAGISO MUSI.            as she looks into local papers.              14.9%, writes BEN MILNE.

                                                                              themediaonline.co.za                     THE MEDIA YEARBOOK 2021 I 3

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YEARBOOK 2021 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND OPINION - IAB SA
FROM THE EDITOR

                                                                                                    On the record…
                                                                INDEPENDENT INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE

                                                   www.themediaonline.co.za

                                                                                                                        “T
                                                         PUBLISHED BY
                                                         Arena Holdings                                                                           his time last year…” Never
                                                Hill on Empire, 16 Empire Road                                                                    before has that innocuous
                                                       (cnr Hillside Road)                                                                        little phrase had such
                                                            Parktown                                                                              meaning. We were just
                                                         Johannesburg
                                                                                                                                                  about to put the 2020
                                                              2193
                                                                                                                              issue of The Media Yearbook to bed when
                                                 Postal Address: PO Box 1746                                                  EVERYTHING changed. Only the latest
                                                          Saxonwold
                                                        Johannesburg
                                                                                                                              contributions to come in mentioned the big
                                                             2193                                                             C-word. We were just about to enter level five
                                                 Telephone: +27 11 280 3000                         hard lockdown, and many of us, in our naivety, thought the coronavirus
                                                                                                    would be conquered and life would return to almost normal.
                                                        EDITORIAL                                      A year later, as I write this, we are just about to put The Media
                                                   Editor: Glenda Nevill                            Yearbook 2021 to bed. This time, our stories pay homage to the
                                             glenda.nevill@cybersmart.co.za
                                              Content Manager: Raina Julies
                                                                                                    resilience of the media industry, and how it is dealing with the
                                                   rainaj@picasso.co.za                             massive changes brought about by the pandemic. Our loose
                                               Sub-Editor: Anthony Sharpe                           theme is ‘Revive, recalibrate, refresh’, and those media companies
                                           Content Co-ordinator: Vanessa Payne                      that have survived have done just that.
                                                 Contributors: Roxanne Boyes,                          Sadly, many didn’t make it through the first year of Covid-19.
                                              Benoit Cacheux, Dr Glenda Daniels,                    Some were already battling, dealing with the ongoing impact of
                                           Sandra Gordon, Nicole Greenfield-Smith,                  digital transformation and its ripple effects on advertising. The
                                        Paula Hulley, Claudelle Naidoo, Uyanda Manana,
                                                                                                    pandemic hastened their demise. Others rallied, embracing the
                                              Ben Milne, Solly Moeng, Kagiso Musi,
                                          Yolisa Phahle, Britta Reid, Joe Steyn-Begley,             challenges of working from home, Zoom or Teams meetings, virtual
                                          Simon Wall, Riaan Wolmarans, Tim Zunckel                  pitching and events, and new ways of selling and communicating.
                                                                                                       In our own small way, The Media magazine too has changed.
                                                         DESIGN
                                                                                                    We’ve transitioned to digital magazines, with limited print runs for
                                           Head of Design: Jayne Macé-Ferguson
                                            Project Designer: Anja Hagenbuch
                                                                                                    special occasions. We’ve updated and increased our online databases,
                                                                                                    as these are our most important currency in this digital world.
                                                          SALES                                     The Media Online’s numbers soared in 2020 – as did many publisher
                                              Sales Manager: Tarin-Lee Watts
                                               twatts@themediaonline.co.za
                                                                                                    platforms. Now that the (media) world is back at work (albeit still from
                                                     +27 79 504 7729                                home or in some kind of hybrid WFH model), most publishers have
                                            Sales Administrator: Neesha Klaaste                     reported numbers stabilising from the lofty heights we experienced
                                                                                                    in the first few months of lockdown.
                                                      PRODUCTION
                                                                                                       We wanted the 2021 issue of The Media Yearbook to tell the
                                            Production Editor: Shamiela Brenner
                                                Advertising Co-ordinator:                           stories of our sector, and how the different businesses within the
                                                   Johan Labuschagne                                media industry learned to survive, adapt and change. As always,
                                                                                                    we’ve sourced content from South Africa, the continent and abroad
                                                      MANAGEMENT
                                                                                                    to offer our readers a wide perspective on the year that was, and
                                                General Manager, Magazines:
                                                      Jocelyne Bayer                                the year to come.

                                                                                                    The Media.
                                                         Copyright: The Media.
                                            No portion of this magazine may be reproduced           Got to love it.
                                         in any form without written consent of the publisher.
IMAGE: SUPPLIED

                      IMAGE: SUPPLIED

                                             The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited
                                          material. The Media is published by Arena Holdings.       Glenda
                                           The opinions expressed are not necessarily those
                                           of Arena Holdings. All advertisements/advertorials
                                           have been paid for and therefore do not carry any
                                                     endorsement by the publisher.

                                                                                                         themediaonline.co.za                        THE MEDIA YEARBOOK 2021 I 5

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YEARBOOK 2021 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND OPINION - IAB SA
Recalibrate, refresh and
         revive journalism for
         South Africa’s democracy
          How do we adjust local journalism for the better?
          DR GLENDA DANIELS has some ideas.

        R
                        ecalibration, refresh buttons    for executives), the Covid-19 pandemic       jobs over the past decade, starting
                        and revivals occur through       entered, some media retreated and            with the economic downturn of 2008.
                        the disruption seen in the       retrenched, some closed down, but            Researcher Reg Rumney’s report
                        flux, fluidity, and especially   then some outfits (for example Daily         examining the impact of Covid-19 on job
                        experimentation (hard paywall,   Maverick) did counterintuitive things,       losses in journalism, released in June 2020,
          soft paywall, no paywall) around how           hired more staff and even launched           found that more than 700 journalists were
          journalism is to be paid for in a media        a print edition. But even this was done      retrenched in the first few months of the
          ecosystem that is shifting to online,          not through old business models, but         pandemic, and that local news lost the
          with concomitant social media                  through another kind of experimentation      most, with 80 community newspapers
          and disinformation.                            or innovation: social/corporate              closing down.
              Then, of course, there’s the question of   partnerships or membership models.
          how to get audiences to recognise the role
          of a diverse media in a democracy. The         THE BAD NEWS: JOB LOSSES,
                                                                                                        THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE
          other side of the story is this: how to get    CYBER-MISOGYNY, DISINFORMATION                 HAS BECOME MORE
          journalists to heed and listen to audiences.   What else has changed? The media               THREATENING FOR WOMEN
              Just about everything has changed          landscape has become more threatening          WHO CRACK HIGH-PROFILE
          for journalism in the age of new media:        for women who crack high-profile
          it’s the era of social media and big tech      corruption-busting stories. Misogynists        CORRUPTION-BUSTING STORIES
          companies gobbling up the advertising.         see women as easy targets; yet women
          And, untaxed as they are, they are             have not left the space. The media             By July 2020 a new round of
          laughing all the way to the bank. An           landscape shows an appalling anti-feminist   retrenchments was announced when
          offshoot of this is mainstream journalists     backlash against women journalists, seen     Primedia declared job cuts. The Primedia
          being retrenched in droves, while              in how they are trolled online, and even     Group has 786 full-time employees but
          newsrooms are run as 24/7 engines, with        threatened with rape and murder when         has not given a job cut figure. In July 2020,
          anxiety and burnout the norm. Another          crooks in power act against them, aiming     Media24 announced it would retrench
          ‘trend’ is that no one has any winning,        to intimidate them into silence.             about 510 employees. This followed an
          fixed idea on how to pay for journalism.          Covid-19 could not have arrived at a      SABC announcement that about

                                                                                                                                                                  IMAGE: SUPPLIED
          And so experimentation continues.              worse time for journalism. State of the      600 jobs would be cut (now reduced
              In this age of declining media company     newsroom reports from 2013-2020              to 300 as the broadcaster continues to
          profits (okay, no profits, just fat salaries   show that journalism steadily shed           tussle with the communications minister).

          6 I THE MEDIA YEARBOOK 2021                             themediaonline.co.za

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YEARBOOK 2021 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND OPINION - IAB SA
PRESS OVERVIEW

                         These figures add up to 1 810. With                                                         Trusted brands with refreshing twists
                      Primedia additions and the 1 200                                                            will survive this era where change is
                      freelance jobs the SABC is threatening                                                      the new normal – for example excellent
                      to cut, that would climb to over 3 000.                                                     journalism, getting facts right, subscribing
                      These retrenchments signify a diminishing                                                   to codes of ethics prescribed by the
                      diversity of voices, and therefore                                                          Press Council of South Africa, and
                      democracy and the public are the losers.                                                    investing in training journalists. Those
                                                                                                                  companies that invest in such training
                      THE GOOD NEWS: RECALIBRATION                                                                will end up being trusted.
                      AND REVIVAL IN POLITICS,
                      LAW AND ETHICS
                      There appears to be no threat against
                                                                                                                    THE SANEF-COMMISSIONED
                      media from Cyril Ramaphosa as head of                                                         INQUIRY INTO MEDIA
                      state. In January 2021, he was signatory                                                      ETHICS AND CREDIBILITY,
                      to the launch of the first online platform
                                                                                                                    HEADED BY RETIRED
                      aimed at improving the protection of
                      journalists and affirming freedom                                                             JUDGE KATHY SATCHWELL,
                      of expression, together with the African                                                      FOUND THAT OUR
                      Union and UNESCO.                                                                             DEMOCRACY NEEDS
                         Last year he sent back the Protection
                      of State Information Bill (Secrecy Bill) to
                                                                                                                    INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM
                      parliament, spotting the unconstitutionality                                                  MORE THAN EVER
                      in it. The ANC has in recent years gone
                      silent about its resolution for a Media                                                        Those who are keen to adopt
                      Appeals Tribunal, which would hand                                                          diversification of race, gender, age and
                      over ultimate governance of media                                                           sexuality, across class biases too will
                      to parliament.                                                                              also survive. Those who have transparency
                         In February, investigative journalism                                                    of funding as a policy will also do well,
                      unit amaBhungane scored a major                                                             as this helps to engender trust.
                      victory when the courts ruled in its                                                           Those who take seriously the
                      favour in the Regulation of Interception                                                    mantras of ‘audience first’ and ‘listening
                      of Communications and Provision of                                                          journalism’ – which are now popular
                      Communication-related Information                                                           concepts in academic media studies
                      Act 70 of 2002 (RICA) case. Journalists                                                     around the world – as they pertain
                                                                       Dr Glenda
                      cannot be bugged any more; state spies           Daniels                                    to journalism’s role in a democracy
                      have to prove to the courts first why                                                       will thrive.
                      this is necessary, and have to inform                                                          And people who consume mainstream
                      journalists they are being tailed or           Of concern, the Satchwell report noted       news, and are on social media (right,
                      bugged because they are under                  that newsrooms are often factional.          that’s just about everyone) need
                      suspicion of criminality.                      This arises from national politics playing   refreshment in reliable and factual media.
                         The SANEF-commissioned                      themselves out in newsrooms and              That’s one constant in this age of flux,
                      inquiry into media ethics and credibility,     media companies.                             fluidity and disinformation.
                      headed by retired judge Kathy Satchwell,          Clearly, we find some journalists wish
                      found that our democracy needs                 to adhere to professional codes and
                      independent journalism more than ever.         ethics as set out by the Press Council,          Dr Glenda Daniels is an associate professor
                      The inquiry also found breaches of ethics      and some who side with political factions        in Media Studies at Wits University. Being
                      for brown envelopes, plagiarism and            in the ruling party – which shows in the         a writer, editor, researcher, lecturer, author,
    IMAGE: SUPPLIED

                                                                                                                      feminist and media freedom activist, she
                      fake news, among others, but ultimately        stories they produce. Independent
                                                                                                                      also serves on the Press Council and on
                      asserted that the media in South Africa        Media withdrew from the Press Council            SANEF’s council.
                      cannot be accused of being corrupt.            in 2016.

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Agency operating
         models hold the key
         to client success
                                                                                       T
                                                      There were some positives                    he year 2020 does not bring back
                                                                                                   fond memories for the world.
                                                         for media to take away                    The pandemic brought about a
                                                                from 2020, and                     hard lockdown in South Africa as
                                                                                                   in many other countries, which
                                                          CLAUDELLE NAIDOO             in turn created a mass of uncertainty that
                                                              believes this year       reshaped media consumption patterns, shut
                                                                                       down many key performing sectors such
                                                                   holds plenty        as alcohol and sport, disrupted schooling,
                                                                 more for those        created consumer and business flux, and
                                                               agencies able to        most importantly destabilised our economy –
                                                                                       to name but a few of the impacts.
                                                                     perform at           As I reflect from a media and business
                                                                     their peak.       point of view, one of the biggest challenges
                                                                                       that we faced at the beginning of the
                                                                                       pandemic was around redesigning strategies
                                                                                       to deliver ‘cost containment’ measures. This
                                                                                       was understandable, considering the levels
                                                                                       of uncertainty that we were dealing with
                                                                                       at the time, and based on my experience
                                                                                       during uncertain times, marketing and media
                                                                                       budgets are the first to be reconsidered. This
                                                                                       resulted in the industry forecasting to end the
                                                                                       year on a negative 10-20% media investment
                                                                                       versus that planned for most brands.

                                                                                       SILVER LININGS
                                                                                       There was definitely some light after the
                                                                                       initial onset. As the pandemic started to
                                                                                       settle in and while campaigns were being
                                                                                       paused, redirected, or cut completely,
                                                                                       media agencies that had solid operational

                                                                                                                                                  IMAGE: SUPPLIED
                                                                                       structures to respond to this global
                                                                                       catastrophe provided a stable environment
                                                                           Claudelle
                                                                           Naidoo      for their clients.

          8 I THE MEDIA YEARBOOK 2021                      themediaonline.co.za

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MEDIA AGENCY OVERVIEW

                         This stability and specialist support      BUSINESS OPERATING MODELS WILL                PERFORMANCE, PERFORMANCE
                      guided many brands in how to focus on         CONTINUE TO DELIVER GROWTH                    AND MORE PERFORMANCE
                      growth and put the consumer journey           Innovation has been a buzzword in the         The year ahead looks bright and exciting
                      at the pulse of the marketing ecosystem.      media industry over the years and many        in South Africa. TV will continue to drive
                      The conversion from uncertainty to            agencies have got it right. I have seen how   reach, content will be key, digital will
                      stability led to the South African media      agency operations with diversified product    enhance other media platforms and
                      industry ending on a much better note         offerings including advanced technologies,    grow YoY by at least 30-40% in 2021
                      than predicted early in 2020.                 integrated workforces and specialist skills   (my assumption based on 2020 trends),
                                                                    have gained fair market share for clients     radio will keep pushing digital innovation,
                                                                    and the media sector in 2020. I foresee       ecommerce will have a larger base,
                        THE CONVERSION FROM
                                                                    this trend continuing in 2021, with many      and so forth.
                        UNCERTAINTY TO STABILITY                    agencies that have not yet remodelled or
                        LED TO THE SOUTH                            reshaped their businesses quickly getting
                                                                                                                    AGENCIES NEED TO FOCUS
                        AFRICAN MEDIA INDUSTRY                      on board. Agencies of the future cannot be
                                                                                                                    ON BUILDING FORMULAS
                                                                    complacent or reactive to market forces.
                        ENDING ON A MUCH BETTER                        The evolution of the consumer,               THROUGH POWERFUL DATA
                        NOTE THAN PREDICTED                         pandemic or not, dictates that we need          AND ANALYTICS IN ORDER
                        EARLY IN 2020                               to be agile enough to change and predict
                                                                                                                    TO SHOWCASE BRAND OR
                                                                    change, and keep our media partnerships
                         GroupM’s This Year, Next Year: Global      flexible to accommodate change. I believe       BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
                      2020 End-of-Year Forecast Report indicates    that the only way to provide this stability     IN MEDIA
                      that overall media investment declined by     to brands/clients/staff, and to deliver
                      5.8% worldwide. This figure is very similar   incremental YoY growth is through flexible       We keep looking at which media
                      to how many brands ended the year in          and diversified operational structures.       platforms will work best or grow
                      South Africa, which was stronger than                                                       exponentially in 2021 in terms of
                      forecasted at the start of the pandemic.      FROM DATA SERVICE PROVIDERS                   reach and other audience ratings, but
                      When we compare these figures to              TO CONSUMER ENABLERS                          I do not believe these numbers will
                      South Africa’s GDP, StatsSA reports that      For the longest time we’ve spoken about       be good enough to establish growth.
                      the economy showed steady progress            the high costs of data in South Africa        I believe agencies need to focus
                      in Q3 2020 with an annualised growth          being one of the biggest challenges           on building formulas through powerful
                      rate of 13.5%, and an annual year-end         we face, especially for digital media         data and analytics to showcase brand
                      figure of -5.8%.                              transformation. In 2020 digital media         or business performance in media –
                         These figures directly correlate to our    went from ‘transforming slowly’ to            irrespective of whether ROI modelling
                      approximate media investment decline          ‘developing instantly’ and showing results.   is in place or not.
                      and suggest that South African media          Data is one of the commodities enabling          Performance is key in making the
                      investment gained steady traction,            consumers in South Africa today – more        2021 media ecosystem in South Africa
                      ending the year strong as we were in          so in this new normal world in which          successful, and agencies have the
                      line with GDP.                                we are living.                                opportunity to design what good
                         Digital media was a key driver in             I foresee partners in this space working   looks like.
                      maintaining high levels of media              hard to ensure that all South Africans
                      investment. As consumer patterns and          have access to data and services, cost
                                                                                                                      Claudelle Naidoo is the managing director
                      behaviours shifted, we saw the rise of        effectively, before the end of 2021. This         of MediaCom South Africa. Her experience
                      video on demand, content extensions           will further enable us to do two jobs in          in the marketing, media and research
                      from traditional media platforms to online,   the media ecosystem: first, to connect            industries across Africa spans more
                      a huge spike in social media consumption      and engage with consumers when most               than 20 years. She believes her passion
                                                                                                                      for research, data, and analytics is the
                      as person-to-person socialising became        effective without having to worry about
                                                                                                                      driving force behind her career growth
                      more and more restricted, and the             access to data being a threat; and second,
    IMAGE: SUPPLIED

                                                                                                                      and development, coupled with a hunger
                      boom of ecommerce – Nielsen reported          to showcase the power and role of                 and eagerness to learn from experts, teach
                      that 30% of all South Africans were           each medium at any given moment in a              others and grow alongside people.
                      shopping more online.                         converged media ecosystem.

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Uyanda
             Manana
                                                                                   Out
                                                                                  of the
                                                                                 shadows
                                                                                     The brands that want to
                                                                                    thrive moving forward will
                                                                                   be those that recognise the
                                                                                   importance of experiences,
                                                                                    service, collaboration and
                                                                                         inclusivity, writes
                                                                                       UYANDA MANANA.

                                                                                 ‘T
                                                                                              he new normal’, ‘pivot’, ‘work
                                                                                              from home’, ‘shift to digital’,
                                                                                              ‘now more than ever’. The
                                                                                              advertising, communications
                                                                                              and creative industries in
                                                                                 2020 were nothing if not dominated by
                                                                                 clichés, bandied about in circumstances so
                                                                                 fraught, so unexpected, that just surviving
                                                                                 the year was considered an achievement.
                                                                                 It was fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stuff as
                                                                                 we grappled with the impact of Covid-19
                                                                                 on our businesses and lives.
                                                                                     From the looks of it, 2021 is not going
                                                                                 to be any easier. There is no magic switch.
                                                                                 This year is likely to be even tougher
                                                                                 and more demanding personally and
                                                                                 professionally. But it has to be different;
                                                                                 if indeed there is a ‘new normal’ out there,
                                                                                 we have to acknowledge, understand

                                                                                                                                             IMAGE: SUPPLIED
                                                                                 and work with it. Reacting was last year’s
                                                                                 default; this year requires a lot more
                                                                                 from us.

          12 I T H E M E D I A Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 1    themediaonline.co.za

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CREATIVE ADVERTISING OVERVIEW

                            Our ethos as a digital agency is             HELPING VERSUS SELLING,                           but also most importantly with their biggest
                          that conversation drives advocacy and          BRANDS AS A SERVICE                               asset: their customers. Marketers who
                          advocacy drives business growth. This has      Consumers are looking for brands that             want to appeal to today’s consumers need
                          never been more important in our industry,     will make their lives easier, brands that         to master the art of inclusivity in their
                          where the focus will increasingly be on        go beyond merely selling, brands that are         marketing efforts. Finding simple and
                          brands becoming conversation leaders.          of service. Forbes listed Shine Distillery,       innovative ways to have consumers adopt
                            They will move from being either             in Portland USA, as one of the brands             the brand mission and purpose as their

s
                          not known or talked about – or being           that got this right in 2020. The distillery       own is incredibly powerful. Consumers
                          perceived as no more than the sum              started making and giving away hand               become your media, wilfully and happily
                          of their products or services – to             sanitiser during an acute shortage.               propagating your promises in a meaningful
                          being brands with purpose, brands              This was made possible by using the               and believable way. Get your audience to
                          that transcend categories and shape            first batch of alcohol produced but often         do the talking to drive up positive sentiment
                          conversations in society. It certainly takes   thrown out. Closer to home, SAB                   and deliver growth for your brand.
                          bravery and stepping out of comfort            did something similar, donating alcohol
                          zones, but if 2020 taught us anything, it is   from its breweries to help manufacture
                          the importance of courage and resilience.      more hand sanitiser. Both were innovative
                                                                                                                             FINDING SIMPLE AND
                            There are four key, practical takeaways      ways of building brand awareness while              INNOVATIVE WAYS TO HAVE
                          to help brands become purposeful               supporting the community.                           CONSUMERS ADOPT THE
                          conversation leaders.                             It’s also important for brands to recognise      BRAND MISSION AND
                                                                         that their employees can either be their
                          EXPERIENCES REPLACE BRAND                      greatest advocates or most powerful
                                                                                                                             PURPOSE AS THEIR OWN
                          PROMISES AND MESSAGES                          detractors. Being of service needs to be            IS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL
                          Communication in 2021 is far less about        internally focused as well. Take Google,
                          saying hello and making an offer. It has       which created a Covid-19 fund to enable               I love the quote from Howard Gossage:
                          to be about how we can use tech and            contract workers to take sick leave when          “Nobody reads ads. They read what interests
                          innovation to create experiences and           quarantined, and Twitter providing                them, and sometimes it’s an ad.” And
                          value that ensure our customers never          employees cover for additional childcare          it’s never rung truer. We can’t know what
                          have to say goodbye. Brand messages            expenses incurred due to schools                  the rest of 2021 has in store, but we also
                          and promises are no longer effective on        being closed.                                     can’t wait for the year to happen to us. We
                          their own; consumers are looking for                                                             need to take what we have and carve out
                          experiences that are seamless,                 COLLABORATION                                     a space where we become valuable and
                          convenient and allow for escapism.             The real magic happens when brands                interesting to our audiences and communities,
                             Brands will need to demonstrate their       partner with entities with a common               sparking conversations that are meaningful
                          promises through authentic experiences         purpose – it allows for more compelling           and useful right here, right now.
                          and rich, immersive, value-based               creative, better reach and, if you really             If we want to drive business growth in 2021,
                          communication. This is where a focus           nail it, far-reaching impact on people’s lives.   if we want this year to be really different,
                          on CX and UX will also play a vital role         Lifebuoy is one of the few brands               we need to be proactive, not reactive. We
                          in how we help our clients build               that properly leveraged the benefits of           need to move out of last year’s shadow.
                          sustainable brands in 2021.                    collaboration in 2020 when they partnered
                             It can’t merely be about shifting           with the Global Handwashing Partnership
                          marketing budgets and brand messages           for the ‘H for Handwashing’ campaign.                 Uyanda Manana is managing director
                          onto digital platforms, but rather how our     The movement literally changed the                    of Conversation LAB, a full service ‘born
                          audiences experience our brands within         conversation we have with our children                digital’ agency founded in 2012 with offices
                                                                                                                               in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and
                          this space. Why should they trust a brand      around critical hand hygiene, and further             London. Conversation LAB consistently
                          and why should they keep coming back?          entrenched the brand’s purpose and                    delivers highly effective digital campaigns
                          They will continue to trust their inner        position within communities across Africa.            for blue-chip clients with relentless
                          circles and networks more than Adcept                                                                accountability. Sister agencies in the group
        IMAGE: SUPPLIED

                                                                                                                               include strategic communications firm
                          A or B. Brands will need to back up their      INCLUSIVE MARKETING                                   Power LAB and paid media consultancy
                          promises in unique and innovative ways         Brands should look to collaborate not only            Media LAB.
                          to build trust and indeed talkability.         with suppliers, partners and other brands,

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    12-13_TheMediaYearbook2021_OpenerCreativeAgency.indd 13                                                                                                               08.04.21 11:20
Untitled-3 1   2021/04/06 4:25 PM
AFRICA OVERVIEW

              2020: a year of endings,
               a year of beginnings
           SOLLY MOENG looks back on the successful execution of the first hybrid Africa Brand Summit.

         2
                     020 was one long emotional                                  arrest harmless citizens taking
                     roller coaster of a year for                                lonely walks on beaches or jogging
                     many people. We moved                                       alone in deserted areas, with no risk
                     from consternation when the                                 of bringing harm to anyone.
                     coronavirus pandemic was first                                 As organisers of the annual Africa
          announced, to trepidation as casualty                                  Brand Summit, we remained calm as
          numbers grew and people close or known                                 we watched the evolving situation quite
          to us became affected – some of them                                   closely, staying in regular contact with
          subsequently dying from it – then hope                                 bodies such as SA Tourism, the South
          when the curve flattened and casualty                                  African Association for the Conference
          numbers began to stabilise and drop,                                   Industry, and the Tourism Business
          followed by the progressive easing of                                  Council of South Africa in order to inform
          lockdown restrictions.                                                 a decision to cancel, postpone or modify
             There was also a lot of anger at                                    the planned 2020 event.
          government for imposing a blanket                                              It was supposed to be hosted in
          lockdown, with some of its                                                        June as a traditional, full-on
          movement and trading                                                                  face-to-face summit in
          restrictions not making                                                                   Cape Town. Cancellation
          any sense in the fight                                                                        and postponement
          against the spread of                   Solly                                                    to 2021 were
                                                  Moeng
          the virus. This anger                                                                              right at the
          was further fuelled                                                                                 bottom of
          by the conduct                                                                                       our list of
          of some senior                                                                                        considerations,
          politicians, who                                                                                      and would
          behaved as if the                                                                                     only have been
          restrictions were                                                                                     triggered if we
          not meant for                                                                                         were convinced
          them, and by                                                                                         that conditions
          the overzealous                                                                                      for hosting the
          drive by some                                                                                       event in any
          members of the                                                                                     form during
          security forces who                                                                               2020 would have
          were too eager to                                                                                 been negative.

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15-16_TheMediaYearbook2021_OpenerAfrica.indd 15                                                                                 08.04.21 11:22
AFRICA OVERVIEW

          A CHANCE FOR SOMETHING NEW                     LOOKING BACK                                     In 2020, the anchor discussion was the
          Throughout the time, we were also              In hindsight, deciding to go ahead with the   Food Value Chain Space, from agriculture
          driven by a desire to do something new         2020 Africa Brand Summit was a brave          through agro-processing, logistics,
          and positive during a year that we knew        decision when considering the costs and       cross-border transportation, storage and
          would be spoken about for many decades         difficult funding environment in which        retail. It falls under the broader Integrated
          to come. While 2020 will be classified         many businesses had been forced to halt       Africa Economic Development umbrella.
          alongside 1918, known for the Spanish          their trading and go for months without       Africa is a net importer of food crops, a
          Flu that took many lives across the globe,     being able to generate revenue.               totally unacceptable situation given the
          we wanted to remember it as the year              Many, especially in the broader            potential that lies in the continent turning
          during which we pushed back against            hospitality and informal sectors, were        into a more self-reliant net exporter
          giving up and embraced new, innovative         crippled forever and forced to shut down      of food crops.
          platforms for hosting an African event         and let go of many employees, which
          of global proportions.                         led to the destruction of millions of           THE RAISON D’ÊTRE
             We announced during March that              livelihoods and rising unemployment.
                                                                                                         OF THE AFRICA BRAND
          the 2020 Africa Brand Summit would             Some of the summit’s past sponsors
          be postponed from the first week of            also found themselves in rather difficult       SUMMIT IS TO IDENTIFY
          June to the first week of October, then        financial situations, having been impacted      AND STUDY THE ROOT
          continued to assess the evolving situation     by poor trading conditions and forced to        CAUSES OF THE PERENNIALLY
          before deciding on what format the             prioritise internal needs, especially the
          event would take. Not long after that, we      support of their own employees,
                                                                                                         NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS
          announced that it would be hosted as           ahead of supporting the summit.                 AROUND AFRICA
          hybrid summit, with a maximum of 50               The decision to proceed was seen by
          delegates attending the face-to-face part      some people as brave and admirable,              We asked: “What investments,
          of the event in Cape Town while others         and by others as almost reckless. In          technologies, skills, policies, and
          would livestream from across the world.        the end, however, we managed to               leadership are needed to help turn the
          The fixing of delegate numbers at the          host a successful hybrid event with           situation around?” The outcome of this
          face-to-face venue was done in line with       livestreaming and technical teams             and other discussions is summarised in
          published health and safety protocols          co-ordinating speaker and delegate            the formal report of the 2020 Africa
          such as temperature checking, regular          engagement from Cape Town and                 Brand Summit.
          hand sanitising and the need for               Chennai, India. There were minor                 This discussion was also taken to
          physical distancing.                           co-ordinating glitches on day one, the        Zambia at the end of November 2020,
                                                         sources of which were quickly identified      where I was invited by the Minister of
                                                         and corrected to avoid a repeat on            Information and Broadcasting to lead
             THROUGHOUT THE TIME, WE

                                                                                                                                                         IMAGES: SUPPLIED
                                                         day two. With strict health and safety        a discussion on territorial and country
             WERE ALSO DRIVEN BY A                       protocols in place at the venue, not a        branding, with a focus on Brand Zambia
             DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING                      single case of Covid-19 was reported          to help the country reposition itself.
             NEW AND POSITIVE DURING A                   during or after the summit.

             YEAR THAT WE KNEW WOULD                     PULLING UP THE ROOTS                              Solly Moeng is an experienced holistic
             BE SPOKEN ABOUT FOR MANY                    The raison d’être of the Africa Brand
                                                                                                           brand manager and media professional
                                                                                                           specialising in reputation management,
             DECADES TO COME                             Summit is to identify and study the               stakeholder engagement strategies,
                                                         root causes of the perennially negative           strategic communications, PR and
             During the two-day event, speakers,         perceptions around Africa, at home and            media relations. As a destination brand
                                                                                                           management expert, Moeng founded and
          panellists and delegates livestreamed          abroad, and to recommend changes that             currently convenes the fast-growing Africa
          from South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe,          must be made over time to progressively           Brand Summit. Moeng lived and studied
          Egypt, Hungary, Bulgaria, Switzerland,         eliminate these perceptions while                 in France (where he obtained a French
          Finland, India, the United Kingdom,            enhancing the positive ones. The summit           master’s degree at the Université de
                                                                                                                                                         IMAGES: SUPPLIED

                                                                                                                                                                            IMAGE: SUPPLIED
                                                                                                           Franche-Comté, Besançon) before working
          Canada, the USA, Botswana, Italy, Spain,       also identifies areas where Africa
                                                                                                           in Canada and the US as SA Tourism’s
          Portugal, Benin, Zambia, Burkina Faso,         performs below its potential and                  marketing manager and country manager.
          Malaysia and more.                             proposes ways to change this.

          16 I T H E M E D I A Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 1            themediaonline.co.za

15-16_TheMediaYearbook2021_OpenerAfrica.indd 16                                                                                                     08.04.21 11:23
Untitled-3 1   2021/04/06 4:26 PM
A diamond
         in the rough
         As things get tougher and tougher here in South Africa, isn’t it time to give these often
         neglected African markets a bit more serious consideration, asks MARK KNOCKER?

        I
              recently came across a graph with                                                         no more than R900.00 for a 30-second
              some information I had not seen                                                           prime time morning slot on any of the
              before. It revealed that in addition to                                                   commercial radio stations and only
              the Botswana Pula being a stronger                                                        R540.00 on the Government-owned
              currency than the South African Rand,                                                     RB2 radio station.
         they also have a higher per capita income                                                         There are also a number of great
         than South Africa. (See tweet on right)                                                        print publications on offer in Botswana.
            I am often told by the retailers I have                                                     The Government publishes a Monday-to-
         worked with over the years that the                                                            Friday tabloid-sized newspaper distributed
         first store they opened in Botswana                                                            nationally, which is free of charge.
         outperformed any other single store based                                                         Its main aim is to communicate
         in South Africa.                                                                               daily to all the government employees
            Many of these retailers have since                                                          (income earners) with tender notices
         opened multiple stores in Botswana.                                                            and government posts as well as the
            I see opportunity in Botswana for brands                                                    news of the day. That’s 80 000 copies
         and retailers to boost their sales in this                                                     of this newspaper reaching a desirable
         often neglected market.                                                                        target market.
            Botswana offers a market with                                                                  A half page full colour advert would
         2.33 million people who have money                                                             cost you no more than R6 800.00. There
         to spend. From an advertising and a media                                                      is also a weekly publication you will
         perspective, it’s a fairly easy market to get                                                  see around town in any office you visit,
         your head around, understand as well as                                                        especially on a Friday, called the Botswana
         cover comprehensively.                                                                         Advertiser. It prints 95 000 copies each
            Simplified, the market looks something                                                      week and is distributed widely across the
         like this. There are two home grown free-                                                      country free of charge.
         to-air television stations offering national         The other misconception is that clients      I am told that the President as well as
         coverage. One station belongs to the              often think they can’t afford to be on       his ministers and other important Business
         Botswana government and the other to              television if they only have one store       people receive their hand delivered copy
         a privately owned media group. There are          in Botswana. But look at what your           each week. Its handy A4 size ensures
         four commercial radio stations, one of            money buys you: a prime time 30-second       it has longevity.

                                                                                                                                                                  IMAGES: SUPPLIED
         which is government owned. Again                  television spot will cost you less than         One of the retailers I work with, uses
         these will give you comprehensive                 R5 400.00 on BTV and only R2 500 on the      this publication frequently because it
         coverage of Botswana.                             privately owned YTV. Radio will cost you     works brilliantly for them. Both these

         18 I T H E M E D I A Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 1               themediaonline.co.za

18-19_TheMediaYearbook2021_MARNOX_PartnerContent.indd 18                                                                                         08.04.21 11:23
SPONSORED PARTNER CONTENT

                       publications offer sizeable reach for
                       a population of two million when
                       compared to print orders in South Africa
                       vs population size.
                          Any product available on the shelves
                       here in South Africa in any of our big four
                       retailers are also available in Botswana,
                       as these retailers all have stores there
                       as well.
                          The point I am trying to convey is that
                       not only Botswana but Lesotho, Eswatini
                       and Namibia are all rand-linked economies
                       offering similar opportunities to Botswana.
                          Not all brands are easily able to quantify
                       the number of units they have sold in
                       these markets. From my experience that
                       is because these brands know how many
                       units they sent to the export departments
                       of retailers A B or C or D but don’t actually
                       know what was sold at these stores or
                       informal markets in Botswana, Lesotho,
                       Eswatini or Namibia.

                         ANY PRODUCT AVAILABLE                         At a glance, Botswana’s media penetration
                         ON THE SHELVES HERE
                         IN SOUTH AFRICA
                         IN ANY OF OUR BIG FOUR
                         RETAILERS ARE ALSO
                         AVAILABLE IN BOTSWANA,
                         AS THESE RETAILERS
                         ALL HAVE STORES
                         THERE AS WELL

                          Often markets like Lesotho or
                       Eswatini don’t even feature on an
                       advertising schedule when brands do
                       their annual plans.
                          As things get tougher and tougher
                       here in South Africa, perhaps its time
                       to give these often neglected markets
                       a bit more serious consideration? A good
                       idea is to find a partner who can help
                       you get the best from your media
                       investment in these countries!
    IMAGES: SUPPLIED

                       Mark Knocker is the founder
                       of Marnox Media.                                At a glance, Botswana’s media landscape

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18-19_TheMediaYearbook2021_MARNOX_PartnerContent.indd 19                                                                                                        14.04.21 10:21
Leaning into                                                                                    virus means when things get bad – hopefully
                                                                                                         giving us some room to anticipate and plan

         2021 with
                                                                                                         scenarios around ourselves and work.

                                                                                                         RECONNECTING
                                                                                                         There was one very specific area the
                                                                                                         lockdown had a big impact on, and that

         hope and eyes
                                                                                                         was connections with family and friends.
                                                                                                         This has to do with how our humanity
                                                                                                         manifests in ourselves and at work.
                                                                                                            2020 brought us back to us. We often
                                                                                                         throw around the word ‘ubuntu’, but

         wide open
                                                                                                         generally don’t really live its core. Last year,
                                                                                                         however, was more ubuntu-esque – the
                                                                                                         calls to check in on people, making sure
                                                                                                         neighbours and strangers had food, drive-
                                                                                                         through birthday celebrations, the deliberate
                                                                                                         smiles with our eyes at the shops, the virtual
                                                                                                         office awards, the funny (and embarrassing)
                                                                                                         moments during Zoom calls, virtual baby
         KAGISO MUSI looks back on the lessons – big and                                                 showers, the financial sacrifices many
                                                                                                         made to save many ships, and the very
         small – we learned in 2020, and how they can help                                               many intentional moments of happiness
         us navigate life and marketing this year.                                                       that were created.

                                                                                                           THE LEVEL AT WHICH A

        L
                    ast year, 2020, was a far cry            on a mental roller coaster of emotions,       BRAND PERFORMS HAS AN
                    from what we hoped for and               many of which were negative.                  IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCE
                    expected. It was the year we                 It became necessary to rethink our        FOR THE POTENTIAL
                    toasted to ‘20-plenty’, but little did   goals in order to create and maintain
                    we anticipate that the plenty we         hope, do away with feeling rudderless         TO RETAIN JOBS
         were about to have was of a different               and the fear of the unknown, and enter
         kind. It was the year that brought us               2021 focusing only on what was within         2020 also reminded us of the value of our
         Tiger King and a US election that felt              our control.                                partnerships. We as an agency are proud
         more like a farce. It was the year of                   Lockdown was thrust upon us and we      that we have a literal open-door policy;
         accelerated poverty and increased                   did not know what to expect, so we hurled   every day is open day for our media
         gender-based violence, and definitely               ourselves into it without much of a plan.   owners. During lockdown, we lost good
         a year of many life lessons.                        Now we have the opportunity to plan a       ground on the day-to-day interactions that
            It also spelled the beginning of a               little better. We have the advantage of     had been built in the office where media
         beautiful journey of self-discovery and             experience and knowledge of what this       owners could pop in without a meeting,
         building foundations for some, as well                                                          just to have a chat.
         as birthing many a home chef and                                                                  This resulted in media owners only
         TikTok artist.                                        IT BECAME NECESSARY TO                    engaging with us when they, or we,
            Over and above the negative state                  RETHINK OUR GOALS IN ORDER                requested a meeting. Without the daily
         of our economy from previous years,                   TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN                    open-door interaction, media owners lost
         the unprecedented upheaval of the                                                               touch with our clients’ immediate needs
                                                               HOPE, DO AWAY WITH FEELING
                                                                                                                                                                      IMAGE: SUPPLIED
         Covid-19 pandemic had serious social                                                            and we lost touch with immediate updates
         and economic effects for us both                      RUDDERLESS AND THE FEAR                   on their innovations, ideas and them
         individually and collectively, setting us             OF THE UNKNOWN                            catching briefs ‘in the air’.

         20 I T H E M E D I A Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 1                themediaonline.co.za

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MEDIA AGENCY SOUTH AFRICA

                        This is why water cooler moments           potential to retain jobs. Never has
                      are a thing: there are worthy insights       this been more pronounced and clear            Kagiso Musi is group managing director
                                                                                                                  of Meta Media South Africa, which focuses
                      one gets from ‘random conversations’         than now.                                      on analysing and uncovering insights
                      that no brief can provide.                      As we continue to navigate 2021,            from the most granular forms of data, and
                        So, starting at the end of 2020 and        the focus should be beyond marketing           utilising that data to help clients win. A
                      going forward into 2021, one of our goals    metrics and questions, and rather on an        graduate of the AAA School of Advertising,
                                                                                                                  Wits Business School and University of
                      was to be proactive about continuous         appreciation by marketers and agencies
                                                                                                                  Roehampton, Musi is also a member of
                      engagement beyond ‘the brief’ – a specific   alike of pure business survival and            the MAC Transformation Charter Council
                      engagement for ourselves and our media       understanding what it takes to ensure that     and a trustee on the board of Young
                      owner partners. This represented a win       survival. This is what our business goals      Entrepreneurs South Africa, a member of
                      for them, a win for us and, more             should be built around as agencies, and        the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance.

                      importantly, a win for our clients.          specifically as media agencies. The triad
                                                                   relationship of client/agency/media
                                                                   owner cannot exist if one of
                        STARTING AT THE END OF                     the legs is broken.
                        2020 AND GOING FORWARD                        So this year, let’s
                        INTO 2021, ONE OF OUR                      lean in to hope,
                                                                   but let’s do it
                        GOALS WAS TO BE PROACTIVE                  with eyes wide
                        ABOUT CONTINUOUS                           open, and
                        ENGAGEMENT BEYOND                          include scenario
                        ‘THE BRIEF’                                planning
                                                                   against what
                                                                   we now
                      BEYOND MARKETING METRICS                     know about
                      On the client side, never has there          the effects
                      been more of a time for agencies to          of the virus on
                      act as an extension of the marketing         ourselves, our
                      department than now (and for the             colleagues, our
                      client to be willing for that to happen).    brands and our
                      Being flung into uncertainty for the         industry. This will allow
                      brands we represent, together, has           us to react better as the
                      brought us much closer. Now more             effects of the virus have their
                      so than ever before, the sales funnel        way with us, and indeed also
                      holds specific importance for marketers      prepare us for future shocks.
                      and agencies alike. We have seen many
                      good businesses close shop, go into                               Kagiso
                      business rescue or reduce budgets                                  Musi
                      to shadows of their 2019 scales –
                      this has become about brand survival.
                         The general consensus is that
                      businesses in ICU generally do away
                      with marketing budgets, which means
                      reduced marketing teams, which means
                      no requirement for agency partners
                      (try as we might, scientifically proven,
                      to convince clients that in a recession
    IMAGE: SUPPLIED

                      brands that spend, thrive). The level
                      at which a brand performs has an
                      immediate consequence for the

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20-21_TheMediaYearbook2021_MediaAgencySA.indd 21                                                                                                            08.04.21 11:24
2021 and
         #MediaThatMatters:
         an important year for
         the media industry
          We all know how powerful media can be.
          ROXANNE BOYES contemplates what we could
          achieve if we used that power for good.
                                                                                                        SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
                                                                                                        One example, which affected all African

         T
                                                                                                        nations, was the #BlackLivesMatter
                       his article is not about media       Habitual nature stopped.                    movement. It questioned and reset social
                       trends or forecasts for the          And for the first time in years, we         conversations, opinions and behaviour
                       coming year, as I’m sure          were present, as the silence awakened          surrounding deeply embedded social
                       there will be countless           loud thoughts and reflections. You might       constructs. This affected hundreds of
                       prediction pieces written         think that people – or as we like to call      millions of people today, as well as
          on that. It’s about something of far           them, consumers – have thoughts all the        their futures and the futures of the next
          greater importance: our position and           time, but this was different. Consumption      generations to come.
          our purpose as people within the               was replaced by contemplation, which              The movement reflected a similar
          media industry.                                became a catalyst.                             pattern to that of the #MeToo movement,
             It’s a topic rarely discussed in annual        It was this collective awareness and        which collectively empowered women,
          reports, but a critical component of           the mindfulness of these thoughts that         their bodies and their rights.
          our next steps into 2021.                      shook the world harder than any                   The same applies to the various
             Last year was undoubtedly different,        pandemic ever could.                           micro-movements that developed
          we are all well aware of that, but what           These thoughts traversed the globe          during Covid-19 promoting care for
          made it profound was the silence that          through media, and then became actions –       all, especially the vulnerable and the
          submerged society. Billboards projected        actions that shape-shifted social structures   weak with #StaySafeStayHome and
          to empty highways, newspapers were             and will be recorded in history books for      #FlattenTheCurve, which encouraged love
          left untouched shelf upon shelf, coffee        generations to come. Our world was in          for thy neighbour, shifting from a local to
          machines in once-crowded cafés                 clear need of mass change on multiple          national and then international scale.

                                                                                                                                                                   IMAGE: SUPPLIED
          collected dust, and shopping centres had       fronts and this is where the media                These movements developed in a
          not one pair of feet amble through their       industry stepped up, in full force.            matter of days and created ripples that will
          aisles to pop a product in a trolley.             This is what blew me away last year!        last lifetimes. That is the power of media!

          22 I T H E M E D I A Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 1            themediaonline.co.za

22-23_TheMediaYearbook2021_MediaAgencyAfrica.indd 22                                                                                              08.04.21 11:25
MEDIA AGENCY AFRICA

                                                                       And if we do not proactively act on
                        IF WE CHOOSE TO CREATE                     this position of great potential in a way
                        COLLECTIVE CHANGE AS                       that moves our world forward, our
                        STRATEGICALLY AS WE                        upcoming consumers, the Generation
                        LAUNCH A NEW BEER, THEN                    Zs of the world, are well aware of our
                                                                   position and will soon hold enough
                        WE COULD BE IN FOR AN                      purchasing power to demand it. If
                        ASTOUNDING NEW REALITY                     anything, that in itself is one of my
                                                                   forecasts for the near future.
                                                                       Media, the most influential
                      WITH GREAT POWER…                            platform on earth, can and should
                      You, reading this article right now, work    be used for so much more than
                      in an industry that is the agent for the     selling products and posting selfies.
                      change we so critically need in the world.   It has the potential to be the biggest
                      This is how we need to approach 2021 –       catalyst for human connection
                      with knowledge of the influence, power       and change, and we know it.
                      and responsibility we hold in our hands.         It’s a platform we have perfected
                         What if we used the same media            and chosen as our profession, so how
                      channels and communication strategies        now can it contribute towards our
                      currently being used to convince people      individual and industry purposes?
                      to exchange their hard-earned income          It’s a very big thought, but we
                      for a soda also to convince millions         are very big by nature, and as the
                      of people to buy and plant one tree          voice of the largest brands in
                      seedling? What if we used the same           he world we now need our
                      media channels and communication             own voice, hopefully one that
                      strategies currently being used to           can add significant value.
                      make certain brands social status                So, as we look to revive,
                      symbols also to make single-use              recalibrate and refresh our
                      plastic and littering socially taboo?        industry post this pandemic,
                                                                   let’s do so in a manner
                                                                   that makes the
                        MEDIA, THE MOST                            next movement
                        INFLUENTIAL PLATFORM ON                    #MediaThatMatters,
                        EARTH, CAN AND SHOULD                      shall we?
                        BE USED FOR SO MUCH MORE
                        THAN SELLING PRODUCTS                                Roxanne
                        AND POSTING SELFIES                                  Boyes

                         There are many issues that need
                      to be solved, some so widespread
                                                                                                               Roxanne Boyes is a media strategist who
                      that it seems almost impossible, but
                                                                                                               has spent time studying the faculties of
                      we have found the power to create                                                        economics, environmental and behavioural
                      such large shifts before, so it only makes                                               sciences and marketing. She is based in
                      sense that we continue to find the power                                                 Kenya, and splits her time between her first
                      to shift them in a positive direction in                                                 love – strategy – and spearheading Vizeum’s
                                                                                                               SME incubator within East Africa. Since the
                      the future. If we choose to create
    IMAGE: SUPPLIED

                                                                                                               very start of her journey, she has set her
                      collective change as strategically as we                                                 focus on the African continent as a strategist
                      launch a new beer, then we could be                                                      working across 27 different regions.
                      in for an astounding new reality.

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How agencies and
         brands can build highly
         successful relationships
          BENOIT CACHEUX examines how in-housing affects the
          relationship between agencies and clients.

        I
               recently had the pleasure of joining      working together as a joint team.             CLIENTS RECRUITING MEDIA
               an agency-brand fireside chat at          It could be called in-housing, but we         TALENT FROM AGENCIES: AN
               the latest Programmatic Pioneers          see it as a positive evolution of the         OPPORTUNITY OR A THREAT?
               virtual event, titled ‘Thinking           agency and client partnership.                It’s an interesting evolution as it
               partnership, not service: How can                                                       means the marketplace is becoming
          agencies and brands build collaborative        ACHIEVING INTEGRATION AND                     progressively more competitive for
          relationships to ensure mutually beneficial    ALIGNMENT BETWEEN IN-HOUSE                    recruitment. Traditionally, we had to focus
          and highly successful alliances?’ Andrew       AND AGENCIES                                  on being attractive versus other agency
          Lowdon, director of agency services            The better models for in-housing have         groups. We now have to be competitive
          at ISBA, moderated the event. I was            this integration and alignment at heart,      in a wider context. However, being
          joined on screen by Richard Bettinson,         so if there’s a single best practice, it is   a glass-half-full sort of person, I see this
          director of media strategy and planning        the focus on ensuring that agency teams       as extremely positive: increased expertise
          for EMEA at Hilton. These are some of          are closely connected to in-house teams,      on the client side allows us to have
          the areas we discussed.                        rather than in-house teams working            more sophisticated conversations, do
                                                         more directly with clients’ teams. This       more innovative things and generally
          ACCELERATION OF THE IN-HOUSE                   connectivity drives not only best practices   move faster.
          TREND AND THE ROLE OF AGENCIES                 such as better audience planning, but also
          The topic of in-housing has not taken          reporting and analytics with more data        WHAT’S THE MEANING OF
          over our conversations with clients.           consistency and campaign intelligence.        TRANSPARENCY – THE MOST-USED
          We still think it’s an important topic,        The latter is critical in ensuring there is   WORD IN MEDIA?
          but the majority of our clients are not        one version of truth across both the          We want to ensure that our clients have
          accelerating their shift to in-house           agency team and in-house team.                full visibility of how their marketing
          models. We believe there’s a widespread                                                      budgets are invested, whether it’s for
          realisation that taking all media in-house                                                   agency fees, media spend, tech costs, and
          is a very difficult task in terms of talent,     IF THERE’S A SINGLE BEST                    so forth. This is critical and one of the core
          processes like finance and overall               PRACTICE, IT IS THE FOCUS ON                pillars of our organisation, Publicis Groupe.
          ways of working. However, we are                                                             We completely agree that this is critical
                                                           ENSURING THAT AGENCY TEAMS
                                                                                                                                                                    IMAGE: SUPPLIED
          building hybrid models that create a                                                         in any agency/client relationship. Over the
          much deeper connectivity, with teams             ARE CLOSELY CONNECTED TO                    last few years, the focus has been around
          made up of clients and agency talent             IN-HOUSE TEAMS                              programmatic and transparency.

          24 I T H E M E D I A Y E A R B O O K 2 0 2 1            themediaonline.co.za

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GLOBAL MEDIA AGENCY

                         Traditionally, agencies have been          while managing directly their in-house         INCREASED EXPERTISE ON THE
                      more concentrated on the demand side,         activation of media.
                      but we have now taken an active stance
                                                                                                                   CLIENT SIDE ALLOWS US TO
                      on helping to solve transparency issues       THE IMPACT OF IN-HOUSING AND THE               HAVE MORE SOPHISTICATED
                      on the supply side. Zenith’s involvement      AGENCY ROLE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW                CONVERSATIONS, DO MORE
                      in the ISBA programmatic study is a           As you’ve probably gathered, we do not         INNOVATIVE THINGS AND
                      great testament to our commitment             believe that all media will move in-house.
                      to transparency.                              However, we see a future where agencies        GENERALLY MOVE FASTER
                                                                    and clients work very closely together
                      THE ROLE OF DATA IN OUR THINKING,             on defining the right integrated model.      We’ve talked about hybrid models and we
                      NOW AND IN THE FUTURE                                                                      see them as the future, where the ways
                      Data has played a central role for many                                                    of working and processes are engineered
                      years and has driven the growth seen in                                                    together, and they drive a much deeper
                      programmatic investments. However,                                                         level of connectivity between agencies
                      it’s true that we are seeing an                                                            and clients. This hybrid approach allows
                      evolution in its sophistication, with                                                      clients to focus on the performance of
                      an increasingly higher volume of                                                           their business, and agencies to provide
                      first-party data being used versus                                                         their expertise in strategy, execution and
                      the third-party variety. We’re                                                             technology as we increasingly move
                      seeing clients very focused                                                                to a world of automation.
                      on building second-party data
                      partnerships, which we believe
                      will be critical in the future and                                                             Benoit Cacheux is global chief digital
                      give brands partnering together a                                                              officer at Zenith. He is responsible for
                                                                                                                     helping define global clients’ acceleration
                      unique asset. We’re also gearing
                                                                                                                     plans when it comes to advertising in the
                      up for the changes coming with                                                                 digital age. Cacheux’s focus ranges from
                      the gradual disappearance of                                                                   building the right data and technological
                      trackers such as IDFA or third-party                                                           capabilities through to delivering new
                      cookies. Getting ready for this new                                                            operational models for media activation,
                                                                                                                     with the objective of driving superior
                      future now is essential!                                                                       growth for global organisations from a
                                                                                                                     range of sectors such as FMCG, pharma,
                      GOING IN-HOUSE AND                                                                             automotive, appliances, luxury, eyewear
                      LOSING THE BENEFITS OF A                                                                       and beauty. He’s passionate about the
                                                                                                                     latest ways of driving commerce, and
                      CLIENT/AGENCY RELATIONSHIP                                                                     innovation in marketing related to
                      If the client really wishes to go in-house,                                                    machine learning and blockchain.
                      we would always recommend
                      that they build their
                      in-house operations
                      with the support of
                      the agency, and
                                                                                                                                  Benolt
                      effectively create a                                                                                      Cacheux
                      hybrid model where
                      the agency, in-house
                      team and client team
                      work together with
                      common goals. A
                      connected framework
    IMAGE: SUPPLIED

                      would allow a client still
                      to benefit from their
                      agency’s expertise,

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