Quantcast
Marklives.com

Marklives.com

Covering Africa's changing media, marketing and advertising landscape.

  • Home
  • Sections
    • Adland
    • Media
    • Marketing
    • S’HOT
    • Tech
    • Archive
  • Columns
    • #Agency/BrandFocus – Sabrina Forbes
    • Agency Leaders – Most Admired Poll
    • An Accountant in Adland – Siwe Thusi
    • Back2Basics – Mark Eardley
    • Big Q – MarkLives Panel
    • Brands & Branding – Affinity Publishing
    • #Campaigns – MarkLives
    • Circulation Data – ABC Analysis
    • Clicks ‘n Tricks – Charlie Stewart
    • Dear Radio – Paulo Dias
    • Fair Exchange – Erna George
    • FieldNotes – Marguerite Coetzee
    • Frank – Mimi Nicklin
    • Gestalt – Leeya Hendricks
    • Hermaneutics – Herman Manson
    • #Marketers – MarkLives
    • Masterclass Notes – Johanna McDowell
    • Media Redefined – Martin MacGregor
    • Motive – By Invitation Only
    • Press Pass – Carey Finn
    • Q5 – Carey Finn
    • South African TV Ratings
    • #SPOTLIGHT – MarkLives
    • The Suit – Jason Harrison
    • The Martini Shot – Bobby Amm
    • The Power Report – Megan Power
    • Thinking B2B – Warren Moss
    • Young, Gifted & Killing It – Veli Ngubane
    • Zeitgeist of Now – Jason Stewart
  • Find an Agency
    • Shortlist & Compare Agencies
    • List your Agency
    • List as Agency Supplier/Service
    • Register as a Marketer
    • Company News Feed
    • Upgrade to Ramify Premium
    • RamifyPRO
    • Add Premium to Cart
  • Data
    • Agency Revenue Rankings 2019
    • Agency Salary Survey
    • Biggest SA consumer magazines
    • Biggest newspapers in SA
    • The 50 most-valuable brands in SA
    • Top 50 SA advertisers 2016
    • South African TV Ratings
  • Careers
    • Advertising
    • Digital
    • Marketing
    • Media
    • Public Relations
    • View All
  • About
    • About & Contact
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Partners
Agency Leaders – Most Admired Poll
South African flag

Agency Leaders: 2013’s most-admired ad agency in South Africa

  •   Jan 27, 2014
  •   0

by Herman Manson (@marklives) The annual poll by the MarkLives team amongst South Africa’s leading agency executives has already revealed which agencies, agency leaders and creatives are most admired by regional peers. This set today’s results rather nicely: which city will play host to the most-admired agency an ad execs in the country? Will it be Johannesburg with Joe Public or Cape Town with Ogilvy Cape Town?

Recap

It was virtually a clean sweep for Ogilvy Cape Town in the mother city. The agency took top honours as the most-admired agency in Cape Town (as voted for by its peers in Cape Town); Chris Gotz emerged  as the city’s most-admired creative director; and its former MD, Gavin Levinsohn, was named as the most-admired agency exec in the city.

The agency was also voted the best at integrated thinking by agency bosses. Machine emerged as the ‘One to watch’ — the one agency rival execs are keeping a close eye on.

In Johannesburg, Joe Public managed a similar feat, taking honours as the most admired-agency in the city and its chief creative officer Pepe Marais taking most-admired creative director and its MD Gareth Leck the most-admired Jozi agency boss. Quirk emerged as the agency to watch.

In terms of executives voting, the numbers stood 52% vs 45% in favour of Johannesburg (3% of execs did not reside in either city and voted only in the national poll). Nobody could nominate his or her own agency or staff. All the nominations were then tallied up to see whom adland’s highest decision makers most admire*. You may view the 2012 results here.

Most-admired agency

Ogilvy

Most admired: Ogilvy Cape Town.

Joe Public

Runner-up: Joe Public.

Most admired: Ogilvy Cape Town
Runner-up: Joe Public
Joint second runners-up: FoxP2, King James

The most-admired South African ad agency in 2013 was Ogilvy Cape Town. The agency drew 41% of all nominations, followed by Joe Public with 22% of nominations, and King James and FoxP2 with 18.5% each.

Ogilvy Cape Town picked up various pieces of integrated  business over the past year, including Flying Fish Flavoured Beer — SAB, WeChat — Naspers, News24, Careers24, RubyBox — Media24, DirectAxis and PSI (USAID-funded condom launch for Salama condoms into Tanzania). It also leads the Creative Leaderboard compiled by journalist Tony Koenderman. Revenue grew by 89% and staff grew by 42% in 2013.

Runner-up Joe Public was the most-admired agency in Johannesburg in our regional poll. Recent accounts wins include Tempest Car Hire, as well as Steers. Joint second runners-up FoxP2 and King James are both Cape Town agencies making waves in the Johannesburg scene through backing start-up agencies in that city.

Most-admired creative director

Chris Gotz

Most admired: Chris Gotz, chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa.

Justin Gomes

Runner-up: Justin Gomes, ECD at FoxP2.

Most admired: Chris Gotz, chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa
Runner-up: Justin Gomes, executive creative director at FoxP2

The most-admired creative director in South Africa is Chris Gotz, chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa. Gotz helped propel Ogilvy Cape Town to the lead of Tony Koenderman’s Creative Leaderboard through work on numerous brands including Carling Black Label, VW and Cape Town.

Justin Gomes is ECD at FoxP2. Under his creative leadership, the agency maintains a strong position on Tony Koenderman’s Creative Leaderboard. Last year, his Frank.net radio campaign won a Grand Prix at the 2013 Loerie Awards.

Most-admired agency boss

Gavin Levinsohn

Most admired: Gavin Levinsohn, ex-MD, Ogilvy Cape Town.

Gareth Leck

Runner-up: Gareth Leck, CEO, Joe Public.

Most admired: Gavin Levinsohn, ex-MD, Ogilvy Cape Town
Runner-up: Gareth Leck, CEO, Joe Public

In 2013, Gavin Levinsohn was the most-admired agency leader in the country as judged by his peers. The former MD of Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town recently left the agency to join the Moon Communications Group in Australia as its CEO.

Andrew Brand, MD at 99cents, believes Levinsohn ushered in a new era for Ogilvy Cape Town. “They are arguably the best agency in South Africa right now and they have managed to integrate off- and online better than most agencies,” he says.

Levinsohn started his career at The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town as a junior account executive and worked his way up to become client service director. In 2006, he became MD and co-founder of agency singh&sons, before joining Ogilvy Cape Town in late 2008.

Gareth Leck leads Joe Public, the hottest agency in Johannesburg, and one of the hottest agencies nationally.

Levinsohn drew 29% of the total number of eligible nominations, while Leck drew 24% in a close poll. John Dixon from Draftfcb (and now on his way to BrandsRock) drew 19% of the nominations.

Most integrated

Ogilvy

Most integrated: Ogilvy Cape Town.

Ogilvy Cape Town was the only one to pull more than a single nomination. It is the undisputed leader in this category as judged by its peers.

One to watch

Machine Agency

One to watch: Machine.

Machine, which positions itself as a BTL agency with real digital savvy, was judged the agency to watch by SA’s agency leaders.

This year, it added Nandos (Digital), Miller (MGD), Pick n Pay Smartshopper, Nampak Lifestyle, Happy Me and Adidas to its client roster. Its ability to transition from its digital roots has given major execs pause for thought, making it less clear that it’s the traditional agency set that will swallow up the digital, as against the promise of industry-wide renewal wrought by agencies born digital .

Says the co-founder of Avatar, Veli Ngubane, regarding the agency: “Machine is part of the new group of agencies that represent the future of our industry by understanding the role of technology in communication as an integral part of delivering integrated messages. Machine is born out of digital thinking and this agency represents the new age of owner-managed South African entrepreneurial start up advertising agencies.”

Felix Kessel, co-founder of agency OwenKessel agrees, saying he likes the way Machine MD Adrian Hewlett thinks and approaches his business.

“He started digital with some good digital media and social media savvy, and he’s expanded well into an idea-oriented agency that works across media,” says Kessel. “His is one of the few that has effectively made that transition. The growing awards roster is proof. He’s one to watch.”

*Only agencies or agency staff who received more than a single nomination were included when we worked out voting percentages.

— MarkLives’ round-up of top ad and media industry news and opinion in your mailbox every three work days. Sign up here!

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet

Related

Columns

  • #Agency/BrandFocus – Sabrina Forbes
    #Agency/BrandFocus – Sabrina Forbes
  • #Campaigns – MarkLives
    #Campaigns – MarkLives
  • #SPOTLIGHT – MarkLives
    #SPOTLIGHT – MarkLives
  • Agency Leaders – Most Admired Poll
    Agency Leaders – Most Admired Poll
  • Always Learning – Kirsten Dewar
    Always Learning – Kirsten Dewar
  • An Accountant in Adland – Siwe Thusi
    An Accountant in Adland – Siwe Thusi
  • Back2Basics – Mark Eardley
    Back2Basics – Mark Eardley
  • Big Q – MarkLives Panel
    Big Q – MarkLives Panel
  • Big Reads on MarkLives
    Big Reads on MarkLives
  • Brands & Branding – Affinity Publishing
    Brands & Branding – Affinity Publishing
  • By Invitation Only – Motive
    By Invitation Only – Motive
  • Circulation Data – ABC Analysis
    Circulation Data – ABC Analysis
  • Clicks ’n Tricks – Charlie Stewart
    Clicks ’n Tricks – Charlie Stewart
  • Dear Radio – Paulo Dias
    Dear Radio – Paulo Dias
  • Extracts — Excerpts from books & research
    Extracts — Excerpts from books & research
  • Fair Exchange – Erna George
    Fair Exchange – Erna George
  • FieldNotes – Marguerite Coetzee
    FieldNotes – Marguerite Coetzee
  • Frank – Mimi Nicklin
    Frank – Mimi Nicklin
  • Gestalt – Leeya Hendricks
    Gestalt – Leeya Hendricks
  • Hermaneutics – Herman Manson
    Hermaneutics – Herman Manson
  • Masterclass Notes – Johanna McDowell
    Masterclass Notes – Johanna McDowell
  • Media Design/MagLove – Archive
    Media Design/MagLove – Archive
  • Media Redefined – Martin MacGregor
    Media Redefined – Martin MacGregor
  • Only Connect Podcast – Bradley Elliott
    Only Connect Podcast – Bradley Elliott
  • Press Pass – Carey Finn
    Press Pass – Carey Finn
  • Q5 – Carey Finn
    Q5 – Carey Finn
  • South African TV Ratings
    South African TV Ratings
  • The Martini Shot – Bobby Amm
    The Martini Shot – Bobby Amm
  • The Power Report – Megan Power
    The Power Report – Megan Power
  • The Suit – Jason Harrison
    The Suit – Jason Harrison
  • Thinking B2B – Warren Moss
    Thinking B2B – Warren Moss
  • Young, Gifted & Killing It – Veli Ngubane
    Young, Gifted & Killing It – Veli Ngubane
  • Zeitgeist of Now – Jason Stewart
    Zeitgeist of Now – Jason Stewart
  • View All
  • Digital Media Planner
    Dec 5, 2019
  • Programmatic Media Trader
    Dec 5, 2019
  • Account Director/ Senior Account Manager
    Dec 5, 2019
  • Graphic Designer
    Dec 5, 2019
  • Managing Director – Youth Marketing
    Dec 3, 2019
  • Strategist
    Dec 3, 2019
  • Copywriter (Bryanston)
    Dec 3, 2019
  • SNR TTL Art Director
    Dec 2, 2019
  • Managing Director: Youth Agency
    Dec 2, 2019
  • PR Account Lead/Director: Fashion Retail Portfolio
    Dec 2, 2019
  • Comments are closed.

    Related News

    Adland, Agency Leaders – Most Admired Poll, Columns, Featured, S'HOT, Watch Agency Leaders Inside Look 2018 design

    Inside Look: Charlie Mathews’ Agency Leaders 2018 poster design

    Dec 5, 2019
    Columns, Featured, Media, Q5 – Carey Finn, Watch Zwelethu Radebe

    Q5: Finding the human truth, with Zwelethu Radebe [interview]

    Sep 4, 2019
    Adland, Columns, Featured, Hermaneutics – Herman Manson Hyundai logo and Grid Worldwide logo

    EXCLUSIVE: Hyundai South Africa moves to Grid

    Aug 7, 2019
    Facebook
    Like us on Facebook
    Twitter
    Follow us on Twitter
    Google Plus
    Add us on Google Plus
    YouTube
    Join us on YouTube
    Pinterest
    Follow us on Pinterest
    Subscribe Newsletter

    Get our round-up of top ad and media industry news every Monday and Thursday.

    Useful Links

    • About & Contact
    • Comment Policy
    • Advertise
    • Partners

    Partner

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.