Big Reads on MarkLives

2015 Big Reads: The 10 best-read adland stories of 2015

by MarkLives (@marklives) We list the 10 most-read, adland-related stories on MarkLives during 2015.

#10. New CEO for Apurimac

Nazareen (“Naz”) Jakoet, the current COO of Cape Town-based digital media and marketing company Apurimac Media, has been promoted to CEO, effective 27 November 2014. She takes over from Apurimac founder Will Green, who will now focus his time on sourcing strategic opportunities for the company; the daily management function will rest with Jakoet.

#9. No complaints yet, says Loeries, as criticism surfaces online

The Loerie Awards organisers have not been presented with any complaints regarding the judging process. This is in response to tweets by outgoing CCO of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, Chris Gotz, that allege irregularities.

#8. M&C Saatchi Abel: Five years after the lords came calling

Twelve people and Mike Abel sat on the floor of an empty office in Cape Town’s De Waterkant. The office had no furniture, his agency no clients and the great recession was in full swing. That was five years ago, on the first day M&C Saatchi Abel opened its doors, which officially happened on 1 February 2010.

#7. Hummingbird Group denies allegations of fraud

Hummingbird Media Investments — the holding company of production companies Pollen and Hey!Fever (not currently trading, according to its website), digital content firms Apiary and Hive, and content creation and production agency Brave — has denied allegations made on social media platforms that it is guilty of corruption or no longer trading.

#6. Thabang Skwambane new MD of FCB Joburg

The new MD of FCB Johannesburg, replacing Alistair Mokoena, is Thabang Skwambane, it was announced on, Wednesday, 14 January 2015, by FCB South Africa. Mokoena, whose departure was announced in November 2014, is now MD of Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg.

#5. OFyt and Bletchley Park in merger

OFyt and Bletchley Park, two agencies of roughly equal size, have merged in a bid to catapult the combined business into a more substantial agency play.

#4. Agency Leaders: 2014’s most-admired ad agency in South Africa

Our annual poll of South Africa’s top agency executives has already revealed which agencies, agency leaders and creatives are most admired by regional peers.

#3. Pick n Pay goes out to pitch

One of South Africa’s largest advertisers, Pick n Pay, has put its advertising account out to pitch. The retailer has had an agency relationship with incumbent, Y&R South Africa, for the past 48 years.

#2. Agency Leaders: 2014’s most-admired ad agency in Johannesburg

For 2014, Jozi’s agency leaders were invited to nominate their most-admired agency based in the city, the most-admired creative director working in the city and the most-admired boss of a Joburg agency. We also asked them which Johannesburg agency did the best at digital integration, and which local agency they saw as the one to watch in the future.

#1. Agency Leaders: 2014’s most-admired ad agency in Cape Town

Every year, MarkLives polls South Africa’s top agency leaders to find out what they think of their competitors, whom they see as effective managers and great creatives, and where they believe their future competition is likely to come from. Our best read story of 2015 was the results of our regional Cape Town poll. [Our 2015 poll kicks off 1 February.]

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