The ten best read stories on MarkLives during the month of April.
1. Media laughs on April Fools April 1
by Herman Manson (@marklives) April 1, a day in which the mainstream media plays tricks on readers by publishing/broadcasting stories that ranges from the plausible but untrue to the improbable, and disguises fiction as news, is always an interesting alternative measure of media zeitgeist.
2. DMMA board denies governance crisis April 9
by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Digital Media & Marketing Association (DMMA) earlier this year announced a new management structure that saw an elected Executive Committee replaced by an appointed steering committee. However, it had neglected to update its constitution, which requires a 75% vote in support by members, before doing so.
3. Smile 90.4fm aims to shake up Cape Town radio market April 2
by Gill Moodie (@GrubstreetSA) Last week Smile 90.4 fm – Cape Town’s new FM radio station – started broadcasting. Backed by SA’s pre-eminent film producer Anant Singh, Smile 90.4fm won the first FM licence to be awarded by the regulator, Icasa, for Cape Town in 14 years.
4. South African team behind the Mars One film April 25
by Herman Manson (@marklives) Mars One, project to establish a human colony on Mars, which will be funded through merchandise, sponsorships and possibly a reality TV show, has launched a global online campaign to find potential ‘astronauts’ willing to join the production/project. Video applications are lodged by the public along with an application fee. The public will be involved in voting for their favourite prospective ‘astronauts’ reports New Scientist.
The short film calling for formal applications, which has just been released, was produced by South African ‘high-concept’ creative agency Now&Partners who are also early investors in the project.
5. The biggest circulating consumer magazines in SA Feb 28
Our list of the biggest circulating consumer magazines in SA. Updated May 15
6. Media24’s Afrikaans newspapers announce paywall, digital first strategy April 2
by Herman Manson (@marklives) Soon readers of the three Media24 Afrikaans language daily newspapers Die Burger, Beeld and Volksblad, will have to pay for the privilege to read news in their home language. They announced the arrival of a paywall, a new tablet app and the imminent arrival of new look websites for all three papers on their sites this morning. The paywalls will take effect as soon as the new websites come out of beta.
7. Ad of the Week with Oresti Patricios – How’s it Hangin’? April 3
by Oresti Patricios Sex. The fact is, most teenagers do it, and varsity is the place where most people leaving their teens can first be open about experimenting, discussing and learning about sex and relationships. As young adults, varsity students are able to express their sexuality more openly amongst their peers.
That’s why Durex actively targets this segment, using ‘youth media’ like MTV, YouTube, and Facebook, and sponsoring youth events whilst also engaging in sample campaigns on campuses. Early adoption means a better chance of brand loyalty and of committing to safe sex.
8. Exclusive: Top ECD leaves Ford Europe, joins one year old South African agency April 19
by Herman Manson (@marklives) In a stunning coup for OFyt (Old Friends Young Talent) the agency, just over one year old, has announced that it has lured Greg Burke back to South Africa as ECD of its new Johannesburg office. Burke has been creative partner for O&M London’s Ford business since 2005 (as Executive Creative Director of Blue Hive London – the WPP agency that handles Ford in Europe). OFyt last week announced that it has won the Kia Motors South Africa account and that it will be run out of Johannesburg.
9. Mixed reviews for online launch of news brand eNCA April 22
by Herman Manson (@marklives) eNCA, the South African based satellite news channel, recently launched a beta version of their website promising “an immersive experience for users”.
eNCA should be a much bigger news brand in the South African media market than it is. Its reach is limited to subscribers to MultiChoice’s DStv platform (and more recently the SKY digital satellite platform in the United Kingdom) although it also syndicates news content to free-to-air channel e.tv. The rebranding from eNews to eNCA in late 2012 means the brand is also still new to consumers.
10 The Dissident Spin Doctor: Preparing for the booze marketing clamp down April 9
by Emma King (@EmmainSA) Proposed amendments to liquor laws and restrictions on the sales and marketing of alcohol have once again become hot topics of conversation. Boardrooms, newsrooms and braais are seething with debates about what should or shouldn’t be changed, and who has the right to make decisions about how other people behave.
My personal opinion? Well, I get pretty pissed when people dictate when or how I can do something, and that extends to being able to sip a glass of chilled Chardonnay on a Sunday afternoon.
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