YouTube has released a list of South Africa’s top ten most popular YouTube video ads of the year.
Category archives: Marketing
In Zimbabwe ad agencies first port of call as economy stabilises – Denford Magora
by Kim Penstone In advertising circles, Zimbabwe is perhaps most famous for its now defunct currency, which was glued to billboards across the country in the award-winning “Trillion Dollar” campaign for The Zimbabwean. It’s been three years since the Zimbabwean dollar was abolished and the country adopted the US dollar as its official currency, but the perception of worthlessness remains.
But (to paraphrase Ford’s famous line): have you been to Zimbabwe lately?
“Zimbabwe is growing, even thriving. Commercially speaking, it’s probably more stable than South Africa!” says Denford Magora, CEO of The Jupiter Drawing Room (Zimbabwe) & Partners.
He speaks from direct experience, having grown TJDR (Zimbabwe) & Partners into the largest advertising agency group in the country in just one year, boasting annual revenue of over R30 million, and a blue chip client base that includes Old Mutual Zimbabwe, Zimplats, Toyota, Nando’s, Schweppes, CBZ bank, Delta Beverages (SABMiller Zimbabwe), Western Union and South African Airways.
Magora, who was born and bred in Zimbabwe and has work experience in both South Africa and the UK , already owned and operated a successful agency out of Harare. But recognising the potential for growth, especially post hyperinflation which saw the demise of many global groups in the country, he approached The Jupiter Drawing Room with a partnership proposal. Today, Magora is CEO of The Jupiter Drawing Room (Zimbabwe) & Partners, which incorporates existing agency Jericho and a new agency, The Jupiter Drawing Room (Harare).
Magora explains that the abolition of the Zimbabwean dollar in 2009 was like a call to arms for Zimbabweans scattered across the globe. Many of those who had left the country have returned, with international experience, determination to make the country work, and an unfaltering belief in the future of the country that was once famous for being the “breadbasket of Africa”.
Zimbabwe is currently experiencing GDP growth of 5%, but Magora points out that industrial and manufacturing capacity is operating below 60%, which means that there is plenty room for growth. He adds that many companies are waiting for so-called ‘political normalisation’ before they step into Zimbabwe – “but they forget that there is a population of around 14 million people living there now, who have needs and wants.” And for the first time in a long time, real currency to spend.
The Dissident Spin Doctor: The PR agency of the future sits with creative
by Emma King (@EmmainSA) Much has been said about what the ad agency of the future will look like. We all know that the old ways of creating adverts for each separate media channel, and pontificating for ages about this radio execution or that print layout is outdated. We know that integration of all disciplines – in whatever form – needs to be the primary aim; and we know that digital understanding and execution needs to run through everything.
But what about the PR agency of the future? Communications and engagement has to be more than simply farming out a press release to a bank of media names. PR practitioners need to embrace social media and work with online influencers – however we interpret that meaning. That much is a given.
Today PR agencies must make fundamental changes to the old way of working in order to be relevant. These changes need to happen within the agency structure as well as in the expertise and services that they offer. PR agencies need to move away from the constraints that have been set on them, often driven by client perceptions, that their role is simply about media relations, whether that be traditional or social.
When I started at my latest venture as part of a larger agency group, we had a lot of discussion about how the PR function would work – whether we would have a standalone and separately branded business unit or whether it should fall as a truly integrated part of the agency. We decided on the latter – much like the agency did with the digital function – because we felt that in the future we really needed to work in a way in which everything flowed together, and which was not constrained by the division of business units and billing structures.
The Ad Contrarian: Unsolicited Advice For Large Corporations
by Bob Hoffman (@adcontrarian) It is not enough these days for the overfed fat cats of large corporations to make billions of dollars. Now they want to be loved and admired. Here’s some advice for them and for the poor fools who have to implement their delusional PR and social media plans.
1. When will you be loved? Um…never. I know, people just don’t understand how much good you do and what a wonderful company you are. Oh, and your people are the best! Well, guess what? Nobody gives a sh*t. There are going to be a substantial number of people who think you are a criminal enterprise and that the world would be better off without you. Stop whining and get used to it. It’s the price you pay for being big and successful.
2. Do good things and shut up. It’s fine to speak modestly about the generous things you do, but don’t pound your chest and don’t rub our noses in it. You are expected to do good things. Generosity and community-mindedness are not extra-credit projects, they are your responsibility. Be charitable and generous because they are the right things to do, not because you want bouquets.
3. Put your money where your mouth is. There is a fashion among large corporations and politicians to glorify small business — while they’re stomping all over it. If you really believe in small business, hire them as suppliers. Have an officer whose job it is to identify small companies that can do a better job for you than the big dumb oafs you are currently using. You’ll do a lot more for small businesses by employing them than by your patronizing lip service.
Mike Abel: In defense of the great pay-off line
by Mike Abel. As the world moves toward new ways of reaching and touching consumers, I’ve decided to look at one of the “old” ways of communicating a brand’s proposition – and understanding its role currently and looking ahead.
Two entrepreneurs launch content marketing start-up
by Herman Manson (@marklives) As soon as news got out that Media24 was closing down its content marketing arm Gillian Loos, then an Associate Publisher there, got a call out of the blue from one Lize Sadie.
Sadie, with a background in media herself, had heard good things about Loos from a friend who worked at Pixelink24, and wondered if any clients might follow Loos once Media24 had wound up the business.
Loos took some time to think it over, but in the end a persistent Sadie won out, and their content marketing business, Contentum, is the result.
Social Media bombs on Black Friday
by Bob Hoffman (@adcontrarian) Despite all the hyperventilating over social media, people with open minds and judicious temperaments are still unconvinced that it has significant impact on commerce.
We know that display advertising on social media sites, notably Facebook, has delivered a whole lot less than promised.
But defenders of social media marketing tell us that it is not the advertising value of social media networks that makes them so magical. It’s the content value.
The story goes that the real strength of social media is manifest in the feeds and updates on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Linked In. Here people see marketers’ posts and they also see the endorsements and referrals from members of their “community” and are powerfully influenced by them.
It’s a lovely little story. Unfortunately, it’s all bullshit.
EXCLUSIVE: M&C Saatchi set to launch new Africa agency
by Herman Manson (@marklives) M&C Saatchi is preparing to launch a new Africa agency. The venture, provisionally called M&C Saatchi Abel Africa, will see new affiliate offices launched or acquired in Nigeria and Kenya.
The London based M&C Saatchi group will then have an on the ground precise in East, West and Southern Africa. It already has offices in Cape M&C SaatchiTown and Johannesburg through M&C Saatchi Abel.
Moray MacLennan, worldwide chief executive of M&C Saatchi, revealed that the new agency will be driven from the M&C Saatchi Abel office in Cape Town, which is in the process of recruiting an executive to lead the initiative.
The South African business is the fastest growing in the M&C Saatchi network and has grown from a staff component of 63 at his last visit to South Africa in August 2011 to over 150 today. Revenue (note: not billings) has passed the R80 million mark and its been winning business including Edgars Department Stores and Nedbank’s below-the-line account.
MacLennan says the local agency has been more successful than expected. It made a loss in its first year, turned a small profit in 2011 and is expected to do well in 2012. While margins are still substantially lower than in the European business he expects it will keep building to around 15%. Fast growth often translates into the use of more freelancers at a greater cost than permanent staff which impacts negatively on margins, says MacLennan.
In its Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2012 the group reported like-for-like revenues up 146% to £2.8m in the ME and Africa region and a profit of £330k.
On animosity by parts of the local industry aimed at the South African agency MacLennan shrugs and says M&C Saatchi used to be booed in London – its means you are making an impact and scaring the competition.
Mercedes-Benz launches online lifestyle magazine
by Herman Manson (@marklives) Mercedes-Benz South Africa has launched a new online lifestyle content portal called mblife . It has appointed its existing content marketing agency, New Media, to manage the new digital initiative.
Adelle Horler, content director at New Media, says the new site is a departure from the norm for a South African motoring brand, and aims to reflect the lifestyle interests of current and future Merc fans rather than have a focus on motoring. New Media also produces a print title for Mercedes-Benz and a digimag.
The new website takes the digizine further along its evolution towards a daily updated online lifestyle magazine. It is part of a strategy to engage with a younger, edgy audience and take the brand beyond those already driving a Mercedes.
Weekly Top 10: Fastest rising search terms from South Africans on Google
With the help of Google Trends we are publishing the top 10 searched for phrases (minus the sexy stuff of course) by South Africans on Google over the previous seven days.
The 2012 Tax filing drew to a close on Friday and searches for and about the SARS efiling system dominates our list for fast rising web search terms on Google by South Africans. End of the month and the upcoming holiday season seems to have given retailers a boost – Pick n Pay, Game stores and Woolworths all headed higher in the fast rising searches list.
Fast rising searches
psl +150%
sars efiling +150%
efiling +140%
sars +90%
pick n pay +60%
computicket +50%
game stores +50%
supersport +50%
weather cape town +50%
woolworths +50%