Advertising News

What’s working for radio right now?

Head of programming at POWER FM, Lance Rothschild, examines the trends in the radio programming space and how stations can keep listeners plugged in to this resilient and popular medium. The media market is constantly evolving and whilst radio’s demise has been predicted over several decades, it remains one of the best performing constants within the media mix. Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of Clear Channel, the predominant radio-owning organisation in the US, says: “The radio industry has never been bigger or better. With the TV business turning into delayed viewing, cord-cutting and binge viewing, radio is the last mass-reach, real-time medium. We’ve never been more important to the consumer or the advertiser.”

Fundamentally the business model of radio is quite simple. The continuous sequence that sustains all commercial radio stations starts with the making of a great product; progresses through the attraction and retention of an audience and concludes with advertising sales. “In South Africa, radio is the medium with the broadest reach across the population,” says Natano Brache, Head of Programming and Innovation at SABC Radio. “Radio remains more relevant than ever, particularly our African Language Services (ALS) stations that have a mass reach, especially in the rural areas.” In today’s radio environment, stations are increasingly emphasising that it’s less important to count the people you reach than it is to reach people who count. It’s about having a clear focus on the listeners and offering content that delights and engages an audience. Like all media in a growth-constrained economy, radio will continue to come under immense pressure. However, as long as it maintains its context and relevance, and most importantly its ease of consumption, it will remain an important media choice for marketers seeking to reach clearly-defined prospects.

Innovative Advertising Ideas

How Pokémon Go could benefit your business

You’ve heard of B2B and B2C, but are you ready for O2O? The new online-to-offline trend is lighting up markets across the globe, particularly with the growing Pokémon Go phenomenon. Chances are strong that your social media newsfeeds were flooded with images of friends and family either taking part in or marvelling at crowds of people converging in common places and then simply staring at their screens Pokémon Go activities this past weekend. It’s quite literally the biggest online-to-offline trend we’ve seen yet, and also predicted as just the starting point of augmented reality – yes AR, not just VR – looks set to shake-up business as we know it.

Leigh Andrews explained her thoughts on Pokémon Go, “ Let me backtrack a little: Confused about “online-to-offline”? At it’s simplest, O2O is a sign that business is following the slow but steady consumer shift offline… sort of. While the digital boom of the past two decades means consumers can find almost anything they want online, it also means they’re bombarded with unwanted advertising that constantly interrupts and distracts them. It makes sense if you take off your marketer’s hat for a minute and replace it with your consumer hat. If anything, we’re redefining the way we interact online – bringing it offline.” The main take-out is that it’s all about enabling your consumers to interact with your brand wherever they may be. The increasing offline attention shift means businesses need to adapt to this – not by calling a day on their digital offering, but making sure customers can engage them just as easily in the traditional space as in the real-time realm. In fact, Pokémon Go has just partnered with McDonald’s in Japan, in a deal that sees the fast food restaurants function as ‘training gyms’ for enthusiastic players.

Industry Information

How long should a TV commercial be?

When asked how many TV commercials would be in a campaign, why do most media planners calculate the answer using the 30-second rate? asks Chris Brewer in his recent opinion piece published on Bizcommunity. New York agency, Ted Bates, issued a statement (admittedly many years ago) about length. It was that “the true answer is that 15-second commercials are potentially half as effective as 30 seconds.”

Chris explains that, “It still amazes me that so many TV (and radio) commercials are 30 seconds long.” What is of paramount importance is that, for example, a 15-second commercial must NOT be a speeded up version of a 30-second commercial! A specific message must NEVER be trimmed “to fit” within a time span that’s too short. If the message demands 35 seconds of air time, then that’s what it should get – not 30 seconds. Similarly, 35 seconds will not be long enough to do justice to a 45-second commercial. There is very little reliable data regarding the ideal length of a commercial. The general consensus internationally, however, would seem to indicate that a 15- or 20-second commercial is well suited to reinforcing an established brand image or as support to a longer, more informative spot. But it seems logical to assume that the question of “how long is ideal?” is dependent entirely on how long the copywriter needs to put across the message. The inevitable conclusion therefore is: Question: How long should the commercial be? Answer: Long enough.

Exciting Media Campaigns

Wimpy promises SA’s meat lovers a thrill

A new campaign from FCB Joburg, Team Best and Hungry Films for Famous Brands’ casual dining destination chain, Wimpy, is promising South Africa’s meat lovers a ‘thrill’ the next time they opt for a grill in one of its restaurants. “To increase brand relevance and grow market share, Wimpy wanted to enhance its positioning as a casual dining destination offering big eat and value grill meals,” said Marketing Manager, Luise Peters.

What’s happening in Africa

Unique mobile subscribers in Africa surpass half a billion

More than half a billion people across Africa are now subscribed to mobile services as the continent continues to migrate rapidly to mobile broadband networks, reveals a new GSMA study. ‘The Mobile Economy: Africa 2016’ was published at the GSMA Mobile 360 Africa event this week, being held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 26 – 28 July. The report also highlights the increasing contribution of Africa’s mobile industry to the regional economy, including employment and public funding, and mobile’s role as a platform for digital and financial inclusion. “More than half a billion people across Africa are now subscribed to a mobile network, providing them not just with connectivity but a gateway to a range of other essential services in areas such as digital identity, healthcare and financial services,” said Mats Granryd, director general, GSMA. “The rapid move to mobile broadband networks is also unlocking new opportunities for consumers, businesses and governments, growing an ecosystem that last year added more than $150 billion in value to Africa’s economy.” Africa’s three largest markets – Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa – together accounted for around a third of the total subscriber base. The number of unique mobile subscribers is forecast to reach 725 million by 2020, accounting for 54% of the expected population by this point. With more mobile users emerging in Africa, it is crucial for brands to adopt mobile advertising into their advertising strategies. Let us help you reach mobile users across Africa.

About Get Set Go Media

At Get Set Go we specialise in planning and implementing media campaigns that align with your brand strategy. Our advertising reach spans across TV, Radio, Newspaper and Magazine media in Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Angola, Mozambique and Zambia. Some of the services we offer include media strategy, media buying, proof of flighting and research on the media landscape. Our team partners with local media agencies in South Africa and take care of the entire media buying process for them. If you are a media owner or a client, we would love to hear from you!

Advertising News

New digital tool connects brands and ad agencies

Ramify.biz, an online and mobile business acquisition tool, has been launched to connect South African brands and marketers to ad agencies. The objective is to help marketers and entrepreneurs grow their businesses’ brands through access to info concerning relevant advertising and marketing communication partners. The service also extends to service providers and suppliers for agencies, allowing ad agency executives to find project partners, based upon skill sets, to expand project capacity. This should result in growth for small agencies and start-ups.

The service is offered to smaller and mid-sized brands, as well as larger brands with very hands-on marketing executives. “A lot of marketers are only familiar with a handful of ad agencies and, while databases with information on possible agency partners do exist, they are generally walled in as paid-for services,” says Ramify.biz founder, Herman Manson, who is also the publisher and editor of the South African advertising and marketing industry news site, MarkLives.com. Ramify.biz allows agencies to create a database-driven listing that will assist marketers in picking communication partners, such as information on services offered, BBEEE scores and the size of the agency. Marketers then specify their partner requirements using the Ramify.biz search function and matching results are returned. Marketers may then shortlist agencies/suppliers and pull comparative data for review. Ramify.biz offers its search functionality free of charge. Agency profiles are free, too, encouraging the inclusion of the broadest possible range of agencies in the database.

Innovative Advertising Ideas

Removing stereotypes in advertising – Unilever launches #unstereotype

To remove the stereotypes in advertising, Unilever announced at Cannes #unstereotype, its global ambition for all of its brands and the industry at large to advance advertising away from stereotypical portrayals of gender; delivering fresh campaigns that are more relevant to today’s consumer. It is urging marketers globally to be aware of the outdated stereotypes of gender that advertising still propagates and the fact that progressive portrayals are proven to not only be better for society, but better for brands.

Aline Santos, executive VP of Global Marketing for Unilever, says, “Stereotyping in advertising is a prevalent issue for all genders. However, our research shows that the negative effects are most keenly felt when it comes to representations of females. In fact, 40% of women say they do not identify at all with the women they see in adverts. Advertising can be a powerful force in leading positive cultural change. We believe it is our responsibility, alongside the industry, to be at the forefront of this change by positively portraying people as they truly are today – progressive ads will lead us to a progressive future for all.” Several of Unilever’s partner agencies have already confirmed that they will be adopting the new approach – including BBH, 72andSunny, JWT, DDB, MullenLowe and Ogilvy, with many more likely to follow suit.

Industry Information

Times Media to drive airtime sales for 1KZN TV

Effective 1 July 2016, Times Media will drive airtime sales for the Zulu-language television channel 1KZN TV. For the past three years, it has been the fastest growing community stations in South Africa and has a past 7-day audience of 1.7 million viewers. Vernon Matzopoulos, head of broadcast at Times Media says, “This channel is a gem. It knows and understands its audience intimately and delivers exactly what they want. It has done the hard work in building the viewership, now it is our job to bring in the revenue these numbers deserve.” 1KZN TV is available as a free to-air channel in Kwa-Zulu Natal, as well as in five million homes on DStv 261 and on StarSat channel 482. The strong local focus (up to six hours a day of Zulu-language shows including news and current affairs) is tailored for its core 25-45 year old market.

Station manager of 1KZN TV, Edwin Mncwango, emphasises that the revenues generated by Times Media will help the channel’s staff of 52 to expand local content further. “Because we are in control of the production process, we are able to tailor shows specifically to the needs of advertisers targeting our community.” Times Media believes regional advertising is poised for growth, as brands look for more cost-effective and resonant ways to engage.

Exciting Media Campaigns

HALLS reveals its new candy shape, vibrant packaging and TVC

HALLS recently announce a new shape and revitalised packaging. The modern packaging shimmers on shelf and the new candy shape with the “H” emblem delivers a better mouth feel, all while delivering the same flavours and freshness that consumers know and trust. Tamryn Attwell, Mondelez SA Brand Manager for HALLS, says: “HALLS is truly an iconic candy in South Africa and while steeped in consumer trust and heritage, we believe the shape change and new packaging will be enjoyed by consumers.”

What’s happening in Africa

United States concerned over media intimidation in Lesotho

In a press statement, Elizabeth Trudeau, director, Office of Press Relations Washington, DC, expressed the United States’ deep concern for the increasing pressure on the media in Lesotho, particularly noting the 9 July 2016 shooting of Lesotho Times/Sunday Express editor Lloyd Mutungamiri. Journalists in Lesotho have also expressed concern for their safety in the current climate of harassment and intimidation. The statement read: “We welcome the statement by the Minister of Communications, Science and Technology condemning the shooting and encourage the government to investigate it fully and hold those responsible to account. “Freedom of expression is a constitutional right in Lesotho and journalists must be able to do their critically important jobs without fear of intimidation, harassment, and violence,” the statement concluded.

Advertising News

New African show from Urban Brew on Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network has teamed up with Urban Brew Productions to launch an innovative, locally produced series of short inserts called Pop Up Party, aimed at entertaining audiences on the African continent on DStv, at 4.30pm on channel 301 from 23 July 2016. Africa is the continent that gave birth to rhythm and the new short inserts will follow a young crew of local dancers as they pop up and infiltrate unexpected locations to create a vibrant, unique and fun Pop Up Party. Everything in the secret location seems normal…until the music starts and the magic happens. Everyone becomes part of the fun and afterwards the dance crew will walk off as if nothing happened. The crew are currently all students from the Michelle Oppenshaw Dance Studio, one of South Africa’s most versatile and elite dancers, best known for her work in the Hollywood movie, Honey 3, Strictly Come Dancing, the South African version and as the choreographer and a dancer in Mi Casa’s Turn You On music video.

“Over the last couple of years, the internet has seen many viral dance fads that have taken the internet by storm and got the world moving, but this will be on another level, as it will be aimed specifically at kids on the African market that have not experienced this directly,” says Pierre Branco, VP and MD of Turner Africa. The African-flavoured dance party has been shot in South Africa, but for any future series of the show, the channel will investigate the possibility of popping up in other African countries. Audiences will be able to follow the dance party by going onto Cartoon Network’s website. Viewers can send in their own dancing videos and learn some of the signature moves from the series, through choreographed videos with Michelle and the crew. Viewers will be encouraged to upload their videos and the best dancers will get some screen time on Cartoon Network.

Innovative Advertising Ideas

South African retailers Checkers, Pick n Pay and Spar are upping their game even more to lure customers

Checkers introduced its Little Shop Mini Collectables in stores across the country. The retailer has shrunk 29 of South Africa’s most recognisable brands, such as All Gold tomato sauce, OMO washing powder and Sunlight dishwashing liquid, which are given free on every R150 spent in-store. This follows on from the freebie war craze at till points which was introduced to the South African market with the Pick n Pay stikeez campaign. Fun freebies for children and selfie fodder for adults: toys that retail supermarkets give out at the tills have taken over social media. But take a peek behind the gimmicky toys and you will find an enormous amount of strategy, data and money, said marketing and business strategist Jonathan Cherry.

There are Three major retailers – Checkers, Pick n Pay and Spar – which have campaigns running at the moment that offer customers a freebie when they spend over R150. ‘”It looks like fun and games for children, but there’s a lot of info and stats behind the campaign,” Cherry said. It’s not just people sitting round a table thinking that’ll be fun.” In the wake of the Stikeez campaign, which had children begging their parents to shop at Pick n Pay last year, retail chains are cashing in on the adage that the way to parents’ purses is through their child’s latest obsession. People will often grab their groceries at whichever retailer is closest and most convenient. Many are loyal to brands that are stocked across retailers – for example, it likely won’t matter much to you whether you buy your Sunlight soap at a Spar or a Pick n Pay. To make customers loyal to a particular retailer, they use tools to differentiate themselves. One of these tools is lowering prices, and another is running incentives such as a free toy at the till.

Industry Information

Failure to comply could see SABC licence revoked: Icasa

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) could, in an “extreme” case, see its licence revoked. That’s according to the Independent Communication Authority of SA’s (Icasa) Rubben Mohlaloga when questioned by 702’s John Robbie about SABC chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s reaction to its ruling against the broadcaster. Hlaudi Motsoeneng had on Monday said “no one will tell us what to do” after Icasa made a decision that compels the SABC to reverse its ban on airing the destruction of property during protests. Mohlaloga told 702 on Tuesday that various sanctions “from a caution to a fine, and, in extreme cases, a licence being ‘suspended or revoked'” were available to Icasa should there be a lack of compliance with its rulings. He said the SABC had seven days to comply or indicate that it would take the ruling on legal review.

The SABC’s Kaizer Kganyago later on Tuesday told the radio station that the SABC would indeed be taking the decision to the courts, echoing Motsoeneng’s vow on Monday to approach the High Court or the Constitutional Court for relief. “We are challenging that ruling… we are equal to the task,” said the COO. Motsoeneng had also said all newsrooms censored news in taking daily publishing decisions. The fact that no good news was published showed that there was censorship in all news organisations, he said. In May, Media Monitoring Africa, the SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition and the Freedom of Expression Institute lodged a complaint with Icasa’s complaints and compliance committee, challenging the validity of the SABC’s protests ban. In the aftermath of the ban, a number of senior journalists at the broadcaster are facing disciplinary action for questioning the decision.

Exciting Media Campaigns

New #FutureFWD retirement campaign from Sanlam

Sanlam’s latest #FutureFWD retirement campaign illustrates the actual monthly retirement salary that can be expected, using three South Africans as examples.

What’s happening in Africa

Test your ads in any African market with Sense Check, from delvv.io

Delvv.io has launched a unique way for brands and agencies to crowdsource feedback on their marketing campaigns, creative concepts or digital assets (websites, mobile apps). Delvv.io, a recent FNB Innovation Award finalist, has launched a unique way for brands and agencies to crowdsource feedback on their marketing campaigns, creative concepts or digital assets (websites, mobile apps) from on-the-ground professionals in any African market. The product, called Sense Check, allows for constructive and localised feedback at any stage of the creative campaign process, including at the concept development stage.

The company launched the product in response to client’s frustrations with wasting media budget on creative concepts that don’t translate in other markets, messaging that does not resonate or executions that fail to drive sales or consumer engagement. The traditional tools available are perceived as too costly and turnaround times too long, forcing brands and their agencies to either slow down their creative process or flight campaigns without any testing at all. Within 7-10 days, the product delivers a report of strengths, weaknesses and actionable suggestions for improving the concept, ad or digital asset at both a tactical and strategic level. The brand and creative agency can then optimise and tweak the creative strategy or decide to reduce or double down on their media investment. The product has been in beta with several of the biggest brands and is now available to clients worldwide. To learn more, visit delvv.io/sense-check or info@delvv.io.

Advertising News

Facebook to put friends and family ahead of media

Facebook recently made the announcement of an upcoming change to News Feed ranking to help make sure you don’t miss stories from your friends. They previously made an update that tries to ensure that stories posted directly by the friends you care about, such as photos, videos, status updates or links, will be higher up in News Feed so you are less likely to miss them. But what does this mean for advertisers who are using Facebook Pages solely for sales and brand awareness? Overall, Facebook anticipates that this update may cause reach and referral traffic to decline for some Pages.

The specific impact on your Page’s distribution and other metrics may vary depending on the composition of your audience. For example, if a lot of your referral traffic is the result of people sharing your content and their friends liking and commenting on it, there will be less of an impact than if the majority of your traffic comes directly through Page posts. We encourage Pages to post things that their audience are likely to share with their friends. As always, Pages should refer to the Facebook publishing best practices.

This however should not affect Facebook advertising at all. If you are investing in advertising on Facebook, then you are still considered one of their ideal target markets. Ideally this social media giant needs to make revenue and this happens from advertising. It is now more crucial than before that businesses implement a budget for Facebook advertising to market to their desired audience.

Innovative Advertising Ideas

Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery announces launch of new, dedicated, marketing event for 2017

Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery has announced the addition of an all-new, dedicated marketing event: Madex 2017 (Marketing, Advertising and Design Exhibition), to the list of its portfolio of innovative trade shows. Madex 2017, which represents the next step in marketing evolution, follows on from the transformation of the ever-popular Markex show into a targeted promotional product event, aimed specifically at resellers of promotional products and their corporate buyers from 2016.

“The market has spoken, and we listened,” explains Nick Sarnadas, Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery event director. “We conducted in-depth, independent research with previous Markex exhibitors and visitors during the latter part of 2015, and identified a need within the marketplace for two separate exhibitions – one that focuses expressly on the promotional products industry, and another that is a separate exhibition, rich in content, for the marketing and related industries. ‘There is no other event of this kind on the African continent, to our knowledge, that caters specifically to the needs of the marketing industry. We are looking at introducing a number of features, including a paid for conference with top quality speakers,” he adds.

Madex 2017 will bring together the best in South African advertising, PR, design, events, stand design, printing, outdoor media, content creation and social media, allowing them to showcase their talent and share their knowledge with Africa’s marketing and communications sector face-to-face – and all under one roof. For more information, please visit www.madex.co.za.

Industry Information

Newspaper advertising still relevant to mass media

According to Target Group Index (TGI) research, 53% of mass market newspaper readers pay more attention to advertising in newspapers than in other media; 68% of South Africans often notice advertisements in newspapers and magazines. An article on BizCommunity states that reading a newspaper becomes a habit and regular readers feel out of touch if they do not get their paper. These readers look forward to reading their newspaper and value the depth that newspapers provide. This value is clearly revealed, newspaper readers are willing to pay for their newspapers. Between 50-60% of mass market newspaper readers agree with the following: They prefer to get news coverage from newspapers. They read newspapers almost every day and set aside time to do this. They rely on newspapers to keep them informed and consider this a form of entertainment and would not change the newspaper that they read.

This report comes as great news for advertisers who are often faced with the question – is print media dead? Newspapers are undergoing transformation and evolution in the digital age. The newspaper currency measurements, however, have not sufficiently catered for this transformation and do not reflect total consumer interest in this medium. What is required is a combined measurement of reach and influence of newspaper content on all platforms with new metrics.

According to this WAN-INFRA survey, more than 92% of all newspaper revenues globally still come from print. The print reach of Ads24 titles, Daily Sun, Soccer Laduma, Son and Ilanga is over 9 million. The digital reach of the Daily Sun and Soccer Laduma combined is over 2 million. We strongly believe that newspaper advertising still works for specific industries and would be happy to chat to you about advertising options in African newspapers.

Exciting Media Campaigns

Toyota Customer Services radio campaign highlights what happens when parts go bad

A new radio campaign from FCB Joburg for Toyota Customer Services is reminding South Africa’s Toyota drivers why investing in genuine parts matters not only when it comes to safety and peace of mind, but because of the impact they can have on everyday life and its well-planned events. Tapping into the insights that disaster has terrible timing, therefore the worst things happen at the most inopportune times, the campaign suggests that using unreliable parts is like inviting disaster.

There’s the story of “Leonard”, whose car breaks down on the morning of his big presentation, and his opportunistic colleague who takes credit for all his hard work as he holds the line for roadside assistance. There’s Josh, who finds himself sweating on the side of the road late for that all-important first meeting with his new girlfriend’s parents, and there’s the sorry tale of a roast dinner intended for the unimpressible in-laws but left in the oven for far too long when the ‘chef’ couldn’t get home in time. According to FCB Joburg Executive Business Director, Reagen Kok, these stories might be based on universal truths, but are executed in a uniquely South African way.

“South Africans find humour in tense, uncomfortable or disastrous situations. We are good at laughing at ourselves, and our often less-than-perfect situations. The omniscient narrator in this advert delivers his lines with a wry smile, and the off-beat music and the hint of schadenfreude illustrates this national characteristic,” he said.

What’s happening in Africa

Nismedia acquires Glow TV and continues broadcasting on DSTV

As from 1 July 2016, the Nismedia Group, based in Centurion, has acquired the sole rights and interests to Glow TV and the channel will continue to broadcast uninterrupted on its existing media platforms; DStv, OpenView HD and StarSat. Nazeer Noormohamed, head of the Nismedia Group, which owns a number of newspaper publications, explained that the decision to buy the channel came about because of the confidence in the brand.

“I believe that Glow TV has great potential and can continue to impact positively on the South African market. As such, we approached Urban Brew Studios to acquire the channel from them. Our entry into the television sector will offer Nismedia a new and exciting national and international footprint.”

Urban Brew CEO, Trish Taylor said, “Our initial decision to discontinue the channel was not an easy one, so we’re delighted that the loyal Glow viewers will still be able to watch their favourite entertainment channel and the shows they’ve come to love.” During July, Glow TV will broadcast existing content and repeats of popular shows.

As from August, new content will be introduced onto the eastern-inspired channel.