Month: July 2017

Indoor media advertising specialists and Primedia Unlimited subsidiary, TLC, has partnered with Hubble, Uber’s in-vehicle interactive entertainment partner, to sell video content advertising on their platform.

“TLC has the exclusive rights to sell high viewability video on Hubble’s interactive touch screens in Uber vehicles,” says Greg Bruwer, TLC’s Managing Director. “It’s an ideal platform on which to engage on a one-on-one basis, with tech-savvy, early adopters in the high income market.”

Uber passengers spend 20 minutes on average in the vehicle, own a credit card (in many cases multiple cards) and a smart phone. With nothing to do but engage with content, it’s the ideal immediate call-to-action platform.

The fully interactive advertising platform offers high quality video and interactive content in a captive environment with measurable ROI. Content includes documentaries, comedies, neighbourhood insights, news, sport, weather and things to see and do within Johannesburg and Cape Town. Like the traditional media platform on television, commercials are flighted in between standard content without being intrusive.

Statistics have shown the level of engagement on Hubble’s screens to be 75 times higher than traditional digital advertising. Considering that the user is always in control, it virtually guarantees a positive experience from interested passengers.

“We are extremely excited about this partnership and the initial feedback from the market has been very promising,” concludes Bruwer.

For more information on TLC offerings contact greg@tlc-media.co.za or visit www.primedia-unlimited.co.za

TLC Unlimited

TLC (Targeted Lifestyle Communication) introduced the concept of washroom advertising to the South African market in 1996, and has since become the sole player in this media arena offering a plethora of in-mall and washroom advertising platforms such as standard and talking frames, cubicle wraps and treadmill branding to mention a few. More recently, TLC has expanded its portfolio to include a number of new businesses which are housed in TLC Unlimited (under Primedia Unlimited) namely TLC; Salon Media; and Fitting Exposure. Visit www.primedia-unlimited.co.za or www.tlc-media.co.za for more.

“Did you know that in the past few years in South Africa, women have purchased more PCs, cars and TVs than men? Marketers should have no further doubt that South African women hold the purse strings and SPARK Media has just the right product to reach this lucrative female market,” says Digital Manager of SPARK Media Ashleigh Footit.

 “Over the past few months our team has been working hard to perfect an offering that is aimed solely at women that hold significant influence over brands. We’re very pleased to launch SPARK inspiHer – a new women’s online lifestyle network, spanning the entire Caxton media group. The women’s online lifestyle network reaches up to 4 million women every month,” she says.

“Whether its fashion and beauty, décor, celebs, finance, news, shopping, relationships, cars or any other passion point, we know what women want and can deliver quality content they can trust, using brands that they’ve depended on for decades.”

SPARK Media aggregates audiences across its entire network and can distribute an advertiser’s message in a credible way in a brand-safe environment; to the women that marketer’s really want to reach. With SPARK inspiHer, brands can target the RIGHT audience, by interest category, with the RIGHT message in the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time.

“Advertisers have the opportunity to partner with SPARK Media to create engaging content that will drive their message across our platforms, no matter the category,” says Ashleigh.

Through SPARK Media, Caxton journalists will create engaging white label content and videos that really talk to the needs and interest of its female users. The content will then be published on relevant websites within the SPARK InspiHer network and will be boosted to targeted audiences through display, newsletters and social media platforms namely Facebook and Instagram.

“Through our journalist’s understanding of the tone and style of each publication, the client’s content is seamlessly integrated into the format of each branded platform,” says Ashleigh.

“It is our belief that SPARK inspiHer will compliment and strengthen our existing offering aimed at the lucrative female market. Our SPARK Media team is on hand and ready to maximise our advertiser’s brand engagement with this powerful audience.”

To find out more, to connect, discuss or engage with SPARK Media, call 010 492 8390, visit www.sparkmedia.co.za, follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/SparkMediaSA or find ‘SPARK Media’ (sparkmediasa) on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Spark Media DNA

Established in 2015, SPARK Media, a division of CTP Ltd, are experts in retail and location based marketing solutions. The company owns and represents a myriad of print and digital products that deliver locally relevant, effective audiences for advertising clients. SPARK Media are Strategic Partners in Audience Research and Knowledge and offer ‘Insights that Ignite’.

Gill Randall, Joint CEO of SPARK Media says that markets don’t stop in a recession. According to Randall, people don’t stop shopping it’s just the consumer’s behaviour that changes.

Through our membership of the Ehrenburg Bass Institute (EBI) for marketing science, we have access to consumer behaviour tracked from way before, during and post the previous recession, and that data has revealed very clear shopper insights. One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is just how habitual consumers are.

Consumers find it difficult to modify their regular behaviour. So in belt tightening time, they find it much easier to change non-regular behaviours. Regular behaviour would be defined as going out for lunch or coffee or shopping at their favourite stores, they’ll continue to do this, but just at a reduced frequency or expenditure level. Non-regular behaviours, however, like buying big appliances or re-decorating will be postponed or discarded.

The 2008 – 2009 recession resulted in purchase declines across all categories, with the after effects felt and seen in continued declines up until 2013. As the economy recovered, purchasing again picked up between 2013 and 2016 showing increased purchases across most categories.

But even during a recession, life continues to happen: appliances and cars that break down still need to be repaired or replaced, people still get married, move houses, start families and change jobs etc, money will still be spent, again, just at a reduced level and frequency.

Thinner markets mean that less people are actively buying at any given time. They’re spending less and buying less frequently which generally means that smaller marketing budgets have to work harder. And along with tightening budgets, consumers are also extensively searching for bargains, therefore an increased mental availability for brands in tough times do go a long way in getting those much needed sales.

This is where the now generally accepted ‘reach’ and ‘continuity’ strategy becomes ever more critical. Less active shoppers, shopping less frequently must equate to advertisers adopting a wider reach of the whole category more often (continuously) to maintain conversion rates of available share of wallet.

Additionally, in good times and in bad, the principle of Share of Voice (SOV) applies – so marketers whose ad spend is above (or below) their relative market share tend to improve (or decline) in overall market share during these times. That’s why holding or, (yes please), raising your ad spend in a recession generally leaves your brand’s market share better off at the end of a recession than at the start. It’s simply a matter of SOV. But, if budgets are to be cut, don’t stress too much – competitors are more than likely in the same boat, but do try to ensure the retention of relative SOV.

Extensive EBI analysis shows that at best 50% of a brand’s business comes from regular shoppers and that better than 50% comes from the balance of buyers in the category. The bottom line is that target markets are not just regular shoppers, it’s all buyers in the category. Aim too narrow and ads won’t be seen by the big groups of flirtatious customers!

Local papers remain the only real mass reach print media available. ROOTS 2016 shows that 63% of urban decision makers read their local paper versus 25% of any other daily newspaper or 22% of any other weekly paper.

To sum up, in a recession purchases are fewer and further between than normal and the ratio of ‘need’ purchases to ‘pleasure’ purchases is far higher. Shopping is also less planned and more random. Random shopping can happen anytime, so brands need to be in the market continuously to attract the buyers as they consider their choices amongst a myriad of brand offerings.

To find out more or to connect, discuss or engage with SPARK Media, call 010 492 8390, visit www.sparkmedia.co.za, follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/SparkMediaSA or find ‘SPARK Media’ (sparkmediasa) on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Spark Media DNA

Established in 2015, SPARK Media, a division of CTP Ltd, are experts in retail and location based marketing solutions. The company owns and represents a myriad of print and digital products that deliver locally relevant, effective audiences for advertising clients. SPARK Media are Strategic Partners in Audience Research and Knowledge and offer ‘Insights that Ignite’.

Local community newspapers, Die Pos and The Beat have joined the SPARK Media stable of local community newspapers, bolstering the media owner’s already 3.4 million strong weekly circulation in urban homes.

Die Pos, a sold paper, delivers 6,000 copies weekly into Bela Bela (Warmbaths), Modimolle (Nylstroom), Naboomspruit, Vaalwater, Settlers, Pienaarsrivier, Leeupoort, and Radium areas. The Beat, a freely distributed paper which has a circulation of 6,000 copies weekly, covers the township areas of Bela Bela, Modimolle, Mookgophong and Vaalwater.

“Die Pos has been in existence since 1982 and has a unique interaction with its readers and advertisers. In fact, there have been several weeks where up to five pages have been needed for its letters section – definite proof that the community is heavily engaged in the paper,” says Graham Sinclair, Channel Manager at SPARK Media.

The winning formula for both papers is hyper local content, creative advertising and upliftment among the less-privileged communities in the form of various charity initiatives.

Die Pos boasts a wonderful heritage since 1982. The Beat is a newer publication, starting in 2006, but both have incredibly passionate readers that care about what happens in their suburbs and think carefully about which of their local retailers and businesses they’ll be spending their hard earned money with.”

“We’re pleased to add these products to our stable and we’re confident that we’ll provide both papers with fantastic advertisers who recognise the buying power of these communities,” he concludes.

To find out more, to connect, discuss or engage with SPARK Media, call 010 492 8390, visit www.sparkmedia.co.za, follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/SparkMediaSA or find ‘SPARK Media’ (sparkmediasa) on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Spark Media DNA

Established in 2015, SPARK Media, a division of CTP Ltd, are experts in retail and location based marketing solutions. The company owns and represents a myriad of print and digital products that deliver locally relevant, effective audiences for advertising clients. SPARK Media are Strategic Partners in Audience Research and Knowledge and offer ‘Insights that Ignite’.