Category: Uncategorized

Caxton Magazines has announced the appointment of Gugulethu Mhlungu in the position of Deputy Editor of Bona magazine. Self-confessed ‘wanna be’ Marvel Avenger and current Nightalk host on Radio 702 Monday to Thursday, Gugulethu is ready to add a new adventure to her mantle of skills.

 “My media career began at the age of 17 when the radio bug bit in Grahamstown at Rhodes University’s campus radio. Shortly after that the print bug bit and I’ve been privileged to have had experience as a former lifestyle editor and writer at a Sunday newspaper. Now, I’m excited to join the Caxton Magazines stable and to be working on a strong South African heritage brand with an incredibly loyal reader base,” says Gugu.

Gugu’s former bi-weekly newspaper column won her the 2015 Columnist of the Year at the 2015 Media 24 Legends Awards. She is also a 2015 National Arts Festival/Business Art SA silver award winning feature journalist. Her interest in young black South African women and magazines led her to apply for the deputy editor position at Bona – a magazine she’s had the utmost respect for, for many years.

Bona, South Africa’s only publication available in four languages: English, isiZulu, seSotho and isiXhosa, provides its audience with the inspiration, advice and confidence they need to be better at everything they encounter.

Caxton Magazine’s General Manager Anton Botes adds that Gugu is already adding tremendous value to the team. “We love Gugulethu’s enthusiasm for her new challenge and her unique perspective on the magazine industry. We look forward to seeing her career flourish at Caxton Magazines and are thrilled to have her on board.”

Gugu has completed her Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Journalism, Media Studies and Anthropology) from Rhodes University, and has also completed an honours-level post grad in media management, also at Rhodes University. She has plans to complete her Masters, and is currently completing her first book on the myth of the rainbow nation.

Caxton Magazines DNA

Storytelling is our business. Content is our currency. Caxton Magazines is a division of Caxton CTP Printers & Publishers and houses 12 brands in print and digital formats, primarily aimed at the women’s lifestyle segment across life stages, lifestyles and income groups. These brands are: Vrouekeur; Woman & Home; Bona; Living & Loving; People; Food & Home Entertaining; Your Family; Garden & Home; Farmer’s Weekly; Essentials; Rooi Rose and SA Country Life. Visit www.caxtonmags.co.za

 

All4Women, one of South Africa’s most popular online women’s magazines, is excited to launch their three new specially-tailored, results-driven client packages for 2018.

All4Women prides itself on the uniquely curated content created by editors who are well in tune with their audience, covering topics from food and home to parenting and relationships. As of March 2018, the site attracts over 480 000 unique users monthly (Effective Measure), has amassed over 160 000 Facebook followers and their 20 newsletters hit the inboxes of over 500 000 subscribers per month with an open rate of 75%.

This means that All4Women can confidently provide a brand safe, well-read environment for clients looking to increase their brand awareness and exposure while engaging directly with a targeted female audience.

Inspired by the different shoes that women choose based on their budget and needs, All4Women has created packages that do the same for brands, aptly named The Sneaker, The Sandal and the Stilletto. These high-value, customisable packages give clients the option to select a solution that not only best suits their marketing objectives but also offers up to a 20% discount, dependant on package chosen.

The Sneaker is the cost-effective, entry-level package that is well suited for building brand awareness with an article created and published on the All4Women site, two newsletter mentions, one large format wallpaper, run of site banners and a Facebook post. The Sandal is a middle of the range package that builds brand engagement with an article created and published on the All4Women site, three newsletter mentions, two wallpapers, banners, a section takeover and a Facebook and Twitter post.

The Stilletto is the “Louboutin of packages” for brands who want to step things up with extensive brand reach. It gives brands maximum exposure with an article created and published on the All4Women site, four newsletter mentions, three wallpapers, run of site banners, a section takeover and a Facebook and Twitter post.

The benefit of utilising these packages is that you get the best selection of high performance ad units on the All4Women site, strategically combined to help your brand reach their marketing objectives, placed within a contextually relevant environment in front of an 80% female audience (Effective Measure, March 2018).

Furthermore, additional ‘sparkles’ can be added to the campaign to further magnify results, with optional extras such as polls, widgets, home page takeovers and social media posts.

To find out more about how All4Women’s packages can give your brand a step up, contact SPARK Media: call +27 10 492 8391 or email info@sparkmedia.co.za.

 Relativ Media is proud to introduce, what those in the media industry are referring to as Johannesburg’s own Times Square – a giant fully HD Polaroid digital screen on the corner of Alice Lane and 5^th Street, Sandton.The 7m x 13.7m digital screen is strategically elevated to maximise the line of sight for passengers and motorists and is largely aimed at the upper LSM and SEM sectors.

The new digital screen is one of eight screens available to Relativ Media clients, with other screens situated in key locations around the country.

Relativ celebrated the introduction of its new digital screen at the Wishbone Café and Bistro Bar, where guests enjoyed a classy evening to mark the unveiling of the innovative out of home digital screen. Many of the guests were quick to liken the event and the location to Times Square in New York, referring to the classiness and quality of the screen, the location and the evening.

Margaret Ashwin from Media Max said that the digital screen was “very exciting and fantastic to see.” Margaret wasn’t the only one to share that opinion – Norman Gibson from MTN explained the digital screen was “the first of its kind, creating the feeling of New York right here in South Africa.” He continued by highlighting how Relativ Media is “driving innovation in the out of home media space by creating cost effective and impactful media platforms.”  

Michael Christoforos from Relativ Media said: “We are extremely thrilled with the way in which this incredible screen has turned out. It’s a fantastic addition to our inventory and a truly iconic site in JHB.”

Relativ Media are proud to have worked with HD Media, Paragon Architects and Redefine Properties with Michael adding that “the relationships forged during this process and the opportunity to work with such collaborative and forward thinking entities, made a project such as this every media owners dream.”

 

Freedom Day – Infographic

 

OrangeBlock is a proud Nfinity company. Connect with them at https://orangeblock.net/ or www.nfinity.co.za

OrangeBlock, the bespoke events business operating within the Nfinity group of companies, has recently been awarded the contract to build awareness and promote the new content streaming platform – black.

 “Besides special corporate hospitality events, award ceremonies, launch/release parties and public events, we are able to host promotional activations that put brands within touching distance of their markets,” says Michelle Kirby, Managing Director of OrangeBlock. “We believe that it is our creative concepts and ability to deliver on the brief that makes us successful at consistently implementing effective ideas.”‘black’ is the latest content streaming offering that comprises a range of exclusive information including sports, television series and movies. In answer to client’s brief, OrangeBlock in collaboration with MagicMonkey arranged and implemented the “GETblack Gameshow” and specifically wrote the “GETblack Song” for this road show.

The GETblack Gameshow takes place in malls and other consumer convergence points across Gauteng and encourages shoppers to take part in various games where cellphones, t-shirts, caps, scratch cards and earphones can be won. Contestants do however need to be careful as some ‘booby’ prizes, like eating chillies and Mopani worms, are included.The GETblack Song is performed by six highly talented dancers/singers performing a Gqom styled song specifically written for black. The audience is encouraged to get involved and dance, in turn, receiving prizes for the best participation and dancing. The performance ends with an introduction to our highly skilled GETblack foot soldiers who will introduce to you what the platform offers and facilitate the app download and content purchases right there and then.

“These activations have been a great success, particularly because everyday consumers have engaged with the events energetically and spontaneously,” concludes Kirby. “The activations were launched at the Rand Show and will continue until August 2018”.

Out of Home specialists Relativ Media has recently made several charitable donations to causes in need:

Women of Vision

As a part of Relativ Media’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme, the company donated a brand new Suzuki Super vehicle to Woman Vision, a non-profit organisation that addresses high levels of gangsterism, violence and substance abuse within the local and surrounding community.

The donation was made in order to provide much needed aid to the Woman of Vision organisation in their daily tasks. The day was a huge success and an emotional one for many attending the handover.

Women of vision was formed on the 16^th December 1996 by Sophie Okeke. The organisation runs many support projects within the local community and is a very worthy cause for donation. Relativ Media hopes that the new vehicle will aid in their vision of helping the local community.

 Woodrock Foundation

Earlier in the year, Relativ Media donated 20 blankets and 30 towels to the Woodrock Foundation, who provide valuable assistance to neglected and unwanted animals. The foundation began in 1992 by Nicholas Estelle and is heavily involved within the local community by providing education relating to the humane treatment of animals. The foundation also feeds, spays and neuters animals in the community where necessary, and provides blankets and kennels where possible.

Celebrating Life

In February, Celebrating Life; a formal affair where guests were given the opportunity to give back, to converse and interact with a range of South Africa’s finest ambassadors for a great cause, was held at the Rand Club and attended by over 200 guests.

The event was inspired by the realisation by the Tucker Family that life is short and needs to be celebrated every day.  Celebrating Life was held in partnership with the Rand Club. Founded in 1887 the magnificent clubhouse was the perfect venue for friends, family and loved ones to celebrate life.  Some of the local legends attending the event included James Small, Mpumelo “Pommie” Mbangwa and guest speakers John Robbie and Joel Stranksy.

All proceeds earned from the night, through ticket sales and added donations have gone to the St. Mary’s Foundation and St. John’s Academy, supporting one of South Africa’s most dire causes – education. Guests had great enthusiasm and enjoyed speaking with local legends while donating to a worthy cause.

Relativ Media’s MD Brett Tucker is proud to be able to have made a difference to these charities and is excited at the prospect of doing more of the same in near future.

Caxton’s local newspapers keep their surrounding communities informed about the latest happenings in the area. But their community investment goes so much further than news. Caxton and each of its newspapers aim to improve and uplift their communities, not only through the investment of financial resources, but by getting actively involved in service organisations and driving initiatives to better their society.

“This year alone, Caxton has spent R13.2-million to sustain projects initiated in 2008 and 2009 that provide support to more than 75% of Black beneficiaries,” says Jaco Koekemoer, MD of Caxton Local Media & Coldset Printing.

Caxton seeks out areas where they can positively impact the plight of disadvantaged communities, including the provision of free and discounted advertising and editorial space to Black organisations and educational institutions in all publications, both newspapers and magazines.

Caxton Printers in Johannesburg prints Homeless Talk for free every month, providing a source of income for close to 100 street vendors across the city. They support Itshepeng, an NPO organisation that runs a feeding scheme for 500 people, 5 days a week, as well as a Maths and Science programme helping to educate 200 Grade 10,11 and 12 students, each year. They also sponsor Kids Haven, a shelter and children’s home and supply free hard and soft covered exercise books to West Rand School.

In each and every town or city where a Caxton local paper is distributed, you will find them immersed in their communities, providing assistance with projects that uplift society.  A stand-out community newspaper initiative is D.I.C.E. (Do I Care Enough), a vital component of the Zululand Observer, indelibly linked to Zululand since 1973. Not only is it involved in the care of the vulnerable and dispossessed, but it is active in all spheres of community upliftment wherever the need may be.

DICE’s annual 2017 Christmas Cheer distributed 1 400 20L buckets filled with groceries to the needy, 2 000 toys among creches, 45 hand crocheted blankets for seniors and toiletries and other incidentals.  This month they anticipate raising R35 000 at their annual Tea on the Terrace event, which will be donated to two Oncology centres.

The Mossel Bay Advertiser started the Oliver Twist project in 2011 to assist people in need, from homeless people who come to the offices three times a week to receive bread handouts to providing soccer kits to local teams, to giving toys to children’s’ hospitals. Die Pos/The Post’s Children’s Fund has donated up to R100 000 annually to needy children and children’s organisations in their readership area, such as sponsoring bus fares to needy learners and the donation of building materials for the building of preschools.

“Caxton Local Media will continually strive to improve and socially uplift the communities in which they operate, as not only a financially sound corporate citizen, but a socially conscientious one. They will continue to seek areas where they can positively impact the plight of disadvantaged communities, says Koekemoer.

It all began with a challenge at a Tekkie Town conference last year to reach an exceptional target for December 2017 – an “absolutely impossible to reach” target that had the CEO betting that he would walk in a Speedo from one Tekkie Town building to the other if it was reached.

Unfortunately for Tekkie Town’s CEO, Bernard Mostert, but luckily for the Tekkie Town business, this target was exceeded.  The backbone of the strategy was for Tekkie Town to negotiate the beatable deals with their suppliers, and then advertise them in an 8 page catalogue. The catalogue was inserted into 38 relevant local Caxton newspapers twice, at two week intervals.

Unbelievably, the “impossible” was achieved and Mostert had to do what he promised, strutting out across the headquarters in a snugly-fitted, Tekkie Town-branded Speedo.

Based on this incredible campaign success, Tekkie Town plans to run the insert four times this year and has increased their print order and publications, for the next campaign.

To find out more about how inserts can drive your brand’s campaign success, contact SPARK Media: call +27 10 492 8391 or email info@sparkmedia.co.za.

 

Relativ Media is proud to announce that Katja Wellen has joined the team and will be taking on the role of Sales Account Manager. Katja will be responsible for managing a large portfolio of national and multinational brands, growing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders and providing strategic sales solutions within the Relativ Media Group.

Born for the media industry, Katja is a passion fuelled, self-proclaimed fashionista, positivity ambassador and Pringle lover. She stated that, “I’ve spent the past three years in an energetic environment that has offered me many learning experiences and a platform to develop wonderful business relationships. I’m looking forward to the journey ahead.”

Relativ Media’s Andrew Cooper is both proud and excited to welcome Katja Wellen to the Relativ Media team. “We are already enjoying the positive effects of Katja’s drive and intuition in the business and are excited to watch her career grow within the Group,” he says.

Relativ Media is a dynamic out-of-home media business covering a national footprint across both the urban and a broader demographic landscape.

Conducted by SPARK Media every three years, ROOTS is South Africa’s largest urban, community-level quantitative survey. With fieldwork for the 2019 survey already started from mid-March, there is much anticipation around what the latest findings from the updated questionnaire will reveal, particularly around digital trends, when the data is released in early 2019.

 Started in the 1990’s, ROOTS provides marketers with vital demographic information for their customer base at a community level. It delivers key intelligence and insights into buyers’ behaviour in various categories, such as: readership, shopping, food and groceries, banking, entertainment, travel and digital. The pure random sample covers 120 communities across urban South Africa. 27 000 household purchase decision makers are interviewed for 50 minutes in their homes to gather this information.

ROOTS is undertaken by independent research house, Kantar TNS. This will be their 6^th ROOTS, with 2004 being their first. This means that in many communities changes can be tracked back 14 years. 80% of the questionnaire remains consistent for this reason, while 20% is updated to incorporate new trends in consumer behaviour, particularly around the impact of technology on our lives.

 “ROOTS’ data gives us powerful insights into consumers at a local level,” Gill Randall, Joint CEO of SPARK Media says. “With the data in hand, it’s crucial that marketers decide how best to use that information within a broader framework of globally proven consumer behaviour laws, such as continuity of exposure, leveraging a brand’s distinctive assets and achieving mass reach of a category.”

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates on this exciting study. For more information about ROOTS 2019, contact SPARK Media on 010 492 8390, visit www.sparkmedia.co.za, follow us on Twitter – www.twitter.com/SparkMediaSA or connect with ‘SPARK Media’ (sparkmediasa) on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.