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In an age inundated with fake news, curating trust with a community is absolutely crucial to the success of local papers. To remain relevant, there’s a huge need for top quality editorial content. We spoke to Irma Green, National Group Editor of Caxton Local Media, about how their papers and digital platforms maintain content that is consistently high quality, newsworthy and relevant for the community that they serve.

1. How is Caxton’s content the bloodline of the papers’ success?

Caxton’s local newspapers’ success is attributed to the fact that they are uniquely positioned to offer quality, hyper local content to its readers. Digital content consumption is a reality for media companies and Caxton has embraced it with title sites and a social media presence for all their publications. Although the newspapers still offer the reader content which can’t be found somewhere else.

2. How does Caxton ensure that its journalists create quality content and provide instant ground-breaking news reporting?

The newsrooms are geared to deal with breaking news stories, which are published online immediately. But once a story is prepared for print, it’s important to find a new angle. Our readers want interpretation and palatable information when they pick up a newspaper. Our editors and journalists are constantly trained on how to deal with the changing news environment. When we train, we also focus on other areas like photography, media law, layout and design, subbing and headline writing. Upskilling our staff remains a priority in Caxton newsrooms.

3. In the rush to be the first to break a big news story, there’s so much fake news out there. How does Caxton ensure that they are trusted content producers?

When it comes to publishing, our motto is “don’t be first, be right”. Newsrooms globally want to break news and offer it to their readers first. But, by doing this, some of the best news groups have burnt their fingers. Readers are tired of being fed fake news, they want reputable information from trusted sources. We strive to be that trusted source when publishing content. There are mistakes that go through, but we handle it swiftly and have processes in place to deal with it.

4. Are Caxton’s digital assets as important as the print assets? How does the content reporting differ online to print?

Print and digital are “married”. Both are equal partners in the relationship and receive the same attention. The way we publish on the two platforms differ. Online is quick-paced. On our local sites we don’t often publish long feature type stories. Online offers journalists the scope to add various multi-media elements to a story, including video, podcasts, galleries and hyperlinks to similar stories. In print, our local newspapers focus on profiles, human interest stories, schools, clubs and community information unique to a particular area.

5. What key aspect makes Caxton different to other media reporting companies?

Our extensive national reach. You will find a Caxton Local Newspaper in most small towns, regional hubs and provincial capitals. Our network of journalists operates from approximately 80 sites across South Africa, covering vast areas of our country. This enables the group to effectively deal with breaking news scenarios. With the assistance of Caxton’s national team, stories are easily shared across all the online platforms swiftly.

6. How do social media platforms complement your content delivery?

Our newsrooms are all active on social media and share content on community groups daily. Our reporters are members on these groups which are rich sources of information and stories. Local communities eagerly participate in conversation on issues such as service delivery in the area.

7. And lastly, what would you say about the future of local print?

If people ask me about the future of print, I just enquire whether they, a family member or their children have ever been in a local newspaper. Nine out of ten times these articles are cut out and kept in an album or scrapbook. Whether you are a young mother whose child has just been in the newspaper on their first day of school or a pensioner who has been photographed at a Christmas lunch, that clipping will be cherished and valued.

Paul Jenkins: Group Chairman, Caxton

On Friday, 16 February 2018, there was large scale media coverage around the fact that Caxton and Independent Media had paid an administrative penalty to the Competition Commission.

The matter related to Caxton settling a dispute that has been ongoing since 2011. It related to a structural mechanism between the advertising and media industries that has been in existence for over 100 years internationally. It concerns the custom of media owners paying a set commission for services rendered, based on the value of advertising placed. In South Africa, the commission was either 16.5% for accredited agencies or 15% for un-accredited agencies.

The Competition Commission formed the view that this custom was anti-competitive because there was an agreement or concerted practice between media owners to always apply those traditional commissions. The practice has since ceased and the media and advertising industry now negotiate commissions individually. Whilst Caxton believed the matter was contestable, it chose to accept the Competition Commission’s position and pay an administrative penalty rather than enter into lengthy legal proceedings. The settlement agreement was confirmed by the Competition Tribunal on 16 February 2017, in terms of which Caxton will pay a once-off administrative penalty of R5.8m, as well as contribute an amount of R700k per year for three years towards a bursary and development fund for previously disadvantaged persons in the media and advertising industries. It will also provide a 25% advertising space bonus benefit to small advertising agencies for three years, subject to certain rules and limits.

The Competition Commission has now reached settlement agreements on the similar terms with Multichoice/ DSTV Media Sales, Independent Newspapers and Caxton, and is instituting proceedings against another 25 large and small media owners, or is in the process of concluding similar settlements with them.

Subsequently, the media industry has implemented the required changes, with most companies choosing to operate on nett rate cards.

Caxton has decided, in certain instances, to continue with the commission system for now and has actually increased the commission rate to registered advertising practitioners by ½%

Everybody uses it, we visit it at least a few times a day, we go there on our own and even though we’re only there for a short time, we remember great graphics and clever payoff lines from the washroom.

Industry leader in indoor lifestyle advertising in washrooms, airports, gyms, nightlife, cinema, fitting rooms and many other lifestyle focused environments TLC, is reaping the benefits of consistently delivering massive audiences and high recall at affordable advertising rates.

“Over the past few months we’ve seen brands in the washroom that would normally not so easily consider this environment,” says Greg Bruwer, TLC’s Managing Director. “Brands like Mastercard are relishing the marketing and sales returns of this platform, especially considering the monthly footfall in airports of over 3.7 million people. Conservatively if 75% of those people go through the washrooms, we have a captive audience of more than 2.8 million people focused on one brand. What’s more is that our messaging can be gender specific, making it even more relevant and memorable to the consumer.”

 

TLC has also signed Powerade in its Planet Fitness gym portfolio, a new advertiser to the health group’s 160 000 visitors per month, with messaging specifically targeted and relevant to health and fitness minded people. “To really ensure that Powerade’s brand sticks with gym-goers we’re carrying out activations right there on the gym floor, encouraging active engagement directly with the brand’s target market. As consumers, we’re much more likely to form an affinity with a brand that we’ve had a pleasant experience with,” says Greg. 

“ETV, Primeridian and Samsung are other long terms clients that swear by the platform,” says Greg. “We have the added benefit of a solid portfolio, blue chip brands that keep returning and a strong reputation in the industry as cost effective but providing high value on the ROI monitor.”

TLC’s offering includes standard A4 fames, light boxes, mirror decals, complete door wraps, mall walkway billboards and fitting room branding amongst others.

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

More and more marketers and brand managers are realising that their best brand ambassadors are their very own consumers, but they seem unsure where to find them and subsequently, how to “on-board” them. Enter theSALT, specialists in influencer marketing, offering their clients positive brand conversations that originate from existing customers.

“A marketer’s existing customers are a brand’s most powerful asset. You can bet your house that if a consumer has a good experience with a brand they’re passionate about, they’re going to tell a lot of people about it – online and offline,” says Pieter Groenewald, Managing Director of theSALT.

“There is more value for marketers in gaining people who fall in love with a brand, compared to people just liking it. But the biggest barrier to entry that we see from marketers is that they find it challenging to build influencer marketing into their strategies when utilising their own resources due to the complexity of sourcing and managing a group of brand advocates.”

theSALT’s business model, as part of the Nfinity Group of companies, affords brands the opportunity to access their own loyal consumer base, which are then trained and managed from start to finish as influencers in brand campaigns.

Being part of the Nfinity Group has allowed theSALT access to a bigger network of expertise and infrastructure that has been invaluable and an enabler for the business to focus only on ‘making it happen’ for their clients. “Over the past few years, our business has grown exponentially,” says Pieter. “I believe that the market has really embraced influencer marketing and we’ve had the advantage of being around for a few years already, with a substantial database of on-the-ground influencers that are more than willing to share their brand experiences and testimonials amongst their own communities via word of mouth both on- and off-line.”

More and more brands are engaging with theSALT, allowing the business to open an additional office in Cape Town and even to start exploring international expansion.

But why not pay a local celebrity to endorse the brand? They have massive followers on social media after all.  Pieter says that there are a couple of differences worth noting: “while celebrities are selected based on the size of their audience as well as their niche (fashion, beauty, sport etc.), micro-influencers from theSALT are selected on the basis that they are an existing consumer and can speak about their “own” brand experience.  Don’t confuse reach and influence – depending on your strategy you can decide to use either or, or even both categories.”

He points out that celebrities are mostly limited to one-way communication online by broadcasting a brand message to their audience while micro-influencers can have two-conversations with their community. “It’s also important to note the difference between an audience and a community too – an audience is unknown to the celeb, where the community is a known audience to a micro-influencer,” he says.

“Possibly the largest difference of all though, is that actual word of mouth conversations in our daily environments is still the most powerful form of marketing – all research proves this. Our influencers on the ground are able to engage with real people face-to-face, in relevant environments and when they are most receptive to the messaging.  This element solves one of the biggest brand challenges: getting the message out there at the right time in the right environment thus shortening the path from awareness to purchase decisions.

Consumers and their word of mouth testimonials need to be part of the marketing mix, it’s that simple. The brands that are embracing this strategy are really reaping the rewards,” says Pieter.

Bongiwe Tshiqi has been confirmed as Bona’s new editor. Over the past five months she has been acting deputy editor, and together with the Bona team, has ensured the continued smooth production of the magazine.

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 touch.

“I’ve always loved the Bona brand, even before I joined the team,” says Bongiwe, “and although the magazine has a perceived older audience the readership is actually quite young. Over 50% of our readers are under the age of 34. For me, the importance of this magazine is to have conversations with black women that they didn’t necessarily have growing up.

“We’re addressing, for example, issues of self-identity, self-love, buying property or a car; how to achieve sustainable success in your chosen career and finding love, within or out of marriage. We’re digging into real issues that today’s modern woman needs answers to. It’s almost a printed version of a dinner party where everything goes!

The magazine salutes women across different life stages, body shapes and backgrounds – they may be single parents in their 30’s or women in their 70’s, but each one is beautiful and our intention is to assist our readers to accept themselves, while also giving them the tools to make any improvements they wish to” she says.

The magazine continues to explore issues related to food; home; family; celebrity; entertainment; fashion; beauty and health.

Bongiwe joined the Caxton family in 2015 as Bona’s digital editor before being appointed deputy editor and now editor. She studied journalism at the Durban University of Technology, before working for various media, including East Coast Radio, Saltwater Girl and Women’s Health magazines.

Caxton Magazine’s General Manager Anton Botes adds: “Bongiwe’s broad experience has enabled her to develop an excellent understanding of editorial content, both digital and print, and we look forward to seeing this reflected in the Bona brand. We’re confident that she’ll continue to elevate the brand and we look forward to seeing her personal touch reflected on the magazines’ pages.”

Caxton Local Media is the largest printer of newspapers in South Africa, with 10 strategically located cold-set factories across the country. Jaco Koekemoer, Managing Director of Caxton Local Media and Coldset Printing at Caxton Group, explains how the first-world technology and national footprint of their factories create a highly-cost effective, seamless printing and distribution solution for clients.

 “Our Johannesburg factory, based in Industria, is the largest of its kind in South Africa, printing over 100 different publications, with a combined production quantity in excess of 50 million copies per month. It includes printing of weekly local newspapers, various national daily and weekend newspapers, and between 50- to 80-million newspaper inserts per month. This amounts to a staggering 14-billion page impressions per annum and requires over 40 000 tons of paper,” says Koekemoer.

With high-tech German-engineered presses and highly-qualified German engineers on call for any trouble-shooting, the printing works is fully equipped to handle the most demanding production schedules. The man-force behind the printing process is sizeable. At the Industria plant alone there are over 450 permanent employees, including over 60 maintenance staff and between 50 to 400 casuals per day, depending on demand.

In addition to the Industria operations, Caxton also owns nine smaller printing presses in Cape Town, Nelspruit, Middelburg, Polokwane, Rustenburg, Newcastle, Pinetown, Empangeni and Pietermaritzburg, as well as services through a sister plant in Group Editors situated in George. These plants are able to produce long-run, large-format retail insert products printed on 48,8gsm newsprint or 70gsm bond for insertion into national, regional and community newspapers or delivery to stores.“Our national, commercial printing footprint makes it possible to turn work around as quickly as needed. We can split a print run amongst multiple sites or multiple presses in one plant, in order to offer more cost-effective and time-efficient production,” says Koekemoer. “We have industrial-strength generators in every factory to ensure there is never any down time. In fact, our 4 generators in Industria can power an entire small suburb! Caxton also takes its eco-footprint seriously and has set up its own waste company to recycle any waste that the factories generate.”

Caxton’s printing process is ideally structured to deliver your print job faster and with fewer complications, which gives clients a major advantage over their competitors.  “We’ve invested in new portal software, which has really improved client satisfaction because material can now be easily viewed and approved wherever the client is at that time, whether at the office or on their couch at home. Our expert team in Johannesburg can communicate directly with a computer-to-plate machine in the pre-press department in each print plant,” Koekemoer adds.

As a leading printer and publisher, Caxton offers more affordable, discounted insert rates when a customer prints with one of their plants, as they are able to optimise logistics to ensure lower transport costs and pamphlets are easily inserted into preferred publications on site. This has placed them as the number one print and publishing solution for clients.

 

In today’s fast-paced, time-poor world, it’s heartening to know that a magazine’s coverlines trump the cover image when it comes to purchasing choice. Research recently conducted by Caxton Magazines shows that more than half of magazine buyers cite coverlines as their top criteria in choosing which magazine to buy, followed by cover image, then price and free samples.The research was done through Caxton Magazines’ audience panel, PULSE, powered by the Opinion Solutions mobile app technology, which allows Caxton Magazines to be at the forefront of exploratory research approaches and tools in order to get closer to their readers’ thoughts and views.

The app, through real-time data, is used to better understand aspects and the role that magazines play in readers’ lives. The predominantly female reader panel of about 2 000 members are primarily in the 25–49 age group. Caxton Magazines has used the PULSE tool to determine what the important factors are in getting noticed on shelf and what readers look for – with some surprising results!

The objectives of the research were to determine the overall ‘interest value’ of the magazine brands; test the attractiveness of the cover based on identified key components; discover motivations for reading a specific magazine and examine both location and time spent reading.

The study was designed and overseen by Professor Therese Roux, HOD of the Marketing faculty at Tshwane University of Technology, in partnership with Opinion Solutions

“It was clear that consumers don’t think they judge a magazine purely by its cover, but rather consider a range of factors before making a purchase,” says Caxton Magazines’ General Manager Anton Botes. “The resulting information has affirmed that our editorial content is very much in line with what our readers enjoy and expect from us.

“We did however make a few tweaks around positioning of key cover lines.”

The highlights of the research indicated that 44% to 69% of readers rated editorial features as the main reason they buy magazines. Between 11% and 22% of respondents said that the cover was most important to them while 10-19% said price was the overriding factor. Another 12-15% said that free samples and products would sway them to buy.

“While this shows that the cover page – in the minds of readers – contributes less than other variables across all titles, it’s by no means any less important because the cover is, of course, the first visual contact to cue the brand for the consumer,” adds Botes. “Using this knowledge ensures that we’re always refining our offering to keep pace with changing reader needs.

“It’s heartening to see that Caxton Magazines’ main coverlines and other sub headings featured on the cover are rated highly amongst our readers. In fact, across all categories explored, our magazines are considered easily recognisable on shelf and highly appealing.”

There are many tools in the market that both media agencies and brand teams use to determine reach, frequencies and impact, however, this qualitative, real-time data from the panel goes beyond the metrics and can assist with getting to the nub of consumers’ reasoning at the time.

“Our PULSE reader panel allows us to communicate directly with a large sample quickly, efficiently and in real time to determine how they feel about certain aspects of their lives and our magazines.”

Botes concludes, “Whether it’s a larger project like our cover research or a quick and immediate call to action, like ‘take a picture of the jewellery that you are wearing right now’, or ‘how does Valentine’s Day make you feel?’ it’s the ideal research platform, and it’s also available to our advertising partners to make use of.”

Feel free to make contact with Caxton Magazines for further insights or discussions regarding the use of the application as a qualitative research tool that brands and advertisers can use to gain real-time data into the lives and headspace of consumers.

Caxton Magazines DNA

Storytelling is our business. Content is our currency. Caxton Magazines is a subsidiary 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

 

theSALT literally drives influencer marketing! This includes word of mouth conversations, social media engagements, networking outreach, creating real brand engagement and increasing bottom line results.

What started out as a humble vehicle branding business has become one of the top go-to media owners specialising in 360° influencer marketing. theSALT is just one of the many innovative companies that fall under the umbrella of Nfinity, an established innovation hub headed by entrepreneur, Ken Varejes.

Brands are no longer about what marketers tell consumers they are. A brand’s value is simply what consumers tell each other in terms of their personal experiences and how they influence each other through word of mouth and word of mouse conversations. In fact, 92% of consumers say that they trust earned media. Influencer marketing uses individuals who can persuade potential customers or groups of customers. Social media has amplified the reach of influencers and shifted the balance of power from brands to the customer.Pieter Groenewald, CEO of theSALT, says that he has come a long way and learnt a lot about advertising since 2000. “Over the past five years or so we’ve grown this company from vehicle branding as brandyourcar.com to theSALT, and with it, our business focus towards influencer marketing.

Talking about the change of names, Pieter says: “We came to the realisation, after a few years of growth that brand messages to influencers and marketers differ greatly.  theSALT was born and today this is where we market our offering to corporate South Africa and soon in a few new territories.

“We’ve achieved amazing results for brands through our brand ambassadors spreading the brand’s good news story!” confirms Pieter. “Successful engagement is no longer about talking TO your customers, but rather it’s all about talking WITH them.”“Through theSALT we’ve learnt a lot by doing amazing campaigns for our clients,” says Nfinity’s CEO, Ken Varejes. “What we’ve come up with, using everyday brand fans, is the resulting advertising platform and how we do it is unique in the world. Our intention and next step forward will be international expansion! The process has already begun in two new territories.”

“theSALT is about everyday consumers – ordinary people who command a platform and have a voice that holds sway over an audience,” concludes Pieter. “You don’t always have to have salt in your food, but you definitely know when it’s missing”

To find out more about Influencer Marketing or how to become an influencer, have a look at theSALT’s website: http://www.thesalt.co.za/

 

 

The digital era, while providing an exciting and innovative means of communicating and engaging with targeted audiences, has also brought with it a new wave of fear for brands and brand safety.

To mitigate these risks SPARK Media suggests that advertisers work with companies that deal directly with reputable publishers.

“Brands and advertisers are beginning to place more emphasis on the authenticity of the environment where their brands are displayed, the quality of the click, not just the click itself,” says Marc du Plessis, Joint CEO of SPARK Media and Head of the Publisher Council for Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) South Africa. “Brand safety is becoming increasingly important.”

“We have a direct relationship with all publishers of the more than 100 websites that we represent, serving almost 15 million page views and 7 million unique visitors each month. SPARK Media’s Local News Network’s (LNN) websites offer brands a safe environment.  These secured sites are trusted sources of news for local communities and have an established journalistic network of more than 400 people on the ground that are often first to break local news,” he says.

Brands that advertise on LNN through premium inventory are able to talk to a niche audience via location-specific advertising that is highly relevant to them. In addition, SPARK Media is a member of the Press Council and wholeheartedly subscribes to and endorses its code of ethics and conduct.

SPARK Ignition, our programmatic solution, offers hyper-targeting by age, gender, geographic location, language and lifestyle categories. For example, if marketers are looking to engage with golfers that earn in excess of R50 000 per month and live in Pretoria, our publisher’s demographic and interest based data can determine the correct online sites to reach those golfers.”

“We offer a brand safe environment with private, protected, owned inventory. Our technology can turn off adverts that feature next to breaking news that could impact on advertisers brand identity/safety,” says Marc. “As an industry, we need to develop firm criteria for evaluating trusted publishers and educate and drive awareness through members of the IAB, publishing partners and the media.”

In a highly-competitive automotive industry, Autodealer is your one-stop-shop for ‘all things cars’. It offers an all-encompassing, motoring product offering that covers print, online and social media channels. It’s extensive reach through Caxton’s local newspapers means that there isn’t another motoring supplement that comes close to its localised print footprint.

 Established over a decade ago, the Autodealer print supplement is a weekly staple within the popular and highly influential local Caxton newspapers across the country. With a phenomenal distribution strategy, Autodealer advertisers reach the local papers’ massive readership which make up a large and geographically relevant segment of the population, reaching over 1.4 million homes. Over 700 000 copies of Autodealer are distributed weekly throughout Gauteng alone.

Autodealer clients can rest assured of a totally brand safe environment. Its absolute editorial independence and integrity gives readers content that is authoritative, objective and has their best interests at heart. This well-respected and widely read publication ensures that the right people are exposed to your brand.Autodealer’s offering goes beyond print, providing online and social media services as well. Despite their website being new, Autodealer is placed in the top largest online automotive websites in South Africa. Boasting nearly 400 000 unique browsers and over two-million monthly page views, Autodealer.co.za is positioned to increase its market share in the new and used car listing segment locally.

The Autodealer.co.za platform offers 25 000 new and used vehicles for sale on a platform that facilitates ease of both selling and buying. With over 96 000 Facebook followers, Autodealer also offers effective social media marketing for dealerships as part of a package. Autodealer’s print, online and social media offering gives clients an inclusive motoring solution that provides unrivalled, highly relevant reach.

Creating a respected supplement and a highly anticipated weekly read for the hundreds of thousands of local newspaper readers throughout the Caxton local distribution network, form the basis of what has made Autodealer a success.