THE MEDIA YEARBOOK 2023: FAST>>FORWARD

On the record…

Igot a call from the managing director of a sales agency a week ago. “Phew!” she said. “I don’t know about you, but I feel as if I’ve done a year’s work already, rather than just a few short months.”

I agreed. And thought how apt her observation was, as The Media Yearbook 2023’s theme is FAST>>FORWARD. Developments in our industry are hurtling ahead furiously as we try to keep up with the technology, the insights, the data, the investment required to stay on top of all this action.

Advertising and marketing technology is becoming ever more sophisticated. Mohammed Shaikh, media industry leader at Deloitte Africa, writes in his opening piece: “From here on planet earth, to outer space and on to the metaverse, today’s technologies are creating new tomorrows.”

The media and marketing universe is getting to grips with how artificial intelligence will impact the sector. Brands are exploring the metaverse, and how it can engage real people. Technology companies are creating new ways of engaging with consumers, be it in the realms of commerce or content. Data comes at us in waves.

It’s an exciting and nerve-wracking time to be in media. In this issue of The Media Yearbook, we asked contributors to make sense of it all. Which they have done. But what they also make clear is that while we’re navigating an increasingly complex digital world, human beings are still front and centre of all of these developments. Human beings buy the products advertised. They embrace social commerce. They read the news on multiple platforms, they watch video on demand. They spend hours living their digital lives.

All of this is positive stuff. But… As we were putting this issue to bed, The South African Blackout Report was released by researchers BrandMapp and Silverstone, who specialise in researching the middle-class (defined as 13 million personal taxpayers).

And with a big whoosh, we came back down to earth.

When President Cyril Ramaphosa initially shared his dreams of 4IR with the nation in his first address as president, some were sceptical; others embraced his vision. But reality soon bit, as rolling blackouts built up to become an everyday fact of life.

Of course this has affected the media, as the report indicates. Load shedding makes a mockery of stability. “… More than 50% can’t watch TV or stream entertainment such as Netflix. 35% can’t listen to the radio. Almost 50% said that they cannot study or read, and when you isolate the students, that number rockets up to 80%. Tech issues aside, it also affects the basics of life with more than 50% unable to wash their clothes and 19% finding their housecleaning disrupted”.

As a nation, 92% of us believe corruption and criminality are at the root of our problems. Even our famous resilience has taken a knock: “We’ve got to face that 50% of mid- to top-income consumers don’t believe that load shedding will ever come to an end. That level of despondency is reflected also in other survey data that shows that 58% of young adults say they are considering emigrating because of load shedding,” the report notes.

It’s a strange time to be living in. Technology and digital transformation are exploding, yet 61% of us use candles – those useful givers of light that date back to around 200 BC. – to illuminate our way in the darkness.

But blackouts won’t stop South Africans from making a plan. It’s what we do, one way or another. The technological march will continue, and we will step in time with it. And we’ll draw on our ability to innovate to see us through. I have no doubt about that.

The Media.

Got to love it.

Glenda

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Greg Bailie, Zoe Bowen-Jones, Mzi Deliwe, Devon Esper, Minette Ferreira, Dave Gorin, Trish Guilford, Virginia Hollis-Cannon, Greer Hogarth, Tasmia Ismail, Brett Lindsay, Howard Lonstein, Zuko Mdwaba, Pule Molebeledi, Dave Morgan, Mfundo Ntsibande, Mohammed Shaikh, Paul Stemmet, Scott Thwaites, Simon Wall, Charlie Wannell, Tim Zunckel

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02 From the editor On the record

04 e Arth to the metAVer Se

The creator economy is behind the massive growth of social commerce, writes MOHAMMED SHAIKH.

06 GLASS hALF FULL

As media companies seek to stay competitive and engaged with their audiences, they are leveraging digital technologies and social media platforms to reach new audiences, writes PULE MOLEBELEDI.

08 eNABLiNG iNNoVAtioN

Embrace this exciting technological era and you will thrive, advises SCOTT THWAITES.

09 FAS t ForWArd, BUt

FirmLY rooted

Africa’s varied socioeconomic context and existing media landscapes are acutely relevant to any discussion of media trends, believes DAVE GORIN.

13 UBiQUitoUS ooh

Township residents are heavy media consumers, exposed to a multitude of different adverts daily, says MZI DELIWE.

15 rethiNKiNG eFFiCieNCY

ZUKO MDWABA suggests four key adjustments organisations should make to their operating models and technology investments.

17 the NeW CoNSCioUSNe SS SIMON WALL describes how using the media as a force for good can only spur grow and reinforce its power.

19 r A<U>dio rULe S

TIM ZUNCKEL asks ChatGPT what’s trending in radio.

22 SUPer-ChArGed AUdio

Future industry success depends on more than just technology, writes CHARLIE WANNELL.

26 ChANGiNG oF the GUArd

The future of video advertising is amazing; let’s help it achieve its potential, urges DAVE MORGAN.

30 A miSUNder S tood mediUm

VIRGINIA HOLLIS-CANNON

outlines why advertiser funded programmes are becoming ever more integral to brand strategy.

34 PoWer to PUBLiSher S

Credibility and trustworthiness of content and information – as well as the ease to access it – is key to publishing success, writes MINETTE FERREIRA.

39 the hUmAN-CeNtriC CoNNeC tioN Brands are finally realising that placing place people at the centre of their marketing boosts visibility, says GREER HOGARTH.

42 S tAY A S teP Ahe Ad

Media owners must take advantage of increased ad spend and growing revenue by investing in new strategies and technologies, says TASMIA ISMAIL.

46 Bre AKiNG BArrier S

MFUNDO NTSIBANDE urges small black players in the industry to seize the opportunities emerging on the back of digital transformation.

48 the ProVoCAteUr

ZOE BOWEN-JONES & DEVON

ESPER, authors of Beyond the Rainbow, An Investigation into Queer Marketing and its Future, discuss the WPP report’s findings.

50 Primed For GroW th

Overall, the future of outdoor will be more immersive, personalised, and data-driven, says HOWARD LONSTEIN.

52 Pdooh to ProSPer

ANDREW GOLDEN investigates how to leverage pDOOH to remain flexible in the face of changing market conditions.

54 diGitAL AFriCA

DOOH has the potential to revolutionise the way businesses reach out to their target audience in Africa, writes NELSON PINDJOU.

56 roAd iS CLe Ar

The past two years have been a period of massive transformation for the Outdoor Measurement Council, writes TRISH GUILFORD.

58 the ProSUmer re VoLUtioN

Consumers have morphed into ‘prosumers’ – and TikTok has enabled this shift, reckons GREG BAILIE.

60 UNder S tANdiNG ZeitGeiS t

PAUL STEMMET unpacks the technology that looks into the future and allows you to predict where your brand’s concepts and conversations can, and will, go.

62 SUrViViNG ChANGe

Strategic design is an extraordinarily powerful process that cultivates creativity and collaboration for people and businesses, writes BRETT LINDSAY.

Nelson Pindjou

Charlie Wannell

Zuko Mdwaba

Today’s technologies are creating new tomorrows

The telecommunication, media and technology industries continue to evolve at a dynamic pace. In 2023, we foresee the rapid advancement and deployment of a range of technologies to help businesses and consumers do more with less.

Breakthroughs in technological developments coupled with changing consumer habits are constantly challenging business leaders as they look toward future growth.

South African consumers, in addition to the burden of load shedding, have had to contend with heightened inflation and rising interest rates due to persistently high food and fuel prices and – according to the latest edition of Deloitte State of the South African Consumer Tracker Report – 88% of South African consumers are most concerned about price increases of everyday purchases among all of the 24 countries surveyed.

From the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic it was clear that other crises would emerge and now, in post-pandemic recovery, the economic crisis and consumer financial stress is at the forefront of market concerns.

The pressure on consumers’ wallets, along with the proliferation of streaming services – each with its own set of ‘must-watch’ content and rising fees –means the ad-free experience is becoming more unaffordable for many households.

We have been polling consumers globally, across multiple markets, and most indicate that they would choose an ad-supported tier either for half the price of the subscription, or for free in exchange for watching ads. It’s almost inevitable that subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service providers will include ad-funded tiers to their offerings.

Don’t fear the tiers

Our research shows that consumers will accept advertising far more readily than in the past because it gives them flexibility, and the ability to control costs. We predict that major streaming services that used to be ad free could opt for advertising video-on-demand (AVOD).

We anticipate that by the end of 2023, major SVOD services in developed markets will launch an ad-funded tier to complement ad-free options – which aren’t going away. But by the end of 2024, half of these

Change is our constant, writes MOHAMMED SHAIKH, as he shares predictions for the year ahead in a rapidly shifting industry.

Live sports are the next arena for the streaming wars.

providers will also have launched a free ad-supported streaming TV service (FAST). And by 2030, we expect that most SVOD will be partially or wholly ad-funded.

Live sports: the next arena for the streaming wars

Streaming services are the latest to enter the live sports ring with cable, broadcast, and satellite services all contending for fans. In one corner stand entertainment companies and regional sports networks with traditional linear channels that also offer a streaming service. In another corner are the ‘pure play’ streaming providers. In the third corner are tech companies looking to broaden the reach of their streaming services and increase time spent within their ecosystem. Finally, leagues and individual teams are launching specialised streaming services to establish direct connections and serve super-fans.

From soccer to cricket, streaming video providers around the world are spending billions of dollars on live sports rights in a bid to attract, retain and monetise their audiences via this popular content.

We predict that in 2023, streamers could spend more than $6 billion on major sports rights in the largest global markets. For perspective: in 2021 the combined content spend by all streaming providers was about $50 billion.

Two recent examples highlight the enterprising approaches streaming providers are taking. In a unique global deal, Apple has committed to spend at least $2.5 billion for the sole rights to stream every US Major League Soccer (MLS) game over the next 10 years via a dedicated Apple TV app. MLS season ticket holders will be able to access the app for free, but everyone else will need to pay for this content (some games will be available for free to Apple TV+ subscribers).

Meanwhile, Viacom successfully acquired domestic digital rights to the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) cricket games in a five-year, $3 billion deal. Disney, which previously won both the digital and linear broadcast rights, will pay IPL $3 billion over the same period to retain the broadcast rights.

shopping goes sociaL

Propelled by social media influencers and digital-native consumers, social commerce is laying the groundwork for a broader, ‘shoppable’ media landscape.

The social media timeline is the new storefront – and users are not just window shopping. We predict that the market for social commerce will surpass $1 trillion globally in 2023. That’s assuming an approximate compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25% – not unreasonable, considering past growth trends and the continued reliance on all things mobile and digital – driven by the purchases of the more than two billion people expected to shop on a social media platform in 2023.

With an expected five billion social media users worldwide in 2023, the social commerce market is growing faster than ecommerce, and shows no signs of slowing down. Fuelled initially by a surge in popularity during Covid-19, the market is continuing to expand despite the restrictions previously put on consumers globally.

So, what’s behind all this growth? Largely, it’s the rise of the ‘creator economy’, the cadre of millions of ‘influencers’ or ‘creators’ who use their clout to promote, advertise and sell

products to their captivated audiences. These online personalities have global reach – and to convert these loyal fans into repeat customers, which is largely how they monetise their online content –influencers build relationships with their followers, encourage community among their devotees, and sell their lifestyle with every new snap and selfie.

At around 20% of the global population, millennials (between 29 and 40 this year), dominate the social commerce market – but not to be overlooked is the maturation of many Gen Zs (between 20 to 28), to an age where many have more money to spend. Gen Z is the world’s biggest generational cohort, accounting for more than 30% of the population worldwide – and most of this burgeoning generation of digital natives tend to be all social, all online, all the time. In the future, Gen Zs will very much remain online, where they’ll continue to get hyper-targeted and personalised ads for products they want and need – straight from the influencers they already know and love.

As social commerce evolves globally through continued experimentation and by looking to more mature markets for guidance, it has the opportunity to draft the blueprint for the broader shoppable media landscape, making new products easier to find, simpler to pay for, and quicker to buy across digital experiences.

Looking beyond 2023, most digital experiences are expected to be considered ‘shoppable’, and the same tap-to-purchase behaviour available on social media platforms will likely be possible with other online services, too. Imagine watching a cocktail mixing show on a streaming video service. Just pause, select the ingredients, add the items to your virtual grocery cart, select a delivery time (just before the rugby starts), use mobile payment, wait for the doorbell to ring... et voilå! Drinks are served.

Mohammed Shaikh is media industry leader at Deloitte Africa. His focus is in the technology, media & telecommunication industry with a core focus on the media and entertainment sector. He spends time with CFOs and C-suite executives providing advisory services and supporting them in developing and executing their strategies.

Irina Vlad

“…consumers wiLL accept advertising far more readiLy than in the past because it gives them fLexibiLity, and the abiLity to controL costs.”

Mohammed Shaikh

Publishers can thrive amid turbulence

The pessimism engulfing our industry is influenced by rapidly declining revenues, especially for print. This reality is a headache for newspaper publishers, in South Africa and globally, who are contending with plummeting circulation numbers over time.

But if you take a closer look at global media trends, they will show you our industry is also facing an exciting time of tremendous opportunity in the midst of this turbulence – mostly brought on by converging socio-economic dynamics and technology.

I am probably one of the few media executives who, in the midst of all the doom and gloom in our industry, still sees a beacon of light I believe will help us, not only to cope, but thrive as media organisations.

However, hope alone will not extract us from this existential threat hovering around our businesses. We need a paradigm shift, anchored on the willingness to urgently embrace change and adapt to new technologies, while staying true to our core values and principles as an industry.

Firstly, technological advances are making it easier than ever before to create, distribute, and consume media content. This has enabled new business models, such as streaming video services, to emerge and further shape the media landscape. Many news publishers have struggled with incorporating these advancements into their business plans and workflows.

But as soon as they realised that they cannot stand in the way of technological advancements, they embraced them.

Secondly, consumer demand for media content has increased with the rise of mobile devices and social media. People are now more connected than ever before and are consuming more media than ever before. We see this here in South Africa.

Print revenue may be declining, but news publishers who embrace change while leveraging their powerful base are a force to be reckoned with, writes PULE MOLEBELEDI.

“Very few digital platforms can compete sustainably with the newsroom process and its systemic and laborious tradition of taking time to Verify information before publishing.”

Pule Molebeledi

While these new instruments have democratised access to information and expanded the readership universe, they have a critical downside that comes in the form of misinformation and disinformation. Despite being obsessed with click bait and numbers, sometimes at all costs, the tools of social media are vulnerable to abuse and manipulation. So this fatal flaw in their information gathering and dissemination process, while useful sometimes, is an opportunity for traditional media businesses.

TRUST CAN’T BE UNDERESTIMATED

For example, when the proverbial chips are down in any society, consumers know they can always rely on trusted brands to provide credible and reliable news content. Very few digital platforms can compete sustainably with the newsroom process and its systemic and laborious tradition of taking time to verify information before publishing. This is still a differentiator that cannot be underestimated.

Thirdly, the industry is influenced by broader socio-economic trends, such as increasing income inequality and the growing influence of digital platforms. These converging dynamics are creating unique opportunities for the media industry.

Companies are now able to reach more consumers than ever before, and are able to target their content to specific audiences. This has enabled businesses to create more tailored content and to monetise it more effectively. Furthermore, the industry is also benefiting from the rise of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality, which allow them to create more immersive experiences for their customers.

At Arena Holdings we have just launched and deployed five news Apps – for our three daily newspapers (Sowetan, Daily Dispatch and The Herald) and regional radio stations (Rise FM and Vuma FM) – that are built on a hyperlocal private social network platform that provides a range of benefits to media and entertainment owners like ourselves. These Apps, because of the technology they are built on, give us the ability to reach new audiences, engage with existing ones, develop new products and revenue streams and to leverage audience data and analytics.

The platform’s innovative design and our expertise as a leading media and entertainment company make it an ideal solution for Arena Holdings as

we look to catch the next wave of the digital evolution. The platform will not only help us to address the challenges of digital disruption, but also bring fresh and innovative thinking into how we distribute content while keeping audiences longer on our platform and engaged.

At the same time, the media industry is also facing some challenges. For instance, the increasing competition from digital platforms, which are able to offer content at a much lower cost. Furthermore, there is increased regulatory scrutiny from governments around the world, as they seek to protect consumers from the power of the digital platforms.

RESPONDING AND ADAPTING

I have seen companies exploring new business models such as subscription-based services and digital-first content strategies in order to remain competitive. Additionally, the media industry is embracing artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing to optimise content, target audiences, and deliver more personalised experiences to their viewers and readers.

As the media industry continues to evolve, we are all exploring ways to better monetise our content and expand our reach across different channels.

The seismic shift is thrust upon all of us because the traditional business models such as advertising and pay-TV subscriptions are being replaced by new models such as subscription-based services and digital-first content strategies.

These new models are essential if we are to remain competitive in the digital age. Subscription-based services, such as streaming services, are quickly becoming the new norm all over the world. These offer consumers access to an expansive library of content for a monthly fee, and provide media companies with a reliable source of revenue.

FIRST OF ITS KIND

Digital-first content strategies are also becoming increasingly popular. This strategy involves creating content specifically designed for digital platforms, such as social media, and using

these platforms to engage with audiences. For example:

• Buzzfeed has become a master of creating content specifically designed for digital platforms, such as their Tasty cooking videos, which have garnered millions of views on Facebook.

• The New York Times has an initiative called NYT Now, which provides its readers with a more affordable subscription option that focuses solely on digital content.

• The New York Times has also implemented a ‘Continuous News’ feature, allowing readers to receive real-time notifications about breaking news stories right on their phones.

• The Washington Post recently announced its own Project Spartan, a special section devoted to digital-first content that highlights the stories and trends of the day.

These companies are just a few of the many media outlets that are attempting to stay ahead of the curve by embracing digital-first strategies. By focusing on digital content, these organisations are hoping to stay competitive in the ever-changing media landscape. What is clear is that we cannot just sit and fold our arms as technology continues to wreak havoc and disrupts our industry.

That is why at Arena Holdings we have taken a strategic decision that we are going be part of the disruption. If we cannot be first in anything, we will look for and create a category we can be first in. This was exactly the kind of thinking that led to us relaunching our flagship news platform – TimesLIVE.

Traditionally an online news website, TimesLIVE is now a platform where readers, in particular subscribers, after reading news can also relax by watching movies, series, gaming and listening to music and podcasts. Readers now come for the news and stay for the entertainment.

This, as far as we know, is the first of its kind in the world.

Pule Molebeledi is managing director of news and media for Arena Holdings. He is a senior executive, leader and strategist with extensive experience in new business development and business turnaround.

“ThE SEISMIC ShIFT IS ThRUST UPON All OF US BECAUSE ThE TRADITIONAl BUSINESS MODElS SUCh AS ADvERTISING AND PAy-Tv SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE BEING REPlACED By NEw MODElS SUCh AS SUBSCRIPTION-BASED SERvICES AND DIGITAl-FIRST CONTENT STRATEGIES.”

Embracing efficiency, effectively

We are entering an exciting era for business: the landscape for those that embrace this fully is incredibly promising; those that don’t will have a hard time delivering as effectively and efficiently, and will struggle to compete.

The industry has never been more dynamic, and ripe for opportunity than now – the convergence of technology with socioeconomic dynamics during a post-pandemic recovery is a time of immense potential.

The landscape may be in its infancy, but will develop at a phenomenal rate: Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to grow at a 33.2% yearly rate between 2020 and 2027, opening up a green field for an industry that is looking to drive new revenue streams. The opportunities to do this have never been greater.

Economics has been the industry’s greatest challenge: trying to find profits in a less profitable business, and being curtailed from moving forward by constrained resources. New technological capabilities, implemented correctly into daily business operations, will enable businesses to scale faster and more efficiently, overcoming resource constraints. This is why tech advancements should be embraced, as it gives businesses the competitive edge in terms of efficiency.

While technology does have limitations it is a powerful resource that drives and enables innovation.

The real magic happens when human and artificial intelligence unite. AI is only as powerful as the level of creativity and imagination of the human input. The most compelling argument for AI is that it reduces time spent on various tasks, freeing humans to do what they do best: be creative.

This will enable the industry to be more efficient and scale faster given the ever-growing need for brands to solve for creative at scale, and to do so cost effectively, with the ever-decreasing shelf life time of creative.

AI tools can analyse vast amounts of data and generate a large volume of content such as news articles, social media posts, and even video content (though this needs

some development). This content can then be reviewed and tweaked by a human to get an end result in a fraction of the time.

Another major concern is the workforce; the media industry has placed increasing pressure on employees who are asked to do more with less, and for less reparation. This has led to massive burnout – which needs addressing. AI can support the fight against burnout by easing daily operations for employees, increasing overall employee engagement – and allowing business to thrive.

Tech advancements have a major shift on the overall user journey and experience, including the organic way people conduct online searches. The ecommerce sector is already leveraging this opportunity to build stronger relationships with their customers, drive conversions and build brand loyalty. AI can be used to optimise pricing, enhance customer service, improve supply chain planning, and provide personalised experiences for customers. All of this results in a more effective and efficient business.

The outlook for this new era of business is positive on so many fronts: more efficient, more effective, more engaged employees, and new business streams to cater for the adaptation in consumer behaviour. Embrace this new era, and you will thrive.

Scott Thwaites is a founder, advisor, ex-TikTok, ex-Twitter and angel investor. He is a passionate, career-focused leader with a track record in building and scaling multi-million-dollar revenue businesses internationally within global organisations. He helps grow business through defining and aligning the strategies, functions and teams to deliver results and an excellent customer and consumer experience.

Welcome to a new era for business, where humans who embrace tech and the opportunities it represents, can thrive – even in challenging times, writes SCOTT THWAITES.

Scott Thwaites

“The mosT compelling argumenT for ai is ThaT iT reduces Time spenT on various Tasks, freeing humans To do whaT They do besT: be creaTive.”

Approach change with caution

The world has only recently emerged from the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are still dealing with the ongoing war in Ukraine and, in South Africa, an electricity crisis. Supply chains, input costs, trading conditions and entire sectors within countries’ economies have been hugely impacted. These lead to consumer behaviour changes, raising questions for marketing and media strategies. To what extent have price hikes and the unavailability of some goods shifted purchasing patterns, price elasticity within categories, and brand selections? Will remote or hybrid work dampen economic activity centred around office parks and business nodes? Will six to eight hours of daily power outages shut down yet more micro enterprises in South Africa, causing further unemployment and hitting core categories of consumer spending? For how long will the electricity issues cut into the previous targeting banker that was the traditional evening television audience peak?

The biggest lesson from the pandemic and the last few years of turbulence is surely that – as an important component of risk mitigation in any business – marketing and media strategists need to build a contingency plan into their thinking, not just as small budget reserves or lower-priority items highlighted on spreadsheets, but as a holistic, 180 ˚ alternative in the case of sudden, unpredictable events.

Digital rules

For the better part of 20 years, ‘digital’ has pervaded conversations in marketing meetings, and littered media strategy presentations. This coincided with the digi-tech revolution and mostly made sense, and was necessary. Good strategy has involved incorporating subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) into TV plans, allocating a portion of radio budgets to podcasts, bundling a publisher’s online offering with its print title offering, and shifting from product placement to influencer marketing, among many other evolutions.

But if industry professionals were to reflect on these decisions, some might need re-evaluation. Has it been effective to forego mass audience reach achievable on, for example, South Africa’s Zulu-language radio station Ukhozi FM, in favour of online, niche audience podcasts? Did the insistence that the public relations budget be scrapped so that online search engine optimisation (SEO) metrics could inch up, come at the price of reduced corporate or brand reputation?

And how should we frame the metaverse, where some brands are

While disruption calls for change, early adoption is not always the sustainable solution, cautions DAVE GORIN.

Dave Gorin

We need to be open to finding the human truths that drive consumers as real people.

“as planners, we get triggereD by innovation, our expectations are probably inflateD, anD we may experience Disillusionment before a new platform’s viability anD genuine Delivery kicks in.”

already spending significant advertising monies? While this has strategic relevance for the likes of Gucci or Nike, the environment being called the next iteration of the internet is surely an enormous over-hype for many advertisers.

Interestingly, global consultants, Gartner, have a methodology for evaluating technologies within industries called the Hype Cycle. Its descriptions of the phases of technology adoption apply perfectly to the media environment. As planners, we get triggered by innovation, our expectations are probably inflated, and we may experience disillusionment before a new platform’s viability and genuine delivery kicks in.

Closing the gap

Our continent’s varied socioeconomic context and existing media landscapes are also acutely relevant to any discussion of media trends and challenges in Africa. Nine of the world’s 10 poorest countries are in Africa, according to 2021 data compiled by the World Bank. There are enormous income and wealth disparities, especially in Nigeria and South Africa, the continent’s two largest economies. These indicators translate to real-world consequences for media strategists, the bottom line of which is that there is a digital divide in Africa.

This divide is closing – fast, in countries such as Kenya and Rwanda, which incorporated rapid digital transformation into their national economic plans a decade ago – but most nations’ media landscapes are still dominated by traditional media. This is a powerful resource, upon which advertisers can capitalise.

Consider two examples. In Namibia, each day, a fleet of trucks drive 700km

northwards and southwards from Windhoek to deliver copies of The Namibian newspaper to all major towns and villages across the country. In its near 40-year existence the paper has become the most trusted source of news for all Namibians. The publisher takes digital seriously, and has developed and nurtured associated online channels and platforms, but the printed newspaper remains an institution on the country’s media landscape.

In South Africa, the Xhosa radio station Umhlobo Wenene hosts a programme, Imiphanga, that conveys death notices. It is a cherished source of community news and empathy, and has been running for generations. Enormous numbers of listeners tune in each week.

Cautionary tales

Predicting the future is tricky and –because it engenders a sense of know-it-all complacency – may even be counterproductive. In his seminal book The Black Swan, statistician Nassim Taleb highlights deep problems in how we think about risks; one of which is that we over-emphasise newness because it’s top-of-mind. The opinions of experts, too, are over-valued; Taleb provides evidence that they are rarely better at predictions than anyone else, because their ways of thinking are also blinkered by assumptions and biases.

The flipside of the same coin is that even if we are wary of predictions, as media professionals we must remain alert to signs of change, and take appropriate action. “I give the talkies six months, no more. At the most, a year. Then they’re done,” said Charlie Chaplin in 1931.

The pioneering comedian and filmmaker should not have resisted change; by 1940, silent movies were a thing of the distant past.

human-CentriC planning

Peering into the future, media professionals also need to confront the elephant in the room. Algorithms – embedded within programmatic digital media and television buying – already make many decisions. Inevitably, artificial intelligence (AI) will soon do more – much more. Could it take over the entire media strategy and planning function?

The answer is surely ‘yes’ – but with a qualifier: however rapidly the industry continues to change, the human factor will provide the critical difference between solid campaign plans and those with the spark of ingenuity. Which do we believe will be most effective?

The key to switching arising challenges into opportunities and unlocking business value is to be both brave and smart in our thinking. This might mean seizing on early signs of a trend to gain early adoption advantage – or it may require resisting the trend because the conventional solution is the responsible choice.

So, let’s be strategic in how we deal with change. The bottom line is that media owners will still need to deliver audiences, and marketing and media decision makers will always need to deliver results. Above all, regardless of trends, hype or the rapid emergence of new patterns of behaviour and media usage, we need to be open to finding the human truths that drive consumers as real people.

“regardless

of trends, hype or the rapid emergenCe of new patterns of behaviour and media usage, we need to be open to finding the human truths that drive Consumers as real people.”

Dave Gorin is a strategist and media sales representative for Marnox Media The company has been advising marketers and agencies on campaigns in Africa for 25 years, and currently represents some 250 businesses on the continent.

How to tackle OOH’s township challenge

Consumers in South African townships engage with multiple media platforms throughout the day, including radio, television, the internet and out of home (OOH) media.

This makes them heavy media consumers, exposed to a multitude of different adverts daily. Within any cluttered media landscape, a tailored mix is essential in maintaining media engagement throughout the consumer journey. And in the busy township environment, the right combination can ensure that messaging is omnipresent – connecting with township dwellers at every relevant touchpoint.

OOH is a ubiquitous media touchpoint along the township resident’s journey.

Between 8am and 5pm, township shoppers are generally out and about, which positions OOH as a central engagement platform.

But messaging can be cluttered, with multiple competing brands fighting for space in the consumer’s field of vision at any time, leaving few opportunities for dominance of brand messaging.

Other challenges in the township OOH sector include the possibility of branding being vandalised or removed, and storefronts

where maintenance is often neglected. Billboard clutter in townships is profound.

Within Soweto’s 200km² area are 554 billboards – 533 static and 21 digital – accounting for 15% of all billboards in Johannesburg. This is the township media challenge in a nutshell. How can OOH marketers break through the clutter? Let’s take a few pages from the playbook for effective township advertising.

Mzi Deliwe

MZI

DELIWE

details how to cut through the ubiquitous billboard clutter in South African townships and deliver customised messaging with sustained impact.

1. Understand the aUdience joUrney

Every effective OOH campaign begins with a comprehensive understanding of the various brand engagement touchpoints along the consumer’s journey. It is crucial to understand which touchpoint to use for a specific type of message.

Township shoppers have varying journeys, depending on their geography and circumstances, and mapping these journeys provides insight that helps marketers tap into emotions and specific behaviours at each touchpoint.

Online, spaza and billboard media engagement peaks during the middle of the day, while the highest engagement in the early evening is led by television, when commuters have made their way home.

2. identify media engagement and leverageable toUchpoints

Faced with the onslaught of continual brand messaging in various formats around them, consumers have learned to ignore traditional strategies and force marketers to ask challenging questions:

• What will consumers find appealing and engaging?

• What media format provides impact?

• Is the message relevant to the location, context and touchpoint?

Having consumers connect with your messaging begins with creative messaging that catches the eye. In our bustling townships, brands have the opportunity to become living and breathing icons on taxis, spazas and ranks – serving not only as advertising but also engaging artwork on an urban canvas.

Throughout the day, OOH media is perfectly poised for the last mile engagement, offering daily opportunities including varying OOH touchpoints within informal retail, formal retail and commuter nodes.

Multiple touchpoints require multiple creative approaches, as a tailored approach is 14% more likely to deliver greater impact and relevance, extending the life of a campaign.

3. cUstomise messaging and creative for a more significant impact

Customised messaging is vital – not only for each specific environmental touchpoint, but for every community. Every township community is different, and communicating in language that resonates makes a more personal connection. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach – as even two neighbouring townships may have subtle differences.

The language and culture in Mitchells

Plain are steeped in the subtle nuances that have developed over generations. Soweto and other major centres in Gauteng have their own unique ‘Kasi lingo’. Every township has its own singular nuances. Contextual relevance and customised messaging, created in the right language and dialect, are more likely to connect with local audiences.

4. dominate and disrUpt

Township media is multidimensional, but informed brand domination strategies can break through the clutter. Strategic OOH placements that go beyond the strength of a single execution set brands apart from the competition, completely taking over advertising space.

Takeover OOH campaigns that include multiple signs and screens displaying consistent or complementary content on all messaging touchpoints create memorability and talkability. This type of OOH strategy offers multiple benefits to advertisers looking to maximise their investment.

5. own the space

When one advertiser takes ownership of multiple touchpoints within the same area or space, it minimises the need to compete with other brands, allowing them to effectively gain dedicated mindshare. Dominations also lend themselves to stronger and more creative displays. When we understand the various media touchpoints along the journey that can be used to connect, not only holistically but microscopically, and how best to creatively execute messaging, we gain the ability to direct strategic brand campaigns that deliver reach and impact in the most effective way possible.

Mzukisi Deliwe is deputy CEO at Provantage

He joined the company in 2012, and was instrumental in launching the Airport Ads division, and has grown it into the largest airport advertising media owner in South Africa.  He was appointed deputy CEO of Provantage Media Group in 2016 and heads up a number of Provantage companies, including Airport Ads, Street Network and Mall Ads. Deliwe is also responsible for development at Provantage.

“ within soweto’s 200km² area are 554 billboards –533 static and 21 digital– accoUnting for 15% of all billboards in johannesbUrg. this is the township media challenge in a nUtshell.”

“ takeover ooh campaigns that inclUde mUltiple signs and screens displaying consistent or complementary content on all messaging toUchpoints create memorability and talkability.”

Tapping into tools of the trade

Efficiency is at the heart of business growth in 2023 and beyond, writes ZUKO MDWABA.

Uncertainty may be the only certainty we can count on in business today. The unprecedented headwinds of the past two years – pandemic, war, supply chain challenges – are only exacerbated by rising inflation and interest rates, the cost-of-living crisis and the energy crisis in South Africa.

Within this kind of macroeconomic environment, it is challenging to maintain a durable, resilient business that can drive success. And while we can’t know what lies ahead, we can commit to being strategic and building resilience by investing in digital transformation as the foundation of a sustainable approach to preparing for the challenges of the near future.

This will require business leaders, across industries and business divisions, to identify where technology can drive growth, increase efficiency, and create more business value. With the right tools and resources, it becomes easier to do more with less and when the stakes are high. And in challenging economic conditions it becomes crucial to ensure synergy and alignment across every line of business to optimise for growth and efficiency.

Our own research, together with the input we receive from our partners, customers and stakeholders, suggests that there are four key ways organisations will adjust their operating models and technology investments to drive growth in the months ahead.

Investment in automation will surge as companies aim to do more with less

With continued inflation, tighter budgets, and minimised resources, combined with a constant ask to do more with less, the

“By removing mundane, repetitive processes and tasks, automation can support every line of Business in driving productivity as well as revenue.”

automation and efficiencies that cloud technology can deliver represent a clear solution.

According to Salesforce’s State of Commerce report, 45% of commerce organisations are prioritising process automation over the next two years.

Currently, the average company uses nearly 1 000 applications to run their business and store customer data. This isn’t efficient, effective, or affordable. In 2023, we can expect to see companies prioritising vendor consolidation and reducing the complexity of their technology stack to give a simple 360º degree view of each customer.

Leading enterprises will increasingly move beyond isolated use cases of automation to drive efficient growth right across their organisation. As demand on IT teams increases, more non-technical teams will leverage low and no-code tools to circumvent bottlenecks. Drag and drop digital and data capabilities, for example, will allow them to automate processes and create new services.

Automation can play an integral role in helping to reduce the ‘work of work’ that teams and individuals grapple with on a daily basis. By removing mundane, repetitive processes and tasks, automation can support every line of business in driving productivity as well as revenue.

Companies must prioritise tools that maximise time and reduce admin – namely reporting, CRM and account/contact management – and enable teams to focus more on customer service. To reduce time spent switching from tool to tool, we can expect to see more businesses consolidating their tech stack over the coming months.

Together, collaborative and automation capabilities are making teams more agile and effective, helping them deliver greater value for customers and grow the business.

We’ll also see more organisations create fusion teams that combine both business and technology experts. Equipped with the right tools, these teams are free to innovate with the oversight of the IT department to mitigate any cyber or compliance risk.

Hyper-personalised, real-time experiences will be more critical tHan ever

In this digital-first world, every business needs the capability to reach the right customer at the right time.

This is becoming all the more difficult as the amount of data created, captured, replicated and consumed each year is expected to more than double by 2026. As companies race to increase revenue and drive efficiency across sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT, personalisation will be the solution for success now.

Serving up personalisation will not be without its complications, however, particularly in the context of understanding compliance with emerging privacy policies and regulations. What’s more, as consumers grow more aware of data

privacy, their peace of mind is essential to companies unlocking the benefits of personalisation.

collaboration powered by digital communication tools

Research shows that 86% of IT leaders now say the experience an organisation provides its employees and customers is as important as its products and services.

Digital tools that focus on communication and culture will continue to play a key role in driving productivity and long-term employee retention.

Future Forum Pulse research shows that workforce policy planning is largely happening at the executive level, with 60% of executives surveyed saying they’re designing their companies’ policies with little to no direct input from employees.

Through prioritising employee input, more companies will realise that culture and productivity don’t have to disappear with the decline of the office – they just need to provide the digital tools for them to happen elsewhere.

Business leaders who embrace the shift in workplace expectations by leading with trust and transparency will shape a more productive and fulfilling future that’s better for their people and their businesses.

retHinking efficiency

Going forward, businesses will rethink what it means to be efficient at every level, and in every department. We must commit to continuous innovation to solve customers’ problems, ensure seamless service from anywhere, and adapt to customers’ changing priorities.

Powered by digital transformation, this will provide opportunities for success in the long term.

Zuko Mdwaba is area vice president and country leader for Salesforce South Africa.

irina Vlad

“ tHrougH prioritising employee input, more companies will realise tHat culture and productivity don’t Have to disappear witH tHe decline of tHe office — tHey just need to provide tHe digital tools for tHem to Happen elsewHere.”

“ togetHer, collaborative and automation capabilities are making teams more agile and effective, Helping tHem deliver greater value for customers and grow tHe business.”

Zuko Mdwaba

Making a case for good

It all started with a virus. For outdoor media owners, business had been ticking along nicely – until 2020. The industry was seeing a renaissance, thanks to innovation driven by the advent of digital out of home (DOOH) media. Consumers were out and about and in front of our billboards. The world was turning, at an increasingly rapid rate. Then suddenly: STOP. Slow down. Global lockdown. Social distancing. A

whole lot of hand sanitiser. Our industry, and all that relied on people being out and about and spending money, was dealt a massive blow.

The Covid-19 pandemic may have been one of the best things to happen to our industry.

When Covid-19 hit, most businesses went into survival mode: battening down the hatches by retrenching, cutting salaries, doing whatever we could to preserve

cashflow and protect our bottom line. ‘It’s not personal, it’s business,’ may have been the theme song.

Except that it is personal.

It is personal when your clients, competitors and suppliers face crippling financial pressure and are forced to liquidate. Or when colleagues who you cracked jokes with around the water cooler are suddenly jobless, with a family to feed. Or when the shell of your community starts to crack before your eyes.

If Covid-19 taught us anything, it’s that business is personal – and caring for more than the bottom line is the only way to ensure we all thrive through any disruption, writes SIMON WALL.

Tractor partnered with Missing Children South Africa to flight missing child notices on DOOH screens across key areas within minutes of being alerted.

A crisis of pandemic proportions forced us as an industry to sit up and get to grips with the fact that the health of any business is dependent on all its stakeholders. For our businesses to thrive, we, as an industry, had to come together and uplift those around us.

OppOrtunity and turbulence

At the time, Deloitte wrote that the media industry was, “riding a wave of tremendous opportunity amid the turbulence … will continue to evolve quickly, not only reckoning with ongoing trends and disruptions within the industry, but also in its continued response to pandemic-led behavioural changes.”

I would argue that this sense of community, elevated by the pandemic, has changed our behaviour fundamentally as an industry. We’re seeing media owners increasingly shape-shift into social enterprises, using our influence, commercial strategies and resources to address socioeconomic challenges.

Shortly after the pandemic hit, Tractor Outdoor launched its #SMEHeroes campaign and advertising fund, to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) hardest hit by the pandemic. Through the fund, we provided these local businesses in our communities with free advertising via our national network. Our goal was to support them in surviving the country’s challenging lockdown period, through a healthy media package that would promote their business and keep it top of consumers’ minds.

This campaign was such a success that we repeated it again in 2021 and, in January this year, we unveiled our SME Launchpad. This permanent fixture allows small local businesses to benefit from widespread marketing exposure across Tractor’s roadside digitals and Digilite networks in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban – free.

Media plays a crucial role in highlighting and addressing socioeconomic challenges in South Africa. Through our partnerships with non-profit organisations (NPOs), outdoor media can raise awareness of

the impact these organisations have on communities, and even encourage others to start their own programmes. We can also help connect social enterprises and NPOs with potential beneficiaries, customers, investors and partners, thereby leveraging our network to create new opportunities for them to grow and scale their impact.

Last year, Tractor partnered with Missing Children South Africa (MCSA), an organisation that assists the authorities whenever a child goes missing. When a child disappears, speed is of the essence in ensuring their safe return. DOOH enables rapid mass communication, and so, tapping into our national network, we were able to get these missing child notices flighted on screens across key areas within minutes of being alerted of a disappearance.

We know consumers – especially millennials and Gen Zs – want to engage

with brands and businesses who don’t only sell a product or a service, but who stand for something. Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin empire, has famously said that the brands that will continue to thrive are those that have a purpose beyond simply making money.

neW cOnSciOuSneSS

An Accenture study underpins this, finding that 62% of consumers seek purpose-driven companies that prioritise corporate sustainability, transparency and fair employment practices. I believe wholeheartedly that any business that doesn’t put sustainability and social awareness front and centre will not exist in five years.

In 2020, Tractor started the long process of registering as a Benefit Corporation (B Corp); a type of business entity that seeks to balance profit-making with a commitment to social and environmental impact. B Corps are for-profit companies that are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions not only on shareholders, but also on their workers, communities, and the environment. Our responsibility to shareholders will remain, but there’s now a greater emphasis on the role we play within our community.

Reflecting on the pandemic, we can see the silver lining in its once-all-consuming black cloud. It forced us as an industry and our communities to come together; morphing into social enterprises that understood the need to use our talents and resources for the survival and betterment of everyone.

I believe this new consciousness around the force for good that we, as the media, will only continue to grow and become more powerful, as we increasingly understand the link between our actions, their effect on our stakeholders, and the long-term viability of our businesses.

With a career spanning almost two decades and across multiple continents, Simon Wall is CEO and a founding shareholder of Tractor Outdoor It is one of the largest independent media owners in South Africa, specialising in connecting brands to consumers through its network of OOH and DOOH inventory.

irina Vlad

Simon Wall

“any buSineSS that dOeSn’t put SuStainability and SOcial aWareneSS frOnt and centre Will nOt exiSt in five yearS.”

“We’re Seeing media OWnerS increaSingly Shape-Shift intO SOcial enterpriSeS, uSing Our influence, cOmmercial StrategieS and reSOurceS tO addreSS SOciOecOnOmic challengeS.”

Video killed the radio star – NOT

and people inspire different content and options. Podcasting is that audio space that creates a home for diverse interests. Local podcasters are starting to network and, in doing so, we’re unlocking the value in sharing insights into creation and consumption. If traditional radio has taught us anything we can use in 2023, it is the value of collaboration and amplification. Brands that previously tuned into the value of radio’s reach are now also enjoying the benefits of deliberate audio downloads and custom streams. Astute audio practitioners know that choice isn’t the enemy, it is the opportunity. The number of people walking around with headphones and earbuds is an indication that the ears are available to our content; it is up to us to get them listening!

If there’s ever been a time when radio has shown it is a medium of forward momentum, immediate impact and trusted connection, it is now.

The evolving media landscape has seen an exponential move to technology, both in the palms of the user and in the connected world they consume in. Despite being able to time-shift content, concentration and consumers in a twice the speed environment, radio remains in tune with its listeners.

I asked ChatGPT why radio is still relevant in 2023, and the answer it gave would have been the same a decade ago: entertainment, reach, convenience, localism and cost effectiveness.

To me the obvious key in the answer is that it is not artificial. Radio remains a

medium that is real and relatable. It’s ready to adapt and it is resourceful. The ability to connect with thousands of people and a myriad simultaneous emotions is not something you’ll find in the cloud, in an app or a line of code with the ease of simply listening.

Radio is not a noun. We are no longer the device in the kitchen or the dashboard of your car. We are a medium of doing; radio in 2023 represents audio in action. As practitioners we are tasked with serving content to audiences on a variety of platforms.

Podcasting is proving to be a rewarding audio space for listeners, creators and advertisers. Having started out as the awkward audio teenager, it has matured into a viable and valuable listening option. Different interests, passions, places,

Figures from The Infinite Dial research and the BRC RAMS show an encouraging picture for audio consumption on a variety of devices. Platforms and devices will continue to evolve with the influence of technology and the user driven experience. Our challenge as audio ambassadors and radio practitioners in the next year is to continue to adapt our storytelling to connect with audiences.

How people consume, when and where they listen; how they discovered the audio content and how it changes them, are questions we need to keep asking. I love the fact that many commercial broadcasters are employing the power of insight and research into their operational value chain.

The oldest broadcast medium is still the most trusted, reliable and resourceful – ra<u>dio connects like no other, writes TIM ZUNCKEL.

“Listening is iA: intimAte Audio; it’s where we’ve ALwAys been successfuL, And it is the tAngibLe point of connection.”

Tim Zunckel

This information shared on audiences helps develop insights into consumption habits and how radio brands have transcended into multi-media offerings.

Revealing Revenues

The radio sales space remains a contested space. One only needs to see the interest of established primary market players in the growth of niched commercial and community broadcasters to understand the vigorous marketplace.

It will be interesting to see how the SABC performs financially in 2023. There has been much talk about outsourcing the national broadcaster’s platforms to maximise revenue. This may makes rands, but I’m not convinced it makes sense. The broadcasting industry needs a healthy and independent SABC and too much influence from the (competing) commercial sector will only shrink the pool of expertise and opportunities.

Despite the SABC Board interviews of 2022, no group of 12 has been appointed yet, and the lack of oversight at the biggest and most influential broadcaster in the country is telling. The nominated candidates also have very little broadcast experience, with less than three names holding any real sector insight and no representation of younger professionals who can adequately represent the youth.

With another new minister of communications and digital technologies and the MDDA still dogged with management issues, I’m going to assume this year will dish out more of the same in the regulatory and governance space. Like DTT, it just isn’t switched on.

Rhythm FM and Beat FM remain the poster child in questioning sector compliance and ICASA’s ability to operate efficiently. These two stations are certainly not on fast forward – in fact, they seem to no longer be in play, despite this tweet from 2017.

The growing audio sector, particularly streaming audio, has extended the need for self-compliance and the work done by the BCCSA must be applauded. The

more we do in the sector to be proactive and engaged in shaping the regulatory and compliance landscape, the more robust and useful the outcome will be. Organisations like the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) continue to the success of the sector in 2023 and beyond.

BRidge the talent gap

Talent is always a consideration when looking at the sector. The most obvious being the end voices and faces. But our issues are broader. Yes, we need to make sure audiences are treated to the best possible content in the most appropriate way, but the value chain is bigger.

The creative and technical aspects of the radio industry need to be addressed. One needs only look at the composition of broadcast technicians to see that young people aren’t embracing this element of our business as much as we need them to. We need knowledge in systems, integration, and technology. And we need people who understand these and the value they can add to the concept of radio.

What value does DAB+ hold if young minds aren’t contributing to the conversation? The future of radio is not repeating and

replicating our content on new platforms. It’s new ideas, new sounds, new voices, new rules. New audio, now.

Fast-tRack cReatives

Current rumours and murmurs about 2023 line-ups remind me of a fellow audio ambassador’s recent quip: “We just moved the party to a new room.” New talent: put your hand up by creating. Content. Ideas. Storyboards. Visuals. Video. Sketches. We can’t have a robust and adaptable medium if we just want to push play on the next song. Audiences and advertising are on fast forward; you too, need to skip ahead.

I understand the narrative and critique about line-ups and talent growth, but what are you doing to control your career and when last did you invest in your skills?

ChatGPT didn’t write this article, but it is certainly part of the #newnarrative. I have heard AI-trained voice clips that are incredibly life-like. What about radio shows scripted by AI, voiced by AI, sold by AI and listened to by AI?

Listening is IA: intimate audio; it’s where we’ve always been successful, and it is the tangible point of connection. Because radio speaks to different people at different points in the narrative, the points of connection are at different places, as are the entry and exit points.

As with digital service providers for music, smart speakers, audio on demand, voice notes, mobile phones and the Walkman in the ’80s, radio doesn’t compete – it complements.

Audiences are used to the second screen. We read and watch, we view and cross reference. We scroll and browse. But when we listen, we hear; there is no second screen concept for audio. The connection is unique, auditory, and intimate. R/Audio connects.

Are we an industry in flux? Yes. Are we an industry looking for new financial models? Yes. Are we having to dig deeper, go further and play harder? Yes. But the same is true for all industries navigating new spaces at an accelerated pace. The difference is they get to listen to the radio!

Tim Zunckel is an audio ambassador and lover of stories. He currently works for Internews as the regional media business advisor for Africa.

“ the aBility to connect with thousands oF people and a myRiad simultaneous emotions is not something you’ll Find in the cloud, in an app oR a line oF code with the ease oF simply listening.”

RETHINK RADIO

Relevant, trusted, entertaining and informative – it’s no wonder Audio is booming globally. Locally, Mediamark is the largest audio house o ering you audiences on FM, streaming and podcasting – let us build your audio strategy with you! Visit www.mediamark.co.za

The audio megatrend

Audio is the fasted growing medium in the world, and the pandemic supercharged this evolution. Media choices and experiences continue to become increasingly personalised –think podcasts, vodcasts, smart-speaker enabled playlists.

The ‘radio ecosystem’ especially –digital audio, on demand – experienced something like a Covid-19 catapult, offering listeners a space where they could interact or listen to whoever they wish.

This has provided radio stations so many more ways to deliver content, engage and leverage the personal connection with their listeners. It has also attracted a much younger audience to the FM space. Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio, for example, have a streaming audience that is at least 20% younger than their terrestrial audience.

Podcasting has been slow (in South Africa) on the uptake in comparison to other markets, but this is set for real growth as radio broadcasters get behind it in earnest. This is due to multiple reasons: they have the influencers/personalities; expertise in developing content for the platform; the megaphone to promote said content to mass or niche audiences, and access to first party data to know exactly which topics which subsets of their audience are interested in.

The audio space will also continue to evolve as it retains its core strengths: entertainment, news, reach, frequency, connection to audiences, music, favourite personalities and useful, interesting information.

The world – including, finally, South African broadcasters – is turning to audio, opening a wealth of opportunities for innovative advertisers, writes CHARLIE WANNELL.

“Dealing with real people that are investeD in Delivering the requireD Kpis will trenD this year – those that Deliver will survive; those that Don’t, will become obsolete.”

Charlie Wannell

Covid-19 catapulted the radio ecosystem into the stratosphere.

Digital audio allows regional radio to reach national and global listeners; each listener has access to a more personalised listening experience, content discovery is seamless, social engagement is part of the journey, and an FM experience becomes highly targetable and trackable. Audio can now be visual with companion ads – is the next thing videos of the songs that you hear on air, with products integrated into the visuals?

Ad fulfilment in the digital audio space is already possible through Adswizz technology such as ‘Shake Me’.

With easier customer journeys comes the ability to surprise and delight more successfully, and to keep enhancing more meaningful connections in future.

Big data and predictive analytics

As brand safety, community trust, relevance and brand impact grow in importance over big KPI data points like reach and impressions, an audio strategy is more important than ever for advertisers.

Radio stations that invest in internal technology that supports big data, along with application programming interfaces (APIS), will save time and resources in cleaning data, as automation tools and

machine learning will streamline this step. The scrutiny of big data through algorithms and predictive analytics will also fast-track the revelation of patterns, trends and associations in audience behaviour, with minimal human intervention.

Investing in technology such as automation and self-service systems is critical for delivering on-demand insights and solutions. A data management platform (DMP) – that collects, organises and activates audience data from various online, offline, and mobile sources – can be used to build detailed consumer profiles that drive targeted advertising and bespoke campaigns. Station access to the DMP enables a DIY approach in providing immediate insights about their audiences.

With deep knowledge comes deep responsibility to create and share relevant content in a relatable way, in real time, and on demand, as our audiences prefer to engage with it as part of their lives.

Workplace transformation

Future industry success depends on more than just technology: user interaction – for both clients and employees – are a key a part of the transformation journey.

Automated workflows, centralised reporting and ongoing skills development – including enhanced technical literacy – are the starting point for Mediamark’s digital transformation journey. The overarching approach to technology as a tool, rather than a goal in itself, has served Mediamark well. As market needs continue to evolve, and businesses are required to do more with less, digital transformation will remain a key driver for brands who want to remain relevant to clients and attract growth-driven talent.

results, not numBers

In stressed economic times, advertisers tend to favour audience-driven open exchange purchases over targeted campaigns on specific platforms that prioritise brand association and contextual relevance. Big tech platforms like Google and Facebok thrive, while publishers struggle with reduced revenues as budgets are diluted across multiple platforms instead of focused on dedicated ones.

Smart advertisers will see the value of differentiation though, and publishers must distinguish themselves from the competition by communicating the unique value of their platforms and the audiences they reach, and provide effective solutions, exceptional service, and results that deliver on advertisers’ KPIs. Dealing with real people that are invested in delivering the required KPIs will trend this year – those that deliver will survive; those that don’t, will become obsolete.

fast forWard trends

Technology has enabled deep knowledge of audience interests and habits well beyond the cookie, enabling more meaningful connections between brands and audiences. A move to permission-based brand conversations via opt-ins enables trust and increases relevance.

Brand purpose and authenticity continue to gain prominence as audiences make more conscious choices.

Charlie Wannell is head of marketing at Mediamark, a specialist media sales and solutions company, where she has played an integral role in its evolution into the audio and digital space. She also serves on the Advertising Media Association of Southern Africa’s (AMASA) committee.

“With deep knoWledge comes deep responsiBility to create and share relevant content in a relataBle Way, in real time, and on demand, as our audiences prefer to engage With it as part of their lives.”

Maximise your TV advertising campaign success in the age of disruption

Having worked in the media agency world for the better part of a decade, I have come to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of different media channels and platforms. My primary role was to give my clients an objective understanding of the most efficient way to spend their media budgets. Admittedly, in many of those conversations, their minds were already made up – that is, they had already been “guided” by their global leads on how to allocate their budgets. In some extreme cases, there were even “digital targets” on how much share of spend “needed” to be allocated to certain digital platforms.

Now, I’ve tried to build my reputation on being able to offer, as far as possible, an objective, evidence-based view when it comes to media strategy and planning. In many of those situations, despite my attempts, I’ve struggled to convince clients of the importance of “doing TV properly” when it comes to their media mix.

With this in mind, I’ve assembled some proof points for TV, as well as some load shedding-proof tactics to outsmart our existing pandemic for your next TV campaign.

oints for tV

Reach is critical to campaign success, and all research proves this. TV is still the dominant or primary driver of reach when it comes to media platforms. The only comparable media type in excess of 90% reach would be that of mobile phones. The average campaign reach of a TV plan is highest when compared to other media platforms (with the

Granted, not all reach is equal. Some reach is worse than others because: The creative didn’t work, but it accounts for more than 50% of ad effectiveness.

Your brand wasn’t recognisable; in other words too small or too late in the ad sequence.

(iii) Ads weren’t viewable. Conservative estimates reveal an average of 30% of ads you buy on digital won’t be viewable. Based on the above, (DS)tv reach is, by far, betterquality reach. In addition, DStv also ensures this quality reach via digital offerings in terms of DStv App, DStv

TV remains an indispensable part of any media strategy, but you have to do it right. By Byron John, Head of Media Intelligence at DStv Media Sales.

Byron John

Catch-up and so forth. The entire DStv ecosystem is a safe bet when compared to other platforms.

The number-one media touchpoint in terms of “average impact on brand strength” is TV – almost twice that of its nearest competitor, social media. Furthermore, out of all media channels, TV is ranked as the second-best channel when it comes to being seen as a trustworthy advertising platform.

In 2019, GroupM conducted an econometric study called Demand Generation, the largest of its kind. The study aimed to determine the optimal media mix when it comes to delivering the best ROI for advertisers. The analysis looked at a variety of variables including 50 brands, 14 categories, R31.2 billion of advertising spend and 11 media channels across 10 different KPIs (such as sales uplift, ROI and so forth). South African data was also included in this study, but for the most part, the findings did skew towards more developed markets, where digital maturity is much higher. The study is publicly available, and the evidence is clear.

TV measured the strongest when it came to some vital campaign success metrics, including:

(i) Share of short-term and long-term media-driven sales was highest.

(ii) The variability of returns was most stable for broadcast VOD and generic TV advertising.

(iii) TV boosted the efficiency of other media channels both in terms of scale and consistency over time. This is referred to as the “media synergy effects by channel”. In other words, TV gave all other media channels the biggest “boost” in advertising effect.

(iv) Across all categories included in the study, including FMCG, finance, automotive, retail and so forth, the model optimised the media mix to give the best ROI for each campaign and TV was given the largest share of media spend.

(v) Interestingly, even for advertisers with the proportion of their online sales

Don’t look only at your short-term revenue curves. If you don’t understand diminishing returns, then conversion metrics quickly become “the tail wagging the dog”, and you’ll miss out on building bigger revenues over longer periods of time.

exceeding 50%, the optimised media deployment model allocated 48% of media spend to TV!

How to outsmart load sHedding for your next tV campaign

Please keep in mind that while some of the elements for good TV planning are “hygiene”, there’s no harm in reminding ourselves of what “good” looks like:

• The most important element, based on many research studies, is to double check your creative. If you get that wrong, nothing else in your media plan is going to work.

• Check how much you are investing. Every campaign is a reach curve. The higher the curve, the more sales you’ll earn. For the most part, campaigns don’t attain good reach because:

(i) they stop too soon;

(ii) all spots are invested in a short duration of time in the same time bands;

(iii) or there isn’t enough to bring the reach curve reach close to its peak, in other words [(reach x frequency) x length of campaign].

• Load shedding robs viewers of (on average) two hours per day of prime time viewing, so you have to extend your campaigns to run for longer because load shedding shifts and changes in terms of the areas that lose power and the times this occurs.

• You have to mix up where you put your spots and when you put your spots over a four-week period. All TV campaigns should be a minimum of four weeks, even if just a weekend promotion. You have to extend those campaigns to build the reach you need in a delayed viewing environment thanks to load shedding.

• Watching “average time spent” decline during load shedding doesn’t mean much. It’s like saying: “Traffic takes much longer because the traffic lights are out.” Of course, that is the case, but it doesn’t mean there’s less traffic!

• Don’t sacrifice incremental reach for excessive frequency.

• Treat your TV plan as the “demand generating media” element and your digital as the “fulfilment media”. They are not necessarily the same thing, nor should they come from the same budget.

• Don’t look only at your short-term revenue curves. If you don’t understand diminishing returns, then conversion metrics quickly become “the tail wagging the dog”, and you’ll miss out on building bigger revenues over longer periods of time.

• Using the past six weeks (during a load-shedding period) to predict TV plans for the next six weeks is virtually an impossible task, based on how load shedding plays out in reality. Change your mindset to “test and learn” rather than guaranteeing your global clients CPP deals that will most likely never hit the mark due to load-shedding disruptions. This is sponsored content

Irina Vlad

double-cHeck your creatiVe. if you get tHat wrong, notHing else in your media plan is going to work.

More video ad reach, anytime, everywhere

According to Nielsen, streaming accounts for just over 30% of TV content viewed in the US today. This is a lot, but nowhere near the linear delivery. Advertising viewed on TV is even lower; less than 10% of advertising on TV is streamed today.

There is no question that we are witnessing a changing of the guard in video advertising. For decades, linear TV has dominated. Whether viewers watched their shows on broadcast, cable or satellite feeds, it mattered little. It was just ‘TV’ to them and the ad industry globally generated more than $150 billion a year buying and selling their attention, taking share from print, radio and other media for decades with little true competition.

In most cases, broadcasters provided proprietary programming and advertising to those distributors on a ‘wholesale’ basis – and those distributors, in turn, resold ‘programming’ bundles directly to viewers. Since most

of those distributors had little or no direct competition in their markets, the audience scale that was delivered was massive and predictable, and everyone was happy. Until streaming showed up, of course.

In online streaming world, distributors – Netflix, Hulu or Tubi, for example – can enter markets opportunistically, selling directly to consumers and picking off the highest value viewers first. They can personalise packages.

They can enter into terms of service (including privacy protection agreements) directly with those customers that broadcasters can’t even imagine. And, critically, they can take the best of TV advertising’s ‘sight, sound and motion’ consumer impact on a big screen with a lean-back audience and combine it with the digital-born capabilities of precision targeting, automated buying and closed-loop measurement and optimisation to deliver an ad product that is dramatically better and more valuable than what linear TV can do alone.

How is that possible? More than 20% of US homes still lack quality fixed broadband, much of the streaming programming still carries few or no ads (Netflix’s new ad tier is changing that), and streaming video packages and broadband are expensive. Many lower income and cost-conscious consumers accept free or lower cost legacy options to receive TV programming and ads. Broadcast, cable and satellite delivery are expected to shrink considerably, but few expect those channels to disappear entirely over the next decade or two.

Two new platforms warrant call out here: one, console and PC gaming screens, where user numbers are already enormous and game publishers and platforms are beginning to test out TV-like ad integrations; and two, ‘mobility TV,’ where high-impact screens are now being deployed into autonomous cars, ride-share vehicles and public transit buses and vans, opening up hours of new viewing opportunities for the world’s many millions of daily commuters.

The transition from linear TV to overthe-top (OTT) streaming services and on multiple platforms and channels is certain to grow – disparately, depending on national market norms and infrastructure, audience demographics, etc. But it is happening

Truly integrating connected TV and TV ads is critical for a converging and fragmenting video world, writes DAVE MORGAN.

Dave Morgan

The future of video advertising is amazing.

now, and will certainly bring both good and bad news for publishers, advertisers and agencies in the video ad ecosystem.

The good news: more video ad reach, anyTime, everywhere

More people will watch more video programming in more places for more hours each and every day. The capabilities to slice and dice those audiences for particular advertisers will go up. The measurability of those campaigns will go up a lot. The accessibility of those audiences and channels to advertisers and agencies of all sizes will dramatically improve as we see more automation and increased self-service offerings. This should be good for viewers too, as this improved ad targeting precision should increase ad relevance.

The bad news: more fragmenTaTion

The audiences, programming, viewing devices and delivery channels will become even more fragmented, as almost everyone consumes their video on several different platforms depending on where they are, when they are watching, what they are watching and who they are watching it with. This will add enormous complexity to video ad planning, buying, activation and measurement.

cTvs Linear sPLiT

Making it worse will be the continued efforts of companies that dominate within one of the channels to keep their ad inventory siloed off from the greater video ad market. As we all know, linear TV and connected TV (CTV) ad budgets are still managed in an incredibly siloed way no matter the claims of ‘holistic’ video ad buying by agencies and marketers. In most cases, there isn’t even cross-fluency among the buyers and sellers in the ‘languages’ of linear TV and streaming. Not only do the digital and linear folks not understand each other, business misalignment issues frequently allow situations where they compete with each other.

noT fiT for PurPose

The digital banner-born adtech that handles most of connected TV ad buys today is a misfit for a cross-channel world of premium inventory constrained by total viewership and exclusive access to their attention, rather than a digital world where ads, multiple on a page, below the fold, or buried

tabs, many viewed for less than a second during scrolling.

Fundamentally, most legacy adtech now used on CTV was optimised for a world of 40 000 web publishers, not the CTV ad world where a dozen walledgarden streaming services in each market represent 95+% of viewing and the top 30 services reach 99.9% of viewing. The ‘long tail’ of CTV isn’t very long.

The list of techniques from the banner-born adtech that don’t fit the premium CTV ad world is numerous: too much focus on real-time auctions rather than reserve bids/buying and deal management; little transparency to actual units purchased at the publisher, programme and platform level; too much inventory masquerading as something that it is not (six-second ad in a one-minute TV promo clip presented like it is 30-second spot in high profile, 30-minute TV show); buying system optimised for intermediaries, not principals (with poorly disclosed float and toll-taking); data leakage to thousands of intermediaries ‘sniffing’ bid-stream and harvesting private and proprietary data; attribution systems optimised for ‘last-click’ rather than audience reach, ad frequency and high funnel metrics; reach and frequency controls optimised for daily, not weekly, management; no comprehensive, integrated cross-channel, cross-publisher, cross-platform campaign management; and, critically, co-mingled economics shared (not transparently) among DSPs, SSPs, data providers, data clouds, verification and measurement suppliers that pervert the intent of the parties and take margin out of the transactions without adding value.

how do we fix This?

It’s starts with caring and deciding that it is a problem worth solving. With a streaming and linear TV video ad world that will only get more complex, we need to move fast to solve the basic problems outlined above as the worlds converge. We can’t solve it all it once, but we can get started and focus on the most critical issue first the dissonance between the way our industry handles CTV or OTT and linear ads.

We should focus on truly integrating linear and CTV ad buys at the audience level, de-duplicated across channels and companies, and not just try to make CTV ad look like their linear brethren or linear TV ads looks like their CTV counterparts.

We need to ‘re-aggregate’ as much of the fragmenting audiences as possible across companies and channels, and make buying and measuring them together as simple and easy as possible for advertisers and agencies.

And, finally, we need to dramatically improve the fluency of our teams. We need to cross-train linear teams to better understand the digital and CTV ad world and the CTV teams to better understand how the linear TV ad world works. Elements from both will drive our future.

What can hold us back? Too many people believe that linear TV is going away and that solving for the intersection of CTV and linear TV isn’t needed.

I disagree. Not only will linear TV be around well into the 2040s in most parts of the world, but working through the steps to truly integrate linear and streaming ad buys today are critical if we are ever to make the premium video ad market that can scale with the massive, attendant breadth and depth of video in people’s lives, which will only become bigger, more ubiquitous and more impactful.

The future of video advertising is amazing. Let’s help it achieve its potential.

Dave Morgan is the CEO and founder of Simulmedia, a New York City-based technology company and developer of TV+, the leading premium video ad-buying platform for top brand marketers and their agencies. He previously founded and ran both TACODA, Inc., an online advertising company that pioneered behavioural online marketing and was acquired by AOL in 2007 for $275 million, and Real Media, Inc., one of the world’s first ad-serving and online ad network companies and a predecessor to 24/7 Real Media (TFSM), which was later sold to WPP for $649 million. After the sale of TACODA, Dave served as Executive Vice President, Global Advertising Strategy, at AOL, a Time Warner Company (TWX).

Irina Vlad

“more PeoPLe wiLL waTch more video Programming in more PLaces for more hours each and every day.”

Unpacking an underrated opportunity

Advertiser funded programming needs to break away from the modern model of TV funding through sold advertising around the content, to brands getting involved in developing the content or an idea with a broadcaster, or a producer, and either fully or partly funds that content.

AFP is not new, but it is misunderstood – and the name does not do justice to what can actually be achieved. Many consider AFP as just a vehicle for brand promotion. It’s more than that. Unlike product placement – a dated term – that allows the brand to create an unobstructive yet lasting impression, AFP is an integral part of the production: content that resonates with large, engaged audiences because it is entertaining and/or informative, and adds value to the broadcaster’s line-up.

Better known (and perhaps better understood) as branded content, AFP has brands integrated into the actual content, fully showcased and built into the storyline. This approach enhances the viewers’ experience and the broadcasters’ offerings – and the brand wins. This is the future of an effective integrated marketing communications (IMC) strategy.

augmenting the brand via the show, to a targeted demographic, with the intention of enhancing the brand experience. Do it right, and it is a recipe for success – as proven by Ray Bans in Risky Business, McDonald’s in the Kingsman, and, who can forget that in Skyfall, Heineken paid $45 million to replace the Vodka Martini as the spy’s drink of choice back in 2012.

A VIABLE AUDIENCE

So why should AFPs become an integral part of brand strategies? Whether viewing is on linear TV or via mobile streaming services, publishing and broadcasting platforms are commissioning and buying movies like The Bullet Train (a massive promotion for both the Virginia

Not everyone fully understands the potential of integrating brands into content to enhance viewer experience. Brand integration is about

train, and Japan; and local content to entice South African audiences. Advert-free OTT services will continue to grow audiences and even if advertising becomes a feature, it will invariably do so with opt out options. So how do you reach this viable audience? With AFPs, aka branded content, of course. We’re not suggesting that advertising doesn’t work, or should fall by the wayside. On the contrary, AFPs complement an advertising campaign and brands that are integrated into content should run advertising campaigns concurrently –especially around the premier broadcast. It is also important to remember that today, TV shows live beyond a single airing, so your brand is not just

Advertiser funded programming (aka branded content) can be key to an effective integrated marketing strategy in the future, writes VIRGINIA HOLLIS-CANNON.

Hollis-Cannon

The Ultimate Braai Master on e.tv is a prime example of AFP.

seen in the initial flighting; shows can sit on streaming platforms for years – and reach a much broader demographic. And as data prices drop and bandwidth becomes more accessible, more people will turn to streaming, as it gives them greater options.

Producing local content is costly – and broadcasters have limited budgets. AFP can (and does) boost local TV productions by funding programming.

This is needed, as international programming becomes more expensive with our currency rates. To fulfil their local production mandate, broadcasters who simply don’t have mega budgets needto bring in advertisers to fund the production. Done right, this is a win-win for producers, broadcasters and advertisers.

We live in a time-stressed world, where time is the new currency and our capacity for attention is limited. The Goldfish Effect, a marketing term used to describe our short attention span, of under nine seconds, illustrates the constraints of delivering a brand message in rapid time.

balanced integration

So it makes sense to showcase brands in a complementary or companion environment, catching the viewer when they are engrossed in their show. The next challenge is to ensure that the content integration is balanced; that the brand depiction blends with the storyline, and that broadcasters are strict about maintaining this balance.

TV is still the most popular leisure activity and serial TV shows (in whatever form) still attract a loyal and attentive audiences – and this is why brands will continue running TV campaigns.

TV shows are often a reflection of life, whether it be a soap, reality series, a game show, or even a movie. If an actor is washing dishes in the show, they need to use a dishwashing liquid; don’t hide the brand, show it as this is natural integration and it is believable. You can find this type of integration in a fully commissioned show, not just an AFP, but the difference is that an AFP allows sponsors to have a say in how their brand is shown. AFP also allows smaller or less known brands the opportunity to compete with the big guys.

In a show it is not about who has the biggest TV budget, but who does the

most believable integration. The current season of Ultimate Braai Master is, we believe, a very good example of how to deliver an AFP that is designed for sponsors but puts the viewer first.

While brands grapple with their own spiralling costs to produce ads that can be skipped or deleted, AFP is a winning solution for those who value brand integration done right – by making sure your brand fits with the viewer demographic and resonates with the audience you want to attract.

You will be hard pressed to find another advertising medium that offers effective media reach in a receptive environment, and at the same time, builds brand equity with an engaged audience.

Media strategist Virginia Hollis-Cannon is co-founder of strategic communication agency Magnetic Connection, and co-founder of G2 Connection, delivering integrated content and creative solutions in the TV and digital space. A regular contributor to various media and marketing digital publications, speaker, lecturer, chair and judge for numerous local and international awards, HollisCannon was awarded Media Legend by the industry’s MOST Awards in 2011 and the AdFocus Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. She is the current chairperson of the Market Research Foundation) and on the board of the Advertising Media Foundation.

Irina Vlad

“While brands grapple With their oWn spiralling costs to produce ads that can be skipped or deleted, aFp is a Winning solution For those Who value brand integration done right.”

“advert-Free ott services Will continue to groW audiences and even iF advertising becomes a Feature, it Will invariably do so With opt out options.”

Ultimate Braai Master is a good example of how to deliver an AFP that is designed for sponsors but puts the viewer first.

eMedia – 25 years of broadcasting resilience and innovation

Reflecting on the journey so far and what the future holds

The eMedia Group continues to be the biggest broadcaster in South Africa, a position it has held since September 2021 with a combined 36.2 percent share of prime time, a 14 percent increase on the prior period, and 33.3 percent share for 6am – 12am. What makes this noteworthy is that amid so many external factors affecting the industry and business in general in South Africa, each of the group’s business areas has performed exceptionally well.

e.tv launched almost 25 years ago, in November 1998, and remains the main generator of revenue for the group, consistently improving its market share. The channel has seen several successes, including the continued popularity of the Afrikaans-Turkish telenovelas at 5.45pm, Durban Gen at 6.30pm, and the new 7pm daily, House of Zwide. Management continues to hone the schedule to ensure that the market share for e.tv remains above 20 percent in prime time.

e.tv dramas have been voted tops by South African viewers, as demonstrated when the winners of the best local dramas were announced at the sixth annual Royalty Soapie Awards, held at the Galleria in Sandton in March 2023. e.tv dramas received 49 nominations across various industry categories, walking away with a total of seven awards.

Open fOr viewing

Openview will turn 10 years old in November 2023, and is now in more than 3 million households across South Africa. Its channels and content remain top quality, and the satellite service has seen a steady increase in market share over the years. The noteworthy performance in the multichannel business has come from eExtra, the two movie channels eMovies

and eMovies Extra, and eReality. These are continually in the top 10 DTH channels in the country and display the strength of content curation in the group. In January 2023, Openview launched another industry first: PowerUp! The anti-load shedding channel allows viewers to see all their favourite dramas and Afrikaans telenovelas that they might have missed due to load shedding.

Openview launched its Pay TV offering, Ultraview, in March 2023. This innovative service enables viewers to watch additional bouquets of content for a monthly subscription, while retaining and enjoying the free Openview content on their decoder. The pay service offers two bouquets (each with two channels), and will be adding more in the near future to cater to a wider variety of audiences.

on demand

Investment in local and the OTT world continues to show satisfactory growth. eVOD launched in August 2021, and will soon reach the impressive milestone of 700 000 subscribers this year. The group has invested more than R160 million in local productions for the platform, which has over 5 000 hours of content.

eVOD has launched 12 locally produced movies and series since inception, creating jobs and boosting the local economy. The Umbrella Men, Piet’s Sake, Daryn’s Gym, Whatever It Takes and Christmas Without Gogo are some of the popular movie titles, while locally produced series exclusive to the platform include Housewives, Splintered Pieces and Is’Phindiselo, some of which are currently in their second seasons. The viewed minutes per month and unique users for eVOD have enjoyed fair growth on a month-on-month basis, and the group is constantly looking at improving user interaction with the app.

news and currenT affairs

eNCA continues to be a leading and discerning voice in the ever-competitive

A winning te A m

eNCA is home to award-winning journalists who have been recognised for their outstanding contributions, while e.tv’s own 8pm news remains extremely popular.

local news landscape, despite only being on the Premier bouquets on DStv. eNCA is home to award-winning journalists who have been recognised for their outstanding contributions, while e.tv’s own 8pm news remains extremely popular.

e.tv introduced a new weekly currentaffairs programme in October 2022, in which Annika Larsen delves into the lives of extraordinary South Africans. My Guest Tonight with Annika Larsen takes an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the country’s news makers, exploring their public and private personas. Due to Larsen’s established reputation as a tough but fair journalist, the audience experiences a show that’s relaxed, intimate and has a familiar feel about it. The veteran journalist interviews sporting greats, politicians and cultural icons, among others, in their own surroundings – and no topic is off limits. She is e.tv’s “iron fist in a velvet glove”. It’s a show that goes beyond the mundane, asking people

the questions that not every journalist is bold enough to ask.

looking forward

eMedia is excited about the future, and we are continually looking for technical advancements in this highly competitive and ever-evolving industry to ensure that the group is on par with competitors, and in some instances leading in terms of local broadcast technological improvements.

The journey has not been without challenges, but we remain committed to making viewing available to all audiences. In an economy fraught with load shedding, high unemployment, a falling rand, and increasing fuel prices, inflation and interest rates, eMedia is showing steady growth. It remains a beacon of hope for investors, advertisers and employees, and a shining light in the broadcasting industry.

This is sponsored content

The group has invesTed more Than r160 million in local producTions for evod, which has over 5 000 hours of conTenT.

Irina Vlad

FROM UNCOVERING PLOTS TO PLOT TWISTS COVERING CRIME TO CRIME DOCUMENTARIES COVERING THE GAME TO READY PLAYER ONE FROM EDITOR’S CHOICE TO OPINIONS VOICED FROM ENCOURAGING READING TO LIFE LESSONS STREAMING

The digital reset: a balancing act of content and targeted reach

At first glance, neither revenue nor subscription data appears to indicate that the local media industry is currently “riding a tremendous wave of opportunity”, as Deloitte’s 2022 media industry outlook suggested.

Dig a little deeper, however, and it is clear the post-pandemic environment offers opportunities for innovative media owners.

Digital platforms received an unprecedented boost during the pandemic, growing subscriber numbers to record highs. The pandemic and lockdowns created an abnormal environment where people were stuck at home with time on their hands to search for information and content.

Declines in usage over the last 12 months were expected, as users returned to offices and resumed social activities. I view this period as a reset where audiences are going to find content in a post-pandemic world.

There is no question consumer behaviour has undergone a significant shift in recent years. This extends to how digital and even print media is consumed. During the lockdowns we saw a huge spike in niche content (most of it in print) like gardening, knitting, cooking and hobbies.

Fast-forward two years and load shedding is now impacting consumer behaviour. For example, shopping trips are more irregular, so opportunities to pick up a magazine while waiting to pay in a grocery store is for affected negatively. We know that when consumers are online, they are looking

Innovative media owners’ compelling content, and scale, is key to migrating audiences to digital platforms – even in uncertain times, writes MINETTE FERREIRA.

There is no question consumer behaviour has undergone a significant shift in recent years.

to be informed of current events and entertained by escapist content.

This is quite an odd mix for traditional media brands: how do we tick all the boxes for our users on one platform without compromising credibility or entertainment value? This poses a massive opportunity for forward-thinking media owners.

The biggest challenge for traditional media is obviously the change in our business model, as advertising revenue from traditional sources has shifted. In answer to this we refocused on our core premise: content. Delivering compelling, relevant, always-fresh quality content on world class platforms. This has required significant investment, but we believe the digital subscription model is the answer to a changed business model.

To succeed in the current media environment, it is important to get closer to users and find ways to capitalise on those relationships. Audiences can no longer be judged on mere numbers; we need to know exactly who our audiences are, what interests them and what will hold their attention. To achieve this requires staying abreast of changing trends, and holding one-on-one conversations with audiences as we find more effective and meaningful ways of engaging with them.

RestoRing poweR to publisheRs

The imminent demise of third-party cookies restores power to publishers, who will

create an environment where audiences feel comfortable sharing their personal information in exchange for access to quality content. The ultimate success – the holy grail – is when this value exchange is considered attractive enough for audiences to pay for it.

The resistance to paying for digital content was initially miscalculated by digital publishers across the globe. But Media24’s focus on delivering trustworthy content seamlessly to audiences is showing positive signs. Our successes include Media24’s Afrikaans news paywall platform, Netwerk24, which launched in 2014 and has now almost reached 100 000 subscribers.

Netwerk24’s success has been hugely dependent on our ability to provide compelling, original, and premium content for a specific audience. We have branched out by providing different content types, including audiobooks, games, short form soapies, and relevant video content.

Essentially, it is content that is unique, exclusive, and compelling.

SNL24.com launched in 2022 as a curated platform providing a home for Soccer Laduma, KICKOFF, Daily Sun, DRUM and TrueLove. It appeals to soccer fans and those in search of engaging news and entertaining lifestyle content. Aimed at the middle and upper-middle markets, SNL24 boasts a potential target audience of 3.7 million and, when combined with an established print audience of 2.1 million, offers a comprehensive, integrated, and multi-platform communication opportunity for advertisers.

The brands represented on the platform all have significant audience credibility and loyalty and complement each other as a collective, together improving their individual abilities to retain eyeballs.

SNL24 taught us that scale improves our ability to migrate audiences to a digital platform – and it takes time to build new brands. The big opportunity for us now is to keep these audiences entertained and create compelling content that audiences are prepared to pay for.

We will continue to differentiate ourselves and build a more sustainable business model. The onus is on us to emphasise what sets us apart: Credibility and trustworthiness of our content and information. As well as the ease to access it. Because there is no question that a world without a credible and unbiased source of news, analysis and information would be a poorer one.

“snl24 taught us that scale impRoves ouR ability to migRate audiences to a digital platfoRm – and it takes time to build new bRands.”

Minette Ferreira is general manager: lifestyle and community news at Media24

“netweRk24’s success has been hugely dependent on ouR ability to pRovide compelling, oRiginal, and pRemium content foR a specific audience.”

Minette Ferreira

Scale improves our ability to migrate audiences to a digital platform.

Maintaining the human connection with relevant content

The most compelling way to find new audiences and get them to buy into your brand’s ethos is to tell a human story. This is content marketing 101 and while it sounds simple enough, in reality, it is notoriously difficult to get right.

Content marketing lies in the sweet spot where brand voice and expertise overlaps with what the audience cares about. Instead of trying to push messaging onto audiences, content marketing responds to their needs in a way that is relevant to the brand.

Content marketing has earned itself the title of modern-day effective marketing by acknowledging the importance of relevant information to specific audiences. But how – as it continues to proliferate in a fragmented media landscape – can it remain relevant? By following the targeted audience, and adapting to their needs and preferences in brand discovery and content consumption.

Content remains king, and these are the trends we expect to see grow in 2023:

1. The cockTail parTy effecT: personalised conTenT maTTers mosT

The Cocktail Party Effect states that people focus on information relevant to them. With increased competition where many niches have been saturated, and an increasingly demanding audience, creating personalised content creates the opportunity to differentiate at a human scale and compels customers to take action. In a recent study, Infosys found that 31% of customers wish their experiences were ‘far more’ personalised.

True personalisation isn’t just about knowing your customers’ name; it’s about understanding their past buying behaviour and what their future needs might be so you can tailor product or service recommendations accordingly. Once you know what they need, you can serve them the right message at the right time, and drive business objectives.

2. curaTed conTenT inspires engaged consumers and converTs sales

It’s not ‘new news’ that brand discovery takes place online; the trend accelerated

during the pandemic, as brands took to online platforms en masse, and a rise in ‘shoppable content’ was made available to audiences.

Since then, discovery and inspiration found through immersive shopping experiences have been reimagined online. Shoppable content allows consumers to buy products directly while they are viewing or reading content from within a page.

Immersive commerce formats engage the senses and derive an emotional response that ideally leads to customers

The commoditisation of content is the sweet spot where personalisation and scale intersect, writes GREER HOGARTH.

taking action. Branded content, shoppable video series, sponsorships, and augmented reality (AR) experiences give audiences meaningful opportunities to play, engage, and shop products directly from content. Brands can create a frictionless, relevant experience as consumers interact with content they trust.

Effective, engaging shoppable content merges with a high level of conceptualisation and interactivity.

3.

Influencers have been used as a powerful tactic to connect with audiences for some time now, but the landscape and definition of ‘influencer’ is evolving rapidly with a deeper focus on the creation of quality content for brands.

Mass interest in creators is altering the balance of power from professionally produced, ‘Hollywood’ content to creator content. Production investment in broadcast/cable TV and film is decreasing while investment in creators is skyrocketing. Creator content ad spend is growing twice as fast as spend on professionally produced TV/streaming content, increasing 15x since 2017.

Integrating content creators into your media mix offers you the opportunity to:

• Establish an emotional connection with audiences – people buy into people

• Create assets that suit brand positioning and can be used as evergreen content across channels for longer periods

• Tap into new audiences and unlock new pathways to communicate with future customers

4. aI-generaTed

Automated text generation is generating huge buzz with plenty of marketers and professionals speculating as to whether AI will replace human talent. Advances in technology represent an opportunity for brands to leverage AI and drive sustainable efficiencies in the traditionally costly and time-consuming area of content creation. News pieces, blog posts and marketing copy can all now technically be produced using AI in a way that, until recently, simply wasn’t possible. AI could be an exciting disruptor to the industry; however, we encourage you to proceed thoughtfully.

An important component of content marketing is harnessing the emotional triggers – determined by your buyer personas – in your creative executions that are relevant to audiences, and simply put, AI cannot do that for you. The emotional connection a brand has with an actionable audience is built on established trust and should remain human-centric.

The power of AI lies in expediting select portions of your creative and communication strategy with time

saving and cost-efficiency as your goal, supported by human insight to monitor for bias and maintain message relevance for your audience.

5. The commodITIsaTIon of conTenT

We’ve established that content is a key driver in connecting with audiences and delivering on marketing-funnel-specific KPIs. It is also true that client budgets are diminishing; their increased focus on

The creaTor economy

conTenT can save TIme and money

“Brands are fInally BegInnIng To realIse ThaT In order To Improve TheIr vIsIBIlITy and promoTe TheIr producTs, They musT place people aT The cenTre of TheIr markeTIng.”

Create buyer personas to discover customers’ preferred channels to engage.

driving cost-efficiencies is leading to the implementation of improved marketing tech stacks – CDPs as a prime example –and a greater importance placed on media return on investment.

To commoditise content marketing might insinuate turning it into a standardised, low-cost channel that is perceived as more ‘budget-friendly’ – but this would come at the cost of losing unique, high-quality content that engages and educates a specific audience.

The success of content marketing lies in storytelling, authenticity, and eliciting emotion to create a connection. This poses the question; how do we maintain content as a lead channel while maximising budgets? The answer: personalisation at scale.

The power of content is in being scalable; by ensuring your content is crafted in such a manner that it can be repurposed across several channels over a longer campaign period, or for different channels in future, clients can reduce creative production requirements and thereby deliver on cost efficiencies – whilst keeping your audience engaged.

Consider how a piece of video content intended for social channels might leverage your core story and be tailored to suit audio, streaming, online, print or OOH.

Clients are not going to stop pushing agencies to deliver on ROI, and the demand from audiences for relevant, entertaining content isn’t going anywhere.

Ask yourself: “How else can we use this content?”

Measuring attention – and returns

There is no one-size-fits all approach to content planning and delivery. Measurement of branded content is notably inconsistent; benchmarks are dependent on creative and campaign goals. Attention measurement could become a common metric applied across media platforms.

By focusing on what KPIs your content needs to deliver on, you can customise ROI based on those deliverables alongside your relevant media metric.

Create buyer personas to discover customers’ preferred channels to engage, and tailor your content or messaging around them in immersive and entertaining ways. Video still leads the pack as far as best-engaged content, but explore how else you can stretch your story to deliver funnel-specific messaging.

The future of AI is in expediting work more efficiently, not in replacing human talent; by nature of efficiency, it should create more freedom to be insightful and strategic, deepening your understanding of brands and their audiences.

The commoditisation of content is the sweet spot where personalisation and scale intersect. By creating evergreen content that can be repurposed and tailored to ignite a conversation with our audiences, we can achieve cost efficiencies while maintaining an authentic brand voice.

Getting closer to your audience and identifying innovative ways to connect is the biggest challenge business faces when searching for growth in today’s market. In an industry saturated with players, the key to growth lies in creating human connection.

Content marketing isn’t new, but it’s certainly gaining power. Here in South Africa, brands are finally beginning to realise that in order to improve their visibility and promote their products, they must place people at the centre of their marketing.

Measuring content – effectively

Most marketers focus on content’s awareness and perception effects: Marketers are more likely to use awareness and perception metrics, rather than engagement KPIs such as ‘time spent with content’ to measure a campaign’s success

Attention is a better predictor of effectiveness than viewability: Attention-based planning can act as a unifying measure of effectiveness across both on and offline channels - optimising for attention can lead to greater ad recall, ad impact and purchase intent than optimising for viewability

In future, key measures of success will continue to move towards optimisation of the audience’s attention with;

• Fatigue analysis: identifies and assigns message fatigue for improved engagement –what is the wear down factor and how do you maximise before moving on

• Subject line optimisation: improves open rates by highlighting over- or under-performing keywords

• Audience intelligence analysis: of the breadth and depth of engagement and their topics of interest

• Time optimisation: determines best time to send, based on when a customer is most likely to open a piece of content

Greer Hogarth is head of strategy at Planit Media. A trend and category insights analyst with expertise in financial services, retail, FMCG, automotive and telecommunications, Hogarth is also a social listening tool analyst with experience in deriving content opportunities, customer insights and pain point discovery. She has worked with Apps such as Crimson Hexagon, Brandwatch, AmaSocial, Meltwater and BrandsEye.

Greer Hogarth

“creator content ad spend is growing twice as fast as spend on professionally produced tv/streaMing content, increasing 15x since 2017.”

Crossing the content divide

Future-focused, integrated media solutions are powered by data, storytelling… and relationships, writes TASMIA ISMAIL.

In a fundamentally altered business environment and an industry that no longer operates in distinct silos, media owners cannot rely on traditional revenue models to remain sustainable.

To succeed in this new era, media owners must offer a personalised approach based on sound strategy, creating value for customers, compelling data, and deep insights.

Clients need advertising budgets to work harder than ever before. Media buyers demand a compelling value proposition before they will commit their budgets. Media owners must offer advertisers a deep understanding of their audiences based on reliable and insightful research.

A dAtA-driven ApproAch

Media24 has taken a serious approach to packaging solutions, supported by

reliable, trustworthy data and insights. Our in-house research in 2021 and 2022 was well received by the industry. While there have historically been reservations on research conducted by media owners, technological advances have eased concerns and, increasingly, the efficacy of in-house research can now be substantiated.

There have been valuable learnings in the data and insights process; we have learned to dig deeper when anomalies appear, and to not discount the human element. There is no question that there is a benefit in good, old-fashioned logic to

ensure the data doesn’t lead you astray. In addition, we have come to appreciate that a diversity of voices helps to bring new perspectives to issues.

cross-plAtform reAch

In tandem with the drive to integrate readers across print and digital into audiences over the past few years, we have been focusing on cross-platform reach. Building audience segments across our channels has allowed us to use the power of multiple touchpoints, offering advertisers greater reach and frequency –as well as reduced costs per reader. We have noticed that retailers who unify their online (digital) and offline (print) strategy to reach targeted audience –as opposed to fixating on circulation

“ there hAve been vAluAble leArnings in the dAtA And insights process; we hAve leArned to dig deeper when AnomAlies AppeAr, And to not discount the humAn element.”

Clients need advertising budgets to work harder than ever before.

numbers – are thriving, compared to those who are still separating their digital and print strategies. Targeted reach is becoming a key priority, as consumer spend becomes more constrained.

In-person engagements

Client and agency roadshows and workshops are proving successful mechanisms to tell our story. Roadshows provide our team with the opportunity to highlight the opportunities on offer within the Media24 stable while workshops –typically attended by strategists, brand managers and marketers – are proving invaluable to better understand the challenges faced by individual clients, and formulate specific solutions.

Brand storytelling has become more popular and has proven successful when tied to traditional advertising strategy. Once we have established the client’s need, we start putting a compelling story together that includes those invaluable golden nugget insights.

We keep presentations simple: fewer numbers, more pictures and relevant context. We’ve discovered that data without context can be meaningless. Visually strong presentations that include behavioural and demographic data, along with insights, help clients to make more informed decisions. A store location, for example, allows us to create a heat map, graphically determine which print or digital platforms are available, then overlay all the data sets that we have access to.

This depth allows us to spot opportunities, trend, and challenges ahead of time, and build a robust case to present to clients who are looking for specific audiences rather than a particular medium. By keeping abreast of what is happening in the global and local environment economically, environmentally and socially, and listening to the concerns our clients have, we can predict an outcome.

Content Is KIng — and Queen

As we continue to lead the market with award-winning content campaigns, we recognise the power of impactful storytelling for brands. We are meeting this need through Adspace Studio, Media24’s native advertising and content marketing division that specialises in brand storytelling.

The Content Marketing Association estimates that content marketing accounts for 20% of global marketing spend – and predicts that this figure will increase.

Commercial content is not about selling a product or service, but about communicating a feeling or sentiment; good commercial content has the advantage of building loyal and highly engaged communities.

Our trend predictions for content in 2023 are around sentiment campaigns, sustainability and hyper-local content as brands recognise the importance of targeting specific audiences with relevant content that speaks to their needs and interests.

the long-term approaCh

A low growth economy and tight markets tend to translate to reduced advertising budgets. Inevitably, it’s the kind of environment that results in corporates adopting a single-minded focus on generating leads.

While this focus on the bottom of the sales funnel brings shorter term gratification, it does not build brands for the long term. Our advice to clients is to approach advertising spend more holistically, and build brand love for the long term.

Unquestionably, we have the benefit of an excellent value proposition: while our digital footprint reaches more than 21 million unique browsers, our print readership exceeds 10 million South Africans. Our secret weapon, however, is our ability to serve tailored content to targeted audiences across our network, ensuring that the right person is seeing the right content at the right time. Successful solutions require collaboration between media agencies, advertisers, and content and advertising specialists.

We encourage our clients to ‘brief early, and brief deep’. The most effective solutions are conceptualised when we as media owners understand the brand purpose, the message they want to convey to their audience, their relative strengths and weaknesses, and how their image compares to that of their competitors. Ironically, the most effective solution is not always what initially seems a good fit on the rate card.

South Africa’s advertising spend is expected to see steady growth in the years ahead, driven by a rise in digital advertising and the rise of hyperlocal content. However, taking advantage of this increased ad spend and growing revenue requires that media owners invest in new strategies and technologies that will enable them to better engage with their target audience. At Adspace24 we are firmly focused on remaining a step ahead.

“…retaIlers who unIfy theIr onlIne (dIgItal) and offlIne (prInt) strategy to reaCh targeted audIenCe – as opposed to fIxatIng on CIrCulatIon numbers — are thrIvIng Compared to those who are stIll separatIng theIr dIgItal and prInt strategIes.”

Tasmia Ismail is general manager of Adspace24, the national advertising sales division for Media24 News – harnessing the scale and impact of Media24’s News brands. www.adspace24.com

Tasmia Ismail

Relating to the revolution

According to marketing and customer experience

keynote speaker and author, Andrew Davis, “Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.”

Content is undoubtedly a driving force – especially for the media agency ecosystem, which has had to evolve and innovate in the wake of the post-Covid-19 new normal.

Today, it is almost impossible for a business to grow without a digital presence. The emergence of digital platforms in the media space has enabled businesses to promote their brand beyond geographical locations.

To extend its reach, the media industry had to rapidly transition to largely digital platforms to ensure maximum reach as they adapt to the behavioural changes of consumers. The shift to digital channels presents an array of opportunities for the industry to expand revenue streams.

Be it in the form of paid search ads, social media pop-up ads or on-demand video streaming ads, the world of digital media is ever-evolving, and it will

continue to play a significant role in the growth of the overall media industry for the foreseeable future.

Digital media has enabled media owners and media buyers to be able to achieve higher engagement rates by targeting relevant audiences using various digital tools. It is also a costeffective way for brands to reach their target market – and brands can easily track the success of ad placement, achieving solid returns on investment.

South Africa’s digital transformation may be more restricted than most, but opportunities abound for those who rise to the challenge, writes MFUNDO NTSIBANDE.

“Digital transformation will continue to foster behavioural changes among consumers, anD meDia will evolve to accommoDate these changes.”

One way in which the media is using digital means to reach more consumers is over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as DStv Now, Showmax, Netflix, and more. While OTT platforms will continue to grow in Africa, linear platforms are still relevant for advertisers because of their massive reach.

One of the key traditional platforms that will stand the test of time in the South African context is radio. Stations such as uKhoziFM continue to maintain a massive reach, boasting a listenership of 7.5 million. While radio remains fertile ground for advertising, the emergence of podcasts has created an opportunity for media buyers to diversify their ad placements. We are also seeing more innovation from media owners, who are creating their own digital platforms, and opening up ad space on these platforms.

Social media is one of the key digital platforms for media buyers. More media houses have moved their spending to digital platforms such as Google and Facebook, as access to connectivity and mobile devices continues to rise.

While digital media is becoming the most preferred channel across the globe, and possibly replacing traditional platforms, South Africa stands apart as a very different market: although there has been an uptake, digital transformation is not moving rapidly as one would expect.

One of the main struggles the country faces is connectivity: while statistics by the World Bank indicate that South Africa has a connectivity rate of over 70%, many South African have limited access to connectivity – compounded by the electricity shortage crisis. The country’s largest audience demographic is still reliant on traditional media as their main information source – be it radio, newspaper or TV. This can be attributed to the lack of infrastructure in certain communities and limited access to technology resources.

The age of digi Tal in Sou T h a frica South African audiences will gradually move towards digital platforms as digital transformation advances. What will be important is to ensure that all players in the media industry can benefit from this shift. The country’s massive advertising industry generates about R44-billion a year, while smaller players and particularly black-owned media houses have a minuscule share of this revenue.

The challenges that small blackowned media buyers face prevent them from fully leveraging the rise of digital platforms. In order for media agencies to successfully do media buying, they need to have sufficient credit facilities, and this is where small black media agencies fall short. Such credit facilities are normally shared with established international agencies meaning that revenue generated does not flow back into the domestic economy.

Black-owned media agencies need to have a seat at the table and, as digital platforms overtake the media industry, we need to ensure that these businesses do not get left behind. Therefore, it is essential to create channels that will enable black-owned media agencies to get one foot in the door.

The creation of the AMA portal stems from the need to expose black-owned media agencies to more opportunities. It is a digital platform that is used to create a database of black media owners. Through accessing the portal, media owners can receive briefs that they are able to bid for.

enabling black media ownerS

The AMA portal is an example of the growing significance of digital advancing in the media space. A platform of this nature enables small black media owners to showcase their inventory – whether outdoor or digital, including digital banners, street poles, wall murals, transit ads, etc.

Digital transformation will continue to foster behavioural changes among consumers, and media will evolve to accommodate these changes. This means that media houses will leverage the various technology-driven trends and disruptions to create new streams of revenue. At the same time, traditional media companies will also evolve to make room for this transformation. We have seen this with various media companies changing their platforms to include digital elements, such as using both traditional and digital channels.

As the media industry embraces the changes brought about by rapid digital transformation and socioeconomic dynamics, it is important to factor in the need for inclusivity to ensure that no man gets left behind. This means removing barriers for small black players in the media industry so that they, too, can seize the opportunities that emerge on the back of digital transformation.

Mfundo Ntsibande is managing director of AMA. A marketing professional with 20 years’ experience leading large brand teams within the marketing and media industry, he is adept at publishing, broadcasting, film, digital and entrepreneurship.

Irina Vlad

“ we are alSo Seeing more innovaTion from media ownerS, who are creaTing Their own digiTal plaTformS, and opening up ad Space on TheSe plaTformS.”

Mfundo Ntsibande

‘The future of queerness is fluid and brands need to understand that’

Over the past year, we’ve researched queer identities and their relationship with media to provide a resource for brands looking to better understand their LGBTQ+ audiences. This research isn’t a total solve for the problems queer communities face in this area; rather it’s an opportunity to simplify what is often perceived as complex. Our hope is that by creating more informative resources through the lens of marketing communications, we can create more meaningful connections between brands and our community.

The culture war between left and right has been raging for decades. But over the past two years, queer people’s identities, relationships and mere existence have been weaponised to advance more conservative values. Some individuals and groups have spun false narratives that cast queer people as a danger to society and to young children, claiming that acknowledging our existence or providing resources to anyone questioning their sexuality is an act of grooming. These baseless claims have real-world effects and we’ve seen how this kind of hateful rhetoric manifests in the real world.

With heightened violence against the community in some countries, we can’t always rely on the support of elected officials. People need to show up to alter the course of conversation in support of their queer family. But how can a brand get involved in a way that’s both authentic to their organisation and to the community itself? It’s important that companies see these situations as an opportunity to help society – but only after they’ve looked inwards to understand if they’re equipped to do so.

Young people are breaking down binaries

Before any organisation expects to engage with the queer community, they need to understand who we are. Despite hateful demonstrations in recent times, there remains a collective feeling that western societies are more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people, with 22% of Gen Z adults identifying as something other than heterosexual and 4.2 times more likely to identify outside cisgender definitions.

This shift among young people is indicative of a more inclusive society coupled with better access to other queer people and information in physical and digital spaces.

While queer identities may become more fluid, they don’t always present as freely in the real world, with only 40% of queer people openly expressing their sexuality at work. This number gets even smaller for bisexual respondents and those on entrylevel salaries. There is no single answer to why folks don’t openly express their identity at work, but it demonstrates that our community often checks a portion of who they are at the office door.

The most successful brands foster a truly inclusive space for LGBTQ+ employees.

Our advice is simple: ensure you understand how your workplace fares today and implement a long-term strategy to improve diversity, equity ad inclusion (DE&I) tomorrow.

Queer content is going mainstream

The internet has transformed the media landscape – and for LGBTQ+ audiences it’s been revolutionary. It has created more spaces to connect with other LGBTQ+ people, share queer content and encourage LGBTQ+ creators.

Queer representation has improved on and off screen, with major studios releasing movies featuring LGBTQ+ leads and LGBTQ+ people behind the camera too. This demand for representation isn’t only from the community, with 60% of non-LGBTQ+ people seeking out queer

DEVON ESPER and ZOE BOWEN-JONES unpack findings from research into queer identities and their relationship with media to provide a resource for brands looking to better understand their LGBTQ+ audiences.

Brands will continue to have an impact on society’s attitudes to LGBTQ+ people.

content. Having mainstream representation normalises and changes attitudes around LGBTQ+ lives. As one of our survey respondents said: “You can’t be what you can’t see. We deserve content that tells our stories as full human beings.”

But as demand for representative content increases, so does scrutiny of its quality. No single person can represent the experiences and identities of the entire community, so it is important for brands who wish to tell our stories to consult with the community itself.

Speak to your people and to non-profit organisations, take the time to review the best research, because when organisations don’t put in the work – it shows.

Your Pride camPaign should be a celebration of the work You do Year-round

Many brands have put in place DE&I policies to ensure that fair representation is embedded in their everyday business activities, from hiring practices and employee benefits to how they market and advertise their products and services.

When Pride month rolls around with its inevitable wave of rainbow logos, consumers are hyper-conscious of the difference between brands that stand behind their messaging and those who are just chasing a pink dollar.

Building true brand credibility in this community needs a perspective that goes beyond four weeks a year. Credibility is earned by switching the brand objective from ‘driving positive brand perceptions or associations during Pride’ to ‘giving the community a voice to drive progress and inclusivity’. “Brands have an opportunity to leverage their resources throughout the year to raise and amplify the voices of LGBTQ+ individuals, not to drive sales, but to drive progress and positive change for a marginalised community,” says Dan Flecker, brand director of Absolut Canada.

This work isn’t just beneficial for the community. Pride can also bring an opportunity to discover new brands. In fact, 40% of LGBTQ+ people say they engaged with new brands during Pride month, and this number is higher among trans and non-binary people (50%) and queer people of colour (49%). This shows that when brands get it right, it’s mutually beneficial.

When a brand is ready to engage during Pride month, there are two simple ways in:

• Raising awareness and resources for issues facing the LGBTQ+ community

• Storytelling featuring queer narratives

According to Kantar Monitor, 68% of consumers expect brands to be clear about their values, with Millennials and Gen Z having the highest expectations. Whether a consumer will ever disregard price, quality and distribution to buy a product or service based on its social justice merits alone is subject to debate, but addressing these issues can drive distinctiveness and relevance if handled with authenticity grounded in established values and a clear role for the brand.

There is no single way to be queer, but our diversity is what gives our community its power. Our hope is that this study will begin to forge more meaningful connections between LGBTQ+ people and brands by establishing three key considerations:

Brands will continue to have an impact on society’s attitudes to LGBTQ+ people. Take the time to understand these attitudes and consider the role you want to play in influencing them for the better.

Brands at Pride will be challenged on what they do for the rest of the year. Join a collective effort to reinvent Pride by making your Pride activity a celebration of what you do all year round to support the LGBTQ+ community.

The future of LGBTQ+ marketing will be more informed; relevance will be more crucial than ever. Be conscious in your decision-making to normalise or represent LGBTQ+ issues, and whether you’re doing that through narratives where LGBTQ+ people are essential or incidental.

Devon Esper and Zoe Bowen-Jones are the authors of Beyond the Rainbow, An Investigation into Queer Marketing and its Future, a new study in partnership with WPP Unite and Choreograph, WPP’s Global Data Products and Technology Company.

Zoe Bowen-Jones moved to London in 2015 after finishing university and has worked in media research since. She now works in Wavemaker’s global insights team and loves the range of questions she gets to work on – from understanding snacking culture in Indonesia, to commissioning research into music festivals, to identifying search areas around excessive sweating –she is always learning!

Originally from Vancouver BC, Devon Esper started his career in music and entertainment, producing major concerts and festivals across Canada and Australia. Pivoting to media in 2018, he has had the chance to work across Canada, Australia, and now the US, developing media strategies for government, luxury, CPG, alcohol and B2B tech brands. In his free time you’ll find him exploring the best of what NYC has to offer, since he moved there in the Spring of 2022.

Find the full report can be found here

“40% of lgbtQ+ PeoPle saY theY engaged with new brands during Pride month, and this number is higher among trans and non-binarY PeoPle (50%) and Queer PeoPle of colour (49%).”

Zoe Bowen-Jones

Devon Esper

Six key trends driving OOH evolution

Outdoor advertising will continue to be highly impacted by advancements in technology such as digital displays, programmatic trading, augmented reality, artificial intelligence (AI) and interactive experiences. Additionally, the shift towards a data-by-design approach – along the entire value chain – will be a focus area affecting demand, performance, media value and campaign management.

As online media ad spend increases, outdoor advertising must evolve and offer innovative ways of engaging with consumers. Through shared data points, the outdoor ad industry will need to demonstrate how it complements and enhances campaigns on other verticals when purposefully incorporated, and the creative is customised for the channel.

Media agencies and brands have increased demands for targeted advertising, improved measurement and post-campaign reporting – all areas where data and technology unlock value and maintain relevance for outdoor within the media mix.

Exciting times lie ahead, as the industry is primed for tremendous growth by leveraging several focal areas that have helped it to withstand the past three years of turbulent trading.

Most of the trends that will dominate the outdoor ad industry in the next decade have already begun, but it will take time to implement and enjoy market-wide adoption to deliver better outcomes for advertisers.

Delivering seamless stories

Digital-out-of-home (DOOH) is on course to become one of the fastest-growing channels this year, with an expected increase in ad spend of 8.4%. The format played a pivotal role in the industry’s post-pandemic recovery.

DOOH is expected to reach 38% of total out-of-home ad spend over the next three years. According to a DPAA study, 81% of advertisers will recommend incorporating

DOOH into their media schedules. The sector is expected to see a significant increase in the number of screens across environments and locations, influenced by affordable pricing, display quality and screen technology. Driving market expansion through increased availability will influence demand, an increase in mobile insights and in turn, revenue enjoyed by media owners.

Managing the large volume of touchpoints and complex campaign will require improved automation and integration with other media verticals. DOOH and programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) will need improved API integration to facilitate elements such as dynamic pricing models and seamless automation of campaign playouts. Data-rich automation will enable new approaches and thinking for the media, such as deploying sequential or linear creative campaigns and enhanced dynamic triggers, that impact brand and performance objectives. Programmatic will need to play a more strategic role in the media mix, requiring dedicated sales and insights teams to best leverage its dynamic capability. Programmatic DOOH is grossly undervalued and misused locally; it is seen as an alternative buying and deployment system instead of a strategic, data-led tool to deliver dynamic and immersive campaigns. We will witness several changes in programmatic trading through integration with online DSPs, such as Google’s DV360, to enable omnichannel campaign planning and delivery from one platform.

AI and machine learning will likely increase, influencing all areas of campaign management – with the benefit of more efficient location, format and screen selection, coupled with creative placement, and better measurement.

Additionally, the integration of 5G networks will impact several areas of the industry, from planning to reporting, affording both media owners and advertisers the benefit of faster and

more reliable connectivity, enabling more seamless and connected outdoor advertising experiences, in particular with deep motion, 3D and anamorphic campaigns. Delivering more connected and seamless outdoor advertising experiences across environments.

Programmatic DOOH is grossly undervalued and misused locally; it is seen as an alternative buying and deployment system instead of a strategic, data-led tool to deliver dynamic and immersive campaigns. We will witness several changes in programmatic trading through integration with online DSPs, such as Google’s DV360, to enable omnichannel campaign planning and delivery from one platform.

more inDepenDent verification

With great scale comes even greater complexity. More screens, more environments and more ads being played on digital screens – with diverse ways in which campaigns will be bought, sold, and deployed – impacts trust and transparency. As technology continues to advance and businesses become increasingly reliant on data, the importance of data privacy and the application of personal information will only grow. The outdoor media industry will heavily rely on mobile data, requiring data policies and internal practices to ensure compliance and fair governance for their data strategy.

The increased prevalence of DOOH billboards, place-based networks, and supporting technology and data vendors, will require media owners to be mindful of their supplier procurement policies, to ensure compliance in media planning, targeting and reporting.

Media agencies and brands will require more granular delivery insights to enable campaign optimisation on the fly, while ensuring campaign playouts run accurately as scheduled and deployed. We believe third-party verification companies will play

The future of advertising lies in technology and a data-centric approach focused on delivering unique user experiences, and blurring communication lines to deliver uniform brand messages, writes HOWARD LONSTEIN.

a more strategic role by providing further control, accountability and transparency to brands.

Focus on data and insights

Data and insights are fueling investment and growth: 87% of marketers believe data is their company’s most underutilised asset, while 40% of businesses intend to increase their data-driven marketing investments. To remain relevant and enable forecast growth, the outdoor sector will need to increase collaboration between media owners and industry players to define a clear data strategy to address planning and measurement across environments.

With diverse environments and multiple data vendors, the complexity and lack of uniformity for media strategists will hamper growth. Marketers are requesting more insights from outdoor media (as offered in the online space) along the entire value chain, to facilitate omnichannel media planning.

Using a multi-vendor data approach and improved data integration, the industry will be able to leverage new technology and data sources to report and address diverse media strategies and planning areas. Unified platforms and data sources will help address areas such as the creative impact, campaign message optimisation and deeper location insights for post-campaign reporting.

The use of data-driven targeted advertising is also expected to grow, as brands and marketers look for ways to deliver personalised messages to specific audiences. By leveraging first and third-party data – such as till point sales, online shopping preferences and location insights – advertisers will be able to deliver more relevant and effective campaigns.

One challenge the local industry will face is agreeing to uniform data standards and the scope of metrics to plan and report on. This introduces a layer of complexity due to different approaches and methodologies to secure the data, impacting the media agencies’ understanding and application of such metrics. The industry runs the risk of compromised trust in the scope of data presented and increasing complexity in planning and post-campaign reporting.

as the cookie crumbles…

The demise of the cookie will open a layer of opportunity for digital and classic out-ofhome advertising. The ‘cookieless’ future

has a profound impact on digital marketing, making it harder to deliver personalised, targeted advertising and measure the effectiveness of campaigns. Classic and DOOH will offer a new value proposition of delivering reach to high-value audiences and access to an untapped market of the ‘walled garden’ that Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon have controlled for years. And as the industry adopts new technologies, outdoor media will be able to deliver more contextually relevant messages in a compliant and safe way that builds trust and credibility with consumers.

design with purpose

Creative plays a critical role in any campaign delivery, accounting for up to 55% of campaign performance, according to insights from Kantar. OOH will need to continue to invest in new technologies and approaches to allow advertisers to deliver personalised content to specific audiences. Data and tech will enable new approaches and thinking for the media, such as running A/B testing and adjusting content based on changing conditions and performance, or featuring content that trends in the morning on Instagram, later that day on DOOH.

AI and machine learning will help guide and optimise creative for outdoor, factoring in how and where the media is consumed. Improving automation will facilitate deploying dynamic playouts and creative relevancy, tailoring the creative message and targeting consumer profiles to deliver better results.

For brands to create immersive experiences for customers, we expect the number of AR and anamorphic campaigns to increase. Tailored creative will require improved planning and collaboration between media owners and brands to develop purposeful installations that complement brand and campaign stories.

Media owners have the opportunity to merge creative message and delivery with performance insights and provide outcomebased media schedules that complement and enhance omnichannel campaigns.

sustainability by design

Consumer focus on sustainability is an ever-growing trend, as people support brands and organisations that complement their values and lifestyle. Companies must know that ‘greenwashing’ their sustainability initiatives for PR and marketing purposes are deceptive practices

that impact brand trust, which is difficult to regain once lost.

Media owners will need to play an active role in the push towards sustainable advertising activities by employing methods that resonate with consumers and leave a lasting impact. Key to these is energy consumption, recycling, supply chain management and delivering purposeful projects with utilitarian value to communities and citizens. To make a difference, media owners will need to actively vest resources to address the needs of consumers by offering services and amenities such as WiFi hotspots, planting indigenous to address carbon emissions or introducing incubation programmes to promote employment.

It is an exciting time to be in outdoor advertising; the industry is primed for growth by leveraging diverse market conditions and by playing a more purposeful role along the sales and marketing funnel. These require improved collaboration between media owners and media agencies to address the changing market and advertisers’ needs. Overall, the future of outdoor will be more immersive, personalised, and data-driven.

management, campaign management, product marketing, sales enablement, managing teams, communication and media strategy.

Howard Lonstein is the trade marketing specialist at JCDecaux Africa. He played a pivotal role in the launch of the Out of Home currency ROAD, and has vast experience in outdoor advertising having worked locally and across the continent for several years. He has proven skills in media and communications strategy, campaign management, product launches, and trade marketing, leading to the successful launch of new products and brands into the market. Lonstein’s core focuses of interest include marketing manager, business optimisation, product management, brand

Irina Vlad

Howard Lonstein

Programmed to prosper: how pDOOH helps brands adapt to a changing world

Fast and flexible, with real-time optimisation, programmatic DOOH tech offers a variety of solutions to meet changing consumer needs, writes ANDREW GOLDEN

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that as marketers, we must be adaptable to change. Market fluctuations, changing consumer behaviour, and a global pandemic have all wreaked havoc on many long-standing pillars of our marketing strategies.

For advertisers constantly on the hunt for the most effective strategies to reach consumers, programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) advertising offers powerful capabilities that provide brands with flexible ways to approach campaigns based on their needs.

Whether you’re a brick-and-mortar store looking to increase foot traffic, a distilled spirit company aiming to boost awareness and intent among your target demographic, or a tech company wanting to gain more app subscriptions, pDOOH advertising can help you adapt your programs on the fly to better resonate with your target audience, drive higher awareness, and increase conversions.

Here’s how you can leverage pDOOH to remain flexible in the face of changing market conditions, consumer trends and more.

.

“Programmatic digital out of home (Pdooh) advertising offers Powerful caPabilities that Provide brands with flexible ways to aPProach camPaigns based on their needs.”

Launch campaigns in minutes, not weeks

Traditional OOH billboards require massive amounts of input from crossfunctional teams – from those building and printing the creative, to the folks in charge of actually installing the new banner. Then, once a design is approved, it can take up to two to three weeks for the new vinyl billboard to be installed.

Programmatic DOOH technology changes this. It allows you to upload assets electronically and launch, optimise or pause campaigns in just minutes –making changes seamlessly as consumer behaviour, demand and situational contexts evolve.

adjust messaging based on changing conditions

Static OOH ads are usually geared toward a general audience, only allow one specific creative to run at a time and don’t take into account circumstances that may impact on consumer behaviour.

For example, an ad for a cool, refreshing iced coffee may work well during a heat wave – but what happens when the weather changes? That same ad would likely fall flat in a summer rainstorm.

Programmatic DOOH campaigns allow your brand to be nimble and run different versions of your messaging based on location, time of day, demographics, movement patterns, behaviours, venue types, weather, and other factors.

This enables you to tailor your messaging

to reach potential buyers at the exact right time to drive maximum impact and influence their purchasing decisions. What’s more, you can leverage dynamic creative to swap out the content of your ads based on real-time information, to display a much more enticing offer as conditions change.

shift media doLLars to high-performing tactics

Because digital screens are everywhere, programmatic DOOH advertising offers an incredibly variety of inventory across any given geographic area. This means you can shift your media dollars to target specific audiences in areas that are most likely to resonate with your messaging. Furthermore, you have the ability to pivot your spend to high-performing or new venue types to maximise the effectiveness of your creative.

For example, let’s say you launch a DOOH campaign for your brand’s newest workout shorts. You want to make a large splash in the market, so you run ads on large highway billboards, gym screens, bus shelters, etc. Halfway through the campaign you notice that your bus shelters are underperforming, while the gym TV ads are resonating

incredibly well. No problem, you can use your pDOOH platform to selectively move budget from one venue type and purchase more share of voice on another (perhaps even expand your reach to different areas).

Finally, because pDOOH gives you the ability to control activation and pacing within your campaigns, you can respond to changing trends, tastes and buying habits in near real-time. Whether that means shifting budget to different locations, adding new venue types, or choosing to quickly pause or reactivate a campaign, programmatic DOOH has you covered.

In a constantly changing world, the ability to adapt can mean the difference between the success or failure of any ad campaign. Programmatic DOOH allows you to activate campaigns quickly, adjust messaging and change locations to match shifting consumer behaviour – all without any long-term or fixed commitments.

This story is republished with the permission of Vistar Media

Andrew Golden is content marketing manager at Vistar Meida. He is a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Communication. Golden is highly motivated, creative individual with a passion for creating highly engaging data-driven content that provides insight and sparks conversation.

Irina Vlad

Andrew Golden

“programmatic dooh technoLogy … aLLows you to upLoad assets eLectronicaLLy and Launch, optimise or pause campaigns in just minutes — making changes seamLessLy as consumer behaviour, demand and situationaL contexts evoLve.”

Technology is creating new tomorrows in Africa

OFFLINE TARGETING

One of the key advantages of DOOH is its ability to target specific audiences. In Africa, offline targeting is particularly effective due to the lack of reliable data and infrastructure to support digital targeting. Digit-AD uses offline targeting to analyse consumer behaviour and determine which types of advertisements are most effective in specific locations. For example, if we notice that a particular screen gets more views in the morning, we can show breakfast-related ads during that time.

The impact of DOOH on ecommerce, community commerce and social commerce cannot be overstated. In Africa, where the majority of the population is unbanked, mobile money has become a key driver of e-commerce. DOOH can be used to promote mobile money services and other e-commerce platforms, driving sales for small businesses and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs.

In the bustling streets of Cameroon, small business owners struggle to get noticed in a sea of competitors. The noise of the city and the abundance of visual stimuli make it tough for them to attract the attention of potential customers. Enter Digit-AD, a start-up that is revolutionising the way businesses reach out to their target audience through the use of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising.

Digital out-of-home advertising, also known as outdoor digital media, refers to any type of advertising that reaches consumers while they are outside their homes. This includes everything from billboards to digital screens at shopping centres and airports. DOOH is particularly effective in Africa, where the majority of the population is young, tech-savvy, and always on the move.

We saw the potential of DOOH in Cameroon and the rest of Africa, and we knew we had to be a part of it. Our platform connects retailers with high-traffic venues, giving them the opportunity to monetise their indoor screens by selling their audience to micro-businesses. This means that retailers get to earn extra revenue, while small business owners get to reach their target audience effectively.

Community commerce, or the buying and selling of goods within communities, is another sector in which DOOH can make a significant impact. By displaying ads for local businesses, we help to create a sense of community and encourage people to shop locally. This, in turn, can lead to the growth of small businesses and the development of more vibrant and prosperous communities.

SOCIAL COMMERCE

Social commerce, or the use of social media platforms to sell products and services, is another area where DOOH can be effective. By using social media data to target ads on DOOH screens, businesses can reach out to their target audience more effectively and create a seamless online-to-offline shopping experience.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also playing an increasingly important role in media

NELSON PINDJOU outlines the massive potential for growth in in a sector that still has novel appeal across the continent.

DOOH has the potential to revolutionise the manner in which businesses reach out to their target audience in Africa.

industry. By using AI we optimise the performance of our ads and can make real-time adjustments based on audience behaviour. This gives clients the most effective advertising solutions and helps to constantly improve the performance of their campaigns.

Looking to the future, the opportunities for DOOH in the metaverse and programmatic advertising are huge. The metaverse is a virtual world where people can interact with each other and with digital objects. DOOH can be used to display ads within the metaverse, creating new opportunities for businesses to reach out to their target audience in a more immersive and engaging way.

Programmatic advertising, which involves the use of algorithms to buy and sell advertising space, is also an area where DOOH can make a significant impact. By using programmatic advertising, businesses can automate the process of buying and selling advertising space, making it easier and more cost-effective to reach their target audience.

In Western countries, DOOH has reached mature market status. In Africa, it is still a relatively new concept, rapidly gaining ground. And there are key differences between DOOH in Europe compared to Africa:

• The main difference is the level of development of the infrastructure. In

Europe, DOOH is supported by a robust infrastructure, including highspeed internet and advanced digital screens. In Africa, the infrastructure is still developing, which means that DOOH providers need to be more creative in how they deliver their services. For example, Digit-AD has developed a platform that works even in areas with limited internet connectivity.

• Another key difference is the way that audiences interact with DOOH screens. In Europe, people are used to seeing digital screens everywhere, from airports to train stations to shopping malls. In Africa, however, DOOH screens are still a novelty. This means that audiences are more likely to pay attention to DOOH ads, making it a highly effective advertising medium.

• Finally, there is a difference in the types of businesses that use DOOH. In Europe, DOOH is used by a wide range of businesses, from multinational corporations to local small businesses. In Africa, DOOH is still mainly used by larger businesses – although this is changing as more and more small businesses realise the benefits of DOOH advertising.

At Digit-AD, we believe that DOOH has the potential to revolutionise the manner in which businesses reach out to their target audience in Africa. By using offline targeting, AI, and innovative technology, we are helping businesses of all sizes to reach their target audience more effectively, and more efficiently.

As the infrastructure in Africa continues to develop and more businesses start to realise the benefits of DOOH, we believe that the market will continue to grow and evolve, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses across the continent.

Nelson Pindjou is the founder of Cameroon-based DOOH start-up Digit-AD. Born in Cameroon, he graduated as an aerospace engineer from the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen, Germany, and held various positions in prestigious European companies – engineer, business developer, project manager, scrum master consultant – before setting up Digit-AD.

“In AfrIcA, offlIne tArgetIng Is pArtIculArly effectIve due to the lAck of relIAble dAtA And InfrAstructure to support dIgItAl tArgetIng.”

Nelson Pindjou

DOOH is particularly effective in Africa, where the majority of the population is young, tech-savvy, and always on the move.

Transforming OOH through the OMC

The past two years have been a period of massive transformation for the Outdoor Measurement Council (OMC). With our ROAD currency updated to our new audience data ROAD 2.0 and our new methodology and software partner MGE Data, the OMC have certainly hit the fast forward button.

The changes have been worth the wait and stress for both our members and the industry at large. An industry measurement is significant, but making such a tremendous change in your partners after a mere seven years – compounded by the fact that this took place shortly after the pandemic lockdowns, has been nothing short of remarkable.

With the assistance of Kuper Research, the changeover has been monitored judiciously to ensure that every frame that was uploaded on the earlier software has been successfully and correctly migrated to the new MGE Data software systems, inventory management system (IMS) and inventory delivery system (IDS).

The changeover has not been that of ‘more of the same’. Our new research is very different in that the new results are the product of far more sophisticated methodology layers than our previous data.

ROAD 2.0 is one of the first in the South African market to offer attention-based audience results. What does this mean to advertisers? We all know that not all media types offer the same environments, and they are certainly not equal, either. By using high-quality, uncluttered, contextually-relevant environments and high-impact ad spaces – rather than a traditional reach-and-frequency approach –it is now possible to work out the potential

attention achieved for campaigns running on roadside OOH billboards for a specific length of time, with a specific budget. Attention can predict the audience’s brand choice a lot more effectively compared to the historical viewability data. This would be something that the advertiser could research utilising our ROAD 2.0 data.

It goes without saying that this is groundbreaking in our industry and brings a whole new layer of understanding to our media research landscape. Hopefully, it will assist in obtaining more realistic return on investment for media spends.

Our move to our new partners MGE Data will also assist media owners, agencies and clients with their DOOH and pDOOH planning. Our new software includes digital algorithms and there are plans in the pipeline for an add on opportunity to get specific data requirements for pDOOH planning.

This will remove ever-present human error concerns and assist with digital multiplier standardisation for all members when dealing with the likes of Broadsign and Hivestack.

While this all may sound like confusing jargon, it clearly reflects our development. Before, we were proud to offer the standard media metrics of reach, average frequency, opportunities to see (OTS), gross rating points (GRPs), cost per thousands (CPTs) and impacts for specific OOH billboard faces or a specific campaign.

Our previous software calculated static and digital frames all as static frames, and a manual Excel spreadsheet was used to calculate the digital results; however, not all elements were included in the this spreadsheet.

The following table shows results for a digital campaign over a 10-week period

“We … implore our members and the industry to not make comparisons, but to embrace the neW softWare and the neW results, and Work With our more sophisticated data.”

Updated software, a new methodology and a clear ROAD 2.0 map on the way ahead has boosted the OMC’s offerings and capabilities, writes TRISH GUILFORD.

Trish Guilford

against a specific target market based on the previous ROAD data and software.

visibility, and in the direction of the frame.

The third step down are VACs – and it is here that MGE Data factor in additional layers of data to get a much more accurate and realistic sense of who actually can view the frame. Within the VAC analysis, factors such as traffic speeds, dwell time in front of the frame, illumination and frame height, are all taken into account, as well as other layers of information to which MGE Data have access. A VAC provides the most accurate estimate of the possible actual viewability of a panel – and not just a number of people passing a frame.

members and the industry to not make comparisons, but to embrace the new software and the new results, and work with our more sophisticated data.

So how does our new ROAD 2.0 research with our new VACs look if we are saying that our VACs are so much more realistic? Quite simply, when looking at the same package as in figure 1 above, do these impacts/impressions now look more realistic to you, taking into consideration that they are now based on a 5” ad in a 60” loop?

With the incredible speed that OOH itself has moved and continues to move, it has been important for us to ensure that our research can keep up with the requirements of our members.

Our move to ROAD 2.0 would naturally bring with it changes to the currency to allow us to get the new Visibility Adjusted Contact data (VACs) which is more granular than the previous OTS. What does this mean and how does it play out? The industry is used to being quoted and getting OTS figures. This would be the largest potential impacts/impressions that your ad campaign would achieve; in this case, on a billboard (referred to as a frame).

Each frame is plotted according to its co-ordinates and orientation to the road. The system automatically generates a ‘cone of visibility’, based on the maximum distance from which the frame is visible and the furthest angle from which it can be seen. Any permanent obstacles (such as buildings and the width of the street) are considered in resizing the cone to a realistic one, within which the frame can be seen.

The step down from an OTS is a ROTS (Realistic Opportunity To See). ROTS take into account that not everybody passing a frame would be exposed to the creative campaign. This could be for a number of reasons: the angle of the face to the road; viewing obstructions or part obstructions; the direction the vehicle or pedestrians are moving in, etc. The ROTS therefore include those that are travelling within the cone of

Each layer of information factored into the calculation adjusts and reduces the estimated number of contacts that ultimately provide us with the VACs used for our analyses. These are the most realistic impacts/impressions that the frame will actually deliver, and are absolutely comparable with digital Impressions. The one great difference though, is that VACs are designed to provide an attention-based metric, not evident in digital impressions.

Being able to present the most realistic impact or impressions that a frame or a package of frames would deliver is a huge jump for us, and we are thrilled with the outcome of ROAD 2.0.

MASSIVE CHANGES

We understand that these massive changes to our data now comes with its own unique set of challenges. Having to train our members and the industry on our new methodology, our new improved results and of course new software and terminology post-Covid-19 – when people are working remotely and have moved provinces, along with many other operational changes – has been interesting, to say the least.

We have, to a certain extent, thrown 80% of the baby’s bath water out of the tub, in that it is simply not advisable to compare previous individual frame results with our new ROAD 2.0 results..

We have learnt that as soon as we advised people of this fact, the first thing that they have done is make comparisons on a frame by frame basis. We are, after all, creatures of habit. We all hate change. We all want our frames that were achieving the highest audiences to continue showing these unrealistic audiences. We therefore implore our

The OMC takes a number of leads from the international members of the World Out of Home Organisation (WOO), and we ensure that our data is of the highest standard possible. The OMC and Kuper Research were part of the committee involved in the setting of the WOO Digital Guidelines during 2022 which were presented at the conference in Toronto.

The fast forward button has definitely been released. OOH is moving at a tremendous pace and the OMC has already embarked on our next journey, and working on our next JIC. Five additional JICS will be introduced over the foreseeable future, and we will of course continue to make improvements to our ROAD 2.0 data.

Irina Vlad

Source: ROAD

From consumer to ‘prosumer’

If companies are serious about promoting their brands with measurable results, they need to connect with the online consumers that have formed unique communities with diverse needs. The bonus for businesses who do this is that they can engage directly with potential customers, while these consumers inspire their communities to follow their lead. Digital platforms, specifically TikTok, enable brands to truly engage with these communities,fulfil their needs, and see real-world business impact. For some perspective on why TikTok has mushroomed into a marketplace for business that’s hard to beat, here’s a few interesting stats: TikTok has over one billion monthly active users and, according to research conducted by Walnut Unlimited, 74% of users say the platform inspired them to find out more about a brand or a product, while 67% said the platform inspired them to shop, even when they weren’t looking to do so.

How did we get Here?

Over the past 20 years, we have seen key changes in the dissemination and consumption of content. Prior to the 2000s, content followed a context graph in which we would get served whatever publishers, broadcasters or agencies shared. From 2000 to 2010, we saw the growth of the knowledge graph – driven by search engines and streaming platforms – where content was served on demand. We have since moved to the social graph, where content served is based on the people and groups followed. But the true revolution started around 2020, with the

birth of the content graph, which shares content based on what we like. This united people in online communities based on common interests, where they could share stories and converse. This phenomenon, dubbed the ‘digital campfire’, is best seen in action under hashtags such as #SmallBusinessTok. In fact, hashtags ending in ‘Tok’ saw a 70% increase in monthly video views from August 2020 to August 2021, according to TikTok internal data.

Consumers Have morpHed into ‘prosumers’

TikTok has been key in enabling these cultural shifts, giving communities the platform and tools to communicate and inspire each other. As such, people have evolved from consumers to prosumers: those who actively participate in creating and transforming content that is relevant to them and their needs.

In 2023, these online communities will become more powerful than ever, collectively shaping culture and trends.

To communicate effectively and impactfully with audiences, it’s crucial for brands to truly understand the key cultural movements driving these communities’ behaviour and, ultimately, driving sales.

an ever-evolving business expansion tool

Millions are familiar with the early beginnings of TikTok as a short-form video platform and have had lots of fun creating their own personal content.

Content captures the audience’s attention and trust when it is created based on what viewers find entertaining. Trust is also based on who’s making the content; viewers are more likely to show an interest in a video from a creator they find relatable, or from a subject matter expert.

Some businesses still find it hard to understand how this traditionally entertainment-based app can become a serious business booster. With prosumers both consuming and creating content that is relevant to them and their followers, brands can immediately assess whether they fit into those needs, and provide targeted communities what they want through their brand offerings.

Five key streams oF CommerCe transFormation

In light of these shifts in digital behaviour, online commerce will also transform across five key areas:

1. Live commerce features livestreaming hosts presenting products while

The TikTok revolution is transforming online commerce, giving brands several clear pathways to direct engagement – and mad growth, writes

GREG BAILIE.

TikTok has over one billion monthly active users…

interacting with the community in real time. This is growing in popularity, with top streamers selling hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of products every year.

2. Native commerce allows consumers to enjoy a seamless shopping experience on an e-commerce website or a brand’s dedicated online store or app. TikTok has enabled this with Shopify integrations.

3. Gamification of commerce is evolving one-way communication into two-way interaction with viewers, rewarding an action with a reaction. For example, creating an in-app rewards page where users can complete tasks to collect points and unlock a coupon or QR code, which can then be redeemed digitally or in-store.

4. Conversational commerce has also gained traction, leveraging chatting platforms to create a direct one-toone conversation between the brand and the consumer, wherein users can purchase products directly from the messaging app.

5. Community commerce has seen dramatic uptake. It encourages audiences to create entertaining, compelling content that just so happens to feature brands. It empowers brands to form genuine connections with people in a way that drives awareness, favourability and sales. This organic kind of marketing has been designed by prosumers themselves – and it’s a whole new way for brands to sell out products, sometimes literally overnight.

Listening is key

A significant factor to consider when engaging with prosumers is to develop the art of listening. Creators and their audiences are developing a significant focus on joy, self-care and wellbeing as a means of overcoming personal problems and harsh realities. This strategy can reflect directly on a company’s bottom line: four in 10 TikTok users say ‘lifting their spirits’ is key in motivating them to make a purchase, according to a study by Material.

Memes are one way of bringing joy –people bond over humour – while also attracting millions and even billions of views. Life hacks, too, offer ways for viewers to learn interesting new things,

from skincare to how to be a digital nomad. A little luxury lets people reward themselves with whatever makes them feel happy – whether it’s a fancy candle or a mud mask.

taiLored marketing

More people are moving away from one-size-fits-all ideals of how to live their lives, and are instead embracing different values and interests – and they are looking to peers and role models who have achieved this.

People are turning to online communities to ask questions and find answers to satisfy their curiosity. In fact, according to research by Marketcast, TikTok users are 1.3 times more likely to say that entertaining ads on the platform teach them something new, compared to other video platforms.

Users are learning that there are infinite possibilities to achieve success on their own terms. Brands can tap into this desire to pursue personal growth, which is evident in the popularity of TikTok hashtags like #GrowthMindset (1.3 billion lifetime views) and #Advice (27.3 billion lifetime views).

And then there’s ‘Bestie Behaviour’, which involves videos showing a creator doing everyday activities like shopping, eating and testing new products. Viewers are often motivated to emulate the creator by doing the same activity or buying a new product.

Harnessing tiktok’s commerciaL power

TikTok’s ‘What’s Next Report 2023’ shows how brands can penetrate these markets and fully utilise the opportunities of actionable entertainment. The company shares three ways in which brands can accomplish this.

1. Show, don’t sell. This is the principle behind the massive popularity of hashtags like #Storytime and #POV on TikTok, which have garnered 277 billion and 686 billion lifetime views, respectively. Brands can opt to partner with creators who make tutorials featuring personal stories and fun storytelling styles, driving the impact of their message.

1. Investigative content has also been gaining popularity, as users seek to uncover truths and debunk myths; this builds credibility and trust between creators and their viewers. For example, a nutritionist who challenges dubious dietary advice will build a strong bond with their audience.

2. Customer-to-creator pipeline is a way for brands to use the principle that creators make recommendations of products and services. Sixty-five percent of TikTok users say they always rely on online reviews and creator recommendations to decide what to buy online, according to research by Material. This shows the potential for brands to leverage this pipeline to boost organic content from existing fans into influential ads, thus helping to build genuine sponsorships.

To conclude, in 2023, successful brands will be those that listen to their customers to understand how their wants and needs are changing – and place this understanding at the core of their marketing strategy. Harnessing the purchasing power of prosumers via TikTok is certainly a business strategy to consider.

Greg Bailie is agency partner, Global Business Solutions, Sub Saharan Africa for TikTok for Business

Irina Vlad

Greg Bailie

“sixty-five percent of tiktok users say tHey aLways reLy on onLine reviews and creator recommendations to decide wHat to buy onLine.”

Tapping into the global zeitgeist

The advertising and marketing industries are constantly changing, driven by new technology and people’s behaviour, writes

Across Africa, advancements in technology and increased internet penetration are revolutionising the advertising landscape. The use of language models such as OpenAI’s Davinci and ChatGPT is making it easier and more cost-effective to engage with people from different cultures and languages.

Globally, artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the game by making it possible to deliver a customised customer experience at scale, and generative AI is taking this even further. This technology can do key summarisations for a specific audience and can generates creative content based on

individual customers’ preferences and behaviours, leading to a more personalised experience.

Dentsu Data is at the forefront of these changes, with its Zeitgeist technology using language models to monitor trends and explore the use of generative AI.

Can you forecast exactly when your concepts will trend UP or DOWN in real

time - or, are you able to find out exactly what is being said about your brand across the various platforms in real time? Zeitgeist can!

To date, brands have only been able to track past events; Zeitgeist moves into the future and allows you to predict where your brand’s concepts and conversations can, and will, go.

“To daTe, brands have only been able To Track pasT evenTs; ZeiTgeisT moves inTo The fuTure and allows you To predicT where your brand’s concepTs and conversaTions can, and will, go.”

PAUL STEMMET.

Ai is changing the game by making it possible to deliver a customised customer experience at scale.

This gives brand and marketing teams the ability to change, redirect and capitalise on where their connections and conversations are landing.

Zeitgeist offers a deeper understanding of target audiences around a concept in time, allowing you to identify your concept across all the mediums where buyers are in Africa. It allows the capacity to connect the authors, and influences driving concepts. Moreso, it has the powerful ability to predict the relevance of a topic, and when it becomes not so relevant, while allowing a deeper understanding of how content is syndicated.

TargeTed insighTs

Zeitgeist monitors radio, TV, digital and social channels in real-time, to find what new conversations or opinions are currently trending, and the market segmentation or demographics associated with these. It answers key questions such as: ‘Do South Africans still want to hear about load shedding?’ Or: ‘How relevant is load shedding to South Africans? Should a brand still be talking about a topic such as load shedding? Where in conversations is load shedding relevant, for example sporting events?’

Unlike any other traditional tools that just highlight trending concepts, Zeitgeist is powered by dentsu’s propriety Customer and Consumer Survey (CCS), which means that it can connect offline interview data and demographics to online trending concepts in real-time.

Timely connecTions

Zeitgeist’s network view allows content generators and curators to visualise how their content is distributed, who connects to it, who the authors are across all platforms, and who is interested in the content. Zeitgeist also gives you the ability to modify or change the content or conversation.

It gives you an immediate deeper understanding of your content and minimises paid aggregation wastage instantly, as you can track it hourly, daily, or even weekly – effectively allowing you to change the content leading or influencing conversations without the need to see results down the line.

real relevance

How many times has a brand’s content or marketing department jumped onto a trending concept or conversation only to find out that the concept is no longer

relevant; they have missed the opportunity and wasted money? Zeitgeist operates off unique, powerful prediction algorithms that determines if a concept or conversation is outgoing or incoming –it is even able to take seasonality into consideration.

all-media moniToring

Reporting is typically associated with social and media monitoring teams. Zeitgeist uses natural language AI and visual AI to continuously scan and monitor radio, television, socials, online and offline media, to find the concepts and conversations that your brand might be connected to. Unlike traditional media monitoring tools, it does not solely track a hashtag or brand mention; it is able to read, contextualise and understand when and how your brand is mentioned. Zeitgeist uses erful clustering machine learning and builds programmatic stories about concepts and conversations happening around your brand across any platform in real-time.

Paul Stemmet is chief data officer of dentsu SSA. He holds an Honours Degree in Information Systems from UCT and a diploma in Artificial Intelligence from MIT. He has an extensive background in the field of digital marketing and is the founder of numerous start-ups in the digital marketing and audience field. At Dentsu Data Labs SSA, his focus is on unlocking value from internal client data to assist Dentsu in delivering increased performance to clients.

Irina Vlad

Paul Stemmet

“iT has The powerful abiliTy To predicT The relevance of a Topic, and when iT becomes noT-so-relevanT, while allowing a deeper undersTanding of how conTenT is syndicaTed.”

Shifting from curiosity to change and moving forward with clarity

Life is short. Humans are quick to forget, and even quicker to get distracted. What we take for granted today was yesterday’s game-changing breakthrough, made possible because someone saw reward where others saw only risk.

Currently, on the cusp of an astonishing convergence between socio-economic dynamics and technology that is dramatically amplifying change, our society is already feeling the effects of a full-scale revolution that is only gathering speed. When social, economic, and technological forces come together, they create a feedback loop that hits the fast-forward button on transformation.

“When social, economic, and technological forces come together, they create a feedback loop that hits the fast-forWard button on transformation.”

BRETT LINDSAY shares how the principles of strategic design can successfully guide us through disruption to innovation – and progress.

Fear of the unknown is ultimately a question of perception; some see change as a threat, others, as an opportunity.

By enabling connections and communications that were previously impossible, social media also gave people the tools we needed to better investigate, formulate, assess, review and adjust our transformation processes.

We get better at change the more we talk about it with other people and share our experiences of change.

Surviving change: enabling new buSineSS modelS

Technology changes how we live and work, creating fresh opportunities for businesses to innovate with new products and services. For example, e-commerce has empowered businesses to reach customers in new ways and offer products and services that were previously unimaginable.

This in turn has led to the disruption of traditional organisational models. Also, the rise of digital media disrupted the traditional media industry, much as the rise of automation and artificial intelligence is disrupting the job market.

Yet change is not new – neither is disruption. Humans have had millions of years to grow, explore, adapt, evolve and survive in response to changing environments and constantly evolving threats.

In our industry, content and buying experiences are converging – and the relationship is becoming bi-directional. People can now buy where they consume content and consume content where they buy, and we will soon take for granted the ability to purchase products directly on social media, within gaming environments and on content streaming platforms.

amplifying change: daring to face the unknown

As we are painfully aware, people are intrinsically change-resistant. Reluctance to give up familiar ways of achieving economic and social success, managing risk and assuring continuity is understandable – but misplaced.

For all the potential of effective digital experiences, there are many constraints, not least of which is the overwhelming urge to reimpose traditional methods by simply grafting old patterns onto new. This is where businesses need to shift their mindset about technology and change. We should not want to adopt technology because it simply leads to doing old things in new ways. Instead, we should embrace technology, as this leads to discovering new opportunities.

Fear of the unknown is ultimately a question of perception; some see change as a threat, others, as an opportunity. A new paradigm can be disruptive and the implied demands of interconnected ‘dynamic reciprocity’ extend beyond our current systems of education and training. So how can businesses flip the script on change and reposition threats as opportunities? Through enlightenment and exposure, which comes from curiosity, and results in clarity.

building digital experienceS through Strategic deSign

Strategic design is a practical, inspirational way of looking at the world. It provides a framework for curiosity that lets us discover our purpose in the world and gives us the tools to leverage our collective passion and manifest that purpose. In other words, strategic design is a discipline. It is the logical progression from curiosity to fulfilment, that starts with asking: ‘what would you like to do?’

In this way, strategic design can be used to guide people to an outcome that is informed by their own discovery.

Once people understand all the information that they hold, strategic design provides a blueprint for making practical decisions that lay the foundation for the way forward. As such, it is an adventure that takes us from inspiration to insight, evolving into the ideation and manifesting through implementation.

Strategic design is not about handing people the answer to their questions; it’s

about giving them the interrogation tools that spark the kind of curiosity and leads to positive innovation and progress, toward a future in which we are meaningfully connected with the people and world around us, to advance the goals of humanity.

facing the future with bravery

Strategic design, as a discipline, results in the bravery necessary to address obstacles and reframe them as opportunities. ‘

What would we like to gain?’ and ‘what would be the best possible outcome?’ are powerful questions that can be translated into a workable plan to guide us as we figure out how best to shape businesses and digital experiences for the benefit of everyone. Strategic design is an extraordinarily powerful process that cultivates creativity and collaboration for people and businesses, regardless of their journey.

It is capable of solving commercial product and service challenges but equally capable of solving systemic communityfocused challenges on a global level. Simply by asking ‘How might we….?’ it becomes possible to use our innate curiosity as a springboard to create certainty and fulfil our desire for reassurance and continuity.

This allows us to move from a position of fear to confidence as we shape our future and reimagine the way we face the unknown.

Brett Lindsay is a digital philosopher and CEO of BIGBrave Strategic Design Firm

Irina Vlad

Brett Lindsay

“Strategic deSign iS not about handing people the anSwer to their queStionS; it’S about giving them the interrogation toolS that Spark the kind of curioSity that leadS to poSitive innovation and progreSS…”

brand-safe environment, can create advertising content We come up with innovative ideas and creative 360 campaigns meaningful solutions

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