12 Nov TMI Media scoops Sanlam and Santam traditional media business

TMI Media, a member of the Matrix Communications Group, has been awarded the prestigious traditional media business for Sanlam and Santam after a hotly contested five-month pitch process.

TMI has been recognised as a leader by winning a number of awards, including the Financial Mail Adfocus Independent Media Agency of the Year in 2017 and 2018. In 2020, the agency retained the Woolworths traditional media account and signed Adcock Ingram’s consumer segment in 2021.

“We are delighted for the opportunity to work on two fantastic brands, and more importantly with good people who are passionate about their business. We are looking forward to partnering and delivering change on Sanlam and Santam,” said Quinton Jones, MD of TMI Media.

Kgaugelo Maphai, chairman of the Matrix Communications Group, said, “Pitching is always a daunting experience, especially now, where you’re likely to present to a group of panelists virtually. When we launched the Matrix Group, it was critical that we invest and partner with some of the best local agencies in line with our strategy of building a leading pan-African integrated communications group. In TMI Media, we have an agency that is award-winning and has continuously punched above its weight, and now having the opportunity to work with two iconic South African financial services market leaders, we have the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to partner with our clients in driving their business growth.”

“It was so critical for our team to spend time finding the right agency for our businesses. These decisions are not taken lightly and we believe in long-term partnerships. All the agencies that pitched were thoroughly evaluated by our panel consisting of procurement and marketing leaders within Sanlam and Santam. Both businesses were impressed by the standard of the pitches, but unanimously agreed that TMI Media were the agency of choice,” said Sydney Mbhele, Group executive for the brand at Sanlam Limited. “They were incredibly impressive, especially their insights and approach to strategy which we believe will benefit our business going forward.”

Mokaedi Dilotsotlhe, the group executive of Brand at Santam Limited, said, “There is no question that the quality of the pitches were of a high standard and we thank all the participating agencies for their professionalism. It was a tight race, but what swayed the panel towards TMI Media was their somewhat provocative and unconventional thinking, the depth of experience in the team, their deep focus on metrics, and the fact that they demonstrated they were not only in touch with current trends, but we’re gearing for a future demanding more innovation and digitisation.”
Maphai explained, “We didn’t pitch like a typical media agency. Instead, we used the Matrix Group’s integrated approach to showcase our capabilities, local insights, and bespoke tools from our other agencies to demonstrate our understanding of the local consumer landscape in this evolving world we now live in.”

This is a great way to end the year for TMI Media and with this win, the agency will be opening its Johannesburg office soon. The appointment is effective from 1 February 2022.