by MarkLives (@marklives) What are the expectations for the marketing and advertising industry in 2018? We emailed a panel of key industry executives for their take on the macro environment, budgets, changes in messaging, movement in the industry and any consumer and communication trends they’ll be looking out for. Mpange Chapeshamano, MD of Avatar Joburg, and Mthunzi Plaatjie, MD of Avatar Cape Town, respond. Mpange Chapeshamano & Mthunzi Plaatjie Previously managing director of Africa Red Advertising, reporting to the CEO of Ogilvy South Africa and overseeing of the network of agencies in 18 markets in Africa, Mpange Chapeshamano(Twitter/Instagram) has come from a heavy client-service background . He brings...

by Herman Manson (@marklives) Monalisa Zwambila owns and manages what is probably South Africa’s largest independent, black-woman-owned advertising agency. Over the last decade, R\VERBED (Riverbed) has emerged as a medium-sized agency with revenue well above R50m and 40 employees, placing the agency in league with similar-sized agencies, such as Grey Africa, Saatchi & Saatchi and Net#work BBDO.  Year-on-year revenue growth in 2015 stood at 26%, 13% in 2016 and is projected to hit 35% in 2017, pushing it into to the R70m–R100m revenue tier. Zwambila studied accounting but her passion had always been music. She was a member of jazz band Basadi and music allowed her to access her...

Ad agency Black has undergone a strategic rebrand and repositioning as Black Africa Group — a creative business partner focused upon creating brand value and exponential growth. The agency is entering its 11th year as an independent agency, employees 35 people and has offices in Johannesburg, Port Louis (Mauritius), Nairobi (Kenya) and Kampala (Uganda). It enjoys Level 1 BEE status, revenue sits between R30–R40m and clients include Absa, Barclays Africa, Life HealthCare, Bonitas, the JSE, MultiChoice, Kenya Airways and a host of other brands. Executive director, Veejay Archary, launched Black, Brand Strategy & Design out of the design component of Herdbuoys McCann-Erickson, of which...

Agencies need practice in order to optimise their sales pitch to potential clients and this opportunity was offered to eight black-owned agencies last month. Agencies were deliberately selected for their BEE structures (preferably 100 % black-owned), along with their variety of services. Attendees On the day, the following agencies were in attendance: BWD Advertising: full-service advertising Purple Room: PR The Plum Factory: social and digital eNitiate: social and digital Glasshouse Communication Management: PR and corporate governance [note: Glasshouse is a subsidiary of Mazole Holdings] Avatar PR: PR and publicity Harambee: activations South Africa and Africa DAVID: full-service advertising From marketers and procurement, we...