Ogilvy Africa Media wins telecoms account

Dele Odugbemi, regional director of OAM said the agency will co-ordinate media planning, buying and control as well as inventory management for Zain, with a view to significantly growing its +41 million subscribers in Africa, while strongly building the client's brand.

“The board, management and staff are proud of this significant business win, which falls in line with our business growth strategy that is anchored on our key offering of business-based, ideas-led solutions. As part of the WPP Global network, we are able to offer Zain the best of both worlds: global best practice executed through local experience that is relevant to consumers across the continent,” he said.

Four key hubs in Africa

“With Zain in our portfolio, we add significant media buying muscle to our impressive track record in Africa media management, capacity and experience gleaned from 15 years on the ground. We have managed successful campaigns on behalf of local and multinationals clients key among them; Nestle, Unilever, MultiChoice Africa, DStv, M-Net, SuperSport, SABMiller Breweries, South African Tourism (SAT), Kraft, Banc ABC and Motorola.”

Based in Johannesburg, South Africa OAM operates via four key hubs of Nairobi, Kenya; Lagos, Nigeria; Kinshasa, DRC; Libreville, Gabon and supported by country teams in 27 countries across Africa.

The win was a result of a rigorous international pitch process that involved a short list of six media agency networks based on the 2008 RECMA [Research Agency Evaluating the Media Industry] report. It follows the FM AdFocus industry review awards in Johannesburg where Ogilvy Africa was named African Agency Network of the Year.