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As MD of HDI Youth Marketeers (www.hdiyouth.co.za), Jason Levin spends his time understanding what makes young South Africans tick.

After a false start in the financial services sector, Jason spent 10 years in advertising, digital marketing and brand consulting. He met HDI Youth Marketeers in 2004 as a co-founder of the Khuza Awards and consulted to them intermittently thereafter, but moved over permanently in April 2008 as its new MD.

For as long as Jess can remember, she has also been fascinated by what makes human beings tick. After getting BJourn (with a major in Psychology) from Rhodes University in 2004, she spent two years working hands-on in the magazine industry for Johnnic Communications (now Avusa) in Cape Town. This experience gave her the opportunity to work closely with a number of top South African fashion designers and industry players and fuelled her interest in brand strategy and developing uniquely South African trademarks.

In 2007, she returned to study at the Red & Yellow School of Advertising where she completed the Postgraduate Management Programme in Marketing & Advertising Communications. In 2008, she moved to Johannesburg and joined HDI Youth Marketeers as a research journalist on the Insight Unit and later moved into the role as writer & analyst.

Since Jason joined the company, HDI has been awarded runner-up in Financial Mail AdFocus's Branding & Design Agency category and FinWeek AdReview's HotShop of the Year in 2009.

Since joining HDI, Jess has had a key role in running HDI's annual research studies, Sunday Times Generation Next and the Khuza Awards, which have become leading resources for understanding young South Africans. Her involvement in these studies and other research has made Jess keenly aware of the important role using brand power to invest in the livelihood of young South Africans.

Contact Jason and Jess on tel +27 (0)11 706 6016 or email az.oc.htuoyidh@nosaJ or az.oc.htuoyidh@acissej.