Local is lekker in the quest for marketing returns, says Media24

Esmaré Weideman

Anika Ebrahim

According to the diversified media group, advertisers who speak to their target market in their home language or in cultural icons that they can relate to will show a greater return on investment, while it adds to the campaign's energy and vibrancy.

Media24, Africa's largest media group, has signed on as a Platinum Sponsor for the 2014 Pendoring Advertising Awards. The company represents 29% of all newspaper and 50% of all magazine advertising spend in South Africa, while its range of printed and digital media products spans the continent.

"We believe that the Pendoring Advertising Awards offer professional recognition of creative achievements that have originated and are used in South Africa. This has become the benchmark for Afrikaans and truly South African advertising, and we are proud to support these efforts," says Esmaré Weideman, CEO of Media24.

"Media24 creates new content for more than 100 titles and channels on a regular basis. These then become platforms for the creative work of marketers and advertisers alike, and we are privileged to see and evaluate hundreds of marketing campaigns every year," says Weideman.

Media24 has the largest number of Afrikaans-specific publications in South Africa. The company was created in 1915 with the first publication of De Burger and De Huisgenoot, which followed a year later. Since then the company has grown its range of products to include well-known publications such as Beeld, Sake24, SARIE, Idees and Lééf - met hart en siel.

Many of these Afrikaans and South African brands have expanded to the internet and digital and mobile platforms, as reading patterns and consumer preference have changed.

"With the large number of titles that we publish daily, weekly and monthly, we have a very good overview of the movements in the media industry," says Anika Ebrahim, Head of Corporate Communications at Media24. "We are particularly excited that the Pendoring Advertising Awards recognise unique and memorable advertising across various platforms and media, while its truly South African categories also reward the creative use of South African cultural idioms."

According to Ebrahim, Media24 has noted that advertisers and advertising agencies that speak to a target market in their language or use cultural symbols that they can relate to, have far greater success rates.

This is mirrored by Weideman, who points to the efficacy of marketing campaigns that span various marketing platforms. "The media environment is rapidly evolving, and advertisers and advertising agencies have a far greater choice of marketing platforms. In order to ensure that a campaign is memorable and likeable across these platforms, it becomes very important to use a language and imagery that appeal to the specific target market," says Weideman.

The Pendoring Awards take place at Vodacom World in Midrand, Gauteng on 24 October 2014, following a highly successful sojourn in Cape Town in 2013. Judging has just been completed and the finalists will be announced on 5 September 2014.

Join the Pendoring Facebook group or follow @Pendoring_ on Twitter and use the hashtag #Pendoring. For more information on the awards or to submit entries, visit www.pendoring.co.za