Amorphous launches online media buying platform for SA and beyond

EMA will enable brands and agencies to plan and buy online advertising space. The platform uses a real-world algorithm designed to blend available ad space with the desired target audience reach, frequency, price, budget, asset spread to optimise an online media plan with limited waste. It works on the premise of "the higher your GRP (Gross Point Rating), the better your campaign".

"The holy grail of media planning is to talk only to exactly who you want to in a campaign, in other words, don't pay for ads where you don't need to. This idea was distilled into a neat algorithm that can maximise a client's advertising spend to attain the maximum outcome for a particular budget. A first in South Africa," says Grant Shippey, CEO Amorphous Group.

Why Africa?

Over 20 markets in Africa have over a million connected users. These include Algeria, Angola, Cameroon Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Currently there is believed to be no generally accepted measurement practice amongst these sites as we have in South Africa in the DMMA. Via a third party, a Private Ad Exchange is being constructed across 20 key African Markets. Ad exchanges are technology platforms that facilitate the buying and selling of online media advertising inventory from multiple sources. A Private Advertising Exchange is a network of advertisers that can be measured and used in a consistent manner.

The EMA offering

The platform has the following products, which will be offered at no cost to clients, while agencies will continue to receive a 16.5% commission:

1. Optimal GRP (South Africa web and mobile) - EMA will develop a media plan ensuring the highest GRP for the brand. All sites are DMMA registered members.
2. All Ads Africa - this will be a generated media plan based on the top 40 performing sites across the selected African countries including South Africa. The plan will target over 100 million connected users. All ads will be above the fold, quality placements from third party measured, reputable sites.
3. Fini Ads Africa - will be a generated media plan based on the top 25 performing financial sites across the selected African countries including South Africa.
4. Whatever Wherever - should a brand choose not to select the above products EMA will customise a plan.

More products will be developed as the need arises.

"It appears that South African companies and businesses targeting to do business on the continent are woefully under-spending in digital media. Nielsen says that in South Africa we spend about 2-3% of our total media budgets on digital assets despite mobile devices being the communication lifeblood of the continent. This needs to change," concludes Shippey.

Heading up this division is Cameron McNaughton, who joined Amorphous in 2010 where he has been involved in everything from media strategy, media planning, buying, analysing and reporting to managing the relationships with several clients including Absa Capital, Nedbank SYSPRO, Hollard, SAB and Steers.

For more information contact www.elasticmediaafrica.com, call +27 11 380 6513 or mail moc.acirfaaidemcitsale@ofni.