In June this year, Stokvel TV announced an alliance with the Daily Sun to launch Sun Stokvel News. The intention was to offer a media combination which not only enables an affordable platform, but which offers real penetration within the black middle class market – using all media synergy to do so.
The combo has major market penetration and conveys a message below the line, face to face with the community, audiovisually at public viewing points, as well as in print to reach the Daily Sun readership – at a combined cost of less than 0.3c per head inclusive of production.
The Asonge Share Offering campaign was planned for the National Empowerment Fund by Inroads Communications, which wanted to reach large numbers of cash-flush black people with a product which was available to individuals, stokvel groups, burial societies, and rural savings groups – MTN shares at a 20% discount.
Inroads Communications reports that the media mix was carefully chosen to get the message across in a relatively short space of time; shares had to be taken up within four weeks.
At a reported R850 million, the offering is totally oversubscribed.
The combination of Stokvel TV and Sun Stokvel news is able to reach almost six million readers and viewers per edition – in the areas chosen for the campaign. Sun Stokvel News, carried by the Daily Sun which sells an average of 505 000 copies per day, is targeted to reach these savings groups. Daily Sun has a daily readership of just under four million people according to the latest available Amps. This readership includes the “Black Diamonds” according to the Unilever Research Institute's research into media.
Stokvel TV targets this media closely – it provides face-to-face promotions which are filmed and flighted as part of the entertainment line-up, and is viewed outdoors in the townships at public gathering points, church properties and at stokvel groups. Stokvel TV covers news, community events, and other community interest areas within the townships. It is available free to 1500 congregations and stokvel groupings across the country for four weeks per edition.
Vanessa du Plessis, CEO of CTN – which offers Stokvel TV – said they were delighted at the results.
“This is exactly what the combination medium was designed to do. Our participation in this campaign provided us with an opportunity to see the results of strong media synergy at play. Migrating a message across the media types clearly has a dazzling effect. Our congratulations to Inroads, The National Empowerment Fund and MTN for this phenomenal success.”
