Mediamark makes sure you're upskilled and in the know

The buzz continued with the sounds of phones, doorbells, chimes and the like calling our attention as the presentation began. Werner Lindemann, MD of Mediamark for just the last four months, acknowledged that Cape Town’s turnout at the roadshows is always great and acknowledged the clients and agency partners in the room, as well as media owners and brand owners that put them in business.

Simply put, In the Know Now is a skills development and knowledge-sharing platform perfectly timed for the release of new research data, which is already bringing about a change to South Africa’s media-buying world. The first quarter of 2017 has already seen the release of the new establishment survey, resulting in the new and seasoned media professionals alike needing to clarify their understanding of changing South African media consumption habits.

Get ready for the 30-hour media day

Lindemann spoke of the fact that media transformation became of the proliferation of broadband and how we consume content today. This digital disruption is by no means unique to our industry though, with banks now under threat from telephony companies and retailers also looking to ‘become banks’ in offering basic financial services. This is all driven by technological changes, which we see daily in media industry. To illustrate this, Lindemann spoke of the ever-rising media consumption figures, constantly on the rise as consumers further divide their attention. At the moment that’s fairly evenly split between time spent on TV, radio, mobile and laptop. Little wonder Lindemann asks if brands are ready for a 30-hour media day.

But there’s no need to panic just yet, as the South African environment’s nuances include the ability to leapfrog technology. The actual conundrum for brands today is how best to reach consumers and breaking through that media clutter to engage with the audience that matters to your brand at the moment of your campaign. As media players, Lindemann says to check you're au fait with the trends and that you’re reaching those consumers that matter or else you simply won't attain your ROI.

Introducing the Mediamark Academy

Mediamark's faces a similar conundrum at the moment, as its two priorities are to firstly continue its multi-platform focus as that's how audiences engage, while also focusing on multiple solutions in the form of content, commerce marketing and gamification. That’s where In the Know Now comes to the rescue. It’s being used to upskill Mediamark's own staff internally while also transferring knowledge quickly to people in the industry, and is creating a benchmark with the Mediamark Academy.

With a strong focus on industry training and education, this means youngsters who haven't worked with all the media platforms out there will have a chance to do so – important as people gravitate to what they're used to. There’s a need to explain the psychological consumer appeal of TV or radio to the tech-savvy youth who focus on digital-only platforms. This means it’s a mix of new knowledge as well as refreshers, as part of Mediamark’s giveback to the industry. Lindemann explains that by constantly sharing what they know, we can create mutual opportunities rather than challenges going forward.

Tighter media plans to come

Lerlynn Latief, head of media and market intelligence at Mediamark, then spoke of how this will be implemented in the market, allowing users to make fast decisions through planning resources and insights that can be implemented instantly.

The academy learning will take place in multiple forums like workshops, webinars, lecture sessions, experiential learning, roadshows and thought leadership across the media channels and platforms brands use today. It starts with radio as this ties in with the one-year BRC release, and will move on to cover mobile, digital, TV and other media platforms. There’s a definite need to focus on media consumption as we sit with our faces in our screens all day, and with the In the Know Now insights we’ll be able to better understand what to do with those insights, such as why people based in Limpopo listen to radio in the vernacular, to create tighter media plan through knowing how to engage differently on different platforms.

Upcoming courses will thus include a ‘Know radio planning’ practical half-day workshop on the mechanics of radio planning, including the implications of the BRC RAM surveys and radio’s roles in multimedia and 360-degree campaigns. The ‘Know radio now’ full-day workshop will offer new entrants into the media industry and more experienced media professionals insight into the latest trends and best practices This will be true ‘nuts and bolts’ style training, with attendees able to try their hand at voice-overs and rediscover how programmers think in order for bright-eyed newbies and seasoned professionals alike to reclaim their media passion and stay on top of their game as the media environment continues to evolve. If you missed their recent ‘get to know Radiomax webinar’, pour a cup of coffee and set aside 20 minutes as Telmar MD Jennifer Daniel talks us through the new planning suite software:

Lindemann concluded that the In the Know Now initiative is set to provide strategic direction to marketing and media professionals, equipping them with the right tools to successfully get the best tangible results from their customer’s media spend – thereby ensuring that the industry has a strong pool of skills for the future.

’Know radio now’ dates:

• Johannesburg: 31 May; 1 June
• Cape Town: 13 June; 14 June
• Durban: 28 June

’Know radio planning’ dates

• Johannesburg: 30 March; 4 April
• Cape Town: 6 April; 7 April
• Durban: 10 May; 11 May

Latief said there’s already wide-scale industry acceptance of these courses, with Amasa endorsing the idea and the BRC wanting to be involved – fitting, as In the Know is a holistic media and marketing industry tool. Visit Mediamark’s In the Know Now website to register for the courses taking place across the country throughout the year.