In addition to hosting the Sunday night Loeries' 2016 award ceremony, MultiChoice DStv featured in seventh spot in the Loeries Rankings for 2016 based on the latest rendition of the awards – a high accolade as the brand didn’t even feature in the 2015 table.

Multiple (winning) choices

Ogilvy, the top-ranked agency network in Africa & the Middle East, was responsible for a whole fleet of Loeries for the Multichoice DStv brand in 2016, with Black RIver FC responsible for one of the previous night’s Grand Prix awards, for Channel O’s ‘‘Youth Day/electronic media network’ print ad in the ‘newspaper advertising’ category.

Channel O’s ‘Youth Day/electronic media network’

Multichoice clearly offers a happy jumble of entertainment channels, with an efficient marketing team running things behind the scenes. For example, Victor Koaho has worked at M-Net for what he calls “four great and amazing years”. As head of marketing at M-Net Local Entertainment Channels, he’s responsible for the brands under that umbrella: Channel O, Mzansi Magic, VUZU AMP, VUZU, Mzansi Bioskop, Mzansi Wethu, and Mzansi Magic Music.

Lowena Waries, marketing manager for youth and music at M-Net Local Entertainment Channels, marks her eighth anniversary at M-Net this March. She takes care of brands including VUZU AMP, VUZU, Channel O and Mzansi Magic Music. On what exactly that entails, Waries explains: “As the brand custodian of some of the coolest brands on the continent, my job is to develop marketing strategies and brand plans. I manage creative outputs across all mediums, ensure that core brand messages are consistent, analyse market trends and recommend changes, manage digital and social media plans, oversee strategic partnerships, sponsorships and activities and lead a dynamic marketing team. All in the effort to build powerful and influential brands.”

Image from Black River FC.

Here Koaho, Waries and Kutlwano Pitso, brand manager at M-Net Local Entertainment Channels for five years, share how they plan on bettering their ranking this year, and more…

1. Share your top three emotions linked to your Loeries wins and 2016 ranking.

Koaho: Joy, pride, accomplishment. Being recognised by your peers and other agencies for work you do is always a proud moment, which also compels you to want to achieve more.

Waries: Pride. Shock. Euphoria.

Pitso: Emotional, ecstatic, and the feeling of being rewarded for such a long year and corporate journey. I couldn’t sleep!

2. How are you planning on keeping – if not bettering – your ranking this year?

Koaho: By keeping our consumer at the heart of every piece of creative we produce, because the stories we tell in our adverts has to reflect their aspirations, but also be able to inspire them to be a better version of themselves

Waries: Building on an even better collaborative approach with our amazing agency Black River FC, who produced the award-winning Grand Prix work. Writing good briefs. Ensuring that we deliver consumer-centric work that is bold, authentic, cool, refreshing and truly ‘something to talk about’.

Pitso: Spending more time with our creative partners and ensuring that we have a good working spirit and an understanding of the objectives we need to achieve.

3. Where are you displaying your Loeries? How does this year’s flock differ from your haul last year?

Koaho: We have a massive award display cabinet at our Magic Centre reception area, which is where we showcase our content and any achievements of ours.

Waries: Combined with all of our other awards (picked up this past year) the cabinets looking extra shiny! *wink*

Pitso: Our silver Loerie from the year before is nothing compared to what we got last year, but that previous work and accolades were a build-up to what we won in 2016.

4. Tell us who you personally admire in the industry – both an established mentor figure as well as a newcomer making waves.

Koaho: Mohale Ralebitso and Jerry Mpufane, who have carved very exciting careers out of the marketing industry.

Waries: Khanyi Dhlomo is definitely influential in my career – her business acumen and love of travel, empowering young women and forging her own lane in the media industry are just a few of the reasons why I truly admire her. Nkateko Mabaso, GM for M-Net South Africa, has also been a great influence and teacher in my career. He consistently raises the bar as a marketer, visionary and leader.

Pitso: Given Mkhari and Neo Marumo.

Seems we’re all looking forward to this year’s creative surprises. Click through to our Loeries’ special section for more, here for more on The Odd Number, and be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram. Also click here for a reminder of agency Black River FC’s #LoeriesRankings interview.