The company has been expanding its digital brands, deep consumer insights, and digital capabilities to execute against its strategy around community-building via content and platforms.
Kagiso Media is known for its assets in radio, media sales, publishing, and TV production. However, group chief executive, Mark Harris, says that the market should expect Kagiso Media to feature more prominently as its value proposition builds on the already strong relations in the trade, held by its companies.
The executive level appointments are; Cornia Smargiasso as the head of multichannel integration, Dianne Broodryk as head of CSI and education, Eric Clements as the digital transformation lead, and Thabo Dabengwa as the head of short-form video.
Smargiasso, who is the former director of operations at Praekelt Consulting, will assist the Group’s various media assets in developing multichannel products and services to address the attribution requirements of advertisers and build campaigns that draw on a diverse range of media and research assets.
Smargiasso says, "This is an unparalleled opportunity to build out a clear and effective layer of value for our clients. One that isn't inventory-specific, but built end-to-end from an understanding of their market and context and how best to engage and communicate in that environment."
As the new head of digital transformation, Clements will establish a Group-wide initiative to change the DNA of the organisation from traditional media to digital. Clements has a track record of working with businesses that are early adopters of technology.
He will be the driving force of some of the strategic shifts to digital that cut across all aspects of the Group’s structure, ranging from product development to human resources and policy-making. Harris says that Clements has 14 years digital experience and will fit in well with the high-velocity digital team.
As Jacaranda FM's Breakfast Show presenter, Broodryk will be ensuring the already prolific CSI activities of the Group companies are maximized. Broodryk will continue to produce the Good Morning Angels feature on the Breakfast Show with Martin Bester and Tumi Morake and says she’s up to this new challenge.
She adds, "Having been a journalist my whole career, and exposed on a daily basis to the social, economic, and educational challenges of South Africa, this seems like the perfect opportunity to make a difference – with the weight of one of the country’s most significant content and communications entities behind me."
Dabengwa is currently general manager of ReelAfrican, Kagiso Media’s VOD platform that aggregates African content for audiences worldwide. He will continue to oversee ReelAfrican strategy in his new role.
Dabengwa adds, "So many of our companies – from Jacaranda FM to Juta, to Urban Brew and ReelAfrican – are currently producing high volumes of high-quality short-form video content. I am looking forward to helping coordinate and maximise our impact in this rapidly growing form, and see our content distributed widely across the continent and beyond."
For more information, visit www.kagisomedia.co.za.
media update attended Kagiso Media's first ‘New Consumer Insights’ breakfast to learn about marketing to today's consumer. Read more in our article, The death of the traditional-approach marketing.