The Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Hlamazi Mabunda as its project manager and consultant.   

Hlamazi graduated from the AAA School of Advertising with a Diploma in Integrated marketing communications and a specialization in business management more than six years ago.  Her first job as an intern was at the IAS in its early days. 

Since then Hlamazi has held a number of roles in the industry where she has developed her marketing and business skills in both inbound marketing and e marketing.    

Comments Johanna McDowell, CEO of IAS, “Hlamazi’s return signals a new era of growth within the IAS.  We have a number of new services that we are offering to agencies and clients and her role will be to help us manage these services along with all of the current work that we do as one of the leading intermediaries in the industry.” 

Hlamazi’s role is multi-faceted, comprising marketing to prospective clients and agencies, agency pitch processes, client and agency relationships and agency subscriber management.

About the IAS

The IAS (Independent Agency Search and Selection Company) in association with the AAR Group (UK) was founded in South Africa by the Mazole Holdings Group in 2006.  

IAS specialises in client/agency relationship management and helping clients find agencies.

International associate company AAR Group, was founded more than 35 years ago in the UK and has associates and branches throughout the world. 

The Independent Agency Search & Selection Company is committed to the international and local pitch guidelines as defined by both the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising UK) and the ACA (The Association of Communications Agencies SA).    

Mazole Holdings is a South African company owned 51% by Dan Moyane and 49% by Johanna McDowell.  

The IAS is a level 2 BEE contributor.   

www.agencyselection.co.za 

Following a successful launch of the “world’s first” Agency Credentials Award in 2016, the IAS will continue to sponsor the IAS Agency Credentials award category in this year’s Assegai Awards.

The aim of the award is to recognise an agency’s credentials set – written credentials document as well as “Talking Heads” agency show reel - within the various agency discipline types e.g. creative, digital, PR, media and design in South Africa.

According to Johanna McDowell, the CEO of IAS, “This award will not be judged by agency peer groups or journalists”. The panel of judges will be made up of marketers and intermediaries internationally.

“We are encouraging agencies across all disciplines to enter for this award as it will give them an opportunity to showcase their agency to a large number of leading marketers on the judging panel”, says McDowell. She adds that judges will be carefully looking in the entries for those nuggets of information which set one agency apart from the others.

Closing date for entries is midnight Wednesday 30 August.

The IAS Agency Credentials Award falls into Section F. All details can be found on the Assegai Awards website: www.assegaiawards.co.zaThe Assegai Awards are hosted in association with the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa (DMASA). A DMASA Assegai Award is a mark of victory in Direct Marketing excellence.

Johanna McDowell will also be a judge at this year’s awards acknowledging entries that deliver exceptional results.

Since their inception, the Assegai Awards have striven to benchmark the South African Direct Marketing industry, to highlight best-in-class examples and encourage all players in the industry to work towards achieving greatness in their campaigns. The goal remains to keep raising the bar for the whole industry.

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About the IAS

The IAS (Independent Agency Search and Selection Company) in association with the AAR Group (UK) was founded in South Africa by the Mazole Holdings Group in 2006.

IAS specialises in client/agency relationship management and helping clients find agencies.International associate company AAR Group, was founded more than 35 years ago in the UK and has associates and branches throughout the world.

The Independent Agency Search & Selection Company is committed to the international and local pitch guidelines as defined by both the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising UK) and the ACA (The Association of Communications Agencies SA).

Mazole Holdings is a South African company owned 51% by Dan Moyane and 49% by Johanna McDowell.

The IAS is a level 2 BEE contributor.

www.agencyselection.co.za

The Women in Marketing Awards goes Global  

Women in Marketing (WIM) are pleased to announce the 7th annual Women In Marketing Awards – celebrating the successes and advances made by women in the marketing, advertising and communications fields, and their male supporters. This year’s award takes place on the 16th November at the Ham Yard Hotel, London.

 In 2004, Ade Onilude, a then member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Central London team, identified a need for women in marketing to be recognised and celebrated. This led to her conceiving and delivering the first WIM event to coincide with International Women’s Day on Work-Life Balance. Since then, the annual WIM events have grown and tackled topics such as ethical marketing, the creatives, and branding and diversity in marketing, with the purpose of provoking discussion and inspiring women in marketing and the wider business community.  

The popularity of the events led to the introduction of the awards in 2010; celebrating the achievements of women in the industry. Past WIM Award winners have included senior executives from Burberry, Google, Facebook, Hearst UK, Havas, Diageo and Ogilvy & Mather UK. 

Following 6 years of UK focus, 2017 sees the WIM Awards open submissions to global entries for the first time. In addition, to better reflect the evolving nature of the marketing and media landscapes, WIM are also introducing three new categories:

• The Branded Entertainment Award,
• The WIM Journalist of the Year Award and
• the Axim CX Award: Inspirational Leader in the Field of Customer Experience. 

The Independent Agency Search and Selection Company (IAS) will be supporting the 2017 WIM awards by being a sponsor in South Africa, and is encouraging entries from suitable candidates in the marketing and advertising world in South Africa.   

“The IAS is very proud to support these awards which recognize talented women in the marketing profession.  Up until now these awards were only run in the UK, but this year they have expanded internationally.  We are very keen to see how well our South African senior marketing women do in these awards this year and will be encouraging many of our colleagues to enter in the various categories”, says Johanna McDowell, Founder and Chief Executive of IAS.  

A diverse range of industry leaders and changemakers have been identified and selected as judges for the awards to reflect the global reach of this year’s awards and high standard of entries expected. They include:

• Mack McKelvey – Founder & CEO, The Credentialed, USA
• Christina Ioannidis - CEO (Chief Engagement Officer) of Aquitude,Dubai
• Patricia Weiss - Chairwoman of the Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA),South America
• Louise Ridley - News Editor, Longform and Special Projects, BuzzFeed UK
• Helen Tupper – Director of Audience Evangelism, Microsoft Henry Windridge - Head of Brand Marketing,

Global The 2017 WIM Awards is now open for entries from brands, agencies as well as individuals around the world and hopes to highlight the need to recognise diversity and the inclusive behaviours of the industry.     

A huge thank you to the 2017 Awards sponsors including HP,IPG, Weber Shandwick, Havas Media Group and The Chartered Institute of Marketing(CIM). A very special thank you goes out to Antonio Lucio, Global CMO of Hewlett Packard and Colin Bryne, CEO UK & EMEA, Weber Shandwick - loyal supporters of WIM. 

The 2017 Women In Marketing Awards will take place on the 16th November 2017 at the Ham Yard Hotel in London. Deadline for Award entry submissions is midnight 18th September 2017. 

For more information about Women In Marketing, the 2017 WIM Awards, the full list of judges and previous awards and events visit womeninmarketing.org.uk  

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 About the IAS  

The IAS (Independent Agency Search and Selection Company) in association with the AAR Group (UK) was founded in South Africa by the Mazole Holdings Group in 2006.

IAS specialises in client/agency relationship management and helping clients find agencies.International associate company AAR Group, was founded more than 35 years ago in the UK and has associates and branches throughout the world.

The Independent Agency Search & Selection Company is committed to the international and local pitch guidelines as defined by both the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising UK) and the ACA (The Association of Communications Agencies SA).  

The IAS is a level 4 BEE contributor. Mazole Holdings is a South African company owned 40% by Dan Moyane and 60% by Johanna McDowell.   www.agencyselection.co.za

To close off what has been robust half year of significant achievements, Johanna McDowell, the CEO of the Independent Agency Search and Selection Company (IAS), is proud to present her six pitch principles for agencies to implement in their endeavors for the second half of 2017.  

This year, among the significant feats reached by the IAS is their partnership with SCOPEN to publish Agency Scope South Africa 2016, a publication that gives insights into the trends of the South African communication industry. 

McDowell also attended the AdForum World Summit where she engaged with international colleagues in the intermediary/pitch consultant industry along with a number of advertising agencies.  The highly acclaimed AdForum World Summit has placed the IAS in prime position as an intermediary operating at the forefront of global issues facing the marketing, communication and advertising industry.  Following this prestigious AdForum event and the publication of Agency Scope South Africa 2016, McDowell shares her “6 pitch principles” that the IAS has constructed to share with South African agencies and clients:

Openness and transparency: Ask yourself is there a need to pitch in the first place.  Clarifying the business opportunity is key from the outset. In most pitches there is an unnecessary amount of secrecy.  Do you need to keep the name and numbers of agencies, budgets and time frames a secret? There needs to be transparency all the way through the process, to allow agencies to make informed decisions on whether to pitch and to assure clients full participation and a more-straight forward pitch journey. For fairness and consistency all agencies should be briefed on the pitch at the same time. 

Respect: Treat pitching with the respect it deserves.  It requires senior involvement/authority from both sides from day one.  Don’t just bring the decision makers in at the end of the process. Only with senior client involvement from day one can the agencies be judged fairly.  Consider paying a pitch fee compensation fee to an agency as a sign of good intent. Design and instigate a process that gets your housekeeping in order before the pitch. Agencies need to be discerning about what they pitch for.  Be clear about it that the opportunities are right for the agency business. 

Bravery: On the part of both clients and agencies. Push back on bad briefs or too much/too little time and always challenge bad practice. Eliminate agencies, including the incumbent, along the way if they really don’t have a chance. You will end up saving them a lot of heartache and money. Explore the fact there may be alternative ways of pitching that could be more efficient and effective for the task in hand. 

Access and navigation: Have the process clearly mapped out from the outset in terms of numbers, timings, people involvement and location.  Who is the decision-maker, and what will the decision be based on? 

Timing: Pitches can often go on too long. Set a timescale and stick to it. A creative pitch in four weeks may not always be possible but could be worth aiming for. Contemporary practice indicates that pitches are elongating mainly due to lengthy negotiations which should be contained within the pitch time frame. 

Power of collective action: Be cautious of clients and agencies who are not willing to respect these principles.                

At the very least remember the five P’s of pitching:               

• Process
• Preparation
• Professionalism               
• Partnership
• Payment 

The IAS are experts in facilitating a structured pitch process between client and agency that is impartial yet deeply knowledgeable regarding advertising agencies and their appropriateness. Affiliated with the AAR Group in the UK, the IAS follows the precise methodologies established by the AAR and offers tried and trusted methods that have been perfected over a 35-year period. “We think that these principles are very sound and that they offer good guidance to clients and agencies regarding the pitching process.  South Africa has already adopted and practiced many of these principles for some years so there are no surprises here. However, it is always good to have an update, comments McDowell.”  

About the IAS
The IAS (Independent Agency Search and Selection Company) in association with the AAR Group (UK) was founded in South Africa by the Mazole Holdings Group in 2006. IAS specialises in client/agency relationship management and helping clients find agencies. International associate company AAR Group was founded more than 30 years ago in the UK and has associates and branches throughout the world. The Independent Agency Search & Selection Company is committed to the international and local pitch guidelines as defined by both the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising UK) and the ACA (The Association of Communications Agencies SA).

IAS Masterclass – Loeries Durban   How Clients and Agencies can Adapt, Evolve and be Future-Fit for the Inevitable Digital Disruption  

An interactive session facilitated by Johanna McDowell, CEO of IAS, with Mike Schalit, CCO of BBDO South Africa, Gau Narayan, Regional Director for BBDO Africa and Selvin Govender, Marketing Director, Mercedes Benz South Africa. 

Date:              Thursday 17 August 2017

Time:              10.00 am – 13.00 pm                                                                      

Venue:           Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel - 63 Snell Parade, Durban

Cost:               R 150 ex VAT per delegate

What the Masterclass will cover:

Discussion of the Agency/Client relationship and the challenges faced today.

Some research findings from the SCOPEN Agency Scope 2016 study.

A look at digital transformation at Mercedes Benz South Africa and how they are playing a leading role in driving this within Daimler Worldwide.

How shifts at Mercedes Benz South Africa have impacted the Net#work BBDO relationship, the way of working and advertising development process Implications and necessary shifts in the client/agency relationship that digital transformation will bring

Q&A                                    

Johanna McDowell Profile  

Currently the Managing Director of the Independent Agency Search and Selection Company (IAS), and with a background that includes being on both the agency and the client side of the fence, Johanna McDowell is well placed to offer commentary on marketing and advertising in both the South African and international contexts.   McDowell has built her career in marketing and advertising since 1974, holding directorship in both South Africa and British advertising agencies until she was appointed Managing Director of Grey Phillips Advertising in 1988. An “entrepreneurial heart in a power suit”, McDowell understands the industry from the inside: She built Integrated Communications, a public relations-driven marketing communications company that went from zero base in 1991 to an R 8 million fee turnover by December 2004. After graduating in marketing and business studies, her experience had spanned large corporates including banking, manufacturing and retail both in UK and South Africa, along with a 15-year stint in two of the largest advertising agencies in South Africa and in a medium sized agency in the UK. Widely published and quoted in local media, McDowell regularly gives media input on topics such as:  Delivering high quality B2B communication results, The importance of measurement tools to marketers, Why agencies often don’t make the next round of a pitch, Managing and strengthening client/agency relationships for long-term success, The importance of ethical dealing and truthful communication etc.

Gau Narayanan Profile 

A BBDO lifer, Gau arrived from AMVBBDO in London, one of the best agencies in the BBDO network where he had the privilege of working on some of their flagship brands including Guinness, MARS & British Telecom. Gau was also selected by the Agency’s Management to launch Lunar BBDO a creative-media start up where he tripled the business, won effectiveness awards and Gunn points for BBDO. Gau joined Net#work BBDO in December 2014, on the back of the Guinness Africa pitch win. Since then he has focused on talent development across the four BBDO offices and has helped BBDO land the Tusker business in Kenya, Virgin Money Insurance in South Africa and the Google account across Africa.  With three children under 8, spare time is a distant memory, but when he can, he devours biographies. Gau is a keen cricketer, has represented his county, captained his university and is a qualified coach. However, a lack of talent has meant that his cricketing ambitions will have to be channelled through his children.  

Mike Schalit Profile 

Founding Partner, Net#Work BBDO.   Chief Creative Officer, BBDO SA & Africa.    Founder & Chairman, The MAL Foundation.   Mike began his career by failing as a rock musician. He then nearly ended it with a B.Comm. Since co-founding Net#work in April ’94 Mike’s accolades include 17 Loerie Grand Prix, 3 Cannes Grand Prix, 2 Lifetime Achievement Awards , SA Advertising Hall of Fame,  SA’s No.1 Creative Director for eleven consecutive years, Most Influential Person in Advertising, Advertising Person of the Year and Achiever of the Decade.  

Selvin Govender Profile

Selvin brings his flair for interpreting trends, and understanding market needs to the role of Divisional Manager Marketing for Mercedes-Benz Cars. His career advancement in the Mercedes-Benz South Africa group of companies is based on a wide range of expertise gained throughout his career, and also through his formal studies. Holding an MBA, Selvin also has a degree in Supply Chain Management and National Diplomas in Transportation Management and Mechanical Engineering. He has excelled in all three of the organisations that make up the Mercedes-Benz group in South Africa, having cut his teeth at debis Fleet Management (a part of the company’s Services Group) as a key accounts executive. Other positions include gaining experience in areas such as remarketing, pre-owned, residual value management, and fleet services at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Selvin’s position as National Sales Manager for Mercedes-Benz SA has been the final stepping stone before his appointment to head up the Marketing Division, making him a well-rounded asset to the business.

Who Should Attend

The course is aimed at senior marketing and advertising executives

Enrolment

To enrol for this Masterclass please be in contact with Jacques Durant - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 011 772 1220

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About the IAS

The IAS (Independent Agency Search and Selection Company) in association with the AAR Group (UK) was founded in South Africa by the Mazole Holdings Group in 2006. IAS specialises in client/agency relationship management and helping clients find agencies.International associate company AAR Group, was founded more than 35 years ago in the UK and has associates and branches throughout the world.The Independent Agency Search & Selection Company is committed to the international and local pitch guidelines as defined by both the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising UK) and the ACA (The Association of Communications Agencies SA).  Mazole Holdings is a South African company owned 51% by Dan Moyane and 49% by Johanna McDowell. The IAS is a level 2 BEE contributor.

One month into the fieldwork for the 2017 edition of agency Scope, the bi annual study conducted by international research consultancy SCOPEN, indicates that agencies and clients are starting to realise the importance of the study in the South African market. 

With face-to-face interviews with marketers being conducted by six researchers across South Africa, and online surveys among agency professionals being conducted by SCOPEN analysts in Spain, the responses are looking very positive and significantly higher than in 2016, the test market for the study. 

So far, responses to the online survey have been recorded from 84 agency professionals in 57 creative agencies and 49 professionals in 22 media agencies.      

Face-to-face interviews with marketers are proceeding at a pace and the target of 240 completed questionnaires by the end of August is in sight.   

Comments Johanna McDowell, Director and Partner for SCOPEN Africa and CEO of the IAS (Independent Agency Search & Selection), “This study is hugely important and I am delighted to see that it is gaining the respect of the industry which we can see by the quality of responses to date.  The Scopen team – including our local researchers – are experts in their field and the data that will be produced will be exciting for the whole industry – including marketers.”  

Fieldwork is expected to be completed by end August and data will be analysed and assembled in Madrid during September and October, ready to be presented back to the South African agencies early in November 2017.   

Cesar Vacchiano, Global CEO for SCOPEN, “The South African industry data is important for local and international agencies and clients.  The comparisons we can draw across the 12 countries where agency Scope is conducted are vital in order to assess global trends and opportunities. WE are looking forward to seeing the results for 2017 and bearing in mind that the next study will only be in two years’ time in 2019, the results will be important guidelines and business blueprints for agencies over the next 18 months.”