Publicis Groupe Africa’s Media Practice ends the year strong with a series of accolades for the Starcom team, growth and innovation for the Zenith team, and high praise for vice president and Publicis Media Practice lead, Celia Collins as well as the welcoming of new trading director, Strini Naicker.
Starcom shines at Scopen
Celia Collins joined Publicis Groupe Africa (PGA) in July 2022 as VP for Publicis Media with the vision to grow the media practice within Africa. Last week, results from the latest IAS Scopen Report were released, announcing that Starcom South Africa – PGA’s communications and media planning agency – is the ‘Media Agency Most Valued by its Clients’. This signals fantastic growth and recognition for the media brand under Celia. “I am humbled and proud of what the team at Starcom have achieved in such a short space of time, which has shown in the Scopen results,” says Celia.
This Scopen Report is conducted every two years on trends within marketer-agency relationships and the perception and image of agencies. The analysis was comprised of the highest-level decision-makers in marketing, communications, advertising, digital, media and procurement, from 207 of the largest and most important marketers in South Africa. Starcom shone out with recognition across 11 categories, including: Creative Media Thinking, Mobile Solutions, Integrated Vision of Communications, Media Planning, and more.
“The entire team at Starcom has risen to the challenges that 2023 has presented,” says Richard Lord, managing director of Starcom. We have seen improvement in our relationship scores with our clients, pushed the boundaries with them creatively, and have been working hard at continually optimising and improving performance. The recognition from Scopen is testament to the hard work and dedication by the team!” says Richard.
Leaders who show up
Earlier this year, Celia also presented with the 2023 Shepherd award at The Most Awards, which is given in recognition to a person who not only has a significant presence in the media industry, but who also selflessly gives back to it. And, most recently, she was also named Top 3 Most Admired Media Agency Professionals in the Scopen Report.
Other exciting news for the Publicis Media practice is the announcement of new trading director, Strini Naicker, who joined the Groupe on 1 November. “Media trading is becoming more vital for media agencies globally. The efficiencies created through unique trading models set media agencies apart from each other. At Publicis Media Africa, we pride ourselves with trading models developed locally for advertising campaigns to go beyond client expectations. Together with our global capabilities and models, Publicis Groupe Africa has distinguished itself from any other offers available in market,” says Strini.
Zenith innovates in Africa
Publicis Media’s communications and ROI Agency, Zenith also stood out this year with multiple awards and client wins. Zenith expanded its work into Africa with several new clients, including the launch of its very first digital Sub-Saharan African Hub for VISA, across 19 different markets. Adding to this, staying ahead of innovation, Zenith launched the very first media campaign for TikTok in South Africa.
“Embracing the power of teamwork, Zenith’s triumph in the last year stands as a testament to collaborative leadership, innovative synergy, and an unyielding dedication to excellence,” says Lynette Naidoo, managing director at Zenith. “As we step into 2024, we are thrilled about the recent victories in our business ventures, the expanding partnerships with our existing clients and the promising opportunities that lie ahead for our continued growth,” she adds.
“All our work and advancements have shown fruitful results,” says Celia. “We are reaching for the stars and beyond.”
