South Africa focuses on digital: industry benchmarks on digital media costs and performance metrics across categories and channels

WARC, 4 February 2014

JOHANNESBURG: A new study aims to establish South African industry benchmarks on digital media costs and performance metrics across categories and channels.

The DigiDex SA study, announced by two trade bodies – the Digital Media & Marketing Association (now rebranded as IAB South Africa) and the Mobile Marketing Association – and consulting firm Digital Warrior, will embrace both clients and agencies.

Metrics will include costs, response rates, interactivity and brand metrics and all key channels – social, search, online, email, apps and mobile – across all devices.

"This study aims to grow digital's share of total media spend whilst getting new sectors and brands to start using digital as an advertising and marketing medium," said Joanne Scholtz, project leader at Digital Warrior.

"This information will be used to raise the local standard of digital media strategy and implementation, ultimately improving a brand's digital return on their investment," she added.

Candice Goodman, chair of the MMA welcomed the fact that the industry would no longer have to rely on US and European statistics on mobile marketing campaigns and could look forward to a truer picture of mobile marketing in the region.

"As a mobile-first country, South Africa has a different landscape in terms of mobile device usage – we don't have the proliferation of smart phones – and have created some homegrown innovative mobile marketing channels of our own," she said.

One example of this innovation was a campaign for Carling Black Label (CBL) lager which invited football fans to "Be the coach" and to select the players who would be fielded during a Charity Cup game by casting mobile text votes found in CBL bottle caps.

Separately, the Digital Media & Marketing Association signed a licence agreement to rebrand and establish itself as IAB South Africa.

Jarred Cinman, head of the new body, said there were clear benefits to the move. "Being part of the IAB gives our members access to international knowledge and best practices, while ensuring that South Africa takes part in the global, digital conversation," he declared.

Data sourced from Biz Community, IAB; additional content by Warc staff

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