“At UM we believe that better science and better art deliver better outcomes to our clients in the media moments that matter most. We are a creative media agency, committed to blurring the lines between media and creativity, between data and content, between science and art,” says Williamson.
“A key differentiator is our local research panel in South Africa which consists of 3000 people (across many spectrums) who help us understand how people interact with different media types across different brand categories, against very specific marketing objectives.”
“Attention is the new currency. In the year 2000 our average attention span was 12 seconds. In 2013, it went down to eight seconds according to a recent Microsoft study. That’s a shorter memory than a goldfish.”
”‘Moments’ literally helps us to understand what instances really matter to consumers and in what context. The end result is that we’re able to communicate to consumers at a time, place and context where they’re most receptive to receive brand communication.”
Williamson goes on to say that not every media platform is good at everything. Different media platforms all have different triggers, different means of reaching various brand category users. Media planners and buyers can no longer rely on just buying reach. Agencies need to choose platforms that connect with people when brand messages are most likely to resonate – and understand which marketing objectives those channels are most likely to affect.
“Moments also helps us better understand the myriad marketing touchpoints out there, how they work and how consumers are interacting with them. Clients are really seeing the value in Moments because as a Group we’re staying ahead of the curve all the time.”
Expanding to facilitate a growing client base, UM South Africa has opened an office in Cape Town with a team of seven senior people, headed by industry stalwart Anne van Rensburg. The team will be mainly servicing newly acquired client, Johnson & Johnson along with UIP while building a larger client base.
Van Rensburg’s experience in the media industry spans many years and includes a host of prominent agencies in South Africa. Anne has immersed herself in the media industry developing strong leadership skills, evident in her natural affinity towards people and people management. She adopts an open, collaborative approach to her work which is enhanced by excellent relationships with key media partners.
Current UM South Africa clients include UIP, Johnson & Johnson, Prime Meridian Direct, The Aldor Group, Regus, Transnet National Ports Authority, Exxon Mobil and Cathay Pacific.
For more information, visit
mccann.co.za.