media industry news

Media Loop is your one-stop shop for staying informed in the ever-evolving South African media and marketing landscape. We provide news, analysis, and insights for industry professionals, keeping you up-to-date on the latest trends, awards, and key players shaping the market. Our aim is to be your trusted partner in navigating this dynamic space, offering valuable resources and fostering connections within the South African media and marketing community.

LOCAL

WPP Media report outlines advertising intelligence framework
March 2, 2026
The report from WPP Media highlights five key capability categories crucial for competitive advantage in advertising through 2030: data assets, distribution, transaction capabilities, technology and content/media. The analysis underscores that no singular company currently achieves top performance across all categories, suggesting advertisers must make strategic choices and partnerships to cover their needs.
MediaPost
Marketers and consumers don’t agree on AI’s effectiveness
March 2, 2026
New research finds that most marketers (61%) are concerned about the threat AI poses to the creator economy’s peer recommendation model, but only about a third of consumers believe the technology provides high-quality recommendations or improves the customer experience.
Warc
South African app launched that shows if Checkers, Pick n Pay, Spar, or Woolworths is cheapest
March 2, 2026
Grocify founder Ethan Stander previously told MyBroadband he got the idea for the app from his girlfriend’s mom. Grocify pulls product prices from five major retailers’ online catalogues in real time, allowing users to see which store has the lowest price and how it compares with the other shops.
Broadband
How AXE’s ‘Grab the Sweet!’ sparked buzz beyond the billboard
March 2, 2026
For the launch of its Cherry Fizz fragrance, AXE's 'Grab the Sweet!' campaign transformed an unassuming bus stop in Athens into an interactive brand experience that didn't just promote a product, but invited people to play with it.
Media Update
How Adidas rewrote the digital playbook: Inside the sportswear giant’s radical shift from stadium sponsorships to screen-first strategy
March 2, 2026
Adidas has executed one of the most aggressive digital marketing transformations in consumer brand history, cutting traditional sports sponsorship spending and redirecting budgets toward data-driven digital channels, DTC platforms, and social media strategies that offer measurable ROI advantages.
WebProNews
Clur Index reveals November as SA’s strongest month for shopping
March 2, 2026
November trading growth in South African shopping centres outshone December performance, according to the latest Clur Shopping Centre Index covering the last quarter and the full 2025 year.
Bizcommunity
Brave and crazy
March 2, 2026
The advertising, media and marketing industries are living in a golden era of media measurement. Almost everything can be measured – and is measured. And now AI is coming – promising the hope that every single piece of media and marketing collateral can be measured, with its impact assessed down to the finest detail. But have we gone a little too far?
Bizcommunity
Snapchat announces ‘The Snappys,’ its first-ever creator awards show
March 2, 2026
Snapchat announced on Wednesday that it’s hosting its first-ever awards show on March 21. The social media giant says the awards show, called “The Snappys,” is designed to celebrate “the creators shaping culture on Snapchat.”
Tech Crunch
TV media buyers want outcomes – So Nielsen is introducing more advanced audiences
March 2, 2026
On Wednesday, Nielsen added more than 200 advanced audience segments in Nielsen ONE, its cross-platform analytics dashboard. According to Nielsen, these insights help advertisers reach and resonate with target audiences, even on linear TV where one‑to‑one targeting is limited.
AdExchanger
Walmart launching 21 more stores in South Africa
March 2, 2026
The announcement comes shortly after Walmart’s wholly-owned South African subsidiary, Massmart, confirmed it was considering closing “around” 20 Game stores over the next few months.
MyBroadband
Kagiso Media Radio rebrands to Kagiso Connect
March 2, 2026
Kagiso Media Radio has rebranded to Kagiso Connect to reflect the business’s recent growth into research, digital publishing, experiential marketing, and financial advisory services.
Bizcommunity
Kantar Media rebrands as Fifty5Blue after H.I.G. Capital buyout
March 2, 2026
Kantar Media has unveiled a new brand identity, rebranding as Fifty5Blue following its separation from Kantar Group and acquisition by investment firm H.I.G. Capital in August 2025.
Marketing Interactive
From inventory to insight: The evolution of radio planning
March 2, 2026
Agencies increasingly require radio to behave more like other addressable channels.
The Media Online
TikTok releases its 2026 Discover List
March 2, 2026
TikTok shared its annual Discover List this week, which highlights top creators in various fields, each of whom is helping to advance topical discussion and education in the app.
Social Media Today
February Chart of the Month: We feel most relaxed when watching TV
March 2, 2026
Contextual differences matter for brands. Evidence from Context Effects shows that the right in-home viewing environment can lift ad recall by up to 6.3 times. The study identified key contextual factors, mood is one of them. When we are happy in the living room, ad recall increases by 41%, 14% when relaxed and 49% when connected.
Think Box
SCOPEN names Carat South Africa as Media Agency of the Decade
March 2, 2026
Carat South Africa has been named Most Balanced Media Agency of the Decade, the first-ever SCOPEN award of its kind.This recognition marks ten years of sustained growth, strategic excellence and people-led innovation in a media industry transformed at unprecedented speed.
The Media Online
Omnicom plans to reduce labour costs by $1B following IPG acquisition
March 2, 2026
The figure, larger than previous overall cost-savings targets stemming from the deal, will be realized by reducing duplicative roles, offshoring and outsourcing.
Marketing Dive
Truecaller Ads Platform now directly available to advertisers in South Africa and Kenya via 365 Digital
March 2, 2026
Truecaller, the leading global communications platform, today announced a strategic reseller partnership with 365 Digital, one of Africa’s foremost digital marketing and commerce media specialists, to strengthen its advertising and monetisation ecosystem across South Africa and Kenya.
Bizcommunity

GLOBAL

WPP Media report outlines advertising intelligence framework
March 2, 2026
The report from WPP Media highlights five key capability categories crucial for competitive advantage in advertising through 2030: data assets, distribution, transaction capabilities, technology and content/media. The analysis underscores that no singular company currently achieves top performance across all categories, suggesting advertisers must make strategic choices and partnerships to cover their needs.
MediaPost
Marketers and consumers don’t agree on AI’s effectiveness
March 2, 2026
New research finds that most marketers (61%) are concerned about the threat AI poses to the creator economy’s peer recommendation model, but only about a third of consumers believe the technology provides high-quality recommendations or improves the customer experience.
Warc
How Adidas rewrote the digital playbook: Inside the sportswear giant’s radical shift from stadium sponsorships to screen-first strategy
March 2, 2026
Adidas has executed one of the most aggressive digital marketing transformations in consumer brand history, cutting traditional sports sponsorship spending and redirecting budgets toward data-driven digital channels, DTC platforms, and social media strategies that offer measurable ROI advantages.
WebProNews
TV media buyers want outcomes – So Nielsen is introducing more advanced audiences
March 2, 2026
On Wednesday, Nielsen added more than 200 advanced audience segments in Nielsen ONE, its cross-platform analytics dashboard. According to Nielsen, these insights help advertisers reach and resonate with target audiences, even on linear TV where one‑to‑one targeting is limited.
AdExchanger
Snapchat announces ‘The Snappys,’ its first-ever creator awards show
March 2, 2026
Snapchat announced on Wednesday that it’s hosting its first-ever awards show on March 21. The social media giant says the awards show, called “The Snappys,” is designed to celebrate “the creators shaping culture on Snapchat.”
Tech Crunch
Kantar Media rebrands as Fifty5Blue after H.I.G. Capital buyout
March 2, 2026
Kantar Media has unveiled a new brand identity, rebranding as Fifty5Blue following its separation from Kantar Group and acquisition by investment firm H.I.G. Capital in August 2025.
Marketing Interactive

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