Clients and brands ‘leap into local’ with Spark Media

Spark Media, South Africa’s leading print media sales company providing location-targeted advertising solutions, recently unveiled its exciting new multichannel ad solution to clients at Wimpy in the Mall of Africa.

Previously, Spark Media provided local advertisers with print advertising opportunities through Caxton’s 115 newspaper titles. The company took what it calls a ‘leap into local’ and extended its scope to now include digital ad opportunities through Caxton’s 58 local news websites as well.

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Print advertising is impactful, trusted and has its voice. Research shows that print ads continue to drive strong brand recall and remain the most trusted advertising source when making a purchase decision.

Digital advertising is instant, measurable and efficient. It is growing in South Africa as smartphone uptake increases and consumers become more digitally active.

Combining print and digital ads, as in Spark Media’s new multichannel offering, renders online campaigns 400% more effective, as one medium strengthens the potency of the other.

Clients from across Joburg attended the Leap into Local event, which included a video presentation on the new multichannel advertising solution, and a humorous take on the new ad solution by local comic Themba Robin.

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As Spark Media’s new offering provides brands with targeted print and digital content in 120 economically active SA communities, the company said it was only fitting that another community favourite – Wimpy – was used as the event location.

“Both Caxton and Wimpy are iconic South African brands with deep roots in our local communities, so it made perfect sense for Spark Media to present this exciting new offer at a local Wimpy outlet. The feedback following the event has been incredibly positive,” explained Chris Halstead, Spark Media’s head of sales.

Halstead noted that Spark Media’s print advertising solutions worked because South Africans read local papers and responded to the advertising in them. He added that the company’s digital marketing solutions worked because South Africans frequented local news websites to stay connected and to engage with online adverts.

“Our new combined advertising offering now provides brands with the best of both worlds that incorporate both print and digital executions for maximum reach and engagement,” said Halstead.

Spark Media takes local businesses’ brand messages directly to consumers via Caxton’s 2.9 million newspaper copies that are delivered each week, and now by engaging the five million online users that interact with Caxton’s websites every day.

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