Spark Media ‘leaps into local’ with new digital ad offering

Rob Fedder

While it has always provided highly targeted, print advertising solutions in Caxton’s 115 local paper titles, Spark Media has now extended its scope to include Caxton’s 58 local news websites as well.

As a result, the company now provides brands, marketers and advertising agencies with location-targeted print and digital content, at scale, in 115 economically active communities across South Africa. This effectively positions Spark Media as the leader in this sector, allowing it to ‘own’ the local media advertising space.

The company has adopted the phrase ‘leap into local’ to reflect its new offering and dominance in local media advertising.

Extensive local reach has always been Spark Media’s key differentiator, providing brands with unparalleled access to South Africa communities at grassroots level.

It takes brand messages directly into the homes and hands of 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 month.

Spark Media’s print advertising solutions work because South Africans read local papers, and respond to the advertising in them.

Its digital marketing solutions work because South Africans frequent local news websites to stay connected, and engage with online adverts.

Spark Media’s new combined offering now provides clients with the best of both worlds: advertising solutions that incorporate both print and digital executions for maximum reach and engagement.

“Print advertising is impactful, trusted and has its own voice. Digital advertising is instant, measurable and efficient. Together, print and digital advertising amplify each other’s messages, creating diverse consumer touchpoints that effectively underscore marketing objectives,” explains Rob Fedder, CEO Spark Media and Caxton Local Media.

In addition to providing access to Caxton’s local news network of 58 sites, Spark Media can also incorporate advertising on Caxton’s Facebook pages with a combined following of more than 2.8 million users, as well as on Caxton’s retail and video media platforms, into its digital ad solutions.

These solutions can be bought in a premium or programmatic fashion, strategically targeting relevant audiences in a brand-safe environment using Caxton’s data management platform.

Resources are also available to assist clients with marketing, SEO, content and conversion optimisation on their digital campaigns.

Spark Media continues to use its ground-breaking ROOTS research as well as its scientific understanding of consumer behaviour and other relevant sources of local and international information to conceptualise powerful, local print and digital advertising solutions that deliver results.