New leadership for Joe Public 2.0

Joe Public, the above-the-line specialist agency within Joe Public United, is excited to start a fresh new chapter as it reinvents itself with the fully integrated digitisation of its above-the-line offering.

For more than a decade, the country’s top above-the-line agencies have grappled with the challenges of incorporating digital offerings into their stables, with varying levels of success. While some turned to the acquisition of fully-functioning digital units, others created start-up units within their ranks.

For Joe Public United, the opportunity for growth into the realms of the digital world inspired the creation of Joe Public Connect, which, under the stewardship of Dylan McLean as ECD and Danielle Morley as MD, has grown to become a digital force to be reckoned with – having been recognised as the ‘Best Digital Agency in South Africa’ at the New Generation Awards, 2017.

Yet, as the last 24 months have seen a sharp industry-wide shift in focus from traditional paid advertising media to digitally focused earned media, it has become increasingly evident that the above-the-line agency itself needed to bring its digital proficiencies much closer to the core of its creative competency.

To achieve this, the group’s above-the-line specialist agency is fusing world-class creative thinking with specialist digital DNA to create new ‘digitised’ above-the-line cluster units, fully equipped to deliver cross-platform advertising campaigns.

At the same time, Joe Public Connect will continue to hone its expertise as the group’s specialist digital services and innovation hub, servicing clients across the group, and expanding their repertoire to include a growing data, tech and innovation offering as well as delivering digital ecosystems with a focus on creating robust customer and user experiences.

Ultimately, this partnership between ATL’s new capability to seamlessly integrate above-the-line campaigns into the digital space, and Connect’s specialist ‘deep digital’ credentials will enable Joe Public United to advance into an ever-increasing digital landscape equipped to continue to deliver on its Growth purpose.

To head up the group’s newly digitised above-the-line entity, Joe Public’s current Deputy MD, Khuthala Gala-Holten has been promoted to Managing Director and will join forces with above-the-line CCO, Xolisa Dyeshana to take full leadership of the agency as it strides forward into the future.

“It’s never been a more exciting time to be in advertising – as we traverse the set boundaries of yesteryears’ way of communicating, in a world that’s fast becoming mobile-led in every conceivable way,” says Dyeshana.

Concludes Khuthala Gala-Holten, “This renewed focus ensures our long-term sustainability as we continue to strive for the growth of our people, our clients and our country in this new digital landscape.”

As these new leaders initiate a unique momentum in Joe Public United’s above-the-line specialist agency, founding partners Pepe Marais and Gareth Leck, together with Group Strategic Director, Laurent Marty, will move laterally across into group roles to further advance seamless integration across all seven of its specialist offerings to clients.