Retail Company news South Africa

Print media legend joins the Vicinity Media team!

Vicinity Media have announced that Olav 'Ollie' Westphal has joined South Africa's leading location data and technology company as head of retail. Ollie brings with him a 25 year track record of unrivalled success in the marketing and advertising field, and is the industry authority on the printed catalogue and its role in retail advertising.
Print media legend joins the Vicinity Media team!

About his appointment, Ollie said, “The thought of joining Vicinity Media brings me great excitement. I’ve wanted the chance to build on my existing network of clients and agencies and to take on the challenges of learning and succeeding in the world of digital. I've built my career on providing a solution I believe in to my client partners. After getting to grips with the Vicinity Digital Catalogue solution and its data driven approach I knew this was a move I had to make.”

Olav has worked with all of South Africa’s leading retailers and retail brands and his experience, creative thinking and commercial acumen are perfectly matched with Vicinity’s vision. He further adds, “The ability to connect the dots between traditional broadsheets and now, to have the ability to digitise them and serve them to specific audiences will fulfil a massive need for retailers and for their customers as relevance is key. Being able to serve these digitised broadsheets in a fully measurable environment that allows customers to interact with them will reignite the importance of a retail reference point.

Vicinity COO Neil Clarence comments, “Ollie is synonymous with the printed broadsheet in South Africa. His network and retail experience are second to none. But his value extends beyond business development, as one of the only South African tech businesses with our own technology and local data, we have the unique ability to build to local market requirements. Ollie’s retail knowledge has already helped us shape the product we believe will digitally transform the printed catalogue in South Africa.”

Vicinity Media’s vision is to use its unrivalled targeting data to build and reach audiences across all media as digital transformation continues. The appointment of a print veteran, hot on the heels of the hiring of Bianca Pianese, a traditional out-of-home expert, is evidence that this vision is being fulfilled. Expect more traditional experts to join the Vicinity team of digital pioneers in the near future.

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