28 November 2008
	CORPORATE PROFILE - Mediology Moore than meets the eye By Yvonne Fontyn With an ideology grounded on delivering good service, there are no limits for this agency

Mediology is on a growth streak: revenues were up 400% during the period under review for AdFocus. Satisfied that her vision for a full-service media strategy, planning and buying agency is taking shape, founder and MD Ana Oxlee-Moore says she plans to continue with the same formula: "We see no reason why we cannot double our business in the next year if we continue on this path." Mediology occupies attractive offices set in a garden with huge koppie rocks in Lonehill, Johannesburg. Part of the agency's expansion plan is an office in Cape Town. However, Oxlee-Moore says though growth is on the menu, she is not interested in becoming one of the "big five" media agencies. Delivering advantage through creative strategies is more important to her than focusing on cost advantage. "We like to make sure growth is aligned with our quality of service emphasis," says Oxlee-Moore who, at the age of 30, served on the board of McCann-Erickson and was deputy chair of the Advertising Media Association of Southern Africa (Amasa). "I never want to lose our ethos, and what we stand for. It is important that our clients receive a great return on investment. We will always strive to know our clients' business, their brands, their consumers and how they consume. We continually seek memorable, cost-effective contact points." THE GROUNDING Oxlee-Moore has spent 20 years in the industry, starting at Saatchi & Saatchi, followed by McCann-Erickson, progressing to HerdBuoys McCann and then launching Optimedia before starting Mediology. While at McCann, she was selected as one of 50 candidates from around the world to attend a leadership development course at Princeton University in the US. As a former lecturer, she is passionate about developing young talent and emphasises thorough training for her team. So part of her preparation strategy for continued expansion would be to ensure the company has the right people. Equally important is that service to existing clients is not compromised by growth. To date, Mediology has not advertised or actively sought new business. "Our business and growth are built on word of mouth." With clients such as De Beers, Southern Sun, the Automobile Association, Incolabs, the SA Jewellery Council, Edu-Loan and Pharma Natura, that is high praise. "Our strength is our strategic thinking, and I have promised my clients they will always see me at strategic level." It is not a case of sending the A-team to a pitch and then passing the project to the C-team, she says. "I write the strategy with the team and review it, and once the campaign is up and running, I entrust it to a dedicated person." Detail is important when undertaking a complicated task like a multimillion-rand media campaign, and one error can have far-reaching consequences. Oxlee-Moore has a cross-checking system in place for schedules before anything is committed. At the same time, she likes to impress on clients the need for good briefs and sufficient time to achieve the right results. "We emphasise a win-win partnership with our clients as the most effective way to obtain great creative media solutions. "We place emphasis on performing a thorough assessment of our client's needs in order for us to effectively break through the clutter when reaching target markets. Our strategies lead to great results for clients and while we manage to negotiate great deals, we do not compromise strategy in favour of ad hoc media offers." A SHIFT Mediology has expanded its focus from traditional to also embrace digital media. "Digital technology has created a convergence of all media, making communication flow in all directions and directly into the lives of individuals," says Oxlee-Moore. Most media agencies work independently of online specialist agencies. "For us it was important to bring them together under one roof," she says. To this purpose Mediology has formed a mentoring partnership with Longtail, a specialist digital agency. "Our aim is to offer clients a 360° strategy, and so we are developing our digital capacity, online and mobile." Not only is it important that all media is considered, Oxlee-Moore is also confident that her agency covers all target markets: "old, young, black, white, mothers with children, teenagers... we have no weaknesses regarding markets or media". Doing your homework in the form of networking effectively is essential, she says. That means meeting media owner representatives, attending important functions and keeping abreast of new research. "We see ourselves as part of a virtuous circle' that includes clients, media owners and creative agencies. The synergy between these elements is important for success." Mediology's client list reflects its diversity of approach. For example, the agency plans the media for the "Scrutinize" HIV/Aids campaign for Johns Hopkins Health & Education in SA. The campaign encourages people to scrutinise their lifestyles and their sexual partners, and to get tested. "Seeing the importance of this campaign for SA, we negotiated great deals with the media and more than doubled the return on investment for Johns Hopkins," says Oxlee-Moore. "We are particularly proud to be associated with this well researched campaign. Its objective is to halve new HIV infections by 2010." An important addition to the client list this year was student finance institution Edu-Loan, aimed at youth and their parents. It is a good example of how the agency has developed a full media mix into a 360° strategy. When Mediology presented to AA Autobay, executives said they were surprised that their previous year's budget had not enjoyed such thorough strategy from their former agency. GIVING BACK Oxlee-Moore feels the growth she has enjoyed in 2008 has allowed her to give back to the community by performing pro bono work for Johannesburg Child Welfare. "Business is not just about making money, it's about doing what we enjoy as well as caring for others," she says. She may be the boss but Oxlee-Moore is intent on being part of the team rather than a remote MD. She considers it vital that employees buy into her vision for the agency. Faced with boring beige offices when they moved in April this year, the first thing she did was paint the walls in bright colours and add inspiring, commissioned artworks. In the entrance is a coffee bar and a flat-screen TV playing music videos all day long, making Mediology the kind of place talented people would want to work. Oxlee-Moore's efforts paid off when, during a recent meeting she asked the team to describe how they see the agency. "We are pioneers. Honest. Challenging. Dynamic. Confident." It took a while for them to run out of adjectives, she says.