Digital transformation - shaping Mediamark for the future

Wayne Bischoff

​Established 27 years ago, Mediamark was a very successful legacy organisation. However, legacy can also mean legacy systems and traditional ways of doing things, which are not always the best methods. In 2020, we decided to evolve into a more agile and customer-centric company, obsessed with winning, learning, collaboration, creativity and accountability.​ ​
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​We partnered with digital transformation consultancy dY/dX to explore a digital transformation model for the business. The initiative was launched at the beginning of 2020 but paused after the Covid-19 pandemic hit. When it became clear that the pandemic was not going away quickly, the digital transformation project was prioritised with more urgency than before.

The organisational change started by refining and developing new ways of working across every aspect of the business, which was modernised after critical assessment. We reimagined workflows and implemented new systems and technologies. Reengineering Mediamark’s media sales and processing methods in fact required a holistic cultural transformation – we learnt that digital transformation is about far more than just the technology and tools. ​

The purpose of the entire project has been to transform Mediamark into a more effective and agile organisation that can scale without increasing resources. We are now able to respond to changes in the market quickly, offering our Partner Brands leading-edge platforms and services and ultimately improving the media buying experience for clients. ​

Four pillars underpin the digital transformation project.

The first pillar, developing new workflow processes, focuses on complexity versus simplicity. We conducted interviews and workshops involving a combination of new and experienced employees from various divisions within the company, as well as some of our partners, including advertising agencies. Existing processes, roles and resources were mapped out into a Current State workflow model, which helped us to visualise and understand what was happening in the business at that point.​ ​

​The Current State model in 2020 was filled with complexities that slowed the business down. ​

Analysis of the Current State model identified areas for improvement in the business, and in a series of workshops involving the same contributors, a new workflow blueprint called the Future State model was formulated. Now a reality in 2024, the Mediamark way of working model is much simpler, cleaner and easier to navigate due to reworked digital processes and implementation of relevant workflows. ​

This Future State vision provided the foundation for the next three pillars. ​

The second pillar was focused on implementing new systems to reduce operating costs and improving efficiency. This was not restricted to technology alone; areas for improvement in the business were identified first, influencing the choice of technology to support the selected solutions. Platforms were chosen based on its capabilities, ensuring that little or no development would be required.​ ​
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​Mediamark opted for Pipefy for workflow automation and briefing, ActiveCampaign for CRM and Power BI for centralised reporting. We have further implemented Talent LMS, a leading learning management platform designed for sustained training and skills development, and Schedule Builder, an online scheduling system which will be integrated with Pipefy and the Mediamark booking system, TBS. Schedule Builder is currently in the design phase and has been very well received by Mediamark users and clients in preliminary market tests.​ ​
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​Combining multiple specialist systems creates a holistic, integrated approach unique to Mediamark. ​

Workflows in Pipefy have significantly increased efficiency, clarified timelines and areas of responsibility and streamlined communication. Integration between Pipefy and ActiveCampaign has ensured that both systems are used optimally within the scope of their capabilities without additional development required on other platforms. ActiveCampaign also completely replaced Mediamark’s previous CRM and media marketing systems. ​

Within one year of this integration, an 83% improvement in approval times was noted from some Partner Brands. By December 2023, efficiency gains were clear across various divisions inside Mediamark, showing a 32% increase in the number of invoices created and a 14% decrease in turnaround times for the same period (meaning that volumes went up while turnaround times went down, proving scalability). Over the same period, there was a 25% faster turnaround time for Non-Traditional Revenue proposals to market, and Traffic booking time improved by a phenomenal 75%. ​

The third pillar was around upskilling staff and developing new ways of working. Development means nothing without adoption, and for Mediamark that included a culture change. Skills development for the project included a dedicated change management strategy, as well as a combination of functional training and applied learning. ​

Change management followed the ADKAR model which focuses on the role of the individual in achieving organisational change. The model outlines five key areas that an individual must go through to be successful in organisational change: awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement. Key individuals across divisions in Mediamark were identified and trained as “Change Champions” to support the teams involved in the project, encourage habit forming and drive change internally. ​

Training and development had a dual focus of functional training conducted by a specialist sales trainer from dY/dX, alongside applied learning sessions conducted individually or in smaller groups via the Mediamark Academy. We implemented gamification and profiled effective users internally, using this approach extensively to entrench new skills and celebrate the early adopters who were using the system well. This in turn built positive associations with organisational change.

Once this base was established, it was time to look outward and forward with an attitude of continuous improvement, resonating with the Japanese philosophy of "Kaizen." This is the focus of the fourth pillar: deploying new features and products to increase client-centricity and satisfaction, establishing a continuous feedback loop. We focus on client-centric features and products, including tailored reporting and online scheduling, with well-defined segmentation-based trade marketing. We continuously seek to improve, embracing an agile model that promotes ‘better done than perfect’. This mindset has benefited us immensely as a legacy company, where the prevailing belief can often be that it’s better to wait until something is perfect before moving forward.

Reflecting on our progress over the last few years, it is evident that Mediamark is now radically different and the way we conduct business has evolved significantly. Automated workflows, centralised reporting, and a continuous focus on skills development, including enhanced technical literacy, have been critical to the project. ​ An iterative approach to creating, releasing, and implementing new systems has delivered very positive results. Mediamark, within the broader Kagiso Tiso Holdings group, is now seen as leading in this digital transformation process.

As Leonardo da Vinci said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Simplicity doesn’t mean easy; it signifies straightforward, rather than complex.

Our overarching strategy treats technology as a means to an end, not the end itself. This perspective allows us to streamline processes and enhance efficiency, a process that is continually gaining momentum as the evolution of Mediamark and its Partner Brands continue.