The Online Publishers` Association (OPA) has elected Russell Hanly to replace Russell Yeo as its chairman and Mark Buwalda has taken on the role of deputy chairman.
Hanly, GM of Media 24 Digital, says the organisation will focus on growing the share of online advertising and broadening its membership.
Yeo resigned as chairman to pursue a career in tourism. Buwalda is MD of online search engine Ananzi.
The OPA recently introduced the Nielsen/NetRatings SiteCensus product that will allow South African online publishers to measure and report the size and demographic profile of their audiences in a consistent manner comparable to other media types.
"We have walked the hard miles of getting the market leaders around the table and reaching agreement on critical issues, such as measurement, and now we have to really focus on the primary aim of the OPA, which is to grow the share of advertising spend committed to the online medium," Hanly says.
He adds that the OPA will take on a marketing challenge on two fronts.
"Firstly, we need to broaden the membership base and ensure the Nielsen/NetRatings SiteCensus measurement tool becomes the industry standard which all online publishers in SA are benchmarked against.
"Secondly, we need to ensure that online publishers report their advertising and sponsorship income to Nielsen for inclusion in their AdEx Report as this is, after all, the yardstick against which the OPA measures its success," he says.
The new elected OPA committees are: Marketing: Matthew Buckland (editor and manager of M&G Online), Monitoring: Mark Buwalda (MD of Ananzi), Measurement: JP Farinha (GM of M-Web Studios), and Finance: Leon Lategan (Independent Online sales and marketing director).
The OPA members are: 365 digital, Ananzi, BDFM, CareerJunction, iafrica.com, Independent Online, ITWeb, Johnnic, Mail & Guardian, Moneymax, M-Web, Media24 Digital, Moneyweb, Ramsay Son & Parker and Supersport.
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