Jacaranda 94.2 marketing manager Jenny Griesel, "...through our Pendoring sponsorship, we want to show our commitment to advertisers to be able to deliver Afrikaans audiences to them.”
As the largest independent - and bilingual - radio station in the country with both English and Afrikaans content covering news, weather, sport, traffic updates and featuring Afrikaans music in its mix, as well as by actively supporting several initiatives that are close to Afrikaans-speaking listeners, such as its involvement as a strategic partner of the Innibos arts festival, Blue Bulls rugby and provincial cricket, Jacaranda 94.2 is the undisputed leader when it comes to the lucrative Afrikaans market in Gauteng and throughout its footprint.
In the past year, the station grew its overall Afrikaans listenership by 31% to 754 000, compared to 574 000 one year ago. The growth is driven by the station's Gauteng target audience - a 32% growth in Johannesburg Afrikaans listeners, and a 19% growth in Pretoria Afrikaans listeners. Jacaranda's overall Afrikaans audience in Gauteng now stands at 406 000 (SAARF RAMS 2011/3).
Many of the stations' Afrikaans listeners avidly support the station's community endeavours including Winter Warmer, Sisters with Blisters, Good Morning Angels and the rhino project. They give generously to the projects that have made the station famous for changing people's lives for good.
So says Jacaranda 94.2 marketing manager Jenny Griesel.
"We are one of only a few commercial stations that offer advertisers the opportunity to place their advertisements in Afrikaans, thus speaking straight to their hearts and minds. Moreover, as this audience has proven to be loyal to brands, financially savvy, wise spenders and proud of their language, marketers increasingly realise that they have an excellent chance at achieving success by speaking to them in their home language.
"The station has also proven its capacity to attract Afrikaans audiences away from English radio and print, by super serving them in their home language. Hence Jacaranda's decision to support the Pendoring Advertising Awards as a silver sponsor this year to promote innovative and impactful Afrikaans advertising. The combination of Jacaranda and Pendoring is a hand in glove fit," says Griesel.
"Through our Pendoring sponsorship, we want to show our commitment to advertisers to be able to deliver Afrikaans audiences to them. Moreover, due to our focus, strategic partnerships, marketing initiatives and programming, we are well placed to hold this market for many years to come," she believes.
Jacaranda's annual Deuriemikke Festival at Supersport Park in Centurion will once again take place in September where Afrikaans artists like Steve Hofmeyr, Karen Zoid, Lianie May, Elvis Blue and Jakkie Louw are expected to draw a huge crowd. New on the Jacaranda events calendar are Jacaranda Day and Jacaranda Pops which will henceforth also be staged annually.
"We constantly work to harness new listeners, including Afrikaans speaking listeners. Jacaranda's strategy going forward is to not only fiercely defend its Pretoria stronghold, but to grow East and West Rand Johannesburg audiences as listeners in these areas tend to be most friendly towards the station's bilingual format.
"We also recognise the importance of community champions and celebrity presenters that our Afrikaans audience appreciates such as Darren Scott, Martin Bester and Barney Simon who all present weekday shows on the station. We recently added the popular Rian van Heerden and Pieter Koen to our presenter line-up," Griesel adds.
Jacaranda 94.2's sponsorship is shared with its Sales House Radmark, who is equally excited about the prospect of engaging with the creative industry.
Pendoring GM Franette Klerck says the support of South Africa's biggest independent radio station as a silver sponsor is a feather to Pendoring's cap. "In numerous ways, including Afrikaans advertising, Jacaranda 94.2 clearly shows that it deeply cares for its Afrikaans listeners, thus eliciting an ardent and loyal Afrikaans following. By respecting the wishes of Afrikaans consumers and communicating with them in their mother tongue, marketers should likewise benefit richly," stresses Klerck.
