The SkillPod Media profile as it\'ll appear in The 2009 / 2010 Annual.

1. AgeNcy profiLe
Skillpod Media
(pty) Ltd
Type of agency:
Games Marketing & Solutions
number of accounTs/clienTs:
22
biggesT spending clienTs:
RTL Group, GG Networks, MORE
International, Media 24
accounTs won in 2009:
RTL Group (Europe), Ananzi, MiWay
Insurance, Strika (RSA & Columbia)
accounT losT on 2009:
Kagiso Media – due to change in online
strategy
conTacT deTails souThern africa:
Int: +27 12 664 0071
Tel: 08611 MEDIA (63342)
Skype: vanmark68
Website: www.skillpodmedia.com
company ownership:
55% Mark van Diggelen (Founder) / 25.5%
Convergence Partners / 18% Brabys
Financial
number of sTaff: The Skillpod Media Dream Team
11
Key agency sTaff: Mark van Diggelen, chief gamer, dreamer from the company was declined, he went branding an existing game with their own
9 and founder of Skillpod Media, the bulk on his own. Skillpod Media was set up artwork, or having us develop a brand-
Key momenT in 2009/10: of the gaming market comprises females, by Van Diggelen, with one developer, and new game for them,” he elaborates.
Securing the RTL Group as a client. Launch
aged between 25 and 55. shortly after the agency’s launch, OUT- In South Africa, the concept of using
of ver. 5 of the Game Management Platform
Skillpod Media is an agency that surance, Ananzi and Aardvark signed up gaming to supplement or create advertising
- strong social networking elements have
adds an innovative facet to the market- as his first clients. campaigns is relatively untapped, whereas in
been incorporated into this version. The
ing mix in the form of casual gaming. Business performance in 2009 has Europe and the USA the practice is more
deployment of games and solutions in
The agency has developed a proprietary shown positive results, with the acqui- widely used. Van Diggelen warns against
Afrikaans, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Spanish
and Dutch.
game management platform that manag- sition of accounts the likes of the RTL underestimating the power and success of
The agency snapshoT in 50 words: es every element of a games portal, and Group, MiWay Insurance and Strika. In using gaming as a marketing tool. “Gaming
SkillPod Media is a global new media has forged partnerships with game de- addition, there has been a growth of exist- enables cost-effective and measurable com-
consultancy specialising in the provision velopers worldwide to develop over 450 ing clients in the USA, Poland, Ukraine, munity building. It is a proven user reten-
and development of custom and innovative games. Clients have the option of brand- Hungary, Netherlands, Colombia, Tur- tion and acquisition method, with a 70%
online and mobile casual games solutions. ing or redeveloping these games accord- key and South Africa. average daily return rate. There are limited
Services are offered to agencies, publishers ing to their specific requirements. While Skillpod Media is not a tradi- barriers to entry, and games can be made
and advertisers. Van Diggelen established Skillpod tional agency and does not enter itself for available in multiple formats: instant online
Top clienTs Media in 2004, but his involvement with industry awards, the company has had play, mobile and downloadable. Skillpod
RTL Group - Europe Internet-based services stretches back an exciting year in terms of its creative Games are played in excess of eight million
Media24 – South Africa to 1994. His career started with Desti- performance. “Twenty per cent of our times a month,” he informs.
Independent Newspapers – South Africa ny Electric Commerce, where he set up business lies in South Africa, with the Gaming provides an inventive brand-
GG Networks – Poland, Ukraine & Hungary
an online community called the Home remaining 80% overseas,” explains Van ing solution, particularly in today’s chal-
MORE International – USA
Channel, providing information on prop- Diggelen. “In all cases, we take a consult- lenging financial arena. “Budget cuts are
Strika – South Africa & Columbia
erty and lifestyle to banks and homeown- ative approach to dealing with clients.” a reality at the moment, with clients be-
Ananzi – South Africa
ers. However, it was when Van Diggelen The team at Skillpod deals with above- coming more and more price-conscious.
Beeld – South Africa
was working at Osiris Trading as the head the-line agencies as well as with the mar- Agencies need to become more crea-
KTV – South Africa
MiWay – South Africa
of IT and Business Development that he keting managers directly. “In either case, tive when they conceptualise their cam-
identified the opportunity to set up cas- we find that most of the time, the client paigns, which is where gaming comes in
ual gaming portals on the Internet. He has a preconceived idea about what they as a cost-effective means of reaching a
Worldwide, 217 million people play cas- set up a number of casual games portals, want. Our role is to provide guidance and predefined target market.
ual games. And the profile of the average as well as Bingo and Lottery portals in take note of the clients’ needs. We then The fact that we can fully customise
gamer is not, as most may imagine, the the UK and the USA for Osiris. When his go back and brainstorm the concept as a the games to meet the objectives of the
typical teenage boy. Indeed, according to offer to buy the casual gaming division team. Our clients have the choice of re- specific campaign, as well as target them
2 — The ANNUAL 2009/10

2. AgeNcy profiLe
01. A collection of our visual elements
at a particular audience, are further ben- ies and opinion pieces, work well to show end, the agency is focusing on its expan- games available for use on mobile hand-
efits of casual gaming as a marketing ele- potential clients that the proof is in the sion into non-English-speaking territo- sets, and we’re really looking forward to
ment,” adds van Diggelen. pudding,” claims van Diggelen. ries. It is also in the process of establish- many more exciting ventures,” concludes
A further challenge faced by Skill- Skillpod Media’s future looks prom- ing an office outside of South Africa to van Diggelen.
pod Media is to convince marketers ising, with plans to align with traditional enable it to better service international
that casual gaming is an effective tool to media agencies so that they can include clients. Mobile expansion is another key
reach a mature audience. To this end, the games-related services in their client of- area for Skillpod, with more and more
agency uses PR as well as one-on-one ferings. The translation of games and the users using their mobile phones to surf
meetings with clients to educate them on games platform into foreign languages the Net and access Facebook and Twit-
the benefits. “Press releases detailing the has been identified as one of the biggest ter, as well as music, videos and games.
agency’s activities, as well as case stud- growth areas for the business and, to this “We have already made a number of our
The ANNUAL 2009/10 — 3