New GM for Burn Media division, incorporating Memeburn

Memeburn has announced the creation of new division Burn Media, to be headed up by its recently-appointed General Manager Hendri Lategan.

Memeburn’s relatively young sister brands, Ventureburn and Gearburn will form part of the new division. Ventureburn, the company’s latest addition, explores startup news for emerging markets, while Gearburn focuses on gadget and game reviews.

Lategan was previously Memeburn’s Commercial Manager and has been part of the operation almost since its inception, playing a critical role in the site’s growth. The sites are headed up editorially by Michelle Atagana, the Managing Editor of Memeburn who was recently named one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans 2012.

Memeburn, now just over two-years old, is rapidly climbing the Effective Measure’s ‘Top 100 sites in South Africa’ list, currently standing at number 52 for local and international readership. In just over two years the site has reached more than five-million page views. Burn Media’s collective sites currently enjoy a readership of around 300 000 unique visitors.

Lategan said the company is gearing up to take advantage of new high-fidelity advertising opportunities offered on tablets, in what he sees as a “convergence” between print and digital advertising. Memeburn’s new, upcoming iPad which has been in development for a year will take full advantage of this and offer some innovative new formats, including stunning full-page adverts.

“Leading analysts have stated that mobile is the future of digital. Burn Media has set out to build one of the most comprehensive mobile offerings in the market with its own native iOS and Android applications, including our brand new iPad app which is currently in its final stages of development. The new iPad app will provide revolutionary advertising opportunities, drawing on the strengths of both digital and traditional creative executions,” says Lategan.

Burn Media pays particular attention to the emerging market BRICs and developing economies, reporting on innovative startups and technology trends from the regions.

“The emerging market tech space is growing rapidly, with big international companies snapping up smaller agencies in Africa. It’s a space we are excited about at Burn Media. There is a lot of rich content coming out of the region, a growing startup culture with hubs in at least 10 different African countries and Silicon Valley-like cultures in places like Russia and China. Burn Media hopes, with this expansion, to be at the forefront of all the breaking news,” says Atagana.

The editorial and development teams are keen to get feedback – any suggestions or comments are welcome – send them to info@memeburn.com.