by Thinus Ferreira
For the first time ever Amazon Prime Video held a preview screening in South Africa ahead of the debut of one of the streaming service's new shows - The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
The power move signals a dual intent about both the importance and big marketing push Amazon is putting behind the show, as well as the rising prominence of the country as a territory and a place where Amazon means serious business.
While Amazon previously bought some billboard space over the past two years in South Africa for general outdoor advertising and to promote specific content on Amazon Prime Video, the advertising billboards and lamppost billboards seen across Johannesburg for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is on a whole new level for the streamer in terms of ad spent as it tries to entice viewers to watch a show.
In addition to the cinema screening as an Amazon Prime Video SA first for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in Johannesburg, the streamer also held a champagne-filled watch party - also a first-ever from Amazon Prime Video in South Africa for a TV show.
On Wednesday 31 August, just before the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power made their debut on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon in South Africa held an exclusive screening at the Nu Metro cinema in Hyde Park, Johannesburg - a switch to a bigger venue from The Convention Lounge at The Saxon as the originally envisaged venue.
This cinema screening, similar to exclusive preview cinema screenings which were held in other countries, was followed up by an exclusive watch party in Johannesburg for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - complete with cobalt-coloured flute glasses.
It's the first time in South Africa that Amazon Prime Video did an in-person screening of a new series, similar to what Netflix South Africa has been doing for a while, MultiChoice's streamer Showmax has done a few times in the past, and what local and international TV channels like M-Net, e.tv, BBC Studios Africa and others have been doing for some of their local productions (and even international acquisitions) over the past two decades.
Gillian Gamsey International South Africa (GGISA), the public relations firm in Johannesburg repping Amazon Prime Video in South Africa, didn't respond to questions in a media query made three weeks ago on 25 August for the first time as to why Amazon decided to do a screening and media watch party for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in South Africa, but its evident that now having joined the "watch party" publicity track, Amazon will be doing more of it - and more regularly in future.
Although there's been no answer from Amazon as to why it matters to the company to have a growing presence in South Africa, it is clear that Amazon is notably upping its marketing spend in conjunction with a string of new job offers and appointments specifically for Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Studios to produced localised content in South Africa and Nigeria.
MultiChoice Africa and M-Net West Africa lost Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu who jumped to Amazon to become head of Nigerian originals, Candice Fangueiro jumped from MultiChoice's Showmax where she was content boss to Amazon Studios for Africa, with the SABC's former TV channels PR Zandile Nkonyeni who has resurfaced as the head fo PR for Amazon Prime Video Africa based in Cape Town.
Meanwhile, consumers and the media are noticing Amazon Prime Video billboards for The Terminal List and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, with executives from traditional pay-TV companies like MultiChoice who've said they've felt somewhat upset and disturbed to land back in South Africa after overseas trips and having the first thing they're seeing being billboards at O.R. Tambo airport for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video content.
Amazon Prime Video isn't just expanding its playbox space in the physical world in South Africa.
The streamer is also growing its presence on social media - something else Amazon has been advertising new positions for, based in South Africa.
Amazon Prime Video's Instagram account at @amazonprimevideoza is churning out new content for followers, and while the streamer didn't respond to questions about this, it once again underscores Amazon's ramped-up approach and serious intention to start to leverage social media to help drive potential viewers and subscribers to sample its content and to use Amazon Prime Video.
What has South African consumers' response been to Prime Video so far since it became accessible in South Africa? Amazon was asked but remains tight-lipped.
With the litany of Amazon Studios and Amazon Prime Video positions being advertised for specifically South Africa and for Nigeria (based in South Africa), more new output deals with African filmmakers like Jade Osiberu, the increase in outdoor billboard ad space snapped up, regionalised social media expansion, and physical watch parties and events around content like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, it is however crystal clear that Amazon in South Africa and Africa is a sleeping giant that is just starting to flex its muscles.
