There's gold in them thar senior citizens
[Chris Moerdyk] There is nothing new in the fact that 6% of South Africa's population accounts for 20% of the spending power of the total population. But, once again the University of Cape Town's Unilever institute has shown perfect timing in its “Prime Timers” report, showing the importance to marketers of people over the age of 40 who make up that 6% of the target market.

Baby boomers ignored by South African marketers
[Marion Scher] They've done it again: the UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing that brought you the Wildfire and the groundbreaking Black Diamond research projects has launched its latest study on the ‘Prime Time' generation which shows that South African marketers, unlike their European and American counterparts, are ignoring one of the most lucrative markets around.

MTN, MediaCompete to part ways
MTN South Africa and MediaCompete, a division of Grey Group South Africa, announced yesterday afternoon, Monday, 11 August 2008, that they have mutual agreed to part ways after 18 months and that the MTN business will be moved to Mindshare, a sister company in GroupM.

CMO Council convenes first Africa board meeting - CMO Council
The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, a global network of more than 3500 senior marketing executives in 57 countries, held the inaugural meeting of its new Africa Advisory Board at Dimension Data offices in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday, Tuesday, 12 August 2008.

Markex Cape around the corner
Markex Cape, which takes place every second year in Cape Town, will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre and will run for three days next week, 19 - 21 August 2008. Markex is southern Africa's largest showcase of the latest global trends in marketing, promotions and special events and this year, interactive, "experiential" marketing should be a prime focus, if this year's opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics is anything to go by. For more information, go to www.markexcape.co.za.

Joburg roadshow on new marketing professional qualifications
The Services SETA is hosting a free road show to introduce the two new marketing professional designations on Thursday afternoon, 21 August 2008, in Johannesburg. This is an ideal opportunity for marketers from every discipline to hear what is involved in the processes to become recognised as a master of marketing through Chartered Marketer (SA) or as an experienced tactical marketer through Marketing Practitioner (SA). These designations are recognised throughout Europe by the European Marketing Confederation and possibly soon in Australia as well. For more information, go to Bizcommunity.com Industry Events calendar.

R69-million worth of street furniture for Tshwane
In order to create a consistent streetscape look and feel in Tshwane for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and beyond, the Tshwane Street Furniture Consortium, comprising Primedia Outdoor and Street Pole Ads, has signed a R69-million, 10-year contract with the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to provide modern and attractive new directional street name signs, it was announced yesterday, Monday, 11 August 2008.

Strategic appointments at Jupiter
The Jupiter Drawing Room (Johannesburg) has restructured its executive committee with the addition of three new members: development director Veronica King, media director Sushma Sharma and production director Hazel Neuhaus. The intention is to ensure careful planning and vision within a context of economic turmoil and a world that has never before the seen a greater choice of products or such a diverse range of media in which to promote them.


Visa ad celebrates record-setting Olympic performance
SAN FRANCISCO: In commemoration of US swimmer Michael Phelps' historic achievement of winning 10 Olympic gold medals, setting the all-time record for most career Olympic gold medals, Visa, yesterday, Thursday, 14 August 2008, released a special edition commercial. Visa has been a Worldwide Olympic Partner for more than two decades.


ACA opens doors for 61st AGM
The Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) is opening its doors and welcoming all interested parties to attend a significant milestone in the history of the association: its 61st AGM. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, 26 August 2008, at the historic venue of Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia, Johannesburg.

Campaign applauds outstanding Capetonians
Ad agency BBDO Cape Town is spreading the word of the first “Best of Cape Town Awards” for client Good Hope FM through an extensive print campaign calling for nominations from the public. The competition is intended to showcase outstanding contributions and achievements of the people of the Mother City.


Lexus' web presence commanded by Draftfcb JHB - Draftfcb (South Africa)
Draftfcb Johannesburg creative directors Pippa Capstick (copy) and Paul Coetze (art direction), and web designer Richard Fitzgerald, have created both a web presence and online advertising campaign for Lexus.

Canderel uses Billads to launch new campaign - Billads
Low kilojoule sweetener brand Canderel recently chose the Billads Bill Folder advertising platform as a major media vehicle to communicate its new "Canderel Coffee Culture" campaign.


Draftfcb Durban catches new business wave - Draftfcb (South Africa)
Draftfcb Durban agency has been riding the new business wave for several weeks now to win the marketing communication business for Décorland and Transnet Pipelines, as well as several other smaller accounts.

Ireland/Davenport goes to great depths with new BMW TV commercial - Ireland/Davenport
There was no telling just how far Ireland/Davenport was prepared to go in order to find the best way to highlight BMW's EfficientDynamics philosophy. Or in this instance, it was more a case of just how far down it was prepared to go, as the agency plunged to the depths of the Red Sea to communicate BMW's environmentally conscious message in the latest TV commercial for the brand.


Promise acquires four new clients - Promise
Promise has acquired four new clients. The clients have varying requirements ranging from the development of Corporate Identity's to BTL objectives.

Third YoungGun of the Month winners
The results of the third YGAward - YoungGun of the Month are in. Professional YoungGun of the Month is Kate Catalinac from Saatchi & Saatchi NZ for her NZ Army - Toy Soldiers Campaign. Student YoungGun of the Month are Todd Grinham and Zac Sax from Miami Adschool for their SmokingLung.com idea. Comments Leo Premutico from Johannes Leonardo, "In two out of the three months the student winner was, in my mind, better than the professional winner. A reminder for any young creative that the only thing stopping you creating something great is the belief that you don't have the experience to.” Josh Lancaster from Colenso BBDO has taken up the gauntlet from Premutico for the next three months.

The top SA brands of 2008
[Ingrid Rubin] I always look forward to the Ipsos-Markinor/Sunday Times Top Brands survey as often there are some big movers and even bigger surprises when it comes to who has come up tops.


Telkom Kenya rebrands with new look
[Carole Kimutai] Two weeks after Celtel rebranded to Zain, another telecommunication company, Telkom Kenya, has joined the band wagon and unveiled its new look. According to Telkom Kenya, the rebranding symbolises the company's changes internally in terms of strategy, operation and organisation.

Discovery Channel ranked most trusted brand in SA
Discovery Channel on DStv has been ranked the most trusted brand according to the Brand Trust Index 2007, Discovery Networks EMEA announced earlier this week. Discovery Channel ranked higher than many well-known local and international brands in the survey, which was conducted last year by Ipsos Markinor through 3500 face-to-face interviews.

ICANN auction policy raises serious questions
[Naseem Javed] Under the latest ICANN's policy, who would like to bid the highest amount for the exclusive global rights to the new domain suffix .dubai? Such a suffix will create a powerful domain root that will corner some 180 services underneath it, like go.dubai, hotel.dubai, job.dubai, cars.dubai or fly.dubai. Who would be the next global cyber-branding leader of this new millennium?


Google killer, brand killer
[Patrick Carmody] On an infamous Friday in 1993, Marlboro rocked the business world by slashing the price of its premium brand - a mini-crash ensued as all brands were suddenly deemed brittle. ‘Marlboro Friday' has since proved to be a wobble rather than a seismic shift as brands have continued to command healthy and often increasing profit margins over a sustained period. The recent launch of search engine Cuil (28 July 2008), although seemingly innocuous, again raises some Marlboro Friday-type questions around the value of brands, this time in the Web 2.0 economy.


Google IS a great brand
[Walter Pike] In my opinion, Google is a great brand. My views contrast with those of brand consultant Patrick Carmody, who, in a recent article here on Bizcommunity, states that Google is not a strong brand at all but is merely “the name of a phenomenal search engine” and that it could easily be replaced by another as in the new connected world “we are loyal to a value delivery system, not a brand”.


Nedbank to integrate Go Banking
Nedbank has announced it will be integrating Go Banking into its core offering. Go Banking has been run as a separate business in association with Pick n Pay since 2002.


Inspiration is the new investment - Rex Creative
[Rudo Botha] If businesses want to engage the new consumer, they need to reconsider innovation.

HKLM reinvents the 'C' - HKLM
HKLM has been appointed to handle Cell C's in-store promotional and merchandising elements including all stores, from informal, CST retail propositions to the company's flagship branch in Sandton. The challenge was to make Cell C's core-product - airtime - tangible at store level.


Gold medal marketing: brand growth beyond the Beijing Games - Added Value
[Magdalena Wong and James Cheng] HONG KONG: The Beijing Olympics 2008 have begun. With the world watching, there is a real opportunity for brands to capitalise on one of the most widely covered and attended sport events in the world. And with China booming, the event almost stands as a symbol of introduction between the developed, branded markets of the west and the relatively uncharted territory of the east.

Call for natural history film entries
Enter your wildlife, travel and/or cultural productions, and stand a chance of walking away with a ROSCAR (Rhino sculpture) Award.

Annual t-shirt design competition opens for entries
The theme of the third annual Makhulu Polane t-shirt design competition - which opens today, Monday, 18 August 2008, for entries - is ‘Funny-Galore'. Not only will the funniest, smartest, coolest design will win R20 000 in cash, it will be sold in all Big Blue and Kitsch & Kool stores nationwide for two months.


One night at the Virgin Mobile Cape Town Fashion Week
[Terry Levin] If only SA corporates and indeed our Olympians could be more like fashion; representing a merger of usually one person's vision with passion, team work and unstinting attention to detail, in the name of making something beautiful.


Student bags Exclusive Books competition
A 21 year old student from the University of Pretoria has bagged first place in the Exclusive Books Shopping Bag Design competition finalised in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, last week. Said Batya Green-Bricker, Exclusive Books marketing manager, of Elske Nel's entry, “The winning bag design answered our brief deftly, with a witty, sophisticated and intelligent drawing that captured the Exclusive Books brand perfectly. The naïve line drawing was simple, playful and unusual, and added a touch of whimsy to the Exclusive Books brand.”


Springleap.com truly deserving of the Proudly South African title - Springleap.com
When it comes to supporting South African products and services, Springleap leads the pack in the textile/manufacturing industry: everything, from the cotton used to make their T-shirts to their funky badges is locally produced.


Red Rocket selected for Design for Special Events - Red Rocket
Two projects, both for the South African Post Office, have been selected for publication in an international design book celebrating exceptional design produced for special events.

Lenovo sponsors Olympic blogging programme
Personal computer maker Lenovo, a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games and the Olympic Torch Relay, has provided notebook PCs and video cameras to more than 100 athletes from more than 25 countries who signed up to participate in the “Voices of the Olympic Games” blogging programme. South African athletes blogging about their Olympic experiences from Beijing are Riaan Schoeman (swimming) and Sanani Mangisa (field hockey).

Google, Quirk to host gadget event for marketers
Google and Quirk eMarketing are joining forces to host an event this month for marketers, developers and designers that will focus on the creation and use of application gadgets as marketing tools. Gadgets is the term Google uses for widgets.

Changes for Koenderman's digital workshop
“Cracking the Digital Code”, Tony Koenderman's series of workshops about online marketing, has been restructured into a single 1½-day conference in response to public demand. The programme is unchanged, but now will take place 18 - 19 September 2008, finishing at lunch time on the second day.

Downloads of Primedia podcasts pass one million
Primedia Broadcasting's podcast radio features have become incredibly popular with listeners - so much so, in fact, that the company has recorded more than one million downloads of its content through podcasting in the first seven months of 2008 alone.

Expert advocates Africa-wide e-payment platform
As African economies move towards the global order of cashless economies, an expert has called for the adoption of a trans-continental electronic payment platform, which supports trade and cash management as the only means to fast-track efforts towards African integration.

Digital migration to improve service delivery
[Michael Appel and Professor Ndawonde] The Department of Communications' digital migration process will improve service delivery and further e-governance, says director general in the department Lyndall Shope-Mafole. Presenting key areas of Cabinet-approved Broadcasting Digital Migration (BDM) Policy recently, the director general said the digital migration process and the introduction of the Set-Top-Boxes (STB) will improve the capacity of government to deliver services to the people.

MWeb Africa launches VoIP via VSAT
MWeb Africa has launched a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service for the African continent, enabling VSAT (satellite) customers to make or receive voice calls to or from almost anywhere in the world at reduced rates.


Focussing on the qualitative measurement of a campaign - longtail
Digital provides us with a medium for extremely measureable objectives, which we use to the benefit of clients. In social media, digital also gives the market a vast platform to voice their opinions.

Adobe Masters' Class - Digicape Apple Premium Reseller
Mohammed Jogie, Adobe evangelist extraordinaire and Robin Olivier from Digicape will discuss practical skills as well as business strategies and innovations necessary for a successful workflow and productivity improvement utilising Adobe solutions, ending in a Q&A for a panel of experts.


Digital marketing: When science and marketing meet - digiVOX
The secret to effective digital marketing is to understand the complexities of each phase of a digital campaign. “Unlike traditional media, where the work generally ends after the ad has appeared on TV or in print, the real fun in digital marketing only begins once the campaign has gone live,” says André Britz, digital strategist at digiVOX.


SynthaSite, finalist in the Industry Standards Innovation 100 Awards - SynthaSite
SynthaSite is a finalist in the Industry Standards Innovation 100 Awards, a community-driven awards program that showcases the top 100 Internet innovators across 10 categories.

Women in gaming - rAge
Gaming usually brings to mind anaemic-looking teenage boys hiding out in their parents' basements for extended periods of time, while ogling busty heroines traversing the barren landscapes of World of Warcraft. While this stereotype may have been accurate at one time, it no longer holds true, as more and more women are joining the gaming fraternity.


Look to electronic communication to cut costs in the economic downturn - Striata
Rising interest rates, the credit squeeze and general price increases stemming from expensive fuel are forcing most businesses to trim their operational costs. One way of achieving this is to make use of electronic communications solutions instead of costly print and post.

Gaming... an Olympic sport? - rAge
Running, swimming and weight-lifting are all sports that instantly come to mind when thinking about the Olympics. Video games, on the other hand, don't generally feature on this list. However, a recent drive by the Global Gaming League (GGL) wants to see this change.

Wunderman to move Barloworld
Direct and digital marketing agency Wunderman has won the Barloworld Logistics account with immediate effect, it was announced yesterday, Thursday, 14 August 2008.

Inventive targeting even more critical in testing times
In a turbulent economic environment it is essential for companies to re-evaluate their marketing strategies. According to Gary Nelson, CEO of Primedia Face 2 Face, “This is the time to cement brand loyalty with the mass consumer market. Getting buy-in to brands by displaying awareness of consumer's needs and continued interaction during an economic downturn will make sure that a brand is top of mind during the downturn and actively embraced in an upturn.”

USB named SA's top business school - USB-ED
The University of Stellenbosch Business School has been named the number one business school in South Africa by the Professional Management Review. The USB achieved the highest overall score of 4.11 out of a possible 5 points in the annual national survey of MBA accredited schools.

A fairy at the Palace - The Learning Theatre
After the opening of the two-day Powertech-IST conference at Emperors Palace, the Palace will never be the same again! The Learning Theatre combined forces with Powertech-IST to create an awesome Industrial Theatre show that had the audience gasping and giggling all through the introductory session.


UCT business school develops project management masterminds - UCT Graduate School of Business
The UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) is giving a new twist to a tried-and-tested business function this August with the launch of a course on strategic project management that organisers say will enable senior managers and project leaders to successfully create and execute projects that deliver maximum value - even in hard economic times.


Stellenbosch Academy student wins gold Loerie - Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography
The Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography would like to congratulate Alwine Nolte, a third-year graphic design student, on her prestigious achievement. The award was granted in the Typography Craft category and her winning project was titled “Bata Schooldaze”.

Another international congress for Durban
The South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) has won the bid to host the XXV International Union of Architects (UIA) Congress 2014 in Durban, making it the first African city to host the congress since Egypt more than 30 years ago. The announcement was made during the XXIII UIA Congress and General Assembly last month at the Lingotto conference centre in Turin.


Business leaders addressing crime
Top-level business and political leaders Jacob Zuma, Cheryl Carolus, Jody Kollapen, Wendy Luhabe, Siphiwe Nzimande, Zola Skweyiya and Cyril Ramaphosa are part of the lineup of speakers who will address delegates at the Action for a Safe South Africa Convention to be held end of August 2008 in Johannesburg.

Denim on the move - True Colour Events
True Colour Events is privileged to have been associated with the launch of Denim's latest video at the chic fashiontv dining lounge in Sandton.


Blend Eventlife launches latest portfolio - Blend Eventlife
Celebrated Cape Town-based events, bar and staffing company - Blend Eventlife has launched its latest portfolio of unique multi-functional designer sushi, wok, oyster, ice bars and cocktail bars - never before seen on the South African market and some as long as 60 metres in varying colours and designs with a choice of new lighting options.

Oasys Innovations and The Agency in joint Africa project - Oasys Innovations
Communications agency The Agency contracted exhibitions and events infrastructure supplier Oasys Innovations to supply and install an exhibition stand at the conference for United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA) in Accra, Ghana last month. The client was the Development Bank of South Africa.

Oasys celebrates Decorex with Thebe - Oasys Innovations
This year marked the 15th celebration of the Decorex exhibition in Johannesburg, held at Gallagher Estates. The brand of “Imagine, Innovate, Realise” reflects on the commitment from both companies, as well as the more than 200 exhibitors, to present 40 000 visitors with trendy and practical solutions for the home and garden.


EXSA grooms image through media support - The Exhibitions and Events Association
The Exhibitions and Events Association has polished its image through the support of the media. The regular distribution of news items has firmly positioned both the Association and its members amongst the mainstream of decision makers in the communications industry, as well as with relevant opinion leaders in both the public and private sectors.

Planning an exhibition or event? The security angle. - The Exhibitions and Events Association
There are a multitude of considerations to be assessed by an exhibition or event organiser. Says the Exhibition and Events Association of South Africa's Chief Executive Officer Sharon Peetz: "Choosing a venue, finding an infrastructure supplier, selling space to individual exhibitors, the list is extensive, and for a first-time organiser can be incredibly daunting!"

Baba Indaba wows Cape Town with a 30% increase in visitors - Baba Indaba
Cape Town was a flutter with mamas, papas and babas at the CTICC at the end of July. The economic downturn was certainly not evident in the visible spend happening at SABC Education Baba Indaba.

8 Ink Media to publish luxury hotel custom title
Melrose Arch Hotel announced on Friday, 15 August 2008, that 8 Ink Media will be publishing its new high-end magazine, M. Targeting the high end business traveller, 7000 copies of the magazine will be distributed to Melrose Arch Hotel guests and to premium outlets within the Melrose Arch Precinct in Johannesburg.


Strategic editorial appointments at New Media Publishing
New Media Publishing (NMP) has made various strategic changes to its décor hub through various promotions and new appointments to the editorial team. The hub currently includes consumer title Visi and customer titles Plascon Colour and Woolworths World.

Confusion over official motor show programme clarified
Zaida Enver of Kagiso Exhibitions and Events (KEE) confirmed earlier this week that Car magazine will publish the Official Souvenir Programme for the Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS), following a recent announcement that Cars in Action would publish the programme.

Fairlady celebrates local music talent with the Fairlady Spring Collection CD - woman360
If your Fairlady is a cue to sit back, relax and enjoy a good read then the September 2008 issue, coupled with a fantastic all-South African CD compilation, is pure indulgent heaven.


Seventeen magazine is now powered by Preditor - Prefix Technologies
A new Seventeen magazine website has been launched and ushers in a new era for publisher 8 Ink Media's digital strategy. A year ago, the company decided to procure and invest in Prefix Technologies' proven software platform - Preditor CMS for Publishers.

Prefix Technologies sponsors Advancing Web 2.0 for Traditional Media conference - Prefix Technologies
Prefix Technologies, a software solutions provider to the publishing sector, has announced its sponsorship of the upcoming “Advancing Web 2.0 for Traditional Media” conference. The event will take place on 14 August 2008 at the Wanders Club in Johannesburg.

New look for parenting mag

click to enlarge

Your Child, the alternate monthly glossy magazine for parents from Alchemy Publishing, is sporting a bright and bold new cover design. The September/October 2008 issue, on shelf now, is the first to feature the fresh new look. Says editor Kate Sidley, “After three years of publication it was time to refresh our cover. We redesigned the cover, giving it a bolder, more modern look. The cover previously featured just one child, but from now on we will show two kids. Even more importantly, we are able to show a relationship between the children, which gives the cover more warmth.” Your Child has also recently introduced two new regular features: “To make together” and “To cook together”.


Search for cover model is on
The search is on for 10 South African men, who are passionate about life and see themselves as role models, to compete for the title of Men's Health Look 2008. As part of the judging process, finalists will be taken to the Western Cape for an action-packed weekend, followed by a trip to Cape Town for an urban challenge that will test their strength and endurance. The winner will be announced at an event in Cape Town on Thursday, 30 October 2008. A total cash prize of R30 000 will be awarded to the top three finalists, including prizes from sponsors Nike, Hunter's Dry, Hugo Boss and Dentyne. The winner receives a photographic shoot with the Men's Health team and stands a chance of winning a spot on the cover of the magazine in 2009. For more information, go to www.menshealthsa.co.za. Entries close 5 September.

Another award for Crime Line
Yusuf Abramjee, head of Primedia's Crime Line, received a Special Recognition Award from Matla A Bana, an NGO involved in the fight against crimes involving women and children, at its annual awards ceremony in Johannesburg earlier this week.

ANC wants ability to fire the SABC board - so what?
[Chris Moerdyk] There are two ways of looking at the latest ANC version of the Broadcast Amendment Bill that will allow Parliament to fire the whole SABC board without any sort of due process. One would be to take an idealistic approach and the other to just be pragmatic about it all.

Vote on amendments to Broadcasting Act could be taken today
[Vivian Warby] The Portfolio Committee on Communications might vote on amendments to the Broadcasting Act today, Wednesday, 13 August 2008. The ruling party is expected to submit its latest proposals on the amendments.

SADC leaders must adopt gender protocol
The third Gender and Media (GEM) summit ended in Johannesburg yesterday, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, with a call for the adoption of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development that includes strong provisions for achieving gender balance and sensitivity in the media. The summit took place on the eve of the annual meeting of leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), 16 - 17 August, where the protocol that has been in the making for several years is expected to be adopted.

‘Media's symbolic annihilation of women must be stopped'
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The absence of women in news stories globally, in public affairs and serious magazines and media's over-sexualisation of women, and women's under-employment by media organisations all amount to a symbolic annihilation of women by media and should be stopped at all costs, delegates attending this week's 2008 Gender and Media Summit on the Gauteng East Rand were told.

Media must cover rural women, too
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Ongoing training should be part of newsrooms' agendas and journalists must move beyond reporting only on high-profile women to give full voice to women who live on the edge of society, ensuring that practical issues that directly affect them are sufficiently covered, Trevor Davies, Gender Links media trainer, told Bizcommunity.com yesterday, Monday, 11 August 2008, on the sidelines of the Gender and Media Summit currently taking place in Benoni on the Gauteng East Rand.

MDDA calls for board nominations - MDDA
Written nominations are invited for persons to be appointed on the Board of the abovementioned Agency in terms of the Media Development and Diversity Act (Act No. 14 of 2002).

Two weeks left to enter green journo awards
Entries for the SAB Environmentalist And Environmental Journalists Of The Year Awards 2008 close on 1 September 2008. These awards focus on the entire spectrum of “green” and “brown” issues and each of the three awards carries a cash prize of R15 000 and a trophy. They are print and Internet; radio and TV and the Nick Steele Memorial Award, which for the second year is being given to the Environmentalist of the Year. Merit prizes carry a prize of R2000 each. The 2008 awards will be adjudicated based on work produced between 1 August 2007 and 29 July 2008. Go to www.sabenvironment.co.za to enter.

Who Owns Whom publisher found murdered
NEWSWATCH: Robin McGregor, founder and publisher of Who Owns Whom was found murdered by police in his bathroom yesterday, Tuesday, 12 August 2008, reports IOL.

Global mobile advertising phenomenon hits SA
“Global trends are moving towards advertising online rather than traditional media.” So says Andre Beyers, former marketing head of Vodacom and now chairman of Eyeballs Mobile. The new company recently launched the first phase of its mobile handset advertising platforms - an unobtrusive, strictly opt-in platform that allows advertisers to reach their target audience directly through compatible cellular phones.

Call for feedback on mobile ad guidelines
NEW YORK, LONDON & SINGAPORE: The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) last week announced the opening of its global Mobile Advertising Guidelines for public feedback. These guidelines are designed to encourage the uptake of mobile advertising by brands worldwide while enhancing and protecting the customer's experience by creating a framework for brands and media companies to deliver mobile advertising in a positive and consistent way.

From nice-to-have WAP sites to must-have mobisites
[Eddie Groenewald] The mobile channel is no longer just a support channel to Internet and other media. Mobile websites (mobisites) now stand on their own as tools to interact directly with people who have access to the Internet and those who do not in South Africa.


HIV/Aids education mobile portal launched
To provide the broadest section of the South African population with an easy-to-use, 24/7 and cost-effective encyclopedia on HIV and AIDS, Dr Brian Monaisa has launched an online education portal accessible via any WAP-enabled mobile phone. The service, Live Reality, is available free to anyone wanting to know more about this disease; the only cost is bandwidth. "When it comes to AIDS, sharing is not always easy as it is a very personal matter," explains, Monaisa. "Using a mobile phone as an educational device not only gets the information to more people, it also allows people to investigate and discuss this terrible disease in private without revealing their identity."

MMP to appeal over ombudsman's Daily Sun ruling
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Disappointed and disgruntled by the press ombudsman's failure to ‘punish' the Daily Sun newspaper for its so-called ‘xenophobic' reporting, Media Monitoring Project (MMP) executive director William Bird told Bizcommunity.com on the weekend that his organisation will lodge a formal appeal early this week to the Press Appeal Panel, chaired by Judge Ralph Zulman.

Independent Newspapers goes national with Verve
[Tshepiso Seopa] On Tuesday, 19 August 2008, The Star newspaper will be going national with an upgraded version of its lifestyle section Verve. Printed on a high quality Envapost paper, the new tabloid supplement Verve Magazine will be available every last Tuesday of the month on a monthly basis and will be inserted into The Star's sister publications Pretoria News, Cape Argus and The Daily News in Kwazulu-Natal.

Chaos Computers goes full e-Commerce - Realmdigital
Chaos Computers has recently launched full e-Commerce functionality to its existing website. Powered by Realmdigital's Platform, the site now offers clients the option to order their products online, make secure payments and have their goods delivered to their doorstep.


New Firehouse website stickier than toffee pudding - The Firehouse
The Firehouse Group is proud to announce its revamped, sticky website.

Qui Media launch Page Skins on What2Night.co.za, a South African first - Qui Media
Qui Media have launched Page Skins on What2Night.co.za offering marketers a more creative and effective online advertising vehicle than ever before.


Olympic blogging from Runner's World
Former South African Olympic 400-metre runner Arnaud Malherbe is providing commentary on the Beijing Olympic Games on his daily blog on www.runnersworld.co.za (click on the Beijing Olympics 2008 button on the homepage). Malherbe is quite outspoken in his blog, based on his vast experience of top-level competition. He is the former South African 400-metre champion and represented SA at three Olympic Games, three Commonwealth Games, four Athletics World Champs, two World Student Games and the World Cup in Athletics. He currently works as a wealth manager at RMB Private Bank and does radio and television commentary on athletics as well.

Good news for Melville
Melville News is a newly launched free “good news” email newsletter from print journalist and TV producer Suzanne Brenner of Prowrite that aims to share information and foster goodwill among all who live, work and play in Melville, Johannesburg. “Ahead of 2010, I decided to kick-start a positive interaction in the place where I live so when I put forward the idea via the MRA mailing list, I had no idea how encouraging the response would be,” writes Brenner in the launch issue. Submit your positive news or subscribe by emailing prowrite@mweb.co.za.

Nairobi advertisers get the message across using local talent
[Vuyo Mkosi] What first strikes you about Nairobi is the vast number of outdoor advertising sites visible. The city is littered with outdoor, positioned at every roundabout, in every neighbourhood and on most streets. These are not just small or average-sized billboards either, they are all huge.


Tractor erects biggest site in Cape Town! - Tractor
Tractor Outdoor, in partnership with the Green Point Stadium Joint Venture, has successfully erected what it claims is the largest outdoor advertising sign in Cape Town.

Calling all BUDS - The Refinery
The Refinery's Budding, Underexposed Directors Showcase initiative is upon us for 2008. It is a platform where long and short film directors get the chance to show off their talent.


Sub urban and HKLM draw students to the University of Johannesburg - Sub urban
Sub urban has directed two commercials for the University of Johannesburg. The first is geared to draw South African undergrads, while the second focuses on the international market.


Refinery's hot off the Olympic starting blocks - The Refinery
South Africa's golden boy, Paralympics athlete Oscar Pistorius, has just won another strenuous race - this time in the new Powerade limited edition Apple commercial finished by Refinery Visual Effects.


Frieze Films opens 'new door' for highly acclaimed documentary director - Frieze Films
Production house Frieze Films has opened the door of television commercial production for highly acclaimed Soweto-born television and film director, Dumisane Phakathi.


Anton Visser ''Making His Mother Proud'' - Velocity Films
Anton Visser's three spots for the 2008 Loerie Awards “Make Your Mother Proud” campaign has won the Creative Circle Ad of the Month for June.

"Welcome to a world without rules." - Grapevine Media
Grapevine Promotions and Grapevine Postcards worked in synergy to create an exciting, interactive campaign to promote the movie "The Dark Knight" throughout the month of July.

Trust, the bedrock of future SA business success
[Craig Kolb] At least part of the reason for the success of Western economies in the later stages of capitalism could be attributed to the accumulated trust in institutions and a democratic climate which guaranteed property rights (Hou and Hou, 2002).


Reputation management not a priority for corporate SA
[Lisa Dawson Biggs] Government's management of the recent xenophobic violence should be a lesson to corporate South Africa about proactive reputation management. Its tardy response to managing the xenophobic violence and the resulting media backlash is an example of how ineffective stakeholder management - often seen as a non-core management function - could tarnish an organisation's reputation.


Livewired Cape Town accepts Women's Day Challenge - Livewired Communications
The Livewired Communications Cape Town team participated in the 10km Bonita's Women's Day Challenge, which was held at the Bellville Velodrome.


Platinum PR launches first-ever Banner Store on African continent - Platinum Public Relations
Tiens Southern Africa recently appointed Platinum Public Relations as its public relations agency to launch the first-ever banner store in southern Africa. Tiens is a multinational group specialising in retail, tourism, finance, international trade and e-business.

PURE Communications appointed as Sanyo's PR agency - PURE Communications
Sanyo, the Japanese manufacturing giant, has appointed PURE Communications as its public relations agency of record. Sanyo is recognised worldwide as a great technology innovator and will be relaunching its brand in South Africa in September 2008.

HWB, Erica Meles join forces
A partnership between HWB Communications and Erica Meles Public Relations will allow the agencies to exchange professional expertise, benefiting their clients. HWB Communications is based in Cape Town and has a diverse portfolio of clients in leisure, corporate and NGOs. It is the only company in Africa that belongs to the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), an international alliance of the world's leading independent PR firms. Erica Meles Public Relations is focused on strategic communications and planning. The agency specialises in wine and lifestyle clients, but also has eventing and recruitment clients.

Jozi FM extends reach
[Tshepiso Seopa] Soweto's backyard radio - Jozi Fm - is no longer only available to audiences in the south western townships. At the beginning of August 2008, the station was added to Multichoice's Dstv platform, allowing South Africans throughout the country to listen to one of the biggest community radio stations in the country.

Radio stations added to pay-tv bouquets
Radio stations 94.7 Highveld Stereo, Kfm and Jozi FM have been added to MultiChoice's DStv platform since 1 August 2008, on the DStv Premium, DStv Compact, DStv Select, EasyView, DStv Indian and DStv Portuguesa bouquets. The History channel has also been expanded from an 18-hour to a 24-hour broadcast service since 3 August.

Relief for frustrated commuters: search for jobs by distance - Jobs.co.za
Revamped South African job portal Jobs.co.za aims to bring relief to frustrated urban commuters with the birth of its new Job Navigator (job search by distance) feature that is being introduced to the market today, Monday, 18 August 2008.


Microsoft takes the honours in BEST Employers 2008/09 survey of top companies to work for - CRF South Africa
Microsoft is the country's BEST Employer for 2008/09 according to the now well-established HR best practice benchmark BEST Employers South Africa, run by CRF South Africa.


Another SA recruitment app for Facebook
CareerJunction's online casting and talent management solution company, WholebangShoot, has launched a Facebook application which gives aspiring models, actors and characters the opportunity to load their profiles and be searched by top talent agencies. The Wannabe app allows users to load their profile (basic information and photos) onto the WholeBangShoot database. WholeBangShoot then verifies the profiles after which it becomes searchable by registered talent agencies on the WholebangShoot web service. Agents are able to search the Wannabe profiles and invite potential models, actors or characters to join. All communication is automated. “CareerJunction is growing and we are excited to be tapping into a social utility as well-known as Facebook and offer a fun, fast and rewarding service to Facebook users and talent agents alike,” says Kris Jarzebowski, CEO of CareerJunction and WholeBangShoot.

Money as a measurement of success
Over the past decades, the free flow of investment to emerging markets has brought significant economic opportunities for the first time to many people around the world. As the flow of money takes new routes and reaches more people, the latest Global TGI data may be used to compare and contrast attitudes towards wealth, success and satisfaction around the world.


How are you using media research?
[David L. Smith] With the introduction of more and more new information sets characterised as media research (Google Ad Planner) and other data sets that people are using as surrogates for research (log files/Google Analytics), it seems an appropriate time to talk about research and proper use of same.

New Bureau of Market Research report on Gauteng income, expenditure patterns
The Bureau of Market Research will shortly be publishing a report entitled ‘Income and expenditure patterns of households in Gauteng, 2006', based on a study conducted in 2006 of the income and expenditure patterns of households in Gauteng. This study encompassed a survey involving a random sample of 520 households of all population groups living in urban areas of Gauteng.

Lobola affected by high interest rates - Foshizi
Foshizi, a Black Consumer Insights Agency, gathered true insights into how the interest rates and overall higher prices are impacting so differently on the lives of many.


South Africa's most trusted companies - Ask Afrika
The results of Ask Afrika's Trust Barometer survey were released at an awards ceremony held at Melrose Arch on Friday, 8th of August 2008. It was attended by various CEOs and executives from major South African corporates.

Survey shows Sowetan shoppers go bulk
The opening of four major shopping malls in Soweto since 2005 has changed the entire shopping landscape and experience of Sowetans. With further retail development being planned as part of the Orlando eKhaya entertainment and business development project, past shopping behaviour trends of Sowetans to shop outside the area are bound to change.

NCR, credit providers agree on cost of distribution of payments
Hard-pressed consumers will no longer have to carry any costs of payment distribution following an agreement between the National Credit Regulator (NCR) and credit providers regarding the cost of distribution of payments to credit providers.

Dealing with the global downturn
[John van Wyk] Where are the opportunities that always lie in times of economic change? What should the owners of and participants in global supply chains be doing to maintain or extend their competitive advantage in this global economic downturn?

Looking for a meaningful relationship? - Hertz Rent a Car
Fighting for advertising space in the leading papers is an ongoing battle between those with the deepest pockets. Not so for Hertz Rent a Car, which has taken the initiative and conceptualised some tongue-in-cheek adverts to appear precisely where you wouldn't expect them.


Gearing up for a feast: live blogging from Durban Good Food and Wine Show
After catching an excruciatingly early flight on Wednesday morning, 13 August 2008, Bizcommunity.com's marketing co-ordinator Jo Hardiman is on-stand for the Bizcommunity Retail portal at the Durban Exhibition Centre, helping set up for the gastronomical food fiesta that will be the city's inaugural Good Food and Wine Show. The event officially opens on Thursday, 14 August 2008, and runs until Sunday 17 August. Read Jo's first intake of the show here.

The case for sales force transformation
[Peter Gilbert] It is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to differentiate themselves by what they sell. If they are unwilling to differentiate themselves by how they sell, then they will, by default, end up differentiating themselves by how much they sell it for.

Octagon clients garner three more medals - Octagon South Africa
After the third full day of Olympic competition, Octagon's clients continue to make headlines led by swimmers Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. Octagon has now garnered 11 total medals which is good enough for fourth place in the overall medal count among countries.

MTV Africa Music Awards 2008
The first, star-studded MTV Africa Music Awards will take place at the Velodrome, Abuja, Nigeria on Saturday, 22 November 2008, in front of thousands of musicians, celebrities, media and music fans in a two-hour TV spectacular, combining performances from top African and international stars with award presentations and an international superstar host.


Cape Town TV, AFDA join forces
Cape Town's new community television channel, Cape Town TV (CTV), has partnered with film and drama school AFDA in a deal which will see CTV contribute to training operations at AFDA's TV school while remaining an independent entity, it was announced earlier this week.

Sweet sixteen for kids' gaming show
Reggie's Rush, South African television's longest running children's gaming show, turns 16 this year. Launched in 1992 by popular baby, toy and gaming store Reggie's, the show runs for 12 weeks in the last quarter of every year.

Make-over programme replaces Friends on e.tv
e.tv is replacing Friends with Style by Jury, a makeover series that focuses on making the best first impression possible. Experts in the field of cosmetic dermatology, cosmetic dentistry, image, fashion, hair and make-up will show how you can look 10 years younger and get that “wow” factor. Over the course of seven days, makeover candidates are transformed from the inside out. Hosted by Bruce Turner, no expense is spared as participants receive cosmetic surgeries that enhance their looks. The series starts on Friday, 22 August 2008, at 7.30pm.

O'Brien takes on Olympics
As CNBC does not own the international rights to broadcast the Olympics, a 30-minute version of Late Night with Conan O'Brien will be filling the shoes of NBC Nightly News on CNBC Africa during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games every morning at 12.30am. NBC Nightly News will return to its usual timeslot on 22 August 2008.

Marketing to children through mom
[Maria Bailey] Marketing through a mother's toddlers, tweens and/or teens is an effective way to capture the buying power of the mom market. It is a successful marketing strategy because it can be used with any stage of motherhood. It plays to a mother's desire to make her children happy.