Prepping marketers for the global market
[Louise Marsland] Marketing innovation in Africa is something that we should be shining a light on for the rest of the world, believes Donovan Neale-May, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council international founder, who was in South Africa in the past week to launch CMO Africa. Highlighting marketing best practice globally and training up the next generation of Africa's marketers for the global market will be a core competency of CMO Africa.

Before doing deals with China, check your underpants
[Chris Moerdyk] As a result of billions of TV viewers the world over having been glued to the Olympics these past two weeks, a lot more businesses will be wanting to buy from and flog things to China. And, with an important function of global marketing being research into cultural considerations, it is critically important to ensure that some little element or other is not missing from a business deal that could come back and bite you on the bum.

Mismatched marketing
[Banele Rewo] There is a trend practiced by marketers, advertisers and promoters in black and coloured locations, which are so very complex and vibrant that, when conjuring up campaigns for products, marketers and promoters need to tailor their approaches to suit the target. Photocopying marketing strategies will only result in people only interested in whatever free stuff given out. Needless to say, that particular campaign will not succeed in winning over the target market from the competition.


More on becoming a killer freelancer
[Tiffany Markman] Whether you're a) already freelancing and looking for a more substantial knowledge base to back you up, b) entirely new to freelancing and wanting to get going or c) still thinking about beginning a freelance career, here's the second in my three-part series.


Misunderstanding the black target market in SA
[Nokuthula Radebe] During the 14 years of South Africa's democracy, the country has changed considerably in terms of the mindset, ambition and beliefs of its citizens. Many marketers and advertisers have been tweaking their messages to accommodate the changing times.


Nissan discovers the wrath of viral advertising
[Chris Moerdyk] It is quite remarkable that there are still marketers and advertising people around who think that as long as one restricts controversial advertising to a tiny niche target market, there won't be any fallout. And it is equally remarkable that there are marketers and advertising strategists about who weren't paying attention in class when rule #1 was being read out - the one about “stay away from religion and race in advertising campaigns”.

Best Practice Report on ways to bridge and bind global sales and marketing teams - CMO Council
In a milestone qualitative research initiative, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council has released an in-depth global report on how corporate executives can bridge the yawning gap between marketing and sales teams and better align these two critical functions to drive business performance and revenue growth.

Full house for marketing qualifications roadshow
The Introduction to Chartered Marketer (SA) and Marketing Practitioner (SA) Road Show, which took place at the Services SETA premises in Parktown yesterday, Thursday, 21 August 2008, apparently drew a full house of interested and prospective candidates who wanted to learn more about these professional designations for marketers. This demand means that another one will be set up in Johannesburg in the first half of September. Interested individuals, or managers who want their marketing staff to get the professional marketing recognition that they deserve, should email rory@rpml.co.za for further information on the designations and the date of the next show. Durban and Cape Town will have roadshows in their cities before the end of the year, so interested parties on the coast must contact the same address.

2010 Imbizo: Joburg assesses its readiness
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The work of building Orlando Stadium and renovating Dobsonville Stadium and Rand Stadium is almost complete - 97%, 98% and 99% respectively - and the Coca-Cola Park Stadium (formerly Ellis Park) upgrading (35%) will meet its deadline, just in time for next year's Confederations Cup, Joburg mayor Amor Masondo said last night, Thursday, 21 August 2008, in Nasrec, near Soweto, Johannesburg, at the 2010 Imbizo.

We are ready for 2010, SA tells world
[Simangaliso Zwane] CHAOYANG, BEIJING: South Africa is on track to deliver the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the South African government, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and FIFA told a gathering crowd of international media representatives in Chaoyang yesterday, Thursday, 21 August 2008.

Global internet innovators at Africa's first international E-Tourism conference
World-leading online experts will be speaking at Africa's first international e-tourism conference next month, giving presentations at the two-day conference, 1 - 2 September 2008, on how southern Africa's tourism sector can harness the potential of the web, especially in the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.


Media invited to scrutinise 2010 prep in China
[Simangaliso Zwane] CHAOYANG, BEIJING: A contingent of international and local media representatives has been invited to put preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup under the microscope in Beijing on Thursday, 21 August 2008, the Department of Sport and Recreation said in a statement late last week.

Communicating the 2010 FIFA World Cup - d6 Media
The 2010 FIFA World Cup is far more than just a soccer tournament. It is an opportunity for Africa to tell its story to the world.

Pendoring finalists announced
“It is as if a new and fresh breeze has blown through the Afrikaans advertising landscape. This year's Pendoring entries are some of the best that have yet been received in the 14 years of this competition's existence.” So says Leon Jacobs, executive creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi Hong Kong and this year's international Pendoring judge, speaking on this year's Pendoring finalists which have just been announced. [poll]

New CEO for MediaCom Worldwide
Stephen Allan, previously CEO of GroupM UK, has been named chairman and CEO of MediaCom Worldwide, it was announced late last week. He succeeds Alexander Schmidt-Vogel, who has taken on the newly established role of CEO global trading of GroupM Worldwide.


Digital v Anti Digital: D&AD Annual launches next month
Some of the best design and advertising in the world will be immortalised with the publication of the D&AD Annual 2008 on 18 September 2008. Designed by Neville Brody from Research Studios exclusively for D&AD membership, the book is themed ‘Digital vs Anti Digital'. For the first time this year, all of the work will be published online, as well as in the iconic book.


British Airways campaign braves UK media
British Airways has gone on the offensive with an above-the-line campaign to prove that, despite initial difficulties, the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow is now working as advertised. A few months ago, the new terminal's baggage system crashed in the full glare of the world's media.

RS&P challenges all media motor mouths
Calling all media planners and strategists with the vocal agility to rival a cheated street vendor! From 25 August to the end of September 2008, take your decibel dexterity to new heights as you mouth off in RS&P Automotive's Media Motor Mouths Challenge.

2008/9 ASA board announced
Nkwenkwe Nkomo has been re-elected as chairperson of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of South Africa and Karen Willenberg has been appointed as deputy chairperson, the ASA said yesterday, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, in announcing its 2008/9 board of directors.

Call to enter APEX Awards 2009
Entries are now open for the 2009 APEX Awards, the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) announced earlier this week. The awards will now be held annually and entries are open to the entire African continent.

Advertising essential in tough economic times
[Solly Mokgehle] Cut back, trim down, reduce, reduce, REDUCE! In tough economic times, we are bombarded with a barrage of messages about how we should be examining our expenses, cutting back on everything but the essentials and saving money to survive.


Mick & Nick showcases Look & Listen's latest albums - Lowe Bull
Below-the-line communications specialist Mick & Nick took the idea of having a tune stuck in your head to the next level with its new TV character, appropriately named TV-Head Boy, for client Look & Listen's commercial.


Advertising and animation, a new revolution - Wicked Pixels
Animation production studio Wicked Pixels believes that advertising and animation have become one, and that, from here on the two will be virtually inseparable.


Stimulii cuts a deal with House of Diehl - Stimulii
Creating living brands has become synonymous with advertising agency Stimulii. Its latest coup for Tropika, Style Wars, which was first introduced to fashion savvy New Yorkers by House of Diehl, is evidence once again of Stimulii's knack for keeping its finger on the pulse on the latest trends to hit the global circuit.

Finally, the definitive Loeries Table... - FoxP2
There has been much speculation over the last few weeks as to who finished where on the Loeries Table. Here's Tony Koenderman of Finweek's take on the issue.


David Bullard at the ABF Spring Ball - Advertsing Benevolent Fund
He's been fired at and fired, but he's back in business, more fired up than ever before! David Bullard, South Africa's accidentally controversial columnist, raconteur, socio-political thorn-in-the-side and highly entertaining and amusing speaker, will be hosting the 2008 Advertising Benevolent Fund Spring Ball on 3 September 2008 at the Ball Room, Montecasino, Johannesburg.

Clover Spreads the Love best - Stimulii
Consumers have been lapping up Clover's Spread the Love campaign. The adverts received the highest likability score in the dairy category ever in South Africa, according to South Africa's leading consumer assessor of advertising, Millward Brown's Adtrack system.


Call to enter OpenAd Golden Drum Idea
OpenAd has partnered once again with the Golden Drum international advertising festival to present the third annual OpenAd Golden Drum Idea Competition. To be eligible, the ideas submitted must be original, unbranded and previously unpublished. There are three competition categories, including TV, Print and Web Design. Freelancers or advertising agencies worldwide have until 4 September 2008 to submit their ideas via www.openad.net and compete for four prizes, including the OpenAd TV, OpenAd Print, OpenAd Web design, as well as the grand prize, the OpenAd Golden Drum Big Idea award. Four finalists will receive award plaques and free delegate passes and will also have their work displayed at the festival, which take place in Portoroz, on the Adriatic Coast of Slovenia, 5 - 10 October 2008.

Jupiter takes the Creative Circle lead
Traditionally, the title of SA's most creative agency is revealed at the end of the calendar year, when the Creative Circle-endorsed local and international awards results come to a close, but this year The Jupiter Drawing Room (SA) & Partners (The Jupiter Drawing Room [Johannesburg and Cape Town], DDB SA, MetropolitanRepublic and Black River FCB) is celebrating early. According to a press statement from the agency group, at the end of July 2008, the creativity points amassed were so great that even if the second placed agency group (Ogilvy SA) were to win every Creative Circle-endorsed award remaining in 2008, it would still not be able to surpass Jupiter's total. The Jupiter Drawing Room (SA) last took top place on the Creative Circle table in 2001. Since then, a variety of agencies have vied for the number one slot. (TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris 2002 and 2003, Net#work BBDO 2004, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris 2005, Ogilvy (SA) 2006 and Lowe Bull 2007).

Call for entry: Name that icon
The Glass Recycling Company's intrepid new hero is without a name. So this South African national organisation, responsible for facilitating the recovery of waste glass for recycling, is calling all creative minds to help with the naming of its mascot.


Eight new category winners in 2008 Top Brands
[Susan Moerdyk] Eight out of 39 categories are topped by new winners, which is an amazing feat! It is always comforting that one of the defining trends of the Top Brands survey is stability, as this is in line with credible global brand studies. Despite this trend, it is very encouraging to see that there has been considerable movement this year, which is a result of rigorous and sustained brand management. [video]


You're too ecomotional - Interbrand Sampson
[Christopher Koller] Business is about profit. Profitable people, profitable planet(s) and profitable profit. Triple bottom line. We all know the term, we all talk the benefits, but until it is measured it will not achieve the respect and acknowledgement it deserves.


She's no couch potato! - The Brand Union
Logolounge to the design industry is comparable to the importance of a GPRS to a traveller - it's the bestselling design series ever published and we are proud to announce that our creative director, Bronwen Rautenbach, has received the exceptional honour of being chosen as one of the eight international judges (and the only judge from South Africa) of this year's annual.


Logos, symbolism and behaviour - how connected are they? - Context Brand Consultants
Your logo can elicit specific behaviours through the use of archetypal symbols that all human beings intuitively recognise and understand. These symbols form part of the "collective unconscious" - an enormous untapped resource and a definitive element of human motivation.

Brand Alive appointed to RBS - Brand Alive
Brand Alive, the brand relationship company, has been awarded the comprehensive brand development and enhancement project for Requisite Business Solutions (RBS).

Think global - act local - ChatROOM
Advertisers and PR professionals take heed... brand management is not about a simple one-line description about a brand. Rather, it includes many different ways of characterising a brand and positioning it uniquely in the consumers' minds.

HKLM brightens up Cotlands - HKLM
The entire staff of HKLM Johannesburg turned up at Cotlands in Turffontein at the beginning of the month to revamp this renowned home's sanctuary area and host a party to celebrate its 72nd birthday.


Local design shop goes global - Berge Farrell
Local design and iconography specialist Berge Farrell continues to spread its wings on the international stage, with three significant jobs in 2008 - one in Romania, another in Ireland, and the final - and perhaps most exciting - one, in Italy.


Top brands use Brands & Branding to tell their success stories - Brands & Branding
South Africa's top brands publish their success stories in the Encyclopaedia of Brands & Branding in South Africa, proving the value of the wisdom conveyed in this quote (often attributed to David Ogilvy) - "Doing business without advertising is like winking at someone in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does."

Breinstorm takes Art of Design 2008
Boutique agency Breinstorm Brand Architects last week scooped prizes in three categories, as well as the Grand Prix prize, in the bi-annual Art of Design competition held by graphics and paper merchant Antalis. Winning the Grand Prix now automatically commissions Breinstorm, whose business focuses on luxury and cultural brands, to create the next Art of Design campaign for 2010.


AH Marais becomes a lifestyle brand with the help of FusionDesign - FusionDesign
Having built the family business from a single owner farm store to a leading and trusted agent and supplier to the building industry in Robertson, Worcester and Struisbaai in a little over 45 years, AH Marais (AHM) was ready to respond to changing trends.

Buckland to drive 24.com social, mobile media
Finally, Matthew Buckland's new position at 24.com has been revealed: he will become the GM of online publishing and social media when he joins officially on 1 September 2008. Buckland was formerly GM of the Mail & Guardian Online.


Digital for dummies
You know how your eight-year-old son or brother can teach you a thing or two about using a laptop or playing computer games? That's because he's a member of a new generation, the digital natives, the under-20s who have been interacting online from their earliest cognitive awareness.

Emerging trends and the Internet economy
The third Internet revolution will be catalysed around the capabilities of the present world web, in particular location and other context information, said Gartner analyst Mark Raskino yesterday, Tuesday, 20 August 2008, at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo being held at Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Social media to rescue Jail4Bail campaign?
[Eve Dmochowska] Gerhard Pieterse, the executive director of Autism Western Cape, has committed himself to voluntary imprisonment as a fund-raising exercise in support of autism. With the goal of reaching R1 000 000 in raised funds, initially, the marketing of Jail4Bail has been much as you would expect: using traditional press releases, and relying on conventional media to spread the word.

SAE Institute launches creative short courses
SAE Institute, one of the world's leading creative media training providers, will be offering further study options in the fields of animation, graphic design, electronic music production and DJ digital production on a part-time basis, short-course format, at its Cape Town academy.

The division between PR practitioners and journalists, the issues uncovered - Janine Lazarus Media Consultancy
Janine Lazarus' “Face Off! Bridging Communication Frontiers” workshop recently took place in Sandton. On the panel was Jacob Ntshangase, executive director of the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism, Rich Mkhondo, an independent marketing communications strategist and Janine Lazarus, founder of Janine Lazarus Media Consultancy.


UCT GSB course unlocks business creativity and innovation - UCT Graduate School of Business
The UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) is offering an inventive course this September that will challenge leaders to think outside the box and enable them to unlock unprecedented levels of creativity and innovation.

NPOs team up for puppetry festival
The Big Issue will be the media parter of UNIMA SA - the South African Association of Puppetry - in the hosting of the 2008 Out The Box Festival of Puppetry and Visual Performance, 30 August - 6 September 2008. “Our partnership has been a natural coming together of non-profit organisations with a similar vision," says Aja Marneweck, a director of UNIMA SA.

International convention centre for Nelspruit
[Sydney Masinga] A 5000-seater international convention centre is to be built in Nelspruit to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) has acquired land at the Riverside Park and is currently looking for investors for the construction and development of the centre, which will also have a five-star hotel.

Loudfire hosts unique bash in Big Green Maze in central Johannesburg - Loudfire
Loudfire earlier this year hosted a creative and exclusive guest experience, tapping into First National Bank's milestone celebration at which the financial organisation commemorated its landmark achievement, that is, the allocation of a billion eBucks in rand value, highlighting the success of its loyalty rewards programme.


LiquidChefs goes abroad - LiquidChefs
LiquidChefs is making an impact abroad and has recently sold the rights for the LiquidChefs UK Master Franchise to a London consortium.


The Core Group commissioned Kreate South Africa to launch Nintendo Wii Fit nationwide - Kreate SA
Core Gaming Systems, the distributors of Nintendo in South Africa, recently commissioned Kreate SA to run a national launch campaign at selected shopping malls nationwide.


Potters Hand Activations orchestrates SABC News' inaugural Community Media Awards event - Wisdom Keys Group
The Wisdom Keys Group's event management company, Potters Hand Activations, was recently invited to pitch on the inaugural SABC Community Media Awards for 2008, which it successfully tendered for and won.


Glam superstar for Pride Week
International diva, and world-famous drag artist RuPaul will be strutting her stuff in Johannesburg and Pretoria during Joburg Pride Week in October 2008. She will launch her new film, Starrbooty, at Cinema Nouveau screened by Fish Eagle's Pride Film Festival and present a live performance at Therapy's Viva La Glam Pride After-Party. All proceeds from the premieres will be donated by Cinema Nouveau and Therapy to the non-profit company that runs Joburg Pride on behalf of the gay and lesbian community.

Lord of the Dances adds another show
The ever-popular critically acclaimed Lord of the Dance will extend its current sold-out tour at The Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg, to include a show on Wednesday, 27 August 2008. The troupe has broken an all-time record of selling 400 000 tickets on their fifth time in South Africa and allegedly has outsold heavyweights such as Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, U2 and Robbie Williams. Lord of the Dance is presented by Classic FM, Cape Talk 564, M-Net and Big Concerts.

Meetings Africa 2009 to focus on local corporate market
Meetings Africa will be held for the fifth consecutive year, 25 - 27 February 2009, at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, and South African Tourism is reminding companies in the business tourism industry - including conference venues, incentive travel destinations and event support services - to reserve their space as soon as possible as space is running out.

PenQuin International and Suzuki push the boat out - again - PenQuin International
Marketing agency PenQuin International again flexed its exhibition muscle, this time by scooping the ‘Best large stand award' at the 2008 National Boat Show for its client Suzuki Marine.


Be part of The Baby Expo Durban - The Baby Expo
In an effort to meet increased interest in The Baby Expo Durban, event organiser Exposure Marketing has made additional exhibition space available to those brands who want to be part of this South African parenting, pregnancy and baby phenomenon.

Brand-aid has launched their new corporate ID - Brand-aid
Brand-aid's new corporate ID is a reflection of the evolution of the company and the services it offers to its clients.


DStv Getaway Show "the perfect platform for marketers" - Ramsay Son & Parker
The DStv Getaway Show, held in conjunction with Jacaranda 94.2, will bring together an estimated 22 000 visitors when doors open at the Coca-Cola Dome next Friday, 29 August 2008.


Showing off South African property
Role players from the property industry will come together 5 - 7 September 2008 for the 2008 Property Show at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. “Albeit the negativity around the industry over the last year, the show has increased in popularity [and] we anticipate approximately 5000 visitors. Another interesting development is the influx of international exhibitors this year,” says coordinator Nigel Tebbutt from Impact Exhibitions. There will be 45 exhibitors, of which almost half are new. International participation includes exhibitors from Dubai, Cyprus, Australia/New Zealand, US and the UK. For more information, go to www.propertyexpo.co.za.

Wedding expo brand for Soweto Festival
Bridal exhibition The Wedding Expo will be launching a third annual show to be held at the Soweto Festival, 24 - 28 September 2008. “Adding the Soweto Festival to our portfolio of shows is in line with our growth strategy and important added value to our exhibitors,” says owner and MD of The Wedding Expo, Amanda Cunningham. “Bringing the expo to the Soweto Festival is an obvious choice for us. The Soweto Festival is the largest annual event to take place in Soweto, attracting thousands of visitors.”

Get It stable expands
Caxton Publishers & Printers has continued a national roll-out of its local community glossy magazine Get It with the launch of four new editions from four locally-based branches in as many months. This bring the total to 27 from 23.


Your Baby celebrates 150th edition
Your Baby celebrates a very special milestone this September as it publishes its 150th issue and to commemorate this special edition, Your Baby will be giving away over 150 prizes with a total value of R150 000.


Brighter future for FHM and heat after drop in new ABCs - UCM
FHM and heat can look forward to better circulation performances in the next quarter. ABC circulation figures for the period April to June 2008 announced yesterday, Thursday, 21 August 2008, show drops for both FHM and heat, the celebrity and entertainment brands created by UCM in the Media24 Magazines stable. But the future looks brighter for these upmarket brands, as circulation sales have stabilised and are trending upwards now.

TAXtalk magazine finds new home - COSA Communications
Niche publisher COSA Communications takes over as publisher of TAXtalk magazine from its third quarter issue this year. COSA Communications, publishers of other niche titles such as RISKsa and TOT magazines, will reposition and relaunch the brand, with its next issue due out September/October 2008.

Mixed fortunes for newspapers, mags - ABC Q2
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Despite unpredictable factors such as a depressed economy, rising transportation costs by almost 40%, increasing paper prices and labour costs that impact negatively on print media operations, some newspapers showed remarkable signs of recovery and holding steady in terms of circulation, while most magazines' circulations have scored systematic declining trends, according to the second quarter results released yesterday, Thursday, 21 August 2008, in Rosebank, Johannesburg, by the Audit Bureau of Circulations of SA (ABC).

Snuki returns to office
An independent inquiry, based on the recommendation of the CCMA, has exonerated suspended SABC group executive news and current affairs Snuki Zikalala on charges of misconduct. He has thus resumed his duties with immediate effect, according to a statement from the SABC yesterday, Wednesday, 20 August 2008.

Broadcasting amendment bill passed
NEWSWATCH: The passing of the controversial Broadcasting Amendment Bill in the National Assembly yesterday, Tuesday, 18 August 2007, means that Government now has the power to fire the entire SABC board, report various media. Meanwhile, the Johannesburg High Court ruled against lifting the suspension of SABC group CEO Dali Mpofu earlier this week.

Govt, Eskom take beating at Ruth First Lecture
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Hilary Joffe, Business Day senior associate editor and 2008 Ruth First Fellow, and environmentalist activist Bobby Peek took a swipe at Government and Eskom for mismanaging South Africa's electricity crisis at the 7th Ruth First Memorial Lecture held last night, Monday, 18 August 2008, at Atlas Studios in Milpark in Johannesburg.

SAMRO signs MOU with Kenyan Copyright Society
The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), launched its newly designed "African Collective Administration Development Strategy" extending its reach further across Africa. SAMRO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) last week to enhance the growth of copyright development on the continent.


Parliament calls for MDDA board nominations - MDDA
Section 4 of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) Act provides for six (out of the nine) members of the board to be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the National Assembly, after a process including participation by the public in the nomination process; transparency and openness; and the publication of a shortlist of candidates for appointment.

21% increase in African mobile web traffic - AdMob
SAN MATEO: AdMob last week released its July Mobile Metrics Report, which focuses on increasing usage of the mobile web in Africa and worldwide mobile browser marketshare. According to the report, there has been a 21% increase in traffic since the company began tracking the Africa market in Q1 2008.


Mobile marketing the flavour of the month
[Eddie Groenewald] Mobile marketing is becoming the flavour of the month. We're seeing mobile marketing events starting to happen, newspapers running surveys, and local and international journalists calling Multimedia Solutions wanting to know more about the market. We've also seen the largest mobile advertising network in the world, AdMob, enter the local market.


Stepping out of the shadow of SMS marketing
Mobile marketing has stepped out from under the shadow of SMS-enabled business communications. “The appeal of mobile marketing is that it triggers consumer responses to an advertising or promotional campaign,” says Dr Pieter Streicher, MD of BulkSMS.com, a global mobile messaging provider headquartered in Cape Town.

Sam Wilson king of the Novel Idea
Sam Wilson is South Africa's first award-winning mobilist with a clear majority: 38.5% of the readers' votes. Wilson's story Prestige Animals kept Novel Idea readers hooked to their phones for their daily updates.


Lonely Planet content now available on Nokia Maps - Nokia
In an effort to help travelers everywhere, Nokia and Lonely Planet have teamed up to distribute Lonely Planet content via Nokia Maps. Travelers can purchase and download the city guides so that they have information at their fingertips whilst they are on the road.

Call centres say yes to Clickatell SMS and save millions - Clickatell
Global provider of mobile messaging solutions, Clickatell, has announced its work with First National Bank and Santam Insurance to raise customer satisfaction and reduce costs through SMS within their respective call centres.

Healthy first ABC figure for Isolezwe ngeSonto - Independent Newspapers KZN
Launched earlier this year, this Sunday Zulu newspaper from the Independent Newspapers KZN stable has produced good results in its first ABC quarter audit.


New IFRA Flashlight and special reports
DARMSTADT, GERMANY: IFRA's current research topics are advertising strategies, content management, printing technology projects and Web 3.0. Various reports are now available, from the Flashlight series about latest developments in the media industry, including online content use (ACAP) and Web 3.0, to four new Special Reports dealing with a wide range of different topics, such as semi-commercial quality, printing blanket specifications, multi-channel publishing systems and strategies in the advertising business. IFRA reports are obtainable in various languages, both in print or PDF form, from www.ifra.com/flashlight, www.ifra.com/specialreports and www.ifra.com/wherenews.

Converse brand ambassadors take over campus and World Wide Web - Student Village
“Converse is the coolest brand and they let someone like me speak on their behalf!” So says Bouwer Bosch, a North West University student and one of 20 campus brand ambassadors (CBAs) identified and chosen by Student Village to work their magic across 10 campuses countrywide.

iLogic gets sexy with Sissyboy Jeans - iLogic
Under the stewardship of creative director, Sharon Cohen, the Sissy Boy website was translated from idea to design.

Gearing up for Sign Africa 2008
Practical Publishing is gearing up for its largest event of the year, the international Sign Africa Johannesburg and the Africa In-Store show 2008. The show opens 10 - 12 September 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre, covering two exhibition halls and features a new Sign Africa Technology in Africa Conference area.


Media Cube releases new innovative products - Media Cube
Media Cube has released a new range of products to bolster its product range.

Concern over increasing Joburg filming costs
The Gauteng Film Commission (GFC) last week expressed concern regarding escalating location fees being charged by tourism venues and other city attractions to film crew shooting in Johannesburg. This follows complaints that film crew are increasingly being charged for access to locations and venues in Johannesburg or in some instances are refused access completely.

Every movie is worth a thousand pictures
[Bryan Traylor] Stop frame video production is an increasingly attractive way for creative people in the advertising industry to capture motion picture footage. It's obvious, when you think about it.


Karabo heats up his Flame talent - The Refinery
Refinery Visual Effect's Karabo has just returned from a whirlwind trip to London which saw him rubbing shoulders with the top brass of the international Flame and Autodesk industry.


Gautrain film doccie tender awarded
Velvet Films announced last week that it has been awarded the tender to produce the Gauteng Provincial Government and Bombela film documentaries for The Gautrain Project over the next three years. The project involves monthly filming and documenting of construction developments across all sites of the Gautrain Route. The Red One high definition camera will be the filming format of choice, as it offers 4K HD, ensuring the HD quality required for international broadcast TV and cinema. Another advantage is the slow motion capability of 120 frames per second, whereby dynamite never looked better.

Calling all young SA filmmakers
MTV and Shell are looking for keen young South African film makers to participate in the MTV Making the Video Challenge with Shell taking place in Johannesburg from 25 August 2008. Budding AV enthusiasts - amateur or professional - are invited to submit their details to MTV to see if they have what it takes to get involved in the week-long project, which sees four teams competing against each other to create a music video for a hot, contemporary South African star, mentored by an international director. Last year's project linked up Nick Quested with HHP and US R& B diva Amerie... Get involved in by completing the form at www.mtvbase.com/makingthevideo.

Can you CANstruct this?
The annual CANstruction Competition is yet another initiative by Collect-a-Can to encourage young people to be actively involved in the elimination of litter by collecting and recycling used beverage cans. This year's competition is up and running and schools countrywide have taken up the challenge.


Marketing symbiosis - Grapevine Media
Grapevine Media recently undertook the promotion for the popular Batman movie, “The Dark Knight”. Grapevine Promotions and Grapevine Postcards worked in synergy to create an exiting, interactive campaign to promote the movie throughout the month of July 2008.

Eclipse PR wins big
National PR agency, Eclipse Public Relations, has secured five new key accounts - Planet Fitness, Sasko, Duracell, Dave Harris Properties and award-winning advertising agency FoxP2 - across its growing portfolio, it announced yesterday, Monday, 18 August 2008.

Redline's website attracts new client, agency set to 'run with the pack' - Draftfcb (South Africa)
In a departure from its usual corporate and brand work, the public relations specialist in the Draftfcb South Africa group, Redline, has taken on a local rock band as a new client after its lead singer called up to say how impressed he was by the fresh and slick appeal of the consultancy's new website.

TGI relaunches in South Africa - Ask Afrika
TGI (Target Group Index) the premier global marketing and advertising database was introduced in South Africa six years ago by Barbara Cooke and Tim Bester. In order to offer clients a range of new products and services, a new company, TGI SA, has been formed.

SAMRA calls for paper synopses submission for the 2009 Conference - SAMRA
SAMRA is calling for papers for the 2009 SAMRA Conference which will take place on 28 - 29 May 2009. This is the 30th SAMRA Conference and building upon 30 years, the association is encouraging the industry to look at industry advances, innovation and insights required in the next 10 years.

Cape Town onboard Monopoly's World Edition
Monopoly fans the world over have had their say, and the final results are in as to which cities will be represented on the new Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition game board. As the only African city to be featured in the game, Cape Town claims its place in the green, ranking the third most-expensive property space behind Montreal and Riga respectively.

Busa says SA on the rebound
While the better growth figures for the 2Q of 2008 were expected, Business Unity South Africa (Busa) said, in a statement released this week, that it sees the overall 4,9% growth in 2Q 2008 as mainly a rebound from the serious negative impact of South Africa's power crisis in the 1Q 2008.

PnP concept store is keystone to Sandton development
A 1950m² unique Pick n Pay concept store will anchor the R280 million Morningside Shopping Centre redevelopment in Sandton, which is set to open in June 2009.


Investigating Zululand's viability as a shopping destination
How economically viable are the outlying regions of Richard's Bay and Empangeni in Zululand? The Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB) commissioned Freshly Ground Insights (FGI) to take a look at grocery shoppers in Zululand's eSikhawini, Ngwelezane, Nseleni and Macekane.

Pretoria retailers win the Revolution
Retailers operating at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria have dominated the Retail Revolution, a new annual awards competition covering some 2,000 shops in major retail complexes managed by Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments (OMIGPI). Menlyn Park took nine of the categories, while Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Umhlanga, fared tops in its region with six awards, and the Cape's best scorer, Cavendish Centre, brought home five awards.


Go Red and save your heart - The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA
Go Red for Women is an international movement aimed at increasing awareness amongst women of the risk factors and signs of heart disease. The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA (HSFSA) will be hosting a Go Red for Women Wellness Workshop on 27 August in the Tsitsikamma Conference Centre at the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World complex in Summerstrand, to raise funds and awareness of this campaign.

Peddler or sales professional?
[Peter Gilbert] Much of what we know about sales and selling originates in the US. As the early pioneers spread out across America and created many new and essentially rural communities, the first salespeople, the peddlers soon followed. This American experience has been, to some degree, mirrored in many other countries, including South Africa.

Belief is not action - the ‘uber' legend of pitching
[Sid Peimer] Most people really believe that smoking causes lung cancer. No one wants lung cancer, but people still smoke. When we sign up for the gym, we sincerely believe we will go three times a week. Most don't. This naivety of expectation seems built in - we cling to the expectation that if people believe something, they will act accordingly. It's not true.

Engen contributes to safe cycling in South Africa - Octagon South Africa
Petroleum Giant Engen has announced its intention to support the Life Development Cycling Academy's Safe Cycle Programme, an initiative designed to teach basic cycling skills to children at primary school level, which will be carried out in disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape and Gauteng.


Building brand connections - Exp
[Dr Jan Hofmeyr] The way in which we look at relationships between brands and consumers, I think, has changed a lot because we've learnt a tremendous amount in the past few years (and I really do mean 'few', i.e. four or five) about how the brain works.

Second African Experiential Marketing Summit - final agenda and speakers announced - Exp
The finalised agenda and lineup of speakers for the second African Experiential Marketing Summit have been announced.


Sasol honours the blonde

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Percy Montgomery, Springbok fullback, World Cup winner and record breaker, joined the greats of world rugby last week when he became the first Springbok to play 100 tests. As long-time sponsors and passionate supporters of the Springboks, Sasol wanted to pay tribute to the blonde fullback on behalf of the team and all South Africans. Together with its advertising agency, The Jupiter Drawing Room (Jhb), Sasol decided to give the entire Springbok squad a “Percy” makeover. Wigs were carefully selected and styled and the squad gathered in Johannesburg for a press photo with a difference...

Muvhango not canned - SABC
Following more enquiries around SABC2 programme Muvhango, the SABC "categorically" stated this morning, Monday, 25 August 2008, that Muvhango has not been canned and will continue to be a schedule pillar for the channel.

Rapid growth predicted for digital TV
LONDON: As consumers demand enhanced features, greater breadth of content, bundled communications offerings and the switch-off of analogue transmission in the US and Western Europe nears, it is predicted that digital television (DTV) adoption will show strong growth over the next two years. This is according to a report by independent market analysis firm Datamonitor, Western European and US Digital TV Adoption, 2008 (Strategic Focus).

New pop trivia game show for SABC2
Launching on Friday, 29 August 2008 at 9.30pm, is SABC2's new trivia game show Where Were You?, which will test our knowledge of South African pop culture. Do you remember when Joe ‘S'dumo' Mafela made S'Gudi S'Nice a household catchphrase? Or Telly Fun Quizz, Wielie Walie and Nommer Asseblief? Or do you remember when Selimathunzi took over from Ngom'qibelo ka Mokibelo?

English Premiership for SABC
The SABC, through its platform SABC Sport, began broadcasting the English Premiers League from earlier this week on SABC3 and will continue to do so until the last match on 3 December 2008.

It's summer school time for youth marketers
Marketers, agency execs and brand managers are invited to attend HDI Youth Marketeers' Summer School, to be staged in Johannesburg on 17 and 18 September 2008, to find out how to really grab the attention of today's youth and take their brands from ho-hum to sizzlin'.

SA marketers not speaking to moms
[Tshepiso Seopa] South African marketers are not focusing on moms in their marketing campaigns; they are speaking to women, to men, to the youth - but not to the gatekeeper. This is the opinion of Maria Bailey, CEO and president of US-based company BSM Media.

Opportunities in the challenges facing marketers
[Tshepiso Seopa] Integrating a social responsibility initiative with an overall marketing strategy is one of the ways that marketers can deal with the new self-regulatory policy that is currently in the pipeline, said Aida Heunis, the managing and senior account director for Egg Marketing & Communications, one of the speakers at the Kids & Teen Republic Conference currently being held in Sandton at The Balalaika Hotel.

Is there a need for ad industry self-regulation?
[Tshepiso Seopa] Plans by Government to regulate marketing and advertising campaigns targeting children, in order to reduce the high number of obesity in young children, could have a negative effect on those whose bread and butter comes from selling sweets, burgers, chocolates, chips and the like. This already much-discussed issue was under the spotlight at the Kids & Teens Republic Conference, held at the Balalaika Hotel in Sandton yesterday, Wednesday, 20 August 2008.

TV show, Childsafe partnership to fight child accidents
Childsafe, one of the countries' largest advocacy group for child accident prevention, is partnering with SABC1's YOTV in the fight against unintentional child injuries. The initiative has been managed by the PR division of Celebrity Services Africa, which has also handled the change to the Childsafe brand of the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of South Africa. YOTV, which reportedly reaches 4.3 million young South Africans viewers a day, has been focusing on Child Safety Month during August 2008 and will continue to highlight awareness into the remainder of the year.