Safeguarding the brand you've built

[Natasha McClymont] 'A brand is built in a lifetime, and crushed in an instant.' So goes the paraphrasing of the famous quote by businessman extraordinaire, Warren Buffet. This year alone has witnessed several brands losing their credibility in the eyes of supporters and customers. 21 May 2013 06:23

NATIVE

The power of true consumer insight

[Issued by NATIVE] Companies will need to start designing brands from the outside in by creating experiences built around a real relationship and bond with their customers. 20 May 2013 10:57

How to deal with delays, kill queues

[Aki Kalliatakis] The single most-cited source of frustration for customers is delays and long queues. Your company needs to take this seriously because when customers are kept waiting patience turns to frustration very quickly - and they then start looking for other things that have gone wrong. 16 May 2013 07:10

Belief + behaviour = trust

[Wayne Harrison] The process we follow when dating and sussing out a potential partner is quite similar to how we decide which brands understand us, suit our lifestyle and could be compatible in the long term. This process can be broken into four stages: flirting, dating, commitment, and sharing. 10 May 2013 12:02

Will the R1,5 billion SAA borrowed rescue it?

[Chris Moerdyk] So, South African Airways (SAA) has just borrowed R1,5 billion from two banks to keep alive while it "waits for government to accept its turnaround strategy." 7 May 2013 06:49

Get familiar with the Ombud process

Consumers who feel that they have experienced poor service, bad quality products and broken promises, can feel safe and empowered in the knowledge that if anything goes wrong, there is an Ombudsman ready to hear their case and resolve disputes. 2 May 2013 07:22

Why brands should behave more like entrepreneurs

[Felix Kessel] The future of the country rests firmly in the hands of the entrepreneurs. Tabled as the flavour of the decade, entrepreneurs are fast becoming the base of the wealth pyramid and are the people who will give rise to the mega-companies of tomorrow. 23 Apr 2013 05:39

Why business to consumer communication is broken

[Lee Hartman] As a customer, do you know how many business relationships you have? Listing them can be an interesting exercise. Almost everybody can rack up at least 20 of these relationships without thinking much about it, and over 50 is common. 19 Apr 2013 06:07

Hosting is the norm, not the exception

[Jed Hewson] Gartner has said that there will be a 17% compound growth over the next five years for contact centre adoption of hosted call centre solutions, and it expects that by the end of this year, 75% of global call centres will be leveraging hosted call centre solutions. 16 Apr 2013 05:46

Maximizer Software

Maximizer assists CCI Technology Solutions with CRM for boosting efficiency

[Issued by Maximizer Software] CCI Technology Solutions used Maximizer Software's CRM platform to play a leading role in efforts to wire businesses in key sectors throughout the country for the global digital marketplace. 15 Apr 2013 12:51

High operating costs impact customer service in Africa

Although their transition to middle class status has been fairly rapid, African consumers have embraced new mobile technologies that keep them informed of the growing array of brands, products and services. These, however, are not always easily available to them. 4 Apr 2013 11:46

Stratplanning

Strat planning for client service and non-planners: Cape Town, 10 April

[Issued by Stratplanning] A one-day course for client service to fulfil their role more effectively will take place in Cape Town on 10 April. The course is also suitable for PR practitioners as well as those who do not have planning as a line function. 3 Apr 2013 11:12

Actionable insight from data

[Dr Tracy Dunbar] In a business environment where prices and products are so alike, a company's data and how it is used is one of the last remaining differentiators between mediocrity and excellence. 2 Apr 2013 12:00