Can Facebook ever make (real) money?

[Thomas Oosthuizen] Growth is hardly the challenge Facebook faces. The challenge for the monetarisation of Facebook is not how many people it reaches - it is a huge medium by any standards - but how it extracts revenue from its core business: connecting people in an objective, friendly, social, non-threatening and non-commercial environment. 7 Feb 2012 10:40

How Woolworths lost its mojo

[Walter Pike] There was a time, those of us of a certain age will remember, when Woolworths was held up in marketing classes as a brand that had been built entirely on word of mouth. That has now changed. 2 Feb 2012 12:37

Fusion Outsourcing

Leading BPO company - building on the successes of 2011!

Fusion Outsourcing experienced tremendous growth in 2011 and is set to almost double the size of its business in South Africa over the next 24-months; resulting in a potential 600 new job opportunities. 1 Feb 2012 10:20

[2012 trends] Bob, where's my flying car?

[Matt Ross] I'm risking joining the ranks of ludicrousness by jumping in the mire of guesstimation. I'm not focusing on any specific area of our industry; after all, any development affects us all. I have tried to be broad, though. Oh, and I've avoided trends. The following will be stalwarts for years to come - the temporary is never attractive, anyway. Unless you married Liz Taylor. 31 Jan 2012 11:36

[2012 trends] Getting found in 2012

[Lana Hindmarch] In 2012, businesses will take a more aggressive approach to transforming their marketing efforts and reducing their cost per lead, by focusing more on permission-based, inbound marketing programmes that allow customers to find them. 27 Jan 2012 13:01

[2012 trends] Who you are shouts too loud!

[Ingrid von Stein] 2012 started with an announcement that, for the first time, digital music sales topped physical CD sales. Therein is the undeniable fact and confirmed trend for 2012 in communications: digital is officially the leading arm of the communications platform. 26 Jan 2012 11:08

[2012 trends] Convergence, content key themes for media, advertising

[Tanya Schreuder & Richard Procter] Consumers hold the upper hand in how we advertise: they are the ones who are more empowered, are demanding more and are less loyal. The challenge is to get to know your consumer! 2012 will see various trends being built upon where there is a convergence of media platforms, a need to share information in real time and a demand for cross-platform content and messaging that can simultaneously reach numerous audiences. 25 Jan 2012 14:48

[2012 trends] Brand purpose to take lead in brand strategy

[Travis Spence] A critical juncture in brand marketing has arrived. It is led by the internet and the technology changes this brings, along with consumers - who, as we all know, have changed forever. The brand now needs not only to represent its product but the people behind the product and why they do what they do for that product's success. 24 Jan 2012 12:26

[2012 trends] Whoosh! The year in which nothing happens

[Walter Pike] In 2012, things will stay the same. Everyone still believes that marketing has not changed and that social is a channel. Yes they are starting to understand how important channel is but they have not and will not grasp just how much. 20 Jan 2012 14:18

[2012 trends] Email marketing trends shaping the year ahead

[Warren Moss] Despite what the doomsday predictions say, email will not become irrelevant due to the rise of social media. As one of the most cost-effective and efficient eMarketing service offerings, email marketing is expected to continue to be a crucial part of the digital marketing mix in 2012. 20 Jan 2012 13:52

[2012 trends] Occupy 2012

[Charl Thom] The past year will go down in history as a time of unexpected political regime change, social unrest and civil protest, from the bloody end to Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year rule in Libya to the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York that spread very quickly around the world. Such conditions make for interesting and exciting times, because they bring change. Lots of change. 19 Jan 2012 15:44

[2012 trends] Re-evaluating the way we work, communicate

[Lisa Dawson Biggs] 2012 will be a year in which we will be forced to re-evaluate the way we work and the way we convey our clients' messages to the market. Here are my tips and predictions for the months ahead. 19 Jan 2012 14:39

[2012 trends] GFC's impact on media-marketing arena

[Karen Phelan] There are a number of trends forecast for 2012 that will have an impact on all facets of the media-marketing arena. 18 Jan 2012 15:59

[2012 trends] Strategically solving the conundrums of marketing complexity

[Darren Woolley] The world is sitting in a now familiar state of uncertainty, with debit crisis, stagnant established markets and emerging growth markets and continued pressure to deliver increasing returns. In the face of this uncertainty and continuing increase in fragmentation and complexity, marketers will need to strategically develop more flexibly responses to deal with a range of conundrums. 18 Jan 2012 14:47