Supermarket advertising... Is price everything?

[Tony Wightman] Pack and claim has degenerated to pack and price, a sort of jumbled catalogue paid for by suppliers. The worst of it is that the endless inserts that arrive with a thump in the local paper are largely neutralised by the opposition. The two main groups Pick n Pay and Shoprite/Checkers are producing such similar glossy inserts that if you look quickly, it is hard to tell whose insert you are seeing. 6 Nov 2012 17:09

Engage at every stage: New marketing mandate

The desire to engage at every stage of the customer lifecycle has reportedly been the unrealised goal of many marketers, but this may no longer be the case. Marketers are putting mobile interaction in the hands of consumers and finding clever, gratifying ways to add value to every aspect of the brand experience, reports the chief marketing officer (CMO) council in a new study recently released. 6 Nov 2012 11:31

The SAARF LSM and the defining power of fridges

[Michelle Boehme] A few months ago, I read an article on consumer segmentation that asked why we're still defining people by their fridges. It boggles the mind that there can still be this perception about SAARF's Living Standards Measure (LSM) after all these years! 5 Nov 2012 17:42

Major activations characterise 4U Plett Rage

Stretch Experiential Marketing will be conceptualising and executing some large activations at the 4U Plett Rage festival in Plettenberg Bay from 23 November to 8 December. 3 Nov 2012 12:16

Cause-based marketing overload

[Anton Ressel] Do you market yourself as a 'green' business? OK, so you may use recycled materials in your products, limit electricity usage, even have different dustbins for glass, plastic and other, but does that entitle you to use words such as 'sustainable manufacturer' or 'environmentally-friendly' in your marketing spiel? 3 Nov 2012 06:37

Bookmarks 2012 - all the winners

The Bookmarks Awards has celebrated its fifth year of rewarding digital excellence, yesterday, 1 November 2012. The Awards, brought to the public by the Digital Media and Marketing Association (DMMA), is an initiative that recognises the companies and people in the digital industry who raise the bar from 'mediocre' to 'incredible'. 2 Nov 2012 13:16

Loeries top 10 brands, agencies

The organisers say it has been a successful year for the Loeries, with the second largest number of entries received since 2008 - over 3,000 entry submissions from across Africa and the Middle East. 2 Nov 2012 11:34

The four ways data changes business forever

[Abey Mokgwatsane] If anything is about to transform the way marketing works, it's that four-letter word: data. Technological advancements that have made it possible for any brand and business to have authentic, meaningful relationships with consumers makes data all the more powerful and relevant. 2 Nov 2012 10:00

Draftfcb (South Africa)

Big signing as Mokoena joins Draftfcb

[Issued by Draftfcb (South Africa)] Alistair Mokoena, previously head of marketing at ABSA Retail & Business Bank, has joined Draftfcb Johannesburg as managing director. In addition to his role as managing director of the biggest agency in the Draftfcb group, he takes on responsibility for its retail arm, Swipe, and specialist agency, 1886. 2 Nov 2012 09:46

Are press releases a thing of the past?

[Marion Scher] This is a question more and more people are asking me. What should we be looking at in this age of instant news and social media communication? Will tweets be the way to go? 2 Nov 2012 08:05

Spot the strategy!

[Rolf Akermann] Is creativity clouding the issue...? When I studied at university and at IMM for a marketing manager course, etc it was always a task for students to define the target market and strategy that the brand was following of a particular campaign/commercial. At the risk of sounding like John Farquhar (whom I admire) I find creativity is clouding the issue. 2 Nov 2012 06:30

Five SA brands Charles Darwin would have loved

[Banele Rewo] To add "innovation" in the company's mission and vision statement and not in the mind of the consumer should be a criminal offence. It is indisputable that there is an influx of new brands entering the market probably daily and new ideas are transforming the consumers in just as many days. Although this gives the consumer a universal view of the world, it is this global outlook that gives flat-footed brands a headache and innovative brands an edge. (video) 2 Nov 2012 06:12

Focus digital spend on feature phones

[Marc Herson] Brands wishing to reach the mass market in Africa are wasting their digital campaign spend if they fail to target feature phone users. 2 Nov 2012 05:39

Digital phobia: The fear of new media

[Mark Schefermann] At the beginning of the year I attended a strategy workshop. One of the concepts we were taken through was the theory behind why people often don't like trying new things, specifically when it comes to marketing. 2 Nov 2012 05:20