[2012 trends] In case the world doesn't end...

[Louise Marsland: @Louise_Marsland] While the theme song for the Year 2012 will undoubtedly be ''It's the end of the world as we know it..." by R.E.M., and we'll be bored with all the End-of-the-World theme parties and raves and launches by March already... in case the world doesn't end, these are some essential trends and things you need to know for the year to come [with additional editing and contributions from moi - managing ed]. 31 Jan 2012 14:13

[2012 trends] Will someone (Eskom, maybe) please pull the plug?

[Sue Disler] That was my first reaction when Bizcommunity's editor Simone Puterman requested an article predicting 12 trends for 2012. A "trend" is defined as "a general tendency, movement, or direction". In my honest opinion, what most people will be purporting as trend is merely (if you analyse it properly), new and improved technology and ideas. 31 Jan 2012 12:06

[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] Media industry encountering unprecedented challenges

[Angela Quintal] The fragmentation of the media and the mind-boggling range of sources of information available to readers have conspired to cause publishers of print media to re-evaluate their roles. Does that mean that print is dead? No, far from it, but periods of serious introspection are nonetheless the order of the day for publishers of newspapers and magazines across the globe. 27 Jan 2012 14:28

[2012 trends] Thoughts to challenge SA's communications industry

[Marcus Sorour] With social media and connectivity transforming communications, clients are asking for dedicated, proactive and tech-savvy teams who can provide content and counsel which talks beyond 'the product' and positions them as industry leaders. Lower marketing budgets and higher client expectations means agencies need to continually develop and deliver more to address the challenges faced by the communications industry in 2012. 27 Jan 2012 14:16

[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] Reasons not to 'touch that dial'

[Gilda de Araujo] 2012 heralds a brand new chapter for radio advertising and, more and more, savvy advertisers are acknowledging that successful campaigns demand the time, effort and nurturing of an involved team and more. Here's the lowdown on what to expect from radio (advertising) in 2012... [multimedia] 26 Jan 2012 14:18

[2012 trends] The year of the phoenix

[Joanna Oosthuizen] Twenty Twelve, year of the dragon, a leap year and the year the world as we know it is meant to end. I believe it will, not in a dooms-day fill-my-bunker-with-canned-food kind of way but in a thinking, progressive, collaborative and connective way. It's a phoenix year, where great ideas and people will rise from the economic ashes and drive informed action. 26 Jan 2012 12:37

[2012 trends] Influencers take to the web and run the streets

[Mongezi Mtati] 2011 saw the rise of more social media influencers and thought leaders; more conversations influenced how brands are perceived; and the fad of a Facebook page became more questioned than ever before. Or did that apply only in conferences and meetings I went to? Here are my predictions for 2012. 26 Jan 2012 11:38

[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] An amateur audience

[Stacey Rumble] In the last few years we've seen an increase in online consumer conversation as more and more South Africans gain access to the Internet, mostly via mobile. While this increase has been on the cards for some time, this year we're seeing proof of a much larger local online community. 2012 will be the year that industries better grasp how to reach us all. 25 Jan 2012 13:48

[2012 trends] Back to school for marketers on teen basics

[Cathryn Treasure] It's back to basics for marketers on teen marketing - between all the talk about millennials and the born-digital, marketers have been swept up in a wave that makes it easy to forget the fundamentals. Here are several that marketers need to keep in mind when talking with today's teens (age range 11-19), regardless of what channel you choose to use. 25 Jan 2012 12:23

[2012 trends] Sustainability and beyond

[Mike Freedman] Trends arise from major shifts in global thinking. Otherwise they tend to be fads and blind alleys. And so to only look at trends is like trying to map the ocean by studying the waves. We need to dive deep, to the currents underneath, the reefs and the ocean floor. And so it is a time of fundamental change and it is happening at bewildering speed. 24 Jan 2012 15:46