Emoticons 'r' us

[Matt Rose] Considering the amount of texting we do today, emoticons have 'exploded' and, whether used in Skype, BBM, SMS or WhatsApp, they have become a distinct style of expression and form a vital part of casual/digital vernacular punctuation. But what are the implications of these obscure little visages for marketers? 29 Mar 2012 14:04

Facilitate a movement: the shift from mass marketing

[Mongezi Mtati] To date, there are two brands in particular, Absolut and Nike, which have hit the ground running when it comes to going beyond a social media presence and influencer engagement, making it difficult for challenger brands to catch up and maintain the pace. A third brand, Carling Black Label, did phenomenally last year by focusing less on social media and more on influencers [video]. 20 Mar 2012 11:55

The web of IP

[Nishan Singh] In light of the online shopping trend, intellectual property proprietors face new challenges with the enforcement of their rights against new forms of unauthorised use across millions of websites, in multiple languages and domains. Enforcement of rights is costly and difficult in the online environment, so companies are advised to implement methods of proactively deterring infringement before it occurs. 13 Mar 2012 14:05

Gullan&Gullan

PR and social media trends for 2012

[Michael Gullan, Issued by Gullan&Gullan] As PR and social media agencies such as Gullan&Gullan work with our clients to plan for 2012, we're finding some interesting trends coming through, both from our local initiatives and from our global ICOM partners. Here are some of our findings... 13 Mar 2012 07:32

Pyrotec

A change is as good as a holiday: Packaging trends for 2012

[Issued by Pyrotec] Marshal Cohen, New York-based analyst and expert on consumer behaviour, once said, "Trends come and go very rapidly. The problem is that they're not catching on for a longer period of time." Stephen Beattie, Marketing Manager of Pyrotec, agrees with Cohen's theory but insists that it is not necessarily negative. 7 Mar 2012 11:12

[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