Deck the halls with vinyl reindeer

[Paul Williams] It's silly season once again and I suddenly realised that there are few, if any, Christmas carols which those in the advertising and marketing industries can relate to. So, to all of you involved in this stressful yet wonderful industry and truly wanting to celebrate the joy of Christmas, I present an agency Christmas carol. 12 Dec 2011 09:49

Mother City retains Loeries, Creative Week to expand

In a four-way pitch against Ballito in KwaZulu-Natal, Johannesburg and Sun City, Cape Town has emerged triumphant to retain The Loerie Awards in the Mother City. The Loeries Judging Week and Seminars will also move from Johannesburg to Cape Town, so that judging will take place during Creative Week in the days leading up to the awards ceremonies. 8 Dec 2011 11:24

What techies are doing with social and what that means for marketers

[Mongezi Mtati] JOHANNESBURG/LONDON: Just when you think you know where social media and its influencers are going, it all changes again. I recently attended two conferences, one in South Africa and the other in the UK, to see just what technologists are working on and where investors are looking. 5 Dec 2011 11:19

How to spread word of mouth for your brand

[Jason Stewart] Many businesspeople realise that, from a marketing perspective, word of mouth (WOM) is the most influential force with respect to how your consumers view your brand, especially regarding the decision of whether to purchase or not. But what's less known is how to stimulate WOM for your brand - and that's the focus of this article. 5 Dec 2011 10:46

Engage your prospect's learning style

[John Boe] The successful outcome of your next sales presentation will be determined largely by your ability to do two things very well; develop rapport with your prospect and adapt your sales message to engage his or her preferred "learning style." 5 Dec 2011 09:50

Internships: making the right choice

[Charl Thom] It's that time of the year when the inboxes of HR departments and agency execs start overflowing with internship applications. Beginning your career with the right agency is arguably one of the most important decisions you'll make. As a starting point, consider culture, courage, vision and brand as a non-negotiable. 30 Nov 2011 12:42

Be Prepared!

[John Boe] It's been said that salespeople don't plan to fail, they simple fail to plan! How much time do you currently spend preparing for your client appointments? If you're honest with yourself, the answer is probably not enough. In my opinion, the single most common characteristic shared among all successful salespeople is the value they place on pre-appointment preparation, research, and planning. 28 Nov 2011 13:42

Focus on competitive differences rather than pitch order

[Johanna McDowell] Traditionally, advertising agencies have always wanted to be either first or last in a competitive pitch situation fearing that they may be forgotten otherwise by the client, but, in our view, position in the pitch order does not matter. As long as the various pitches take place over a maximum of two days, there is no danger of client becoming confused about the various attributes of the presenting agencies. 21 Nov 2011 14:50

Overcoming barriers to do business in Africa

The opportunity for South African business to establish operations, or expand their offerings into Africa has never been more apparent, says Adapt IT executive Kevin Dees. 15 Nov 2011 13:45

AccessKenya realigns marketing strategy to target youth

[Carole Kimutai: @CaroleKimutai] AccessKenya Group, a corporate internet solutions and IT services provider has realigned its marketing strategies to increase interactivity with youthful internet users through targeted media campaigns in a bid to encourage fixed-price internet connectivity and increase the number of customers in the next financial year. 15 Nov 2011 10:50

People skills quiz

[John Boe] Are you aware that your body language reveals your deepest feelings and hidden thoughts to total strangers? As a professional salesperson you must continuously monitor your customer's body language and adjust your presentation style accordingly. 2 Nov 2011 16:20

Marketers: don't take your script on stage

[Douglas Kruger] Here's your challenge: 120 rural women, all over the age of 40, packed into a community hall in the middle of nowhere. They're hot, they're sweaty and they've gathered to hear another speaker, but your bank is sponsoring the event. Get them excited about opening an account with you. Go! 2 Nov 2011 13:17

Thought Leadership Digibate lineup announced

Aegis Media has lined up some of the top names in out of home advertising to speak at the second online Thought Leadership Digibate on Thursday, 20 October 2011, including Erik Warburg, MD at Posterscope South Africa, Bruce Burgess, out of home development manager at Aegis Media Sub Saharan Africa and Jacques du Preez, MD at Provantage Media. 19 Oct 2011 10:31

Z-Card launches in Kenya

After entering into a distributor agreement with Kenya-based Ramco Printing Works Ltd, Z-Card Africa, Middle East, India and Turkey (ZAMI) launched Z-Card Kenya as its PocketMedia hub for East Africa on Tuesday 11 October 2011. 13 Oct 2011 10:19