The PM’s misspelt letter – a parable of modern Britain?

[Dr Graeme Codrington] The first few entries of this blog have focused on trying to understand the future by tracking the trends that are shaping the world around us. This is something I do everyday – watching the world, and looking for the defining moments and shaping stories. One such story from the world of British politics, military and the media caught my eye this week.

Comments [1] [12 Nov 11:17]

Toilet humour

[Andrew Timm] Okay, toilet humour is probably the lowest form of humour, besides sarcasm, puns, and possibly SABC 3’s “Font”. But this is a true story loosely linking a toilet “situation” and television and me, so dammit, I’m going to tell it!

Comments [9] [12 Nov 11:06]

Another ‘lucky’ feline tale

[Louise Marsland] Remember how we all went gaga over the story of Lucky, the one-legged cheetah in the VW Golf ad by Ogilvy Cape Town earlier this year? Well, how about this tale of a one-eyed kitten surviving a journey across Jozi in an Opel engine?

Comments [3] [10 Nov 11:43]

Coming up for air

[Abey Mokgwatsane] I feel like I’ve just come up for air! Maybe that’s just a big city thing – whenever you ask a fellow Joburger how they are, the standard response is: “Fine, thanks, just very busy.” Anyhow, I really mean it.

[05 Nov 11:15]

Take care when choosing a spokesperson

[Marion Scher] So your company needs to nominate a spokesperson – pretty straightforward decision, don’t you think? After all, who are you going to choose, the person with the speech impediment or perhaps someone for whom English is a third language? Maybe an alien from another planet or possibly just someone who doesn’t seem to have enough to do in the office and volunteered?

[04 Nov 10:28]

How to forecast the future: pitfalls to avoid 2

[Dr Graeme Codrington] As I elaborated on in my last post, individuals with a good grasp of the world and a strong sense of adventure might be able to predict some major world trends; however, if we want to predict the future effectively, we need to steer clear of attempting specific predictions.

Comments [2] [03 Nov 12:17]

How did you survive this recession?

[Louise Marsland] As we near the end of this year, most people will heave a sigh of relief. It’s been a tough one in many industries, and while South Africa may not have been as badly off as some elsewhere in the world, there’s no doubt that we’ve had to work harder for our money this year!

Comments [1] [02 Nov 11:25]

Why South African comedy is unfunny – some pointers

[Andrew Timm] I have a passion for television comedy, that little 30-minute holiday you get from your stressful day when you sit down, watch a favourite sitcom and escape into your happy place once or twice a week. But what is it that makes my toes curl with cringing embarrassment at the local fare being offered up as situation comedy?

Comments [5] [27 Oct 10:35]

The conscious brand is the future

[Louise Marsland] We’ve gone from ‘save the whales’ to ‘save our planet’ in a short space of time. We’ve been told most of our household cleaning products and the ingredients in much of our processed food are giving us cancer, and that our rampant consumerism is to blame for everything else. So where does this leave our industry?

Comments [6] [26 Oct 12:01]

How to predict the future: pitfalls to avoid

[Dr Graeme Codrington] If we were to transport ourselves back a century to 1909, would we have been able to predict what would happen over the next century? Highly unlikely! Yet, someone with a good grasp of the world and a strong sense of adventure might have predicted some of the trends.

[21 Oct 11:14]