Lean Advertising: It just had to happen

[Sid Peimer] You may have heard of lean manufacturing. Don't worry if you haven't, it simply means the elimination of waste in satisfying customer needs. Now what about Lean Advertising? 20 Jun 2013 05:03

Getting the best out of parallax scrolling

[Kenneth von Rauch] LOS ANGELES, US: This post highlights some aspects of parallax scrolling* that you need to keep in mind if you want to use the effect on your site or your client's. 19 Jun 2013 10:14

The sublime madness of Spud 2

[Daniel Dercksen] Having followed Spud's explosive journey from page to screen since its release in 2011 - and subsequent interviews and visits on the set - my interview with author John van de Ruit, screenwriter and director Donovan Marsh, producer Ross Garland, and Troye Sivan who plays the title role, during the press junket of Spud 2: The Madness continues, felt more like a reunion, an informal chat and reconnection with the "Crazy Four". 19 Jun 2013 10:03

Is race still relevant in ads?

[Bonnie Ramaila] I think racial undertones and subtle nuances of racial segregation in TV adverts seems rife, and I find them more disturbing than thoughtful, especially when a TV advert shows one product communicating the same message, yet represented by two different racial groups. 19 Jun 2013 09:27

Why strategy matters to your people

[Rowan Belchers] Do your employees know what your strategy is? Could they give a clear answer to the question: "Why do you do the work you do for your company?" 19 Jun 2013 09:23

Empower yourself and your business with technology

[Ramiz Islam] The business environment has been totally revolutionised by today's fast-paced, ever-changing and exciting technological advancements. To stay in step with the rest of the world you need to rethink your technological strategy and empower your business with the new technologies to gain a competitive edge over your competitors. 19 Jun 2013 09:10

A DIY cloud is no cloud at all

[Alexander Mehlhorn] There's a great deal of pride and enjoyment that the geeks in an organisation get from building servers from scratch, creating server rooms and architecting an infrastructure that they can boast about to their peers - and, five years ago, this was an essential in-house skill. 19 Jun 2013 08:44

BYOD - the new IT challenge

[Perry Hutton] The evolution of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend has been as profound as it has been rapid. It represents the most visible sign that the boundaries between personal life and work life are blurring. 19 Jun 2013 08:40

Shock! Horror! Now we know what it's like to lose Face...

[Rod Baker] NEWSWATCH: Facebook went down briefly yesterday in some parts of the world - so now we know what life would be like without the social networking giant, reports Financial Review. Meanwhile, for those authorities that like checking everyone out, Mail & Guardian has a guide on 'how to spy on your citizens', but BlackBerry SA has assured SA users that 'you're safe with us', reports Times Live. 19 Jun 2013 08:28

Facebook hashtags - marketing platinum

[Evert Lombaert] In March, we mentioned the impending arrival of Facebook hashtags as well as the resistance to this. Like it or not; it has now officially arrived on the platform and brands will need to adapt to them. 19 Jun 2013 06:02

VoIP shifts into top gear as fibre premises bloom

[Rob Lith] A very exciting development currently playing out in the voice over IP (VoIP) arena is the sudden growth in fibre business premises. 18 Jun 2013 14:31

Four non-negotiable areas of focus for IT managers

[Alexander Mehlhorn] We all recognise the stereotypical IT manager sitting behind a desk in the company dungeon, wearing a t-shirt sporting an obscure geek reference, and sighing into the phone as he tries to convince the marketing manager to use a password other than 'God'. 18 Jun 2013 12:57

Investor protection: Security of tenure of mining rights in SA

[Jackwell Feris] The South African mining industry has, over the past few months, received a significant amount of bad publicity, inter alia, on the nationalisation of mineral resources, socio-economic concerns and the dangerous labour unrest, which all seems to have added to the fact that South Africa's ranking as an attractive mining investment destination has dropped even further according to the latest report released by the Canada-based Fraser Institute. 18 Jun 2013 11:08

Star power dominates Venus in Fur

[Eugene Yiga] Venus in Furs, the erotic novella by Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (the "father" of masochism), caused quite a stir when it was published in 1870. Contemporary American playwright David Ives has taken inspiration from the classic and turned it into a play described as so good it hurts and so sexy you could sweat. 18 Jun 2013 10:20

Tickets in demand for Stars of the Ballet Moscow

[Debbie Hathway] The promise of performances by Russian ballet companies on South African stages has long been a box office attraction, much to the chagrin of local dance groups who struggle to fill houses at lower ticket prices. 18 Jun 2013 09:27

Team Afrikens puts foot this week

[Team AfriKens] Last year I convinced Warren Harding (@BizcomWazza) to join me on the Put Foot Rally with the promise of real adventure. I told him about all the amazing places we will be visiting and how the outdoors refreshes and expands the mind. The thing that sold him in the end was that we could braai every night. 18 Jun 2013 07:50

POIB and the meaning of Edward Snowden

[Anton Harber] As our president's pen hovers over the Protection of State Information Bill, awaiting only his signature before coming into law, the US is facing its biggest secrecy issue in years. 18 Jun 2013 07:19

Culture via language

[Sanele Mgaga] My interest in writing something related to language and culture has been building up slowly for quite some time now, but was put on full blast mode when I saw the reactions and comments on UKZN's decision to make Zulu compulsory for all first year students from 2014. 16 Jun 2013 08:18

Five ways to prospect wisely

[Monika D'Agostino] Most organisations want to prospect Fortune 1000 companies. While tempting, it can be a bit like boiling the ocean. After all, there are 1000 companies on the list and the big question is always how to prioritize. 15 Jun 2013 08:21

Pepsi confirms Konshens & Alaine Kampala concert

[Walter Wafula] International musicians Konshens and Alaine, are set for a Kampala show, according to Crown Beverages Limited, the maker of Pepsi in Uganda. 14 Jun 2013 12:17

Fundraiser for aspirant world pole-dancing champions

[Debbie Hathway] After three months as a pole dancing student, you'll know enough to be able to perform a few basic moves competently in front of an audience. If you want to make it on the world pole sport stage, it'll take years of training, practice, discipline and commitment to be a worthy competitor. 14 Jun 2013 11:42

Truly Epic

[Daniel Dercksen] The majestic animated fantasy adventure Epic will definitely take you on a magical adventure beyond the imagination and make you believe that everything is possible. The art of animation and the craftsmanship of its artists are celebrated with this glorious escape into a realm that exists in the shadows of the forests and grasslands that surround our everyday world. 14 Jun 2013 11:29

Porn industry eyes Google Glass

[Rod Baker] IOL reports that Google Glass is enjoying - if that is the right word - keen interest from the porn quarter in the US, and Google itself might find the situation somewhat embarrassing. 14 Jun 2013 09:14

Is my events agency delivering real value?

[Gavin Rajah] In business terms, value means different things for different people. So, how does one quantify 'value' when hosting an event? 14 Jun 2013 08:33

Epitome of recovery in Dubai property market

[Shehryar Qureshi] As predicted by real estate experts, 2013 is proving itself as the year of profound and robust recovery for the UAE real estate sector in general and that of Dubai in particular. The UAE has been showcasing an overall bullish market trend driven by the recovery of its property market. 14 Jun 2013 08:24

Spy Bill passed

[Kathleen Rice] The General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill (GILAB) also known as the Spy Bill, has been adopted by both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces and it was submitted on 3 June 2013, to the president for assent. 14 Jun 2013 08:13

For some RA policy holders a rising market is not all good news

[Hugo Malherbe] It's not often that a rising market comes with negative association. After all, exposure to market growth logically leads to growth in your investment value. 14 Jun 2013 08:10

Mediate before you litigate

[Ashley Curran] The "fighting it out in court" and "don't speak to me, speak to my attorney" approach has dominated the civil justice system for decades; however things are about to change significantly. 14 Jun 2013 07:54

The strategic value of talent management

[Anja Hartman] Talent management adds strategic value to a business and, if implemented correctly, will help a company to achieve its business goals. In a nutshell, it is all about placing the right people in the right role for current and future business plans. 14 Jun 2013 07:47

Big fish, small pond vs small fish, big pond

[Rolf Akermann] I am sure many in the industry will read this article and nod their heads in agreement. Many small agencies have been responsible for building huge brands in the South African market across all categories, only to see the business move to the large agencies. 14 Jun 2013 06:58