[Monika D'Agostino] Recently, I finished reading a book written by one of the "Housewives of New York", Carole Razdiwill. Don't judge me, I love watching these shows. It's one of my guilty pleasures. Contrary to popular perception, this book is excellently written, riveting and it takes you on a journey that is both intriguing and sad. The author is the widow of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' nephew.
4 May 2013 07:00
[David Mattin] LONDON, UK: Heritage is the new baggage. The future belongs to Clean Slate Brands.
22 Apr 2013 09:09
[Ted Leonhardt] SEATTLE, US: Fred is the owner of a small design firm. His work has recently become recognised for using design thinking to build brands through social media.
20 Apr 2013 12:35
[Douglas Kruger] From Amoeba to Icon; where do you currently rank in your industry's natural progression? In this piece, I walk you through the seven stages of development as you strive to position yourself as an industry expert. [video]
13 Apr 2013 06:31
[Rod Baker] NEWSWATCH: North Korean social media sites (yes, they do have them) have apparently been hacked, reports CNN, and closer to home, the iBurst boss might face arrest, reports TechCentral.
5 Apr 2013 07:49
[Paul Anderson] NEWARK, US: CRM is key to any business's success, so how does one analyse the CRM needs of a midsize business to ensure that business will succeed and grow?
2 Apr 2013 11:24
[Reuben Yonatan] The future is always bright for any kind of computer-related or especially Internet-related technologies. We can always expect new innovations, but just what sort of innovations can we predict? Here are some of our predictions for 2013.
22 Feb 2013 06:27
[Will Smith] When you think of having your holiday in a luxury villa, you imagine a lavish home with spacious rooms and shrouded by amazing beauty of nature, right? Most probably, a picture of immaculate shoreline with glimmering blue waters may also comes to mind.
20 Feb 2013 10:21
[Jeanniey Mullen] We already have a month in the books for 2013. As I look at the next 90 days to nine months, I see an almost harmonic convergence of market conditions for digital publishing. It will be a time of great change, but digital publishing is having its breakout year.
3 Feb 2013 16:35
[Obaika Consulting Team] The year 2013 for most brands, especially the ones coping with saturated markets in developed countries, will be a decisive one. Incorporating
Africa into their corporate brand strategy, if they haven't done so, will be the better part of valour, so to speak.
31 Jan 2013 13:20
[HKLM Exco Team] No, the concepts of "tribalism", "gamification" and "engagement" aren't a promo for the latest computer game, but are in fact the trends that will characterise the way companies and consumers interact in 2013. The branding industry is constantly developing and. while the following trends are evolutions rather than dynamic, short-term changes, we believe there are 10 areas that will define the brandscape over the next year.
31 Jan 2013 12:33
[HDI Youth Marketeers Team] Young South Africa is savvier than ever before. If you are looking for a smart and discerning
prosumer, this group of kids, teens and young adults will give you more kicks than you've ever bargained for. They know just what they are looking for from any brand, and this makes them that much more satisfying to please. Here are a few trends to look out for in 2013.
31 Jan 2013 11:30
[Nandkishor Buty] As 2013 commences, afro-pessimism seems to cede to afro-optimism. There is a global consensus: Africa is poised for a great future. What will be the impact of Africa's growth on our industry? What will be the major trends of the year? In the business world, predicting the future is a crucial exercise.
30 Jan 2013 12:39
[Terry Levin] Colloquially, the word
hyper is often used to convey over-the-top or excessive behaviour - as in "those blue Smarties made my child/dog/girlfriend really hyper". Additionally, over the last three or four decades, it has also come to mean linked. For the purposes of trend prediction, I will go out on a limb and predict that, from 2013, hyper will replace mega, uber and even inter as an urban prefix of choice.
30 Jan 2013 11:30
[Dave Nemeth] No matter how slow off the mark, we have all come to the realisation that, no matter what line of business we are in, drastic measures are needed in order for us to not only increase market share but also to survive. It is not, however, all doom and gloom and for those who are embracing innovation and prepared to experiment with new ideas, a lot of opportunity awaits to reconnect with consumers and rise above the negative economic factors.
30 Jan 2013 10:44
[Johanna McDowell] There are a few trends to be aware of in 2013 which will help create opportunities within the advertising and marketing arena in South Africa. A number of these come from local and international intelligence.
29 Jan 2013 12:41
[Ryan Williams] I believe this year will be a positive one for cinema in South Africa, with a variety of influential trends taking hold of the industry. Digitalisation, 3D, blockbusters, increased attendance and on-the-mark cinema campaigns are all sure to contribute to a successful year.
29 Jan 2013 12:06
[Mike Silver] It's that time of the year where agencies are asked to haul out the old crystal ball and provide pearls of thumb-sucking wisdom. Before we do so, it would be wise to see how history might repeat itself. Reflecting briefly, for experiential marketing, 2012 was quite a year locally and abroad. Oh, and mazeltov on surviving the Mayan apocalypse - it was touch-and-go for a second there.
29 Jan 2013 11:18
[Doug Mayne] All early indicators seem to confirm that December 2012 was a relatively good year for the mall environment. Certainly not a 'shoot the lights out' result but stable, single digit growth nonetheless. The point now is what 2013 holds in store for us. Here are a few key trends which I think are relevant...
28 Jan 2013 11:56
[Kevin Bassett] "Content, context and customer proclivity" will be the mantra that drives this year's marketing metamorphosis in the arena of mobile technology. I believe that we will see a year of repositioning - of un-automate, de-campaign and game-play - but also of tighten, regulate and measure. In short, 2013 will see the 'mobile moth' turn into a butterfly.
28 Jan 2013 10:52
[Thomas Oosthuizen] I like the number 13. Like with most other things, it is what we
do with it that matters. Great companies never use the excuse of prevailing trends as a reason for them not to perform. They just leverage the circumstances better than their rivals. So, while economists will contemplate economic and social conditions in 2013, it is what
we as marketers do that matters.
28 Jan 2013 10:05
[Gisele Wertheim Aymes] The world is more interdependent and interconnected than ever before. Technology is ensuring the free flow of ideas, information and energy; creative co-operation and influence; and is bringing change across the globe that is happening at an unprecedented and accelerated rate.
25 Jan 2013 12:59
[Janice Spark] South Africa is a complicated place - each year outdoes the last in the 'magnitude of change' stakes. And we just know this year will deliver even more surprises. Nonetheless, important trends appeared across the brandscape during 2012. Here I explore the key brand moments of the year just passed, and take a peek at what might be ahead.
25 Jan 2013 12:24
[Dr KF Lai] There are several key trends that will present themselves in 2013. From m-payments to HIV/AIDS prevention, emerging markets are leading the way when it comes to innovative uses of mobile technology. Marketers, too, are seeing their roles and responsibilities expand.
25 Jan 2013 10:57
[Bernard Matlhaga] The following are my thoughts on trends that will emerge in the retail and shopper marketing space in South Africa.
24 Jan 2013 12:54
[Gail Schimmel] So here we are in 2013 - the Mayan trend predictions for 2012 having spectacularly failed to materialise, leaving some of us with hangovers and debt that we had secretly hoped would be wiped clean in a Mayan-flavoured apocalypse. Now is the time for us to look into our crystal balls, and see if we can get our predictions for media and advertising regulation a bit more spot-on than the poor Mayans did.
24 Jan 2013 12:05
[Gareth Pearson] A transformation is in motion amongst shoppers and retailers country-wide. Consumers are becoming more discerning and demanding, and retailers and manufacturers are under pressure to innovate, offer quality and savings - all in one eco-friendly package! Here are some interesting trends for the retail sector that I've identified for 2013.
23 Jan 2013 12:48
[Vanessa Clark] SoLoMo: the glorious intersection of social, location and mobile that was going to superpower hyperlocal search and prove to be the holy grail, allowing retailers and other businesses to attract an army of smartphone-wielding customers. Pretty exciting stuff, especially during an economic downturn, right? In my opinion, quite the contrary.
23 Jan 2013 11:54
[Chamendran Naidoo] As we gaily simulate horse-riding while singing in Korean, the eyes of judgment fall upon us for clinging to the relics of yesteryear. Don't allow yourself to get caught doing last years' exercises or wearing scrubs that are "Soooo 2012", oh my readers. This year, you're going to be ahead of the curve and I'm going to help you do just that. Presenting the health trends of 2013...
23 Jan 2013 11:48
[Petros Kondos] A fistful of mobile companies have come and gone during 2012. The next generation of startups is ready to hit the mobile industry with a host of new services of which most will, at best, either slither into mediocrity or just plain fail due to a lack of funding and media agency support. Breaking new ground is not easy; breaking new media ground that
translates into profit is even more difficult.
23 Jan 2013 11:27