Putting your foot into it

[Janine Lazarus] Face it. We've all done it at one point or another in our lives: Put our foot squarely into a steaming pile of verbiage - and then prayed in vain that the ground would miraculously open up and devour us whole.

Keep up with your clients' needs

[Marion Scher] 25 years ago I was one of the main freelance writers for one of South Africa's leading women's magazines. Each year we would get together and discuss how the magazine should change the following year. What did our readers want to read about next year?

I Am Hamlet

Effective activation: converting of minds and moods

[Gavin Mills] Wouldn't it be wonderful if activation were as simple as it sounded... Get out there, shake your rattle, and roll in shekels. But, as many have learnt the hard way, that's not how it rolls no more...

Happy people equals happy profits

Nik Rabinowitz ready to Stand and Deliver

The patient who cried wolf: Assuming the sick role

[Chamendran Naidoo] At some point, we've all heard the fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", the moral of which relates to those who are known to alarm others with imagined dangers, and the fact that they are less likely to be believed in the face of actual danger, possibly with dire consequences. In the medical world, this tale plays out in the concept of the sick role.

The dawn of differentiation

[Karabelo Mokoena] With the resounding ringing of Ayoba being drowned out by a cacophony of other cries varying from IYOH, Fo Sho, The Real Makhoya, Yebo, Yizo and even Woo Ha, all in an attempt to connect with a new target market, one has to take a closer look at this changing advertising-scape with some much needed harsh objectivity. I've taken it upon myself to take on this rather daunting task as I have never been one to worry about 'stepping in it' because I have great cleaning tools and odour repellents.

Mobile market increase prospects for brand interaction

Soap-a-thon

Insuring your breast assets

[Robyn Farrell] It is estimated that 8,676 women will be affected by breast cancer in 2015 [1]. With October earmarked as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in South Africa, this is a time where we remember the women who have battled the disease and also consider the ways that we can protect ourselves.

The importance of protecting your home investment

[Laurence Hillman] Buying a home is an exciting time in any person's life and all decisions need to be carefully reviewed. It takes level headedness to come to terms with the contractual and financial jargon that goes along with all the negotiations and paperwork involved in buying or investing in a property. However, if done correctly, purchasing a property is a way of saving for the future by investing in an asset that has long-term appreciation.