How to build a great social media team

[Daniel Pinch] A question I've asked myself personally - the Society team started as two people in 2011, it's now 12, so we ask this in one way or another pretty regularly. This is also a question clients wanting to build their own teams have regularly asked us.

Design finalists think outside the bar

[Sindy Peters] The top three finalists in the Fine Brandy Bar Design Initiative were announced on Friday, 1 November 2013, at Van Ryn's Distillery in Stellenbosch. The winning bar design will be revealed at Design Indaba 2014.

Warnings of an energy crunch: What are the implications for the data centre?

[David Palmer-Stevens] Regular and planned power outages are not uncommon in South Africa, and serve as a stark reminder that our depleting electricity supplies are being stretched to capacity.

Lowman Iowdown

[Ruth Cooper] You might not have heard of Michael Lowman yet, but with his debut album "Crayon Boxes" hot off the press and plans to conquer the States, Michael Lowman might just become a name that will start sounding much more familiar. We phoned the singer/songwriter last week to find out more about his musical journey thus far and his future plans.

PR SA versus UK - Grapevine Communications

[Marie Yossava] On a recent trip to London, I had the good fortune to meet up with a former Grapevine colleague, who left South Africa five years ago and with whom I have remained in contact. We obviously talked shop and compared markets and what, if anything, the PR industry is doing differently in the UK.

[BizCareers] Am I asking for too much?

[Juliette Attwell] It's easy to be tempted by what lies beyond your current jobs walls, but is the grass really greener on the other side?

SAPS threatens Independent with apartheid-era law

[Rod Baker] NEWSWATCH: Mail & Guardian reports the South African Police Service has threatened Independent Newspapers because it wants the group to 'hand over material related to intercepted calls involving national police commissioner Riah Phiyega'. On the media front, Gill Moodie reports on Grubstreet that Caxtons is buying RamsayMedia.

A golden age of investigative reporting, then and now

[Ed Herbst] This is a golden age for investigative reporting in South Africa. In the Muldergate era there were two enduring themes, apartheid itself and the Info Scandal.

Your top hotel checklist

[Brian Berkman] James B Sherwood's list of What Makes A Five-Star Hotel Great is just one reason why you should read his memoire, Orient-Express: A Personal Journey.

Cardoso, courageous embodiment of patriotic journalism honoured

[Anton Harber] At the University of the Witwatersrand this week, we honoured a patriotic journalist who was killed because of his investigative work.

Building a social media platform

[Mia Botha] I long for the days when tweeting was a sound birds made, posting was something you did with an envelope and a stamp, and if you didn't want to be someone's friend, you had to look them in the eye to tell them. And a following? For that you had to start a religion.

Why digital marketers should pay more attention to link shortening

[Gordon Geldenhuys] By now, most web-savvy marketers and consumers are familiar with link shortening to compress website addresses.

Changing landscape of unit trust industry

[Wade Witbooi] The expansion of the retail unit trust industry has been quite robust, from offering two funds in 1965, to 107 funds in 1996, and more recently, investors have approximately 1000 unit trust funds from which to select.

Building a successful mobile marketing strategy for 2014

[Howard Moodycliffe] The mobile phone is now firmly entrenched as a part of the marketer's toolkit - but the art of successful mobile marketing is still young and rapidly evolving.

Five PR lessons when working with tech start-ups in Africa

[Judith Middleton] As a marketing and brand elevation specialist, my interest lies in how companies drive growth and achieve long-term success through establishing strong brands.

The perky, pretty, practical Fiat 500L

[Henrie Geyser] The iconic Fiat 500 which has been one of the world's most favourite playthings in the automotive galz-and-boyz-toyz segment of the market.

How behavioural economics is turning traditional marketing inside out

[Diane Charton] To be truly successful in marketing and advertising, we need to understand human motivation and behaviour at a deep level so that we are more able to influence it.

Monkey Shoulder launches in SA

[Evan-Lee Courie] Dean Callan, global brand ambassador of Monkey Shoulder, a scotch whiskey, recently visited our shores to introduce the triple malt to SA ahead of Summer 2013/14.

How not to apply for a job

[Angelique Robbertse] We all know that the job market is tough. Potential employers may receive hundreds of CVs on a daily basis...how are you going to ensure that your application stands out?