[2014 trends] Business trends for online retailers

[Gary Hadfield] Having been a senior role-player in the e-commerce space for 13 years, these are some of my industry trend predictions for 2014.

Five ways to optimise your e-marketing

[Gareth Slaven] Online marketers often get carried away with the daily tasks linked to running a digital campaign, neglecting several small yet vital steps that could go a long way in optimising their e-marketing strategy.

Bringing the gaming word to Africa

[Danette Breitenbach] Early December last year IGN landed in Africa - to the applause of gamers on the continent. Perhaps the launch of IGN Africa slipped past you, but then now is all the more time to sit up and take notice.

Saving sub-standard employees: The door isn't always the answer

[Karen Burke] When the costs of hiring, training, and employment law compliance are all taken into account, most Human Resource (HR) departments realise quickly that saving a sub-standard employee through training, positive reinforcement and motivation is far more cost effective and desirable than firing one.

Nomophobia: A growing problem with no solution in sight

[Sid Peimer] Some 58% of men and 47% of women suffer from this disease.[1] I personally think it's getting worse with very little relief in sight with more and more people contracting the illness. Technology has not come to the rescue; on the contrary, technology has made it worse.

[2014 trends] Ten trends in marketing management for 2014

[Darren Woolley] If you want to predict the future, the first place you start is history. Looking back on the past few years here is why I predict that 2014 will hopefully be seen as 'Year Zero' for media and marketing.

Precision targeting helps advertisers hit the mark with consumers

[Marcus Stephens] Advertising in the past was indiscriminate, and from the audience's point of view, often intrusive and annoying. That picture is changing rapidly as marketers begin to use targeting to deliver digital ads that are more relevant, engaging and interesting for the viewer.

Don Jon, not your average rom-com

[Shan Radcliffe] It's been over four years since I've stepped into a cinema, and this hiatus has been filled with back-to-back animation on DVD or else, in the event I've actually managed to sit down for something not cute and fluffy, it hasn't gone without interruption from a waking toddler.

Zebula scores a hole-in-1

[Brian Berkman] Think about Zebula Golf and Safari Lodge as a Club Med experience and you couldn't be happier.

How technology is changing the way events are done

[Raisa Elizabeth Mathew] It's a disruptive world we live in and technology has never remained static. When you look at the event industry, the prevailing trends have eroded the engagement barriers between businesses and prospects, a dramatic shift in the way users think about brands and services.

The Great Online Marketing Lottery

[Anton Ressel] Am I alone in starting to believe that the only people who make money on a consistent basis from online marketing, are those who provide online marketing services to poor schmucks like me?

[2014 trends] It's time to get the public back in relations

[Francois van Dyk] "Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing." - John D. Rockefeller

If koeks could kill

[Eugene Yiga] I love a good television crime drama but what if the show went one step further? What if the murderer was sitting next to you or what if the next victim was you? That is the premise of 'To Kill a Koeksister', an interactive murder mystery comedy at Cape Town's Kalk Bay Theatre until 25 January 2014.

Up the Creek Prep: How to Stay

[Anna-Bet Stemmet] Up The Creek (UTC) 2014 will be held outside Swellendam from 30 January to 2 February 2014. In the lead-up to this highly anticipated music festival, here are a few tips for newbie Creekers to ensure they have the best time ever.

EE not an absolute bar to appointment of non-designated candidates

[Jacques van Wyk] The Supreme Court of Appeal, in rejecting the decision of the Labour Appeal Court, found that the employee in this case had been unfairly discriminated against by being denied an opportunity for promotion where no other suitable candidate, aside from herself, was present for the position.

Aligning your rewards strategy with your overall business strategy

[Frew Murdoch] Do you align your reward management model with your overall business strategy or vice versa? The usual management model is to create wealth and then share it, as in the company first focuses on business strategy, then HR management (people management), which is then followed by business results.

Malaria outbreak: Limpopo issues travel warning

[Rod Baker] A malaria outbreak in Limpopo has led to the issuing of a travel warning and the dispatch of health teams to the province, reports the SABC.