The hidden sales opportunities in YouTube videos

[Ian Henderson] YouTube has become one of the first places consumers go to for 'How to' advice on the Internet, attracting more than 1 billion unique visitors per month.

In fine spirits

[Eugene Yiga] With Mi Casa live on stage, ProVerb as MC, and over 50 top brandies there for the tasting, Fine Brady Fusion had all the right ingredients for a great night out.

Wined, dined and treated fine at The Twelve Apostles

[Ruth Cooper] The Red Carnation's The Twelve Apostles fine attention to detail and preference catering starts way before you arrive at this five-star boutique hotel and spa. Once a reservation is confirmed, so are your personal room preferences.

The brand within

[Jane Stevenson] Effective internal brand-building boils down to some simple human truths, quite often ignored at the peril of the brand, both internally and externally, and ultimately the success of the business.

Smiles are free, order yours today

[Jay Clark] Brands are sentient. You interact with them and trust them because you trust their products and services will provide you with a pleasant experience. Choice is a prerogative, and smiles are the gatekeepers to that hallowed land. And it's free.

The Marly... Poster child for great design

[Brian Berkman] Perhaps it was looking over the green tiled roof of Blues Restaurant that reminded Paul Kovensky, of The Kove Collection, about Fairmont's chateau-styled hotels but what ever the inspiration, the high-glam meets chateau-chic of The Marly is inspired.

New vehicle sales face steep uphill

[Henrie Geyser] New vehicle sales in South Africa are slowly grinding up an increasingly steep hill as sales continue to drop.

Four social media marketing trends every marketer must know

[Joseph Neusu] Social media marketing is an ever-evolving discipline and it is unsurprising that quite a number of new and useful trends surface now and again.

Brands they are a-changin'

[Louise Burgers] The evolution of branding has been one of the most fascinating things to watch and be part of over the last decade or so.

[BizCareers] Is my experience not targeted enough?

[Juliette Attwell] In this week's BizCareers column, we look at how mixed experience can help rather than hinder your career, as well as the difference between a cover letter and a motivational letter.

Big Brother is watching

[Danette Breitenbach] Cyber crime is one of the top 10 risks for any business in the world today but despite this, IT security is often viewed as just a cost to business.

Moving from hearing to listening

[Jaco Pienaar] Social networking has changed the way consumers engage with brands. The likes of Facebook and Twitter mean people can more easily question things like quality, service levels, and product reliability. This forces brands to respond or risk facing reputational damage.

Commercialising the YouTube experience

[Mike Silver] YouTube's first-ever video upload was of Jawed Karim (the site's co-founder) looking a little awkward during a trip to the zoo. Since then, we've seen a host of other shareworthy content... (video)

Let them eat Zakes

[Eugene Yiga] South African writer Zakes Mda chats about his play, The Mother of All Eating.

Desirable online shopping, Q&A with Erato founder

[Cari Coetzee] Over the past couple of years, the e-commerce industry has taken off at warp speed. Starting an online retail website has become easier and easier, but successfully creating and running an entire brand, not so much. I caught up with Erato's founder, Julie Anderson, to find out the secrets to her success.

Every on-air presenter you let go takes a piece of your future with them

[Travis Bussiahn] Hello Mr/Mrs Radio Station Manager. You see the DJ sitting in that studio over there? Well he or she is, with every word, building their personal brand on the back of your station's reach.

Strategy - The holy grail of marketing communications

[Thamsanqa Malinga] Hands up if you have come across the phrase 'develop a marketing or communications strategy for the company' as one, if not the first, output in a job description or client brief.