#BizTrends2018: Tight budgets, customer demand and African pride driving retail competitiveness

[Lindy Lee] Budgets are tight, with rising electricity and petrol prices driving many households to tighten their purse strings. In response, the retail industry is becoming increasingly competitive...

#BehindtheSelfie with... Zola Nene

[Leigh Andrews] This week, we go behind the selfie with technophobe chef and food stylist, Zola Nene. She's the resident chef on SABC3's Expresso and was a judge for the 2017 Galliova Awards for excellence in food and health writing, as well as the recently aired third season of Great SA Bake Off...

#BizTrends2018: Is franchising future-proof?

[Tony Da Fonseca] Modern-day franchising has been with us since the mid-1950s when it made its presence felt in the USA. Subsequently, expansion was swift and within a few short years, the concept had conquered the world.

'Content' overboard

[pierre cassuto] Pierre Cassuto explains why being asked for a 'content' strategy irks him and how companies can 'swim' on their own in the digital pool...

Social and mobile get even closer in 2018 - Mobitainment

[Candice Goodman] When social meets mobile, we see the best of both in our digital world... Let's explore their journey as their relationship gets even closer as 2018 approaches, and how we can leverage what they offer us as marketers in Africa...

This is how global internet speeds changed in 2017

[Andy Walker] You may not feel it if you're still using ADSL over century-old copper lines in South Africa, but global internet speeds over both fixed broadband and mobile networks have increased in 2017.

Will the real influencers please stand up?

[Bradley Elliott] A growing army of YouTube stars is finding instant fame and wealth thanks to millions of subscribers to their pages and are fast becoming as influential, and in some case more so than mainstream actors and musicians...

#CreativeMorningsCT: TNW's Linda Mertens on mental health, the role of creatives and top 2018 trends

[Juanita Pienaar] Linda Mertens from The Next Web (TNW) on having an open, educated and inclusive conversation about mental health, the role of creatives in this ever-evolving technological world and top trends for 2018...

Toyota loves FCB Africa: The 57 year-strong brand relationship

[Leigh Andrews] Toyota formally announced earlier today that it is continuing its "exceptionally good, regularly measured" relationship with "the best of the best", FCB Africa. Brett Morris, FCB Africa Group CEO and group CCO shares their perspective of the love story that's endured over five decades and counting...

Was Black Friday 2017 a win for SA retailers?

[Jainita Khatri] Retailers and consumers, door deals and online marketing, geo-tracking, real-time parking deals and refreshments for physical shoppers. Black Friday has evolved into a complex sales phenomenon...

Scopen agency of the year King James on hitting the new year running

[Leigh Andrews] King James Group CEO James Barty explains the agency's commitment to creativity off the back of their recent accolades at Scopen AgencyScope 2017 and lets us in on their strategy for 2018...

#PrismAwards2018: Call for young judges

[Juanita Pienaar] The Prism Awards are once again searching for 11 of the best young minds seeking the title of Prisms Young Judge for the 2018 awards...

#Newsmaker: Havas bids farewell to Welsh, promotes O'Connor and Sethebe to joint ECDs

[Jessica Tennant] Havas Johannesburg has announced chief creative officer Eoin Welsh's resignation, and the promotion of Fiona O'Connor and Tumi Sethebe as joint executive creative directors, effective 2 January 2018...

#Newsmaker: Mandy Leontakianakis guides Havas into 2018

[Jessica Tennant] Havas recently appointed Mandy Leontakianakis as chief strategy officer to lead from Havas Johannesburg and across the group in Southern Africa, including Havas Boondoggle in Cape Town...

#Newsmaker: Grant Sithole joins Avatar as joint ECD

[Jessica Tennant] It was announced earlier this week that Grant Sithole, a former creative partner at Bakone, has been appointed to join Avatar as joint ECD alongside Brett Wild...

#BizTrends2018: Individuality is key for interior design and decor trends in 2018

[Dave Nemeth] When it comes to trends in any area it is important to understand that one of the biggest drivers is the consumer. There has always been the belief that interior trends follow on from fashion, but this is no longer the case.

#ICTAF2018: Q&A with SOLO curator Nontobeko Ntombela

[Ruth Cooper] The 2018 Investec Cape Town Art Fair will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 16-18 February 2018. The fair will be launching a new section titled SOLO that will focus on the production of women artists. We got in touch with the curator Nontobeko Ntombela to find out more.

As home of inventions such as Kreepy Krauly and the Cat scan, SA continues to compete on innovation

[Charl Bassil] Despite a sobering picture of South Africa's competitiveness, showing performance in the 2017-2018 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index to have slipped 14 positions from the 2016-2017 results, there are some bright spots - notably on the innovation front...

#StartupStory: TMI Media

[Jessica Tennant] TMI Media was founded by Quinton Jones and Peter Brooke-Sumner, director of TMI (The Media Image), in October 2016 as a joint venture with a fully integrated digital offering, specially focused on data and analytics...

Why PR is still important

[Heather Baker] Nowadays, all manner of marketing services are available, from advertising to inbound to content marketing to SEO. So, where, in this new media mix does PR fit? And is it still important?...