Chris Moerdyk pays tribute to John Farquhar

[Chris Moerdyk: @chrismoerdyk] This is most unlike you, John. This dying thing*. I mean, dash it all, we had a lunch date in mid-February and it really is most unlike you to do anything that might compromise lunch, especially as it was my turn to pay. 30 Jan 2012 10:31

Frankie's vs Woolies: score one to the little guy

[Willem Steenkamp] It's not often, in the real world, that Samson David deals Goliath a devastating blow. But that's just what has happened in the Frankie's vs Woolworths saga. 3 Feb 2012 10:30

How Woolworths lost its mojo

[Walter Pike] There was a time, those of us of a certain age will remember, when Woolworths was held up in marketing classes as a brand that had been built entirely on word of mouth. 2 Feb 2012 12:37

Sasha Martinengo, 5FM parting ways

DJ Sasha Martinengo will no longer be part of 5FM once the annual lineup change takes place from 1 April 2012, it was announced this morning, Wednesday, 8 February 2012. After 17 years on air and over 5000 shows, Martinengo leaves end of March. 8 Feb 2012 09:48

[2012 trends] Influencers take to the web and run the streets

[Mongezi Mtati] 2011 saw the rise of more social media influencers and thought leaders; more conversations influenced how brands are perceived; and the fad of a Facebook page became more questioned than ever before. Or did that apply only in conferences and meetings I went to? 26 Jan 2012 11:38

Cell C goes to FoxP2, King James, Prima Plus, trigger/isobar

BREAKING NEWS: FoxP2, King James, Prima Plus and trigger/isobar have been appointed as the next team of agencies for South African mobile operator Cell C, it was announced Friday afternoon, 10 February 2012. The appointed agencies will begin work from the beginning of March. 10 Feb 2012 13:37

The DASO and advertising

[Johann Schwella] The new poster released by the Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) on Monday, 23 January 2012, has, to put it mildly, caused a stir. Many commentators have quoted race, sex, and countless other reasons as to why this is a good or a bad advert. I'm going to try and stay away from the obvious 'traditional' South African tensions and dissect this from a brand and advertising point of view. 25 Jan 2012 11:18

Townships not over shopped, wealthier Gauteng suburbs are

According to an accessibility study of large shopping centres in Gauteng done by AfricaScope, Maponya Mall is the closest to the largest number of people and within the shortest travelling time in Gauteng. 1.2 million people have access to the mall, within approximately 5 minutes travel time by road using a car or taxi. 14 Feb 2012 14:40

Afrikaans advertising slipping towards mediocrity?

[Andrea le Sueur] Gill Moodie's article "Banning English ads in Media24 digital, print speaks to Afrikaans ID", published on Bizcommunity on the eve of the Pendoring Awards last year, struck a chord with the project managers at Folio Translation Consultants. 3 Feb 2012 12:57

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics sets new record

Sci-tech brand Popular Mechanics is celebrating the highest ever circulation figure in its nine-year history, posting a record 52 000-plus sales for the January issue (subject to ABC verification). Subscriptions account for just under 16 000 of these. 31 Jan 2012 11:06

EXCLUSIVE: Hewlett combines assets to launch new agency player, Machine

[Herman Manson: @marklives] Adrian Hewlett, CEO and founder of the Habari Group, has combined his group's significant through-the-line, below-the-line, research, digital and social businesses to launch a major new independent advertising agency called Machine. 8 Feb 2012 09:19

Are journos being real twits to tweet?

[Chris Moerdyk: @chrismoerdyk] I was not in the least bit surprised to hear that the BBC and SKY News had put a stop to their journalists breaking news on Twitter. 9 Feb 2012 10:57

"Marketing's common sense - anyone can do it." Well, maybe not.

[Sharon Keith] When you see the finished object - the advertising campaign, the packaging, the new flavour, the shiny social media campaign, it's tempting to think that these things are relatively simple and straightforward to plan and execute. 10 Feb 2012 12:42