The Trends community of South Africa

[2012 trends] In case the world doesn't end...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:13:00 +0200

While the theme song for the Year 2012 will undoubtedly be ''It's the end of the world as we know it..." by R.E.M., and we'll be bored with all the End-of-the-World theme parties and raves and launches by March already... in case the world doesn't end, these are some essential trends and things you need to know for the year to come [with additional editing and contributions from moi - managing ed].
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[2012 trends] Will someone (Eskom, maybe) please pull the plug?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:06:00 +0200

That was my first reaction when Bizcommunity's editor Simone Puterman requested an article predicting 12 trends for 2012. A "trend" is defined as "a general tendency, movement, or direction". In my honest opinion, what most people will be purporting as trend is merely (if you analyse it properly), new and improved technology and ideas.
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[2012 trends] Bob, where's my flying car?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:36:00 +0200

Well, much like the '50s 'World of Tomorrow' projections of flying cars, jetpacks and teleportation that we all guffaw, laugh and point at... I'll risk joining their esteemed ranks of ludicrousness by jumping in the mire of guesstimation.
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[2012 trends] Media industry encountering unprecedented challenges

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:28:00 +0200

The fragmentation of the media and the mind-boggling range of sources of information available to readers, from Wikipedia to Google and the social networks, have conspired to cause publishers of print media to re-evaluate their roles, much as the horse-drawn carriage industry was forced to with the arrival of the internal combustion engine.
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[2012 trends] Thoughts to challenge SA's communications industry

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:16:00 +0200

With social media and connectivity transforming communications, clients are asking for dedicated, proactive and tech-savvy teams who can provide content and counsel which talks beyond 'the product' and positions them as industry leaders. Lower marketing budgets and higher client expectations means agencies need to continually develop and deliver more to address the challenges faced by the communications industry in 2012.
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[2012 trends] Getting found in 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:01:00 +0200

In 2011, further innovations in the online space meant that consumers became even more savvy about blocking out traditional forms of advertising. Buyers also showed that they have the capability to evaluate the products and services they need on their own.
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[2012 trends] Reasons not to 'touch that dial'

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:18:00 +0200

2012 heralds a brand new chapter for radio advertising and, more and more, savvy advertisers are are acknowledging that successful campaigns demand the time, effort and nurturing of an involved team and more. [multimedia]
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[2012 trends] The year of the phoenix

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:37:00 +0200

Twenty Twelve, year of the dragon, a leap year and the year the world as we know it is meant to end. I believe it will, not in a dooms-day fill-my-bunker-with-canned-food kind of way but in a thinking, progressive, collaborative and connective way. It's a phoenix year, where great ideas and people will rise from the economic ashes and drive informed action.
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[2012 trends] Influencers take to the web and run the streets

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:38:00 +0200

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?
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[2012 trends] Who you are shouts too loud!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:08:00 +0200

2012 started with an announcement that, for the first time, digital music sales topped physical CD sales. Therein is the undeniable fact and confirmed trend for 2012 in communications: digital is officially the leading arm of the communications platform.
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