Bridging, BI, buying, bullying... bullish - 23 Jul 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] Digital is an integral part of marketing and André Britz has some ideas for you on how to bridge the digital gap while on the business intelligence front, Max Ottavin says using BI and analytics to harness social media data can enable businesses to leverage opportunities to tap into unique customer insights. Why are you buying what you're buying? A US study has found that when it comes to product selection, the middle items win our wallets' votes. It seems that without realising it, consumers are more likely to choose products that sit in the horizontal centre of a display, a new study indicates. On a more serious note, isn't it strange how we find a way to abuse new technology... read more Don’t be a twit when you tweet - 16 Jul 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] We know, it's not the first time you've been warned, but we're doing it again, anyway, because there are a few cases at least in which people's tweets have turned around and bitten them - sometimes in the pocket. Nerushka Deosaran, an Associate at Norton Rose SA suggests you think before you tweet. On the career path, perhaps next time you decide to change jobs, it will be time to go mobile. read more SABC cutbacks cut deep… - 9 Jul 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] Mismanagement, leadership battles and wasteful spending have all contributed in one way or another to the SABC's financial woes - and it's South Africa's TV production sector that has been hit, and hit hard. In short, the SABC's cutbacks have put producers out of work. read more Making social media work for you - 2 Jul 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] Tiffany Markman and Jo Duxbury do what they like to call a little Q&A ménage-à-trois on the subject of freelancers and social media and when less is perhaps sometimes more - as in, go for quality over quantity. Oh, and they both like choccies. You can also meet the man behind the daring Nando's ads, and it seems he's a controlled free spirit who knows when to play. read more Not even a chicken bone from Nando’s - 25 Jun 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] Fast food chain Nando's is a little miffed with DStv after the pay-TV channel didn't flight the chain's "xenophobia" ad - but is now prepared to after the ASA ruled in favour of the ad. Basically, Nando's has given DStv a cold drumstick saying that if you weren't prepared to flight it the first time round, we're not going to flight the ad now on your service. read more They should have bottled it up - 18 Jun 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] If there's one subject on which just about everyone has a concern it's the environment, and usually anything done to raise awareness is greeted with approval. In what could perhaps end up being an "own goal", Coca-Cola has taken steps - big ones - to have a SodaStream airport exhibit removed. read more SABC: No end to the woes? - 11 Jun 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] The recent history of the SABC has not been a particularly happy one, what with financial problems, management issues, programming problems - and it seems they might not be ending anytime soon. According to a Sunday World report, two of its top executives, Itani Tseisi and Lerato Nage, have tendered their resignations. Not to be beaten, banned by the TV channels, Nando's has taken its diversity ad to print - which the fast-food chain did in yesterday's Sunday Times. read more It’s a winning campaign. Not… - 4 Jun 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] In a thoroughly tongue-in-cheek look at that subject, Sarah Britten suggests how the ANC's Loerie-winning integrated PR campaign might have been drafted. We hope you get the point. On a more serious note, Chris Moerdyk suggests that advertising paranoia is not in the consumer's interest - particularly when the SABC manages to get the wrong end of the stick completely and bans the latest Nando's ad on the grounds that it promotes xenophobia. read more That infernal spear - 28 May 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] Top of the news this week, and last week, of course, has been "The Spear", the controversial painting of Jacob Zuma that has been the topic of conversation and top of mind. read more Respect for human dignity - 21 May 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] President Zuma's portrait - you know the one we're talking about - has kept Gail Schimmel awake. The issue, she says, is that the moment we decide that there is a certain category of person that deserves no dignity, we are on a slippery slope. The Sunday Times editor, Ray Hartley, is a man who wants answers - don't we all... read more Thought Leadership Digibate focuses on 2012 Biz Trends Report - 14 May 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] The 2012 Biz Trends Report, which was sponsored this year by Aegis Media, was the main focus of the online media marketing sector discussion at the fifth Thought Leadership Digibate held recently in Joburg. Meanwhile, Theunis Botha, leader of the Christian Democratic Party, says that Western Cape Premier Helen Zille must resign after Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found that a communications tender awarded to TBWA/Hunt Lascaris in 2010 was provisionally invalid. Unfortunately, there are not many politicians in this country or anywhere else for that matter who do what we might expect them to do in this sort of situation. read more SABC has its Phil of news - 7 May 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] The SABC is debating the role its group CEO should play in decisions about its news coverage. This follows the dispute that led to the suspension of head of news Phil Molefe. read more Why some ads work better than others do - 30 Apr 2012[Rod Baker, Content Director] We've got some interesting research - believed to be a first - for you from UCLA. Researchers have found that when it comes to which ads are winners your brain knows better than you do. read more Not a quiet April - 23 Apr 2012[Simone Puterman (@SimoneBiz)] Apologies for the lack of an editorial column last week; I was one of those affected by the large power failure in Johannesburg that Monday, and my laptop battery wasn't sufficient to keep me going. So what's been happening lately? The tip of the iceberg: the SABC circus is still in town; it's award show season (Clio and various One Show shortlists are out; South Africa got four D&AD Yellow Pencils last week and one ADC Bronze Cube the week before; the MTN Radio Awards has been sparking heated debate); Cell C has put its new agency decision on review; MediaCom is the new Telkom media strategy, buying and planning agency and Y&R is the new Telkom TTL agency; Chris Vick continues to stir on Business Day, with Primedia Broadcasting responding; David Bullard vs Mondli Makhanya continues; The New Age last week Wednesday launched its new weekly media and marketing page, under the editorship of Louise Marsland; the e-tolling uproar continues unabated (latest on Twitter today: #mediaNOtotolls); and the ASA is trying not to get involved in those ghastly Protection of Information Bill ads... Oh, and the Press Freedom Commission Report is being launched this Wednesday. Please don't forget to take our Biz reader survey (first 1000 readers to respondents each receive a one-month subscription to iPad-only daily magazine iMaverick!). Once again, travel safe this long weekend! Simone Puterman (@SimoneBiz) Managing editor PS The latest Ornico Ad Showcase features TV ads for Hyundai i10, Dentyne, Bevcan, Three Ships Whiskey and DPSA, and radio ads for Lasher, The Star, Hansa Pilsner, DStv and SASSA. PPS Welcome to 702 Talk Radio, 94.7 Highveld Stereo, Floodgate, ForeBrands and all its sub-brands, McEwan, Park Village Auctions, True Technical, and Wow Factor, which have just opened press offices on Bizcommunity Marketing & Media South Africa! read more April Fool’s... or not? - 2 Apr 2012[Simone Puterman (@SimoneBiz)] The April Fool's press releases - under embargo - started arriving in my inbox on Thursday last week already, so when on Friday, 30 March 2012, I read The Media Online's story that Media24 almost poached the entire Sunday Times' investigative team of Mzilikazi Wa Afrika, Stephan Hofstatter and Rob Rose, I checked the date twice and still almost didn't believe it. Incidentally, the trio walked off with the 2011 Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism on Friday afternoon - nothing new for them. And then there's State Security's new 'advertising' campaign for the Protection of State Information Bill... read more (2 Comments) |
