Ads police turns 40

[Tshepiso Seopa] The Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) of South Africa is celebrating 40 years of existence and of policing the ad industry, making sure that there is fair play among advertisers and marketers. Yet the organisation has often been accused of being a toothless watchdog.

ODM TV, WoWtv to go on air in June 2009

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] New pay-TV operators, On Digital Media Television (ODM) and Christian network Walking on Water Television (WOWtv), will begin broadcasting in mid-2009, Bizcommunity.com was told last week, ending months of speculation that all four new pay-TV licensees will almost disappear as the going gets tough at the top. While Telkom Media faces an uncertain future, e.tv's sister company e.sat has teamed up with DStv's MultiChoice, perhaps sensing that it cannot beat it.

SA Tourism unveils new Sho't Left campaign

[Tshepiso Seopa] South African Tourism unveiled its new marketing campaign for its domestic tourism initiative, Sho't Left, at the Emoyeni Estate in Parktown, Johannesburg, yesterday, Thursday, 28 August 2008. The campaign, which encourages South Africa's to travel the length and breadth of their country, is to target up-and-coming youngsters from South Africa as well as Botswana and Mozambique.

Scoring: a leading priority for marketers

Telling Fibs, an exhibition of lies by Warren Lewis

Colgate's comic call-to-action for Oral Health Month

Milky Lane celebrates 50th birthday

[Tshepiso Seopa] The JSE-listed pleasure foods franchise Ola Milky Lane is turning 50 this week, and to celebrate this milestone, the company took celebrities and VIP guests to a restaurant in the sky to enjoy its trademark product at the Johannesburg Country Club in Woodmead on Wednesday, 27 August 2008.

DStv Indian launches Saffron TV

Countdown to Highway Africa 2008

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] This year, more than 700 journalists from over 40 African countries are expected to attend the 12th edition of Highway Africa - the world's biggest gathering for African journalists - which will take place on 8 - 10 September 2008 in Grahamstown, near Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, Prof Guy Berger, head of Rhodes University's School of Journalism, told the media yesterday, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, during the event launch at the SABC headquarters in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.

New look and feel for AA

[Tshepiso Seopa] The Automobile Association of South Africa, popularly known as the AA, has just had a makeover in its quest to be seen as an innovative relevant brand that appeals to a wider market. Nicola Milton, the head of marketing manager for AA, revealed the new marketing campaign at the Design Quarter in Fourways, Johannesburg, yesterday, Wednesday 27 August 2008.

Chinese fashion: A threat for South African designers?

Khune, Bartlett new Samsung brand ambassadors

[Tshepiso Seopa] Samsung Electronics has chosen soccer heroes Itumeleng Khune and Shaun Bartlett as the brand ambassadors of its new corporate social responsibility programme, the NextHero Campaign. The aim of this sports sponsorship initiative is find the young players who will in future fill the shoes of Bartlett and Khune.

Six powerful prospecting tips

Celebrating the strength of womanhood

Klûk CGDT and Magnum tempt summer at SSAFW

[ActivRetail] This year fashionistas and opinion leaders will be in for a new surprise at the Sanlam South African Fashion Week (SSAFW) as Magnum ice cream and Klûk CGDT take on the catwalk and redefine ‘Tempting Summer'. The partnership marks Klûk CGDT's return to the SSAFW catwalk, having not participated for the past three years.

Prepping marketers for the global market

[Louise Burgers] Marketing innovation in Africa is something that we should be shining a light on for the rest of the world, believes Donovan Neale-May, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council international founder, who was in South Africa in the past week to launch CMO Africa. Highlighting marketing best practice globally and training up the next generation of Africa's marketers for the global market will be a core competency of CMO Africa.

Before doing deals with China, check your underpants

[Chris Moerdyk] As a result of billions of TV viewers the world over having been glued to the Olympics these past two weeks, a lot more businesses will be wanting to buy from and flog things to China. And, with an important function of global marketing being research into cultural considerations, it is critically important to ensure that some little element or other is not missing from a business deal that could come back and bite you on the bum.

Peddler or sales professional?

[Peter Gilbert] Much of what we know about sales and selling originates in the US. As the early pioneers spread out across America and created many new and essentially rural communities, the first salespeople, the peddlers soon followed. This American experience has been, to some degree, mirrored in many other countries, including South Africa.

SA marketers not speaking to moms

[Tshepiso Seopa] South African marketers are not focusing on moms in their marketing campaigns; they are speaking to women, to men, to the youth - but not to the gatekeeper. This is the opinion of Maria Bailey, CEO and president of US-based company BSM Media.

Mobile marketing the flavour of the month