The rest of the industry could be forgiven for thinking that nothing else happens at this time of the year as those lazy sods in the ad industry and at Bizcommunity pack their bags for the beach to attend the annual Loerie Awards. Personally I think it would be great if all the media and marketing awards in the industry were also at the beach, we'd probably have a lot more fun, but since Loeries is a celebration of all the marketers' brand advertising produced by the ad industry and positioned in various media, we hope that the rest of our dear readers not in Margate this weekend will grant us the indulgence of our elongated focus on Loeries. Because it is not just about the party and the awards, it's actually the crowning achievement of much of the work we do on a daily basis in the industry – whether it's writing about it, selling ads, making ads, directing ads, launching new products, doing the research, staging events to promote our brands – we're all in this business in one way or the other and it's really great to have the opportunity to celebrate that. Bizcommunity will be there in full force, dressed in the red of our brand, to report, blog, vlog, take pix and convey all the excitement from the festival awards weekend. South African social media site Zoopy.com and mobile service provider Mobilety are our partners on the ground this weekend at Loeries (27 – 30 July 2007) – as well as everyone going to Loeries who has a cellphone! In addition to our insider blogs from people on the ground this weekend – anyone can be part of our team at Loeries by SMSing “Biz” and your comments from Loeries to 31779. Email your pics and video clips to blog@bizcommunity.com. The first instalment of our blog from industry insider “The Unhappy Slapper” starts today (see below); she will be providing regular updates from Margate throughout the weekend and dishing all the dirt!
Loeries 2.0: the party's started on Zoopy.com The finalists have been announced, the awards are being Brillo'd and Margaters are bracing themselves for another weekend full of advertising antics. Woza Loeries! In the lead up to the big weekend, Bizcommunity.com and Zoopy.com have come together to pre-socialise the industry's most significant annual awards event, in advance. All online, all in its own dedicated photo and video channel at SA's very own social media spot.
The Unhappy Slapper heads for Margate It's T minus 6 days to Loeries and I cannot find a thing to wear. In fact at this rate I'll either be wearing my boyfriend or two well-placed stars and last year's Beeld mock Loerie on a piercing through my cllit (the closest I've ever come to a Loerie, I hear you ask).
Creativity – the enjoyment of surprise Sheer energy, willpower and getting up each morning and trying harder is how to win awards, says Saatchi & Saatchi regional creative director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, John Pallant, who will be attending Loeries this year.
It's the end of the South Coast as we know it… Set to the beat of the REM song, It's the end of the world as we know it!, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris creative directors Hennie Stander and Adam Weber remind all on the Loerie bus this weekend how to survive Loeries – feel free to singalong with your colleagues… one, two, three…
When I grow up, I wanna be in advertising Do you remember when you were a student? Those starry eyed aspirations of being in advertising, a creative God, winning awards, wow, the dreams… The fantasy! One brave student, who has entered work in Loeries this year in the student category, reminds us. Yasmiena Davids is a second year visual communication student at the AAA.
‘I wish I could fly' She's intimidating, but she has a spiritual side. That's Nici Stathacopoulos, proximity#ttp CEO and regular Loerie judge, who answers today's Q&A for Bizcommunity.com to profile some of the people who make this industry click, all part of our run-up to the annual Loerie Awards next week.
Nothing's impossible in advertising! “The power to make clients do things that will benefit them” is a power probably every creative wishes she or he had. It's certainly one favoured by Black River FC creative director, Ahmed Tilly.
Real world meets innovative thought Jupiter Cape Town creative director Livio Tronchin thinks his abs are his best feature and refuses to answer ‘silly' questions. He's also a Loeries judge this year – maybe that's why he chose the pic he did, or maybe he's just shy.
Passion for the part Is creativity the part of you that is free? That's what Saatchi & Saatchi group ECD Mike Blore believes. And if he were a superhero - he'd want X-ray vision. One wonders what for...
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Marketing
SA consumer confidence still positive – Mastercard Results of the MasterIndex survey of Consumer Confidence, commissioned by MasterCard Worldwide, for the second half of 2007 have revealed that consumer confidence in South Africa remains strongly positive, despite a decrease in the past year.
New partner for strategic planning agency Cape Town-based Burns Strategic Planning is now able to offer marketing-oriented business planning, thanks to new partner Greg Castle. Burns' total offering now comprises brand-focused, marketing-oriented strategy and activation.
Planning and implementation of strategies - Opulent Consulting [Cobus Gous] We read about it, we hear about it, and we talk about it. But does your business actually plan and implement strategies? The importance of planning and implementation of sound business strategies cannot be emphasised enough. It is vital for the survival of all businesses that function in a competitive business environment.
New festival celebrates Black Diamonds' lifestyle - Human Element The Mother City will be the site of South Africa's first ever Black Diamonds Festival – a dynamic new festival that celebrates the success and lifestyle of South Africa's burgeoning black middle class, the significant sector of our population that everyone is talking about.
What will the second half bring? - Strats Inc. Netcare, Hertz, Piatto Mediterranean Kitchen, Subaru, Paywell – these are just a few of the accounts landed by Strats Inc this year. Headed by Philip Hendrickse, Strats Inc is a strategic marketing consultancy which is now also getting hands-on by overseeing the implementation of its strategies for clients.
Male fantasy airline tickets on sale Tickets for the new 'seven-star' airline, AxeJet, went on sale on Friday, 20 July 2007, through local auction site Aucor. The six available tickets are being sold in pairs and have a reserve price of R20 000 per pair, with all proceeds going towards charities I Care, NOAH and the Giving Organisation. Commented AxeJet spokesperson Jordan Wallace, “We've already had informal offers of up to R100 000 for these tickets. It's the opportunity of a lifetime: which guy wouldn't want to be onboard the AxeJet?”
2010 FIFA World Cup
DTI granting FIFA more rights than normal [Merle O'Brien] The Minister of Trade and Industry has called for interested parties to submit in writing objections to FIFA's application asking for certain words and emblems to be trademarks and for their use to be prohibited except by FIFA – before the closing date of objections on 2 August 2007. Here is a brief summary of the intention behind this and how it is going to develop between now and 2010.
FIFA blocks jewellery design competition Uwe Koetter Jewellers has withdrawn its jewellery design competition after “FIFA made it clear that anything short of complete abandonment of the competition would be seen as an infringement of FIFA's intellectual property,” reports Fin24. For more, click here.
Advertising
SAARF AMPS goes bi-annual again From 2007, the South African advertising, marketing and media industries will enjoy a double dose of AMPS, as SAARF's All Media and Products Survey reverts to a bi-annual schedule last seen in 2003. After eight months of consultation, the unanimous decision to increase the frequency of AMPS was made at a strategic workshop attended by SAARF Board members and industry stakeholders.
Neotel calls on TBWA Neotel yesterday, Wednesday, 18 July 2007, announced the appointment of TBWA\ as its communications partner to assist in positioning it as the preferred provider of leading edge telecoms services in South Africa.
South Africans intolerant over advertising [Chris Moerdyk] For a brief moment I seriously considered suggesting that every creative director in the ad industry in this country should spend an obligatory week at the Advertising Standards Authority just to get an idea of the kind of over-the-top intolerant, politically correct, nit-picky whackos they are aiming their advertising at. But then, I thought better of it.
Universal McCann appoints new GM Media agency Universal McCann today, Tuesday, 17 July 2007, the appointment of Nazeer Suliman as GM in order to inject continued energy and out-of-the-box thinking into the organisation.
Eat some more with new Bakers ad Baker has launched its latest TV advert for one of its long-standing and popular brands, Eet-Sum-Mor. The 30-second advert is based on the Bakers ‘Magic' campaign and captures the essence of the brand as the ‘moreish in-betweener', according to Bakers.
FCB South Africa appoints new group MD - FCB South Africa Selomane Maitisa joined FCB South Africa in June this year as its group MD. A BCom, UED and MBA graduate, Maitisa grew up in Mamelodi East, Tshwane. She has also completed the MAP (Management Advancement Programme) at Wits Business School.
Aspirations for the simple life gets results in the city - Joe Public Shooting images in and around the unspoilt Robertson Valley in the Western Cape delivers a warm authenticity to Joe Public's recent print campaign for Robertson Winery. However, offering fresh air and quality time to elite wine consumers was not part of the brief.
Lowe Bull starts an adventure with Rama - Lowe Bull Rama is celebrating the growth and daily development of our children with the launch of its new advertising campaign. Conceptualised and produced by Lowe Bull Johannesburg, the campaign places Rama at the centre of an everyday adventure in the lives of our children.
King James Joburg to power-up Eveready - King James Eveready SA, the producers of South Africa's largest selling and only locally produced battery, has appointed King James Johannesburg as its official above-the-line agency. Although the multi-million rand business was not put out to pitch, the appointment was based on the medium-sized agency's reputation and leadership positioning within the industry.
NOSA selects Faction Media for training videos - Faction Media Global supplier of occupational risk management services and products NOSA has appointed through-the-line advertising agency Faction Media to produce a series of training videos for the group.
How you can increase your market share by doing things differently - Brainstorm Projects In the past, entrepreneurs would spend 80% of their budget developing a product and 20% marketing it. These days, it is the opposite. But few can allocate 80% of their budget to marketing. You therefore have to be very innovative to cut through the clutter and get your message through.
Mobile video news service for Africa LAGOS: MTech, a leading African mobile content provider, and sports marketing company OSMi announced last week week that they had won the rights to power mobile Premier League highlights and news service across Africa (excluding South Africa). However, these broadcasts exclude South Africa.
Shooting starts for No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency in Botswana Shooting began last week in Botswana on The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, directed by Anthony Minghella from a script he co-wrote with Richard Curtis. Financed by The Weinstein Company with the support of the Republic of Botswana, this marks the first time a major movie will be filmed in its entirety in Botswana and the Republic of Botswana has made a significant investment in the production.
Branding
Idea Engineers will grow your brand, reputation & business.
Online branding do's and don'ts [Tyler Reed] Facebook is a platform for people to connect, communicate and interact. But branding yourself online through social networks can be a task if not thought out properly.
The power of symbolism in branding [David Blyth] Two recent incidents have got the branding fraternity's knickers in a twist. The first involves Barclays Bank, which is apparently willing to ditch its longstanding eagle emblem in its bid to win ABN Amro. Longstanding of 317 years, to be precise.
Brands & Branding 2007 – In Brands We Trust - Affinity Brands & Branding True? False? Wishful thinking? Some of our leading brand practitioners offer their very diverse opinions in pithy, quotable quotes contributed to Brands & Branding 2007. Some are longer, but for brevity Kees Schilperoort leads with In Brands We Trust and trust is a must, for brands that lie, die.
Brand Alive empowers - Brand Alive Specialist brand relationship company Brand Alive has sold 30% to Zweli Nkosi and Zam Nkosi in a deal that represents a powerful empowerment and business development move. Giles Shepherd, Brand Alive's MD, says the move represents a quantum leap forward for the company, and ensures absolute integrity with its strategic intentions.
JSE top brass provides answers for HKLM Exchange clients - HKLM As the debate on the pros and cons of the current financial reporting requirements continues, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) remains steadfast in its policy of full disclosure without compromising access to information.
African Bank: Willing and Abil and looking good - Interbrand Sampson African Bank has received a makeover from Interbrand Sampson. Winning the business in a hotly competed pitch process some 18 months ago, Interbrand Sampson worked closely with the African Bank Team.
Microsoft crowned UK's top “superbrand” Microsoft has beaten out Coca-Cola and Google to retain its crown as Britain's top “superbrand” in a consumer survey, reports IOL Technology. For more, click here.
Cinema
Environmental film festival for Cape Town In response to various campaigns launched to highlight global warming comes Earthnotes, a film festival of environmental documentaries. The documentaries will be screened between 27 July and 8 August 2007 at the Labia on Orange in Cape Town, after which it will move up the west-coast to Namibia.
CRM
Service Quality Solutions announces SEE 2007 - SEE As part of a long term strategy, with a focus on 2010 and the potential rewards of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Service Quality Solutions, a local company committed to improving South African customer service, will be hosting a two-day interactive conference focusing on service excellence.
Design
Quark joins anti-piracy crusade LONDON: Quark announced last week that it has joined the Business Software Alliance (BSA) as an EMEA Anti-Piracy member. Membership in the BSA gives Quark the opportunity to actively work with body to assist in the reduction of software piracy and the education of the public about sound software management practices.
Free QuarkXPress commercial use for students worldwide COLORADO, US: Quark earlier this week announced the universal availability of a program that enables students to use their QuarkXPress education licences to produce creative materials for the marketplace while still in school.
Digital
Ensight - The Smarter eMarketing Solution
BMW collaborates creatively To inspire consumers to find the BMW 1 Series model that's right for them, BMW has extended the concept of ‘one' into an expressive online community of contributors, all sharing their own idea of what it means to focus on ‘just One'.
Direct Marketing
Gaffe of the century - Brand Alive [Giles Shepherd] Many years ago I read in Life's Little Instruction Book by Adam Jackson Brown that there was an address you could write to if you wanted to have your name removed from mailing lists. I puzzled over this idea, wondering how such a central database-name-removal system would work.
Education and Training
Vega, Markinor team up Markinor and Vega The Brand Communications School earlier this week announced a strategic partnership which will allow for both parties to leverage off one another's intellectual knowledge and industry capabilities.
Eventing
Global experts for decorating conference ‘Energising cities, building design cultures' will be one of the topics under discussion at ‘Conversations on Architecture', the CaesarStone-sponsored one-day Decorex conference taking place on 8 August 2007, the show's opening day.
SAACI conference seeks simple solutions ‘Great thinking – simple solutions' is the theme of the national conference of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry (SAACI) that will take place at the Arabella Sheraton Hotel in Cape Town, 22 – 25 July 2007.
Amara Events helps transform service in South Africa - Amara Productions Client service guru John Tschohl once said: “Advertising will get customers through the door to your business once, but it is service that will keep them coming back.” If this is true, then the upcoming Service Excellence Emporium 2007 is a testament to the level of service to be expected from Amara Events.
Elton John for SA Big Concerts, 94.7 Highveld Stereo, 94.5 Kfm and East Coast Radio announced on Wednesday, 18 July 2007, that legendary singer, songwriter and entertainer Elton John has confirmed dates for his first South African tour. The critically acclaimed superstar will be kicking off on 13 January 2008 in Cape Town, before he and his band move on to Durban's Absa Stadium on 16 January and finally Johannesburg's Coca-Cola dome on 18 January.
Exhibitions
Exhibitors to launch countless new boats at 2007 show - Biz Events Given the tremendous growth in the leisure boating and watersports industry in general, characterised by increased boat, engine, accessories and waterfront property sales, the Absa National Boat Show 2007 is set to yield a bumper crop of product launches. The show takes place 17 – 19 August 2007 at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg and is expected to once again attract an audience of around 30 000 visitors.
Heat it, air it, cool it, freeze it Frigair – allegedly Africa's only dedicated heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration exhibition – opens this week at Gallagher Estate, Midrand, Gauteng, 18 – 20 July 2007. Frigair is an official SA Institute of Refrigeration & Air Conditioning event and is endorsed by all of the industry active bodies: SAASA, RAEFSA, SARACCA, SAFA, RAMSA, SARDA and ACRICSA. Go to www.frigairexpo.co.za for more information.
Magazines
Youth title looks for top teen achievers What makes an ordinary girl great? An innovative mind, an empathetic soul, a proactive approach and the determination to fast forward her future. These are the qualities seventeen, published by 8 Ink Media, is looking for in the 2007 Top Teen Achiever Awards competition.
No more True Love for Mahlaba True Love editor Busi Mahlaba has accepted a promotion to join the publishing team of Media24 Women's Magazines as market development executive, effective from 1 August 2007, Media24 announced yesterday, Tuesday, 17 July.
Baba en Kleuter gets reclothed Premium Afrikaans parenting magazine Baba en Kleuter is celebrating a refreshed look and new editorial content in the August 2007 issue, now on shelf.
The July 2007 edition of Home Handyman magazine marks its 150th issue. To celebrate, a whole host of prizes from the DIY industry, valued at over R25 000, are being offered to readers in a lucky draw (go to www.homehandyman.co.za). Published independently by Home Handyman Publishing, the magazine reports that it's doubled its sales since it was acquired from Primedia seven years ago.
Media
Recruitment - Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, Media Sales
Workshop for women journalists A one-week Women's Month workshop for female writers is being held in Newtown, Johannesburg, 20 – 24 August 2007 to help build a new generation of women writing about the arts in South Africa.
5FM tops Media Innovation awards SA media owners are creative and prepared to bring unconventional and non-formulaic ideas to fruition. So says Ross Sergeant, brandhouse communication channel planning manager, who announced the winners of the annual brandhouse Media Innovation awards in Cape Town last week.
Media access a costly commodity [Goodman Chauke] As a young public relations person entering the industry, I found it difficult to get a reliable media list and contact details of relevant journalists. On my mission to impress my new employer, I had to design the media list of journalists covering issues relevant to the business of my organisation. And that is where the trouble started…
Bike, quad classifieds launches Allicat Publications, a division of the Junk Mail Group, yesterday, Thursday, 19 July 2007, launched what is alleged to South Africa's first free stand-alone classifieds publication dedicated exclusively to the sale of bikes and quads.
Entries open for environmental journalism awards The deadline for entries to the SAB Environmentalist and Environmental Journalists of The Year Awards 2007 is 31 August 2007. Over the past 18 years, this ceremony has established itself as one of the most prestigious awards for journalists covering crucial developments in the environmental arena.
Call for entries in oncology journalism award Following the success of the inaugural Luminous Award in 2006, Lilly Oncology has announced the call for entries to Luminous 2007. The Luminous Award was created by Lilly to honour journalism that serves readers and viewers by providing responsible, accurate and timely information on advances in cancer prevention, research, development and treatment.
The challenge for new SA leadership [Issa Sikiti da Silva] A wave of service delivery protests, soaring crime, voters' apathy, state corruption and a wide range of ‘political obscenities' that are currently taking place in South Africa might just be the signs that the country could be heading towards anarchy, Dr Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, non-executive chairman of Caxton Newspapers' board and political analyst, said last week.
The cross-media way of building and maintaining communities DARMSTADT, GERMANY: Thirty-six publishers from 18 countries have entered a total of 50 projects for the Ifra XMA Cross Media Awards 2007. The focus this time is on cross-media projects in “Building and Maintaining Communities”.
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Mobile
European Commission backs Nokia's mobile TV standard The European Commission (EC) announced last week its backing of Nokia's DVB-H mobile broadcast TV standard. Independent market analyst Datamonitor considers that the development will notably aide in the mass-adoption of mobile broadcast TV services as a whole but that it might come at the price of reducing open market competition.
Vodacom reports positive growth As at 30 June 2007, Vodacom Group recorded 32.4 million customers across its networks operating in South Africa, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and Mozambique, reflecting a 7.5% increase in the three months since 31 March 2007. This was announced yesterday, Thursday, 19 July.
Brandscape revs BP's entrée into the Loeries - Brandscape The finalists are out, featuring mobile marketing specialist Brandscape and Ogilvy's BP MPH '07 campaign as a potential clincher for a coveted Loerie in the Experiential Alternative Media & Field Marketing category. The criteria for this category states that entrants must utilise a form of activity focused on an interactive communication with the target audience irrespective, of media type.
Newspapers
New awards focus on small business growth An initiative aimed at putting the spotlight on programmes from both the private and public sectors that excel at promoting small business growth in South Africa was launched on Friday, 20 July 2007, by Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Elizabeth Thabethe. This initiative, known as the Bignews Enterprise Development Awards, was developed by the small business newspaper Bignews for the Business Owner.
M&G gagged over new SABC report The Mail & Guardian Online reports that the Mail & Guardian was gagged yet again in the early hours of today, Friday, 20 July 2007, this time from “publishing the details of an explosive final draft of an internal report into alleged corruption, abuse of power and intimidation at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)”.
Online Media
IOL launches classifieds portal Launched over the weekend, new website IOL Classifieds gives easy access to the collective classified advertising sections of all papers in the Independent News & Media Group, including The Star, The Cape Times, The Cape Argus and The Mercury, as well as IOL's own service.
Insuring you get your money back Short-term insurer Dial Direct has used Billads – a bill-folder advertising platform conceptualised by the Nine Mile Group – to communicate its latest Bucks Back Bonus campaign.
Drawing upon the nostalgic factor What has suddenly caused Mr Grumpy to smile, Miss Nosy to mind her own business and Mr Lazy to find the energy to garden? A flight on Virgin Atlantic's Upper class, that's what.
Driving financial education at taxi ranks The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) and Financial Services Board (FSB) – in their roles as public watchdog and industry regulator – recently teamed up with ComutaNet to educate commuters about finance and insurance matters at 30 high-density taxi ranks around South Africa.
Can you guess what Prime360Media's latest project is? It's Trivia 30"! - Prime360Media Prime360Media has launched a new concept for its 360 Displays and 3D Units – Trivia 30". By inserting 30-second trivia spots among advertising messages, information bulletins and self-promotion slots on the 3D Units and 360 Displays advertising reels, Prime360Media aims to grab even more of the interest and attention of passers-by.
Mango take-off at train stations - Off The Wall Keeping in line with its tongue-in-cheek advertising and marketing, Mango, together with Off The Wall, have cleverly targeted the bus and train commuters at the stations in the towns of flight destinations.
NuPrint-Ability forges ahead - PrintAbility With the liquidation behind it and a new banner flying high, PrintAbility continues to take the print market by storm. Welvest 2 (Pty) Ltd, trading as NuPrint-Ability, promise to uphold the same quality and performance as its predecessor, with renewed pledges of outstanding service to its customers.
Production
Cape film industry adds R3.5bn to GDP The Western Cape film industry has contributed at least R3.5 billion to South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) in the 2006 financial year, recent research has revealed. At the same time, the film industry contributed R936 million to the Western Cape Gross Geographic Product (GGP), of which R684 million is contributed to the Cape Town GGP.
Habari Direct creates brand loyalty with three innovative campaigns - Habari Media Habari Direct is reporting success in creating unparalleled sales solution campaigns which have enabled its FMCG clients to boost sales through lifestyle reward-driven promotions. As an extension of this service, Habari Direct also offer clients key loyalty and retention services, and has recently acquired three new clients in this area, namely Peugeot Motors South Africa, Propertyclassifieds.co.za and Jawitz Properties.
Samplex's promotional campaign for Salticrax culminates in an award - Samplex During March, April and May of 2007, Pyotts Salticrax and Samplex teamed up for a national promotional campaign to showcase the versatility of Salticrax as the Real Entertainer. Samplex handled all aspects of the campaign as well as the sponsorship of the Food and Wine Pairing Theatre at the Good Food and Wine show in Cape Town, for which Pyotts Salticrax won a Silver Award for the Best Interactive Stand.
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Public Relations
IPRA honours excellence in public relations PARIS: The International Public Relations Association (IPRA) recently announced the winners of its 2007 Golden World Awards for Excellence in PR. Winning campaigns ranged from increasing the use and awareness of condoms in India to promoting recycling in Hungary.
Government communication ‘hugely limited' [Issa Sikiti da Silva] There is a huge limitation in Government communication, as most of its spokespersons badly mismanage the process and do not know what is going on in their respective departments, Lerato Mbele, CNBC Africa news and current affairs anchor, told delegates attending the ‘Spin and the Media Conference' at Sandton Sun, Johannesburg, yesterday, Tuesday, 18 July 2007.
SA media 'easy to spin' [Issa Sikiti da Silva] The existence of a state-controlled major broadcaster, private media's obsession for making profit, editors' and publishers' fear of offending advertisers, costly and time-consuming investigations and low pay resulting in senior journalists quitting the industry, among others, constitute the main reasons why the South African media is so easy to spin. This has emerged at the ‘Spin and the Media Conference', currently taking place at Sandton Sun, Johannesburg.
Crisis management's 10 critical commandments - Crisis Communications Consultancy The past few months has seen South African business and government dealing with a vast number of crises, some self-inflicted, many occurring due to uncontrollable factors. These include the recurring power outages, the countrywide labour strike, product recalls from Royal Canin, the eNatis fiasco, the Soweto Monorail debacle and major corporate governance infringements.
No train no gain - Headlines [Nangamso Jacobs] Paper-pushers, skivvies, office-babies... I believe the politically correct term is interns. The concept of interns evokes mixed feelings in different people, depending on one's perspective and experience. But like that horrid stretch mark that no amount of tissue oil can remove, PR firms cannot ignore the importance of training interns.
Communications crisis in corporate South Africa - The Write Co. The business community in South Africa faces a critical challenge. The gap between communications issued by management, and the staff who speak with other staff members and those who deal with customers, widens daily.
IABC Africa Quill Award returns IABC Africa Region recently announced the launch of the new IABC Africa Quill Award, to be synchronised with the international IABC Gold Quill Awards. Deadline for entries is Tuesday, 18 September 2007. Winners will be announced on 9 October at a special Africa Quill Awards dinner taking place during the IABC Africa Regional Conference, 9 – 10 October. Go to www.iabc.co.za for more details.
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Radio
Youth show to broadcast live from Egypt CKI FM's youth talk show Conversations will be broadcasting live from Egypt at the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN) Conference and Youth Summit, 21 – 26 July 2007. The aim is to expose the station's listeners to different cultures as well as to share in the global dialogue for sustainable development.
OFM goes mobile OFM is now available anytime and anywhere – on your mobile phone – through the spodtronic network, which allows listeners to listen to from around the world by downloading the spodtronic software to their mobile phones.
Radio medium Michaela – a surprise hit with esoteric bloggers - Jacaranda 94.2 Who could have predicted Jacaranda 94.2's radio medium would be such a hit in the local, emerging blogosphere? Well, Michaela herself, the station's resident medium, may have seen it coming – but even she could not have imagined the phenomenal interest from listeners and the online esoteric community.
Recruitment
Recruitment - Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, Media Sales
Career coaching/life coaching and recruitment - theWorksquad There is a certain soap commercial that tells us to ‘do life' while that washing powder takes care of the laundry. We all try to run our multifaceted lives to the best of our abilities, but are we paying attention to the finer personal details?
Research
Why invest in Africa? Why not? A new study, the Baird's Communication Management Consultants Africa Review, promises to discover exactly what encourages US investors to invest in Africa, and what puts them off.
Are traditional family values dying out? It seems that hardly a day goes past without gloomy media speculation that traditional family values are breaking down. But are such interpretations exaggerated? Using the latest research from TGI, we investigate whether strong family ties still exist and how they vary across the world.
Madiba the most loved - Markinor Nelson Mandela, on his 89th birthday, is still the most loved public figure amongst South Africans, and this popularity has increased since his term as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
The crime statistics: are we our own worst enemy? - Markinor Markinor agreed to include some questions on crime in its bi-annual Government Performance Barometer Survey, conducted amongst a nationally representative sample of 3500 South Africans. It reports startling findings.
Repeat of Black Diamond 2007 presentation - UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing The nationwide presentations of Black Diamond 2007 were sold-out in every city last month. Following extensive local and international media coverage and unprecedented demand from Gauteng's business community, the UCT Unilever Institute and TNS-Research Surveys will be doing a repeat of this seminar in Johannesburg in August 2007.
Retail
McCann's momentous SA launch As a further commitment to the local industry, McCann Worldgroup yesterday, Monday, 16 July 2007, launched sponsorship, event, promotional and retail marketing network Momentum McCann in South Africa.
Sponsorship
More support for innovation initiative Digital solutions provider iGroup has thrown its weight behind innovationTOWN, the initiative that is working to change the way South Africans think about innovation. iGroup's sponsorship will see it provide web enablement, email management and event management services.
Gardeners to fly Nationwide Nationwide announced last week that it is the official carrier of the Cape Town Flower & Garden Show 2007. The airline will support the event by providing domestic flights to and from the event and by offering the show corporate rates on the Johannesburg to London route. The event aims to increase the number of local tourists from major centres such as Johannesburg and Durban.
TV
Seven major industry players for MIPCOM keynotes PARIS: At MIPCOM 2007, the world's audiovisual and digital content market, a total of seven industry leaders are set to give keynotes as part of this year's conference programme, with the opening keynote by Leslie Moonves, president and CEO, CBS Corporation on 8 October 2007.
Service innovation crucial for TV service operators LONDON: A new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor, released yesterday, Thursday, 19 July 2007, expects digital TV services to reach around 165 million homes in Western Europe and the US by 2012. Further, with consumers able to access broadcast video content via a variety of methods, service operators are up against massive competition.
Further developments in SABC interdict The SABC announced yesterday, Wednesday, 18 July 2007, that the urgent application it brought against Broad Daylight Films and Ben Cashdan (the respondents) in respect of the unlawful screenings of the Mbeki Documentary, which was scheduled to be heard in Court yesterday, would be removed from the court roll at the SABC's request.
FXI condemns SABC interdict application The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) yesterday, Tuesday, 17 July 2007, condemned the SABC's urgent application to interdict Broad Daylight Films from screening the controversial documentary on President Thabo Mbeki. The FXI furthered called on the SABC to allow a number of advertised screenings to go ahead.
e.tv plans for the future [Issa Sikiti da Silva] As South Africa heads to a new era of digitisation, which is set to ‘climax' by 2011, the pressure is now on for local broadcasters to prove that they are competitive enough to fit in with this revolution in order to stay relevant to the society in which they operate. Free-to-air channel e.tv is among them. Bizcommunity.com spoke to its head of publicity Vasili Vass to find out more about the company's next moves.
More legal action from SABC “The SABC has taken legal action against the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and broadcasters SuperSport and e.tv,” reports Business Day, “to freeze a R1.6 billion broadcast rights deal to prevent any party entering into agreements with SuperSport.” For more, click here.
Adobe Indesign/Illustrator/Photoshop training thecreativetrain - Cape Town, 23 July / Cape Town, 30 July You will receive top quality training, electronic notes, all practical lessons and a certificate on completion of this three-day course, plus the option of in-house support after training.
Write short stories for magazines SA Writers College - Countrywide, 23 July This nine-module online course can be completed at your own pace, and provides rigorous training in short story writing skills plus you also get the chance to produce at least one publishable short story.
Freelance journalism course SA Writers College - Countrywide, 26 July / Countrywide, 7 August From leads and features to interviewing skills, this online journalism course teaches you everything you need to write articles for newspapers.
"Write a movie script" workshop SA Writers College - Countrywide, 28 July / Countrywide, 1 August Train under the award-winning playwright, Karen Jeynes, in this online scriptwriting course, and write your masterpiece play, TV series or movie script.
City Varsity open day City Varsity Newtown - Johannesburg, 28 July Our lecturers and students will guide you through City Varsity's dynamic departments and introduce you to the creative environment that could shape your future!
Adobe Photoshop Vega The Brand Communications School - Sandton, Johannesburg, 30 July / Sandton, Johannesburg, 5 November This is a four-week course for anyone who is interested in learning how to draw, paint and colour images, the creation of artwork from scratch etc, using Adobe Photoshop tools.
Inside Photoshop Pixelprojects - Stellenbosch, 30 July / Stellenbosch, 6 August This informative two-day Photoshop workshop will teach some of the more powerful techniques used by today's industry professionals including masks, adjustment layers, advanced layer techniques etc.
Total e-marketing Working Webs Consulting - Johannesburg, 1 August Learn simple techniques to optimise your websites rank on search engines and also advanced internet marketing techniques based on our experience creating success for our clients.
"Write a movie script" workshop SA Writers College - Countrywide, 2 August / Countrywide, 9 August Train under the award-winning playwright, Karen Jeynes, in this online scriptwriting course, and write your masterpiece play, TV series or movie script.
Graphic design for print City Varsity Newtown - Johannesburg, 6 August This course is designed to equip students with skills for creating successful design, while simultaneously creating a quality, varied portfolio of work.
Specialising in Media Sales, Advertising and Marketing placements
Sales Executive - Illovo Sandton-based stock image library is seeking to employ a sales executive, 25+ who is a capable communicator with excellent interpersonal skills, can work under pressure in relationships with clients . read more
New Business Investment Consultant - Johannesburg A new business consultant is required to secure new business from retirement funds for a leading asset management consultancy. read more
Academics and Senior Administrators - Johannesburg This year the Greenside Design Center celebrates 20 years of excellence in design education and would like to invite design academics and senior administrators to join our highly succesful team. read more
Flash Developer/Designer - Cape Town AS 2.0 and AS 3.0 class-based OO programmer. Willing to train an AS 1.0 programmer. Interest in games, software, animation and physical computing. Designer - all Adobe CS3 design products. read more
Copywriter - Fourways - Jhb B2B marketing communications agency in the north of Johannesburg is seeking a highly energetic, self-motivated copywriter who loves technical as well as creative writing. read more
Receptionist - Illovo Busy northern suburbs image library seeks receptionist with good telephone manner. Responsibilities include answering switchboard, managing front desk, co-ordinating driver’s schedule; managing office stationery, recording incoming, outgoing mail etc. read more
Management Accountant - Newspaper - Rosebank Suppport the establishment and achievement of the circulation department's management information reporting objectives and promote cost efficiencies across departments and ultimately reduce the publication's cost etc. read more
Model Booker/Shoot Co-ordinator/Office Manager - Durban Model booker/shoot co-ordinator required for medium-size, Durban-based agency. Must have excellent admin skills, be process-driven, able to work under pressure and a love of fashion. read more
Graphic Designer - Midrand Creative designer required with a min of two years experience to work in a well established design studio. Mac-based Photoshop, Freehand, QuarkXpress. New media advantageous. read more
PA - Wedding and Event Co-ordination Business - Cape Town Wedding Concepts specialises in co-ordinating highly exclusive weddings for international and SA couples. We are looking for a skilled full time PA to support the MD and the team. read more
Communications Officer - Johannesburg Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)- an international medical humanitarian organisation - is looking for a motivated communications officer to work in its new Johannesburg office. read more
Web Developer/Designer - Bellville The University of Stellenbosch Business School require services of a web developer/designer who is passionate about the web, grasps the importance of standards of compliance, accessibility and client service. read more
Mid/Senior Copywriter - Cape Town Traffic is looking for a full-time mid/senior copywriter to work on a diversity of local and international brands. 3-5 yrs business and consumer experience essential. Send low res portfolio and CV via email. read more
Subscription Marketing Manager - Cape Town If you're a dynamic, results-driven direct marketing specialist who loves a challenge and is not afraid of getting your hands dirty then this is for you. read more
Media Strategist - Johannesburg Are you energetic and driven with great presentation skills and an in-depth understanding of media and its place in the client's marketing mix? Then this position is for you. read more
Marketing Manager/Editor - Rosebank Rosebank trade association needs an experienced, hands-on marketer to drive marketing and print/online communications. You will edit our monthly magazine and implement a product/service and membership growth strategy. read more
Director - Advertising Sales and Marketing - Rosebank Take full accountability of the company’s advertising, sales and marketing function within the parameters of the company strategy, ensuring growth of various print and electronic publications. read more
Mid-senior Copywriter - Perth - Australia The company is young and funky and the position would suit someone who is flexible, has a great sense of humour and is extremely driven; not ready for retirement. read more
Editor - Hair and Beauty Estetica - Cape Town Estetica, a professional hair and beauty magazine in 20 countries is launching in South Africa and requires a "hands-on editor" responsible for putting together six editions a year. read more
Middle-weight Magazine Designer - Cape Town City Our record is 94 issues and 0, as reigning champions with the PICA for innovation in magazine publishing (undefeated) we are looking for a new champion designer to join the camp. read more
Designer - Cape Town Designer required for exhibition stand design, interior design and other related projects. Conceptual ability and proficiency in design and render packages e.g Sketch Up, Data cad; 3D Studio Max. read more
Brand Manager - Johannesburg Freedom to develop and implement your own marketing strategy using your own creative business style. Working in the colour cosmetic sector of the market on an international brand. read more
Junior Brand Manager - Johannesburg Working in the colour cosmetic sector of the market on an international brand. Assisting the brand manager. read more
Junior Journalist - AA - Sandton International public relations company requires a newly qualified journalist with a minimum of a BA journalism degree. Proven written and excellent communication skills. Good command of the English language essential. read more
DTP Operator - Durban Dynamic, young Durban advertising agency is looking for a middle-weight to senior DTP operator. Must have indepth knowledge of Mac-based design programmes and work well under pressure. read more
Media Planner and Strategist - Cape Town Dynamic Cape Town media agency seeks young ambitious media strategist/planner with at least two years experience to jump onto the next exciting phase as we join a global group. read more
Graphic Designer - Print Media - Centurion Looking for a dynamic graphic designer who wants to be part of a marketing team designing for companies in the Jigsaw group. read more
Graphic/Web Designer/Creative Thinker - Observatory Are you talented, outgoing and ambitious? Would you like to grow with a company thats going places? If so, then do something different sending your CV. Show how creative you are. read more
Print any item. Mondi Rotatrim - The Better Performance Paper - www.rotatrim.co.za. Email - Email any item in this newsletter. Comment - Comment on any item in this newsletter.
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The following companies have opened press offices on Bizcommunity.com!
Promax/BDA Africa is an annual conference and award show held for professionals involved in promotions, marketing, new media and design in the electronic and broadcast medium within Africa. The Promax/BDA awards are regarded as the most prestigious for creative endeavour in this field. This year's conference will be on the 25th and 26th October at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Click here to visit Promax/BDA Africa's press office.
Zoopy.com is South Africa’s very own social media destination – and flipping proud of it too! It’s the easiest way to connect and share videos and photos with friends, family, colleagues and (some very nice) complete strangers. From iWitness News to Nightlife and Clubs, Zoopy’s making the world a smaller place that’s far more fun to live in. Click here to visit Zoopy's press office.
Digital Fire Marketing Solutions is a full service Digital Marketing Agency with international capability whose core function is the provision of E-mail marketing solutions for our clients in the UK, USA, Europe, and South Africa. DFMS is a division of Spencer Boyd Associates Media Consultancy with offices in London and Cape Town. Click here to visit Digital Fire's press office.
Inroads Communications is a 100% black-owned brand, communications and advertising agency. We are passionate about communications, and understand that great ideas mean nothing without great results. Click here to visit Inroads Communications' press office.
Stirrr Mobile Bars add flavour to any corporate or private event. Our cheerful staff, full bar set-up and extensive product range offer a taste of café culture anytime...anywhere. Whatever your fix, from luscious lattes to full-bodied cappuccinos and extraordinary espressos, our highly trained team can whip it up. Click here to visit Stirr Mobile Functions' press office.
The rest of the industry could be forgiven for thinking that nothing else happens at this time of the year as those lazy sods in the ad industry and at Bizcommunity pack their bags for the beach to attend the annual Loerie Awards. Personally I think it would be great if all the media and marketing awards in the industry were also at the beach, we'd probably have a lot more fun, but since Loeries is a celebration of all the marketers' brand advertising produced by the ad industry and positioned in various media, we hope that the rest of our dear readers not in Margate this weekend will grant us the indulgence of our elongated focus on Loeries. Because it is not just about the party and the awards, it's actually the crowning achievement of much of the work we do on a daily basis in the industry – whether it's writing about it, selling ads, making ads, directing ads, launching new products, doing the research, staging events to promote our brands – we're all in this business in one way or the other and it's really great to have the opportunity to celebrate that. Bizcommunity will be there in full force, dressed in the red of our brand, to report, blog, vlog, take pix and convey all the excitement from the festival awards weekend. South African social media site 
Sheer energy, willpower and getting up each morning and trying harder is how to win awards, says Saatchi & Saatchi regional creative director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, John Pallant, who will be attending Loeries this year.
Set to the beat of the REM song, It's the end of the world as we know it!, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris creative directors Hennie Stander and Adam Weber remind all on the Loerie bus this weekend how to survive Loeries – feel free to singalong with your colleagues… one, two, three…
She's intimidating, but she has a spiritual side. That's Nici Stathacopoulos, proximity#ttp CEO and regular Loerie judge, who answers today's Q&A for Bizcommunity.com to profile some of the people who make this industry click, all part of our run-up to the annual Loerie Awards next week.
“The power to make clients do things that will benefit them” is a power probably every creative wishes she or he had. It's certainly one favoured by Black River FC creative director, Ahmed Tilly.
Jupiter Cape Town creative director Livio Tronchin thinks his abs are his best feature and refuses to answer ‘silly' questions. He's also a Loeries judge this year – maybe that's why he chose the pic he did, or maybe he's just shy.
Is creativity the part of you that is free? That's what Saatchi & Saatchi group ECD Mike Blore believes. And if he were a superhero - he'd want X-ray vision. One wonders what for...
The Mother City will be the site of South Africa's first ever Black Diamonds Festival – a dynamic new festival that celebrates the success and lifestyle of South Africa's burgeoning black middle class, the significant sector of our population that everyone is talking about.
Neotel yesterday, Wednesday, 18 July 2007, announced the appointment of TBWA\ as its communications partner to assist in positioning it as the preferred provider of leading edge telecoms services in South Africa.
Media agency Universal McCann today, Tuesday, 17 July 2007, the appointment of Nazeer Suliman as GM in order to inject continued energy and out-of-the-box thinking into the organisation.
Baker has launched its latest TV advert for one of its long-standing and popular brands, Eet-Sum-Mor. The 30-second advert is based on the Bakers ‘Magic' campaign and captures the essence of the brand as the ‘moreish in-betweener', according to Bakers.
Selomane Maitisa joined FCB South Africa in June this year as its group MD. A BCom, UED and MBA graduate, Maitisa grew up in Mamelodi East, Tshwane. She has also completed the MAP (Management Advancement Programme) at Wits Business School.
Shooting images in and around the unspoilt Robertson Valley in the Western Cape delivers a warm authenticity to Joe Public's recent print campaign for Robertson Winery. However, offering fresh air and quality time to elite wine consumers was not part of the brief.
Rama is celebrating the growth and daily development of our children with the launch of its new advertising campaign. Conceptualised and produced by Lowe Bull Johannesburg, the campaign places Rama at the centre of an everyday adventure in the lives of our children.
African Bank has received a makeover from Interbrand Sampson. Winning the business in a hotly competed pitch process some 18 months ago, Interbrand Sampson worked closely with the African Bank Team.
Given the tremendous growth in the leisure boating and watersports industry in general, characterised by increased boat, engine, accessories and waterfront property sales, the Absa National Boat Show 2007 is set to yield a bumper crop of product launches. The show takes place 17 – 19 August 2007 at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg and is expected to once again attract an audience of around 30 000 visitors.
The Pan African Health Congress, which incorporates a B2B forum and expo, the UN/NGO Buyers/Sellers Forum, a conference and the Absa Healthcare Initiative Awards, will take place 18 – 19 September 2007 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.
True Love editor Busi Mahlaba has accepted a promotion to join the publishing team of Media24 Women's Magazines as market development executive, effective from 1 August 2007, Media24 announced yesterday, Tuesday, 17 July.
The finalists are out, featuring mobile marketing specialist Brandscape and Ogilvy's BP MPH '07 campaign as a potential clincher for a coveted Loerie in the Experiential Alternative Media & Field Marketing category. The criteria for this category states that entrants must utilise a form of activity focused on an interactive communication with the target audience irrespective, of media type.
Short-term insurer Dial Direct has used Billads – a bill-folder advertising platform conceptualised by the Nine Mile Group – to communicate its latest Bucks Back Bonus campaign.
The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) and Financial Services Board (FSB) – in their roles as public watchdog and industry regulator – recently teamed up with ComutaNet to educate commuters about finance and insurance matters at 30 high-density taxi ranks around South Africa.
Keeping in line with its tongue-in-cheek advertising and marketing, Mango, together with Off The Wall, have cleverly targeted the bus and train commuters at the stations in the towns of flight destinations.
Gambling should be a harmless entertainment - never an insidious addiction. This is the overriding message of a new taxi campaign for the National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP).
Director on the rise Mukunda has been rewarded for another stellar year, with five 2007 Loerie finalist nominations.
Fresh Eye Film Productions director Craig Blyth recently teamed up with The Jupiter Drawing Room to produce two amusing commercials to promote Absa's sponsorship of the Currie Cup.
Creative Vision's new director, Abena Ayivor, excels in the making of her first commercial against woman abuse, commissioned by ad agency, Vutha.
During March, April and May of 2007, Pyotts Salticrax and Samplex teamed up for a national promotional campaign to showcase the versatility of Salticrax as the Real Entertainer. Samplex handled all aspects of the campaign as well as the sponsorship of the Food and Wine Pairing Theatre at the Good Food and Wine show in Cape Town, for which Pyotts Salticrax won a Silver Award for the Best Interactive Stand.
Saturday 28 July 2007 is set to be a huge day for international interactive entertainment company Build-A-Bear Workshop as it launches its flagship store at Sandton City in Gauteng.
OFM is now available anytime and anywhere – on your mobile phone – through the spodtronic network, which allows listeners to listen to from around the world by downloading the spodtronic software to their mobile phones.
Who could have predicted Jacaranda 94.2's radio medium would be such a hit in the local, emerging blogosphere? Well, Michaela herself, the station's resident medium, may have seen it coming – but even she could not have imagined the phenomenal interest from listeners and the online esoteric community.
The nationwide presentations of Black Diamond 2007 were sold-out in every city last month. Following extensive local and international media coverage and unprecedented demand from Gauteng's business community, the UCT Unilever Institute and TNS-Research Surveys will be doing a repeat of this seminar in Johannesburg in August 2007.
PARIS: At MIPCOM 2007, the world's audiovisual and digital content market, a total of seven industry leaders are set to give keynotes as part of this year's conference programme, with the opening keynote by Leslie Moonves, president and CEO, CBS Corporation on 8 October 2007.
