Now is the time to be doing your research
[Marc Ashton] So 1 December 2007 arrived and South African business switched off... I've spoken to a couple of colleagues and they've thrown their hands up in the air and said "Agh, December is a write-off. We'll come back in January and hit the ground running..." That's all good and well but if you don't use this quiet period to do some planning – how exactly are you going to know where you are running to?


Lighting the way for a merry festive season
Sandton Central is currently being illuminated by a lighting display this festive season funded by the Sandton Central Management District. This Illumination Project forms part of the Sandton Central Arts Programme and has seen 54 street pole lights turn green and Maude Street transformed into an imaginary scene of light rope figures.

An open letter to all consumers
[Eve Dmochowska] Hey, You! Just want to say thanks for all the input into the online world so far. We've appreciated the time you have spent generating content for the Web 2.0 sites, we enjoy some of those videos you post on YouTube and we liked that picture of you on the cover of Time magazine.


Marketing increases town's tourism profile
Mossel Bay's aggressive and pro-active marketing strategy this year has quickly and effectively raised the town's profile. “Mossel Bay has recently been named the Kaap-Rapport Swartland Wine Cellars Town of the Year, and this is an indication of the growth and success which the town has enjoyed over the last few years,” said Mossel Bay Tourism Board chairman Louis Cook, who is also chairman of the Mossel Bay Accommodation Association.

Deputy president to open Lifestyle SA Festival in Cape Town - Lifestyle SA Festival
The Lifestyle SA Festival – Celebrating Black! will open at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Friday, 7 December 2007, with deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka presiding over the ribbon-cutting ceremony.


Big challenges for brands in 2008 - Chris Moerdyk
Brands of all shapes and sizes in South Africa will face some unique challenges in 2008 as previously apathetic consumers discover more about what competition is all about and start playing one brand off against the other in earnest.

Join the Condomnation
This is AIDS Awareness week, and that means we all have to unite in spreading awareness of the pandemic, and play our part in fighting it, for our future and the future of our children. Join Bizcommunity.com and Cape Film Productions and become one of the Condomnation.

Living the dream again
It seemed Cliff Jennings was lost forever to music lovers after his now infamous Idols auditions. A media headline screamed “Conman Rocks Idols.” Another said “Cliffgate scandal???” But the “TLC” prevails. The tenacious singer/songwriter has returned after a 36-hour marathon recording session to release his much-anticipated debut album…


Campaigning during a season for giving
[Tshepiso Seopa & Simone Puterman] The end of another year is upon us, and marketers and brand communications managers have been busy with festive season campaigns focusing on giving back to the needy.


New advertising service for PDF publishers
CALIFORNIA: Adobe Systems and Yahoo last week launched Ads for Adobe PDF Powered by Yahoo!, an opt-in service that enables online commercial publishers to drive new revenue by including timely, contextual ads next to Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)-based content.

TBWA\Fusion realigns with mother brand
TBWA\Fusion will be realigning with the corporate identity of the TBWA\ group in South Africa, adopting the TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris name with immediate effect, it was announced yesterday, Monday, 3 December 2007.


One Show call for entries
The online entry system is now live and accepting submissions for the 2008 One Show, One Show Interactive, and One Show Design awards. Deadline for entering is 31 January 2008.

Commodity items a snap compared to advertising bricks - Boom Town
Boom Town Advertising has mastered the art of advertising bricks: its pitch was given the thumbs-up by the Clay Brick Association in a recent advertising proposal.


Merry Christmas from Dee Tee Pete - Brainstorm Projects
Well, it's that time of year again. Time to unpack and decorate the big green tree, to brave local shopping malls for that last-minute Christmas rush. Yes, indeed, Christmas is in the air, and this year, alongside Santa Claus and his reindeer, Dee Tee Pete will be doing his bit to make the lives of those less fortunate merrier this festive season.


Jupiter launches Black River F.C. in Cape Town - The Jupiter Drawing Room
The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town) has just launched the second Black River F.C. satellite agency, which will be based in Cape Town. Following on the success of the Johannesburg based Black River F.C. agency, Jupiter has decided to bring some of the magic back home.


Handy Andy meets Body Beat - Lowe Bull
When Unilever launched a new Handy Andy formulation that requires 50% less scrubbing, Lowe Bull developed a strong 360 degree communications strategy based on a global concept. Mick&Nick, below-the-line specialists within the Group, were tasked with creating an interactive promotion that demonstrated the benefits of the new formula in an entertaining and effective manner.


longtail launches media division - Lowe Bull
Digital marketing and strategic consultant agency longtail recently launched a media division which includes strategy, planning and buying of digital and mobile advertising, in line with its long-term goal of becoming one of the country's most-respected thinkers in the digital space.

Accolade for Loeries MD
MD of The Loerie Awards Andrew Human has been voted The Annual 2007 – Person of the Year by his industry peers. A certificate was handed over by Jeremy Maggs at last week's official launch function of the new publication, which acknowledged Human for his passion and unstinting professionalism.

Car manufacturer rebrands
Following the sale of its Chrysler partner to an American company earlier this year, DaimlerChrysler South Africa has now formally changed its name to Mercedes-Benz South Africa, in line with similar changes to other subsidiaries worldwide.

ChatROOM creates new look for Amazing Vouchers - ChatROOM
Amazing Vouchers, a voucher-based lifestyle and marketing platform, recently underwent an intensive re-branding process with the help of ChatROOM media design.


Another win for packaging specialist Berge Farrell - Berge Farrell
At the recently held IPSA (Institute of Packaging SA)'s Gold Pack Awards programme, the packaging industry's premier awards event, Consol Glass scooped top accolade for the bottling of its 330ml Sarita alcoholic beverage, in the Glass category.


Vega moves to new Jozi campus - Vega School
From 18 December 2007, Vega The Brand Communications School will be based at 444 Jan Smuts Avenue, Bordeaux, up from Hyde Park, Johannesburg. A state-of-the-art auditorium, a new canteen, refreshing new pause areas and a gallery to showcase student work will be some of the highlights of the new campus.

Champagne and celebrations at The Brand Union launch party - The Brand Union
With a stylish bash and creative splash, The Brand Union recently unveiled its new look and offering, hosted at its Sandton offices. A new company with a 30-year heritage of brand building, The Brand Union (formerly Enterprise IG) treated clients, suppliers and industry personalities to a celebration of Bright Ideas, Beautifully Crafted.

SA film premiere at Dubai festival
Rayda Jacobs's Confessions of a Gambler, the South African feature film which just finished post production in Cape Town, has been invited to the 2007 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in December 2007 for its world premiere. DIFF is a new film festival that brings together some of the biggest names from international film.

Helping to improve Cape Town's customer service
In an industry where word of mouth is vitally important to success, a lack of repeat clients due to lagging customer service is a sure sign that a restaurant isn't living up to its potential. This is a concern for Nathalie Leonard, MD of N'lighten and creator of a product designed to address these problems by offering viable customer service solutions to Cape Town's hotels and restaurants.

Promoting SA gets new impetus with CRM
South African Tourism recently implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM to address its requirement for centralised contact and relationship management. SA Tourism employs over 140 people and has offices in London, Frankfurt, New York, Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, Mumbai, Tokyo and Sydney, and a tourism attaché based at the SA Embassy in Beijing.

Gavin Rajah joins global designers in annual charitable doll auction
South Africa's Gavin Rajah has joined the ranks of a select number of influential fashion designers, including John Galliano for Dior, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton and Miuccia Prada, who were commissioned to design a doll to raise funds for UNICEF's recent annual fund raising doll auction.


A scentsational cover
With so much choice, magazine covers have to encourage readers to pick up the publication and start turning the pages, presenting a challenge to the design department's ingenuity, according to Hannerie Visser, publisher of décor title Visi. That is why the summer issue of Visi is appealing to readers through their sense of smell – when rubbed, the red swimming-pool featured on the cover releases a summer-infused pineapple aroma.


The last of Open Window magic for 2007 - The Open Window
The cherry on the cake! Besides receiving three merit awards in the SAPPI Think Awards 2007, The Open Window has been mentioned as one of the top four design education institutions in the country. This follows a year of many projects showcased on television, competitions and other successes...

Dreaming of an e-Christmas
Recent research confirms that this will be South Africa's first “e-Christmas”, with people shopping online for festive season gifts on a large scale. The prediction is that online retailers will have generated around R200 million by the time stores close for Christmas this year.

Facebook says sorry
The Beacon episode appears to have unnerved more than a few social networkers by highlighting just how transparent their online actions are to Facebook – and how easily the site can convert those actions to monetised assets. Even users who weren't burned looked a little askance at Beacon.

Digital media agency rolls out network
One Digital Media, headed up by CEO Mike Bosman, has installed a digital media network with over 4000 screens in 300 retail outlets around South Africa in the past four months – allegedly making it the largest network provider of its kind in the country. The Spar group was the first major retailer in South Africa to implement the network.


Christmas iPod Gift Packs at Digicape - Digicape Apple Centre
This Christmas Digicape is making iPod shopping a bit special with four themed gift packs. Nicely priced and packaged, the packs are the ideal gifts for friends and family as you just match a pack to their interests and you're done. Each gift pack has an iPod and related accessories.


Matching the medium to the message and the customer - Acceleration
[Richard Mullins] Marketers today have more communication channels available to them than ever before, with technology constantly adding new ones to the mix. Just over a decade ago, email and websites were added to the traditional communication mechanisms such as 'snail' mail, fax and telephone.

Hello Cow! - Hello Consulting
Hellocomputer was identified by a forward-thinking public relations agency based in London, UK, to conceptualise, design and develop an extraordinary web presence. The company is Cow, and is regarded for its creative approach to problem solving communications challenges.

Webber Wentzel Bowens launches new website built on Cambrient technology - Cambrient
Webber Wentzel Bowens recently launched a new website designed and developed by Cambrient. Aimed at public and private sector companies, international law firms, the media and potential employees, the website makes over 9000 pages of information – including all archived articles and news items – easily searchable and accessible to all visitors.

New media agency branches out to Mother City
New Vision, an existing new media company based in Johannesburg for the past five years, recently opened a Cape Town office in the Foundry Building in Greenpoint, headed up by Shaun Duvet, group marketing director, and Marc Gurney, creative director. The Cape Town office clients already include SuperSport, Horeca (British American Tobacco), Asoka and many more.

Virtual makeover
seventeen magazine's digital department recently teamed up with cosmetics giant Clinique to launch the Clinique Virtual Makeover project. The application, hosted on seventeen's website, allows teen girls to register their details, upload a picture of themselves and get a Clinique virtual makeover using the latest products.

Imagination Lab students graduate
[Tshepiso Seopa] Notwithstanding unemployment and financial challenges that most parents are faced with, the students of all the three Imagination Labs in Soweto, Alexandra and Sandton, Johannesburg, have completed their Level 4 Certificate in Advertising. The students showcased their best work and creations to advertising and media experts and to their parents at the Vega School of Brand Communications in Benmore Gardens yesterday, Wednesday, 5 December 2007.

SABC Foundation bails out media students
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] South African matriculants willing to study media, telecommunications, engineering, business and health and environment studies, but constrained financially, will from now on be able to do so, bailed out by the SABC Foundation. The foundation, which will provide bursaries to the tune of R650 000, was launched today, Wednesday 5 December 2007, at the SABC headquarters in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.

Alert, aware and alive: Environmental Awareness Day at FOSKOR, Phalaborwa - The Learning Theatre
As the hot sun came blazing down unto the FOSKOR community centre in Phalaborwa, the inside of the centre looked like an ant farm. Everywhere you turned there were people rushing around to get everything ready for the long awaited Environmental Awareness Day.

Mother city festival moves to late April
Cape Town Festival organisers announced late last week that next year's festival has been moved to the last week in April, as having a major event away from the March congestion will contribute to growing tourism and will also be of benefit to artists who normally don't have work in April.

Venturescapes gives a Cape Malay welcome - Venturescapes
Destination entertainment company Venturescapes welcomed The Inside Edge's international clients to Cape Town with a warm Cape Malay welcome last month.


Dining on the African plains - Venturescapes
Destination entertainment company Venturescapes and destination management company Dragonfly Africa jointly created a true African experience for the Deloitte Global New Partners Seminar Gala Dinner last month. The spacious ballroom at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) was transformed with spectacular décor into an elegant African plain.


Fresh look and feel for The Event Company, SA's event pioneers - The Event Company
To reflect its unchallenged professionalism, credibility and creative flair, The Event Company recently revamped its entire look and feel.

Stephanie Moss produces Boehringer year-end party - Stephanie Moss Solutions
It's all hands on deck for creator of stylish events, conferences and incentive solutions, Stephanie Moss Solutions. The specialist events company is busy producing the year-end staff party for pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim.


FIFA World Cup Draw – the Barcode difference - Barcode
Dignitaries and football luminaries from around the world gathered in Durban recently to witness the all-important draw that would decide the order of play for the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Mobile bar specialists, Barcode, used the opportunity to showcase the exceptional levels of service and entertainment that South Africa has to offer.


Kadoro pulls together superb reseller events for Apple - Kadoro Events & Communications
Having recently acquired Apple as a client, Kadoro Events and Communications set to work by producing a series of reseller events for the IT giant in Cape Town and Johannesburg during November 2007.


Loudfire opens Zambian operation - Loudfire
Designer entertaining specialist Loudfire recently opened the first party and events production office in Livingstone, Zambia, to capitalise on the huge business opportunities in the region. This is a partnership between Loudfire in South Africa, the Mukuni tribe which controls 15% of the shares via the Mukuni development trust, and Prayer Moyo, a Zimbabwean businessman.

Scan Display re-awarded Cape Town Routes Unlimited business - Scan Display
Scan Display Solutions' Western Cape branch was recently re-awarded the contract for Cape Town Routes Unlimited's (CTRU) exhibition stands and displays. For the next three years, Scan Display will supply the tourism marketing body for Cape Town and the Western Cape with exhibition stands for local and international tourism shows.

Dainfern launches custom magazine
Dainfern, the premier residential golf estate, this month launches its exclusive and stylish lifestyle magazine entitled Dainfern. Published by Future Publishing, the high-gloss publication will be distributed to the estate's residential portfolio on a quarterly basis, along with Dainfern's corporate guests and conference delegates.


Travel title on nostalgic trip
Afrikaans travel magazine Wegbreek has adopted a new payoff line and matt cover and pages. According to Wegbreek's editor, Gerrit Rautenbach, the new look was originally planned for January 2008, but the magazine's December 2007 issue is a nostalgic one and was the perfect vehicle for conveying the timelessness of its contents through the change in cover treatment and paper stock.


Facelift for film trade publication
From January 2008, the monthly print magazine of film, television and commercials trade publication Screen Africa will have a new look. Instead of the usual A3 size, it will be published as a slightly smaller and more user-friendly sized magazine.

Custom magazine goes on shelf

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Strictly Business, the business lifestyle and communications magazine produced for MTN Business, will be appearing on shelves in December 2007. For the second time this year, Strictly Business will be bagged with financial magazine Finweek. Both magazines are part of the Media24 stable, with the custom magazine being published by Touchline Media's Special Projects Division. Says editor Greg Eden, "Strictly Business lives up to its name by focusing exclusively on content that is relevant to corporate business executives.” It has a print run of 43 000, is produced quarterly and is also distributed to MTN Business clients, selected airport lounges and business hotels around the country.

Folding of Media24 mags confirmed
[Simone Puterman] NEWSWATCH: Media24 confirmed on the weekend that it is shutting down InStyle and The Wisden Cricketer, reports The Times Online, saying that it was because of “changing market conditions” and not because of the ABC circulation scandal – although that had “had an effect”.

AU Monitor announces initiative: Can you write well? If so...
Fahamu's AU Monitor initiative is seeking young African journalism professionals and students for a three-week internship to report from the African Union Summit being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2008.

Prodigal son returns home to Primedia
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The media industry has been taken by surprise this week with the revelation that Trevor Ormerod, COO of CNBC Africa, is going back to Primedia to head up its cinema and print division in the new year. “It is almost like returning home,” ‘prodigal son' Ormerod told Bizcommunity.com yesterday, Thursday, 6 December 2007.

More Media24 titles to fold?
[Simone Puterman] NEWSWATCH: While Media24 has confirmed that it is closing two of its motoring titles and that several others are being reviewed, In Style and The Wisden Cricketer will allegedly also fold, according to Business Report.

CNBC Africa confirms Ormerod resignation
Business TV news network CNBC Africa confirmed the departure of COO Trevor Ormerod to Primedia yesterday,Wednesday, 5 December 2007 in a press statement, also confirming that current head of programming, Gary Alfonso, will be taking over as acting COO until a final decision is made regarding the position.

Media focus on ANC leadership race
[Simone Puterman] NEWSWATCH: IOL this week launched a special page covering the African National Congress leadership race, according to its editorial blog, Inside IOL. Meanwhile, Business Day reports that tonight's two-hour radio interview with president Thabo Mbeki – on 15 SABC radio stations – has sparked outraged, with accusations of bias.

Ormerod quits CNBC Africa
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] CNBC Africa COO Trevor Ormerod is leaving the television business channel to take up a post at Primedia, sources close to the television network told Bizcommunity.com yesterday, Tuesday, 4 December 2007.

Children take on the media for the eighth time
Young people from around the world will converge on Robben Island to take part in the eighth annual Bush Radio Media Kidocracy Konfrence (MKK 2007), 5 – 10 December 2007. The main theme of MKK 2007 is the celebration of rights and it comes at the time of the 18th anniversary of the UN Convention on the rights of the child.

Press ombudsman announces new brand
[Tshepiso Seopa] “The dark blue and grey side symbolises the two sides that are in conflict before they come to the ombudsman' office for adjudication. We are an open page, with borders signifying that we can regulate ourselves,” said press ombudsman Joe Thloloe at a press conference in Johannesburg yesterday, Monday, 3 December 2007, where the new logo, website and amended press code booklet were launched.


New press code booklet
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The Press Council of South Africa yesterday Monday, 3 December 2007, unveiled its new identity that consists of a new logo, a newly-designed website and a booklet containing an amended press code to be used by all South African journalists. The launch took place at the headquarters of Print Media of SA in Rosebank, Johannesburg.


Monitoring South Africa on the move - Monitoring South Africa
Monitoring South Africa (MSA) recently purchased a custom-built, high-tech building from where the company will continue to meet its clients' media monitoring and analysis needs.

Connect with other B2B professionals
Trade, Association and Business Publications International (TABPI) has recently started a group on Facebook, located at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5728561811. The group is another way that editors, art directors, publishers, freelancers, and others in the B2B realm around the world can connect and discuss issues of interest.

A letter to Mother Christmas
[Harry Trisos] Dear Mother Christmas, I must start off by confessing that I am addressing this festive missive to you not because I am trying to be politically correct. It is simply that I recall being contacted by you after my letter to Father Christmas last year about 3G connectivity.

Asia-Pacific mobile ad guidelines released
HONG KONG: The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) released its Mobile Advertising Guidelines tailored specifically for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, yesterday, Thursday, 6 December 2007. The guidelines are designed to foster the uptake of mobile advertising by brands and marketers throughout the region, as well as enhance and ensure a positive and consistent consumer experience.

Overcoming traditional advertising barriers
[Eddie Groenewald] John Wanamaker is considered by many as the father of modern advertising. The American merchant's famous quote identifies the age-old conundrum faced by advertisers: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The trouble is, I do not know which half.”


Wayin signs deal with Brandscape for mobile voucher solution - Wayin
Wayin Solutions recently signed an agreement with Brandscape Marketing which gives Brandscape full access to Wayin's Regisoft redemption platform. This is the first such deal for Wayin.

Ifra publishes newsroom, mobile services research results
DARMSTADT, GERMANY: During the second half of 2007, Ifra published three new special reports focusing on “The Changing Newsroom”, “Cross-Media Newsrooms” and “Mobile Services”. The reports are obtainable in various languages as print or PDF versions.

Beeld Vakansieskou set to cook - Beeld
As people frantically attempt to book the last flights and reservations out of Gauteng, prominent daily paper Beeld offers an alternative to praying for cancellations in 2008.

Inaugural Die Burger Fietstoer a great success - Die Burger
Neotel's Johann Rabie outsprinted Darren Lill and Nick White to cross the line as the official winner of the inaugural Die Burger Fietstoer. Jennie Stenerhag, riding for Dutch team, Therme Skincare, was the first woman to cross the finish line.

Avusa takes over E Cape sales
From 1 January 2008, the national sales division of Avusa (formerly Johncom) will be managing the advertising sales portfolio of its Eastern Cape titles such as The Herald, Daily Dispatch and Weekend Post, which were previously serviced by the Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB). The division will also handle the negotiation of new contracts, as well as provision of rates. However, NAB will continue to service the community titles Algoa Sun, Our Times, Agri and Ilizwi.

Getting into the integrated lifestyle swing of things
Financial services group Old Mutual recently launched “Old Mutual Success Stories,” a series of podcasts in which some of the country's finest interviewers talk to extraordinary South Africans about their life success stories. The initiative forms part of Old Mutual's desire to remain connected with its client base that has embraced a contemporary online social lifestyle.

Online bidding for charity
WhatIWant.co.za, allegedly South Africa's first charity auction website, recently launched in partnership with media and marketing company Media-X. It allows users to bid on highly aspirational products at a fraction of the retail costs while at the same time indirectly contributing to social upliftment in the country.

Top five online start-up tips for South African marketers - Artifact Online
South Africans are starved of local information to assist marketers who are looking to establish their brands online. Here are our top five start-up tips that have helped us and some of our clients appreciate and exploit the marketing opportunities that the Internet provides.

Travel site launches
www.hallocrazyworld.com is a newly launched travel webzine, with tales on adventures to all kinds of exciting destinations, the lowdown on how and where to apply for visas, where to go, how to find a job, a travel directory of service providers and lots more. It features a travel writing competition, with publicly voted monthly winners appearing on the front page.

Nu Metro Film Distribution hits the road with 40 Popimedia cars - Popimedia
Nu Metro Film Distribution, looking to make an impact with holidaymakers during December 2007, has put 40 Wrap-A-Back (back window branded) vehicles on the road, around the country, with Popimedia.


Airport Activation hosts Jake White book signing at O.R. Tambo International Airport - Airport Media
Airport Activation, a division of Airport Media, will be hosting the first-ever book signing to be held at O.R. Tambo International Airport at 10am on Sunday morning, 9 December 2007, in the Domestic Terminal. Jake White's recently released book In Black and White will be available in the arrivals hall prior to the signing.

Masters & Savant brings fun to fish through creation of Sea Harvey animated hero - Masters & Savant
A new three-commercials campaign for Sea Harvest brings an originally animated character and his adventures on our screens. “Sea Harvey” is the creation of TBWA\Fusion and leading animation commercial specialists, Masters & Savant.


Masters & Savant motion capture ''tells it like it is'' for Tube - Masters & Savant
Motion capture technology recently pioneered in South Africa by commercials animation studio Masters & Savant has started to change the face of the South African animation landscape. So says Roger Smythe, co-founder of the highly awarded animation studio.


Sheilla Kubheka inspires school kids - Sub urban
Faith in their futures were reinstilled as the children from Salva Zione School in Crosby, Johannesburg, recently received a lesson in film, advertising and life by Sub urban commercials director, Sheilla Kubheka.


You Flint, we Love - The Refinery
A challenge to the ad industry: you Flint until February, and a whole Fountain of Love will be created for Mama Rosie. Cryptic? Not really. Use the Flint suite at The Refinery over the next few months and you will be supporting Mama Rosie's Fountain of Love.

Media interviews and the resulting stories
[Marion Scher] Your client is really impressed – he's just had an hour-long interview with a reporter from one of the national dailies which you secured for him. You wait with bated breath for the newspaper to hit the streets so you can bask in the glory of the unpaid glowing editorial. After all your client told him EVERYTHING he thought the reporter should know – or did he?

Woman-power for Manpower: ChatROOM handles PR for global employment services expert - ChatROOM
Integrated communications agency ChatROOM recently added another account to its portfolio of global brands with a South African foothold. Manpower South Africa, a subsidiary of the global employment services giant, has appointed the brand communication specialists to handle its PR and advertising.

Livewired Communications assists in empowering women - Livewired Communications
Livewired Communications believes in the empowerment of women and has chosen to give back to charity by offering its time and resources to Dress to Impress (D2I).

Are radio listeners on holiday already?
It's a quiet end of the year for South African radio, with no station growth over the previous Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS), and declining time spent listening. This is according to South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF)'s just-released final installment of RAMS results for 2007, covering fieldwork which began in mid-July 2007 and ended in mid-October 2007.

Government to license more campus radio stations
[Remmy Nweke] A recent four-day workshop to discuss community development principles and strategies for campus radio stations in Lokoja, capital city of Kogi State in the sourthern part of Nigeria, applauded the government's decision to license more radio stations for the country's tertiary institutions.

M Power FM now on air
M-Power FM, the new commercial radio station for Mpumalanga, took to the airwaves earlier this week. The station has been in the making since 2005 after the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) gazetted an invitation for businesses and individuals to apply for a commercial radio licence in the province.

OFM MD resigns to join AME
Lyndon Johnstone, OFM's MD, will be leaving the radio station to work with African Media Entertainment from March 2008, the station announced yesterday, Monday, 3 December 2007. AME, a JSE-listed company, is the majority shareholder of OFM.

Online surveys yield faster, cheaper and more scientific results - Marketing Science
Online surveys conducted with panel members can result in more scientific results, up to 10 times faster and up to 10 times cheaper than traditional research methods. This is the claim of research company Marketing Science.


Optimism in SA's readiness to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup on the rise - African Response
South African confidence in our ability to be ready for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is on the increase. Seventy six percent of South Africans believe that we will be ready – up 6% from the last reading, according to market research company African Response.

South Africans are not changing their sexual behaviour in the face of HIV/AIDS - Markinor
Sexually active South Africans are still not changing their sexual attitudes and behaviour in the face of HIV/AIDS. Notwithstanding millions that have been spent on HIV/AIDS campaigns, public opinion surveys show that risky behaviour is on the increase!

Mars looks to Africa for growth openings
[Nicola Mawson, Consumer Industries Correspondent] Mars Africa, the fast-moving consumer goods company, intends expanding its presence on the continent.

OPEC to discuss increasing oil output
[Lavinia Mahlangu] As South African motorists braced themselves for a 43 cents per litre petrol price hike on Wednesday, 5 December 2007, oil producing states may ease international prices by increasing their output.

Retailers gear up for a not-so-festive season
Having achieved record festive season sales in 2005 and 2006, retailers are bracing themselves for a more challenging holiday period in 2007. Results from the latest Bureau for Economic Research (BER)/Ernst & Young Festive Season Retail Trends survey reveal that retailer confidence is down significantly amid expectations for slower sales growth over the festive season.

Battle for instant meal market hots up
[Renée Bonorchis] Woolworths has started to fly in UK retailer Marks & Spencer products direct from Thailand, with stickers slapped on to the packaging claiming the food is specially packed for Woolworths.

Pointeq Teqnologies welcomes new partner - Pointeq Teqnologies
Pointeq recently partnered with Craig De Grill, an expert in the hardware, software and networking sectors.


Pointeq Teqnologies expanding nationally - Pointeq Teqnologies
Established in 1990, Pointeq Teqnologies has grown to become a brand that supplies, integrates and provides total information technology, with the main focus on point-of-sale and the small-to-medium size retail market.


Clover staff unite against HIV/Aids - Clover
The number of South Africans with HIV/Aids continues to rise rapidly each year and last year saw more people dying from Aids than ever before. Clover employees in centres nationwide pledged their support of International Aids Day by leaving their hand prints on banners.

Empowering future leaders
The Citizen is the media partner for the annual Valued Citizens empowerment initiative that ensures that scholars from disadvantaged schools have the chance to develop their creativity, the newspaper announced earlier this week.

Mobile operator sponsors gospel festival
The Eastern Cape is to host one of the strongest gospel line-ups of 2007 when the Cell C Gospel Festival comes to the region on 15 December 2007. Heading the lineup is multi-award winning act, Lusanda Spiritual Group, fronted by gospel singer, guitarist and composer Lusanda Mcinga.

Twenty five new series for M-Net
M-Net has lined up over 25 new series filled with action, comedy and drama to fill its airwaves in 2008. Advertisers were recently given a close-up of the new programming in closed screenings held in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Edutainment TV for township
The people of Diepsloot will receive an early Christmas present when a big plasma screen broadcasting education, sport, music, travel and dance is erected on a permanent basis in the Diepsloot City Park on Saturday, 8 December 2007. This edutainment from Township TV, in partnership with Johannesburg City Parks (JCP) and DStv, will be free to the community.

New pay TV for Sierra
[Bai-Bai Sesay] Sierra Leone's new satellite pay television channel, GTV, was launched last week by the country's Minister of Information and Communications, Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo, in a glittering ceremony attended by television enthusiasts.

Travel mag now on TV
Wegbreek has made its television début with a regular slot on kykNET's new travel series, Reise en Soetkyse. The title has exclusivity in terms of magazines receiving exposure on the show.

Supersport launches annual magazine
SuperSport, in association with Trinity Media, will be launching the inaugural annual SuperSport Year In Review magazine countrywide in early December 2007. The publication – a whopping 288-page review of 2007 – highlights the best moments of the sporting year and personifies the channel's new slogan ‘World of Champions'.


Countdown to Idols finale
The finale of the 4th Idols challenge will be broadcast live from the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg this Sunday, 9 December 2007, at 5pm. The winner will drive away with a Citroen 1.6 VTS and the top 10 contestants will take home laptops sponsored by @lantic, MP3 players and stereo systems sponsored by JNC, Look and Listen vouchers to extend their music collection, a top-of-the-range microphone from Shure, and Truworths vouchers to dress for future success. "This season of Idols was made possible by headline sponsor Outsurance, who came on board and showed their commitment throughout the competition," says Andre Stadler of Oracle Airtime Sales. Tickets to the live broadcast are sold out.