South Africans can become our best ambassadors
This week, South Africans will be exposed to the responses to the Active Citizens' Campaign launched by Brand South Africa early this year which asked all South Africans to create a "vision of a country they want to live in." The responses form the next step of the campaign in which the International Marketing Council (IMC), custodian of brand South Africa, continues the national conversation with South Africans on the role they will play in ensuring that the country reaches its full potential.

Firehouse Twists from strength to strength
The Firehouse Group recently joined forces with Twist marketing and advertising. Sefadzi Foli, previous MD of Twist, will now apply his experience, natural talent and entrepreneurial background to the role of deputy manager of the Firehouse Group Advertising.

How to profit from tough economic times - Chris Moerdyk
Fighting for a bigger share of a shrinking market does not mean having to spend more money but rather just being a bit more logical.

2010 inspection tour finishes on positive note
FIFA and the 2010 Organising Committee last week concluded a 10-day inspection tour of all 10 FIFA World Cup stadia with praise for the general 2010 construction status and identification of various challenges.

Conference to highlight SADC investment opportunities
JOHANNESBURG: The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is to host an investment conference on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to highlight opportunities ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Benchmarking the real 2010 story
[Chris Moerdyk] One of South Africa's leading sports journalists, Luke Alfred of the Sunday Times, earlier this week produced one of the most insightful articles on the buildup to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

New SOS Children's Village for SA
When South Africa won the bid to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it was selected as one of the six countries to benefit from a new SOS Children's Village. This joint venture by FIFA and SOS Children's Villages was launched in 2004 to help children in need on every continent to find a loving and protective home. Known as “Six Villages for 2006”, this campaign has culminated with the new Rustenburg Village official opening on Heritage Day recently. For more information, go to www.sosvillages.org.za.

Stathacopoulos leaves proximity#ttp
Brendan Wade, previously head of strategy and business director at Leo Burnett, will assume the role of managing partner at proximity#ttp at the end of November 2008 after an intensive two-month handover. Wade's appointment follows the decision of founding partner Nici Stathacopoulos to relocate to Cape Town and make a career change to the client side of the business.

2009 D&AD jury foremen announced
LONDON: The lineup of jury foremen for the D&AD Awards 2009, which recognise the best work in advertising and design from around the world each year, was released yesterday, Thursday, 9 October 2008.

Have you booked for the Eagle Print Awards breakfast seminars?
Time is running out to book seats for the Eagle Print Awards breakfast seminars in Cape Town and Johannesburg next week. This year's Eagle judges are Tony Davidson from Weiden+Kennedy (London) and Erik Vervroegen from TBWA (Paris), both of whom will be speaking at the breakfast presentations.

Election TV ads too costly - SABC
NEWSWATCH: While the SABC is more than willing to support free “party election broadcasts (PEBs)” on radio, it is opposing the flighting of political party adverts on TV as it will result in over R90 million worth of lost ad revenue. According to various media reports, this was heard at the public hearings held yesterday, Monday, 6 October 2008, by ICASA regarding draft regulations on the coverage of elections by broadcasters.

Rebirth of Asian ad festival
LONDON: The International Advertising Festival, the organisers of Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx and Eurobest, and Haymarket Media, the publishers of Media and Campaign, have entered into an agreement to partner and relaunch Spikes - Asian Advertising Awards into a major advertising festival for Asia, it was announced yesterday, Monday, 6 October 2008.

Cross Colours turns the ordinary into art - Cross Colours
Cross Colours recently demonstrated client Nando's commitment to the arts by turning the restaurant group's entry for the 11th Business Day/Business and Arts South Africa Awards into a work of art itself.


Gauteng, do your bit for charity this weekend! - Advertsing Benevolent Fund
The annual fund-raising Standard Bank/ABF Village Cricket day will be held by members of the advertising industry on Sunday, 19 October 2008, at St Peters School in Paulshof, Johannesburg. All proceeds of the day will go to the Advertising Benevolent fund.

Feeling the pinch? - Artifact Advertising
It seems that rising prices, decreasing spend and salaries are the talk on everyone's lips nowadays. Budgets are shrinking and big business and SME's alike are tightening their belts. However, during these dark times, we thought that we would take this opportunity to give you a few tips on how to make your marketing rand go further...

Inyathi - Creation Station
What does a taxi stampede, the Bob Marley classic, 'Buffalo Soldier, sung to new lyrics, and ‘litter free' taxi ranks all have in common? They are all part of the launch of CAM's (China Auto Manufacturers) Inyathi taxi.


Bigger is not always better - Artifact Advertising
Because small companies don't have the same budgets as their giant counterparts, the common assumption is that marketing and advertising is too expensive and so these small companies do not have access to the kinds of advertising and marketing that these giants do. They couldn't be more wrong.

Loeries expo travels to Stellenbosch
The next stop for The Loerie Awards Travelling Exhibition, sponsored by the SABC, will be at The Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography, 13 - 23 October 2008. After Stellenbosch, it will take flight to the One Club in New York to complete its journey. For more information, go to www.theloerieawards.co.za/education/exhibition/.

ADC names new president
NEW YORK: Doug Jaeger, founder, CEO and creative director at design and branding agency thehappycorp global and director of event/digital media project LVHRD, both New York, has been elected as the 57th president of the Art Directors Club (www.adcglobal.org), it was announced last week. In addition, four new directors were added to the board, two directors were elevated to officers, and ADC executive director Ami Brophy was promoted to CEO.

Arctic Circle appoints new MD
Strategic brand agency Arctic Circle has appointed Kim van der Linden as its new MD, it was announced yesterday, Thursday, 9 October 2008. Van der Linden joined the agency in the capacity of client service director in February 2008.


kulula takes off with a newly designed identity by The Brand Union - The Brand Union
South African low-cost airline kulula.com recently teamed up with The Brand Union to restructure and refresh its brand. Now in its seventh year in SA's skies, kulula is best known for affordable air travel, quirky ads and friendly, refreshing service.


Talk2Us awarded Masala Holdings account - Talk2Us
Talk2Us has been appointed by the Masala Holdings Group to manage all its strategic brand PR activity and publicity, including the three brands operating under the Group.

Jerusalema selected for Oscars
South African feature film Jerusalema has officially been submitted for consideration in the category of Best Foreign Film at the 2009 Oscars by the South African Academy Award Selection Committee and The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), it was announced yesterday, Monday, 6 October 2008.

New appointment - CineMARK
CineMARK has announced the appointment of Debbie Wilkins as its new senior account executive.

Why our business processes are (probably) better than yours
[Kevin Clarke] When you buy an enterprise resource planning system, you're not buying software so much as business processes enabled by software. One of the fundamental changes which will - or should - happen with the introduction of ERP is that business processes which were formerly perhaps murky, perhaps poorly defined or perhaps not defined at all, will come tumbling out of the closet like so many skeletons.

iKineo grows Gateway Theatre of Shopping's innovative CRM programme - iKineo
The Gateway Theatre of Shopping is one of Africa's largest malls and a destination for millions of regular shoppers. iKineo has been working with Primedia Lifestyle, the marketing team responsible for all the Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments' malls, to grow its pioneering CRM programme - Gateway Imagine.

How does business intelligence work?
How does the small to medium business owner gauge the relevance of information management tools for their organisation without racking up potentially costly bills? This is a question which Synergy Business Intelligence (BI) sets out to solve with the release of its free e-booklet ‘Making Business Intelligence work for you', available from www.synergy.co.za. Explains Christo Bredenkamp, Synergy BI MD, “... [I]t is our intention to introduce the concepts and benefits of BI, as well as to highlight some potential pitfalls of a BI implementation to the company owner who is looking to improve decision-making with the support of tools that cut through the clutter.”

"Thulani, let's get creative" - Pebo Productions
The Pebo team welcomes Thulani Nkosi, an astute creative multimedia designer. Thulani has worked for Satworld Media and Afro Communications on Car Service City's ads, NNVintage for their CI, TS Records' stationery and website and many more.


Great Stock's exciting Corbis SNAP game - Great Stock!
Great Stock! has addressed the growing appreciation of design amongst advertising, design and editorial clients with the launch of their Corbis SNAP game.

PayFast, SA's answer to PayPal
South Africa finally has its own online PayPal-like service for providing online shoppers with a safe credit card-like experience for making payment using Internet banking (EFT). PayFast, an initiative from BidorBuy founder Andy Higgins that came out of beta testing at the beginning of September 2008, is already being used by a number of South African online merchants.

SA political debate alive online, too
[Gino Cosme] Thanks to social media and user-generated media, individuals like you and I are drawing attention beyond the media to important political insight and opinion that could shape our tomorrows. In America alone, more than 60 million people rely on the Internet for political news and electoral debate. And if a look at South African blog aggregator Amatomu has anything to say, South Africa is abuzz with discussion around issues that affect this country's future.


Telkom rolls out 3G network
South African telecoms company Telkom will over the next month deploy its own third generation (3G) wireless network across the country. This will bring the fixed-line operator closer to providing its customers with fully converged information communication technology solutions, reports Southafrica.info.

Public voting for E-Commerce Awards now open
Voting in the 2008 South African E-Commerce Awards is now open to the public, as Jump Shopping has released the final list of nominees. This is the third year of the awards, which were launched by the online shopping search engine as part of its commitment to uplifting e-commerce in South Africa.

Soccerex online networking site to go live
An online networking site, called SoccerExchange, is to be launched on Tuesday, 7 October 2008, to facilitate networking among exhibitors attending Soccerex, which focuses on the business side of football.

The Heavy Chef Sessions come to Johannesburg: "Smoke, Mirrors and Social Media" - World Wide Creative
World Wide Creative has reserved 10 seats for the Heavy Chef Session in Johannesburg on Thursday, 16 October 2008, exclusively for Bizcommunity readers. The Heavy Chef Sessions are monthly events focused on analysing the tools of digital marketing.


Some news can't wait - make sure your message gets through! - d6 Media
The growth of social networking tools provides a number of new opportunities for creating and building engaging relationships with your audience, and provides a mechanism for turning casual visitors into loyal and engaged users.


eMarketing convergence the best route for broad marketing strategy - Striata
The Internet, email, SMS and MMS technology have created a potent electronic marketing platform. However, the experience of the past five years demonstrates that eMarketing executed as part of a broader marketing strategy platform is likely to have greater impact.

Can eCRM close the online conversion gap? - Ensight
Online advertising trends suggest that many online marketers are focusing on customer acquisition at the expense of customer conversion. Among the reasons suggested for this are the complexities of typical online conversion processes. Product and Marketing Director for emarketing software developer Ensight, John Ginsberg, explains how sophisticated eCRM solutions are helping marketers close the conversion gap by getting the right prospects into the sales cycle at the right time.

BitDefender points out a new mix of spam techniques - Holton & Associates
BitDefender researchers have detected a new wave of spam messages advertising medication for sex life improvement, such as male enhancement drugs. The novelty of this spam campaign resides both on its amplitude and on the mix of delivery confirmations the unsolicited e-mails request.

Social networks - don't try to fit a square peg into a round hole - Acceleration
[Richard Mullins] It's hard to avoid social networks these days. If you're in marketing, wherever you turn, you are bound to encounter some kind of discussion about them and the promise they hold for advertisers.

World Wide Creative opens Johannesburg office - World Wide Creative
Five years after World Wide Creative's inception in 2003, this progressive young agency has launched a branch in Johannesburg. World Wide Creative opened its doors with a web marketing and web development studio in Cape Town and an office in the UK, and now has seen substantial growth in South Africa's financial centre to grow its presence in the Gauteng.


Permission email outperforms all other marketing channels - Digital Fire
‘Opt-in' (or permission-based) email marketing is now the fastest growing area of online advertising in the UK and Europe due to its success rate and ROI.

Word of mouse... - longtail
With the development and progress of the Internet and increasing popularity of blogs and social networks, the general public is in many cases aware of information about your organisation that you may not even be aware of. Clearly with the Internet playing such a big part in our daily lives we have moved on from “word of mouth” to “word of mouse”.

Sifundo Klaas smashes glass ceiling - distributor to national Manager in three years - PRIMEDIA@HOME
PRIMEDIA@HOME's Graduate Development Programme was born in 2005 out of the need to introduce previously disadvantaged youth into the company's operations. In that short space of time Sifundo Klaas, one of its dynamic interns, has stepped up each rung of the ladder to be appointed national quality assurance manager.

Open House and the Loeries Travelling Exhibition - Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography
Due to public demand the Academy will be accommodating late applications at their Open House on Friday 17th October from 09h00-16h00.

Learn to Earn producing results
Two of the current graphic design students in the Learn to Earn programme, Cinga Samson and Tokozani Mpofu, have been accepted into the University of Stellenbosch to further their studies in 2009. Both of these students are from Khayelitsha and have been attending a 10-month long course at Learn to Earn, which provides a bridging course to tertiary study disadvantaged matriculants who have natural creative flair but not have the funds to study at mainstream tertiary institutions. For more info, go to www.learntoearn.org.za.

New Easter Festival for Joburg
In the wake of substantial redevelopment of the Nasrec precinct property in anticipation of 2010, Johannesburg Expo Centre is launching the Joburg Easter Festival next year. The event, scheduled over the traditional Easter holiday season next year, will feature dynamic new elements, themes, attractions and exhibits, as well as traditional family favourites, and is anticipated to be the largest and most broadly appealing expo ever staged at Nasrec.


Radio station's summer campaign
This festive season, Ligwalagwala FM's “Injalo iSummer” fun-filled campaign includes a rollout of events designed to give the people of Mpumalanga a splashing summer season.

Café Mechanics' success from Kyalami to Voortrekker Monument - Café Mechanics
Café Mechanics put a smile on many faces at the Voortrekker Monument with its Authentic Italian Gelato on Heritage Day last month.


Call your media rival's bluff - Full House Events
Whether you are a fish or a shark at the table, rockets or cowboys may flop, but chances are a Mississippi Slick could still bluff you out the pot.


Barclays open Abu Dhabi branch - Collyer Lessick & Associates
CollyerLessick International (CLi) conceptualised, planned and implemented the recent opening of the first Barclays Bank PLC branch in Abu Dhabi.

Full House Events raises the stakes for corporate entertainment - Full House Events
Appealing to high-end corporate business people is no easy task. They've been on the receiving end of all manner of corporate entertainment, from drumming and polo to golf days and cabaret. For these ‘been-there, done-that' executives, there is a challenging and exhilarating event sure to catch their attention.


Grind earns its degree in coffee - Grind Mobile Coffee
Attracting good people to your business these days is no easy task. Price Waterhouse Coopers wanted to stand out on its university recruitment drives, projecting an approachable, vibey image that would attract students to its stand. What better way to do this than by having the ideal social lubricant on tap - coffee.


What's a festival without Grind's coffee? - Grind Mobile Coffee
Mobile coffee experience Grind has always claimed it makes a “rocking coffee”. It got to prove it recently at the Jonk Live Music Festival, where it created a café environment for Christian youth magazine Kruispad.


Need vs essential want - Don't Forget George
Every moment after now is the future. With Acer's launch of the new Aspire One, the future is now. Recently, the Hilton Hotel in Sandton hosted a product launch that provided a glimpse into the future of technology and communication as it will be and, in this case, already is.


Barclays staff race to the finish line... - Collyer Lessick & Associates
Barclays Bank PLC recently hosted a Sales Rally at the Sheraton Resort, Abu Dhabi, UAE to recognise and reward the retail sales team for achieving their targets.


Tickle your tastebuds
This year's Taste of Joburg features the fare of 15 of Johannesburg's top restaurants, 9 - 12 October 2008, at the Montecasino Outdoor Event Venue. Cuisine from some of the cities' most talented chefs ranges from African to Asian, Italian to fusion. An added dimension will be the performances of Watershed (which recently released its latest album, "Staring at the Ceiling") 10 - 12 October.

Meetings Africa busy with international buyer selection
International buyers to be hosted at Meetings Africa 2009 are currently being selected from South Africa's most important global business tourism markets. To be held at the Sandton Convention Centre 25 - 27 February 2009, the annual business tourism exhibition will see at least 100 hosted international buyers attending.

Aerospace success on the ground - Oasys Innovations
Oasys Events was contracted to install the VIP marquees at the African Aerospace and Defence exhibition at Ysterplaat near Cape Town.


Soweto Festival here to stay - Oasys Innovations
The Soweto residents' annual retail spending power is estimated at around R4.5 billion. This makes the Soweto Festival an ideal platform for developing business skills and economic opportunities, as well as sustainable community activities in South Africa's largest township. Adele Lucas Promotions and Oasys Innovations teamed up to ensure a festival of note.

New segmented lifestyle magazine launches
Lebone Purge Media is launching IZZiT, a new bi-monthly lifestyle magazine that addresses the needs of people of mixed heritage (coloured or ‘brown'), in October 2008. Billed as an historical first for South Africa, the magazine is expected to also have secondary readerships in the broader context of the SA landscape and the diaspora.

Sabbatical for Di Paice, Brand magazine
Brand magazine has been suspended with immediate effect by its board while founder, editor and publisher Di Paice, who has been fighting cancer for three years, takes a much-needed sabbatical, it was announced yesterday, Tuesday, 7 October 2008.

The way to reach entrepreneurs - Succeed
The best way to reach entrepreneurs is to engage with them when they are thinking about their businesses. What better way than when they are reading their favourite business magazine?

heat announces launch of cellphone site m.heat.co.za - UCM
For the celebrity-obsessed heat reader, learning of the latest dramas and scandals in Celebville before everyone else is crucial. While readers have access to heat in a weekly magazine format and daily via the website, they can now receive content via their cellphones.

ANC backdown on SABC board doesn't change anything
[Chris Moerdyk] As a result of the National Council of Provinces agreeing with opposition parties and consumer organisations that the Speaker of the National Assembly should not have a say in the appointment of SABC board members, this part of the Broadcasting Amendment Bill is to be scrapped. But, it won't change much.

KZN Vodacom Journalist of the Year winners
The KwaZulu-Natal Region winners in the Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2008 Awards were announced at the awards function in Durban on Friday, 10 October 2008. These regional winners, who each receive R7500, will now compete in the national finals, which will be held on Friday 7 November, at the Sandton Sun in Johannesburg.

SABC releases 2007/8 annual report
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) published its annual report for 2008 on Friday, 10 October 2008 and, according to a press statement, the national broadcaster has made some strides in delivering on its public service mandate, despite facing significant challenges.

Queens of the green journalists
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Monica Graaff, an environmental journalist working for Mind Shift, has won the 2008 SAB Environmentalist and Environmental Journalism Award in the print and internet category, while Sandra Herrington emerged victorious in the broadcast category for her documentary ‘Sustainable Options for the Wild Coast', aired on SABC2's 50/50. The presentation of these awards took place earlier this week at the Johannesburg Country Club in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.

Regional Vodacom Journalist of the Year winners so far
So far, three of the five award ceremonies for the regional Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2008 Awards have been held so far - Central, Western and Eastern - and the remaining two are tonight, Friday, 10 October 2008 (KwaZulu-Natal) and Monday 13 October (Northern/Southern). The national finals will be held on Friday 7 November at the Sandton Sun, Johannesburg.

MDDA introduces new staff members - MDDA
In the financial year 2007/8, the board of the MDDA approved a staff complement of 21, having due regard to the new ECA environment. The board decided that the increase in staff capacity be progressive in order to be sustainable and achieve strategic objectives of the agency.

SABC road show reaches North West
The SABC's third leg of its nationwide road show reaches North West Province, 13 - 19 October 2008. The road show, which started early this year in KZN and Eastern Cape, aims to make a difference in people's lives by contributing much needed resources. Four remote areas have been identified in the North West - Rustenburg, Swarttruggens, Zeerust, Vryburg and Mafikeng - and the SABC crew will descend to these areas to support sustainable projects, activate and raise awareness for the SABC and its radio stations and TV channels, by means of a celebrity show.

MobileActive08 Summit around the corner
With more than 350 confirmed participants from over 40 countries, next week's MobileActive08 Summit will allegedly be the largest international event to date focusing on this topic and one of the most important ICT4D events to be hosted in Africa in 2008. The Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT) and MobileActive.org is hosting the event at the Wanderers Club in Illovo, Johannesburg, 13 - 15 October 2008.

Election campaign goes mobile
The UDM 2009 election campaign kicked off on Wednesday, 8 October 2008, with a media briefing with UDM president Bantu Holomisa. Also launched was UDMConnect, which accommodates both cellphone and online-based party membership and communication in the style of commercial ‘customer care' models. Intended to revolutionise the way people sign up for party membership and receive party communiqués, UDMConnect enables South African ‘customers' to become a member of the political party, without the drudgery of filling in forms, or appearing in person at branches; communicate local community problems via SMS to the UDM, enhancing the party's ability to follow up, effect constituency work and keep in contact with voters; log problems on the website, or update membership information; and be informed of local UDM activities.

Cape's second largest cycling event unveils new mountain bike route - Die Burger
Following a very successful inaugural cycle race last year, Die Burger Cycle Tour has launched its plans for this year's event. The event will take place in and around Stellenbosch on Sunday 30 November and is the final seeding opportunity for the 2009 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour.

Now cheaper to list on Private Property - Private Property
Private Property announced last week the launch of a new pricing model in order to make the website more affordable to struggling homeowners.

Taxi talk, township lingo
Over the past two months South Africa's ‘see for yourself network', Cell C, contracted ComutaNet to nationally brand 250 large load Quantum taxis. In addition, ComutaNet branded 125 taxis as part of Cell C's vibrant “Township Lingo” campaign. Both taxi design formats enlightens consumers about Cell C's extensive network footprint.


Sign Africa 2008 wraps up
This year's Sign Africa, had a record number of visitors, totalling 4309 individuals representing countries from across Africa and abroad, including the US, UK, China, Italy and Israel.


Stunning opportunity at 24 Central in Sandton - BOO! Alternative Media Communications
Quick-thinking buyers have the opportunity to acquire some of Sandton's most sought-after media space, courtesy of BOO! Alternative Media and Communications. The company holds the rights to the outdoor marketing opportunities at the chic “24 Central” - situated on Fredman Drive, in the heart of the Sandton financial and media district. The current campaign utilising this space is nearing an end, meaning that an opportunity exists for new clients to acquire the space.

Exell Technologies' third annual workshops are on the planning board - "Little Drupa South Africa" - Exell Technologies
Print buying is more alive today than it has ever been. With a new type of digital age being born, print providers now face the ever increasing challenges of keeping up with the print buyer's expanding requirements using the “digital age tools”. These include on-demand printing, variable data printing, digital printing, web-to-print and more.

Nominees for the MAMAs unveiled
LAGOS: MTV Networks Africa earlier this week announced the contenders for the first MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain (MAMAs).


Animation in Kenya comes of age
[Carole Kimutai] Animation is an industry which has been dominated by the West. In Africa, the concept is relatively new, but this year nine animation films from Kenya will be screened at the prestigious Africa in Motion (AiM) festival that will run 23 October - 2 November 2008 in Edinburgh, UK.

Kevin Fitzgerald at LIA - Egg Films
Kevin Fitzgerald's BMW M3 “Test Pilot” and ABSA “Feet” commercials have both achieved finalist status in the London International Awards.


Following the experts at Frieze Films to BP - Frieze Films
Currently flighting on TV is Director Tony Baggott's new spot for BP, an engaging commercial from Frieze Films that allows us to, quite literally, follow the experts.


SA Youth flavour on latest Mama Dance! Music Library DVD - Mama Dance! Music Solutions
Due to a huge demand for fresh South African Urban music for TV ads, sports shows and youth television programming, the team at Mama Dance! Music Library went on a major hunt to source fresh new hip-hop, kwaito, house and afro-pop tracks from hot young South African music producers.


In a world where everything has gone through the roof, Amazing Spaces brings prices down - Amazing Spaces
In largely volatile and uncertain times, Amazing Spaces reports stability, consistency and, most notably, prices lower than five years ago.

Evo Media's CEO gets on board the Cape Film Commission - Evo Media
Emiley Vollmer, the CEO of Evo Media, is a newly appointed board member of the Cape Film Commission. The Commission's decision gives recognition to the talented young businesswoman's ability to evolve the Technology and Media Industry with her unique combination of creative innovation and business acumen.


Actor and chicken burger keep abreast in new Nando's ad - Fresh Eye Film Productions
It is one of those rare television commercials that is receiving heightened exposure from viral internet marketing. It is the new Nando's ad called “Chips” advertising a bigger, fuller, bouncier, double breasted burger, which is matched perfectly by a bigger, fuller, bouncier double breasted lady whose assets blind her from the chips the burger comes with.

SA youth invited to ‘speak yo soul'
Using the format of slam poetry to attract the interest of the fast-moving youth market, Cadbury South Africa and P.S. are running a promotion that gives two friends the opportunity to win a trip to the US to experience the World Poetry Slam live.


Habari Direct partners with Ster Kinekor - Habari Media
Marketing and promotion specialists Habari Direct has signed a partnership agreement with Ster Kinekor, giving it access to a broader range of lifestyle rewards from the theatre company, as well as the capacity to innovate affinity campaigns to leverage clients' brands.

All-new Grapevine Media - Grapevine Media
As you have noticed, Grapevine has undergone some major reconstructive work! We have changed our company structure, added new products, logos, proposals and much, much more! To launch it all we created a new website!

Reputation, reputation, reputation
[Max Henderson] In this global economy, where the news is filled with the current economic meltdown, a consumer has to wonder what and who you can trust to see you through the tough times. The decision-making behind investing your hard-earned cash or what property to buy will ultimately be made on a company's reputation.

The hot new frequency in Limpopo
[Tshepiso Seopa] This time last year, Capricorn FM was only a dream that had yet to materialise. As Limpopo Province's first commercial radio station catering for the black urban market, Capricorn FM only went on air for the first time on 27 November, 2007 and has exceeded its goals, with 1.5 million listeners in its first year.

Building and destroying reputation through words
[Liza van Wyk] Reputation management is becoming a multi-billion euro industry as environmental concerns raise the temperature on ethics and the Internet snoops into every cranny of a public individual or corporate's life. It's an industry in which, despite being aware of it, most politicians are failing dismally at even ascending the bottom rungs of the reputation ladder.


The plain language movement
[Marion Scher] New movements seem to be in the air and I'm thinking of starting one myself - but this one has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with language.

PR agency dives into digital
Gillian Gamsy International (GGi) is to provide a full digital communications practice, in line with the growing importance of digital communications, headed up by Lisa Clark.


Poor crisis planning for infectious diseases puts South Africa at risk - Crisis Communications Consultancy
With the death of four people from an as yet unknown (at the time of writing) viral haemorrhagic fever, accompanied by wide-ranging speculation about a possible outbreak of the disease, companies need to ensure they monitor their employees and update their crisis communications management plans with immediate effect.

Top PR success strategies and best-practices - Encyclomedia
Learn the top practical publicity skills to enhance and expand your understanding of traditional and online media at the PR Success Strategies For Your Business Conference on 20 November in Cape Town.


Platinum Public Relations celebrates five years of success - Platinum Public Relations
Armstrong, in all his glory, is revered for his words: “One step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” We embrace such milestones with enthusiasm and pride, for when humanity makes progress, it is cause to celebrate.

Effective non-verbal communication critical in crisis situations - Crisis Communications Consultancy
The use of the wrong facial expression or gesture during a crisis media interview or stakeholder engagement can irreparably damage the ability of the company or organisation to garner public support, understanding and believability, all of which are critical for the effective management of a crisis.

About Face - The Write Co.
“Sixty perecent of our course bookings for August 2008 came from Amanda Patterson's Writer's Group on Facebook,” says Nicci Stewart, The Write Co course director.

New host city for Metro FM Music Awards
This year, the ninth annual Metro FM Music Awards has a new host city - Tshwane - after having dazzled Durban and Port Elizabeth over the past few years. The 2008 awards, which will take place at an as-yet-undisclosed location in the capital city on Saturday, 29 November, were launched earlier this week, coinciding with Metro FM's 22nd birthday celebrations.

SABC's prodigal son returns
Xolani Gwala has made a U-turn to rejoin the national broadcaster at Auckland Park as a presenter of SAfm's flagship morning programme AM Live. He returned on to the airwaves yesterday, Monday, 6 October 2008.

Jacaranda 94.2 CEO says it's ‘game on' for newly-diversified SA radio sector - Jacaranda 94.2
The latest RAMS results are a positive diagnosis of the good health of the South African radio sector. So says Jacaranda 94.2 CEO Alan Kahn, who adds that the recent addition of three new stations into the mix means it's ‘game on' when it comes to attracting, servicing and retaining listeners and advertisers alike.

Capricorn FM hits the sweet spot - United Stations
Limpopo's only and now biggest commercial radio station has reached its goal of exceeding 1.5 million listeners in its first year. The South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) has named Capricorn FM as the fastest growing station in South Africa and the biggest in the province.

Integrating mobile, print and online job hunting
CareerJunction has launched a mobile site to coincide with the new The Times Careers which is available every Tuesday, starting from yesterday, 7 October 2008. The objective is to make job hunting and application processes more accessible to a wider range of job seekers, including those that do not have easy access to the internet.

Knock-on effects of increasing petrol price
[Charles Foster] This article was born out of the frustration undoubtedly felt by many in South Africa who have to brave daily traffic jams to work. From someone who has lived in the same house and worked in the same suburb for more than 15 years, the route to work and back is indelibly etched into my memory.


Crime and where people think it arises - TNS Research Surveys
TNS Research Surveys recently conducted a survey to examine what people feel to be some of the root causes of crime. This survey was conducted amongst a sample of 2000 SA adults from the seven major metropolitan areas of South Africa, interviewing them face-to-face in their homes, with a margin of error of under 2.5%. The study was conducted in the second quarter of 2008.

You can be a Mighty Mum
Time-stressed mothers, as well as primary care-givers, can now delve into 528 glossy pages of empowering information spanning topics from beauty, style, finance, food, nutrition, legal advice, safety, security and so much more, thanks to a Pick n Pay initiative.


No need for melamine contamination concern - CGCSA
The mere presence of melamine in foods does not indicate that the food is contaminated, the Consumer Goods Council said earlier this week.

Mall walks the walk - and wins
Canal Walk shopping mall has won the award as Cape Town's best shopping centre.


Obesity in children becoming a worrying fact - The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA
[Ayesha Seedat] Obesity Week runs from 13 to 17 October 2008. Obesity is now recognised as a major public health problem in many countries like Australia, America, UK, Mexico, Brazil as well as South Africa. Worldwide statistics show that 22 million children under the age of five are overweight.

Pointeq's Windward System Five software offers you a complete rental solution - Pointeq Teqnologies
Pointeq's Windward System Five software was specifically designed to provide solutions for rental businesses and is fully scalable to meet the needs of any size operation.

Senior appointment at Kaelo Worldwide Media
As Kaelo Worldwide Media expands its senior management team in line with its continued growth (KWM), Nqoba Koza has been appointed as head of operations of the sponsorship, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and broadcast production consultancy.

Recycling campaign gets new shine at school level
Collect-a-Can has joined forces with Cobra and Nugget in an effort to extend the message about environmental awareness and recycling.


New leadership appointment at CIRCA Hospitality and Navitute - SAIL
SAIL Group has confirmed the appointment of Sizwe Nzimande, former head of sport at SABC. Nzimande will head up two of the group's subsidiaries, Navitute and CIRCA Hospitality, as MD.


Countdown to Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge - Octagon South Africa
Excitement mounts as the final preparations are in full swing for the second Engen Dynamic Cycle Challenge, taking place with the beautiful backdrop of Nelson's Creek Wine Estate in Wellington on Saturday 11 October, 2008.

Edcon sponsors breast cancer awareness
Edcons' lingerie store Temptations is the premier sponsor of the Journey of Hope Breast Cancer Ride 2008 to promote awareness of breast cancer to urban and rural women across South Africa. As part of its commitment, Temptations has pledged R500 000 in support of the campaign, which is represented by 12 survivors of breast cancer who are doing an eight-day motorcycle journey from Johannesburg to Cape Town, 10 - 18 October 2008, in a cavalcade made up of Eagle Wind Harley-Davidsons and Hummers to spread a message of hope and encouragement to cancer victims and survivors throughout South Africa. The Journey of Hope includes a national fundraising campaign to cover the costs of 12 reconstruction operations for breast cancer patients who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

Restaurant chain sponsors comedic act
Restaurant chain Nino's is sponsoring the “doctor” of comedy, Riaad Moosa, who will be doing house calls again in Durban 28 - 30 October 2008 at Durban's Playhouse. Imraan Asmal of Nino's is delighted to have the brand associated with the “Strictly Halaal” show, drawing a comparison with Nino's innovative yet traditional menu. The show is also supported by East Coast Radio.

Late-night talk with Matsunyane
South Africa has been lacking a late-night adult talk show since Phat Joe and Felicia folded away their couches, but Late Night With Kgomotso is set to make Saturdays stay-at-home nights and provide juicy talking points for days afterwards.

African films televised in nine countries
Nine African films made by local filmmakers from nine African countries are being broadcast across the region between September and October 2008.


Rugby commentator dies in car accident
Chris Moller, long-serving SuperSport Afrikaans rugby commentator, passed away following a fatal car accident on Sunday morning, 12 October 2008, in Durban, after having worked on the Sharks-Lions Absa Currie Cup semifinal the day before. Chris, who was 48, joined SuperSport in 1996 and for the past 12 years had contributed regularly on SANZAR, Test and Currie Cup rugby broadcasts. Says Guy Hawthorne, SuperSport publicity editor, “It was with great sadness that SuperSport learnt yesterday of the passing away of Chris... SuperSport will truly miss one of the great voices of rugby and our thoughts are with his wife, Susan, his children and other family members and friends.”