NSAA- a guide to New South Africa Acronyms
Just launched is New South Africa Acronyms, a pocket-sized reference directory that simply and practically lists from A to Z every identified English acronym used in today's South African - and international - business language today, and has a full descriptive for each acronym.

War of words
[Mike Freedman] The global financial meltdown is becoming trapped in clichés - as the first four words of my introduction typify. Every time there is a crisis, whenever change occurs, clichés proliferate and, if the clever writer isn't cautious, they soon start choking communication.


Entertainment destination launches new positioning
Seven years after opening its doors to the public, Montecasino recently launched a new positioning and ad campaign masterminded by brand consultancy Interbrand Sampson.


Live blogging from MIPCOM
CANNES: It's that time of the year again when the global television industry gets together in Cannes, France, for audiovisula content market MIPCOM (www.mipcom.com). This year it's the turn of Mercury Media to live blog for Bizcommunity.com from this annual conference and exhibition. To read what COO Morne Ebersohn has to say so far, read our breaking news blog here and here. There's also the MIPCOM media centre, the MIPCOM daily news magazines and the MIPCOM blog for more info.

Modise quits 2010 OC
The latest in a series of resignations and ending months of speculation, Tim Modise, communications chief officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC), has finally resigned and will be returning to the broadcast industry, the OC announced yesterday evening, Thursday, 16 October 2008. Modise formally leaves the committee at the end of October 2008.

Zakumi wows Brussels
Ahead of Spain's 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Belgium today, Wednesday, 15 October 2008 in the Belgian capital, the tournament's official mascot Zakumi paid the Spanish team a surprise visit, along with 2010 LOC CEO Danny Jordaan, yesterday, Tuesday 14 October.


‘My 2010 School Adventure' campaign hots up
For thousands of South African school pupils, being a part of - and participating in - the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 is becoming more and more real after a weekend of provincial schools football action - all under the auspices of the ‘My 2010 School Adventure' campaign, an initiative of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Department of Education and Sport and Recreation South Africa.

New editor, new focus for AdFocus
This year's AdFocus, the advertising annual from Financial Mail, is being published on 28 November 2008 in order to record the local Loeries advertising awards and other important events that were previously excluded. A new editorial focus, under the editorship of David Furlonger, who has taken over from Jeremy Maggs, is also intended to broaden the publication's appeal beyond the advertising industry.


Only two Gold Eagles go to King James, DDB SA
There were only two Gold Eagles awarded this year in the Eagle Print Awards, sponsored by Independent Newspapers and the Inc: one went to King James (Cape Town) and the other to DDB South Africa. Continuing the Cape flush, a sweep of Bronze Eagles winged their way to Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town) at the award evening held earlier this week at the refurbished Alexander Theatre in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.


‘Mad Dog' MD for DDB SA
Emmet James Joseph O'Hanlon (Emmet, Emmie, Skipper or Mad Dog to his friends) has been appointed MD of DDB SA in recognition of his contribution to the great strides DDB SA has made in the last year, it was announced late yesterday, Wednesday, 15 October 2008.

Draftfcb SA CEO off to Australia
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Neil van der Weele, group chief executive and executive chairman of Draftfcb South Africa, is stepping down at the end of October 2008 and relocating to Melbourne, Australia, where he will join Draftfcb Worldwide's international management team in the view of strengthening its global capabilities.

Volcano scoops Bronze! - Volcano Advertising
"Kissing bad briefs goodbye" saw the landing of a Bronze Eagle Award as well as a finalist in the much sought-after Campaign Category for the Volcano team at this year's Eagle Awards.


Jupiter Cape Town conquers at the Eagle Awards - The Jupiter Drawing Room
At the Eagles Awards Ceremony earlier this week, The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town)took home four Eagle trophies, more than any other agency. The Eagle Awards aim to honour the best in South African creative advertising in the print category.


Reminder to enter Apex Awards
The closing date for APEX 2009 is 12 noon on 21 January 2009. The cost to enter is R1500 excluding VAT per entry. Go to www.acasa.co.za for more APEX information, entry forms, rules for entry, submission guidelines, information on previous APEX winners and the dates to diarise for the APEX workshops that will be taking place in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

2008 Art Directors Club Hall of Fame laureates
NEW YORK: The Art Directors Club unveiled its latest group of inductees into the ADC Hall of Fame yesterday, Tuesday, 14 October 2008. The seven honorees - Alex Bogusky, co-chairman, Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Ray Eames (posthumous), designer, architect and filmmaker; Sir John Hegarty, chairman, worldwide creative director, Bartle Bogle Hegarty; Maria Kalman, illustrator, artist, designer; John Maeda, president, Rhode Island School of Design; R Roger Remington, Massimo and Leila Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design, Rochester Institute of Technology; and Bruce Weber, fashion photographer - representing the fields of advertising, design, architecture, filmmaking, illustration, academia and photography, will be inducted at a black-tie benefit gala dinner on 6 November, at the ADC Gallery in New York, with proceeds going toward ADC scholarship programs.

Explosion of new domain names presents risks for online brands
On 1 November 1 2008, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will meet in Cairo, Egypt to discuss the introduction of new top level domain names (gTLD); current examples in use are .com, .net, and .biz.

Cape agencies take on all-electric car brand
Strategic brand agency Arctic Circle announced last week that it has been appointed to handle all brand development requirements for Optimal Energy, the privately owned company behind the development of Africa's first all-electric car. The agency's work is underpinned by a PR strategy implemented and managed by Rock Paper Scissors, also a small Cape-based PR consultancy.

Brand valuation and the global credit crisis
[Prof Roger Sinclair] It came as something of a surprise to me to learn that brand valuation is closely linked to a contributory cause of the world financial credit crisis. A big discussion point right now is how intangible assets that have no active market as a reference should be valued. Apparently, this was one of the major “last straws” in the demise of the banks, which used level ll as the method to value their assets and not level l. If that means little to you, you are not alone.

Brandseat Furniture launched to the shopping centre market - Brandseat
Pretoria-based Word 4 Word Marketing launched Brandseat products to the Shopping Centre and retail market at the recent National Council for Shopping Centres held at the Durban Convention Centre.

Ampaglas SA win Best Stand award at Sign Africa with Brandseat furniture - Brandseat
The recent Sign Africa exhibition held at Sandton Convention Centre during September saw full colour branded items of the Brandseat furniture range supplied to major plastics group Ampaglas SA for use on its stand.


Facelift for Rentokil after 81 years - Rentokil
One of South Africa's most reputable brands in the pest control industry, Rentokil, has revamped its image for the first time since its establishment in 1927.

Cinema advertising goes High Definition - CineMARK
CineMARK's latest technological advancement now enables the whole digital cinema platform, consisting of 61 screens countrywide, to exhibit High Definition content with 5.1 sound.

2009 D&AD design entry fee cut, juries announced
Announced by D&AD on Friday, 17 October 2008, was a price cut across design categories in order to encourage a diverse range of entries, as well as the members of the design juries for the D&AD Awards 2009.

Big Blue t-shirt design winners
Gerrit Breitenbach from Johannesburg has bagged himself R20 000 in cash, as well as Makhulu fame, as the winner of the 2008 ‘Makhulu Polane' t-shirt design competition. His winning design will be sold in all Big Blue and Kitsch & Kool stores during November and December 2008.


Create a “cooler” bag design and win with KWV
KWV is celebrating 90 years in the wine business through a competition to create a limited edition wine bag design following the theme of “inside KWV”.

Launching designer t-shirt expo
Levi's is launching the aKING LTD Edition t-shirt exhibition, which will display the works of 20 of South Africa's top graphic designers and fine artists who were specially selected to create a t-shirt for the initiative. The exhibition will launch on 28 October 2008 at The Kunst House, 62 Kloof street, Cape Town, and will be open to the public 29 - 31 October 2008. A limited run of 20 t-shirts per design will be produced by Levi's, and will be sold at the expo. For more information about the event and the other items up for grabs, see the Biz E Blog.

Tart up your browser artistically
Google has released its latest collection of artist themes created by leading fashion designers and musicians for its personalised homepage, iGoogle. This new collection - an extension of the iGoogle artist project that launched in May 2008, where South African Desré Buirski, famous for designing Nelson Mandela's silk shirts, was invited to design an African-inspired iGoogle theme which was featured at the New York launch - allows music fans and fashion lovers to merge their passions for music, fashion, art and the Internet by adding more color and style to their iGoogle homepage. All themes are available at http://google.com/artistthemes.

Birth of parenting community website
The latest niche site in the 24.com family, announced yesterday, Thursday, 16 October 2008, is Parent24.com, under the editorship of Adele Hamilton. Meanwhile, financial news site Fin24.com has also undergone an extensive revamp.


Comment invited on draft terrestrial broadcasting frequency plan
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) announced the publishing of the draft terrestrial broadcasting frequency plan 2008 as an annexure to the South Africa Table of Frequency Allocation (SAFTA) yesterday, Wednesday, 15 October 2008, as well as the swearing in of three new councillors on Friday 17 October.

World Digital Publishing Conference kicks off in Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM: Despite impressive gains in audience and advertisers, newspaper websites do not produce revenue comparable to that of print newspapers. Transferring the core values of newspapers to the new ways of the web is the way to change that, said Caroline Little, who advises both The Washington Post and The Guardian on their Internet strategies, at the World Digital Publishing Conference in Amsterdam today, Wednesday, 15 October 2008.

World Bank Africa chief economist launches new blog
The World Bank Africa region has announced the launch of a new blog from its chief economist, Shanta Devarajan. The blog, AfricaCan.org, will serve as an online forum for the sharing of ideas about the continent's development.

The data capturing solution aimed at cutting costs - Ngale Africa
Ngalecapture is a dynamic, online data capturing system aimed at transforming the way research companies capture questionnaires and surveys. This web-based data capturing solution serves the needs of a variety of market research companies.

Nashua Electronics relaunches interactive web portal - Nashua Electronics
Nashua Electronics, the specialised consumer electronics company, has relaunched its website with a dynamic, new look aimed at giving the user an even better online shopping experience.

SynthaSite's newest release adds advanced features enabling users to make money online - SynthaSite
In tough economic times, SynthaSite is intended to make it easier for everyday web users to reach customers and friends through an online store front, blogging and simple domain registration.

3dP New Media team grows - 3dP New Media
Our business is booming and blooming and we have had an amazing 2008 so far!

Spotlight on social media at MIPCOM
CANNES: During the last day of MIPCOM 2008, social media came under the spotlight. Mercury Media man on the spot, Morne Ebersohn, blogs all about it on the Bizcommunity.com breaking news blog. Don't forget to check out the MIPCOM media centre, the MIPCOM daily news magazines and the MIPCOM blog for more info.

proximity#ttp takes Gold at Echoes
Hummerville, the award-winning campaign created for Cell C by proximity#ttp and Gloo Digital Design, scooped Gold yesterday, Tuesday, 14 October 2008, at the DMA International Echo Awards in Las Vegas. This is only the second Gold that South Africa has taken home from the Echoes, and the first in 18 years.


Filter judging starts on the Assegai Awards - DMASA
Judges for this year's Assegai Awards 2008, presented by the South African Post Office, have a tough task ahead of them as the number of agencies and corporates submitting entries has increased significantly.

Janine Lazarus to present at IABC Africa Conference - Janine Lazarus Media Consultancy
Janine Lazarus, founder of Janine Lazarus Media Consultancy, has been invited to deliver a presentation at the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) ‘What Works For Africa' annual conference.

International speakers lined up for East Africa International Business Forum
Over 30 international speakers will address the International Business Forum in Kigali, 29 - 30 October 2008. The forum will gather participants, including business leaders from East Africa, Europe, North America and Asia, to one of the most important business events in the region for years.

Derek van Dam - a passion for life beyond weather - Quirky House
There's more to the weatherman than meteorology. Like the man rescuing starfish in the famous “one person can make a difference” story, Derek Van Dam cannot sit idly by while there's suffering in the world. He's one of the few who believes that one man can make a difference, whether it's in motivation, teaching or philanthropy.


Grind creates a buzz at Beauty Expo - Grind Mobile Coffee
Struck by the impact and buzz created by Grind's mobile coffee experience at this year's Markex show, eye treatment brand EyeSlices made Grind a feature at its stand at the recent Beauty Expo.


Quirky House news snippets - Quirky House
Mark and Gabi Bayly became proud parents earlier this week when Cooper William Bayly made his appearance.


Coca-Cola dome voted best concert venue in Johannesburg for tenth consecutive year - Coca-Cola dome
Hailed as one of South Africa's most versatile special event venues, the Coca-Cola dome was voted Johannesburg's best concert venue for the tenth consecutive year in the Leisure Options Best of Johannesburg Readers' Choice Awards.


Gearhouse riggers certified by UK body - Gearhouse SA
The South African entertainment industry has no formal test with which to determine the competency of riggers in the industry. Four Gearhouse SA riggers recently undertook an assessment for the UK's National Rigging Certificate (NRC), thereby assuring the company's lead in the South African entertainment rigging industry.

Scan Display Solutions - new appointments - Scan Display
Scan Display's Johannesburg office has recently made a number of appointments.

Bien Donnné Agricultural Expo offers full programme - CADEK Media
The 66th annual ARC Bien Donné Agricultural Expo will take place on 6, 7 and 8 November 2008 in Simondium, between Paarl and Franschhoek. The expo focuses on farming and agricultural producers and is open to all sectors of the agricultural industry.

End of the road for Mooiloop
Ramsay, Son & Parker will cease publication of its Afrikaans travel lifestyle magazine, Mooiloop, the publishing house announced Friday afternoon, 17 October 2008, with the December issue to be its last. According to publisher Jacqueline Lahoud, the decision to close comes at a time when heavily reduced advertising spend is placing many titles under pressure.

Title makeover unplugs the Cape
B2 Publishers has relaunched Cape i as Cape Unplugged, a compact monthly glossy travel magazine targeting the Western Cape. "It's got a different look and feel, but it's still the same cheeky magazine," says Carey Finn, editor of the magazine.


Death of a true maverick empire
[Chris Moerdyk] BREAKING NEWS: One of South Africa's most innovative and entertaining business magazines, Maverick, along with its media industry sibling, Empire, is no more. Speaking to Bizcommunity.com last night, Monday, 13 October 2008, publisher and editor Branko Brkic said that in spite of battling for months to keep the two magazines going, shareholder disagreements and unworkable alliances with incompatible media bed-fellows left Mvela-owned Business Century Publishing with no alternative but to shut them down.

Connect, Support, Celebrate... online - woman360
Fairlady's pay-off line, Connect, Support, Celebrate!, is the inspiration behind the highly interactive magazine website aimed at networking Fairlady women and celebrating what's great about South Africa.


Magazine, SA celebs against drug abuse

click to enlarge

Danny K on crack, Tansey Coetzee on tik, Debora Patta on cocaine, Tamara Dey on heroin and Rosie Motene on tik - these are the five well-known South Africans who participated in Marie Claire magazine's campaign, photographed by Alexis Fotiades, to highlight drug addiction, out now in the November 2008 issue. “The celebrities who participated in this story each had their own motivation and story to share regarding drug addiction and we are glad they are taking a stand with us to tell the world that drug use is not what it's made out to be,” says Kate Wilson, editor of Marie Claire SA. “We asked them to wear makeup and allow us to alter their images to illustrate the results of prolonged drug abuse. There is nothing glamorous about these portraits. They are pictures of a frightening illness and we hope that they will shock South Africans into thinking twice before getting involved in drugs.”

SABC - still under fire
SABCWATCH: The latest SABC annual report has been criticised by civil society activists Save our SABC Coalition as being vague and contradictory, reports Business Day. Meanwhile, DA leader Helen Zille has asked the SABC to provide the opposition party “with the same TV platform accorded to ANC president Jacob Zuma” and has threatened to take acting CEO and editor-in-chief, Gabriel Mampone, to Parliament's Communication Portfolio Committee if the DA's request is not heeded to, writes IOL.

Media freedom is your freedom - SANEF
“Media freedom guarantees your right to know what's going on in your country, and participate fully in the decisions affecting you. Media freedom is your freedom. Insist on it.” This is the viewpoint of the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF), which commemorated Media Freedom Day this past Saturday, 19 October 2008, with two events held last week in Johannesburg and Stellenbosch and the launch of The Extraordinary Editor - a handbook for media leaders. [poll]

Should media freedom have limits in a free society?
[Thabani Khumalo] The central purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information they need to function in a free society. The role of media in a modern society is not only limited to reporting and analysing specific events, but journalists are also opinion builders in their own right. [poll]


Critical differences between proofreading, copy editing, rewriting
[Tiffany Markman] As an editor/copywriter, the biggest thorn in my backside is the client who emails an 80-page document with the brief, ‘Please have a look at this.' [I can visualise those of you who share my industry nodding your heads supportively.] So it's time I distinguished between these different skills and the different accompanying costs. Hopefully, this'll serve to a) enlighten the clients out there and b) help my fellow wordsmiths to clarify what clients get in return for what they pay.


Embedded journalism is dangerous - ANC spokesperson
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Embedded journalism is dangerous: it distorts the truth and does not do anybody any good. This is according to ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte, who was speaking yesterday, Wednesday, 15 October 2008, in Parktown, Johannesburg, where the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) and the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) jointly hosted an event to commemorate the 31st anniversary of Black Wednesday.

Northern/Southern Vodacom Journalist of the Year winners
The last of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2008 regional winners, the Northern/Southern Region, were announced last night, Monday, 13 October 2008, at an awards function in Johannesburg. It's now time for the final countdown until the overall winners are revealed in the national finals, to be held on Friday 7 November at the Sandton Sun in Johannesburg.

Mega Media Expo heading for Sandton in March 2009 - CADEK Media
CADEK Media recently announced that its Mega Media Expo will be hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on 4 and 5 March 2009.

Is SMS messaging replacing voicemail?
The recent addition of Vodacom's Voicemail2SMS service in the local mobile market begs the question: is this an indication that SMS is replacing voicemail as a preferred messaging service in South Africa? “While it may be too early to tell, and may need a broad survey of cellphone users to verify the trend, I do feel the question is important as it points to changes in cellphone user behaviour,” says Dr Pieter Streicher, MD of global mobile messaging firm BulkSMS.com.

How newspapers, mobile media can work together - but probably won't
[Vincent Maher] With MTN bringing up its location lookup service, and Vodacom's already in place, it now means that media companies can deliver news targeted at a Personal Content Area based on the user's actual location. Whereas personalisation has mostly gone unused on the desktop web, I think people will be more likely to use a service that filters news based on their location.


Brandscape gives Philips the edge with experiential mobile communication - Brandscape
Brandscape and Sound Media were recently tasked with helping Philips launch its innovative, state-of-the-art shaving technology, the Philips Norelco Moisturizing Shaving System.

Sanlam Awards for Community Press 2008 winners
More entries than ever before made life very difficult for the independent judges of the Sanlam Awards for Community Press, which were presented for the 17th time recently at an event - this year in Durban - attended by about 300 editors, journalists, photographers and their proud bosses.

The Star's Mbeki legacy debate: Shilowa, Phosa let it loose
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Emotions ran high last night, Tuesday, 14 October 2008, at the Atlas Studios in Milpark, Johannesburg, where ANC treasurer-general Matthews Phosa and former Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa exchanged heated words over the legacy of Thabo Mbeki. The hall was packed to capacity of people of all walks of life attending the debate on Mbeki's legacy hosted by The Star newspaper. Panelists included Mo Shaik, Dr Barney Pityana, JJ Tabane and Dr Essop Pahad.

Summer sun and song with Die Burger - Die Burger
Each year Die Burger tours with popular South African artists along the Western and Eastern Cape. This year is no different. Die Burger is proud to announce its collaboration with the well-known singer, Bobby van Jaarsveld, as well as blossoming entertainer and singer, Emo Adams.


Talent in abundance - Die Burger
Die Burger's popular singing competition U-tune has reached its climax and will wrap up on Friday, 17 October 2008, at the Joseph Stone auditorium in Athlone. The competition has seen two months of rigorous auditions throughout the Western Cape, including Mitchells Plain, Atlantis, Wynberg, Elsies River, Kraaifontein and Bellville.


World Young Reader prizes awarded at WAN conference
AMSTERDAM: The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) yesterday, Thursday, 16 October 2008, presented its annual World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year award to the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza at the WAN Readership Conference in Amsterdam. Other winners to receive Young Reader Awards, announced on 8 September on World Literacy Day, included Independent Newspapers, Media 24, Avusa and Associated Independent Press for their “National Teachers Strike Recovery Initiative” in the Public Service category. Matthew Buckland, 24.com's GM of online publishing and social media, spoke about the media harnessing the best of user-generated content (UGC) at the World Digital Publishing Conference, a parallel event.

Special SA discount from World Editors Forum for US newsroom study tour
The World Editors Forum is offering a special price of €4900 to South African newspapers, a €1000 discount from the standard price, for its Southeastern US Study Tour entitled, "Local Multimedia Journalism: how US newspapers engage communities", 17 - 21 November 2008. Visit large newsrooms such as CNN, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and The Miami Herald to witness their radical transformation to fully-integrated, multimedia powerhouses. Meet with local papers such as the Fort Myers News-Press and the Naples News to see how you can reconnect your newsroom with its audience and transform the news into a conversation. For the full programme, go to www.wan-press.org/wefusatour2008/programme.php.

Email compliance - how to get it right
[Barry Gill] The storage and retrieval of emails have become a big headache for most businesses, especially now that good governance and no fewer than five local acts prescribe the need to store all email sent or received for up to 10 years.


New Primedia-Unlimited site with the power of GigaCMS - iLogic
Primedia-Unlimited is the latest company to move to content management systems GigaCMS.

The Bookmarks attracts an impressive line-up of international judges - Online Publishers Association
The Bookmarks has successfully attracted two internationally renowned digital experts who will assist in judging the inaugural awards: Johan Tesch, creative director of leading agency BBH, London; and Dick Buschman, founder and strategic director of Achtung!, Netherlands.

Rugby365.com UK launch - Primedia Online
Rugby365.com is evolving; later this month the popular rugby website will be launching its very own UK version in order to offer its loyal readers across the globe the very best and extensive rugby coverage.

Breadline Africa, Quirk eMarketing launch The Blogger Bake-Off - Quirk eMarketing
The Worldwide Blogger Bake Off is a new campaign revolving around bloggers and their readers baking bread, spreading the word and challenging others to bake bread to raise money for Breadline Africa, a grant-making organisation that provides sustainable support to a number of community-based projects. The launch coincides with Blog Action Day today, Wednesday, 15 October 2008.

When and how to fire a client - Freelancentral
Firing a client might sound like a strange thing to do considering the global economy. But for freelancers - as well as agencies and businesses in general - resigning a client is sometimes necessary. There are several circumstances under which you may want to show a client the door. If one of these resonates with you, the next question is how to end the relationship in a professional way.


Polish, Russian and Afrikaans - all part of the SkillPod gaming world - Skillpod Media
SkillPod Media continues its expansion into the international online games market, by rolling out into Eastern European territories. Closer to home, Afrikaans speakers can now enjoy online gaming in their home language.

World's largest striding man for Joburg skyline
‘Stepped out in style' this week on the Southern Life Centre, Johannesburg, has been the new Johnnie Walker Striding Man icon, the largest striding man building wrap in the world. The billboard spans three sides of the 35-floor skyscraper in the CBD, is the size of 70 rugby fields end-to-end and is visible from many angles in the city.


Sports Event Kit - Right Stuff
If you've ever been in a position where you've had to plan a sports event and requested quotes for several different items from different suppliers and the associated effort and potential headaches involved, you'll find our new Sports Event Kit a welcome relief.


Airport Media flies Formula One at OR Tambo - Airport Media
Speed is the name of the game and if you're thinking fast airplanes look closer to the ground; Fantastic Racing has landed at OR Tambo and Cape Town International airports.


Latest Empowerdex rating for Primedia Outdoor
Primedia Outdoor was recently rated as a BBB Level Five Contributor by Empowerdex, an independent economic empowerment rating agency, receiving 80% procurement recognition. The outdoor specialist improved its 2007 rating for Employment Equity from a D to a B, and its Black Management rating from a C to an A. Primedia Outdoor also maintained its A level CSI status, scoring five out of five in the category for its Tswelopele project. "Tswelopele is a dynamic initiative that creates jobs and empowers previously disadvantaged women through the recycling of Primedia Outdoor's billboard flex faces into a range of sophisticated products," explains S'khumbuzo Nkosi, Primedia Outdoor CEO. "We are proud to be able to make such a significant difference in our community!"

South African cuts Nike in Amsterdam
Instead of partying at the Loeries this year, Richard Starkey of post production company Guillotine was hard at work all weekend on the latest Nike ad, featuring our local hero Oscar Pistorius, for Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam. This is the second international Nike commercial Starkey has worked on.


Chinese travel service in PE to document attractions
A Chinese destination marketing authority has recently been in Port Elizabeth to shoot a promotional documentary which will be aired on a Chinese television channel. The promotional video, which will showcase some of the tourist attractions in the area, aims to encourage Chinese tourists to visit the city.

Call to enter Profoto Awards
Entries are now open for the Profoto Awards, presented by the Professional Photographers of Southern Africa (PPSA) and now sponsored by Sony. The awards were previously known as the Fuji Profoto Awards.

Three out of two at Creative Circle - Egg Films
The past two Creative Circle Ad of the Month judgings yielded not two but three awards for Egg Films. Humanoid Terence Neale took joint first in the August 2008 awards for Network BBDO's Cell C commercials ‘Drive Thru', ‘Salesman' and ‘More Rands'.


Velocity has 14 finalists at the London International Awards - Velocity Films
Velocity has 14 shortlisted spots at the London International Awards. Director Greg Gray's VW GTI “Dream” has been shortlisted for Direction, Editing, Cinematography and Music whilst his spot for Coronation Fund Managers “Butterfly Effect” has been shortlisted for Cinematography.

Keeping speeches short and sweet
[Marion Scher] We all know the feeling. You're at a speech day, wedding or company function when the moment nobody's been waiting for arrives - the obligatory speeches. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the collective sigh. People brace themselves and wait hopefully for pearls of wisdom to wash over them. Sometimes the wait is rewarded and the speech is funny, topical and most importantly short. Other times - not so much.

Top lineup of speakers for PR Success Strategies Conference - Encyclomedia
From highly experienced journalists and leaders in innovative PR campaigns, to successful entrepreneurs, the speakers for the PR Success Strategies For Your Business Conference, 20 November 2008 in Cape Town, should give delegates value and insights into being more successful in PR.

“Where there is plan, there is no crisis” - Wisdom Keys Group
According to Nomia Machebe, business unit director of PR Dynamics, a media and stakeholder Management Company based in Bryanston, if there is a plan, there is no crisis. It's that simple.

Modise returns to AM Live
It has been confirmed: Tim Modise returns to present SAfm's flagship morning show, AM Live, on SABC News, as from the beginning of November 2008. The announcement was made by the SABC late on Friday afternoon, 17 October 2008.

Digital broadcasting won't affect radio - SABC
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The SABC says that the process of migrating from analogue to digital broadcasting will result in more channels, additional services and better quality and programming. However, the public broadcaster points out that its digital broadcasting process only applies to TV, not radio - for now.

Radio station shows that comedy is serious business
Starting this Saturday, 25 October 2008, is The Sampson Show - where comedy is a serious business - on Bush Radio, 6 - 8pm. Each week comedian Mark Sampson will interview a top South African comedian (Kurt Schoonraad on 23 October and Stuart Taylor on 1 November), play a comedy clip from guests, find out how hip guests are, what their top favourite bands and five most-hated songs are, and what they would like to bin forever. There will also be Noit for Noit!, Karoo Comedy Clips, Joke Jury, Jingle Bunnies and Fridges of the Famous.

Imbokodo FM up before ICASA's Complaints and Compliance Committee
The KwaZulu-Natal-based Imbokodo FM class licensee will appear before the Complaints and Compliance Committee of ICASA on Friday, 17 October 2008, following its failure to submit audited statements for the period 2006/7 and 2007/8 financial years. Other allegations against the licensee range from allegations of nepotism; failure to register board of directors with CIPRO; non-submission of logs of programming in the form acceptable to ICASA and non-compliance with community participation which allows members of the community served by Imbokodo FM to participate in the affairs and contribute to the programming of the radio station.

Stirring up a homecoming revolution
The Homecoming Revolution team and morrisjones&co recently returned from London where they held a successful expo on careers, property and business in South Africa. Held at the Olympia Conference Centre, over 45 South African companies attended in a bid to lure some much-needed skills home.


Ad Talent hits Dubai - exciting opportunities for adventurous talent - Ad Talent
Serena, Sandra and Brenda have just come back from a whirlwind visit of the top agencies, media and public relations companies in Dubai, cementing old relationships and acquiring new ones.

Tourism a priority sector within government - TBCSA
Speaking at the recent inaugural National Tourism Career Expo in Durban, Tourism Business Council of South Africa CEO Mmatšatši Marobe said that for far too long the tourism industry has taken the back seat while many other industries are busy recording substantial growth, attracting fresh talents on a continuous basis. According to Marobe, this is partly due to many factors, largely revolving around the perception of tourism as a soft career option. “However, we view this mentality as quite frightening, considering that tourism is highly regarded by many countries all over the world to be the driver of economic growth, entrepreneurship and job creation. The same phenomenon has taken effect in our very own country, with tourism regarded as one of the priority sector within government,” she stressed. The National Tourism Career Expo extends to University of Pretoria on Monday, 20 October 2008, followed by University of Johannesburg on Wednesday 22 October and Cape Peninsula University of Technology on Thursday 23 October.

Even Grandma loves to surf
Online activities vary markedly from generation to generation. Using AMPS 2007B, which measures South African adults' media and product usage, Beeld's multimedia manager Ina Knott shows how differently people behave online, depending on their age.

Black Diamonds still shine, despite gloomy economy - UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing
South Africa's black middle class is still growing at a healthy rate and remains surprisingly recession-resilient, with an annual spending power estimated to be R250-billion. These findings form part of the latest research by UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing and TNS Research Surveys into SA's black middle class, commonly referred to as Black Diamonds.

JFPM CEO named 2008 Boss of the Year
At 33 years old, Kgosientso Ramokgopa is possibly the youngest person ever to be appointed CEO of the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market (JFPM). He holds a Masters in public administration and made his mark as CEO of the Metropolitan Trading Company, one of the City of Johannesburg's 14 municipal-owned entities. Ramokgopa has also just been named the 2008 Boss of the Year.


Consumer Protection Bill goes before Parliament
The Consumer Protection Bill 2008, which will introduce principles of consumer protection and serve as a governing statement on consumer protection matters in South Africa, went before a selected Parliamentary committee yesterday, Thursday 16 October.

The launch of food innovation on the 7th Floor
Foodcorp is adding to Cape Town's cultural diversity and reputation for innovation and creativity with the launch of the food manufacturer's new innovation centre, the 7th Floor.


Inaugural SABS Expo to highlight certification significance
The inaugural South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) Expo will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre, north of Johannesburg, from 29 - 31 October 2008. The expo will highlight the benefits of product and system certification to local and international manufacturers, producers, traders, investors and to the general public that will be in attendance.

New mall brings wave of optimism to JBay
With almost a month before the opening of one of the biggest shopping malls in the Eastern Cape, developers of the Fountain's Mall in Jeffery's Bay are geared up for an imminent expansion of the next phase following the success attained from the initial stage of development.

Gain control of your clothing business - Pointeq Teqnologies
Pointeq's Windward System Five (WWS5) offers you a complete clothing solution. Clothing stores have unique needs not found in other retail types of businesses. For example, clothes and shoes come in a variety of sizes and colours. Many items are seasonal. Styles are always changing.

Fashionable support for breast cancer awareness
Design for Life is a breast cancer campaign using fashion in the form of limited edition Hip-Hop t-shirts to raise awareness of the disease affecting a majority of women worldwide. The campaign is spearheaded by Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, the director of the Motsepe Foundation and chairperson of African Fashion International. The initial target is to raise R1 million by selling 10 000 t-shirts nationally to fund a mobile screening unit that will travel on a rota basis through rural communities, offering lifesaving information and teaching breast self-examination skills to women. The campaign will culminate on Friday, 31 October 2008, for a ‘Casual Friday', where men and women who have purchased the Design for Life t-shirts are asked to wear them to work in a communal show of solidarity. For more info, go to www.her2.co.za.

New white paper on sponsorship in a scary economy
“We should be prepared for leaner times,” says Kim Skildum-Reid, tackling the impact of the economy on the corporate sponsorship industry. “We can expect a lot of portfolio audits, rationalisation, budget cuts, and ambushing up.” The co-author of industry bestsellers, The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit 3rd Edition and The Sponsor's Toolkit, Skildum-Reid has written a new white paper, “Sponsorship in a Scary Economy”, which outlines practical strategies for both corporate sponsors and sponsorship seekers to ride out these uncertain economic times.

Nedbank employees put much-needed roofs over families' heads - Kaelo Worldwide Media
Betty Mataboge is epileptic and diabetic. She and her family of eleven live in a tiny shack in Pilanesburg. Although the family is on a government social grant, this does not provide enough for the family's needs.

CNN's 'global voices' speak out about US election
As the general election in the United States draws closer, CNN International is inviting audiences around the world to speak out on why this election matters to them. David Smith, director of Okapi Consulting media agency, shares his views on the elections as a representative for South Africa as one of CNN's 'global voices'.


SABC's complex mission to Planet Digital
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] It is all systems go at Henley Street in Auckland Park as the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) gets ready for the testing on 1 November 2008 of its Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT) services - switching from analogue to digital TV. But in an interview with Bizcommunity.com, Peter Kwele, SABC GM for content enterprises (strategic marketing and communications), underlined the challenges and the complexity facing the mission.

Local TV show nominated for Emmy again
For the second year in a row, South African series Home Affairs from Penguin Films has been nominated in the Drama Series category in the 36th International Emmy Awards, which will take place in New York, 24 November 2008. The third season of this series is up against Danish production The Killing, Life On Mars from the UK and Brazil's Mandrake. “The success of Home Affairs, I think, is that it tells stories which reflect the diversity of millions of women in our country with pathos, complexity and humour, confronting head-long the challenges they face,” says creative director and Penguin Films CEO Roberta Durrant. “That it has achieved international recognition is a big plus for the prestige and the acknowledgement of our television industry as being on par with the best in the world.”

SA actress selected as 2008 Emmy juror
CANNES: SAFTA award-winning actress and Metro FM newsreader Vatiswa Ndara has been named as one of the participating jurors of the 2008 International Emmy Awards in the category of Best Performance by an Actress. Ndara joins the selective jury panel of television producers, directors, performers, and executives from around the world to honour the best in international television production. “We are quite thrilled that our very own Vatiswa has been selected to be a juror on this esteemed occasion. It speaks of her calibre as an individual and of her dexterity as an actress.” says Matona Sakupwanya, Metro FM station manager. The announcement was made at the annual MIPCOM conference in Cannes, France, on Monday, 13 October 2008.

Soweto TV licence renewed
After months of anticipation and waiting, Soweto Community Television has finally received its renewal broadcasting licence from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and will be broadcasting for another year (1 October 2008 - 30 September 2009). Force Khashane, chairman of the Soweto TV, said, “It's wonderful news. We regard the issuing of the licence as an inspiration to our team to perform even better than last year. We would like to thank ICASA and our viewers for the good support they have given us since Soweto Community TV was launched. We would do everything in our power not to let them down.”

Print media gets a shot of youth serum
The latest release of SAARF's All Media and Products Survey, AMPS 2008A, shows that it is in fact the South African youth which has been driving the significant growth of print media, which occurred over AMPS 2007B. “The media growth seen in AMPS proves that with the young crowd, we're not looking at an either/or situation when it comes to traditional versus new media,” says SARF CEO, Dr Paul Haupt.