Media in Africa grows as Europe cuts back
[Adelia Saunders] PARIS: The demise of the news industry has been predicted with eerie frequency lately, and journalists and editors in Europe and North America have reason to be alarmed as news organisations trim budgets and shed staff. But in contrast to the grim outlook of their counterparts overseas, many African journalists are optimistic about the future of the press.

ACA optimistic after budget speech
The Association of Communication and Advertising (ACA) is “quietly optimistic” post-2009 budget speech. According to ACA CEO Odette Roper, there are two pieces of good news in the past week that bode well for the country's economy, and the communication and advertising industry should see some indirect benefits in the medium term.

Not all bad news for 2009 and beyond - economist
Overall, although globally the picture is gloomy, it's not all bad news for South Africa. This is the viewpoint of economist Dr Azar Jammine, who recently presented his take on South Africa's economic and marketing outlook for 2009, along with Noel Coburn, co-founder of Caxton, at breakfast presentations hosted in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban by Caxton CTP and the Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB).

How to survive tough times on lower marketing budgets - Chris Moerdyk
With most corporate budgets being cut back, marketing is not escaping the axe, but it is possible and sometimes easy to achieve more with less.

Setting up shop in Australia
Johannesburg-based Penquin International's CEO Mike Bray is currently negotiating an exclusive rights deal and the establishment of a Penquin International office in Brisbane, Australia. Explains Bray, “Australia has beckoned for a long time and now with this exclusive rights deal on the table we've got sufficient leverage, with other components, to justify opening a Penquin office there.” Penquin International is a marketing solutions company, based in Bedfordview, with services ranging from planning marketing strategies to advertising, design, interactive, public relations, eventing and promotions.

Magazine marketer strikes out on her own
Tammy Lederle, former group marketing manager of Associated Magazines titles Cosmopolitan, House and Leisure, Marie Claire and O, The Oprah Magazine, has launched her own experiential marketing firm. Focusing on results-driven planning, cross-marketing and strategy to experiential event conceptualisation and management, design, PR and overall brand consolidation, Brandnew is intended to fill the gap for companies which cannot afford an in-house marketing or brand manager.

The state of the nation's brand
[Dr Nikolaus Eberl] In his State of the Nation Address, President Kgalema Motlanthe said South Africa must use the 2010 FIFA World Cup to showcase the humanity of the country and the entire continent. Given the immeasurable price tag of the 2010 branding opportunity, what are the drivers for transforming the national and continental brand image?

Shift happens
[Thys de Beer] The industry is often criticised for its lack of leadership and vision, and although that might largely be true for a number of reasons, I would like to challenge the current notion that one can only be a good strategic planner if you have ‘earned your colours' in account management.

Spec work: tips for clients, agencies and freelancers
[Jo Duxbury] Now that we've covered why ‘spec' is a four-letter word in our industry, let's look at what clients, agencies and freelancers can do to minimise this practice.


Call to enter Maputo International Advertising Festival 2009
MAPUTO: AMEP, the event organiser of the Maputo International Advertising Festival, is calling for entries to the fourth annual festival, which recognises advertising agencies, producers and communication companies worldwide, especially from the southern Africa and Indian Ocean regions.

ASA cans Mister Bean's packaging
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of South Africa has ordered Emirates Industries to withdraw the packaging of its Mister Bean Baked Beans product. This follows its finding that the packaging contravened two ASA Code clauses - it exploited the advertising goodwill of Tiger Brands' Koo Baked Beans and imitated the product's packaging.


Joe Public goes solo
Full-service advertising agency Joe Public has concluded a 100% share buy-back from Draftfcb, it announced late this morning, Thursday, 12 February 2009. The 10-year old agency is now wholly owned by its local management and staff.

Who is Frikkie?
This seems to be the question everyone is asking - and certainly our Bizcommunity.com readers - since the flighting of the new Namaqua Wines TV commercial began recently. And this is exactly the response that Tomcat Advertising Agency has been hoping for.


AdReview launches radio award, calls for Power 30
Apart from adding new award Radio Campaign of the Year this year, the AdReview Awards is also calling for nominations for The Power 30 - the 30 most influential people in marketing, advertising and media.

‘Spec' is a four-letter word
[Jo Duxbury] Spec work: work that you do in the hope that the client will choose your idea and pay for it. Agencies and freelancers alike will inevitably face spec work at some point, so the question is: to ‘free' or not to ‘free'?


Tough times require better hit rates
[Gillian Rightford] In times like these there are two things that are not in that kind of abundance: money and time. Oh, and lost sales opportunities while the redesigning and refinement of strategy is taking place.


SA ad creative scoops international literary prize
Lowe Bull Cape Town's Alistair Morgan last month received an email from Philip Gourevitch, the editor of New York-based literary journal The Paris Review, that, on a scale of one to 10, was a definite 10 - the kind of email which makes you switch off your laptop for the day and go out celebrating.


Kwantam scores with Activision - Kwantam
Activision, one of the world's leading independent publishers of interactive entertainment, has selected Kwantam to redesign and develop its new Wii game packaging for its Big League Sports game series.

Promise wins Ola Milky Lane and acquires several new additional brands - Promise
2008 closed off well for Promise, with several new account gains that have now been fully ignited in 2009. Some of the clients are full-time and some are project-based.


New appointments at Mortimer Harvey - Mortimer Harvey
Two new professionals have joined the Mortimer Harvey family.


Saatchi & Saatchi's peak performance ethos pays off
Saatchi & Saatchi Johannesburg has secured first place, followed by Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town in second place, in the Best Performing Advertising Agencies Overall category in the Objectivity Agency Performance Review Survey of Advertising Agency Performances for 2008. Saatchi & Saatchi was also recognised in the brand awareness category and was ranked fourth. The survey, conducted by specialist perception measurement and monitoring firm Objectivity, gauged the views of 700 advertisers and marketing executives from major companies and brands in the country with respect to agency performance in South Africa.

Animated ad platform booked out for Q1
Primedia Unlimited reported last week that its animated advertising platform Mamba Media has sold out of all available advertising packages for the first quarter of 2009. Said Andrew Kramer, group MD for Mamba Media, “The Vusi Vuzela concept, which appears weekly in the Daily Sun in the form of a full page animated cartoon storyboard, subtly weaves the advertiser's message into the storyline of what has become a highly anticipated feature for Daily Sun readers.” Advertisers who have used, and continue to make use of Vusi Vuzela and his iconic following, include motor vehicle manufacturers, financial institutions and FMCG products.

New look for National Arts Festival
The National Arts Festival is getting a complete facelift, thanks to by creative agency Ireland/Davenport. “As the country's best-known and longest running annual celebration of the arts, we [were] looking for a fresh, modern face for our brand that retained some of the spirit we have nurtured and developed over the years, and find a way of packaging the whole festival experience, communicating its' essence,” explains festival CEO Tony Lankester.


Renewable hero gets his name
After launching a national campaign last year, The Glass Recycling Company's intrepid new hero has finally been christened. Translated, the Zulu word Vusa means to renew - an appropriate choice considering that glass is 100% recyclable and thus renewable.


The future starts the second after now
[Gerard du Plessis] Brand strategy is designed to take your offering from “A” to “B” over time - but unless you know what the world of “B” will look like, and what trends are shaping the road to that world, you may find that the result you get is not the result the future wants.


Anat brand to be spiced up by ChilliBush
ChilliBush Communications, tasked with redefining, entrenching and building the Anat Falafel & Shwarma brand in South Africa, will be combining tactical PR, mall activations, promotions, direct marketing and advertising in its campaign for the fast food franchise which launches end February 2009.

Reliable Music Warehouse appoints The Fearless Executive to refresh and refocus its brand - The Fearless Executive
Specialist brand agency The Fearless Executive has been tasked to work with Reliable Music Warehouse to develop a future-focused brand strategy, which will take these trends into account and build a differentiated positioning and brand experience for Reliable into 2009 and beyond.

Display Mania International launches new division, new products and a brand new website - Display Mania
Display Mania, which manufactures portable display products, snap frames and pull-up banners, has recently launched Promo and Print Mania which will specialise in promotional material.


ID metamorphosis for branding, design agency

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Stellenbosch-based branding and design agency ID Advertising this week rebranded to Limbik Responding Creative. The name is derived from the limbic system - a set of structures in the brain that controls emotion, motivation and behaviour. “We create designs and develop communications to enjoy, inspire and stimulate positive responses,” says Limbik co-founder Cobus Kok. “The new name brings with it a renewed balance of strategy (logic) and creativity (magic) to produce value-adding work.” For more, go to www.limbik.co.za.

R6000 for best blog in support of charity
Online cash payments provider Ukash is running a competition to reward the most creative and compelling expression of support for charitable work in the blogosphere. The competition, which has an entry deadline of 20 February 2009, is being run in conjunction with social media aggregator Afrigator and marks Ukash's recent partnership with charity umbrella The Trust.

Twitter get-togethers in the spirit of charity
On Thursday, 12 February 2009, for 24 hours, more than 180 cities around the world, including Cape Town and Johannesburg, will be hosting "Twestivals" - volunteer-run fundraising meet-ups for people who know each other through the microblogging service Twitter.com - to bring Twitter communities together in the spirit of fun and for a good cause to tweet.meet.give. The global event, described as "a ‘tweet-up' with a social conscience," will be raising money to support charity: water, a not-for-profit bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. To attend, get your ticket at www.capetown.twestival.com or www.johannesburg.twestival.com.

Design Indaba: Packaging Design Challenge winners - Nampak Products Ltd
Nampak and the Design Indaba have announced the winning entries in the Packaging Design Challenge. The entries, submitted via YouTube, were assessed by the judging panel over a period of two days, using criteria such as manufacturing feasibility to validate the submitted designs.


Core - Design Essence sparkles for the SAFTAs - Core - Design Essence
Core - Design Essence was commissioned by Clive Morris Productions on behalf of the NFVF to conceptualise and design the broadcast and nominee packages for the third Golden Horn South African Film and Television Awards, which was broadcast live this past weekend.


Funding from MAPPP-SETA can assist you in upskilling your employees - Concept Interactive
In January 2009 Concept Interactive was granted a discretionary grant by MAPPP-SETA to deliver a one-year learnership for the SAQA registered National Certificate: Interactive Media NQF Level 5.

Design mags crafts the future

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In today's virtual world that runs at the speed of broadband, where do the slow-making, culturally sensitive, hand-touched qualities of craft fit, asks the latest edition of Design Indaba magazine, “The Cr*ft”, available in selected Exclusive Books stores, Melissa's and other outlets nationwide. The title will be featured in the Top 100 Most Innovative Publications in the World at Colophon 2009, 13 - 15 March.

Patricia Urquiola at Design Indaba 2009 - Design Indaba
One of the most prolific and diverse designers working today, there is very little in design that Patricia Urquiola hasn't re-examined, re-perfected and re-produced. In fact, it has been said that one could completely furnish a couple of large houses, inside and out, using only Urquiola's product designs.

Spirit starts spreading its wings - Spirit Interactive
The fan base at Spirit New Media is growing and its web design services will now be offered offshore.

BitDefender warns Valentine's Day lovers: Cupid's arrows could bring e-threats - Holton & Associates
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, BitDefender, an award-winning provider of antivirus software and data security solutions, has a warning for Internet users: Cupid's arrows could bring more than warm, sentimental feelings to your email inbox - it could bring all forms of e-threats that could infect your computer, or worse.

The digital marketing revolution - Acceleration
[Richard Mullins] Consumers around the world are sitting at the edge of a revolution in the worlds of marketing, advertising and publishing. Ubiquitous connectivity is transforming the way that people consume information, in turn demanding that publishers and advertisers rethink the way that they interact with their audiences.

Online cine remix competition
French music and digital arts festival Tilt is running a video mashup competition in collaboration with curators Cinefeel.org, which has been screening work of video remix artists for over a decade, and audio/video remixers Addictive TV, which will sit on the judging panel. The winner will receive €1000. Contestants must create a short video mashup by sampling and remixing public domain video clips. Deadline is midnight, 10 March 2009. For more information on how to participate, entry rules and to get links to some public domain archives, go to www.tilt-festival.org.

Second Idea Bounty winner announced
Chantelle Schmidlin, a content developer at Achievement Awards Group, is the winner of the US$3000 Levi's Idea Bounty brief, Quirk eMarketing announced Tuesday, 10 February 2009. The Levi's brief, the second put out by creative idea crowdsourcing initiative Idea Bounty, received almost 250 responses. The new brief, announced Monday for BMW, also has a bounty of US$3000.

PrimeActivation ratchets up PS3 sales in mall activations - PRIMEDIA@HOME
PrimeActivation, PRIMEDIA@HOME's interactive consumer marketing division contracted by Ster Kinekor on behalf of Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3), launched the exciting games console into the market ahead of the Christmas rush.

It's not the bucks, it's delivery that's needed, Trevor!
[Sithembiso Nzimande] Every year the public and Government wait with bated breath to hear what tax cuts or hikes will be announced by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and how much money will be set aside for services - but too few of us follow up on whether or not that money is spent.


Agency nurtures young ad talent
As part of its commitment to nurturing young advertising talent, in 2008, JWT Johannesburg hosted various students for special projects and internships from the University of Johannesburg, Vega Imagination Lab and the AAA School of Advertising.


Get to the point: a workshop in concise communications - Janine Lazarus Media Consultancy
People actually want to read or hear exactly what you have to say, right? Wrong! The real truth, as harsh as it may seem, is that your information is usually not their first choice of activity for the day.

UCT business school course to help projects beat the crunch - UCT Graduate School of Business
With pressure mounting on managers across South Africa to bring more value to the table with fewer resources, the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) is offering a course to help ensure projects deliver value even in the most trying times.


HeadSpark introduces modular solution to business writer's training - HeadSpark
There is simply no longer an excuse for the lump-it-all-together, generic ‘Business Writing' or ‘Business Editing' courses and workshops one is still offered in today's competitive training and education market.

Maximise business opportunities at your conference through business matchmaking - Outsmart Marketing
Worldwide participants attend events to network, meet potential clients and nurture existing relationships. These participants have limited time and resources to attend events preferring to attend events that can guarantee interactions with their target markets.

A Verri eventful start to 2009! - Verri Organised
Verri Organised started off this year with verri exciting projects that have spanned from CT to Jozi. Our projects have ranged from the most elaborate requests to sourcing items that are practical and functional. VO is setting a verri high standard while keeping every client ecstatic and keyed up for the arrival of their requests.


Gearhouse South Africa in Top Gear for MPH Show - Gearhouse SA
Gearhouse South Africa supplied technical production - including rigging, lighting, projection/media and audio, plus seating via Havaseat - to the 2009 MPH Prestige & Performance Motor Show in Johannesburg.


Speaker School schedule 2009 released - Speakers Inc
Ok, so you quite enjoy speaking in public and several people have come up to you after one of your talks to your church groups/ladies group/school valedictory service/toastmasters competition and told you that you should really consider doing this for a living ...now what?

Ancient Egypt comes to life... - Techrig Lighting
The temples, the mummies and the pyramids, with their mysterious origins and names like Ramses, Cleopatra, Tutankhamen and Nefertiti, echo the bygone days of an ancient Egypt. This was the mood that Techrig had to create when approached by its client Collyer Lessick (CLA) for the recent Abbot gala dinner and awards evening.


Creating the mood for Iyavaya le Jazz - Techrig Lighting
Contracted to supply, coordinate and manage all the technical requirements for the Dimension Data Iyavaya le Jazz function, Techrig was responsible for the lighting, trussing and rigging, audio, stage and sets and audiovisual.


Home-brewed talent for music festival
Also joining the lineup at this year's Coca-Cola Zero Fest, hosted by Coca-Cola Zero, 5FM and Big Concerts, will be local favourites aKing, Cassette and Foto na Dans. The bands so far include Oasis, Panic! at the Disco, Snow Patrol, Bullet for My Valentine, Dirty Skirt and Zebra & Giraffe. The music festival kicks off in Johannesburg on Friday, 10 April 2009, and then travels to Cape Town on Monday 13 April. For more info, go to www.cokezero.co.za/fest.

Catch the 2008 Loeries winners at Design Indaba
The Loeries Travelling Exhibition, which showcases the winning work from the 2008 The Loerie Awards, will open at the Design Indaba Expo in Cape Town at the end of February 2009.

Women are recession proof - The Women's Show
[David Wolstenholme] 2009 will make 2008 look like a boom year, having just returned from a five-week trip to the United States where the mood is grim. From Washington DC to Boulder, Colorado, the shops were empty and the restaurants half full and all we can remember was a sombreness - and this over Christmas and New Year, traditionally their busiest time of the year.

Celebrating Silver - an honest hairstyle - The Women's Show
There comes a moment in every woman's life when for the very first time a wiry grey strand makes its presence known. "Eek! Is it one of a few that I have not yet noticed?”

Thebe Exhibitions and Projects now manages Thebe Reward - Thebe Exhibitions and Projects
The Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group has taken over the management of Thebe Reward.

Preditor V2 released with SEO-friendly URL's, semantic tagging engine and issues manager - Prefix Technologies
Always on the lookout to strengthen the way content is created, managed and stored, Prefix technologies has announced several significant updates to the Preditor Content Management Suite.

You, Drum, Huisgenoot launch biggest comic series in South Africa - Media24 Family Magazines
Media24's Family Magazine Division has launched what it describes as the country's biggest comic adventure. Published weekly in You, Drum and Huisgenoot magazines, Arcadia follows the lives and adventures of four friends who are transported to a digital world after making the highest score on an arcade game by the same name.

Attacks on the Press 2008 report released
NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released the annual global press freedom survey, Attacks on the Press 2008, earlier this week. The entire book is available online, in both English and French, on the CPJ website.

IFRA competition to highlight cross-media branding, design
DARMSTADT, GERMANY: The objective of the fourth XMA Cross Media Awards is to present the best examples of design in print that combine different print and digital (online and mobile) channels to get their brand across, announced IFRA, the worldwide research and service organisation for the news publishing industry, earlier this week.

SABC launches traffic update service
Collaboration between the SABC's “Traffic Watch” team, Marketel, NGN Telecoms, Vodacom and the SABC's New Media Unit has resulted in an up-to-the-minute “News Break” traffic update service, it was announced yesterday, Tuesday, 10 February 2009.


Media focus on Budget 2009
As part of its coverage of South Africa's 2009 Budget Speech, CNBC Africa will have a live one-on-one interview with Finance Minister Trevor Manuel today, Wednesday, 11 February 2009, as well as video streaming of the day's highlights.

Broadcasting Amendment Bill sent back to Parliament
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The controversial and ‘unworkable' Broadcasting Amendment Bill, which is meant to give politicians the power to sack the SABC board, has finally been shunned by President Kgalema Motlanthe and sent back to Parliament for reconsideration. The president's decision gives a brief but vital reprieve to the current embattled board led by Khanyisiwe Mkhonza.

Moving Tactics adds a touch of magic to Midas - Moving Tactics
Retail digital ‘TV' is growing at 20% per annum, a growth anticipated three years ago by Moving Tactics, an alternative media company based in Cape Town.

South Africa's mediascape faces the challenge of getting more voices - MDDA
[Guy Berger] Our eyes and ears are attentive to the mainstream media as the most influential platform in the coming elections. But it's also important that there are also many other smaller players that can add to the diversity of coverage.

Minister in the Presidency introduces new MDDA board members - MDDA
The Minister in the Presidency, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, introduced the new board members of the Media Development and Diversity Agency at a special breakfast meeting recently.

Topco Media announces the Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards - Top Companies Publishing
Metropolitan has partnered with Topco Media, aligning itself with the Oliver Empowerment Awards to be held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 19 March 2009. The Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards celebrates companies and individuals who support the future of empowerment in South Africa today.


Online media centre for MIPTV
MIPTV 2009 client press kits and press releases and all MIPTV show press releases and press kit will be available from a single online resource to make newsgathering easier for journalists. Paper press releases will, however, disappear. MIPTV takes place 30 March - 3 April 2009, Cannes, France. For more, go to www.miptv.com/en-gb/miptv-show-press-releases-and-press-kit.cfm.

Mobile world reaches four billion connections
LONDON: The GSMA announced yesterday, Wednesday, 11 February 2009, that the mobile world has reached its four billionth connection, according to Wireless Intelligence, the GSMA's market intelligence unit. This milestone underscores the continued growth of the mobile industry and puts the global market on the path to reach six billion connections by 2013.

Mobile viewing of 2009 Budget Speech
Vodacom is offering its customers the opportunity to view a live streaming broadcast of Finance Minister Trevor Manuel's 2009 Budget Speech from Parliament - free of charge - this afternoon, Wednesday, 11 February 2009.

Nokia to open music store in SA
Nokia is launching its music store in South Africa, and aims to open its virtual doors on 24 April 2009, with the promise to deliver millions of digital tracks from global hits to local artists including the Parletones, Goldfish and Arno Carstens.


Mobile Backstage at Mobile World Congress 2009
LONDON, UK: According to the GSMA, Black Eyed Peas front man, writer and producer, founder and chairman of Dipdive, will.i.am will be among the headline speakers at Mobile Backstage, a special one-day mobile entertainment-focused conference on Thursday, 19 February, as part of the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 16 - 19 February 2009.

Brandscape spreads the love for Vodacom “Love Summer” campaign - Brandscape
During December 2008 and January 2009 Vodacom hit beaches and parks with its iconic “Love Someone, Love Summer” campaign. Brandscape was commissioned by SAIL, Vodacom's sports and events management agency, to add further excitement and value to the “Love Summer” theme by deploying promoters with wearable Bluetooth Hypertags.


mahalaMobile opens its free SMS service to advertisers - mahalaMobile
Co-owners of mahalaMobile, Richard Walton and Neil Croft, spent nine months developing a free SMS service that is now open as a platform to advertisers. mahalaSMS is a mobile marketing platform, where clients can advertise exposing their brand uniquely using an integrated combination of the web and mobile technologies.


SMS powered by Clickatell saves lives - Clickatell
Clickatell, a global provider of mobile messaging solutions, has announced several new customers who rely on SMS to save lives and connect people by providing critical information during times of tragedy.

MMA partners in mobile ad research initiative
NEW YORK, LONDON, SINGAPORE & SAO PAULO: The Mobile Marketing Association announced earlier this week that it has formed an agreement with Aeneas Strategy Consulting and Management to participate in, guide and support its mobile advertising research project, conducted in collaboration with MSearchGroove and EverySingleOneOfUs. The agreement lays the foundation for an ongoing research partnership between the two organisations which will begin with a study of mobile advertising in the UK and plans to extend from there to other national mobile advertising markets in Europe.

Focusing on newspaper print, ad revenues in difficult times
PARIS: How to maintain and enhance print and advertising revenues - two of the key issues facing newspapers in the global financial crisis - will be the subject of two back-to-back global press industry conferences to be held in Barcelona, Spain, in May 2009.

Dates confirmed for World Newspaper Congress India
The World Association of Newspapers has confirmed the new dates for its World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo, the global meetings of the world´s press, which will now be held in Hyderabad, India, 30 November - 3 December 2009.

Fever adds to publishing stable - Sky Blue Media
After a reportedly highly successful first year in the market, Zululand Media - publisher of the Zululand Fever - is undergoing a restructuring process intended to bring even more value to advertisers and readers alike.

SARS issues warning over scam e-mail
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has cautioned taxpayers against a number of scams which have been circulating in recent days which seek to obtain people's bank and other personal details.

SkillPod Media games selected for Adobe Flash Lite Distributable Player launch - SkillPod Media
Adobe has launched its new over-the-air mobile runtime, Flash Lite 3.1 Distributable Player (beta). Adobe's strategy is to enable developers to create and distribute applications for the phones and provide a better on-device experience.

Habari Media to host Digital Symposium - Habari Media
Specialist online media sales house, Habari Media, has always placed much emphasis on knowledge sharing in the online environment. The annual Digital Symposium, now in its fifth year, has grown from a delegation of 20 to over 100 guests last year.

The importance of social media in online marketing - AlterSage
Social media has been around for a while yet not many companies in South Africa have realised its potential. “Social media is a powerful platform and can create great awareness, but in order to achieve maximum exposure, it is important to utilise a multi-channel approach,” says Christine da Silva, founder and chief strategist of AlterSage.


Levi's awards the Bounty - Quirk eMarketing
As 2008 was waning, Levi's posted a brief on Idea Bounty that required the wisdom of a crowd that loved and lived for live music.

Quirk releases SearchStatus 1.28 - Quirk eMarketing
Emarketing specialists Quirk has just released the latest version of Quirk SearchStatus, an add-on described as a must for search engine marketers and emarketing professionals.

Billboards, a booming business during election campaigns
[Thabani Khumalo] These days, billboard advertising is one of the hottest sectors of the marketing industry and a booming and visible brand promotion business, particularly during the election campaign period.


Graffiti ensures there is "Internet Wherever You Go" with new MWEB www.ooo.sh branded Mini Cabs - Graffiti
Vehicle branding specialist Graffiti has taken MWeb's most recent mobile Internet offering quite literally - by branding ten Mini Cab vehicles with the Internet service provider's latest www.ooo.sh campaign.


Litterbins to clean up politics - INM Outdoor
The versatility and effectiveness of street furniture is being used by the UDM to promote its political party in the buildup to the upcoming national elections.


Advertise on Port Elizabeth's largest iconic site - Bayworld! - Tractor Group
Tractor Outdoor has been awarded the exclusive sales and marketing rights for all the commercial signage opportunities at the Bayworld Oceanarium in Port Elizabeth.

Paarl Gravure back in action
Paarl Media Group's Paarl Gravure is reporting a quick recovery from the major fire in its plant over the weekend. The 400 ton Cerutti Gravure press, which is three stories high, 20 meters and prints 3 million pages per hour, was destroyed in the blaze.

Durban film industry review to plug info vacuum
An intensive review of Durban's growing film industry will be carried out by Martin Cuff Consulting, appointed by the Durban Film Office (DFO), in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development (KZNDED). The Durban Film Review aims to produce a revised business model for the DFO, develop a growth and development strategy for the industry in general, identify and connect the key role-players, and determine the role and exact impact upon the local economy.

Sony ATV acquires Extreme Music licence for SA
Sony ATV Music Publishing has acquired the exclusive licence for the US-based Extreme Music library, effective 1 January 1 2009. "We are thrilled to be representing Extreme in South Africa," says Sony ATV Music Publishing MD Jay Savage.

One sharp music video - New Vision Media
This month New Vision spread its wings up north, and produced its first Nigerian hip-hop music video for the group Pincode, titled “Sharp sharp”.

BFTV set for another busy year in 2009 - BFTV
BFTV ended 2008 with another successful series of the Sunlight Khanya eKhaya Show and The OMO Amazing Challenge, both setting high standards in this advertainment format.


Beeps, pixels, blue pills - New Vision Media
Gone are the days where one needed a pocket full of coins, a corner cafe, and some serious free time to play arcade games. Move over Xbox, move over PSP - midi beeps, pixilated balls, high scores, scrolling ghosts and a hungry yellow face have made a comeback!

Joe Public full of praise for Generous Pictures - Generous Pictures
Joe Public and Generous Pictures have teamed up again to deliver the latest Roman's Pizza television commercial, and the agency was full of praise for the young production house.


Slick concept, hot song, it's a wrap! - New Vision Media
Two days were all it took for the New Vision team to shoot, edit and animate an extremely detailed and tight deadlined music video for the Afro-pop singer, Kelly Khumalo.

Bioscope goes “into the wild” with Lotto and Draftfcb - Bioscope Films
Director Mark Hofmeyr displays his technical ability and knack for performance directing in the humorous new ad for South Africa's National Lottery.


Location change for 1995 World Cup movie casting
The casting location for the 1995 World Cup movie in Cape Town on Saturday, 14 February 2009, has changed from Club Newlands to The River Club, Tennis Court Club House, 8am - 11am. Don't forget to bring ID documents and banking details.

How well do you know your music?
Central South African radio station OFM is testing the music savvy of listeners, with R50 000 up for grabs, in the 10 Second Challenge which started today, Monday, 16 February 2009. The pre-promo kicked off last week, when listeners were invited to listen to the station and also go online to www.ofm.co.za/10sec.asp and play an online version where they had to listen to the audio and match the songs with the correct titles from the list provided. Listeners can expect the actual on-air challenge to be more difficult than the one online.

Abelanani acquires The Lanyard Company
Mass branding solutions provider Abelanani has purchased The Lanyard Company in Durban, inclusive of the manufacturing, dye sublimation printing and marketing divisions. Abelanani took full responsibility as of 1 February 2009. Salosh Naidoo has assumed the CEO responsibilities for both businesses and Sherani Moodley has been appointed the new head of operations at The Lanyard Company.

Zandile Nkonyeni to manage SABC2 publicity
Zandile Nkonyeni has been appointed to the newly created position of publicity manager for SABC2, the national broadcaster announced yesterday, Thursday, 12 February 2009. She will also act as the official channel spokesperson.

The case for converged video technology in corporate communication - Global Access
[Rick Grantham] There are numerous tools that companies can use to communicate with their various stakeholders. In a competitive business environment managers must find effective means for communicating messages internally and externally.

PURE pulls in four new clients - PURE Communications
PURE Communications, the public relations and marketing communications agency, has gotten off to a fast start in 2009 by signing four new clients including Transnet, the Swiss engineering giant ABB, Deloitte, and the South African Society of Orthodontists (SASO).

Grapevine Communications gets to the heart of the matter - Grapevine Communications
One of South Africa's leading pharmaceutical companies, Adcock Ingram Healthcare (Prescription Marketing Division) has appointed Grapevine Communications for its PR services kickstarting with a new campaign, 'Adcock Ingram gives a heart'.

Business media contacts on a budget week special - Encyclomedia
As Finance Minister Trevor Manuel delivered his budget speech, some people may have been a little nervous about what lies ahead. But a very wise business principle says that there is never a lack of money, only a lack of good ideas.

Record number of entries for PRISA PRISMs
PRISA is reporting a record number of entries for the 12th annual PRISM Awards, an increase of 35% from the 2008 awards. “We are delighted by the overwhelming response,” says Jane Weaver, chairperson of the Public Relations Consultants Chapter (PRCC) and convenor of the awards. The categories that received the most entries are: Consumer Public Relations for an Existing Product; Media Relations; and, Event Management. A good response has been received for the new category, e-PR/Social Media.

More radio drama on air
Lotusfm last week launched its first Tamil-language drama ‘Meesai Aanalum Manaivi'. The Indian community station last year aired the first locally written and produced Hindi-language radio drama ‘Safar'.

RAB gets down to work
[Tshepiso Seopa] After many years of struggle, new industry body Radio Advertising Bureau South Africa (RAB) is now up and running and in its second month of business. Bizcommunity.com recently caught up with RAB GM Norman Gibson.

Yfm releases iPhone app
99.2 Yfm released its custom Apple iPhone application yesterday, Thursday, 12 February 2009, claiming to be the first radio station in Africa to do so. The app allows any person with an iPhone or iPod Touch to access the station's content anywhere in the world.


SA radio stations aid disadvantaged
[Sindy Peters] Radio stations and their listeners across the country have been aiding disadvantaged communities in their regions through various CSI projects by raising funds, distributing food and providing necessary school materials for less fortunate children. These magic helpers include 567 CapeTalk, East Coast Radio, MPowerFM, Capricorn FM and trufm.

Financial journo joins breakfast talk shows
Award-winning financial journalist Sumitra Nydoo has joined the breakfast show on Talk Radio 702 and 567 CapeTalk, Primedia Broadcasting announced yesterday, Wednesday, 11 February 2009. She will be bringing listeners the business report during John Robbie's show in Johannesburg, and Aden Thomas's show in Cape Town.

Have an eye-tracking breakfast with Prof Michel Wedel
Want to improve your campaign performance and assess the effectiveness of your marketing activities? South African eye-tracking research company Prompt Research Insights will be hosting Prof Michel Wedel, a world leader in the field of eye-tracking and other modern market research techniques, at a breakfast briefing in Johannesburg during his visit to South Africa in May 2009.

Recalling Big T Burger products
General Mills South Africa is voluntarily recalling six Big T Burger products that contain egg, an allergen that is not listed on the ingredient label. This is a Class 1 recall and will commence with immediate effect.

Watch your flirtatious customers in a ‘recession'
The obvious highlight from decades of buyer behaviour data is just how habitual buyers are and that it's the non-regular behaviour in these times that changes. This is according to Noel Coburn, co-founder of the Caxton/CTP group, speaking at the recent countrywide breakfast road shows hosted in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban by Caxton CTP and the Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB).

Govt to educate public about Consumer Bill
The Department of Trade and Industry is to embark on a consumer protection awareness campaign countrywide, next week.

GPRS-based point-of-sale terminal launches
Now available in South Africa is Timpa, Psitek's first dedicated point-of-sale (POS) terminal. It works wirelessly via GPRS with a SIM card, and features a built-in antenna, printer and rechargeable battery, making it a portable all-in-one POS terminal.

Hertz Annual Customer Service Award - Hertz Rent a Car
Hertz Rent a Car recently awarded its Annual Customer Service Award to Patrick Notshe, a customer quality agent at Cape Town International Airport.

MasterCard Worldwide sponsors Rugby World Cup 2011
MasterCard will become the official worldwide partner and official payment system of Rugby World Cup 2011, MasterCard Worldwide and Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) announced yesterday, Monday, 9 February 2009.

Shah Rukh Khan show for Indian channel
Indian community channel Saffron TV has been awarded exclusive rights to air King Khan's Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?' (Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?), it announced earlier this week.


e.tv Bushim blooper makes international news
NEWSWATCH: e.tv's test “George Bush is dead” banner headline blunder, which happened earlier this week, has made the BBC News.

The Big Debate - e.tv
The eNews Channel launches a new political debate show this week entitled "The Big Debate". In a unique "Town Hall Meeting" format, the eNews Channel will be travelling across South Africa, to talk about corruption, leadership, black economic empowerment, media freedom, service delivery and other hot topics.