 14 Dec 2009 |
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So that was 2009...Hands up all of you who wish 2009 had never happened... Well, look on the bright side, you have survived, you're stronger, and now you're looking ahead to 2010 with all its challenges and opportunities. So it wasn't all bad. Despite the recession many companies and organisations have reached out to the needy with a huge range of social initiatives aimed at improving the lot of those less fortunate. From all of us, to all of you, a big thank you - despite what some cynics may say, it goes to prove that business does have a heart. On the media and advertising front, many companies cut back on their advertising and promotions budgets and that made it tougher for newspapers and magazines; nevertheless, even though some went to the wall, the vast majority hung in, held on - and survived... leaner, and even better placed to handle the upturn, which will come. We at Bizcommunity.com have also had our share of challenges, but it has also been a year that, apart from a much-needed revamp, has seen us continue to gain new subscribers at a rate of around 3500 per month, every month. To support that steady growth in our subscriber base, this year across our four sites we have sent out more than 22 million newsletters, dailies and weeklies, to a subscriber base that currently stands at more than 166 000 - and it's growing. So what were our more popular articles and galleries? These were our top two most read articles:
Our top two most popular galleries were:
And which articles attracted the most comment? Here are the top two:
Did you vote any of our polls? Here are our two most voted polls:
For a full rundown of all our top-rated editorial material, go here. Today's newsletters are our last for 2009, and we will be sending out the first of our 2010 newsletters on 11 January 2010. Until then, to all our subscribers, clients, contributors, business partners and visitors to our sites, may you all have a restful, peaceful, safe and enjoyable year-end break [add your own message to our Festive Tribute 2009 page!]. 2010 is going to be a year to remember - for all the right reasons! Simone Puterman and Rod Baker PS In this week's Ornico Ad Showcase, we feature TV ads for Allan Gray, Kia Sorento, Kulula, South Africa and IDC, and radio ads for Air Bair, Apple, Contempo, IDC and Twisp. Please send all marketing and media news to marketingnews@bizcommunity.com and opinion pieces to contributors@bizcommunity.com. Responses to this column welcomed in our online editor's column archive or on our editorial blog: http://blog.bizcommunity.com. Top stories
Marketing & MediaBizcommunity.com's most popular articles, galleries, polls of 2009Here they are, Bizcommunity.com's most popular articles, those that drew the most comment, our most visited galleries - and the polls that got you voting. So? Do you agree with the numbers - or do you have your favourites (and not-so-favourites)? Read more >>MarketingTwo-day trends review for Johannesburg marketers Hosted by flux trends analyst Dion Chang, the 2010 Flux Trends Review will give a unique South African perspective to social, business, technology, political and marketing trends. The review, powered by Blackberry, takes place at UJ Theatre (Kingsway campus) on Thursday 25 February 2010 at a cost of R2280 (inclusive of VAT) and includes attendance at Digital Lab. Bookings open on 1 January 2010. Read more >>Advertisement:  Spread a little cheer... Better still - spread a lot! 2009 is almost over and we are all looking forward to a bigger, better, more exciting (and, dare we say, more profitable) 2010. So join us, share your hopes and wishes... you can do so right here on Bizcommunity.com! Read more >>CMO Council Advisory Board Caucus: Agenda and speaker biographiesToday, Thursday, 10 December 2009, sees the launch of the first session of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council Advisory Board Caucus. Read more >>2010 FIFA World CupCalculate your fan experienceAn Excel spreadsheet, prepared by Shine 2010, an FNB social media platform, offers fans the opportunity to calculate the cost of following Bafana Bafana around South Africa during the World Cup. It focuses on what it would cost a real soccer fan to be part of the 2010 experience and may be useful for fans needing to save for travel, accommodation, food costs and so on. Go to Total 2010 fan experience, costs 7 - 20 times more than tickets for more.Soccerex success sets the scene for 2010 Sandton Convention Centre (SCC) hosted Soccerex '09, one of the leading events for the global football industry, for the third consecutive year from 28 November to 2 December. With just six months to go before the FIFA 2010 event, soccer excitement was in full swing among enthusiasts from all over the world. Read more >>Sports tourism key to destination branding in 2010 [Dr Nikolaus Eberl] As 2009 is drawing to a close and the tourism industry is heaving a sigh of relief that one of the worst years in travel history is almost over, when - as one analyst put it - “consumer greed turned to consumer fear”, the forthcoming world cup year holds promising prospects for those who are at the forefront of sports tourism. Read more >>Cup boosts SA's creativity; sales The final draw brought out creativity across South Africa: in Johannesburg, Mushroom Park celebrated with Hyundai and nationally Z-Cards updated fans on matches. Not only that, ticket sales rocketed when the third sales phase opened on Saturday 5 December. Read more >>Behind the illusion Ministry of illusion (MOI) was responsible for the animation, graphics, special effects and creative content for the event that amazed 200 million people across 200 countries at the final draw on Friday 4 December 2009. Read more >>AdvertisingTake the scam out of scam ads but leave the creativity[Chris Moerdyk] Looking back on the advertising industry in 2009, something that fascinated me was the debate on "scam ads" or what, in South Africa, is politely called "pro-active work." This was the year in which a number of international ad award organisers have started trying really hard to stamp out what they see as dishonest and devious. Read more >>Advertisement:  Nielsen sells off Clios, titlesNEWSWATCH: Nielsen Business Media, has announced that it is selling off eight of its properties, including the Clio Awards reports Photo District News. Read more >>New tool to evaluate, enhance client/agency relationshipsEvalu8ing, which is said to provide an accurate summary of the current perceptions, level of communication and performance within and between the client and its agencies, is being released in South Africa through the Independent Agency Search and Selection Company (IAS). Read more >>Durban ad agencies mergeFire Tree Design and Goldswain Global Advertising have joined forces and will operate out of new offices at Westway Office Park in Westville, Durban. Both entities, whilst sharing premises, will initially run as individual units to allow amalgamation of skills and resources to take their natural course over a period. Read more >>Checkers selects ninety9cents as supplier of the year Checkers' National Supplier of the Year in the Service Provider category has been won by ad agency, ninety9cents, beating three other nominees. Read more >>Online media rate card launched Ratecard.co.za, billed as the first comprehensive online all-media rate card library, has launched this week with 2010 ad rates/budgets. Read more >>Loeries Annual out now The ego-boosting themed 2009 Loeries Annual is now available for pre-ordering and is being offered free to schools, colleges and universities. Read more >>Early bird discount for ADC entries For the first time, Art Directors Club (ADC) is offering a 10% early bird discount on the entire order for work entered and checked out before 4 January 2010 for its 89th Annual Awards. Playing off the Cube award, the inaugural ADC-Nissan Student Brief Competition asks students to respond to a brief for the new Nissan cube. Read more >>On Digital Media goes to Net#work BBDO CT Net#work BBDO Cape Town yesterday, Tuesday, 8 December 2009, announced its largest Cape advertising account win in years - the awarding of the R120 million advertising account of subscription TV broadcaster ODM (On Digital Media), which it believes signals the start of major competition in the pay TV category. Read more >>Clean sweep for Net#work BBDO CTNet#work BBDO Cape Town has snapped up Sara Lee's Sanex business. Read more >>ASA calls for ad code changes The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is calling on industry to submit any proposals for changes to the Code of Advertising Practice to its relevant industry body by 26 February 2010. Read more >>
Will the new country branders please line up? [Michael Jones] As South Africa steps closer to the first-ever hosting of the FIFA World Cup on African soil, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Local Organising Committee (LOC) CEO Danny Jordaan to contain his smirked expression. And rightly so, since being awarded with the privilege to host the event, the LOC has overcome many a hurdle to convince world perception that South Africa has the capacity to host the event. Read more >>The big bang of big business naming [Naseem Javed] Suddenly some explosively positive and futuristically pragmatic policies about the Internet and global e-commerce are creating amazing galaxies of business naming. With already 1.7 billion online users and 1 billion more on its way, the new business naming capabilities befitting advance and intricate platforms of global cyber branding provide mega opportunities. Read more >>CinemaInvictus: great movie eclipsed by ‘nationalist' criticism?[Issa Sikiti da Silva] It is Friday 11 December 2009, the day moviegoers in South Africa and the US have been waiting for - to see Invictus, the new Hollywood movie that depicts former President Nelson Mandela as a charismatic national hero and records how a game united a country in 1995. The casting of US actors to play the lead roles has angered many in the SA film industry, however. Read more >>Invictus draws praiseEarlier this week saw the South African première of Clint Eastwood's Invictus, starring Academy Award winners Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. The South African cast includes Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng, Matt Stern, Leleti Khumalo and Marguerite Wheatley as Francois Pienaar's wife. Read more >>Swan Lake at Cinema NouveauThe Kirov Ballet production of Swan Lake opens on 1 January 2010 at the Cinemas Nouveau, featuring the award-winning prima ballerina and classicist Ulyana Lopatkina. The production was staged and filmed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg and the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, as directed by famed conductor Valery Gergiev provides the enchanting musical accompaniment.24-hour viewing on the silver screenSter-Kinekor has confirmed that its six cinemas at Carnival City in Johannesburg will start screening an additional three movies every weekend, from Friday 11 December 2009, bringing these cinemas up to a programme of 24-hour viewing. Read more >>DesignDesign Indaba announces speakers, early bookings close Early speaker names for the Design Indaba, running from 24-26 February 2010 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) have been announced. Read more >>Advertisement: 
Marketing award for online strategyIn recognition for her role in encapsulating Tsogo Sun Gaming's vision to expand its online presence, developing an online strategy and integrating it into the group's marketing strategy, and bringing the rest of the marketing team to an enhanced level of understanding and knowledge of the online space, Debbie Klintworth has been awarded the group's 'Go Further' marketing award.Advertisement:  Digital Innovators' Summit, Berlin March 2010Early bird bookings for the third Digital Innovators' Summit close on 8 January 2010. The summit takes place at the Deutsche Telecom Conference Centre Berlin, Germany, 1-2 March 2010. Read more >>HelloComputer wins Musica account Musica has commissioned award-winning digital marketing agency HelloComputer to enhance and advance its digital web properties. Read more >>Direct MarketingSA company breaks into Chinese email marketGraphicMail has signed a franchise agreement with Beijing NewEnlighten Business & Information Consulting to develop its email and mobile marketing solutions in the Chinese market. Read more >>Individuals can join DMASA through 121Club The 121Club, launched this week by the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa (DMASA), provides individual direct marketers with the opportunity to join the professional industry association in their individual capacities but still enjoy the benefits afforded to corporate members. Read more >>Education and TrainingAAA students exhibit worksThe AAA School of Advertising's annual award ceremony and showcase for its students held on 2 December 2009 saw more than 200 guests admire the work but more importantly make job offers to final year students. This is an annual event, exhibiting the students' work for the advertising industry, with parents, prospective students and advertising industry personalities in attendance. Read more >>Three days to milk minds of experts The six winners of the ‘Milk My Mind' creative campaign are Busisiwe Cindi, Werner Griesel and Kyle Brinkmann, who won three days with an industry expert of their choice, whether film, animation or audio engineering, and Katlego Mfolo, Ben Sondlane and Candice Lind, who have each been awarded bursaries worth R25 000. Read more >>
Woza Africa 2010 at Joburg carnival Hosted by the city of Johannesburg, the New Year's Eve Joburg carnival will again celebrate the creativity and diversity of the city, by giving inner-city residents and young people a free, safe New Year's Eve entertainment option for the sixth year running. Read more >>The art of a really good speech [Daniel Janks] When's the last time you heard a really good speech? I don't just mean a speech that didn't make you want kill yourself with the nearest tablespoon, but a really good speech that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, or one that made your heart beat faster. Read more >>SA musicians to set 2010 MIDEM alight [Issa Sikiti da Silva] ‘Country of Honour' South Africa will next year send a strong delegation of musicians to Cannes, France, stage of MIDEM (Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale) - the world's biggest music exhibition and conference - where over 9000 participants from 80 countries and 6800 companies will convene over 24-27 January 2010 to discuss, showcase, trade and exchange music. Read more >>
2010 EXSA conference bookings openBookings are now open for the 2010 EXSA conference on 21 - 23 February 2010 at the Amanzingwe Lodge, Pelindaba Road (R512) Broederstroom. Delegates can arrive on Sunday 21 February and enjoy a game drive or walk with the elephants or drive through first thing on Monday 22 February. Read more >>
56 lifestyle trends for 2010 “2010 is undoubtedly the year of vuvuzelas, makarabas and sudden-death play-offs,” says Naomi Larkin, editor of House and Leisure, “but this milestone year will also offer a whole lot more, with exciting things coming up in the world of decor, design and eco-living.” Read more >>New Media publishes Medi-Clinic mag A quarterly magazine, called Medi-Clinic Family aims to bring the Medi-Clinic Southern Africa's brand to life by communicating its vision, values, expertise and culture through stories that clearly illustrate its position in private healthcare. The magazine, already available in December 2009, is produced by New Media Publishing (NMP), which won the contract following a competitive pitch process. Read more >>Sharon Becker returns to Marie ClaireMarie Claire has appointed Sharon Becker as the new fashion director of the South African title. She will join the magazine on 1 February 2010, one month after newly appointed editor, Aspasia Karras. Read more >>Editorial is your best marketing - Jonathan Harris [Issa Sikiti da Silva] It has been a difficult year for print, particularly magazines, which nevertheless displayed an amazing resilience… some titles succumbed, but the vast majority survived, albeit bruised. Bizcommunity.com caught up with Jonathan Harris, CEO and co-founder of Thought24, publisher of True Love, Real, Move and Move Parent, to find out how his ‘brood' had survived the storm. Read more >>SA to say Howzit to foreign tourists The first issue of Howzit, a South African lifestyle guide, will be in airports from 1 January 2010. Launched by TCB Publishing, this free publication is aimed at foreign tourists arriving in South Africa, a number that is expected to increase considerably in 2010. Read more >>
SA media between rock and hard place[Issa Sikiti da Silva] In less than 20 days, the world will bid farewell to 2009 - a year many media bosses and practitioners in South Africa will probably be relieved to see the back of thanks to a series of misfortunes inflicted, among others, by the enemies of truth, digital impact and global recession. Read more >>SABC in the clear NEWSWATCH: A court action brought by a French company, Sportfive, against the SABC, has been dismissed by a French court, reports IOL. Read more >>Deadline nears for investigative journalism awards entriesThe deadline for entries into the 2010 Daniel Pearl Awards competition is 15 January 2010. The awards honour the world's best cross-border investigative journalism and are given by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a project of the Centre for Public Integrity in Washington, DC. Read more >>Threat to digital migration processNEWSWATCH: A newly formed body claiming to represent black electronic component manufacturers wants half of the decoder manufacturing chain - or else, reports Business Report. Read more >>Enter labour media awardsEntries for the Workers World Media Productions 2010 labour media awards must be in by Friday 19 February 2010. Entries must have been written or produced and published or broadcast during 2009 only and any individual and/or organisation will be allowed a maximum of two entries in each category. Read more >>SABC claim doesn't add up NEWSWATCH: The SABC claimed recently that it had moved a contract for four outside broadcast units from the preferred bidder to the third-rated one in order to save R66 million. Wrong! The units will have ended up costing R19 million more (R443.8 million as against R424.7 million) reports IOL. Read more >>MobileNokia Calling All Innovators winners announced Nokia earlier this week announced the overall winner of its Calling All Innovators competition. 20FourLabs, developers of winning application Afridoctor, won over R600 000 following the announcement that took place in Melrose, Johannesburg. Read more >>NewspapersMurdoch has friends in fight against Google, says M&G's Ncube [Duncan McLeod] Google is no friend of the newspaper industry. That's the view of newspaper publisher Trevor Ncube, who agrees with News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch that newspapers need to find ways of charging readers to access content on their websites. Read more >>
Correction: total unique browsers versus domestic unique browsersIn yesterday's editorial column, Bizcommunity.com congratulated TimesLIVE for achieving just over one million unique browsers and News24 for cracking the 1.5 million unique browsers barrier. Kindly note that the former refers to total unique browsers and the latter to domestic unique browsers.Advertisement:  Online, updated car magazine launchedCartrader launched its online e-magazine on Monday, 7 December 2009, to give viewers the virtual experience of paging through a magazine with all the features of a website packed into it. Readers can use the interactive technology on every page, from contacting the dealer to ‘dropping” the cars they like into a basket for viewing again later. Each dealer advertising in the e-magazine is able to edit vehicles thus ensuring the vehicles are always current and available. For more, go to www.cartrader.co.za.
Have a ball - shout your brand - with a Whisper… The floating soccer balls built by deaf students from the Whisper Boat Building Academy are designed to be your ideal branding solution for any sports event, and with the world's biggest sporting event coming soon you have a great opportunity to brand your company - and at the same time help the deaf students from the academy realise their full potential. Read more >>Arrivals billboard greets the stars The new billboard at the Cape Town International Airport's arrivals collection point is an extension of Heart 104.9FM's Republic of Cape Town campaign that was launched in August this year. The 100m billboard, done by Lowe Bull, depicts drivers with name boards in their hands picking up visitors, the names being those of bands and singers on Heart's playlist. Read more >>ProductionInternational report focuses on film copyright barriersA report and film on copyright barriers to documentary filmmaking in South Africa will be simultaneously released at a film screening and workshops with filmmakers 10-12 December 2009, in Johannesburg and on the web. Read more >>
PR: nine lessons from 2009[Marcus Brewster] Despite caution, if not downright pessimism, prevailing in the marketplace during 2009, Marcus Brewster Publicity (MBP) managed a spectacularly successful year, with turnover up by more than 100%. The reason for our success is predicated on the following nine trends identified and adapted to in the last 12 months. Read more >>Celeb, influential or just on the B-list? [Chris Moerdyk] PR people have been playing a very interesting little game for while now. They're trying to kid a lot of people that they're celebrities or influential but, back at the ranch, they're actually just one notch above rent-a-crowd. Read more >>
Double beauty at Miss South Africa pageantMiss South Africa beauty pageant, which will be broadcast live on SABC3 this Sunday from 7.30pm, will have two well-known hosts, former Miss South Africa and Top Billing presenter Jo-Ann Strauss and Metro FM's Penny Lebyane. Lebyane's primary duty is to provide behind the scenes insight at what it takes to be a Miss SA finalist.
Digital, marketing recruitment from ITOIT recruitment specialists ITO Resources has launched a dedicated division specialising in digital and marketing positions, it announced on Wednesday, 9 December 2009. Run by Natalie Gordon, it will focus on new media positions such as digital marketers, mobile marketers and related positions.Advertisement:  SABC, govt departments scoop 2009 Ideal Employer Awards[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The cash-strapped SABC, the Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation have been chosen among the top brand organisations university students would like to work for after graduating. A total of 12 top companies were rewarded in the categories of humanities, science, engineering and commerce at the ceremony hosted yesterday, Tuesday, 8 December 2009, at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Read more >>Kelly Industrial Durban relocatesKelly Industrial has moved its Durban branch to new premises at 24 Edwin Swales Drive, Rossburgh, Durban, to be closer to its clients and candidates. Cheryl Mackinnon remains the branch manager and can be contacted on tel +27 (0)31 459 1665.ResearchNext AMPS will reflect market realities Both the South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) and AMPS contractor Nielsen predict that any readership changes, which may come through in the next AMPS release - 2009B - will be chiefly due to market realities and not due to the change of methodology from CAPI to DS-CAPI. Read more >>Archives send plea to ministerThe Archival Platform, a non-profit networking, advocacy and research initiative in South Africa, has sent an appeal to arts and culture minister Lulu Xingwana over issues surrounding South Africa's archives and heritage. Its latest campaign, ‘Letters to Lulu,' emphasises issues such as a lack of strategic thinking about the sector, under-funding and understaffing of archives and an inconsistent approach among officials to applying heritage laws and digitising heritage records. The Archival Platform is funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies. For more, go to www.archivalplatform.org, follow it on Twitter at @The_archive and become a fan on Facebook.RetailP&G celebrates 15 years in SA [Issa Sikiti da Silva] US firm Procter & Gamble (P&G) is this year celebrating 15 years of its existence in South Africa, and has pledged its commitment to the social upliftment and sustainability of Africa's communities. Read more >>Retail, readership survey out in March 2010 Roots 2010 will be launched in Cape Town on 9 March, Durban on 10 March and Johannesburg on 11 March 2010. It is the in-depth urban retail and readership consumer research survey undertaken by Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB). Read more >>E-commerce grows in South Africa“South Africa is still around four years behind the rest of the world in terms of online transacting and we'll probably never completely close this gap but we will continue to follow quite steadily,” says Pete Flynn, MD of White Wall Web. He says that the growth in the number of users who understand and trust the Internet equates to a target market that is happy to transact online. Read more >>SponsorshipCheckers, BBC partner on food adsA partnership between BBC Lifestyle and Checkers will be running for a period of 10 weeks, it was announced yesterday Wednesday 9 December 2009. Checkers will sponsor the programme's Full on Food stand, which features enticing new gastronomic series from popular chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal. Read more >>TVJoin CNN/YouTube climate debateThe highlight programme of CNN's year-round coverage on environmental issues will be the CNN / YouTube Debate on Climate Change featuring expert panellists, including Kofi Annan. Connect The World host Becky Anderson will host the hour-long debate, which will be streamed live on CNN.com and YouTube on Tuesday 15 December at 3pm CAT. It offers viewers the opportunity to get their questions answered during one of the most critical gatherings of world leaders.Community TV to stay? "There is no decision to close community TV. The frequency plan provides for two fixed and two mobile multiplexes for mobile television. The allocation of the fixed multiplexes will be addressed in the DTT (digital terrestrial transmission) regulations which to be finalised soon. At this point we will take a decision on how to accommodate community TV,” says ICASA councillor Robert Nkuna. Read more >>A Tale of Two Banking Crises [Dr Graeme Codrington] For the past few months I’ve been trying to explain why looking at the past is so important for understanding the future. Here is a practical example of why this is so important, and how practical the outcomes can be if you do it properly. Read more >>
Marketing & MediaTechnology dawns at the Son - Ads24 A comprehensive study recently showed that Son readers were more tech-ready and literate than those of most other publications. With a recent campaign the WAP-server was overrun within the hour for requests - once again proving the Mother Grundy technophobes wrong. Read more >>thirtyfour launches national Castle Lager promotion to coincide with 2009 Proteas Cricket Tour - 34 Specialist below-the-line agency 34Sport has launched an eight-week national promotion for Castle Lager to coincide with the brand's sponsorship of the Proteas Test Cricket tour against England that kicks off at SuperSport Park in Centurion next Wednesday, December 16. Read more >>MarketingFive rules for understanding a new breed of consumers - Strats IncDo you need to understand the mindset of the ever-evolving South African consumer? Not changing with the times is a fatal mistake for any company or brand, according to Philip Hendrickse, MD of Strats Inc. Read more >>Our 10-Year Anniversary - a milestone of success - Strats IncWhen Strats Inc opened its doors ten years ago, who in the industry would have predicted it would grow into one of South Africa's most prestigious strategic marketing companies? Philip Hendrickse, MD, looks back at the highlights of a decade's journey. Read more >>Strats Inc joins an A-Team of consultants to help struggling companies - Strats IncStrats Inc has become part of a new consortium that offers the struggling small- or medium-sized business holistic solutions. Read more >>AdvertisingBrett Morris to chair the Creative Circle - Draftfcb (South Africa) Highly respected creative talent and Draftfcb South Africa's Chief Creative Officer, Brett Morris, has been recognised by his peers for his creative and leadership flair as they have elected him chairman of the Creative Circle, the industry's body for creative representation. Read more >>McCann's African Network going strong - McCann Worldgroup In early November the McCann Africa Network held their bi-annual conference in Kenya. The delegates discussed new business opportunities, received the latest industry training and made use of the opportunity to develop their business relationships. Read more >>Pumping life into retail promotions - juju Juju has just delivered two commercials for Hyundai's year-end petrol promotion, directed by Jeremy Collins and shot by Eran Tahor of Format. Read more >>TRESemme successfully defends ad claims - DM Kisch Inc. The year-long legal battle between Alberto-Culver SA and Procter & Gamble SA has finally come to a conclusion, in the Final Appeal Committee of the ASA, on 30 November, with the ruling that TRESemme hair products advertisements were not misleading. Read more >>Blue Panther Films and Y&R scoop five Vuka wins - Young & Rubicam Grant De Sousa continues to direct hard-hitting and controversial commercials, his latest PSA being no exception. Read more >>Euro RSCG SA's "Lighthouse" illuminates the global warming crisis - Euro RSCG SA Euro RSCG SA is spearheading the Justice for Climate Control campaign in South Africa, urging all South Africans to put their weight behind stopping global warming. Read more >>BrandingCan the Public Sector brand ever stand for excellence? - The Brand Union[Anthony Swart] The Public Service Sector is possibly one of the most difficult sectors to be involved in due to its sheer size and visibility. A major criticism is lack of service delivery, which can be partly attributed to being a brand issue. Read more >>Boomtown - the home of award-winning creativity - Boomtown The dedicated Boomtown team, which won the account for the rebranding of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in 2005, consistently delivers exceptional work, lifting the brand to new heights. Read more >>Integrate PR with other tools - Gullan&Gullan [Michael Gullan] The media landscape is becoming more fragmented while communications agencies are becoming more specialised. The result? A greater rift between disciplines. Read more >>New creative director for Idea Engineers - Idea EngineersFor better or worse, Kevin Kleynhans (Kong Kuan Fu) is back in South Africa after a year-long sojourn in Shanghai as 360 degree creative director for all Unilever brands at Ogilvy China. Read more >>2 x B or not 2 x B. That is the question? - Interbrand Sampson[Jeremy Sampson] No, I'm not going Shakespearian on you, I'm simply asking the question. The business of business is today more about the business of brands. And in challenging times, what better cushion can a CEO have to ensure his bottom line is maintained than a strong brand, or two, or three? Read more >>CinemaNu Metro hosts the stars - Popcorn Cinema Advertising Emperors Palace's Entertainment Emporium was chosen as the venue for the much anticipated premiere of Clint Eastwood's ‘Invictus' on Tuesday night. The guest list included Morgan Freeman, Brian Habana as well as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Read more >>CRMConsumers speak out on bad marketing - Global Vision {{image}}In a video short produced by Global Vision, Go Trolley Films, and Stonewall Digital Marketing, the challenges of modern day marketing are highlighted as four consumers share their experience with “bad” marketing. Read more >>CSIPrimedia Face 2 Face spreads a little Christmas cheer - Primedia Face 2 Face Christmas is the time of year that most children look forward to but for thousands of AIDS orphans it's a constant reminder of what their circumstances are. Thus, Primedia Face 2 Face has hosted a party for the AIDS orphans of the Carryou Ministry for the last four years. Read more >>Africa Food for Thought - Christmas in the park - TNS Research Surveys Christmas came early on the West Rand on Saturday 28 November 2009 when Africa Food for Thought (AFFT) hosted a Christmas party for its orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). Read more >>DesignSeymour “found” as Great Stock announces Grand Prize winners - Great Stock! Hundreds of entrants into the intriguing “Where's Seymore?” game saw their nail-biting wait draw to a close as Grand Prize winners were announced. The game was launched by Great Stock! photo library to promote their Corbis Images collection. Read more >>Wrap2theMax winning entry for November 2009 - Roland 2theMax The winner of the November 2009 round of the Wrap2theMax vehicle wrap design competition is American designer Kevin Bryce. He wins this round based on his submission for MAM Baby Products that made the car stand out from the pack. Read more >>DigitalNew Johannesburg thinktank event puts creativity to work for business - FLUXIn February 2010, Dion Chang's third Flux Trend Review, which provides information relevant to an evolving marketplace, will be combined with the first Digital Lab workshop to be mounted by progressive new creative studio, Studio 4332, an affiliate of proximity worldwide. Read more >>Four damn good reasons to manage your online reputation - World Wide Creative When people online write stuff about you, you should know about it fast enough to be able to respond - especially if it's negative stuff. Why is this important? Here are four damn good reasons... Read more >>Sisha.com Systems spreads Christmas cheer - Sisha.com Systems On hearing that the children from the Ram Kamp settlement outside of Kleinfontein were in need of Christmas presents, Sisha.com Systems stepped in and spread the Christmas cheer. Read more >>SishaFax Survey results confirm great Fax2Email service is key - Sisha.com Systems The results of the Fax2Email Customer Survey exceeded expectations with an exceptionally positive response received from users of the service. Read more >>Education and Training5th Annual Broadband Summit - IIR Training The 5th Annual Broadband Summit will be taking place on the 29-31 March 2010. Every year, the summit provides insight into the latest regulatory, technology and business developments within the broadband sphere. Read more >>EventingCurrin't Events provides elegance for the Chartered Secretaries Southern Africa and the JSE - Currin't Events Awarded the Annual Report Awards on behalf of the Chartered Secretaries Southern Africa and the JSE, Currin't Events took up the challenge and expectation of the 58-year event tradition in their stride. Read more >>(Almost) naked but nice - Flying Pigs Branded Theatre Co. Flying Pigs added another dimension and created extra traffic through Afripack stand at the recent Packaging Expo at Nasrec. They did this by getting two gorgeous girls, putting them in skimpy bikinis and painting the Afripack logo onto their nubile bodies. Read more >>Attica teams with Heineken and the Gary Player Invitational, Samsung, and Von Zipper - Attica The month of November has been exciting for Attica, as they have been lucky to be involved in several excellent and prestigious events: the international golf competition Gary Player Invitational, Samsung's new phone launch, as well as the Von Zipper industry party. Read more >>Exhibitions369 Designs assists with building the stage for 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw - 369 Designs369 Designs, innovative exhibition stands and display graphics specialists, was responsible for building and supplying the infill pieces, steps, cladding and light boxes for the stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw. Read more >>MagazinesPrestige lauches annual luxury catalogue - PrestigePrestige luxury lifestyle magazine hits the shelf this holiday season with a bumper Best of the Best edition which is set to become the definitive annual luxury catalogue for local high net worth readers. Read more >>Sea Rescue brings home a PICA - The Publishing Partnership Sea Rescue magazine, which is produced for the National Sea Rescue Institute by The Publishing Partnership, won the PICA for ‘Essential Services' in the Business-to-Business Publishing Excellence category. This is the second time Sea Rescue has won this award, enjoying a win in 2007. Read more >>MobileImprove customer relationships with MobiSites - Strike MediaAccording to the latest available statistics from Internet World Stats, only 10.5% of South African's have access to the Internet via traditional mediums. In order to plug this gap local business should make use of the 79.1% of South Africans who have mobile phones. Read more >>MobiUs TV - realtime interaction between broadcaster and viewer - EurocomEurocom has launched MobiUs TV, an interactive platform that allows viewers watching TV channels that don't use a set-top box decoder to interact with the TV as one would using the remote control with satellite TV. Read more >>Online MediaDriven to success: conversion specialists Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg join forces with R.O.I. Media - R.O.I. MediaNew York Times bestselling authors Bryan Eisenberg and Jeffrey Eisenberg are joining forces with leading online media agency R.O.I. Media to advise on conversion strategies and to take already powerful results even further. Read more >>TEAMtalk media is leading SA sports publisher - TEAMtalkTEAMtalk media is the leading digital sports content provider in South Africa, according to the latest ratings published by Nielsen Netrating, the online measurement tool used by the Online Publishers' Association to track the number of users accessing members' websites. Read more >>Acceleration Media helps SA companies take control of online reputations - Acceleration MediaAcceleration Media has been appointed the exclusive Radian6 strategic partner for South Africa. Read more >>Ananzi announces no more irritating voice prompts! Brabys.com introduces mobile directory - Ananzi A comprehensive business directory is now in the palm of your hand - you can find services and products quickly by using your mobile device and the new Brabys Mobile Business directory. Read more >>Out Of HomeADreach salutes The Lighthouse Baby Shelter - ADreach Outdoor media company ADreach has come to the aid of The Lighthouse Baby Shelter with a contribution of much-needed items to this safe haven for unwanted and abandoned babies. Read more >>Mobile Gig Rig: Status - "Respect" - HHP - What's New Media What's New Media joined party-goers flocking to Mafikeng for the Sixties Party over the first weekend of December with a mission of their own - they joined HHP in the promotion of the Status deodorant brand. Read more >>Visa kicks it into high gear with SP Media - SP Media SP Media recently completed 23 fully wrapped Metrobuses with the new Visa “Go Fans” campaign creative in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Read more >>ProductionTerraplane makes a Galactic connection - Terraplane This week, in the Mojave Desert just north of Los Angeles, history is being made with the roll-out of SpaceShipTwo, the world's first commercial, passenger-carrying spaceship. Here in Johannesburg it may seem like distant news, but there is an unexpected connection to local commercial production company Terraplane. Read more >>Frieze Films' Fine wins at The Vukas - Frieze FilmsJonty Fine, one of the directors in the Frieze Films stable, has nabbed a trio of VUKA! Awards. Using public service announcements (PSAs) as the competition genre, the M-Net VUKA! Awards reward and nurture South Africa's filmmaking talent while providing vital exposure to social causes and charities. Read more >>Keith Rose wins Ad of the Month - VelocityAllan Gray “Legend”, directed by Keith Rose of Velocity for King James, has won the Creative Circle's Ad of the Month. The ad focuses on the life of icon James Dean whilst posing the question, “What if you had more time?” Read more >>Public RelationsThe Phoenix Partnership ends year on high with client gains and staff appointments - The Phoenix PartnershipThe Phoenix Partnership, a boutique public relations, publicity and media consultancy based in Cape Town, has added five new clients to its portfolio of hospitality, tourism, sport and business clients in the past two months. Read more >>Employment opportunities at PR Dynamics - Wisdom Keys GroupPR Dynamics, a wholly owned company in the Wisdom Keys group, is looking for mid-level experienced communication consultants for its growing business in 2010. Some positions may also be filled by freelance or preferred supplier alliances, and CV's and profiles from all areas are welcome. Read more >>ResearchAsk Afrika completes 83 000 interviews for US client - Ask AfrikaAsk Afrika has just completed a large multi-national study spanning the USA, Canada, the UK and Germany which was conducted on behalf of a major credit card provider over a two-month period. Read more >>Eight out of ten people will battle to cope with the mooted electricity price rises - TNS Research SurveysOver eight out of ten people feel that Eskom's proposed price increases will be very difficult to cope with and only a quarter feel that the prices are justified by the need for greater power capacity. Read more >>RetailMore bacteria from office keyboard than toilet seat - RentokilRentokil has decided to urge their staff not to eat at their desks and to be more cautious of the health risks involved as the combination of food morsels, hair and skin build up in a keyboard, promoting the production and spread of bacteria and viruses. Read more >>SalesWillem Roos and Howard Aron won Ernst & Young Best Entrepreneur Award - OUTsuranceWillem Roos and Howard Aron, joint founders of OUTsurance, were announced the winners in the best entrepreneur category of the South African chapter of the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Award. Read more >>SponsorshipV8's and Vinyls - corporate hospitality available - SAILLooking for an end-of-year entertainment option for staff or clients? Book now for great hospitality deals for the Superstars' International Series V8's and Vinyls at Kyalami, which run on Saturday, 12 December and Sunday, 13 December. Read more >>Youth MarketingStudent Village reveals how SA youth use social media - Student VillageSouth Africa's roughly 800 000 tertiary education students are the most wired yet - 99 percent use the Internet for up to three hours a day and almost four-fifths of them get to the Web via their cellphones. Read more >>
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The Void that is WAR MUSIC [Kelly-ann Peters] No, not an actual War but with track titles like Vox Populi (A Call to Arms) (English translation: Voice of the People), Search and Destroy and, well, This Is War the third album from 30 Seconds to Mars might as well be a war. The title This is War was no doubt inspired by the ridiculous US$30 million lawsuit filed against the L.A rockers by their record label Virgin/EMI records. When Jeremy met Greg...at Sunshine Saturdays MUSIC [Sindy Peters] No, this isn't some cheesy love story from the late 80s, it's a tale of two of South Africa's top lead musicians - Greg Carlin and Jeremy de Tolly. Both were present at the launch of Sunshine Saturdays on 12 December 2009 at Wynberg Boys High School (WBHS), Cape Town playing on stage with their respective bands - Zebra & Giraffe and The Dirty Skirts. Sterling EQ launches new music video MUSIC Instrumental supergroup STERLING EQ launched their debut music video, "NOVA - the Movie" at a high profile media preview at Fashion TV Cape Town on Wednesday 2 December 2009. The response from the audience was overwhelming, with regular bursts of applause throughout the screening, and a unanimous demand for repeat screenings. The video enjoyed its first appearance on national television during a comprehensive “behind the scenes” insert on MNET's All Access last week. A Killer concert? MUSIC [Ruth Cooper] Unfortunately Sunday night's Killers concert at the Val Di Vie Polo Estate in Franshoek was greatly marred by bad organisation and ridiculous traffic issues and after having a look at some post reviews on other sites it seems that there are quite a few disappointed and angry people out there. Quite understandable considering that R269 - R526 needed to be forked out on a ticket , a good few km's needed to be walked to get to the venue, many who on arrival found the band to have started, drink queues to be almost as daunting as the traffic queues, or were told that no alcohol would be served during the performance (if lucky enough to score entrance to the VIP bar). Desmond and the Tutus say “Thanks for Everything suckers!” MUSIC [Ruth Cooper] Quirky, happy go lucky rockers Desmond and the Tutus have been steadily building up a fan base by “tricking people into liking them” since there birth in 2005. Decidedly unserious this foursome is bringing a breath of fresh air and silliness to the often quite take-itself-very-seriously-SA rock scene. Their upbeat infectious rock-kwela-pop-tunes will have you giggling and tapping your foot in no time if not rolling on the floor in stitches and bouncing off the walls. Jesse Clegg rocks out at Kirstenbosch MUSIC [Alan Hughes] Sunday found me back at Kirstenbosch gardens to enjoy another of Old Mutual's Summer Sunset Concerts. This time it was the Jesse Clegg's turn to entertain us. It was a hot sunny afternoon, with the usual crowds of picnickers punctuated with sun umbrellas. New Moon continues second weekend success MOVIES [Sindy Peters] One of the most anticipated movies of 2009, New Moon - the second installment of the Twilight saga, based on the books written by Stephanie Meyer - continued in it's second weekend of release to sell out at cinemas nationwide. It's not exactly a fantastic movie as it runs in the same vein as it's prequel, Twilight, and yet fans of the book just can't seem to get enough.
"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." - Sir Francis Bacon "The only source of knowledge is experience." - Albert Einstein "Our society's values are being corrupted by advertising's insistence on the equation: youth equals popularity, popularity equals success, success equals happiness." - John Arbuthnot Fisher "Kodak sells film, but they don't advertise film. They advertise memories." - Theodore Parker "The more facts you tell, the more you sell. An advertisement's chance for success invariably increases as the number of pertinent merchandise facts included in the ad increases." - Dr Charles Edwards Print - Print any item in this newsletter. Email - Email any item in this newsletter. Comment - Comment on any item in this newsletter. 
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