Knowledge is not the answer

[Judith Middleton] While most businesses have suffered due to the recent economic downturn, we at IT-focused DUO Marketing + Communications saw our annual turnover double (2009/10 February year end). I'd like to share some of my strategies for success. Read more >>

Making the most of the massive publicity

[Chris Moerdyk: @chrismoerdyk] In the past five weeks, South Africa has received more positive publicity than in all of the 358 years since Jan van Riebeeck set foot on our shores and made the front page of the Rotterdam Reckord. Hopefully, the country's big brands, its media and its politicians will have a long hard look at their marketing strategies and the impact that this new energy will have on them. Read more >>

How to beat the world cup blues

[Dr Nikolaus Eberl] After 31 days of football fever and the highs and lows of teams either progressing to the next round or crashing out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, how can South Africans deal with the inevitable withdrawal symptoms of missing the games, stars and visitors alike, now that the ultimate 2010 whistle has been blown? Read more >>

Terrorism and violence: new brand watchwords?

[Frank Bone] Are there any brand strategists out there? If there are, can you answer me this please: what's with Kaka blowing up a goal in those Sony 3D tv ads being flighted for the 2010 FIFA World Cup... hey? Maybe I'm wrong, I'm probably paranoid (I'm prone to that, I live in South Africa.) To me, that advert promotes terrorism. [video] Read more >>

TV's world cup, but real growth for online too

[Herman Manson: @marklives] TV owned the 2010 FIFA World Cup. There, I said it. While the Internet increasingly owns breaking news and the various South African news portals came up with numerous strategies for making their world cup content as engaging as possible, it could not even attempt to mimic the vibe of families, friends, even communities, gathering together in the real world in front of TV screens to follow the main matches. Read more >>

Real Downer for UK journo as State brings in top prosecutor

NEWSWATCH: The British journalist Simon Wright, who interviewed a fan who allegedly breached security when he managed to get to the England team's dressing room in Cape Town, is due to appear in court this weekend - and the state seems to be set on making an example of him... It has brought in Billy Downer of Schabir Schaik fame to prosecute the case, reports IOL. Read more >>

World cup: foreign media gives us lots to think about

[Gill Moodie: @grubstreetZA] At the start of the world cup I wrote about how the world's media perceived us, concluding that they viewed us a fun,friendly, fractious, interesting nation. And I'm sticking to this now that the tournament is nearly at its end, the Sunday Mirror storm in a teacup aside. Read more >>

World cup: SA media under foreign microscope

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] As more than 13 000 journalists, including staff members from 200 broadcasting entities, made their way down south to the tip of the African continent to cover Africa's first FIFA World Cup, there was always a possibility that these 'invaders' were sailing into unchartered territory, not knowing what to expect or how SA media looks like in terms of facilities, organisation, editorial content and skills. Then, the microscopic examination began! Read more >>

World cup closing ceremony details

The 30-minute night-time closing ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup will take place at 6.30pm on Sunday, 11 July 2010, at Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium - ahead of the final. It will be broadcast live in 215 countries to an audience in excess of 500 million viewers, according to the Local Organising Committee (LOC), and will feature 780 cast members and some of South Africa and Africa's top musicians and dancers. Read more >>

BEE at Publicis in SA

A single umbrella entity, to be known as Multi Media Services Group (MMS), has been formed following Publicis Groupe's acquisition of the equity owned by various partners and the subsequent restructuring of this equity into a single empowerment partner across the larger group of brands in its South African-owned agencies. These include Leo Burnett South Africa, Publicis South Africa, MS&L Group South Africa, Starcom MediaVest Group and Zenith Optimedia. Read more >>

South African for Johnnie Walker global

Gavin Pike, currently the marketing and innovation director at Brandhouse Beverages in South Africa, has been appointed as global brand director of Johnnie Walker, reportedly the number one Scotch whisky brand by volume and number one global spirits brand by value. Read more >>

Oscars: call for SA films

The deadline for the submission of South African feature films for the 83rd Annual Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Awards for Best Foreign Language Film Category is 4pm on Tuesday, 31 August 2010. Read more >>

SABC Mbeki ban? What ban?

NEWSWATCH: Despite Sunday newspaper claims to the contrary, the SABC has flatly denied that there is any ban on any coverage of former president Thabo Mbeki, reports IOL, which also reports that Simon Wright, the British tabloid journalist at the centre of a 2010 security breach, is considering suing National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele for comments the latter made about Wright. Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, meanwhile, has declared Wright an "undesirable person", reports Mail & Guardian. Read more >>

Call to enter 2010 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards

Online submission of journalists' entries for the 2010 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards is now open. All material submitted must have been published or broadcast between 1 May 2009 and 30 April 2010 and the deadline for submission is midnight 30 July 2010. Read more >>

Banish brown-envelope journalism

NEWSWATCH: Head of Journalism and Media Studies at Wits University, Professor Anton Harber, says that the recent confession by former Cape Argus journalist Ashley Smith that he accepted money in return for writing articles 'friendly' to former Western Cape premier Ebrahim Rasool, indicates there is a potential problem, reports IOL, which also reports that 3rd Degree producer and presenter Debora Patta has apologised to Chrisna de Kock, the FF+ youth leader she accused, during an earlier show, of racism. Read more >>

Green leadership: what consumers expect from media

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] In an industry prone to sensationalism, hearsay journalism, reporting keener on settling scores than informing, pathetic wages, mass exodus of skills and lack of ongoing training, environmental reporting in Africa is almost non-existent. Some believe African media's indifference towards green issues constitutes an affront to impoverished populations that pin their hopes on newsrooms to hold profit-obsessed businesses to account for hurting the planet. Read more >>

Perceptions of SA media could be compromised - FXI

The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) has condemned the corruption inherent in former Cape Argus journalist Ashley Smith's confession of brown envelope journalism, saying in a statement released Monday evening, 5 July 2010, that the allegations compromise perceptions of South African media independence and raise serious questions about journalistic integrity. Read more >>

Guptas to bankroll ANC daily

NEWSWATCH: The Gupta Group, which is allegedly already closely aligned with the ANC and Jacob Zuma, and bankrolls Essop Pahad's The Thinker magazine, is now reported to be funding a new daily newspaper, The New Age, which will be 'ANC-sympathetic', according to Business Day. Read more >>

Flimsy excuses for newspapers' mistakes

[Chris Moerdyk: @chrismoerdyk] Throughout history, newspapers have always made mistakes but until a few years ago these were mostly spelling and grammar gremlins, juxtaposed picture captions and double-entendre headlines. But, in the past few years, newspapers have been making far more serious mistakes. Read more >>

BP fiasco lessons: surviving an online reputation crisis

[Tim Shier & Alex Rees] In mid-April 2010, a massive oil spill covered not only the entire Gulf of Mexico, but also BP's online reputation, in an inky black cloud. A decade ago, a crisis such as this would doubtless have caused a few waves, but the opinion of the average citizen would not have caused too much concern for the brand. Today, the rise of citizen journalism and social media conversation has revolutionised the media landscape. Read more >>

Changes coming to 5FM lineup

There's a mid-year shakeup coming to 5FM's relatively new lineup, the full details of which will be released on Thursday, 8 July 2010, the radio station announced yesterday evening, Monday 5 July. Read more >>

More entertainment from MultiChoice

Three new channels will be launched by MultiChoice on Monday, 12 July 2010, aimed at its various DStv bouquets. They are KidsCo, AfroMusic and Mzansi Magic. Read more >>

SuperSport goes HD for English Premier League

DStv's high definition SuperSport channel (SSHD2) launches at 1pm on 13 August 2010, on the eve of the start of the 2010/11 English Premier League season and will be broadcast across the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, excluding Nigeria. That soccer is popular can be judged by the record numbers who have been visiting the SuperSport portal and mobisite during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Read more >>

Google the winner in Asia-Pacific region

SINGAPORE: comScore, Inc. today, 12 July 2010, released its May 2010 ranking of the top online properties in the Asia-Pacific region based on data from its comScore Media Metrix service. Google sites have the largest audience in Asia-Pacific region while Tencent captures the highest share of online minutes. Read more >>

May 2010 US mobile subscriber market share

RESTON, US: comScore, Inc yesterday, 8 July 2010, released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the US mobile phone industry during the three-month average period ending May 2010 compared to the preceding three-month average. The data reveal Google's Android platform continues to snatch smartphone market share. Read more >>

Draftfcb launches Institute of Decision Making

CHICAGO, US: Draftfcb, one of the world's leading marketing communications agencies, announced on 7 July 2010 further steps to enhance its ability to influence consumer behaviour by launching the Draftfcb Institute of Decision Making. Read more >>

Children see more fast food TV ads, fewer sweets and beverage ads - study

Children saw fewer television advertisements for certain foods, including those for sweets and beverages, in 2007 compared with 2003, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the September print issue of Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, children now see more fast-food ads, and racial gaps in exposure to all food advertising have increased. Read more >>

Global mobile advertising industry grows by 61% in Q2

SINGAPORE: BuzzCity, the global mobile media company, on 6 July 2010 released the results of its Global Mobile Advertising Index for Q2 2010, with South Africa in fourth place, sporting an impressive 65% increase in ad banners served, while Kenya reported a massive 243% increase for the period. The Kenya growth, while impressive was the third largest growth percentage after Vietnam, which reported a 273% increase. Meanwhile Ghana showed a massive 654% growth rate, although it was off a low base. Read more >>

World Cup victories boost workplace productivity

MADRID, SPAIN/JOHANNESBURG, SA: According to a European SMB survey released on 6 July 2010, victory for the Dutch or Spanish in the 2010 FIFA World Cup could be the most desirable for Europe - in purely economic terms! Read more >>

Cup sponsors recover from competitor 'ambushes'

[Mark St Andrew, creamglobal.com] LONDON, UK/JOHANNESBURG, SA: The official World Cup sponsors have recovered from competitor ambushes, such as Nike's popular football viral, during the first two weeks of the tournament, according to a new report. Read more >>

Clover ads are not just ads - Joe Public

Clover's dedication to excellence stems from the belief that quality products add quality to life, and that quality milk is essential in the development of strong, healthy bones and teeth. It is based on this proposition that creative agency Joe Public created an innovative print ad that delivers on the promise of the brand. Read more >>

AKTV and Pendoring join forces in aid of Afrikaans advertising - Pendoring

As a cultural organisation that experiences, lives and actively promotes the Afrikaans language and culture, it is important that the ATKV also supports the Pendoring Afrikaans Advertising Awards. This will ensure that the creation of Afrikaans advertisements prospers, so that every South African who speaks or understands the language can enjoy it. Read more >>

School teacher wins Tower home office promotion worth R20 000 - Pyrotec

Tower, a South African-based company that offers a complete range of top quality easy-to-use stationery, labelling and associated home and office products, recently announced the winner of its online promotion as John Wertheim from Kenilworth, Cape Town. Read more >>

Liqui-Fruit commercial gets Maggs On Media's attention - Bester Burke

Take a look at the Liqui-Fruit 'Sip' commercial's behind-the-scenes footage, as seen on Jeremy Maggs' show. Read more >>

Emperors Palace attracts visitors at ORT - Mortimer Harvey

Emperors Palace has positioned an informative and convenient kiosk with striking and aesthetic appeal at OR Tambo International airport. Designed and constructed by Mortimer Harvey, the kiosk is in similar style to the distinctive and timeless architecture of Emperors Palace. Read more >>

Advertising the nation - Young & Rubicam

[Dr. Sarah Britten] The World Cup is upon us. The excitement is palpable: for the first time in years, there's a real sense of excitement and pride in being South African. The ad industry anticipated this months, even years ago. Advertisers have traditionally used major sporting events to celebrate what it means to be South African, and 2010 is no exception. Read more >>

The value of a country brand - Young & Rubicam

[Dr. Sarah Britten] For weeks I avoided the issue. In fact, it never occurred to me that it would ever matter. But since Uruguay was in the World Cup, I was forced to pose the dreaded question: what makes Uruguay different from Paraguay - apart from what comedian Conrad Koch pointed out, "Uru" as opposed to "Para"? Read more >>

Create experiences not just communications - Gullan&Gullan

[Desirée Gullan] Experiential marketing has been used for decades now, and is increasingly becoming the channel of choice for sectors that have to rely on dark marketing to get their brand messages out there. So why are marketers still talking about brand experiences as the new frontier for marketing innovation? Read more >>

Boomtown to market upcoming development - Boomtown

Boomtown was recently appointed to develop and manage the brand of the Boschberg Development, located in the Somerset East area. The project is a part-tourism, part-property development which aims to create a unique tourism node lifestyle estate contributing both socially and economically to the surrounding community. Read more >>

Fresh faces at Boomtown - Boomtown

Rob Henry has been appointed as an account executive for Boomtown, while Sam Hewitson joins the client service team as an account manager and team leader. Rae Alexander and Gareth Rathbone are recent additions to the creative team. Read more >>

Africa Media Online launches web-res images - Africa Media Online

You can now purchase really reasonably priced African images for web usage. The whole of the Africa Media Online archive of Rights Managed images are available at web-res size for single editorial use on a website for three months. The images are larger than most picture libraries offer at 550px longest size. Read more >>

New Images and Motion Manager at Great Stock - Great Stock!

Great Stock! takes pleasure in welcoming back Angela Jane van der Merwe, previously manager of Stock Options, a related specialist footage company. Angela takes up the position of Images and Motion Manager with Great Stock. Read more >>

One Giant Leap for You & Me - You & Me

You & Me has launched the all-new portfolio website for full-service commercial design, build and interior firm, Giant Leap. Read more >>

Get breaking ICT news on ITWeb.mobi - ITWeb

ITWeb is now available on cellphone. ITWeb.mobi features the same content as its popular website, offering readers breaking ICT news headlines in a format optimised for mobile platforms. Read more >>

ADTECH introduces VAST 2.0 - facilitating digital video ad response - 365 Digital

ADTECH, operated locally by 365 Digital, has boosted their ad serving offering by introducing the VAST 2.0 template, an international standard for handling video ad response. Read more >>

365 Digital signs up celebration.co.za - 365 Digital

365 Digital has partnered with celebration.co.za to provide their complete online publisher and advertiser solution for the specialist online resource for weddings. Read more >>

19 things all successful direct marketing companies know - Wunderman

Lester Wunderman, the founder of global DM agency, Wunderman, is widely considered the creator of modern-day direct marketing. He recently shared his knowledge in presenting 19 very important areas for DM companies to focus on in order to ensure success in business. Read more >>

Technology always tops so students ready for work - Boston City Campus & Business College

Commenting on the soccer furore of late, Kerry Damons of Boston City Campus & Business College says the whole technology vs. referee debate was bound to happen. She welcomes the debate as it confirms that Boston is on the right track concerning its commitment and investment in technology. Read more >>

The Innovation Summit 2010 - Campbell&Campbell

The Innovation Summit 2010 programme is a must-attend event for all senior leaders, decision-makers, entrepreneurs, HR and marketing people, and innovative South Africans to hear Zapiro, the crew behind the Calabash, the Sally Williams team and more speak about innovation. Read more >>

Botanica Spa Suites special offer - The Westcliff

Treat yourself or someone special to pure pleasure and indulgence at the Botanica Spa Suites at The Westcliff. Read more >>

Vaal Meander Wine Route brings the winelands to Gauteng - Oasys Innovations

The Vaal Meander Wine Route is an annual festival where over 200 of South Africa's best wines from 50 vineyards and estates are on display. The event runs from Meyerton to Vanderbijlpark between 5 June and 25 July, and gives visitors the opportunity to taste the finest of South Africa's wine industry. Read more >>

Strike Productions: new leadership pays dividends in 2010 - Strike Productions

Having recently come under new management, Strike Productions has kept a relatively low profile over the past six months. Yet having now consolidated their dynamic team of experts, the technical equipment supply company is ready to tackle the challenges of a busy second half of 2010. Read more >>

Decorex on shortlist for top international award - Thebe Exhibitions

Decorex SA has been named one of four finalists in the 2010 marketing awards of UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry. Owned and managed by the Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group (TEPG), the interior design exhibition is held annually in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Read more >>

Take the plunge at the Dive Expo and National Boat Show - Biz Events

Experience a wonderland of watery delights at the National Boat Show & Dive Expo, which returns to make a splash at the Coca-Cola dome in Northriding, Johannesburg, from 13 to 15 August 2010. Read more >>

Supermodel or supermom - Cape Town's the place to be - Baba Indaba

How appropriate that the Mother City will soon be hosting one of South Africa's most anticipated events in parenting circles - the Cape Town leg of the SABC Education Baba Indaba, 23 - 25 July, will see thousands of parents, babies and toddlers gathering at the CT ICC for family fun, information and edutainment. Read more >>

CLASSICFEEL magazine July 2010 - DeskLink Media

This month in CLASSICFEEL we celebrate the 92nd birthday of Nelson Mandela, looking at two world-class operatic productions paying tribute to South Africa¹s most famous citizen. Read more >>

MPASA launches first-ever Media Summit in November 2010 - Magazine Publishers Association of SA (MPASA)

The first MPASA (Magazine Publishers' Association of South Africa) Media Summit, to be held on 11 November 2010 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, will be an annual event on the publishing industry calendar and aims to bring local and international media industry leaders together. Read more >>

Popular Mechanics takes on high fashion - Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics magazine plans to stage a high-tech fashion event, dubbed "Electric Catwalk" - a distinctly offbeat showcase of garments made from high-tech materials and incorporating some of the latest electronic wizardry. Fashion houses, design schools, universities and other interested parties are invited to submit their concepts for short-listing. Read more >>

The 2010 PICA Awards are set to rock SA's publishing industry - Magazine Publishers Association of SA (MPASA)

Magazine publishers and their teams around South Africa should prepare for one of the most prestigious PICA Awards in years. This year will see the Magazine Publishers' Association of South Africa (MPASA) present the 41st Annual PICA Awards in what the PICA committee promises to be the biggest and best that this industry has ever seen. Read more >>

Messaging MBNA offers banking text service with Oxygen8 - Oxygen8

Bank of America, Europe's largest credit card provider under its MBNA subsidiary, is offering a new mobile banking text service to customers through its partnership with Oxygen8 Communications. The partnership allows customers to request account information by SMS as well as a text message based fraud prevention service. Read more >>

MobiMedia acquires Detect Mobile - MobiMedia

MobiMedia, a full-service mobile advertising agency, has purchased Detect Mobile, thus adding a strong technology backbone to the company's already successful creative base. The purchase puts MobiMedia in a position to take care of all design, production and implementation of mobile advertising campaigns directly in-house. Read more >>

Isolezwe's 'Sunday Sister' is growing up - Independent Newspapers KZN

Audited circulation figures for the first quarter of 2010 show that Isolezwe ngeSonto is selling an average of 71 219 copies a week - up by an impressive 34% over the same period last year. Read more >>

Mountain biking at its best in the vineyards - Die Burger

Now in its fifth year, the Die Burger Mountain Bike Challenge will take place on Saturday, 31 July, in Stellenbosch. The event, which is renowned for its challenging and picturesque routes, will also be held in association with the Simonsberg Conservancy and will boast four scenic routes to cater for all levels of riding. Read more >>

Entertainment banners impact box office revenues - Mediamind

Entertainment is the fastest growing activity on the Internet, reaching 99.6% of the US population every month. More users are not only interacting and engaging with entertainment advertising, but marketers can now predict the success and outcome of their campaigns using MediaMind's Dwell metrics and comScore's AdEffx Action Lift. Read more >>

Brand yourself back to business! - Expand a Sign International

Many businesses have been in limbo over the past month, but now is the time to inject some life into your company. Reinvent, rejuvenate and refresh your branding. Allow the great vibe and hype that has surrounded this incredible sporting event to inspire you and your organisation. Read more >>

The Lime Envelope unveils new website - The Lime Envelope

The Lime Envelope has had a busy year this year and has just launched a zesty new website. The new look-and-feel includes links to relevant websites and testimonials from clients and industry fundis and unveils The Lime Envelope's new corporate identity colours. Read more >>

FIA appoints Epic Communications as its new PR and communications agency - Epic Communications

The Financial Intermediaries Association of Southern Africa (FIA) has appointed Epic Communications to handle its public relations requirements, effective from 1 July 2010. The FIA represents more than 15 000 licensed financial services advisers throughout southern Africa. Read more >>

Enterprise development funding is critical to SA's future economic development - Innovative Franchise Concepts

Most economists and businesspeople agree - enterprise development makes sense on a number of levels. It is a sound way to increase economic activity, develop new products, expand technology, empower people and create employment. It is hardly surprising therefore, that the South African government is so committed to enterprise development. Read more >>