Prof Steve Burgess elected to AIM board

The Academy of Indian Marketing (AIM), one of India's leading professional marketing organisations that provide a global forum for research, education and perspectives on emerging markets, has elected professor Steve Burgess to its advisory board. Read more >>

Is marketing moving with the times?

[Chris Moerdyk: @chrismoerdyk] A few years ago I calculated that, every year in South Africa, roughly R50 billion was wasted on ill-conceived or just plain bad marketing. So, have things improved? Is marketing still efficient or continuing to shed money as though there was no tomorrow? Read more >>

Yes, you can timesheet the fuzball

[Sarah Britten] "Great ideas don't keep office hours," as the ad for Standard Corporate and Merchant Bank used to say. It flighted at around the time I arrived at Hunts some time in the Precambrian, but the insight is just as valid today. Great ideas really don't keep office hours, which causes havoc with timesheets. Read more >>

CSA wins Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Southern Africa has appointed Communication Services Africa, the communication strategist division of Celebrity Services Africa (CSA), as its official agency, to be be responsible for the hotel group's complete 360-degree media communication strategy. Read more >>

Why are we not branding our local music?

[Tebogo Koena] Being in the brand-building business myself and often hearing artists refer to themselves as "brands", it makes me wonder if we truly grasp the subject matter of brands and how branding works. Being inspired by a track or an artist is one thing; using international tracks twice in a row to raise awareness and influence change in behaviour on local issues for local benefit is another. [video] Read more >>

CS6: who gives a buck?

[Vanita 'Bezi Phiri] I recently downloaded Photoshop CS6 Beta to get a taste of what the fuss is about. The idea, of course, is for Adobe to see how we react to the application and its changes before the official release later in the year. Though the real cost has not been publicised, the question on my mind is whether the upgrade is worth the possibly big hole it will leave in my wallet. Read more >>

Internal promotion for Quirk Johannesburg MD

Quirk, which provides digital marketing services to a global client base from offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg and London, has announced the appointment of Nicole Dickens as its Johannesburg MD. Read more >>

Bohemian project management for the digital agency

[Reghardt Marais] Bohemian project management might sound like the strangest oxymoron since 'friendly fire', but bear with me for a minute. Bohemian is all about the disregard of conventional rules, standards and behaviours, while project management is governed by the rules and guidelines set by others. But is it really? Read more >>

AAA Legacy Award goes to Hennie Klerck

The AAA School of Advertising Legacy Award was awarded to South African advertising industry veteran, Hennie Klerck, at its recent graduation ceremony. He received this for his contribution to founding the school between 1989 and 1990. Read more >>

New editor for Automobil, NAG changes distributors

The new editor of Automobil, Tim Brink, brings experience to the business-to-business brand, most recently as editor of Classic and Performance Cars Africa and Bicycling South Africa. In an extension of its brand, NAG, the gaming magazine, announces a change in distribution and web service provider. Read more >>

BA's High Life comes to South Africa

[Herman Manson: @marklives] High Life, the much applauded inflight magazine of British Airways, is getting a localised edition for BA-operated Comair. The new magazine replaces Horizons - Comair's previous inflight title, published by Media24. The contract was awarded to Omnicom-owned content marketing firm Cedar Communications UK and the first edition appeared 1 April 2012. Read more >>

MediaCom wins Telkom account

Following a rigorous procurement process that began in November 2011, Telkom announced late last week the appointment of MediaCom, as its new media strategy, buying and planning agency for the next three years. Read more >>

The shootout: City Press vs Sunday Times

[Mandy de Waal: @mandyldewaal] The Sunday Times is getting fat and dominates the Sunday print market, but that doesn't mean it can become complacent. Media24 knows a thing or two about the online space, and it has the resources to give Avusa a wake-up call. Read more >>

Newly launched AC Massive affiliates with Arctic Circle

AC Massive is a newly launched market communications agency, headed by Karabelo Mokoena (KB). As a 100% black-owned agency, it also offers a strategic affiliation with Arctic Circle in Cape Town. Read more >>

Good Hope FM Campus DJ Search kicks off

The Good Hope FM Campus DJ Search for 2012 has started and students at tertiary campuses across the peninsula are encouraged to start polishing up their party skills to enter. Read more >>

Terrestrial radio DJs go virtual

Internet-based radio stations continue to grow in popularity and now, with the addition of some of the top DJ names in South Africa, listeners are now tuning in via the internet to Worldtunes.net, 2oceansvibe Radio and Ballz Visual Radio. Read more >>

Top Jock 2012 winner chosen

After the Grand Finale event held at The Venue, Melrose Arch on 30 March 2012, where ten DJs battled it out for the title of Top Jock 2012, McDonald's South Africa has announced that Malope Makhura is the competition winner. Read more >>

Live from SA - the youth have their say

[Herman Manson: @marklives] Live SA is a new youth publication published out of Cape Town. There's the usual stuff on love, YouTube, following your heart, body piercings, music, freedom and fashion - and then maybe the less usual stuff, about falling out of the closet aged 16, what to do when your countrymen's infamous xenophobia breaks down the lives of friends, of falling in love with gangster boys and having Miss Khayelitsha pose in front of the backend of a construction truck... Read more >>

Cannes Lions, Haymarket in new venture

LONDON, UK: Lions Festivals, organisers of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and Haymarket Media have announced an agreement in principle to extend their joint venture. The partnership currently runs Spikes Asia Festival of Creativity and the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Festival (AMEs), and will now also include the Digital Media Awards for Asia. Read more >>

Festival of Media: Showcase Theatre returns

MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND: The organisers have announced the return of the Showcase Theatre in which various partners will take to the stage to present thought-provoking sessions as part of the overall conference. Read more >>

RamsayMedia a founding partner in CSI portal

RamsayMedia has taken its CSI initiatives to the industry in a very public way. The company is one of the founding businesses to join WeCanChangeOurWorld (a bizcommunity.com partner), which is a sustainable social transformation portal showcasing the CSI efforts of corporate and non-profit organisations. Read more >>

SA businesses are unaware of their water footprints

The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Risk Report 2012 lists a global water supply crisis as the second most important global risk, second to a major systemic failure of our financial systems, according to this report, courtesy Global Carbon Exchange - http://www.globalcarbonexchange.com/. South Africa, for example, faces a looming water shortfall of 2,7-billion cubic metres by 2030. Read more >>

Broadside for Patel's 'competition meddling'

[Amanda Visser] In a rare public outburst, David Lewis, former chairman of the Competition Tribunal, severely criticised the government, especially Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel, for using the competition authorities to leverage concessions out of international investors. Read more >>

DA's complaints against info bill 'absurd'

[Paul Vecchiatto] African National Congress Chief Whip Moloto Mothapo has labelled the Democratic Alliance's (DA) complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over adverts in support of the Protection of State Information Bill "absurd and ridiculous". Read more >>

Molewa cracks whip on unregistered rhino horn stockpiles

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has urged private landowners who are in possession of rhino horn stockpiles to register them. Read more >>

MTN faces human rights probe

THE SA Human Rights Commission has received a request from the DA to investigate MTN for alleged human rights violations in Iran. Read more >>

Public protector could investigate MTN allegations

Allegations that network operator MTN unduly influenced SA's foreign policy could be investigated by the Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela says. Read more >>

Govt addresses public concerns on petrol price hike

Government says it has taken note of the nation's concerns regarding the petrol price increase, which came into effect at midnight last night. Read more >>

The sexiest Mini ever made

[Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] For the first time in its long history the iconic Mini has chopped off its roof, thrown away its back seats, acquired a fold-down cloth top and adopted the name of Roadster - a metamorphosis which has turned a cute and trendy city car into a fully-fledged little sports car. Read more >>

Modest increase in new vehicle sales

[Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] There was a modest 4.8% gain in the sales of cars and commercial vehicle sales in March this year when 56 110 units were sold compared to the 53 558 in March 2011. Read more >>

Lonrho and easyGroup to open first easyHotel in Africa

Lonrho and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou's easyHotel Group will open their first hotel in Johannesburg later this year. Created from the conversion of the former Stuttafords department store building, the 120-bedroom budget hotel on three floors is expected to receive guests in November 2012. Read more >>

Air Transport Market Analysis - Market 2012

These are the key points from full report that was released this week and which looks at air transport markets in February. Read more >>

Titanic rules, now and for ever

[Daniel Dercksen] James Cameron has done it again! The force behind Terminator, Titanic and Avatar, writer-director and producer James Cameron has achieved an impossible dream: perfecting the art of 3D conversion in bringing Titanic to the big screen in all its glory - and unlike anything you have ever seen before. Read more >>

Sweet Thing theme chosen for OppiKoppi 18

Sweet Thing has been chosen as the theme for OppiKoppi 18, inspired by a Van Morrison Song, which has been covered by The Waterboys. Read more >>

Black Magic Imaginings

[Maike Gevers] It was in a small garage filled with hay that I first encountered Stuart Lightbody. There were others there, I hasten to add - a good friend of mine had turned his front garden into an open-air theatre in celebration of his 21st birthday. The stable-like garage was the performance space and Stuart Lightbody was the entertainment. Watching him last week, I tried again to hold my best poker face, but he still managed to know what I was thinking. Darn. How come he gets it right, every time? Read more >>

The pumping heart of the CTEMF

[Julie Anne Pocock] Electronic music is not new to Cape Town. From its origins within and around the underground scene, it fast spread onto the commercial club circuit and over recent years to regular three-day-long outdoor festivals. In short, electro is everywhere. Read more >>

Titanic sails off in 3D

[Daniel Dercksen] Fifteen years ago, James Cameron brought us Titanic - an epic, action-packed romance set against the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. It will be interesting the see how a new generation of romantics and adventure seekers will team up with undying diehard fans of Titanic sailing off on the big-screen spectacular 3D. Read more >>

Spoegwolf release video for Lenie Blou

[Sindy Peters] In the shadows of a Stellenbosch vineyard lurks a hairy, gleaming-eyed monster called Spoegwolf (Spitting Wolf). The monster, seeking world domination, isn't scary at all - unless, of course, you're terrified of Afrikaans folk-rock. The band of four recently released a video for Lenie Blou and, it being their first video, described the process as incredible, long, and tasting like Powerade... Read more >>

The crime of the century

[Johann Smith] Despite the rain, the majority of the audience stood outside smoking and drinking, trying hard to figure out what to make of Dansmettieduiwels. But for us here tonight, there are several opposing views that will never meet. God only knows. Or rather: only God knows. Read more >>

K-day - once was not enough

[Jordan Scott] Once a year is definitely not enough! The first thing that needs to be said is a huge thank you to KFM and Santam for organising a day to be enjoyed by four-year-olds to 50-year-olds and everyone in-between. One may think that having some 13 500 people in one place would be chaotic, uncomfortable and simply irritating, but Kday was everything but that. Everything was laid out in the simplest of ways and the organisation was phenomenal. Read more >>