| Crushing the message | Retail advertising is a wonderful thing in its ability to influence the community towards this product or that, and behaviour patterns and so on. I wonder sometimes how well the message gets across, however. There was a TV advertisement a few months ago featuring a model who used her eye socket to open a drink, after which she gazed at the viewer with a sense of self-satisfaction that was wonderful to behold. The trouble is I could never remember exactly what it was that she or the ad was promoting, and it was only with some mental gymnastics that I eventually remembered it was advertising a 4x4. The latest offering promoting the same brand of vehicles features a scorpion crawling along the floor on what turns out to be a very short journey, since the rather gorgeous model then apparently grinds our ill-fated arthropod into the floor. She is braver than I am... I once almost stepped on a scorpion and in my efforts to avoid it, I did an extremely rapid toyi-toyi - as though I was on steroids. Having said that, I wonder if this is the right message to be putting out – that you crush a living creature? Some years ago there was a bit of an outcry surrounding a TV advertisement featuring sheep and goats sliding down a board. I have not seen any criticism of the arthropod's apparent annihilation yet, and if there hasn't been, I wonder if there will be...?
Rod Baker, Content Manager: Send your news to: retailnews@bizcommunity.com; or visit https://www.bizcommunity.com.
| | | Headlines | New interactive consumer website goes live
Lighter, leaner Nederburg still heads for the stars
The Coca-Cola Company to sell shares
Maponya Mega-Mall opens in Soweto
Zimbabwe passes bill to seize foreign-owned firms
Michael Schumacher back in the driving seat
Branding for the environment: The environmentally sound product
Eat In awards fresh local food
Skukuza gets a new watering hole - with a great menu!
‘I'll have a T-shirt, tekkies and a transmission account, thank you'
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Retail | | Influx of new buyers at winemakers guild auction
 Keen bidding from a host of new buyers as well as faithful followers from as far afield as Denmark, Belgium, USA and the UK, can be expected at the 2007 Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction to be held in Somerset West on Saturday, 6 October.
Lighter, leaner Nederburg still heads for the stars
With 17% less wine on auction and 16 fewer participants, overall income at the 33rd Nederburg Auction in Paarl on Saturday, September 29, was R5,13-million compared with last year's R6,96-million, but the auction still saw a number of successes.
Maponya Mega-Mall opens in Soweto
 [Issa Sikiti da Silva] Former South African President Nelson Mandela, Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo and high-flying businessman Richard Maponya yesterday officially opened the R650 million Maponya Mall in Pimville, Soweto, where an estimated 100 000 onlookers and potential shoppers braved the rain to have an inquisitive look at what many observers now call the ‘Pearl of Soweto'.
Soweto for mobile giant's first retail store
With Internet access becoming an increasingly necessary commodity for South Africans, MWEB today announced the opening of its first retail store – in the new Maponya Mall in Klipspruit, Soweto. This will be the first time the ISP will have its own retail presence and reflects the growing need for consumers to interact face-to-face with their service providers.
Zimbabwe passes bill to seize foreign-owned firms
Zimbabwe's parliament has passed a bill giving Zimbabweans majority control of foreign-owned companies.
Branding for the environment: The environmentally sound product
[Pierre Mare] It is in the product's ingredients themselves that the key to a particular product's impact on the environment lie.
Eat In awards fresh local food
 The winners for the Eat In RMB Private Bank Fresh Produce Awards 2008 were announced at the awards ceremony held at Cape Town's Dish Food & Social last week.
African couture comes to Soweto
 Local business woman, Mapula Makara, will be opening Mebala Couture, in the new Maponya Mall, Soweto. The store will feature men and women's fashion that blends both the traditional and the contemporary style of South Africans with the rich colours, textures and traditions of seshoeshoe fabric.
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Banking & Finance | | ‘I'll have a T-shirt, tekkies and a transmission account, thank you'
Here's a concept in banking that brings bank and store together - so you can buy clothing and open a bank account at the same time.
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Brand news | | Launching on the Platinum Mile
CHRISTOFF, a new brand in luxurious jewellery and the brainchild of Christopher Greig and Anne Tripp, is to launch in November with an icon shop at the 'Platinum Mile' retail development of the V&A Waterfront.
New interactive consumer website goes live
 In line with its heritage as a health and wellness platform, Pyotts has launched a new Pro-Vita consumer website.
The Coca-Cola Company to sell shares
Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA) has been informed by The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) that it plans to sell approximately 18 million shares in CCA, representing about 2.4% of CCA's shares on issue.
Michael Schumacher back in the driving seat
 Michael Schumacher, seven-time FIA Formula One World Champion, is to become Bacardi's Global Social Responsibility Ambassador and drive their campaign communicating a “don't drink and drive” message.
Bigger tub, smaller tum
 Parmalat has introduced a new 1-litre tub size to its smooth low-fat yoghurt. The new pack size complements the current 175g tubs and aims at providing for the demand of consumers for the recently introduced decadent flavours in larger family-sized packs.
Choc manufacturer ups its advertising tempo
 After an absence of 15 years, Cadbury's Tempo is back on television screens across South Africa with a new advertising campaign.
Muscadel makes off with Michelango's Golden Oldie
KWV took home a handful of medals, as well as a trophy, from one of South Africa's leading competitions, the Michelangelo International Wine Awards, on 15 September 2007.
New curve to keep you on the straight and narrow
Vodacom has announced that the new BlackBerry Curve 8310 smartphone is exclusively available to all its customers until the end of October 2007. What distinguishes the Curve from its predecessor is its built-in camera as well as its integrated GPS functionality. This is operational with the pre-installed Vodafone SatNav software and no additional charge is levied (including data); offering customers a map-on-the-move service for detailed route planning. The SatNav software displays the customer's precise location on a map, and gives "turn-by-turn" voice directions that allow the customer to find their way to their destination quickly and easily.
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Catering | | Skukuza gets a new watering hole - with a great menu!
 The Jackalberry Restaurant has been launched in the heart of the Skukuza camp in the Kruger National Park.
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Consumer research | | Survey reveals a variety of uses for vinegar
Think vinegar is merely an ingredient to enhance meals? Think again. From removing laundry stains to repelling insects, a new online survey reveals consumers use vinegar for a variety of household chores.
Running on cloud nine
 The Asics Gel-Nimbus 9 has been selected as the Editors' Choice shoe in a recent review done by gear editors, Lisa de Speville and Sean Falconer in the October issue of Runner's World magazine.
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Import/Export | | Africa must grow its manufacturing sector
[Michael Appel] While Africa is blessed with an abundance of mineral resources and raw materials, the continent contributes less than 1% to global manufacturing figures.
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Merchandising | | 'Halo 3' launch marred by scratched discs
[Chris Maxcer] Microsoft's decision to offer certain editions of its new 'Halo 3' video game in fancy packaging may have turned into a pain in the neck. Buyers who purchased a Limited Edition copy have reported opening the boxes only to find scratched disks. Microsoft said it will replace damaged copies for free, but with so many copies sold, that could be a major inconvenience for both gamers and the company.
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Promotions | | Laying the foundation of a new brand
 Looking at the growth in the premium cider market, Brandhouse created Foundry Premium cider to offer consumers a truly masculine cider with a smooth taste and genuine dry finish. Brewed according to age-old cider making traditions, the master brewers follow a meticulous and time-consuming 871 step process to ensure that every drop meets with their high standards.
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Regulatory | | When recall system is sluggish, customers pay the price
As outsourcing grows, so does the number of product recalls - up by more than 50% in the last six years. What can be done to protect consumers? The best way to address faulty design or any other product flaw - and prevent a recall - is to insist on quality at every stage of the manufacturing process.
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Supply chain | | Going to market - fashionably
NEW YORK, USA - On Tuesday, 16 October 2007, buyers will have the chance to preview some of the industry's leading international Korean designers as their fashion collections make their New York debut at the 'Fashion Market Day', from 9am - 5pm, in Manhattan's exclusive 3 West Club Penthouse.
Global organic cotton production increases
The amount of organic cotton produced globally increased 53% from 2005/06 to 2006/07, according to a new report from California-based Organic Exchange. According to the Organic Exchange Organic Farm and Fiber Report 2007, 57,931 metric tons (MT), or 265,517 bales, were produced in 24 countries on all arable continents.
Supply chain solutions for cash management
Treasurers have the opportunity to bring a greater level of structure and financial discipline to all areas of an organization. As globalization increases, technology advances and the number of suppliers and vendors available to an organization proliferate, the foresight to take a broader view of working capital management can become a competitive advantage.
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Technology | | Hands-on with the iPod touch
[Stephen H. Wildstrom] The new iPod touch from Apple is in a class by itself. It's like an iPhone, only without the phone. It's a music player, though not your best choice if that's what you're looking for. It's a wonderful video player and web browser, despite certain limitations.
Talk about it
Web 2.0 startup, General Internet, has announced the launch of TalkingThings.com - a wiki project that aims to list in one place, details about every consumer product from around the world.
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| | Galleries | | 33rd Nederburg Auction
 
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