| I don’t want to be Scrooge... | A new forecast due to be published this week by retail analysts in the UK predicts that shoppers will spend more than ever in the run-up to Christmas. However, that will mean trading in the first quarter of 2008 - and afterwards as well - will be much tougher as consumers try to cope with their Xmas financial hangover by tightening their belts. Back here in South Africa, things appear to be pretty much the same... we're still spending too much on credit - despite the new National Credit Act - and with a further rate rise, plus a higher fuel price in the pipeline, there are going to be some heavier-than-expected financial hangovers come 1 January 2008. The trouble is, we don't like to be seen as mean, so we splash out, using credit left, right and centre, and then wait for the new year to handle the fallout. It is not wise, so, what we should be saying to all those out there who are expecting something from us in the Christmas stocking... don't hold your breath.
Rod Baker, Content Manager
| | | Headlines | PAMRO documents Africa's varied media landscape
India-Africa energy conference kicks off Tuesday
New concept for Levi Strauss' creation
Sound choices: Finding headsets for your contact centre
Glassmaker invests R1.4-billion in new Gauteng factory
R100m invested in small fisheries
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Retail | | Capetonians do get it!
[ActivRetail] Capetonian readers and advertisers will get it with the recent launch of two new Caxton community magazines in the area.
PAMRO documents Africa's varied media landscape
The country reports from the members of the Pan African Media Research Organisation (PAMRO) shed some light on media in Africa.
Digital knowledge key in marketing
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] In order to revolutionise their brand(s), continuously increase awareness and their direct sales, marketers and retailers have to take full advantage of social networks' increasing digital literacy to acquire knowledge and keep in touch, David Ives, Microsoft SA director of development and platform strategy group, told delegates at the ninth annual Consumer Goods Council of SA ECR conference in Sandton yesterday, Wednesday, 31 October 2007.
Hot to shop
We are hotwired to shop... born to do it, actually - and that is according to Mark Davies (Glendinning), one of the speakers at the ECR conference. He says smart marketers aim to tap into that need in the shopper. But to do so, we have to keep on the move with the only competitive advantage that is sustainable - speed! So says Bob Connolly of WalMart. And shoppers actually want to be educated and marketed to while shopping. The better informed they are, the happier they are... these are just some of the highlights coming out of the ECR conference. Watch them, and more, on video - on blog.bizcommunity.com
Bizcommunity.com Cape Town on the move
Our Cape Town-based Bizcommunity.com head office finally moved into its new premises in Cape Town yesterday, Thursday, 1 November 2007. The new physical address is 24 On Main, Main Road, Mowbray, Cape Town. The entrance is on Rose Street, off Main Road. The new contact numbers are: tel +27 (0)21 680 3500 and fax +27 (0)21 685 1045. Please update your records accordingly.
ECR conference speakers in action
Bizcommunity.com media partners Zoopy.com were on hand to video some of the speakers at the ninth annual Consumer Goods Council of SA ECR conference held in Sandton, Johannesburg, 30 – 31 October 2007. Watch Bob Connolly, ex-executive VP for merchandising and marketing at WalMart in the US, tackle supply chain management; Mark Barnard, SVP of customer development for Unilever Asia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey, share his insights on shopper marketing; and Mark Davies, global business strategy director at Glendinning Management Consultants in the UK, take a look at the global impact of shopper marketing. www.bizcommunity.com also had an interactive display stand in the exhibition area.
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Banking & Finance | | SBI denies takeover report of SA bank
Hot on the heels of a leading Chinese bank's purchase of a stake in Standard Bank, came claims of a bid by the State Bank of India (SBI) to take over South Africa's Capitec Bank. The SBI has since denied the reports.
Household debt to normalise in the future
[Michael Appel] The ratio of household debt to disposable income reached a peak of 76.6% in June 2007, but should be returning to more sustainable levels in the near future reported the National Treasury.
National income per person increases by 22%
[Shaun Benton] South Africans currently have incomes that are on average and in real terms, about 22% higher per person than they were in 1999.
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Brand news | | New hotspot brewing for Binnelanders
A Mugg & Bean will soon become the favourite hang-out coffee spot for the characters on M-Net's locally-produced Binnelanders.
New concept for Levi Strauss' creation
 The Levi's® Copper™ Collection is the latest in denim innovation and gains its inspiration from the first-ever riveted jeans created by Levi Strauss back in 1873.
Yes, you can live well with diabetes
 World Diabetes Day is on November 14 and is aimed at increasing awareness of the disease, its symptoms, prevention of complications and their treatment. Nestlé, a leading nutrition, health and wellness company, has two products that are suitable for use by people with diabetes.
A top red
 Fleur du Cap has confirmed itself as one of South Africa's leading Pinotage producers by securing a place in the top 10 with its 2005 vintage at this year's ABSA Top Ten Pinotage Competition.
Airtime on sale at cinemas nationally
You can now buy airtime at Ster-Kinekor cinemas nationwide.
Africa's best salutes the world's best
 In line with their positioning of the "Best of Africa" gold medal winning liqueur Amarula Cream, saluted the Springbok Rugby team's victorious win over England at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, at a ceremony held on Monday at Cape Town's Newlands rugby stadium.
Fifty-year-old whisky makes it into the record books
Glenfiddich 50 Year Old whisky, reputed to be the rarest and most magnificent single malt Scotch whisky, earned an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records 2000 Edition as “the World's most valuable spirit”. No wonder - at about R18000 a tot.
Snack on sunshine
Simba has announced a new line of snacks for health-conscious consumers – Sunbites.
Global Tourism Awards: the regional winners
The Great Wine Capitals Global Network Best of Wine Tourism Awards have attracted close to 100 entries, almost three times the number of local entries as last year, according to one of its organisers, André Morgenthal, who is also communications manager for Wines of South Africa (WOSA).
All aboard for SA
UK-based RTL Games is set to launch the board game "Destination South Africa", based on the award-winning taxi game "Destination London" that has been "giving Monopoly a run for its money".
Parmalat and Hoxies launch strategic partnership - Parmalat SA (Pty) Ltd
Parmalat SA has embarked on a strategic partnership with Hoxies Pty Ltd. to enter the valuable social catering market sector. Parmalat defines this market segment as consisting of contract catered outlets such as mines, hospitals, as well as independent catered outfits such as staff canteens, and tender-based businesses such as services for the South African National Defence Force and Correctional Services.
I&J Dippy-Dunker delight - Egg Marketing & Communications
 [Jenny Williamson] With the launch of I&J Dippy-Dunkers, I&J aims to communicate its fish finger proposition of quality, balanced nutrition, convenience and fun to families with children. Not only do these ‘dipping-dunking' sea creatures represent the origin of South African's favourite fish fingers, but they also represent the fun action of dipping and dunking it into a selection of sauces.
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Catering | | This fast food's good for you, naturally, and it's... Naked
 Are you constantly on the go with little time to worry about whether you're following a balanced diet? Do your mind and body a favour and visit a unique health fast-food store that has just opened in Cape Town's Tyger Valley mall.
New partners enter social catering sector
Parmalat SA recently embarked on a strategic partnership with Hoxies to enter the valuable social catering market sector.
Top of his class
 A company is only as good as its employees, and for a company to truly realise its goals, each and every employee needs to understand and buy into these goals.
Toasting 10 years of 'eating out'
The 10th anniversary issue of EAT OUT magazine, South Africa's leading restaurant guide, will hit the news stands on 26 November 2007. The glossy annual publication will provide restaurant lovers with a list of South Africa's EAT OUT Top 10 Restaurants, as well as an independently reviewed selection of 800 of the finest restaurants in the country.
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Consumer research | | Strong Q3 growth indicates e-tail market still immature
[John P. Mello Jr.] Online retail sales in the United States jumped 23%, to US$28.4 billion, during the third quarter of this year compared with the same July-September period in 2006.
SEO affects sales of consumer packaged goods
[Sally Falkow] Forty four percent of traffic to consumer packaged goods (CPG) sites comes from search, according to new joint research1 from comScore, Procter & Gamble, Yahoo and SEMPO. And these buyers spent 20% more in the month following their search activity, reveals the study.
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Franchising | | SA's top franchisee
 The Franchise Association of Southern Africa has named Dulcé Café Waterstone the top national franchisee of 2007.
Scooting into first place again
The Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) held its annual awards evening last week and, for the third time, Scooters Pizza won the award for Brand Builder of the Year.
New wellness chain gives hemp a hand
The hemp movement in South Africa has been given a massive boost with the opening of the first Wellness Warehouse at the Lifestyle Center in Kloof Street, Cape Town. The new chain, with three stores opening this year, has been launched to cater to the growing demand for healthy, ethical and socially aware brands; and will be selling a full range of hemp products - much of which will be supplied by Hemporium.
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Health & Safety | | Steel and iron industries ignore safety rules
Preliminary findings of ongoing inspections have painted a picture of an iron and steel industry fraught with high disregard of labour legislation countrywide.
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Import/Export | | India-Africa energy conference kicks off Tuesday
New Delhi – India is hosting the two-day India-Africa Hydrocarbon Conference, from Tuesday, set to bring about 25 Africa states closer to their Indian counterparts in the oil and gas sector.
EU seeks comprehensive ties with Africa
[Grace Kasungami] Brussels - The European Union (EU) says there is a need for a more comprehensive partnership, and more coherent policies towards Africa.
Cash, not politics, is what draws Chinese firms to Africa
China's government may have high-profile political and strategic reasons for seeking closer ties with Africa, but its companies are here mostly for the money, analysts say.
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Merchandising | | New-look logo for 5-a-Day program
 South Africans spontaneously name vegetable and fruit as the key foods promoting health and wellbeing and yet there is a clear gap between our knowing and our doing.
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Promotions | | It's time to Toy Toy
And in doing so, you will be able to bring a smile of happiness to an underprivileged child this Christmas.
SA Brandy Foundation signs up new PR agency
The South African Brandy Foundation has appointed Errieda du Toit PR as their public relations consultants.
Eskom distributes energy-saving light bulbs
[Siboniso Ntuli] Thousands of KwaZulu-Natal homeowners are saving money and electricity as Eskom exchanges their ordinary light bulbs for energy efficient ones, for free.
Sock it to me!
 What do you get when you cross a bus and 5000 socks? You get an innovative campaign to promote Omo, that's what.
Backlit hoardings brighten the gloom
 Primall Media has used backlighting on hoardings at the entrance to shopping malls to draw attention to the designs of jewellery chain, Charles Greig.
Back to basics in marketing whisky
 As the build-up to the FNB Whisky Live Festival gains momentum, the organizers have decided to return to source and employ a very direct approach in marketing whisky, thus branding this year's event with the title, Back to Basics.
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Retail services | | CRM applications set to double in value
As the increasing number of organisations understand the importance of positive customer experiences and strong customer relationships, the market for customer relationship management (CRM) applications continues to expand. In 2006, the global CRM* software market was worth just under US$3.6bn** in licence revenue alone.
Cause-related marketing: The other CRM
[Corrinne Upton] When a business or organisation decides to go the cause marketing route, it's extremely important to choose an issue/cause that is relevant and closely related to your products or services. It's quite crucial to your success that your customers understand why you are supporting the pressing issues. Because CRM can have a big impact on loyalty, it can be extremely targeted and customised for your customers.
Keeping CRM implementation simple
[Erika Morphy] Not too long ago, advice to keep a CRM implementation simple would have focused around due diligence for the application (you never buy a complex product unless absolutely necessary). It would have focused on negotiating the best deal with a systems integrator (these costs can add quickly unless the contract specifies otherwise). Most of all, it would have focused on a clear needs assessment driving the application (buying too many bells and whistles when they aren't necessary is a sure path to overly complicated implementation and a frustrated user base).
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Supply chain | | Glassmaker invests R1.4-billion in new Gauteng factory
 Consol Glass (Pty) Limited, the largest glass manufacturer in South Africa, has announced further plans to increase capacity, with an investment in a new greenfield glass factory valued at R1.4-billion in the pipeline.
R100m invested in small fisheries
[Luyanda Makapela] The small scale fisheries industry, which has been neglected in the past, will now benefit from a R100 million Marine Aquaculture investment project.
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Technology | | Sound choices: Finding headsets for your contact centre
[Joe McGrogan] Not all headsets are created equal, and making the right choice is critical because contact centres require headsets with superior comfort and sound innovation. It also pays to choose a headset from a manufacturer with a proven track record of reliability, service and support.
Wal-Mart sells Linux PCs
[Peter Svensson] Linux, the free operating system that's a perpetual underdog in the desktop market, is showing up in computers in Wal-Mart stores this week for the first time.
Google to put an end to Gphone rumours
[Katherine Noyes] Google will reportedly announce its highly anticipated wireless plans within the next two weeks. These "Google-powered" devices are expected to hit the market in the first half of next year. In addition to including its search engine, Google Maps, YouTube and Gmail in the mobile bundle, Google reportedly plans to use open software exclusively - including with the operating system.
Skype flies the coop with mobile handset
[Walaika Haskins] Skype will unchain itself from PC-to-PC VoIP calling with the launch of a new mobile handset in a deal with mobile network carrier 3. Allowing VoIP service on a handset is a big risk for any carrier, since letting users chat away using Internet connectivity rather than network minutes could pose a threat to the bottom line. Europe's wireless climate, however, could be the perfect place to experiment.
Carving out a unique IT path along the Garden Route
 A high-tech network installation, using SMC Network technology, has been installed at the internationally acclaimed Thesen Islands development in Knysna.
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| | Upcoming events | Relationship selling Milpark Business School - Gauteng, 5 November | More... Submit an event | | |
| | Quotes | | | "Those who flee temptation generally leave a forwarding address. " - Lane Olinghouse | | "A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver." - Thomas á Kempis | | "When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart." - John Wesley | | "All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast." - John Gunther | | More... Submit a Quote | | |
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