Cashing in at the cashiers
Nature Valley granola bars says it enjoyed a significant sales boost after using communicating with consumers via tillpoint advertising.

Mac makes memories of this
Murray Mackintosh has just directed the latest Marmite commercial for Herdbuoys Ekapa, through Delicious Films in Cape Town.

B2B in a Web 2.0 world, Part 3: TV media relations
As familiarity with Web 2.0 features like video-sharing grows, businesses have found a new outlet for company-produced information. Corporate video material once made only for TV news outlets has found a new niche on the Internet. Business' relationship with the media has changed.

Retail Advertising Conference heads to SA
The Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB), in association with its holding company Caxton/CTP Publishers and Printers, will host South Africa's first ever international Retail Advertising Conference (RAC) in Johannesburg, 12 August 2008, and Cape Town 14 August 2008.

Woolworths takes yoghurt off shelves
Gelatine in yoghurt leads retailer to remove product from shelves.

Walmer's new mall set to sizzle
[Sipho Masondo] Excitement is building as new centre gets ready to open its doors to the public next Thursday.

Boland region gears up for wine festival
Expecting more than 12 000 visitors this year, the sixth annual Stellenbosch Wine Festival will take place from 31 July to 3 August at the town's Paul Roos Centre.


Turning the SA fashion design industry into a global player
[Gavin Rajah] It is certainly agreed by all fashion pundits that it is simply not enough to have a range of pretty garments grace skinny models that wander down a ramp show at any one of the many consumer interfacing fashion shows abounding in South Africa, in order to be a success in the fashion industry.

B2B in a Web 2.0 world, Part 2: Social media marketing
The business-to-consumer world has for some time been fully engaged in social media marketing -- pushing its message out through channels like blogs, social news aggregators, social networking portals and video sharing sites. The business-to-business world can learn a thing or two.

Germans like SA wines, ja!
Nederburg gains as Germans grow a thirst for wines rather than beer.

Protect our youth from premature death - The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA
World No Tobacco Day, Saturday 31 May, focuses on Tobacco-Free Youth as the only effective measure to reduce the very real risk of youth becoming regular users of tobacco products in adulthood. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance and child and adolescent experimentation can easily lead to a lifetime of tobacco dependence.

Golf Day with a heart - The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA
The Planet Fitness Royal Cape Golf Day in aid of the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA will take place on Friday, 13 June. The competition format of the annual charity golf day is 4-Ball Betterball Stableford and entry fees include green fees, dinner and great prizes. This is an ideal networking opportunity for companies and their clients.

Ten questions to ask advisers before volatility sets in
Retail investors can become jittery when volatility sets in, but a thorough briefing before your investment portfolio takes shape goes a long way to preventing a later panic attack, says Stanlib.

Mboweni hints at another interest rate hike in June
[Michael Appel] Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni has reiterated that South Africa's inflation outlook is bleak, a signal that the repo rate could be hiked again, when the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets again next month.

Absa joins Facebook
“Social networking sites offer opportunities for us to establish new channels of communication with our customers, and better understand their needs,” says Christo Vrey, managing executive of Absa Digital Channels, and this is why Absa, South Africa's largest retail bank, has launched its profile on Facebook.

A Triumph for SA sportswomen
Tri-Action, a range of innovative sports bras from Triumph, the international lingerie brand, is recognising sportswomen in South Africa for their achievements in their chosen arenas and will be sponsoring the full range of sports bras to the SA Hockey Team and the MTN Women's Cycling Team.


Time for tea
When you think of world-class tea production, KwaZulu-Natal does not immediately spring to mind. However, Nkandla in the rural heartland of the province is home to a world-renowned tea producer that is changing the lives of a community.

Richemont total dividend up 20%
Luxury goods group has reported an 18% increase in diluted earnings per unit to €2.76 for the year ended March.

Steinhoff's empowerment deal falls flat
[Nicola Mawson, Consumer Industries Correspondent] Market forces blamed for empowerment deal failing.

SA chiller appears in thriller
[ActivRetail] Appletiser is a household name in South Africa and abroad. Created in 1965 by Edmond Lombardi, a farmer in the Western Cape region of SA, it is now available in over 35 countries the world over - but achieving global status is not the only feat this South African brand's only boast.

Shareholders to pay again for 'errors' at Tiger
[Nicola Mawson, Consumer Industries Correspondent] Shareholders of SA's largest food and beverage group, Tiger Brands, will again be penalised for its misdemeanours — to the tune of nearly 34c per share in first-half profit — after subsidiary Adcock Ingram Critical Care admitted to bid rigging, for which it has agreed to pay a R53,5m fine.

Join South Africa's newest club
The International Marketing Council (IMC) of South Africa, custodian of Brand South Africa, has launched MediaClubSouthAfrica.com, a web-based media service for all who want to track the country's progress and achievements in the build-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and beyond.

Estate wins gold again, at prestigious London awards
Within weeks of its dual trophy win at a prestigious Belgian awards, Stellenbosch-based Spier Wines has won three gold medals at two of London's largest world wine awards.

What a latte coffee… one every 10 seconds
Canderel takes Gold at Cape Town's GFW and serves over 15,000 hot beverages.


Tiger Brands interim earnings up 15%
[Tiisetso Motsoeneng] Consumer foods and healthcare products group Tiger Brands has reported a 15% increase in headline earnings per share to 756.6 cents for the six-month period ended March.

Lewis could be in for a big earnings windfall
[Nicola Mawson, Consumer Industries Correspondent] Up-fronting of insurance recognition or a massive increase in insurance income could have boosted earnings.

Joining forces to promote digestive health
WGO Foundation and Danone partner up for World Digestive Health Day 2008.

Meaty mixer for man's best friend
Pedigree Mixer is a new complementary product, formulated to boost the flavour and taste of your adult dog's dry food.

Perfect for pets
[ActivRetail] Bob Martin, a household name in the pet healthcare market since 1892, has introduced a new category of nutritional supplements for pets in distinctive silver packaging.


Pravda Vodka's unique range of cocktails - Cornucopia Industries
Pravda Vodka has a unique range of tantalizing cocktails that will add instant glamour to any celebration. These cocktails are quick to make, taking less than five minutes each.


It's party time!

click to enlarge

Following on from their recent re-branding campaign, savoury snack giant, Pyotts has launched a new interactive consumer website, www.partywithpyotts.co.za. The site allows the consumer to design their own e-vites and manage the invitations and RSVPs online, leaving them with one less thing to worry about when planning any event. The site includes information about the brand's range of savoury snacks and gives tips on creating party treats. “Pyotts has re-launched with a new look and feel and the ... site is the ideal opportunity to allow consumers to interact with the brand and products in a fun, novel way. It also puts Pyotts top-of-mind as an entertaining tool with a product to suit every social occasion,” said Sian Loehrer, the company's senior brand manager.

The audience engagement story
[Kevin Mannion] Engagement is a story, not a metric.

The future of advertising: there is no advertising
Online advertising has been evolving ever since the masses discovered the Internet, and the current models for delivery and revenue won't remain in place forever. According to Dana Gardner and his panel of experts, online advertising in the future won't look like advertising at all.

Reaching the mobile consumer
[Daniel Goss] Modern consumers are online, on-air, and on the go. This was one of the dominant focuses at the recent 42nd World Congress of the International Advertising Association. So how should advertisers reach them?


Retailing revolution: fingerprint payment and interactive dressing rooms
A recent survey finds that the majority of shoppers from around the world are expecting technology to make their shopping a great deal easier in the future - and that future, they reckon, is just around the corner.

So? How entrepreneurial are we?
The latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) study, conducted by the UCT Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) based at the UCT Graduate School of Business, has found that more South African youth are developing the confidence and potential to become entrepreneurship superstars.

Digital savvy consumers presage behaviours across US
According to a new analysis from Scarborough Research, six% of all consumers are classified as Digital Savvy nationally, but Austin (TX) adults are almost twice as likely as the national average to be in this leading edge consumer segment.

Breakthroughs in analytics, Part 1
Nobody can read a customer's mind, but with the right analytics technology, you can come pretty close. Past behavior suggests future behavior, so all you have to do is watch. The hard part is figuring out what data to watch for, picking out a pattern, and figuring it all out with enough time to make the right decision.

Schools tickled pink with amaLunchBox donation
Thousands of pupils at 40 primary schools across South Africa can look forward to hygienically prepared meals thanks to the donation of fully equipped container kitchens to the value of R2.4 million by Game Stores this year.


'Billion Tree Campaign' blossoms to seven times its size
A grassroots campaign to plant trees around the globe has announced that it is raising its target from one billion trees to seven billion trees.

Addressing food safety at Hostex 2008
Offerings from SA's top hospitality, catering, decor, design and retail businesses will be on show at South Africa's International Hospitality and Catering Exhibition, Hostex Cape 2008, from 28 - 30 May at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The "Safe Food for Food Service" conference will be running alongside the expo and includes a Simple Food Safety Implementation manual. This two-day training workshop will address the causes of food poisoning, the consequences of an outbreak, the four Cs (cleaning, cooking, cooling and cross contamination) and a review of international HACCP food service and catering systems, to name a few of the presentations. For more information, visit: www.hostexcape.co.za

Winners of Mpumalanga Exporter of the Year Awards 2008
The Mpumalanga Department of Economic Development and Planning in conjunction with ABSA on Friday, 23 May 2008, held a luncheon to acknowledge the achievements of Mpumalanga trade sector and other giants that make the provincial economy tick.

Imperial Logistics acquires stake in Volition
The two companies have formalised their partnership, which will enhance their customer offering.

Free trade tickets for the Jo'burg Wine Show
Trade representatives can now register for free entry tickets to The Jo'burg Wine Show in association with The Star. The show, which is on at Gallagher Estate, Midrand from 27 - 29 June 2008, is one of the fastest growing wine events in the country.


Bite into a bar of gold
Cadbury Dairy Milk is giving South Africans the chance to win a share of the brand's biggest cash prize ever in its annual winter on-pack promotion.

Consumer Protection Bill's impact on marketing
When the Consumer Protection Bill comes into effect next year, most South African companies are going to have to change how they write their customer documents. According to plain-language training and consultancy firm, Simplified, the bill will affect a range of customer documents, from adverts and marketing brochures to more functional documents such as consumer contracts and agreements.

VAT to be cut on sorghum, baby food and chicken
[Michael Hamlyn] All these products are of crucial importance to the poor, and although there is actually no shortage of supply, the prices inflation is putting all of them out of the reach of the very poor.

Pick n Pay revises its earnings
Retail group Pick n Pay has revised upwards its headline earnings for the year ended February 2008.

Government commits to tackling high food prices
[Nthambeleni Gabara] Government is committed to confront the increasing food prices head on, says Limpopo Premier Sello Moloto.

Customers dissing you online? How to fix your brand's rep
Companies looking to suppress negative comments about their products or services could turn to search engine optimization techniques for help. One company, Defend My Name, uses SEO techniques to help position links to positive content on the first page of ratings results.

Blue pushes green with carbon offset modeler
[Keith Regan] Seeking to capitalise on the rapidly growing interest in sustainability and green business practices, IBM has launched a software tool that will help companies analyse the impact of their supply chains on the environment.

Self-service becoming a business imperative for SA utilities
[John Ziniades] Self-service can drive down operational costs for utilities, while boosting customer satisfaction.

Who is copying your content?
One of the beautiful things about the web is that it brings all different kinds of people together. Young and old, rich and poor. People of all races, of all income levels use the web daily.

Security concerns are the biggest barrier to enterprise mobility deployments
[Daniel Okubo] Apple's iPhone has reignited the debate over ‘consumerisation' - when new technologies are introduced into the consumer market and then brought into the enterprise market - with employees determined to integrate their personal devices with their enterprise applications.

Take note!
[Gary Naidoo] Users can expect a great deal of activity and change within the mobile and wireless/ digital lifestyle space in 2008.


Pure sound, pure mobility, pure fun
Logitech has launched its Pure-Fi Mobile speaker system which aims to transform low-fidelity mobile-phone audio into high-fidelity, stereophonic sound - wirelessly.


Cartfly: Giving e-commerce widgets a social spin
[Keith Regan] When an e-commerce startup talks about upending the business model on which Amazon and eBay and other e-tail giants have built billion-dollar businesses, it's clear it doesn't lack ambition.

AMD to slap stickers on gaming-class PCs
[Walaika Haskins] Video game consoles are simple: You buy a machine, look for games made for that machine, and play them. PC gaming is a different story; it's often hard to tell if the game you want to buy will work on your computer. Advanced Micro Devices's (AMD) new Game initiative is aimed at simplifying the process by telling a PC buyer whether or not the machine has what it takes to play a typical computer game.