Responsible business in a new age
[James Sey] There have been several major socio-economic upheavals in relatively recent history, each bringing in unprecedented economic change and a new way of doing business. The Industrial Revolution brought mass production and mass consumption. The Internet Revolution brought the rise of the information economy, ushering in the current era, that of multinational capitalist globalisation.

SA cities rank high in global emerging markets index
South Africa's status as an emerging regional economic powerhouse was confirmed recently by the findings of the first MasterCard Worldwide Centres of Commerce: Emerging Markets Index. Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban provide solid business environments for companies seeking global growth.

Political party marketing mayhem
[Chris Moerdyk] Legal action by the African National Congress to force the new Congress of The People to change its name along with the launch of two new political party logos, has highlighted the lack of understanding among local politicians of the difference between reality and perception.

Ancillary revenue is key in challenging times
If it doesn't move for five minutes, we will sell it. So says Mango CEO Nico Bezuidenhout. The creation of ancillary revenue streams by airlines has become an essential weapon in the low cost airline arsenal not only as a tool to maintain sustainably affordable fares but, more recently, as a pivotal income channel in an industry hit by the challenging economic climate.

Power to the people: The new era of blogs and social network marketing - Traffic Integrated Marketing
[Jonty Fisher] In modern marketing, word of mouth is crucial to the success of your product or service. It's accepted that 10% of us influence the purchasing behaviour of the other 90% - a scary thought when you consider the potential power that this 10% wields for your brand.

Miss World beauties to assist at FIFA Confederations Cup draw
FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke will be able to count on the Miss World contestants currently in South Africa for assistance during the draw for next year's FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa on Saturday, 22 November 2008.


Confederations Cup tickets now on sale
Fans in South Africa and around the globe can now purchase tickets for the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 online at www.FIFA.com. In SA, fans may also apply for tickets at FNB branches throughout the country. Comments 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan, “Nowhere else in the world can you watch matches of this calibre for R70. In Korea/Japan the cheapest tickets were $50, in Germany they were €35. I am expecting the people of the four host cities to be the first in line to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.”

If it's broke... fix it!
[Gillian Rightford] There's a growing trend for companies to use a pitch consultant to help them source a new ad agency. No wonder, when the average tenure of a client-ad agency relationship has decreased by almost 45% since the '80s, according to UK company Bradford Consulting.


KFC takes on Chicken Licken and loses
There was a ruckus in the henhouse when two fried chicken franchise rivals, KFC and Chicken Licken, went beak to beak over a Chicken Licken television commercial, flighted earlier this year, which ruffled KFC's feathers. This week, the Advertising Standards Authority of SA (ASA) ruled in favour of Chicken Licken.


AAA concerned at economic crisis
Applications for the 2009 academic year are down, says the AAA School of Advertising, and it is concerned that the current economic crisis is affecting parents' pockets and that students are not securing student loans.

ASA upholds Aunt Caroline's image after Tiger Brands' complaint
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of South Africa has ruled that the image of “Aunt Caroline” on Tiger Brands' Aunt Caroline rice product is worthy of protection. Tiger Brands filed a complaint before the ASA against a competitor product, Golden Magic.


JWT scores a break with Nestlé Kit Kat
Challenged to sell an additional eight million Kit Kats during 2008, Nestlé tasked JWT to conceptualise a promotion to drive repeat purchases of Kit Kat 4-Finger and Kit Kat Chunky. The brief stipulated that Nestlé's long-term brand strategy of ‘Have a break, have a Kit Kat' positioning, be maintained.

Alistair Duff off to McCann Stateside
Alistair Duff has accepted the position of senior vice president - group planning director for McCann San Francisco (California). His responsibilities include the management of the company's strategy department, as well as the lead strategic role for several client businesses, which include HP.


Ogilvy takes Coke Brrr to next level
It's not often that a commercial works its way into the fabric of society and becomes a universally adopted catchphrase. Such was the success of the Coke Brrr campaign, developed and launched by Ogilvy Johannesburg last summer, that phase 2 was awarded to the agency. The same concept is amplified by the second phase, extending the campaign and giving it greater depth and legs.


Diamond Status treadmills in Planet Fitness
Discovery Vitality members received VIP treatment in the most unlikely of places courtesy of Unlimited subsidiary TLC - the treadmills at Planet Fitness. The members' regular exercise routines were given a very noticeable make over, as hundreds of treadmills at 14 Planet Fitness gyms around Cape Town and Johannesburg were transformed.


Loeries scholarship to nurture grassroots creativity
The Loeries Scholarship was awarded this year for the first time to enable a talented student from a disadvantaged background to further their studies in communication design at a tertiary institution. The scholarship has the broader aim of increasing awareness of the creative industry as a career path for disadvantaged students and to increase the flow of creative talent into the industry.

McCann Erickson appoints new account director - McCann Worldgroup
McCann Erickson has recently appointed Jason Yankelowitz to the position of account director for client General Motors.


It's a Xmas wrap for Hugh's Haven and Draftfcb Johannesburg - Draftfcb (South Africa)
As one of its contributions to its corporate social outreach beneficiary, Hugh's Haven, Draftfcb Johannesburg has designed a Christmas-themed wrapping paper to encourage South Africans to participate in a toy drive for the child care centre.


McCann Erickson awarded Merck account - McCann Worldgroup
McCann Erickson has been appointed by Merck Consumer Health Care division to work on the company's Multibionta and Slow-Mag brands.

South Africa Ad Network is launched - sabiOne.com
African online display ad network sabiOne.com has launched a South African channel named the 'South Africa Ad Network' within the platform. This has been necessitated by the high number of publishers covering the SA market and the need for better local targeting and ad customisation by local advertisers.

Tequila mixes up the team - Tequila
Tequila South Africa have grown their team with three new appointments and the promotion of people within the talented team. Tequila relaunched earlier this year with a strong focus on digital and design. These appointments will continue to grow the agency and continue the outstanding work that the agency produces.

Louis Gossett Jr. reminds us to ‘keep it real' in the new Windhoek campaign - The Jupiter Drawing Room
Hollywood legend, Louis Gossett Jr., is the hero of the new Windhoek Lager ‘keep it real' TV campaign. After a gruelling seven-day shoot in South Africa and Namibia, the new commercial featuring Gossett recently debuted on our screens. The campaign was conceptualised and produced by The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town and directed by award wining director, Greg Gray of Velocity Films.


Draftfcb brands more towers for FNB, enlivens Bloem's skyline - Draftfcb (South Africa)
Draftfcb Johannesburg has branded four more cooling towers for First National Bank as the bank gears up to celebrate and welcome visitors to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.


AMASA launches updated, funkier website
AMASA has unveiled its new and improved website at www.amasa.org.za. The new site marks a dramatic improvement in appearance, content, navigability and accessibility with a new format which will allow AMASA effortless future expansion. The launch of the site coincides with the introduction of AMASA's bursary scheme and the opening of entries for the 2009 Roger Garlick Award. Once on the site, users are able to download the Roger Garlick entry form, the AMASA membership form, and view 2007's winning Roger Garlick entries.

Building brands in emerging markets - Interbrand Sampson
Aléjandro Pinedo, Nicola Stanisch, Iain Ellwood, Jonathan Chajet and Jeremy Sampson share their perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing brands in developing economies.

Revlon Realistic gives away R20,000 cash - Expanding Branding
Revlon Realistic has just completed yet another successful Instore Campaign giving away R20,000 Cash to one Lucky Winner, Betty Green, from Gillits in KZN.


End-of-year talent boost at The Brand Union - The Brand Union
As most companies tighten their belts during the credit crunch and put a freeze on hiring, The Brand Union has found itself in the fortunate position of being able to boost its talent pool with six more employees this month.

Concept aligns their learning programmes to SAQA registered creative qualifications - Concept Interactive
Concept Interactive was recently awarded Department of Education provisional registration as a Private FET College which is valid until the end of 2014.

Five failsafe commandments for social media apps
[Allan Kent] Social media applications allow companies and brands an opportunity to create, to establish and to maintain long-term relationships with their target audiences that extend beyond the point of purchase. These social media applications result in brand loyalty and top of mind brand awareness - just imagine interaction on your application on a daily basis.


11th AfricaCom congress attracts record registrations
The 11th AfricaCom congress opened earlier this week in Cape Town with record attendance levels and the biggest ever conference and exhibition, reflecting Africa's booming telecommunications market.

Optimise website performance
While businesses spend considerable time, effort and money on producing websites that are informative, aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate, many fail to retain online customers because they are frustrating slow.

SME Survey 2008: ADSL comes of age
Five years since its launch, ADSL has finally replaced dialup completely as the connection of choice for the South African SME. This was among the key findings of SME Survey 2008 on the use of information and communication technologies by small to medium South African companies. “Acceptance of ADSL connectivity has been rapid since its introduction in 2003; in 2005, SME Survey anticipated that it would steadily replace dialup as the connection of choice, but the speed of acceptance has been surprising,” says Goldstuck.

longtail appointed digital partner for Holiday Inn Sandton - longtail
Andrew Rogers, COO of the Hospitality Property Fund which owns and manages Holiday Inn Sandton, has appointed longtail as digital partner.

5 000 visitors pre-register for DigitalLife Expo 2009 - DigitalLife
Just six weeks after launching its consumer campaign, DigitalLife Expo 2009 has persuaded 5 000 people to pre-register for this exhibition, which takes place form 27 - 29 March 2009.

Year-end exhibition at The Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography - Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography
Come join us and view our student showcase at the year-end exhibition, hosted on our premises at 41 Tegnoroad, Technopark, Stellenbosch.


Konitek Training & Development receives recognition at ROCCI/FNB Business of the Year 2008 Awards - Konitek Training & Development cc
The Roodepoort Chamber of Commerce and Industry - ROCCI 2008 Business of the Year Awards, adjudicated by the South African Institute of Professional Accountants was presented at a Gala Banquet co-hosted by First National Bank (FNB) and ROCCI on Saturday, 15 November, 2008 at Montecasino.


AFDA Annual Students Film Festival - AFDA
AFDA is about to have its Annual Students Film Festival. This has always been the debut platform for big international AFDA winners!

Bid partners secured for Meetings Africa
South African Tourism has announced that the Gauteng Tourism Authority, the Johannesburg Tourism Company and the Sandton Convention Centre had come on board as business tourism exhibition Meetings Africa's bid partners, with joint funding of R64-\ million over the next five years.


Lights, Camera, Action! The theme is set for MCQP
The date is set, the limo booked and the red carpet is laid out for this year's Mother City Queer Project. Taking place on 20 December 2008 in Harrington Street, MCQP 2008, in proud association with Good Hope FM, will be all about the Hollywood golden years.


Colin Moss says no to another series of Idols - Quirky House
After presenting three seasons of Idols, the decision by Colin Moss to bow out of the fifth season was not made lightly. Speaking from set in Cape Town, Moss said that turning down Idols was a difficult decision.


True Colour Events set a festive mood for the Alliance Group - True Colour Events
The Alliance Group, recently enlisted the services of True Colour Events to conceptualise and execute an exciting, colourful and interactive function that was aimed at thanking its blue-chip customer base for its support during 2008.


3D Deco Middle East - 3D Deco
3D Deco spreads its magic worldwide! Its branch in Dubai has graced the scenes of very exclusive events in Oman, Doha and Bahrain and has created quite a stir in the international events industry.


Christmas at your fingertips! - Verri Organised
For those of you who have last-minute Christmas requests, parties that need to be planned or gifts that need to be sourced... Verri Organised has restaurants, gifts, decor, crackers, Christmas trees and prop ideas ready and waiting at your convenience.


Less than a month left for photographers to enter for the Profoto Awards, sponsored by Sony a - Volcano Advertising
The opportunity for professional photographers and photography students to enter for the Profoto Awards is drawing to a close. Presented by the Professional Photographers of Southern Africa (PPSA) and sponsored by Sony a (pronounced Alpha), the competition closes on 15 December 2008.

ECHO rebrands and relaunches website - ECHO Events and Conferences
ECHO's new website is live! Months of planning and strategising have culminated into a fresh, new look for its website, following on from our recently unveiled company logo with the stylish, apt strapline “Events Styled For Business”.

South Africa chooses its #1 cocktail bartender - Barcode
With qualification for the IBA World Championships at stake, the best of South Africa's professional bartenders recently met at Johannesburg's Coca-Cola Dome to compete in the National Classic Cocktail Competition. Among the six finalists were three representatives from premium bar services and training company, Barcode, including eventual winner and key training officer at the Barcode Academy, Ryan Duvenage.


3D Deco latest events - 3D Deco
With Christmas at our doorstep and 2008 closing in on us it's not surprising that 3D Deco goes out in style! These flashy displays are the most recent of their brilliant events and expos and prove that some things do get better with time.


Ladies' poker gives book club the boot - Full House Events
A few years ago, the closest most women came to a deck of cards was playing Solitaire at work. But that was before the explosion of poker, which is sweeping the Western world.


Gearhouse In2Structures supplies first Igloo in Dubai - Gearhouse SA
The first Gearhouse South Africa In2Structures MaxiDome temporary venue has been installed in Dubai, on the left bank of Dubai Creek with the InterContinental Dubai Festival City as a backdrop.

NBS 2008 wins Best Trade & Consumer Exhibition of the Year - Biz Events
The National Boat Show featuring Dive Expo (NBS) was named ‘Best Trade & Consumer Exhibition of the Year' in the Exhibition & Event Association of Southern Africa's (EXSA) annual awards, held earlier this month at Nasrec's Expo Centre.


Oasys congratulates this year's EXSA Award winners - Oasys Innovations
Oasys Innovations would like to extend its congratulations to all the winners of the EXSA Annual Awards, handed out at a gala event held at the Expo Centre on 13 November. The evening's theme was “Pride, Passion and Pearls” and the passion on display cemented the industry's importance in the current global economic climate.

Set Squared wins more awards - Set Squared
Johannesburg-based set design and construction company Set Squared rounded off 2008 by adding a further three awards to its impressive trophy cabinet, taking home first prize in three categories at the Exhibitions and Events Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) annual awards last week.

EXSA displays their “Pride, Passion and Pearls” - The Exhibitions and Events Association
The Exhibitions and Events Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) hosted its annual awards dinner at the Expo Centre on Thursday 13 November 2008. The theme for the evening was “Pride, Passion and Pearls” and gave those in the industry an opportunity to display both their pride in their organisation and their passion and dedication to the industry.

Johannesburg HOMEMAKERS Expo wins 2008 EXSA Award for Best Large Consumer Show in South Africa - HOMEMAKERS
The 2008 Johannesburg HOMEMAKERS Expo has been voted the Best Consumer Exhibition of the Year in the category for large exhibitions over 12,000m² at the annual EXSA Gala Award Function held in Johannesburg last week. The award is the second in a row for HOMEMAKERS, with the Cape HOMEMAKERS Expo winning the same award in 2007.


Scan Display makes history with a record five EXSA awards - Scan Display
Scan Display Solutions has ended the year on a high note with five wins at the Exhibition & Event Association of Southern Africa's (EXSA) year-end function held at Expo Centre on 13 November 2008.


Look & Feel Good Expo appoints Marcus Brewster Publicity - Biz Events
South Africa's only all-encompassing premium health, wellness and lifestyle event, Look & Feel Good Expo, has engaged Marcus Brewster Publicity as its agency of record.

Red is the new green
New from Ink Publishing is red - the green magazine - which hit local markets and lifestyle stores in the Cape in October 2008. This free monthly eco-educational lifestyle publication is aimed at urban readers falling within the LSM 7 - 10 segments.


All the 2008 MPASA PICA winners
The 2008 MPASA PICA Awards were held for the second time in Cape Town at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday night, 21 November 2008, attended by the glitterati of South Africa's magazine publishing history. For the first time ever, a Lifetime Achiever's Award was given out - posthumously to the late Harold Rupert Eedes, longtime industry stalwart and MD of Ramsay, Son & Parker (now RamsayMedia) who passed away from cancer earlier this year.

Ramsay, Son & Parker rebrands
Ramsay, Son & Parker will in future be known as RamsayMedia, MD Stuart Lowe announced yesterday, Thursday, 20 November 2008. The change in identity is recognition of the multifaceted nature of the company's business and heralds a new era for the 75-year-old family-owned operation.


Huisgenoot to distribute 400 000 free music CDs
In their quest to support and uplift local music, Huisgenoot is embarking on the biggest undertaking in South African music history by distributing an astounding 408 000 free CDs with its 27 November 2008 issue. The Huisgenoot Somertreffers CD contains 10 tracks from top Afrikaans music stars from their current or forthcoming albums.


Finweek's PICA win, ABC Q3 results - Finweek
At the 2008 MPASA PICA Awards ceremony in Cape Town on Friday, 21 November 2008, Finweek beat 37 magazines to be awarded the Best Cover PICA for its ‘Educashen crisis' cover.


CLASSICFEEL goes dancing! - DeskLink Media
CLASSICFEEL has announced that the award-winning monthly arts and culture magazine will be media partner to the FNB Dance Umbrella 2009.

Africa Geographic goes digital
Recently launched is the African Wildlife Foundation's Africa Geographic Digital Magazine, which includes up-to-date field reports about AWF's conservation efforts in Africa, live video and audio footage, photography, slide shows, interactive book previews, and the best in-depth coverage from its seasoned correspondents. For more information, go to http://africageographicdigital.com/awf/.

Licensed to chill
Silhouetted sommelier, winning winemaker or international man of mystery? Wine's intriguing December cover bears a striking resemblance to the poster for the new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, thus signalling the theme of this issue which also announces the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year. "The suave ladies' man with a passion for fast cars and a penchant for martinis, good wine, expensive Champagne and caviar epitomises Wine's pay-off line, 'a taste of good living'," explains Wine's editor, Christian Eedes. "That, coupled with the release of the new Bond movie in the same week as the December issue goes on sale, was an opportunity too good to pass up. The cover and content explore that synergy."

SA journo wins international awards
Veteran South African freelance journalist Lana Jacobson has won two 77th Writer's Digest International Competition Awards for Inspirational Writing and Memoir Writing.

Future SABC boards - puppets, politicians or plonkers?
[Chris Moerdyk] Now that the ANC has bulldozed through its quite incredibly dim-witted Broadcasting Amendment Act, all that remains to be seen is how quickly it gets rid of the incumbent board and just who will be selected to take our national broadcaster on the next leg of its voyage of the damned.

Be more positive about Africa, journalists told
[Walter Wafula] Africa's journalists should compile positive stories to improve Africa's image and open it up to growth opportunities.

The mobile web: an untapped opportunity for publishers
[Rick Joubert] I had the opportunity to speak at the Bookmarks breakfast workshop at the invitation of the South African Online Publishers Association (OPA) last week both in Cape Town and Johannesburg. My target audience at this event was really the online publishers and my principal challenge to them was: ‘Why has the South African online publishing industry not made any significant in-roads in the mobile web?'


The next step for social media
[Mike Stopforth] The honeymoon is over. Much of the hype and noise surrounding social media and its meteoric rise (especially in the USA) has abated. Perhaps owing to the global economic crisis, arguably due to the apparent lack of sustainable business models and possibly as a result of some semblance of reasonable thinking, we're no longer reading about $1.6 billion investments in YouTube and $15 billion Facebook valuations.

In today's economic climate it is critical to be conducting regular competitive reviews - Ornico
The Xmas season is a critical period in your business to make or break your budgets. Either way it will be necessary to conduct a competitive advertising review in the New Year.

Internet, mobile tech driving local SME competitiveness
The increased access to high-speed Internet connectivity and the widespread adoption of mobile phones are stimulating entrepreneurial innovation by digitising core business operations and creating new business models. These factors are said to be providing small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with a competitive edge in local and global markets.

WASPA provides more mobile consumer protection
The latest initiative by the Wireless Application Service Providers' Association (WASPA), aimed at protecting mobile consumers, kicked off this month.

Mobile NOHO office becoming the norm
Everyone in business has heard of the SOHO - Small Office Home Office. Now make way for the NOHO - Small Office No Office. The concept is introduced in a new book, The Mobile Office, released yesterday, Thursday, 20 November 2008, by pioneering technology writer Arthur Goldstuck.


Fixed mobile substitution biggest trend in voice market
Africa's leading ICT Market Research and Analysis firm, BMI-TechKnowledge has announced the publication of its latest report entitled SA Voice Services Market Forecast and Analysis. The report reveals that during the period 2007 to 2012, combined fixed and mobile revenues are forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 4.5% with the individual fixed and mobile segments growing at -1.9% and 7.2% respectively.

Cell One brings Opera Mini to Namibia
OSLO, NORWAY - Marking the company's first operator-branded delivery to Africa, Opera Software announces its new agreement with Namibia's Cell One.

Foreign exchange traders profit from immediate mobile alerts via Clickatell SMS - Clickatell
Clickatell and FX trading company Easy-Forex have announced that SMS alerts are providing foreign exchange traders up-to-the-minute information - including foreign exchange rate alerts, limit order status, deal closure notifications, and more.

New Heights Microfinance Bank Ltd Nigeria selects Clickatell to provide mobile messaging - Clickatell
New Heights Microfinance Bank Nigeria has chosen Clickatell to deploy mobile messaging services to its customers.

US Superstars Wyclef Jean and Fergie team up with Motorola for SA MOTOROKR™ STAR - Grapevine Media
Motorola has launched MOTOROKR STAR, a competition to discover and promote new musical talent.


Moneyweb launches breaking news SMS service - Strike Media
Moneyweb, South Africa's leading source of independent financial and investment information, has partnered with mobile marketing companies Strike Media and OptionAds to launch an SMS news service designed to keep decision makers in touch with key market news, wherever they are.

Mobile game now with added football community SMS feature - Starfish Mobile
Starfish Mobile Nigeria has teamed up with Zain, a major mobile Telecommunications company, to launch the latest football community mobile news alert feature based on the top European teams.

MMS and SilverstoneCIS confirm mobile marketing alliance - Multimedia Solutions
Multimedia Solutions and SilverstoneCIS have partnered together to form a strategic alliance to deliver an integrated mobile marketing offering to the market. Their unique value proposition includes the strategy, services and technology required to assist advertising agencies and brands in utilising the mobile channel to effectively reach consumers.

Online child abuse increases, media urged to join fight
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Online media outlets have been urged to join the fight against Internet child abuse (mostly child pornography and sex chatrooms), which is on the increase worldwide but goes underreported due to the lack of efficient mechanisms, legislation, funding and national reporting centres, especially in Africa, which faces the challenges of poverty, corruption and conflict.

Arrival of the virtual car showroom
Platypus Productions recently completed a six-month project for Car magazine, creating a virtual showroom for potential car buyers.


New media students win ITWeb bursary - ITWeb
Tallulah Habib and Frazana Rasool, both third-year journalism students at the Rhodes School of Journalism and Media Studies, are the joint winners of the ITWeb Journalism Bursary, introduced this year.


Fin24.com scoops ‘Best Online Solution' at Pica Awards - Fin24.com
Financial news website Fin24.com won the ‘Best Online Solution' at a gala awards ceremony for the 2008 MPASA PICA Awards on Friday night, 21 November 2008.


Fin24.com shoots the lights out - Fin24.com
Fin24.com, the online business publication in the Fin24 stable, celebrated the launch of a thorough site redesign by posting its best ever readership figures.

Open Air Cinema helps educate, entertain Africa
LINDON, UTAH: Open Air Cinema has announced a humanitarian effort that includes a subsidised program to provide non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and small business owners in Africa with its inflatable movie screens to show films in an outdoor environment.


Splashing out with dirty sexy money
M-Net and Mindshare recently chose The Letter Corporation (TLC) to assist in boosting support of its popular Thursday evening blockbuster series ‘Dirty Sexy Money'. To grab the attention of entertainment-seeking weeknight TV viewers, cheeky creative has been applied to supersized decals in the washrooms of Ster-Kinekor and Nu-Metro cinemas in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban for a one-month period.


Comutanet turbo boosts the Sunlight brand
Unilever brand, Sunlight called on ComutaNet to launch its line extension, Sunlight Turbo. Fifty Quantum mini buses are sporting full branding for the six month campaign period between September 2008 and February 2009 in the country's major metropolitan areas.

SAFTA nominees released
Nominees of the third South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) were announced last week at an event held at Johannesburg's Atlas Studios - the culmination of the call-for-entries and judging processes that commenced in April and August 2008 respectively.

Karate Kallie in production
Karate Kallie, the chubby, love-struck schoolboy victim of a psychotic bully, will be making his big-screen debut next year. Production has started on a full-length adaptation of the short film which developed something of a cult following during its frequent airings on M-Net last year.

You're invited to a studio recording of The Coconuts sitcom! - ATTV Communications
Come and be a part of South Africa's funniest sitcom! Audience bookings for the second season of the multiple award-winning comedy, The Coconuts, are now open.

Creating positive brand-building experiences - Habari Media
Promotion and tactical direct marketing specialist Habari Direct has sourced two new partners to add to the variety of rewards available to clients aiming to generate effective, brand-building lifestyle promotions.

Strictly Come Dancing postcard and promotion campaign - Grapevine Media
This year the Strictly Come Dancing postcard campaign run by Grapevine Postcards surpassed all expectations. The campaign was split up into a club promotion campaign coupled with the postcard campaign that featured all ten celebrity contestants.


“Where Were You?” postcard campaign - Grapevine Media
Do you remember when Joe ‘S'dumo' Mafela made S'Gudi S'Nice a household catchphrase? What about the very colourful television screen test pattern always accompanied by that ‘melodius' “bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep”? If you do, then you're bound to indulge in the massive trivia vault of local broadcasting memories being served up on the brand new trivia game show “Where Were You?”.

Do spin doctors have a role in democratic society?
[Thabani Khumalo] The profession of spin doctors is as old as the practice of the cult of the personality by dictators and powerful characters. Throughout history, there had always been leaders who had fostered adulation through trusted lieutenants and assistants. Spin doctors are more than just propagandists or publicists, acting as advisers, counselors and trusted employees to their masters.


PURE Communications sees green in Africa - PURE Communications
There was an American and a Zulu in the boardroom. It sounds like the prelude to a punch line, doesn't it, jokes Gregory Serandos, one half of the directorship of PURE Communications. But this unconventional pairing of Serandos, originally hailing from the US, and counterpart Tumi Ndaba, are proving to be a powerful force in PR and turning heads in boardrooms everywhere. Particularly on the African continent.


PR in a recession - Time to learn more to earn more - Encyclomedia
Uncertain economic times means that now, more than ever, it's time to invest in your own success. This doesn't mean hiring more staff, but it does mean taking responsibility for own success and investing in your own education first.

The resurrection of YFM?
[Tshepiso Seopa] Earlier this year, YFM launched its new strategy, choosing not to retain old voices as part of its new lineup for 2008/9. GP's hottest frequency, as it's affectionately known, opted for programming filled with unknown voices from the station's Y Academy. Bizcommunity.com recently caught up with programme manager Vukile Zondi to find out more about the Joburg Rosebank-based station.

5FM wins at inaugural Africa Radio Forum
5FM was awarded the Best On-air Radio Promotion of the Year for its Michael Jackson 50th Birthday celebrations promotion at the first-ever South African Radio Forum that took place at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, last week.

Radio industry launches RAB
[Tshepiso Seopa] A new South African industry body, the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), was launched during the South Africa Radio Forum 2008, which took place at Johannesburg's Sandton Convention Centre on Friday, 14 November. RAB will guide advertisers and their agencies in the more effective use of radio as an advertising medium as well as advise them on the more effective use of radio as a communications tool.

Annual Christmas Wish launches
Bring your tissues and brace yourself for 94.7 Highveld Stereo's Rude Awakening Christmas Wish list initiative which is bound to bring a tear to the eye while driving or at the office as the morning team help change the lives of those less fortunate.

Award-winning radio - Jacaranda 94.2
Jacaranda 94.2 will not easily forget November 2008. South Africa's number one independent radio station is over the moon that it is has been the winner of not one, but four stellar industry awards in the last week!

Shado Twala joins Heart 104.9FM - Heart 104.9
Heart 104.9FM is proud to announce another major addition to their on-air talent pool. Shado Twala now hosts Shado's Sundays from 2pm to 6pm every Sunday.


SA designs adorned at International Emmys
Award-winning actress and Metro FM newsreader Vatiswa Ndara will be showcasing South Africa's top clothing and jewellery designers to the world at the 36th International Emmy Awards on Monday, 24 November 2008. Ndara, who had the honour of being selected as one of the international jurors for the Emmys, jetted out to New York this week. She is being dressed by designers David Tlale and JJ Schoeman and will be adorned by jewellery crafted by local designer Isaac Molefe, who is as renowned for his job creation and poverty alleviation projects. Dr Precious Moloi Motsepe's African Fashion International facilitated the designer sponsorship.

Job seekers can earn money while looking for a job - Jobs.co.za
Jobs.co.za has announced the launch of its Job Seeker Referral Reward Programme, where its job seekers can earn cash for referring their friends to the South African job portal.

Cracking the research code
Telmar director Lisa Botha explains how users of AMPS and other SAARF research products can make life easier by taking a few minutes to code their own unique groups of variables, making future runs quicker.

New insights into the GLBT market
While much research is available on the spending power of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) communities in the USA, little information is available on the South African market. To give advertisers an indication of the financial impact of local GLBT spend, Pink Advertising commissioned Freshly Ground Insights to conduct a survey profiling this community.

Demographics of the emerging black middle class in SA
A recent study by the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) at the University of South Africa (Unisa) estimates the size of South Africa's emerging Black middle class (defined as Africans/Blacks aged 16 years and over and within Living Standards Measures 5-7) as 9.3 million in 2007 as against 6.3 million in 2001.

Bring on 2010: Optimism is up! - African Response
69% of South Africans are positive that our country will be ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, according to market research company, African Response.

Columinate: Online research, design and optimisation - Columinate
Columinate is a multipart online solutions company offering online marketing research-, website testing and creative design. From the principle of collaborative illumination the company provides innovative and integrated solutions.


The 2009 30th SAMRA Conference rates remain unchanged! - SAMRA
2009 sees SAMRA Conference Celebrate its 30th year! Reflecting back upon what we've learned, and celebrating how far we've come...

This cheddar is a champ!
After South Africa achieved excellent results in this year's Paralympics, an Olympic victory of a different kind was to come!


Franchisees' protection a feature of new bill
The Consumer Protection bill is far-reaching and the first legislation of its kind in South Africa that will codify the common law in relation to the rights of consumers.

Retailer recognises suppliers for commitment to protecting the environment
Woolworths has announced that not one, but three, of its suppliers have just been named winners of Woolworths Eco-Efficiency Awards for 2008.

Pointeq's Windward System Five Software offers you a complete furniture store solution - Pointeq Teqnologies
Pointeq's Windward System Five (WWS5) is a fully integrated point of sale software package that helps run your furniture store instead of just reporting on it.

Principles of persuasion
[John Boe] Whether you're conducting a one-on-one interview, motivating your sales team or delivering a keynote address, your success as a leader is defined by your ability to persuade with clarity and passion. In fact, you might say that leadership is synonymous with effective communication.

SABC board meets with political parties
The SABC board has held a series of successful meetings with leaders of political parties in Cape Town over the past two days in order to discuss the SABC's approach to the forthcoming national and provincial elections.

Ensuring a viable SABC…
The SABC Board and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications share the responsibility of ensuring that South Africa has a credible and successful public broadcaster the chairperson of the SABC Board, Kanyi Mkonza, told the portfolio committee in Cape Town yesterday, 18 November 2008.

Askies?! What do you know?
From 16 January 2009, SABC 2 will screen a brand new local sitcom ‘Askies'. With 11 official languages and a handful of quirky but determined students, the sleazeball from upstairs, and, of course, their Afrikaans-speaking Zulu teacher all contribute to the question Askies asks: ‘Will they ever learn to understand one another?'

Computer glitch eliminates wrong dancing couple
The producers of SABC2's Strictly Come Dancing confirmed last week that an electronic calculation error during last week's live show (20 November 2008) resulted in the wrong couple, Garth Collins and Hayley Bennett, being eliminated from the show - the first time in the show's history that such an error has occurred. As a result, the two will return this week, with the exact format and elimination procedure to be revealed. All votes from last week will be added to this week's.

[BizPod 002] OPA chair Adrian Hewlett on the inaugural Bookmarks
[BizPod/Interactive] Last week saw the inaugural Bookmarks awards ceremony being held in Johannesburg. A lot has been said since, both offline and online (including Twitter). In episode two of BizPod/Interactive, Bizcommunity.com's new podcast which aims to unpack all the latest trends in digital marketing and social media, host Japie Swanepoel chats to Adrian Hewlett, chairman of the Online Publishers Association (OPA), about the good, the bad and the ugly of the event.