CMOs not sold on social networking ads
More than half - 55% in fact - of the chief marketing officers at leading brands surveyed by Epsilon said they're not too interested (22%), or not interested at all (33%), in incorporating social networking sites into their marketing strategies.

SA wine industry needs collaborative strategic marketing
[Greg Castle] There is no reason why our South African wine industry should have to choose between big players and small boutique winery strategies when advancing on the worldwide wine market. Perhaps as one who has worked within the field of strategic marketing for over 16 years, while maintaining a passion for wine tasting, collecting and more recently wine making, I feel that the road may not be quite as black and white as Business Day's Michael Fridjhon suggested earlier this year.


The band behind the iPod Nano ad buzz
The latest campaign for the iPod Nano is apparently creating a buzz in the market: Who is the band? Was it produced locally? [video]

Seeing SA through the eyes of US bloggers
[Simone Puterman] Hosted by the International Marketing Council (IMC) of South Africa, the We Blog the World: South Africa - Blogging South Africa Tour 2008 - is currently underway. As SA blogger Matthew Buckland writes, “the idea [is] to show some key US bloggers what our country is made of: the good, the bad and the complex.”


Single platform campaigns return results
[Thendo Ratshitanga] Effective integration of various key strategic communications within an organisation yields far better marketing results than bringing together various different service providers such as an advertising agency, a branding specialist and a public relations consultancy to work together.


PROs and events organisers need to wise up to technology - Chris Moerdyk
Marketing is all about attention to detail. To make sure that you don't contribute to the R50 billion that is wasted in South Africa every year because someone wasn't thinking things through. Take functions and events for example. Or even plain and simple meetings.

FIFA, AFP Foundation to train African media
More than 300 African sports journalists will be invited to attend training next year as part of a programme financed by FIFA. Training will be provided by the AFP Foundation, an independent, non-profit organisation set up by Agence France-Presse, one of the three global news agencies.

SA not rising to its creative, job-generating potential
[Mike Freedman] Globally, the creative industries are seen as vehicles of strong economic growth but South Africa lags in promoting and advancing these opportunities.


Dubai Lynx Awards 2009 open for entries
Entries are now open for the third Dubai Lynx Awards, the Middle East and North Africa Advertising Awards for creative excellence.

Cape Town - new home of the Loeries
The 2009 Loerie Awards will take place at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town in 2009, the Loeries Committee finally announced this morning, Friday, 5 December 2008. And with the move to Cape Town, the date of the Festival Weekend is changing from July to 25 - 27 September 2009. [poll]


Early orders discounted for 2008 Loeries Annual
With the Loeries having celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, the 2008 Loeries Annual, designed by Net#work BBDO, promises to be a bumper edition. It will close off the 2008 theme, “Make your mom proud”, taking on the appearance of a family photo album. It also comes with a DVD set featuring the TV, radio, experiential and digital winners.

Time to end petty jealousies in mass media
[Chris Moerdyk] There is no doubt right now that never before in the history of this country has the media environment been quite so competitive. And, as the economy worsens, this competition will become decidedly bloody. So, it will probably sound contradictory - if not a little silly - to suggest that there is now no better time for competing media to stop snapping at each other's heels and start co-operating with each other.

More love for Vodacom
Vodacom's new TV ad, More Love, which aired for the first time on Sunday night, 30 November 2008, was commissioned by Draftfcb and directed by Amy Allais and produced by Olivia Leitch of Ola! Films. [video]


Insight Communications wins International Quality Crown Award in Platinum category - Insight Communications
Insight Communications, generally referred to as Insight, bestrides the Nigerian marketing communications industry like a colossus. Since its debut in 1980, the advertising industry has never remained the same.


Murder mystery party for Activate - Activate Communication
Integrated brand agency Activate recently celebrated in style with a murder mystery (whodunnit) Christmas theme party at the historic Coedmore Castle.


Brandbar takes a ‘Fresh' approach - Brandbar
Brandbar, relative newcomer to South Africa's advertising and production industry, recently tasted great success when its King Pie campaign, featuring well-known radio personality, DJ Fresh, became an overnight sensation.


The first winner from Nigel receives brand new car from Absa - Mortimer Harvey
Nigel resident, Trevor Moteana aged 24, is the first of three winners to receive a brand new Chery Tiggo TXE valued at R174 000, following a national campaign that Absa ran from September to November 2008.


Pasella's masterful new imaging - Masters & Savant
As one of South Africa's best loved Afrikaans lifestyle programmes, featuring practical insight into art, decor, food and the outdoor, Pasella (meaning "for free" or "gift") required an update of its programme imaging.


New ‘love story' from Vodacom for summer - Draftfcb (South Africa)
Vodacom has launched its traditional end-of-the-year campaign with a television commercial inspired by one of the most memorable on-screen romances to come out of Hollywood.


FoxP2 clinch Financial Mail Agency of the Year - FoxP2
FoxP2 edged out agency giant Ogilvy Jhb to take top honours at the Financial Mail AdFocus Awards held at Montecasino, Fourways, Johannesburg, last week.


2009 Cannes Lions Film, Press jury president announced

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LONDON: David Lubars, chairman and chief creative officer of BBDO North America, will chair both the Film and Press juries in 2009, the organisers of the 56th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival announced yesterday, Tuesday, 2 December 2008. "David is a visionary whose boundless creativity is an inspiration to us all. He is a regular fixture on stage at Cannes, where he has collected Lions for outstanding work across multiple categories over many years," said Philip Thomas, CEO of Cannes Lions. "We are honoured that he will be chairing the Film and Press categories next year." Lubars has been at the helm of BBDO since 2004 and has overseen the agency's transformation into "a 21st century version of a kick-ass 60's New York agency".

The new Springbok identity - much ado about nothing?
[Thebe Ikalafeng] So, the executive of SARU this week finally made a decision about the future identity of the Springboks. Throughout the "process", for lack of a better description of the debacle over the last few weeks, there has been a general overreaction to the concept of introducing the Protea emblem to the bokke jersey - perhaps because it was made by politicians rather than by brand and business people who understand brands and branding, or even better, the consumers - the fans.


New MD for Switch Branding and Design
Robert Havik and Adam Botha have recently been appointed MD and creative director of Switch Branding and Design (a division of the Switch Group) respectively, it was announced yesterday, Tuesday, 2 November 2008.


Building African brands in Africa, for Africa - The Brand Union
[Anthony Swart] When one thinks about Africa and the brands that we consume and love, we often refer to the international names that have moored ship on our shore. This is true too for South Africa, but more so the rest of the continent.

What happens to South Africans in December? - Expanding Branding
South Africans spend the whole year saving for that Summer Holiday. It is the time when you get to place your message or your brand directly into the holiday hands of thousands of bored travellers.

Christopher Koller appointed MD of Interbrand Sampson - Interbrand Sampson
In line with the continued growth Interbrand Sampson has experienced for the last two years, Christopher Koller has been appointed as the group's MD.

Nu Metro increases footprint in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth - Popcorn Cinema Advertising
Nu Metro has recently purchased two key independent cinema theatres, Grandwest in Cape Town and Boardwalk in Port Elizabeth. Popcorn Cinema Advertising retains the cinema advertising rights which it has held for the past three years. Attendances for both cinemas combined, averages around 400 000 a year.

Customer experience is competitive differentiator - study
Companies that have better customer experience management capabilities, along with a strong customer orientation, enjoy a decisive competitive advantage. This is according to the results of a new American survey from SAS, Peppers & Rogers Group and Jubelirer Research.

Orphans party with Miss World 2008 contestants
On Saturday, 6 December 2008, Southern Sun, together with Johannesburg Tourism Company and Joburg Zoo, hosted a Christmas party for 391 orphaned children and the Miss World 2008 contestants on the Centenary Lawns at Joburg Zoo.

The Open Window awards study bursaries to talented PDIs - The Open Window
If you are young, creative and interested in entering the world of design and multimedia, The Open Window has several opportunities available to study for a three-year degree or a two-year diploma in visual communication design.


An acquired taste? - The Open Window
“Good taste is just another way of saying you've got the fundamentals of something nailed down to an intuitive level.” (Signal vs. Noise 2008). Anette Barnard, lecturer in Visual Culture at The Open Window School of Visual Communicatio, shares her view on the topic of Good Taste.

Google turns whole web into social network
[Vincent Maher] It was just a matter of time before Google started to leverage the massive base of Google accounts to connect everyone together. As usual, this new Google project is ambitious - instead of creating a new social network as a destination site, the new Friend Connect service takes the network to where the people already are - on blogs and websites.


Quirk scoops international SEO award
Full-service online marketing agency Quirk eMarketing walked off with its first international accolade last week - the E-consultancy Innovation Award for Innovation in SEO & Natural Search for its South African Tourism Google Earth Layer.


Internet turnaround has begun in SA - report
In the past year, the Internet user base in South Africa has seen its highest rate of growth since 2001, increasing by 12.5% to 4.5 million. This is the key finding of the Internet Access in South Africa 2008 study, released today, Thursday, 4 December 2008 by World Wide Worx.

Watchdog report tackles digital divide in 2008
How do we ensure access to the Internet is a human right enjoyed by everyone? This is one of the critical questions asked by an annual publication that highlights the importance of people's access to information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure - and where and how countries are getting it right or wrong, and what can be done about it.


Tenth African ICT Achievers Awards winners announced
Late last week, all finalists, ICT key decision-makers and ICT ministers across the African continent came together at Emporers Palace in Johannesburg in celebration of the African ICT Achievers Awards tenth anniversary.

Will Seacom cable enable a sea change?
Bandwidth, bandwidth, bandwidth. It is a problem which is as old as the Internet is in South Africa and which is seemingly impossible to solve with an intractable Department of Communications, an obstinate monopoly and an unwilling government as primary obstacles. However, the telecommunications industry in SA is, if nothing else, endlessly optimistic that the situation will change - and so it does, albeit rather slowly - to deliver the bandwidth necessary to enable real broadband services.

First SA blog survey results
[Simone Puterman] The results of Speak Up!, a survey of South Africa's blogger community by 24.com, conducted by imagineNATION Alliance, are in, giving a clearer picture of this group of ‘vocal locals' who publish their thoughts and opinions online, regularly read and post comments on other blogs, and meet other bloggers offline.

Breaking through the clutter - MTN discovers new ways of communicating the MTN Domestic Championship - d6 Media
If you love the game, the game now loves you! MTN has developed a range of digital communications so that you can keep up-to-date with what's happening on the field, from the comfort of your desk.


Ngalecollect: a multi-faceted asset retrieval and recoveries management system - Ngale Africa
Ngale Africa has developed an online solution for all companies and organisations that use an asset retrieval and recovery system.

Online directory for VoIP numbers
MWeb Business has launched a directory of 087 Voice over IP (VoIP) numbers. Currently the database includes all 087 numbers held by MWeb Business clients, but will soon be expanded to a national listing, containing all 087 numbers held throughout South Africa. Explains Herman Jansen van Rensburg, “The new 087 Directory is an online directory, available at www.call087.co.za and is searchable by number, client or business name. MWeb will manage the additions of all 087 numbers into this database and we are working with other VoIP providers to make this as comprehensive a catalogue as possible.” Listing on the directory will be offered free of charge.

Toyota Tsusho Centre of Excellence - IT Solutions for your business - Toyota Tsusho Centre of Excellence (COE)
Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. ~ Aristotle

Mzantsi's hot new band to share stage with Snoop Dogg and Maroon 5 - Offlimit Communications
Virgin Mobile has announced the Road To V, which is a search for unsigned music acts in South Africa that gives them a chance to win a place on the Virgin Festival stage to join the likes of Snoop Dogg, One Republic, Eddy Grant, The Parlotones, Zebra & Giraffe and Jozi.

Less than two weeks left for photographers to enter for the Profoto Awards, sponsored by Sony a - Volcano Advertising
With the closing date of 15 December 2008 looming, professional photographers and photography students have less than two weeks to submit their entries for the Profoto Awards.

LiquidChefs taking functional artistry to the next level - LiquidChefs
As ever, LiquidChefs' finger is on the pulse of what the mobile-bar-consumer wants. Now, not only can you get a fully-staffed and stocked bar in a location of your choosing, you can also customise the back-bars yourself to suit your theme or personality.


Clem Sunter - 2008 Speaker of the Year - Conference Speakers International
Conference Speakers International (CSI) has announced Clem Sunter as its 2008 Speaker of the Year.

Smiles all round! - Volcano Advertising
Towards the end of last week, Volcano Advertising celebrated the true spirit of the festive season by hosting a special Christmas party for the children of Lulamani Day Care Centre from Kenana squatter camp in Rabie Ridge. The party was hosted at Yeesh! Play Centre in Woodmead.


Colin wins at Poker - Quirky House
Colin Moss won the Fortuna Celebrity Poker Evening last week which marked the opening of the new Fortuna Poker Room at Emperor's Palace.


Sony's 2008 Fevapitch ends on a high note - Volcano Advertising
The Sony Fevapitch Soccer series came to a close when the finals were held at Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Johannesburg, last week.


Sony draws attention with spectacular display at FIFA Confederations Cup draw - Volcano Advertising
What is billed as groundbreaking technology was used to create Sony South Africa's display at the FIFA Confederations Cup Final Draw at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, which took place last month.

The role of exhibitions, festivals during economic downturns
Now, just as after 9/11, consumers are facing economic trauma syndrome. For many, the first area to get the chop is marketing, advertising and promotional events such as exhibitions and festivals. Expo Centre Shareholder and executive director of the 2009 Joburg Easter Festival, Raymond Burke, believes that business should maintain a 360 degree approach to marketing despite a challenging climate, always looking for a new marketing and sales opportunity.

New executive appointments at Oasys Innovations - Oasys Innovations
Exhibitions and events infrastructure supplier Oasys Innovations recently announced three new executive appointments at its Johannesburg and Cape Town offices. Kevin Kennedy, previously chief operations officer (COO) in Cape Town has been transferred to Johannesburg to support the management team with strategic assignments. Graham Jeffery takes over as COO in Cape Town and Marilyn White joins as chief financial officer.

Bumps, babies, parenting and inspiration all found at Baba Indaba 2008! - Baba Indaba
What an amazing year in the baby and child category it's been for South Africans all round. The Baba Indabas are some of the busiest and best consumer events for the baby and toddler industries.

Double triumph for La Colombe at the 2008 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards - New Media Publishing
La Colombe at Constantia Uitsig in Cape Town has walked away with two 2008 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards: Restaurant of the Year and Chef of the Year to chef Luke Dale-Roberts.


Move! shines at PICAs - Media24 Family Magazines
Move! magazine received Highly Commended recognition for their 7 May cover in the Consumer Publishing Excellence category at this year's MPASA PICA Awards.


Substance in stylish packaging - The Publishing Partnership
Private Edition is the latest publication to be added to The Publishing Partnership stable - a magazine for readers for whom wealth is simply a means to a more exciting end.


Obrigado bags four 2008 MPASA PICA Awards - The Publishing Partnership
Cult urban mag Obrigado walked away from the 2008 PICAs with four awards. Judges described The Publishing Partnership's quarterly publication as being "a magazine that understands its reader. The witty, subversive content and design reflect a vibrant urban culture and in doing so, unite it."

Press ombudsman hiring, Qwelane heading for court
NEWSWATCH: The office of the South African Press Ombudsman will be hiring a deputy press ombudsman and a case officer, reports Journalism.co.za, and Sunday Sun columnist Jon Qwelane will shortly be appearing before the Equality Court in connection with the alleged homophobic column written earlier this year, according to various media sources.

SABC names political coverage liaison/complaints officer
The SABC has appointed experienced senior journalist Zolile Majova as the news complaints officer who will deal with any problems political parties may experience with news and current affairs during the election campaign. The announcement was made yesterday, Wednesday, 4 December 2008.

Public hearings on draft digital migration regs
NEWSWATCH: The public hearings on the draft digital migration regulations began last week, hosted by ICASA, and a South African blogger is being sued for defamation.

Media jobs on the ropes
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Dozens of journalists, photographers, subeditors and other media practitioners face an uncertain future as cash-squeezed South African media companies lay off permanent staff, cutting costs as the financial global meltdown wreaks havoc amid falling print advertising revenues, a decline in world economic activity and the US recession. Media experts this week told Bizcommunity.com that it is a sad period for journalism as experienced and hard-working staff leave.

Ghanaian reporter wins FPA Media Award
Ghanaian reporter Ibrahim Sannie Daara, a BBC journalist, along with his two colleagues Gavin Lee and Edward Main, recently won the Best Sports Story of the Year award at the Foreign Press Association Media Awards (FPA Media Awards) in Britain.

Magazine cover shot by camera phone
The cover of the latest issue of Vodaworld magazine has been shot using a commercially available camera phone, the Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot. “The resolution of camera phones has reached the level where they're no longer gimmicky; they're real cameras,” says Andrew October, editor of the title.


Marketing and engaging consumers through mobile at last 2008 AMASA CT meeting
Chris Rolfe will cover the best methods of marketing and engaging with consumers through the mobile medium on Thursday, 4 December 2008, at the final AMASA Cape Town meeting for the year.

Starfish Mobile forms strategic partnership with Global Media Alliance - Starfish Mobile
African integrated mobile content service provider Starfish Mobile International has partnered with Global Media Alliance Ghana (GMA) in order to access the Ghana mobile market with ease. This strategic partnership will lead to the country's local offices being renamed Starfish Mobile Ghana.

Morkels reaps benefits from mobisite - Multimedia Solutions
Morkels has found that its use of mobile technology in its marketing campaigns has had a direct impact on its bottom line.

Egyptian journalist wins 2008 Gebran Tueni Award
Ibrahim Essa, editor-in-chief of Al Dustour, the daily newspaper in Egypt, has been awarded the 2008 Gebran Tueni Award, the annual prize of the World Association of Newspapers that honours an editor or publisher in the MENA region.

Beeld now on TV
DStv subscribers now have a news service in Afrikaans. The content of Beeld is now available on DStv as an interactive news channel, the Afrikaans newspaper announced yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, 3 December 2008.

2008 SA NGO Web Awards winners
The Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT) announced the winners of the 2008 NGO Web Awards on Friday, 5 December 2008. The awards aim to raise awareness amongst South African NGOs about the benefits of having an online presence, stimulate interest in the application of web solutions and applications, and showcase best practices in website creation and maintenance.

The client doesn't fall far from the solutions company - Black Khaki
The Black Khaki Group would like to congratulate Johannesburg-based Internet solutions and website development company, iGroup (partner company to Black Khaki Online), and its clients who sparkled once again at this year's South African E-Commerce Awards.

8 Ink Media to represent NationalGeographic.com - 8 Ink Media
Advertisers in South Africa now have the opportunity to extend their online campaigns to target the 53 236 South African unique monthly visitors to nationalgeographic.com. With advertising that is geo-targeted (allowing only South African eyeballs to see SA-targeted adverts), 8 Ink Media will act as local media broker.


Private Property launches online property auctions - Private Property
Private Property, in collaboration with bidorbuy.co.za, has just launched an online auction facility to provide owners with another way to sell property. Sellers willing to take the chance can now take part in a real-time bidding process from the comfort of their favourite armchair, secure in the knowledge that their property is in safe hands.

Dwell Time - one metric to rule them all - Eyeblaster
Today's complex campaigns include a variety of interactions and placements, with different methods of engaging users; and trying to find your way through the tangle of campaign metrics, complex analysis and a mountain of data is no easy task. Using traditional metrics to evaluate complex, non-traditional engagement creates a hodge-podge of metrics that require a puzzle master and a decoder ring to decipher.

Telekom Networks Malawi soars to new heights with INM Outdoor - INM Outdoor
INM Outdoor in Malawi have facilitated the erection of a unique and practical building wrap that offers Telekom Networks Malawi (tnm) simultaneous long-term brand building as well as short term product advertising!


Portable Pop-Up Change Room - Right Stuff
Summer is almost upon us and the familiar sight of sexy bikinis, golden tans and lazy days spent relaxing at the pool or beach springs to mind.

P-Touch provides pursuit of passion for pool - Kemtek
Kemtek got into the spirit of giving this season when it donated a P-touch labelling machine to avid pool-player Alan Broude. The donation was to help him raise money to participate in the World Pool Championships held earlier this year.

Subsidies to participate at MIDEM in January 2009
The South African MIDEM Organising Committee is inviting companies and individuals to apply for subsidies to participate at MIDEM in January 2009. The closing date for submission is Monday, 8 December 2008.

Stealing stories: how to protect yourself
[Sean Bosse] How can writers protect themselves from story theft and what legal remedies are at hand to assist them in preventing such story theft? The first part of this article will look at how a writer can protect his story using the law of contract and, in a future article, I will look at how copyright law can further assist a writer in this regard.


Evo Media's new accounts - Evo Media
Evo Media, a new media agency specialising in visual graphics and animation with offices in both Sandton and Cape Town, has added several new accounts to its expanding list of clients.

Global Amex campaign shoots in Cape Town - Giant Films
London-based agency Ogilvy One recently commissioned Giant Films' Ian Gabriel to direct a new series of five commercials in a global campaign for American Express.


Evo Media launches new Sandton branch - Evo Media
Evo Media launched its new Sandton office in Nelson Mandela Square last week with all the usual Evo pageantry. The launch was timed to coincide with Soccerex, happening across the road at the Sandton Convention Centre. Soccerex A-list guests and many international business leaders attended the event.

Airline introduces more value-adds
Low cost airline Mango announced its second burst of guest benefits late last week - a holiday season partnership with Nu Metro cinemas that will validate Mango boarding passes as currency to purchase two movie tickets for the price of one until 31 December 2008. The promotion follows its September activation, when Mango partnered with energy giant Total to provide each guest travelling with fuel vouchers during a time when fuel prices shot through the roof.

How politicians fail to peddle policies to the public
[Thabani Khumalo] Governments in a democracy seldom influence their image favourably by ignoring the role played by the mainstream media in providing political, economic and social information - and in interpreting events for their citizens. Politicians, therefore have a responsibility to promote access to their offices and services, and thus enhance their image and building their reputation.


PR - a confused identity and an inferiority complex
[Phillip van Staden] “How would you define public relations?” Ask anybody that question - including captains of industry - and I'm willing to bet that the answer will either be something about ‘publicity', or no answer at all, just a furrowed brow and an inaudible mutter. Then ask a PR practitioner to define PR - clearly, plainly and simply.

Sentient shapes up for summer - Sentient Communications
Public relations is changing and Sentient Communications is changing with it. The traditional ‘pyramid' hierarchy of account director, account manager and account executive all working together on specific clients has been dissolved in favour of a distributed star structure.

Richards Bay station licence application on hold
East Coast Radio's licence application for a new Richards Bay region local radio station is currently on hold, thanks to an ICASA moratorium on all new radio licence applications in South Africa.

Metro FM Music Awards special broadcast on SABC1
The recent ninth annual Metro FM Music Awards will be broadcast in a one-hour special at 10pm on SABC1 on Friday, 5 December 2008.


East Coast Radio supports AIDS-stricken families in KZN - East Coast Radio
Every year, East Coast Radio embarks on a campaign that the aims to bring festive cheer to those in need. But more so, it recognises that thousands of children in KwaZulu-Natal are without the basic necessities to live sustainably, and runs this campaign to help make a difference. This campaign is Toy Story.

East Coast Radio scoops award for Toy Story - East Coast Radio
East Coast Radio scooped the Best Community Service Award for Toy Story at the inaugural South African Radio Forum Awards.

Presenter's journey to ‘thinner peace' yields weighty results! - Jacaranda 94.2
In a market full of overpromising and under delivering, Jacaranda 94.2 is once again proving that honest sincere communication that shows tangible results - in this case presenter Tové Kane's visible weight loss - produces exceptional results for client and radio station alike...


Metro FM joins DStv audio bouquet
As of today, Monday, 8 December 2008, Metro FM is now available on the DStv Audio Bouquet channel 181, which broadcasts to South Africa and neighboring Southern African countries Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Angola, Zambia and Malawi on a 24-hour, seven days a week basis. “We are just too thrilled about the possibility of extending our reach to other African countries. Having been around for 22 years, we feel that our station is in a position to fly our national flag to a wider audience beyond the South African borders,” says Matona Sakupwanya, Metro FM station manager.

Hasty job-hopping may cost you the ultimate prize
[Sbusiso Kumalo] “Most black professionals in South Africa are only a thousand rand away from their next job offer,” said an acquaintance of mine from a recruitment agency. This may be an unfair generalisation; this may be truth. Money is tight for everyone right now. Another job offer can be very tempting. But jumping to a new job solely to get a bit more cash now could mean you'll never make the big bucks later.


It pays to look into C to C - Viv Gordon Placements
Job seekers - those who want to switch companies or occupations - should analyse all the components of a ‘cost to company' package when they study the compensation offer. Too often, interviewees are swayed by the total salary package, as it appears to be much more than anticipated.

Digital navigation on the rise
South Africans are more likely to get completely lost in Johannesburg, than in any other city in the world. That's according to the findings from one of the largest navigation studies to date, conducted by Nokia in 13 countries around the world including South Africa.

Synovate survey reveals attitudes to male beauty - Synovate
Global market intelligence company Synovate recently released findings from a global male beauty survey showing that 81% of Greek men feel sexy, Italian men are rated as the best-looking and 56% of all male respondents use beauty products created for, and marketed to, men.

Ask Afrika announces AAA Empowerdex rating - Ask Afrika
Ask Afrika, a South African marketing research firm, has announced that it has taken broad based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) to new levels.

New CEO of Synovate Africa announced - Synovate
International market research company Synovate recently announced the promotion of Jon Salters to the position of CEO of Synovate Africa.

First SA MD for McDonald's SA
Greg Solomon has been appointed as the new MD of McDonald's South Africa. Solomon's promotion, effective 1 January 2009, is a significant milestone for the company as he will be the first South African to run the local operation since the business opened here in 1995.


PnP-BP pilot project launches in Hout Bay
The new partnership between fuel giant and local retail titan materialised when the first Pick n Pay Express store was opened at a BP service station in Hout Bay, Western Cape, recently.

New payment solution to boost e-commerce in SA
Online retailer, kalahari.net, has launched a pioneering payment solution to address online security concerns and make online shopping accessible to everyone that has a cellphone. MiMoney, powered by Standard Bank, is an electronic payment voucher that can be purchased through self-banking channels (Internet banking, mobile banking and telephone banking) or from participating sales agents.

Max Factor, Elle look for make-up artist
Elle magazine and Max Factor are about to accept entries to its inaugural Elle New Talent Make-Up Artist Search 2009 to expose the best upcoming talent in this field.

SA editor takes third place in LG cook-off
The LG SolarDOM Regional Cooking Competition for the Middle East and Africa saw a close finish on its final night as culinary champions from four countries - UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Iran - competed to take the crown of the third edition of the competition.


Your house, your home: how to keep it pest free - Rentokil
The most common pests that live and breed in and around the house are cockroaches, rodents, ants, flies and fleas. Rentokil looks at a few preventative measures you can apply to everyday living that will minimise the risk of providing a safe haven to these pests.

Burn your boat!
[John Boe] I believe that the great NFL Hall of Fame coach, Vince Lombardi, had it right when he said, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." Do you agree with coach Lombardi or are you the type of person who has difficulty staying focused and keeping commitments?


Full blast in 2009! Here's how... - SALESGURU Publishing
The buying landscape has changed dramatically throughout 2008. And no matter which way you look at it, salespeople have been affected. Many express the same opinion we've heard echoed across the country: “It's a tough time to sell.”

Total fuelling Miss World finalists
Energy giant Total has been sponsoring all fuel requirements for the Miss World pageant during the three-week run-up to the final event on 13 December 2008. The sponsorship marks Total's first foray into lifestyle-oriented partnerships, in line with the company's refreshed marketing communication messaging.

Making fashionable dreams come true
Two talented young women will realise their dreams after they each won a R130 000 bursary to study towards a three-year diploma or degree in fashion courtesy of Elle magazine in partnership with LISOF, a fashion design school.

Ghanaian wins 2008 Face of Africa
The M-Net Face of Africa 2008 finale, held last weekend at the SuperBowl in Sun City, South Africa, came to a conclusion as 23-year-old Ghanaian Kate Menson walked away with the sought-after title for 2008.

Ninth annual Media Kidocracy Konfrence next week
Bush Radio will host the ninth annual Media Kidocracy Konfrence (MKK) 8 - 12 December 2008 at St Agnes Primary School in Woodstock, Cape Town. Young people aged 12 - 18 will explore issues that are pertinent to themselves and their peers, as well as use different forms of media to develop a media campaign that will create social awareness.

Matric Rage - well-earned vac or commercial chaos?
The now traditional Matric Rage festivities have just kicked off, as ‘privileged' matriculants descend on the coastal towns of Umhlanga, Ballito, Margate and Plettenberg Bay to celebrate the end of their high school careers. The question is: are coastal communities up to the frenzied influx? And is it worth the headache?

Three Ring Circus launches Freaky Science show in primary schools - Three Ring Circus
3RC will be rolling out a month of Freaky Science shows in the greater Johannesburg area in February 2009. This interactive show is aimed at the Grade 5 to Grade 7 group, and brings across the Scientific Method in one hilarious hour.