Communication key to retaining customers during decline
During economic uncertainty and recessions, marketing budgets are usually the first to be cut. However Director of InZalo Communications Bridget von Holdt explains in doing so you reduce the number of people whose attention you capture, reducing your potential market.

Bizcommunity.com's top reads for 2008
[Simone Puterman] 2008 - yet another jam-packed year of highs and lows that seems to have gone by so swiftly fast that it's hard to believe we're almost in 2009. So what have Bizcommunity.com's readers found the most attention-worthy this year? Read on to find out...

Levi's sets new US$3000 Idea Bounty challenge
While the first Idea Bounty winner who will walk away with US$2500 from FNB will only be announced next week, the second Idea Bounty brief was announced yesterday, Wednesday, 10 December 2008 - Levi's jeans for a whopping US$3000.

CMO Council maps new Routes To Revenue in '09
Despite a depressed global economy, 76% of senior marketers believe they are not realising the full revenue potential of their current customers, reports the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council in a new “Routes to Revenue” study released this week, two days ahead of its annual CMO Summit in Monterey, California.

Frostings Cupcake Boutique - Egg Marketing & Communications
[Jenny Williamson] With the launch of Frostings Cupcake Boutique, one is bound to find something to celebrate this season - even if it's just the pure delight of the bakery's beautiful creations.


Marketer's guide to the ABC
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), in association with Marketing Mix magazine, will publish a 32-page A5 guide, written for marketers and agency media planners, in March 2009. The intention is to advise marketers and media planners how to read and interpret the data provided by the ABC, and how to reconcile this data with information provided by AMPS, so as to arrive at optimum media selection. The publication will incorporate the commentaries and experience of top media personalities, led by Gordon Muller. Published as a pull-out, it will have print run of 5000 copies, with an additional 1000 copies to be provided to the ABC for one-to-one distribution.

Sony, Questek to equip 2010 stadia
Sony and Questek Advanced Technologies (Questek) have been awarded the contracts to install networked electronic solutions into the Orlando and Royal Bafokeng stadia, which are being constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The announcement was made today, Thursday, 11 December 2008.

FIFA.com fan section goes Web 2.0
FIFA.com relaunched its Fan Fest section yesterday, Thursday, 11 December 2008. The new section, which is now called the ‘FIFA.com Club' (www.fifa.com/theclub), is another step forward for FIFA's official website in the arena of Web 2.0. Members are able to network in a simple manner from their own profile, as well as personalise a number of key website features and receive all their activity information in one place. In the past, Fan Fest was a successful and popular area that provided a platform for thousands of football fans to communicate and challenge one another to a variety of virtual games for the chance to win exclusive prizes, leading to a massive amount of user-generated content.

Ogilvy CT appoints new managing partners
Adding further depth to Ogilvy Cape Town's new management structure, Vanessa Ramanjam, business director for British American Tobacco SA, and Kate Fordyce, business director on South African Breweries, have been appointed in the key roles as Ogilvy Cape managing partners.


Loeries Migrate showcases the sinfully creative
The Seven Deadly Sins edition of Migrate, The Loerie Awards magazine, is available this December, showcasing a compilation of some of the best writing, illustration and photography that the industry has to offer.


ACA on proposed alcohol advertising ban
Should Government's proposed amendment to the National Road Traffic Regulations be passed, it would mean that all alcohol product advertisements or any advertisement depicting alcohol products on a variety of media will be banned. Odette Roper, CEO of the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) examines the proposed regulation and sheds light on the effect it is likely to have on the advertising profession.

2008 YoungGun of the Year winners
Eric Kallman and Craig Allen from TBWA\Chiat\Day - New York have been crowned the 2008 YoungGuns of the Year, it was announced today, Wednesday, 10 December 2008.

Eurobest 2008 winners announced
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: The first Eurobest Festival reached its conclusion last week, with Eurobest Award winners - including those of the inaugural The Idea - Eurobest's Young Creative Competition - honoured at a much-anticipated awards ceremony.

Ogilvy Cape Town wins SA Rugby account
Ogilvy Cape Town has won a three-way pitch to be appointed as the agency of record for SA Rugby and the Lions Tour, it was announced this morning, Tuesday, 9 December 2008. The assignment includes corporate identity, corporate communications, activation and PR around the Lions Tour.

An animated Christmas world awaits with Musica - Masters & Savant
Following on from the successful repositioning of Musica as the entertainment retailer, and launching the new brand statement, "A World Awaits", Musica claims the position as one of the best places to do your festive season shopping.


Howard Music completes the Christmas rush with "We shall overcome” campaign - Metropolitan Republic - Howard Music
It's been a busy year end at Howard Music. Adam has just finished composing music for Metropolitan Republic for their “We shall overcome” World AIDS Day radio campaign.

Mick & Nick brings local flair to Nike campaign - Lowe Bull
As part of a global initiative, Nike South Africa's BTL agency partner, Mick & Nick, was given the opportunity of creating a local campaign to launch street football onto the South African market.


Brandbar gets South Africa's number one “noticed” - Brandbar
Up-and-coming agency Brandbar recently launched a integrated advertising campaign for Medihelp, South Africa's third largest open medical scheme, to highlight the scheme's achievements in 2008.


Lowe Bull is South Africa's top Gunn - Lowe Bull
Lowe Bull has been placed in the Top 50 of the Gunn Report's Most Awarded Advertising Agencies global ranking, for 2007/8. The Gunn Report is “an industry benchmark for creativity”, providing an overview of the best of the best in terms of creativity.

One Show introduces Green Pencil
Now in its 34th year, the One Show will be handing out its first-ever Green Pencil for the best non-profit/public service advertising that promotes the environment. Also new are two One Show Interactive categories - branded mobile applications and branded blogs - and a new home for One Show Design, the IAC Building, designed by Frank Gehry.

Singapore confirmed as location for Spikes Asia
LONDON: Suntec City, Singapore has been named as the location for Spikes Asia - first Asian Advertising Festival, a joint venture between IAF, the organisers of Cannes Lions, Dubai Lynx and Eurobest and Haymarket, publishers of Media and Campaign. The dates for the first festival, which will run over three days, have been confirmed as 16 - 18 September 2009. "We are delighted to have the long term support of the Singapore Tourism Board in staging this event in Singapore which was chosen for its superb infrastructure, easy travel access and its commitment to support creativity," commented Terry Savage, chairman of Cannes Lions. Further details will be announced when www.spikesasia.com launches shortly.

Move over Obama - SA is alive with e-campaigning possibilities
[Jarred Cinman] For years to come, marketing analysts will pick apart the Obama presidential campaign to see exactly what it took to make it just so amazing. By harnessing the power of Twitter, Facebook, Xbox games and many other online portals, Obama managed to not only tap into the apathetic youth but succeeded in motivating hundreds of thousands of new voters to get to the polls.

QVC - learning the power of online
[Eve Dmochowska] Anyone curious about the potential impact of online activity on brand reputation need look no further than the Quality Vacation Club (QVC) saga currently playing itself out in the South African blogosphere.


DA members must live, support, deliver new brand values
[Thabani Khumalo] Last month, the Democratic Alliance (DA) unveiled the rebranded and repositioned logo and vision. The new brand is an essential element in the modernisation of the party, and a device to accept, suggest and promise changes.


ANC brand's intellectual property management
[Gillian Rightford] Charting the trials and tribulations of the ANC over the course of 2008 will no doubt make for a very interesting case study. Not in politics, but in brand management and on the "un-intellectual" approach to its intellectual property.


Cross Colours blends science and art for Sasol - Cross Colours
In creative circles, it may be offensive to describe someone's work as mechanical. That is unless your client is Sasol Infrachem's Techno X, and you are part of the creative team at Cross Colours, which showed that mechanical and beautiful are not necessarily mutually exclusive terms.

Talk2Us awarded Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire account - Talk2Us
Talk2Us has been appointed by Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire to manage all its strategic brand, PR and marketing activities. Talk2Us will also be responsible for the organisation's publicity.

Standard Bank CIB big winner at SAGRA Awards - Brand Alive
Standard Bank CIB was the biggest winner at the second annual South African Graduate Recruiters Awards ceremony, held at Kievits Kroon, Pretoria, recently. The company took Gold in the Best Graduate Recruitment Website category, another Gold in the Best Integrated Campaign category, and Silver in the Best Printed Material category.

Risk is sweet for the Development Bank of Southern Africa - icandi COMMUNICATIONS
One week. Sixteen speakers. And icandi COMMUNICATIONS was DBSA's choice to be the vehicle of information for knowledge and security. And when you have both knowledge and security - what more could you ask for?


Joburg! Towards 2010 set to break sales targets - Brands & Branding
Joburg! Towards 2010, the beautifully designed and informative coffee table book telling the story of a city on the move, seems set to beat its sales targets.

The chronology of brands - Interbrand Sampson
[Jeremy Sampson] Having a glorious past is no guarantee of a prosperous future. But a successful past helps build a winning culture. And brands that have built positive equity and a loyal customer base command an envious position.

Rex's work on the world stage - Rex Creative
In December, design work by South Africa's Rex will be on display at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC as part of the World Bank Art Programme's Africa Now! showcase exhibition. Rex was invited to participate in this prestigious event that seeks to showcase Africa as a continent on the move.

Aquafresh stars alongside Mr Bones
Aquafresh toothpaste made its big screen debut recently, starring alongside Leon Schuster in Mr Bones 2. “To have Aquafresh placed in a movie that has such massive appeal to the South African market just makes sense,” says Aquafresh group product manager Michelle Coleman. “Product placement is a new arena for the brand. It is very exciting advertising territory for us and we just can't wait to see our stripes on the big screen!”

Box office magic for Mr Bones 2
Mr Bones 2 has reportedly grossed an all-time South African record of almost R9 million in the opening week of release for a local film and also shattered non-holiday opening weekend records for SA films, grossing R6.2 million. The movie opened on Thursday, 27 November 2008. Commented Leon Schuster, “It is extremely gratifying for me to have the continued support of the public. It is also really humbling for me to have this kind of recognition as the audience is foremost in my mind when I make movies.” Mr Bones 2 also allegedly outgrossed the first week's earnings of the US$200 million-budgeted Quantum of Solace, which earned less than R7.9 million in its first week of release in SA.

Protea Hotels gives back to communities
A number of Protea Hotels have made an effort to make the festive season special for the underpriviledged as part of its commitment to various community projects around the country. Each Protea Hotel, as well as the head office and regional Offices have committed to a sustainable CSI project that benefits their surrounding community.

MPowerFM dares to care
“If I could only get a full school uniform and a school bag for my new school next year.” This was just one of the hundreds of wishes sent in to MPowerFM over the past week as part of its Dare to Care campaign with BHP Billiton.

Vissershok fun and festivities
Pupils of Vissershok Primary School in Tygervalley, located 11km outside Durbanville, were able to experience a few hours of exuberant fun and festivity last week at the Christmas bash held for them by Psitek.


Saatchi & Saatchi to launch global CSI social networking site
Creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi earlier this month unveiled and launched Blue, a global sustainability lifestyle movement for companies and people worldwide that aims to enrol one-seventh of the world's population on a dedicated global niche social networking community. Currently in its final trial phase, the website will be opened for global participation and personal sustainability projects contributions in February 2009. [video]

Re-branded Ramsay's new logo
The recently re-named RamsayMedia appointed Berge Farrell to produce a fresh identity for the 75-year-old family-owned media company.


Top artists at Design Indaba 2009
Javier Mariscal, Dunne and Raby and Marcel Wanders are some of the artists participating at Design Indaba 2009, taking place 25 - 27 February 2009 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Also, in association with Design Indaba, DJ Spooky will perform this weekend as part of the South African leg of his Sound Unbound Tour in Cape Town and Johannesburg.


PnP design-a-bag competition opens
As part of its ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, Pick n Pay is launching a design competition to promote fresh local talent and reduce the use of plastic bags.


Reminder to enter magazine, newspaper design for 2009 D&AD
D&AD is reminding creatives to enter their magazine and newspaper designs into the D&AD Awards 2009. Winners are published in print and online in the D&AD Annual and featured at exhibitions and screenings globally.

Duram Paints grows sales through redesigned brand identity and packaging - Liquidlab
South African specialist paints producter Duram has given its brand blueprint a fresh coat of paint and subsequently reports beginning to enjoy a 30% increase in sales volumes.


Great Stock! shares Christmas cheer with Salvation Army kids - Great Stock!
The Great Stock! end-of-year party took on a whole new dimension as the visual solutions provider decided to share its annual event with kids from the Salvation Army Bethesda home in Soweto.

International recognition for SA digital initiatives
South Africa can certainly be proud of its digital developers. Recently, African social media aggregator Afrigator was voted one of the Top 10 International Products for 2008 and received an honourable mention in the Top 10 RSS and Syndication Products of 2008 list by ReadWriteWeb, and Tyler Reed of social and mobile media marketing agency Younique was named as one of mobileYouth's Top 20 Youth Marketing Bloggers.


A web wrap-up of 2008
[Lyndi Lawson] 2008 is almost over and it sure has been interesting - UK banks cancelled their Christmas parties; the global economy is in a recession; the world is holding its breath waiting to see if America's new president will be the one to save us all, and South African politics has certainly taken a couple of unforeseen turns. Of course, the web is an important part of this rapidly changing world.

Kenya's Ushahidi wins We Media Game Changers Award
Online media star ZeFrank, mobile texting service Twitter, David Plouffe, the Obama campaign mastermind, Japanese digital designer Yugo Nakamura and Kenyan mobile alert service Ushahidi are among nine winners of the We Media Game Changers Awards to be presented at the We Media Miami conference in February 2009.

ICASA must address spectrum allocation issues - ISPA
Telecommunications regulator ICASA needs to urgently review the way that frequency spectrum is allocated to network operators if South African businesses and consumers are to truly benefit from the liberalisation of the telecoms market. That's according to Mike Silber, regulatory advisor to the Internet Service Providers' Association of South Africa (ISPA).

What to expect in 2009 for digital marketing - World Wide Creative
On Wednesday evening World Wide Creative, together with 24.com, Corona and Perdeberg Winery, hosted the very last Heavy Chef Session of 2008. Three speakers were invited to spill the beans on what's smoking up their crystal balls, and some pretty cool predictions were mentioned.


Nintendo DS “Brain Training” scores with integrated campaign from Ireland/Davenport and Stonewall+ - Stonewall+
Advertising agency Ireland/Davenport and digital marketing agency Stonewall+ recently upped the ante in an integrated campaign to launch Dr Kawashima's Brain Training on the Nintendo DS Lite in the South African market.

"The Best Of SynthaSite” finalists announced: Vote for your favourite! - SynthaSite
SynthaSite, the do-it-yourself free website builder, has announced the finalists in its global “Best Of SynthaSite” contest. The company's first community competition received more than 1000 entries from around the world and now it's up to the public to help determine the winning sites.

Online and mobile advertising - the best of both worlds - apurimac media
Mobile internet advertising opportunities, in the South African and continental African markets, are now attracting serious attention. And rightfully so, as the ease-of-use and low barriers-to-entry of this technology account for a steady increase in usage figures and content demand.


Trojan.Exploit variants top BitDefender's top ten e-threats in November - Holton & Associates
Trojan.Exploit variants dominate the top ten e-threats for November 2008, with no less than six of them accounting for over 25% of the total number of detections, according to BitDefender, an award-winning provider of anti-virus software and data security solutions.

Google browser out of beta
Google announced yesterday, Thursday, 11 December 2008 that its free, open source web browser, Google Chrome, is now out of beta, following over 100 days of work to improve the stability and performance. Since launching Chrome in September, improvements in key areas are stability, performance, speed, bookmark manager and privacy controls. For more, go to www.googleblog.blogspot.com.

First client for African blog ad network
Newly launched Adgator, reportedly Africa's first blog ad network, has signed up The Times Online as the first advertiser to its network. The service is currently being piloted in South Africa with plans to roll out to the rest of the African continent scheduled for 2009. The Times is currently running a campaign for its mobile offering, Times Mobile, across 152 SA blogs.

The challenges of marketing business training
[Nicole Jooste] South Africa has a massive skills shortage. We need to train more people, so the messengers tell us, but what too few reveal is how important it is to select the right person for appropriate training - to do otherwise is money down the drain. In marketing skills and executive training, too many training organisations rely on mass emailings and not enough on educating clients about how to appropriately select staff to go on training.

SA fashion showcase to capitalise with new seasonal calendar
In a move welcomed by local designers and retailers, the country's premier fashion design showcase, the Sanlam South African Fashion Week (SSAFW), has aligned its show calendar with the retail sector's forward planning cycles to capitalise on the growing appetite for local design.


Stamp of approval for Cape events returns
The official tourism destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape, Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU), will be bringing back its Cape of Great Events stamp of approval for events, it announced at its Events Organisers' Forum last week.

Eventing - engaging employees with your brand
[Karen Ashwin] In today's competitive environment rife with customer disloyalty, companies are beginning to realise that an effective marketing and communications strategy is no longer sufficient to achieve or retain a premium position in the marketplace. More and more, your company and brand is judged by an increasingly sophisticated consumer on their personal interaction with your employees.


Great expectations from Dimension Data - Collyer Lessick & Associates
'Great Expectations' was the chosen theme Dimension Data chose for their annual year end cocktail party for clients and staff in November 2008. Held at The Forum, on the Didata Campus, this theme also promoted the Dimension Data brand direction of ‘Great people doing great things!'


Cape Town International Jazz Festival celebrates ten years of success - EspAfrika
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival has proved many skeptics wrong. When the organisers launched the event in 2000, many felt that the description of the festival as Africa Grandest Gathering was a bit precocious. In April the festival which attracted 33 500 people this year, turns ten.


Case study: VWV comes up trumps with ace of spades - VWV Productions
Empowerment-hungry Chairman of the VWV Group, Mark Steinhobel, shares lessons learned on the road to sealing a dream BEE deal.

Décor Mechanics in association with Hollard making a mark on World AIDS Day - Décor Mechanics
Décor Mechanics is proud to have completed the largest AIDS ribbon in Johannesburg for Hollard Insurance to honour the many victims of this virus.


Gearhouse South Africa tours Lionel Richie - Gearhouse SA
Gearhouse South Africa supplied all technical production - staging, rigging, lighting, video and audio - for Lionel Richie's recent successful South African tour, with resources pooled from their Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban bases.


Kadoro executes two sparkling events for HP - Kadoro Events & Communications
October 2008 saw Kadoro Events and Communications executing two events for the HP brand, managed by advertising agency Publicis.

Pearl Valley SA Open players lounge - 369 Designs
The exhibition stand building company, 369 Designs, based in Cape Town, ended this year in style when they designed and built the entertainment indoor, outside and players lounge area at the SA Open.


IDG Cape Town takes the final stand - IDG
Shining a spotlight on outstanding exhibition designs was done at this year's annual awards dinner hosted by Exhibitions and Events Association of Southern Africa (EXSA).


369 Designs at Africom and Soccerex - 369 Designs
AfricaCom is the leading pan-African event for mobile, fixed, wireless and satellite communications professionals and 369 Designs built several customised exhibition stand displays for the national and international exhibitors.


Thebe Exhibitions and Projects now manages helloAFRICA - Thebe Exhibitions and Projects
The Thebe Exhibitions and Projects Group has taken over the management of destination management company helloAFRICA. The Cape Town-based company offers destination management solutions such as incentive and corporate travel and meetings and event management in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia.

NG Kids boasts record-breaking December issue - 8 Ink Media
The December issue of National Geographic Kids magazine boasts its biggest book size ever due to increased advertising demand. The 56-page magazine went up an extra section to accommodate the influx of advertisers wanting to come on board for the lucrative festive season.


An open invitation to visit CLASSICFEEL - DeskLink Media
CLASSICFEEL is proud to present its new website - a vision of colour and style. Accept the invitation to visit CLASSICFEEL's brand-new online ambassador and be treated to a fresh, vibrant and always sophisticated experience.


Sarie Kos recipes now in English

click to enlarge

The summer issue of the popular Afrikaans food magazine, Sarie Kos, will host a new separate section where all 95 recipes will appear in English, with a small photograph to identify each one. According to Barbara Joubert, food editor of Sarie and Sarie Kos, English readers have been asking for the recipes in their mother tongue ever since the first edition appeared. The December 2008 issue will feature festive menus of Karoo lamb and honey pumpkin from the Camdeboo, a Cape Town garden buffet, a feast near Cullinan and Joubert's own Christmas menu, as well as hamburger and cookie recipes, and British chef Nigella Lawson's recipe for a golden, gluten-free fruitcake.
- ActivRetail

A year of Malemaphobia, mediaphobia and xenophobia
[Issa Sikiti da Silva] As the year 2008 slowly but surely disappears, it is time for the media to do some critical retrospection to see if it's correctly fulfilled its role of a Fourth Estate and respected its ethical codes. These two sets of self-examination are compulsory if the press wants to be trusted by communities in which it serves and continues to be seen as playing a vital role in a democratic and free society.

Mbeki, newsmaker of the year - Monitoring SA
[Tshepiso Seopa] Former state president Thabo Mbeki is the Newsmaker Personality of the Year 2008, according to a research study by media and research and analysis company Monitoring South Africa. Mbeki made the most news headlines and is the personality that most media wrote about. The announcement was made yesterday, Wednesday, 11 November 2008, at the Rosebank Hotel in Johannesburg.

Motlanthe appoints new MDDA board members
President Kgalema Motlanthe has appointed Phumelele Ntombela-Nzimande and Dr Tanja Bosch to the board of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) for a term of office of three years, 1 January 2009, it was announced late yesterday evening, Monday, 8 December 2008.

MDDA welcomes new CFO, Mr Godfrey Gungqisa! - MDDA
The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) welcomes the new Chief Financial Officer, Mr Mshiyeni Godfrey Gungqisa, who joined the Agency on the 1st of December 2008. Mr Gungqisa left SEDA (Small Enterprise Development Agency) at the end of November and joins the MDDA to fill in the shoes of Mr Mbuyiseni Jafta who left the Agency in September to pursue other avenues.

Christmas cheers for MDDA! - MDDA
Santa came early for the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) staff members as they got spoiled and pampered at Misty Hills, north of Johannesburg, last week. The Agency crew went all out to celebrate a well-deserved Christmas Party, combined with a wellness afternoon, which ended with an evening of much feasting at Carnivore Restaurant.

Vodacom's Grid launches talent content
Vodacom today, Thursday, 11 December 2008, launched gridstar, a mobile talent contest than can be entered by anyone with a cellphone and its location-based social networking service, The Grid. Monthly gridstar winners can win cash, with the grand prize being a professionally produced video to the value of R100 000 to kick-start their entertainment career.


ICASA ITA for mobile TV provision
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is calling for interested individual electronic communications services, broadcasting services and electronic communications network services licensees to apply for frequencies to provide mobile digital video broadcasting services.

Launching 'thief-proof' POCit money
South African cellphone payment provider POCit has come up with what's said to be a world-first in mobile payment technology and in thwarting thieves. Dubbed "POCitMoney", this deceptively simple, safe and convenient hi-tech voucher is supposedly a hack-proof nightmare for robbers and bliss for holiday shoppers.

seventeen hits over 100,000 subscribers on MXit! - 8 Ink Media
After joining forces with South Africa's leading mobile chat service MXit in June, seventeen magazine has grown its contact base to over 103 159 subscribers. In the past six months subscribers have made 680 000 content downloads including horoscopes, emoticons, wallpapers, skinz and boy advice.


Sony Ericsson joins Open Handset Alliance
LONDON: Earlier this week, Sony Ericsson announced the extension of its portfolio strategy to include support for the Open Handset Alliance, confirming its intention to develop a handset based on the Android platform. Said Rikko Sakaguchi, CVP and head of creation and development at Sony Ericsson, “We believe Sony Ericsson can bring a wealth of experience in making consumer-focused multimedia handsets with new user experience to the Alliance, drawing on the successes of the Walkman and Cyber-shot sub-brands. Sony Ericsson is a strong supporter of open operating systems.” Membership of the alliance will complement the company's existing Open OS strategy, which is based on the Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms.

Block function to boost mobile chatroom safety
Mobile instant messenger MXit last week launched its new chatroom blocking functionality. According to Herman Heunis, CEO of MXit, this is intended to give parents extra control and should bring safety issues under the spotlight at a time when many kids are expected to be spending more time on MXit and other online chatrooms. “This block functionality allows parents to restrict access to MXit chatrooms by following a few simple steps and setting up a password on their child's phone.” The blocking function will run on a trial basis until the end of the school holidays, at which point its effectiveness will be reviewed. For more about MXit's safety features, go to www.mxit.com/web/parents.htm.

Coal City News achieves accolades at the Emalahleni Mayoral Awards 2008! - MDDA
The Media Development and Diversity Agency congratulates Coal City News and the owner Michelle Mashiane of Lola Michelle Model Management Promotions and Publishing for being voted the best company ran by young people at the Emalahleni Mayoral Best Achiever's Awards 2008. Mashiane was also voted the “Best Young Entrepreneur.”

Two new venues added to December holiday tour! - Die Burger
Due to the popularity of Die Burger's holiday concerts with Bobby van Jaarsveld and Emo Adams, two new venues have been added to the lineup. The tour, which will take place 11 - 30 December 2008, will now also include concerts at Uilenkraalsmond on 23 December and Dwarskersbos on 30 December.

IOL to launch new property super-site
Independent newspapers has partnered with Gravity, the developer of a revolutionary property search engine, to drive its property super-site due to launch on 7 January 2009.

Google's top 2008 searched terms in SA
Released yesterday, Wednesday, 10 December 2008 was Google's annual Zeitgeist, a look at 2008 through the collective eyes of the world on the web. The 2008 Year-End Zeitgeist gives a perspective on the year's major events and hottest trends based on global searches, as well as searches conducted in South Africa and 35 additional countries.


Deadline looms for 2008 IMAs
The Q4 entry deadline for the Interactive Media Awards is three weeks away; all nominations must be submitted online or postmarked by 31 December, 2008. The awards recognise the highest standards of excellence in website design and development and honour individuals and organisations for their outstanding achievements.

Mobile games galore from Skillpod Media - Skillpod Media
SkillPod Media's new mobile games roll-out is continuing unabated as the year draws to a close. The company - already established as the leading South African provider of online casual and skill games to the local and international markets - is on the fast track to making a similar impact on the hugely popular mobile gaming market.

The record-breaking auction - bidorbuy
The second-hand Mercedes Benz CLK320 cabriolet recently auctioned on South Africa's largest consumer-to-consumer marketplace bidorbuy.co.za was the most expensive car ever sold on the site.

Cotlands thanks JD Internet Consulting - JD Internet Consulting
Lindy Niewenhuizen, marketing manager of Cotlands, thanks JD Internet Consulting for hosting a party for them last month and providing all the party pack's and the afternoon's entertainment.

Mediaweb appoints Richard Dagge as Media Distribution Specialist - Mediaweb
Richard Dagge has joined Mediaweb as a media distribution specialist, handling blue chip accounts including Sappi, Dischem and CANSA.


MyBroadband Conference sets new standard - MyBroadband
The 2008 MyBroadband Conference took place at Vodaworld recently, and featured a line-up which can be described as a who's-who in the local broadband and telecoms market.

Bizwave Club Membership - Bizwave
Bizwave has brought Christmas early! In the past couple of months big things have been brewing at Bizwave, and the time has finally come to unleash a brand-new feature on the website: Bizwave Club Membership.

Cross Colours' new website for Nando's really cooks - Cross Colours
Cross Colours has crafted a website for Nando's which, like the brand, is intended to be groundbreaking, memorable and quirky. The new site adopts a fun, illustrative look, giving Nando's a playful presence in cyberspace.


Cost effective marketing solutions the way of the future - Mediaweb
As government and economists continue the fight against a presently fragile economy, it is still business as usual for the corporate fraternity. While ‘restructuring' and ‘cost cutting' is now a part of our everyday vocabulary, South African companies and brands still need the same, or even more extensive coverage and awareness to ensure continuous consumer traffic.

In-taxi TV shuttles transport ad industry party animals
First Loeries, now year-end parties - Massiv TV has been offering the Joburg advertising industry free transport to and from year-end party venues. Not only are partygoers being picked up from their place of work and taken to the party venue, they are also being dropped off at their home, completely free of charge.


Expand a Sign's new Ex-Dome - Expand a Sign International
Summer is here and whether you need protection from the blistering sun or an afternoon thunder shower the Ex-Dome from Expand a Sign will provide all the cover you need.


Airport Media reaches out to Headway - Airport Media
To whom would you turn if one of your loved ones were to suffer trauma to the brain? It's a thought most of us would rather not consider but a family's life can change in a few seconds. Headway is a welfare organisation dedicated to offering various support programmes to survivors of Acquired Brain Injury, including Traumatic Brain Injury.

Flint plates come out top in FTASA Awards - Kemtek
In this year's FTASA Print Excellence Awards, no fewer than 24 of the 45 winning entries were printed using Flint Group's Nyloflex flexographic printing plates.

International award for South African producer
South African producer Mark Klein recently took first place at the 2008 US International Film and Video Festival in Los Angeles, US, receiving a Gold Camera Award for his production “Nelson Mandela - Father of the Nation”. This video presentation was commissioned by the Sunday Times for the annual Top 100 event, which honoured Nelson Mandela as the 2007 Lifetime Achiever.


Greg Francois shoots up a storm for Three Ships Whisky - Collective
Collective Films director, Greg Francois, has added another action-packed adventure spot to his showreel, this time for Distell's Three Ships Whisky brand, through agency BBDO Cape Town.


African Motion Picture Company tells the Neotel Story: Enabling today's world - Wisdom Keys Group
Passion, understanding, ingenuity are key values embraced by new SA telecommunications company Neotel. And when Neotel went in search of a production company to capture these values in a corporate DVD, a match was found in an ‘off-the-wall' concept presented by the African Motion Picture Company (AMPC), a member of the Wisdom Keys Group.

Frieze Film's Leigh Ogilvie dips back into her music video roots - Frieze Films
Frieze Films' Leigh Ogilvie delivers the latest spot for Channel O. Working closely with the Ogilvy JHB team to create a pan-African collaboration, Ogilvie combines a contemporary cover version of Nina Simone's liberation “Young, Gifted and Black” with record cover designs and classic styling to pay tribute to the golden age of soul.

New Year's resurrection for PR
[Marcus Brewster] End-of-year reflection is the tipping point for New Year resolution. And as I look back on the public relations year in review, I see much to excite - and alarm - me. All of the excitement comes from external developments like the rise of social and digital media and the growth of the industry (but more of that, ominously, later). All the alarm comes from looking inwards at the profession. Here's the gauntlet - compared to the ad industry, PR has become rote and stagnant. It lacks creativity, it lacks the wow-factor.

PR - viable marketing investment in economic downturn
[Jacki McEwen] When economic times begin to get tough, investing in public relations as a marketing alternative can maintain and strengthen brand awareness, while offering a strong financial return on investment. Though in South Africa the PR route is often not considered, as a common response is to downscale or ‘hold' all marketing activities, but this knee-jerk reaction can be detrimental to the positioning of a brand or company during an economic downturn.


ChatROOM books in with Winchester Mansions, Cape Town - ChatROOM
Full-service communications agency ChatROOM has been awarded the PR account for Cape Town's iconic beachfront hotel, the Winchester Mansions. With its dynamic approach, coupled with existing experience in the Lifestyle and Tourism sectors, the diverse team of brand communicators convinced Winchester Mansions MD Nils Heckscher.

Pure Innovation Awards PR Account to Livewired Communications Cape Town - Livewired Communications
Pure Innovation, the originators of Talent Mining in South Africa, has awarded Livewired Communications Cape Town their PR account.

MPowerFM's GM moves on
MPowerFM's General Manager, Bondo Ntuli, leaves Mpumalanga's first independent commercial radio station at the end of this month. Ntuli joined MPowerFM in October 2007 and was part of the station's launch and first year of existence.


Fired YFM DJ's side of the story
Former YFM DJ Leslie ‘Lee' Kasumba earlier this week released a media statement giving her side of the story, following recent media reports about her departure from the Gauteng youth radio station after eight years of service.


MDDA congratulates Alfred Nzo Community Radio as it celebrates first year of success - MDDA
Alfred Nzo Community Radio held its first year anniversary celebration on Friday 21st November 2008 at the Matatiele Municipality Hall. The station hit the airwaves for the first time on 21 November 2007.

Alfred Nzo CR celebrates first anniversary, extension of broadcast coverage to Matatiele - MDDA
Last month saw Alfred Nzo Community Radio celebrating its first anniversary of going on air at a function held at the Matatiele town hall.


MPowerFM DJ competing in Miss SA
MPowerFM afternoon drive co-host Buyi Shongwe is in the final stages of preparation for next week's Miss South Africa. Amid all the excitement , Shongwe says she is ready for the big night: “Broadcasting on MPowerFM this past year has given me the confidence to pursue my dream of being crowned Miss South Africa. This is an honour I would dearly love to bring to Mpumalanga.” According to MPowerFM GM Bondo Ntuli, the station is fully supportive of Shongwe. “It is a huge privilege for us and our listeners, and as a radio station we will be cheering for her all the way come 15 December,” he says. The pageant will be held at Sun City on Monday, 15 December 2008 and will be broadcast live on SABC2 from 7pm.

HR organisations must adopt social networking - Gartner
STAMFORD: Despite the fact that social networks and software are significantly changing organisations' marketing and web strategies, relatively few human resources (HR) organisations have grasped the effect that they have on the employer brand. This is according to a recent report from Gartner.

Leading managers and BEST managed companies identified by CRF South Africa - CRF South Africa
CRF's annual project, ‘South Africa's Leading Managers 2008/09', has been an exceptional experience for all involved this year. CRF introduced the research component: The Leadership Benchmark survey in 2007 and further developed it with Jonathan Cook, Senior Lecturer: Leadership at the Gordon Institute of Business Science.

Calls for sponsorship: 2009 SAMRA Conference - SAMRA
SAMRA, the Southern African Marketing Research Association, will be holding its 30th conference at the Spier Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 28 - 29 May 2009.

Consumer confidence slides during Q4
The FNB/BER consumer confidence index (CCI) declined by 3 index points - from -1 during the third quarter of 2008 (08Q3) to -4 in the fourth quarter (08Q4). A reading of -4 indicates that there are currently more pessimists than optimists.

FlexiFleet keeps Clover Mama Afrikas mobile - Clover
The partnership between FlexiFleet and Clover has led to a growing relationship with Clover Mama Afrika (CMA). FlexiFleet has been dealing with Clover on the supply chain side of the business for over five years.


Fraud: why car rental agencies are so picky - Hertz Rent a Car
Everyone is aware that organising and paying for a car rental is not usually a quick and simple job. Many people get pretty peeved, as they assume they are being put through the ringer due to ineptitude or lack of service delivery on the part of the rental locations. The reality is that not only is the car rental agency following best business practices to protect themselves from fraudsters, they are, in fact, protecting their clients from possible financial or identity fraud.

Engen brings Christmas cheer to the kids of Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital Burns Unit - Octagon South Africa
It was smiles all around at the fourth annual Engen Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital Christmas Party last week. Forty young VIP guests, made up of predominantly out-patients and supported by parents, staff and social workers, were all in attendance and in good cheer as they celebrated this annual event.

HD TV definitely puts me on a high
[Chris Moerdyk] Local soccer fans who can't afford to get to the World Cup games in 2010 will be in for a treat, even if they have to make do with watching the action on big screens at one of the many fan parks that will be dotted about the country. Because, if DSTv's fledgling high definition (HD) channel is anything to go by, fans won't have to actually be present in the stadium to feel that they're actually there.

SABC3 to broadcast Miss World
Johannesburg is hosting the Miss World pageant for the first time and SABC3 will be there to cover all the glamour and excitement when the winner is crowned at the Sandton Convention Centre. The glitzy show will be broadcast live to over two billion people in almost 220 countries, giving South Africa and Joburg massive worldwide TV exposure and SABC3 will ensure that SA viewers are part of the action.

And Student Village said: Let them have shoes! - Student Village
Student Village and the Converse Brand Ambassadors, assisted by Youth Dynamix, caused major hype and excitement across nine university campuses recently with an unexpected and generous handout of Converse shoes as early exam/Christmas gifts.

Student Village 2008 Investment Challenge results out - Student Village
South African interactive money trading game, Student Village's Investment Challenge 2008, has come to a close and the winners are standing proud. The Investment Challenge game involves each entrant being given R100 000 in virtual money to use for trading on the JSE.