Satire wasted on BCCSA, Vlismas ruling shows
Right on the heels of a judgement that would potentially complicate South Africa’s television content rating system by adding additional warnings to shows containing strong language (traditionally and recognisably marked with an L), the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) has now taken up the mighty task of establishing the “bounds of humour” in a ruling that effectively finds stand-up comedian John Vlismas guilty of hate speech. Mock sermon The... Read More
When a click doesn’t pay
South African publishers are facing increasing pressure from advertisers to adopt a pricing model based on the clickthrough rate on banner ads, rather than the more traditional CPM (cost per mille or cost per thousand), pricing model, which is based on a fixed price for every 1000 impressions served. CPC, or cost per click, is a performance-based pricing model, in which the advertiser is charged only for the number of clicks an ad delivers. The model was popularised by search... Read More
Another Guide to Following People on Twitter
How does one decide who to follow on Twitter? The answer is apparently much more complicated than you would expect. None of that “I don’t like this guy’s face” nonsense. It’s a potentially lengthy process involving multiple steps according to various social media expert types. ‘Social media experts’ and flow charts go together like Google and Verizon or Facebook and privacy-invasion. They just get one another. The web hosts numerous attempts... Read More
Refocused 24.com: good news for newspaper brands?
24.com, the largest and one of the most important South African digital media players, earlier this week announced a significant strategic move that will see it restructured and refocused. It will, in effect, move from being standalone to a division integrated with Media24 Newspapers. It will exit the ecommerce field, with Kalahari.net moving to MIH Internet Africa along with listing business Careers24. 24Games, a mobile and web destination offering free online games, will move... Read More
With apologies to Cell C
Cell C CEO Lars Reichelt published a second full page apology this past weekend after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that Cell C must stop using the term “4Gs” in its advertising material. Cell C earlier this year punk’d consumers and commentators with an ad apologising to comedian Trevor Noah for lapses in service in what later turned out to be part of a marketing campaign involving the positioning of Noah as Cell-Cs ‘chief experience... Read More
