by Bob Hoffman (@adcontrarian) While advocates for social media still cling to the wreckage of “the conversation” and continue to hound us with apocryphal tales of social media magic, dispassionate observers are starting to realise what a delusion the whole theory of social media marketing has been.
Category archives: Adland
EXCLUSIVE: Sanlam “re-scopes” MetropolitanRepublic contract
by Herman Manson (@marklives) Sanlam has “re-scoped” its existing contract with ad agency MetropolitanRepublic. Ainsley Moos, head: group communications at Sanlam, has confirmed the news to MarkLives after queries as to whether the agency/client relationship between Sanlam and MetropolitanRepublic remained in place.
Millenial Ad-Grad: We need to write the new rules
by Faheem Chaudhry (@FaheemChaudhry) It’s time we write the new rules. It’s time to rethink how we orientate ourselves in the ad industry. We’re in the midst of our own revolution — the consumer revolution. So let’s take a moment to zoom out a little, and focus on what is really going to drive remarkable change for organisations and businesses in the years to come.
The Ad Contrarian: Return on ignorance
by Bob Hoffman (@adcontrarian) Let’s pretend for a minute that we can measure ROI for advertising.
Hermaneutics: What adland should learn in 2014 from 2013 #trendMARK
by Herman Manson (@marklives) What lessons can South Africa’s advertising agencies learn from the year that was? We offer a few. This feature first ran in trendMark. Read or download the full magazine via Issuu.
The Switch: The quick agency/marketer guide to surviving a pitch
by Alistair Mokoena (@AlistairMokoena) Every profession has its defining moment, a moment when stakes are at their highest. We refer to these moments as the moment of truth. For marketers, the moment a consumer interacts with a brand for the first time constitutes a moment of truth. For those of us in the advertising world, the moment we present work to a client is our moment of truth.
The Ad Contrarian: Adland success can be a steal
by Bob Hoffman (@adcontrarian) Sometimes, creativity isn’t about inventing. Sometimes it’s about rearranging. Yes, adland success can be a steal.
Indy Ad Exec: Independent thinking
by Tom Fels (@thomasfels) Having spent most of my career working at independent agencies, I suddenly found myself contemplating what it means to be an independent in this industry.
Agency Leaders: 2013’s most-admired ad agency in South Africa
by Herman Manson (@marklives) The annual poll by the MarkLives team amongst South Africa’s leading agency executives has already revealed which agencies, agency leaders and creatives are most admired by regional peers. This set today’s results rather nicely. Which city will play host to the most admired agency an ad execs in the country? Will it be Johannesburg with Joe Public or Cape Town with Ogilvy Cape Town?
The Ad Contrarian: Why social channels are cloning television in 2014
by Bob Hoffman (@adcontrarian) Last year, Facebook pretty much abandoned the fantasy and got into the interruption model big time. Great big traditional ads started appearing in our streams. Facebook still has pretensions of social media, but it’s pretty clear what it really is — a social media channel with traditional advertising plastered all over it.