Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland)’s weekly pick of recent product, packaging and design launches: VISI’s “Wild Design” tells us why we should love living in Africa and the World Design Capital of 2014; HKLM capitalises on annual report integrated reporting requirements; House of Brave’s office redesign; and Chris Pine decodes Armani.
Category archives: Marketing
Fair Exchange: Why predictability is a critical brand characteristic
by Erna George. A level of predictability is what makes others feel safe; it is something they can depend on. This is exactly what a brand does; otherwise, we might as well pack products in a white cardboard box and identify its contents in black Arial font.
#trendMARK: Sustainability — more of a truth than a trend
a trendMARK feature by Shauneen Procter (@procter101) Guilt-free shopping and sustainable business practices are ‘hot’ trends for 2014. About time, as I believe that these should rather be common business sense.
The Dissident Spin Doctor: What your comms policy reveals about you
by Emma King (@EmmainSA) So, how is your corporate communications policy structured? Is it free and open, or is it rigid, sluggish and fear-inducing? Because, watch out, the way that you communicate, both internally and externally, says a lot about you to the outside world.
Smart Africa TV: Mo Abudu on the long road to launching Ebony Life TV
by Russell Southwood (@BalancingActAfr) In this interview, Mo Abudu, CEO of Ebony Life TV, talks to Michelle Garforth-Venter at DISCOP 2013 about the long road to launching her channel and licensing the Desperate Housewives format from Walt Disney.
BrandAlert: Pitch imperfect
by Shauneen Procter (@procter101) When it comes to bidding for new business, the South African ad industry is getting it wrong. Instead of dueling the dichotomy, let’s put the beast on the table. Let’s unite to offer alternatives, and find a way to deal with this beast for once and for all.
Shelf Life: Shift Joe Public takes to the seas
Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland)’s pick of new product, packaging and design launches this week: Shift Joe Public makes waves in uncharted territory for SAMSA; Kor launches in SA with filtered water on the go; the new logo of IAB South Africa — formerly the DMMA; Milpark Garden Court upgrades; and how to have a happy ending on Valentine’s Day, even if you’re single!
The Sell: Three provocative suggestions for retail in 2014
by Mimi Nicklin (@MimiNicklin) If I were going to write my three top ‘trends’, it would be, however, in favour of avoiding the ‘T’ word altogether. I shall instead pick out three provocative suggestions for retail that are worthy of thought in 2014.
The Word: Urban selfies turn customers into evangelists
by Mongezi Mtati (@Mongezi) Customer stories, as told by customers themselves, are the most powerful way to generate buzz. Let’s take a look at campaigns by Urban Degree and Samsung.
The Pitch List: Recent pitches and account moves in South Africa
by Johanna McDowell (@jomcdowell) The Pitch List is a new monthly summary of recently completed pitches. It draws data collected by the Independent Agency Search and Selection Company (IAS) from across the industry and is not limited to pitches handled by IAS.