Marketing industry news, opinion & analysis • Sections •

Green Sky Thinking: The need for thneed

by Colwyn Elder (@colwynelder) In March last year The Lorax came to our big screen in all its 3D glory and with a star-studded cast of voices including: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Danny DeVito and Ed Helms. If you missed it, you can listen to the story here, a charming fable of corporate greed (represented by the Once-ler and his superfluous, but fast selling thneeds) and its consequent environmental damage.

Narrated by The Lorax who ‘speaks for the trees’, it’s a pertinent story and the cinematic release seemed timeous and considered, until you realise (or remember) that the original story was in fact written in 1971. That’s right, Dr. Seuss warned us against the dangers of not caring for our environment 40 years ago.

Shelf Life: Window dressing

Louise Marsland’s (@Louise_Marsland) pick of new product, packaging and design launches: In-store and mall promotions gain traction with Primedia; Nike takes sporting fashion to designer tech highs; a new retail loyalty scheme launches for Pick n Pay, BP customers;and Woodbender weaves a range of seating for office or home.

Fair Exchange: South Africa’s cellular network providers are holding us to ransom

by Erna George. It wasn’t easy finding an industry less consumer-friendly than South Africa’s financial services industry when it comes to the use of legalese – no, no, no, no. Silly me. It was a piece of pie.

And which is it? It’s South Africa’s mobile communications industry. Yes, the industry that ‘connects people’, ‘helps them stay in touch with the world’.

Just recently (on holiday in our country), I found myself interacting with folk from all four corners of the globe – and all were astounded at what we have to put up with just to ‘connect with people’ and ‘stay in touch with the world’.

Delicious, Tomorrowland comes to South Africa

by Kim Penstone When Lloyd Cornwall first visited Neighbourgoods in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, he realised that he had stumbled right into a brand-new lifestyle grouping of South Africans. People whom, at first sight, would have very little in common, yet brought together by Neighbourgoods.

What he saw was a completely integrated crowd – in his words, white, black and Indian. Couples in their 30s. Families with young children. Older couples, with no children. And he started thinking about food.

A music man at heart, Cornwall is perhaps most famous for bringing the Ministry of Sound brand to South Africa. His company Massive recently joined forces with VWV, to create VWV Massive, which combines the entertainment and sponsorship expertise of Massive with South Africa’s biggest event company.

Shelf Life: Monkey Shoulder Scotch!

Louise Marsland’s (@Louise_Marsland) pick of new product, packaging and design launches.

L’Occitane launches its new fragrance range in SA; KFC adds to breakfast; a new Scotch that doesn’t monkey around; and African Pride and Protea Hotel’s new websites give guests what they want.

The Sell: The Invisible Gorilla in your shopper strategy

by Mimi Nicklin (@miminicklin) I am at the office. I know that I drove here (because it would have been impossible to walk!) but the truth is, I cannot remember the drive at all. An entire forty minute journey on auto drive. A scarily absent-minded, habitual, subconscious set of decisions that took me from A to B and achieved my set goal successfully, albeit without much conscious decision making. Not unlike the standard trip to the grocery store.

Shelf Life: Downton Abbey wallpaper!

LG proclaims ‘It’s all possible’ when ‘Life’s Good’; Standard Bank moves ‘design forward’; trendy Woodstock gets some Middle-Eastern flavour; you can own a ‘piece’ of Downton Abbey; and we’re still waiting to hear when Kiehl’s will open in Cape Town…

Africa Style: Encouraging individualism sells many cans of soda

by Masingita Mazibuko. ‘Just when you think you know hip hop, it surprises you and reminds you why you fell in love with it in the first place’ is a line from one of my all-time favourite movies, Brown Sugar, from the early 2000s.

And not because of Taye Diggs, but rather it takes me back to my younger days, and the likes of Chronic and NWA by way of the influence of younger brother and friends.

It took me back to the heart and soul of hip hop. Now I was never what you would call a ‘Hip Hop Head’, but the words that were uttered by emcees and unexpected accompanying beats seems to evoke and draw me in.

What is it about hip hop? Is it a sense of pride about what it is about and who it is targeting? That sense of clarity that taps into commonalities and sharpness in being in tune with the social environment that evokes emotions?

Hip hop has managed to transverse the boundaries of origins in the US and appeal to many across the globe, without compromising its essence, evoking shared desire in many, pulling them into its world. It is through this power of focus that ensures that it never dies and continues to rear its head.

Shift to present day, and hip hop is rearing its head again in an unexpected way via a brand, Sprite.

Shelf Life: Redesigned Sodastream so hot we need a soda

Louise Marsland’s (@Louise_Marsland) pick of new product, packaging and design launches.

Olli Organic baby food range rebarnds; New rice brand from Allsome; Whiskas shelf stopper and Dotty over Sodastream design.

Green Sky Thinking: Know your foodprint

by Colwyn Elder (@colwynelder) Nearly half the world’s food production never makes a plate. That’s two billion tons of food wasted, every year. Perversely, nearly one billion of the world’s population are malnourished. Put these two facts together and there’s clearly a distribution problem at the crux of the global food crisis.