All the 2014 APEX Awards winners.
Category archives: Marketing
No-frills alternatives are helping our favourite brands survive
By Andrew Hughes Only a few years ago jokes about home brand products were quite common. Having a blue and white or red and white dinner meant enjoying generic brand fare that night around the table. But the recent intensification of the supermarket wars has seen the introduction of more sophisticated and aggressive branding strategies by Coles and Woolworths.
Africa Dispatches: Know where to grow
Reductive perceptions of Africa persist, but numbers shatter continental clichés. In the next five years, over half the world’s fastest-growing economies will be African. A Mark Magazine: Africa Dispatches feature by Mandy de Waal (@mandyldewaal).
The Ad Contrarian: Steve Jobs hated “Branding”
by Bob Hoffman (@adcontrarian), Here at The Ad Contrarian Worldwide Headquarters, we have always taken a sceptical view of brand babble.
Shelf Life: Elana Wine, old-style apple pressing and sapient washing
Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland)’s weekly pick of recent product, packaging and design launches: Elana’s wine; Sir Juice’s unique launch press; LG zaps ‘angry germs’; and rejoice with Hertex!
Africa Style: Marketing to a triumphant beat
by Masingita Mazibuko. Say what you like about the Beats by Dr Dre earphones but don’t negate all that Andre Romelle Young aka Dr Dre has learnt about being consistent and using all the weapons at his disposal to take his brand to the next level. So what are these marketing lessons?
Influencers: The dilemma of having celebrity brand evangelists
by Jason Stewart (@HaveYouHeard_SA) One definition of endorsement is a ‘formal and explicit approval’. Another is ‘a signature that validates something’ as in “the cashier would not cash the check without an endorsement”. This highlights for me how important endorsement is.
When Coca-Cola declared the corporate website dead
by David Glance. In November last year, Coca-Cola declared that “Content is King, and the Corporate Website is Dead”. The blog outlined how storytelling was the cornerstone of 21st century communications which for Coca-Cola translated into stories that involved its brands. The result of this revelation was a revamp of its website to more closely resemble the site of an online media company than that of a company making soft drinks.
eBay intensifies Gumtree SA investment
by Herman Manson (@marklives) Claire Cobbledick has moved out of the adland bubble and on to client side. Formerly the MD at storied Cape Town agency The Jupiter Drawing Room, she now reports to eBay as head of marketing for its Gumtree SA classifieds brand. This has resulted in a shift in her understanding of client/agency relationships.
Shelf Life: New eco-friendly household cleaning range
Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland)’s weekly pick of recent product, packaging and design launches: a safe and green new probiotic-based range in household cleaners; Mxit cashes in at the till; and Kiehl’s gets in on the action.