LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

1. Sanral CEO Nazir Alli resigns

NAZIR Alli, CEO of the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), has resigned, the agency said on Tuesday.

2. SA ‘losing’ to emerging rivals in bid for investors

The global competitiveness of South Africa’s manufacturing sector has been eroded by rising production and raw material costs, taxation and the skills shortage that threaten the country’s ability to effectively compete with other emerging economies for foreign direct investment, Deloitte said on Monday.

3. First-quarter unemployment rate quickens to 25,2%

SOUTH Africa’s official jobless rate quickened to 25,2% of the labour force in the first quarter of 2012 from 23,9% in the fourth quarter, a survey showed on Tuesday.

LOCAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

4. Marketing Indaba secures Google SA and international speaker

Google SA has confirmed that Brett St Clair, Head of New Products for Sub-Sahara Africa, will be speaking at the Marketing Indaba Conference. St Clair, who was a popular speaker at last year’s conference, will return on the 10th of May and will be talking on putting the plus (+1) behind Google and how social media is changing online marketing.

5. Romans Pizza hopes to hit charity target in May

Roman’s Pizza has launched a new campaign where it plans to sell a million pizzas during May 2012, donating R1 from each pizza to Matla a Bana, an organisation involved in the development of child-friendly crime reporting facilities and the training of specialised counsellors to assist in cases of child rape, among others.

6. Standard, FNB sent back to ad drawing board

Tit-for-tat complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have come back to bite Standard Bank and First National Bank (FNB), after they were both accused last week of misleading customers.

7. Google to test first self-driven cars

Google’s self-driven cars will soon appear on Nevada roads after the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles approved the nation’s first autonomous vehicle licence.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NEWS

8. European stocks fall as fears grow of austerity backlash

Stocks and the euro fell in Europe on Tuesday, and Wall Street appeared headed for a weak opening, after the leading party in the Greek Parliament was unable to form a government, adding to fears that a backlash against austerity measures is leading the Continent back into turmoil.

9. Amazon leaps into high end of the fashion pool

Amazon is so serious about its next big thing that it hired three women to do nothing but try on size 8 shoes for its Web reviews. Full time.

10. Steering Murdoch in scandal, Klein put school goals aside

Last week, after a British parliamentary report declared that Rupert Murdoch was “not a fit person” to lead a major corporation, several senior News Corporation executives huddled intense discussion on the eighth floor of the company’s New York headquarters.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

11. Master card unveils PayPass digital wallet

MasterCard is to launch a new digital wallet service, which it claims will offer consumers and merchants a “faster and easier” payment system.

12. Nectar introduces gift horse brand character to promote online discounts

Loyalty scheme Nectar is introducing a brand character called ‘Gift Horse’, as part of an integrated campaign to promote its eShops online discounts portal.

13. Amex rolls out first sms-interactive billboard

American Express is launching what it claims is the first SMS-driven interactive billboard, offering consumers “insider tips” about activities in London.

BRAND NEWS

14. How personal branding benefits your Company brand

Businesses today have it tough. As soon as you develop something new, a competitive premise or a product/service that will set you apart from your competitors, your rivals all copy you and that competitive advantage is quickly lost.

15. Welsh rugby stars soften up with Dove Men + Care partnership

Unilever’s Dove Men+Care grooming brand has signed a title sponsorship deal with the Welsh Rugby Union, in a move that will rename this autumn’s test matches, the Dove Men Series.

16. 5 brand-damaging social media behaviours to avoid

Social media can make or break your business and personal brand. Here’s what social media mistakes to avoid.

SURVEYS, TRENDS & OPINIONS

17. SA must tap into the surging current of youth

The broad goals of the national Development Plan (NDP) are that by 2030 SA should be prosperous and equal. To achieve this, SA needs to grow its economy by 5.4 percent per annum over the next twenty years and create about 11 million new jobs.

18. What is Mobile Malware?

You probably know something about the viruses that can attack your computer, but what about the viruses aimed at your mobile devices? You may be surprised to learn that malicious software aimed at mobile devices, otherwise known as mobile malware, is on the rise, yet two thirds of smartphone owners do not even realize their device can be infected.

18. In procurement era, agencies must offer more than top work

No sooner had the industry heard the news that MEC had lost its long-standing Specsavers account to Manning Gottlieb OMD, than there were proclamations that MEC was on a downward spiral. Having lost other chunky clients in Gocompare.com and Wickes at the turn of the year, this, some observers said, surely serves as confirmation that MEC is losing its grip.

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

1. Fund curator sue ABSA

The curators of two funds for which Absa was the trustee Corporate Money Managers and the Altron Pension Fund are suing the bank for R1,1bn, financial website Fin24.com reported yesterday.

2. New FNB tactic to liquidate EH Walton

First National Bank (FNB) has filed an objection over the meaning of wording as presented in the old and new companies acts, in its battle to have EH Walton, SA’s oldest packaging company, liquidated.

3. Treasury joins e-toll court fight

The National Treasury has applied to intervene in the Gauteng e-toll case to be heard by the High Court in Pretoria this week. “There would be serious negative implications for future financing of roads and investment in public transport, were Sanral (the SA National Roads Agency Ltd) to be interdicted from implementing the toll collection system,” Treasury said in a statement on Monday.

LOCAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

4. Olympic fever begins

Ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London from 27 July-12 August, the SABC announces its programming build-up and Oakley South Africa launches the global ‘Beyond Reason’ campaign.

5. Marketing Indaba boasts great speaker line-up

The Marketing Indaba Conference, which takes place on 9 and 10 May at the CTICC, has secured an excellent line-up of over 16 speakers that will inspire and inform delegates. The theme of the conference is ‘cutting through the clutter’ and speakers will shed new light and insights on marketing management, strategies, traditional and digital media. This is a must attend event for all marketers, managers, advertisers, brand managers and account executives.

6. Marketing association of South Africa seeks new CEO

The Marketing Association of South Africa [MA(SA)] is in the process of seeking an experienced marketing person to take on the role of CEO, as the current CEO, Sarel du Plessis, will step down from his current position at the end of June 2012 to pursue personal entrepreneurial ventures.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NEWS

7. Prime-time ratings bring speculation of a shift in habits

It is the police procedural that has network executives scratching their heads this season: The Case of the Disappearing Viewers. Across the television landscape, network and cable, public television and pay cable, English-language and Spanish, viewing for all sorts of prime-time programming is down this spring chiefly among the most important audience for the business, younger adults.

8. Mexican watchdog group says Mexico’s federal government should probe alleged Wall-Mart bribes

Mexico’s federal government should investigate allegations of a vast bribery campaign by top executives of Wal-Mart’s Mexican subsidiary to build stores across the country, the head of a watchdog group said Sunday.

9. Agreement on a global firewall, but little beyond that

Meetings of finance ministers and central bankers here over the weekend started with a pledge by wealthy nations to significantly increase the lending capacity of the International Monetary Fund to defend against the possibility of worsening economic conditions in the debt-laden euro zone.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

10. The 6 biggest potholes of marketing automation

The journey toward marketing magnificence can be an exciting but nerve-racking adventure. The path to inner peace and profit is not always smooth and there are many potholes that can derail you from achieving automation and scale.

11. 1$ Billion wasted

In the 1990s, Microsoft was famous for many things. It was the largest technology company ever. People liked to refer to it as the “evil empire,” a term they borrowed from Ronald Reagan, who (probably) borrowed it from George Lucas. This was partially because its Windows software seemed to run on every single computer everywhere, but also because the company had an apparent practice of buying up any company that seemed to either threaten its dominance or could be reasonably melded into its already expansive list of computer services.

12. BA press campaign vaunts BMI deal

British Airways is running a press campaign that explains its recent takeover of BMI, calling it a “positive step” for UK aviation and reassuring customers that the transition period will be “as smooth as possible”.

BRAND NEWS

13. Advertising gets a face-lift to attract young talent

The advertising industry is suffering from an image problem that threatens to make careers unattractive to new, young talent. As such, rebranding the industry for the younger set is no easy feat—and it was clear to the 4A’s and Arnold that traditional ads wouldn’t bring results for their new “Open Advertising” campaign.

14. Coke beats street, sees signs US economy improving

Coca-Cola Co posted higher-than-expected quarterly results after the world’s largest soft drink maker sold more beverages, even in developed markets with economic challenges, fueling hopes that conditions are improving.

15. Nestle to buy Pfizer baby food unit

Swiss food group Nestlé is to buy US drugmaker Pfizer’s infant nutrition business for $11.85bn, beating out French rival Danone in the battle for dominance of baby food in fast-growing emerging markets.

SURVEYS, TRENDS & OPINIONS

16. Experience as an asset

An undue amount of the literature on personal development is devoted to ‘transforming your life’ in as short time as possible. If the techniques actually worked as promised everyone who read the books, listened to the audios or went to the seminars should have been a superstar in a year or two.

17. Is Africa closer to meeting its health targets?

The Millennium Development Goals are therefore a useful criterion against which to measure a particular government’s compliance with providing adequate healthcare.

18. Richard Branson: The unthinkable and the unsinkable

AS I listen to pitches from entrepreneurs looking for investors or advice on expansion, I am often amazed at how many seem to believe that technology is what’s holding their companies back. “We would love to get into that market, but we don’t have the systems to support it yet” is a common refrain. As is, “Our profits took a hit last year after a series of system problems,” which has become the great catch-all excuse for just about anything that goes awry.

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

1. Turkcell files $100m defamation case against MTN

Turkcell has filed a defamation case against SA mobile operator, MTN Group (MTN), accusing the firm of making false statements.

2. Union claims ABSA restructuring is illegal

Unions are outraged after big four bank Absa sent letters to 270 IT staff, who joined the company on Sunday, telling them that they had to reapply for their positions.

3. Strong growth in job creation, but unions struggle

Adcorp employment index shows more than 100000 jobs were created last month, although researchers flag ‘growing crisis’ in South African trade-union movement.

LOCAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

4. The more you ‘like’ it, the more it grows

An interactive billboard in Cape Town’s city centre is growing hair with every click of a mouse. The 6m-high billboard, on the corner of Buitensingel and Church streets, features a male model’s face and is part of Bronx Men’s Shoes’ Man Enough campaign.

5. Loeries expand into Africa with new category

A new category for the 2012 Loeries, ‘Rest of Africa and the Middle East’, will be officially launched on Thursday 19 April 2012 at 6pm at the Sierra Lounge, 2nd Floor, Yaya Centre, Argwings Khodek Road in Nairobi, Kenya.

6. Market researchers to convene in Johannesburg to discuss best research practices

Bringing together over 15 expert presentations from Africa, the Best Research Practices: Intelligent Research & Competitive Insights Conference, which will be held on the 7th – 8th June 2012 at Crowne Plaza Hotel & Resorts, The Rosebank Johannesburg will demonstrate to market researchers how to manage all these aspects and to realise a significant ROI on the research function.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NEWS

7. Obama candidate sketches vision for World Bank

Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the anthropologist and physician who is President Obama’s surprise choice to run the World Bank, does not have a detailed public record laying out his views of economic development, the bank’s central mission. He is not a development scholar nor, like previous presidents, a banker or foreign policy éminence grise.

8. Food prices push rate of inflation in China

The China inflation rate edged up in March, data released Monday showed, in a development that may dampen, but not eliminate, the chances of Beijing’s announcing added steps to prop up the flagging pace of growth.

9. Despite good health, Bank holds tight to TARP funds

M&T Bank performed solidly during the financial crisis. Now, in the aftermath, the lender isn’t cutting dividends or selling shares to bolster capital, in contrast to regional bank peers. And M&T’s stock has traded with a relatively high valuation, illustrating investors’ faith in the bank.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

10. Heineken plans major integration with Bond Flick

Heineken USA will rely on James Bond to help push its flagship brand this year, while launching campaigns for Newcastle Brown Ale and Amstel Light, and introducing a Mexican brand, Indio, in the states. And in an unusual move, the importer will run subtitled Spanish-language TV ads for Tecate on English-language channels.

11. Kraft’s trident launches first global campaign

Trident, which has long talked about benefits like oral health and vitamins, is leaving that approach behind in its first global campaign.

12. Intermezzo rouses drug category with $100 million push

Purdue Pharma is preparing for an event that has recently become rare in pharmaceuticals—a big-budget blitz for of a potential blockbuster drug. Intermezzo, which treats middle-of-the-night insomnia, hit pharmacy shelves April 5 and will receive a $100 million marketing outlay over 12 months. That’s according to a recent 10-K from Transcept Pharmaceuticals, which has sold the marketing rights to Purdue, a company perhaps best known for painkiller OxyContin.

BRAND NEWS

13. Heat magazine far more accessible and affordable

South Africa’s leading celebrity news magazine, heat, boasts a brand new look thanks to changes implemented by newly appointed editor, Andre Neveling.

14. Pepsi enters top 10 grocery brands but Coke still number one

Pepsi has joined the UK’s list of top 10 grocery brands for the first time, after it boasted a 10% sales increase over the past year but rival Coke is still number one.

15. New research tools show brands where to invest in digital space

Search, brand websites, shopping and browsing portals make the greatest contributions to brand loyalty and ROI, according to a new study, that for the first time, provides marketers a groundbreaking view of digital platforms showing them where, precisely in their product / service category, they will receive the best return on their digital marketing investments.

SURVEYS, TRENDS & OPINIONS

16. Why the world needs a desirable bank

Banking is even older than money itself. Given such longevity, we might expect brands in the sector to be well-defined and diverse. But in truth the opposite is true: over time banks seem to have converged towards one established template.

17. Mobility and the enterprise – trends for 2012

Mobility is an identifiable global megatrend along with others such as ageing populations, social media driven interaction, urbanisation and a worldwide economic crisis.

18. http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2012/04/unified-communication-opportunities-in-lean-times/

Depressed markets are likely to continue their adverse impact on the unified communications (UC) industry for at least another three years, with some vendors already experiencing contraction in revenues.

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

1. Former MTN CEO denies bribing of officials in Iran

Mobile communications group MTN is being sued for $4,2bn by rival Turkcell over awarding of cellular licence in Iran.

2. Holdsworth accused of ‘corporate sabotage’

In a founding affidavit filed in the North Gauteng high court, JSE-listed Reunert has accused John Holdsworth, the former CEO of ECN Telecommunications, of “corporate sabotage”.

3. Absa defends IT staff moves

About 145 of Absa’s IT staff members are still on gardening leave, while the bank attempts to assist them to find new jobs.

LOCAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

4. Exciting new marketing ideas from Kulula, Bos Ice Tea and TomTom

Extending the reach of their marketing and product lines, three companies have announced exciting extensions to their brands. kulula airlines extends its service to include seaplane landings in Hartbeespoort Dam, Durban and Cape Town, Tractor has secured the rights to brand the slopes of Table Mountain, and TomTom has researched the best satnav voice to calm crying children.

5. George Rautenbach takes up new role at Primedia Sport

For a two week campaign period, global cosmetics brand Clinique dominated 29 Currently holding the position of Executive Chairman, George will take up a new role as Non-Executive Chairman of the Primedia Sport division as of 1 July 2012. With his strategic expertise and in-depth knowledge of the sport marketing industry, together with the relationships he holds at the highest levels, both locally and abroad, George is arguably the face of Sports Marketing in South Africa.

6. Knight Frank launches a commercial division in South Africa

The global property company Knight Frank recently held an Africa conference at Asara Hotel in Stellenbosch. This was a platform to promote business between their Africa offices and to launch Knight Frank Commercial in South Africa.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NEWS

7. Clients raise questions about MF Global checks

MF Global customers who closed their accounts in the brokerage firm’s final days have been fuming for months about how the firm mailed checks to them, instead of promptly transferring the money electronically as usual. Many of those checks arrived after the bankruptcy filing, and subsequently bounced.

8. Apple, Foxconn improve Chinese working conditions

Apple and its China manufacturing partner, Foxconn, agreed to improve wages and working conditions at factories accused of being sweatshops, a move that could set a new higher-cost benchmark for other Western users of Chinese labour.

9. IBM lands $42m SKA tender

Some of the biggest computers you’ll ever see are going to help decipher data from the world’s largest telescope as it explores the origins of the universe. IBM has announced it has won a US$42m contract to work with the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (Astron) to research the “exascale” computer systems that are needed for the radio telescope, which is known as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

10. Heineken plans major integration with Bond Flick

Heineken USA will rely on James Bond to help push its flagship brand this year, while launching campaigns for Newcastle Brown Ale and Amstel Light, and introducing a Mexican brand, Indio, in the states. And in an unusual move, the importer will run subtitled Spanish-language TV ads for Tecate on English-language channels.

11. Skype bids to show off ‘richer experience’

Skype is embarking on its largest consumer marketing push to date, with a $10m (£6.2m) global campaign that aims to show how the service enables “more human” communications, beyond the video-calling it is known for.

12. Samsung in search for Olympic bloggers

Samsung is opening a competition to select 100 bloggers around the world to cover the Olympics using its products, as it seeks to become a more “aspirational” brand.

BRAND NEWS

13. The (re)portrayal of a brand

Essential Hardware Group, have in March 2012 embarked on a campaign that better communicates their brand to core trade. The process required an in-depth review and re-establishment of the array of offerings to its members, suppliers and the economy as a whole.

14. Brands doing their digital best

Brand keys’ Digital platform GPS unveiled at the 4A’s annual conference advertisers can identify intersection of Brand strategy on top of digital platforms MLB, Ford, Apple, Coke, Call of Duty, McDonald, and Facebook among brands doing their digital best.

15. What’s in a name?

Trading on Big Brand association is murky water that has not paid off for one SA retailer, but is she the only one?

SURVEYS, TRENDS & OPINIONS

16. Emoticons ‘r’ us

The smiley was the original. The text symbol expressing approval, happiness, or humor was invented 30-odd years ago. It was used as a tool to avoid misunderstanding of text-based online communication within emails and online forums by ensuring that the writer meant his or her digital message to be a joke or ironic.

17. Zara leads the new retail way

Trend analyst, Dion Chang, says that in general with businesses sitting on a threshold of change, it makes it difficult for retailers to stick to the same conventional business template. “I think retail is in a big shake-up as in a sense they are really being forced into a corner,” he says.

18. Exciting times ahead for local broadcasting

While connectivity in South Africa has traditionally been very expensive, prices are beginning to drop and caps are being lifted due to improved infrastructure and availability, making broadband more affordable than before.

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

1. Tough rules expected to shake up insurance industry

Experts last week issued another warning that more stringent regulation of the insurance sector could cause weaker companies to succumb.

2. Businesses take e-toll battle to court

Business people in the motor and tourism industries are at the forefront of a lawsuit initiated on Friday and aimed at putting a stop to the Gauteng e-tolling system.

3. Brics move to unseat dollar as trade currency

South Africa will this week take some initial steps to unseat the US dollar as the preferred worldwide currency for trade and investment in emerging economies.

LOCAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

4. South African agencies win at UK awards

The awards recognise the group’s continued move to encompass new aspects of innovation, digital, bought, owned and earned media in its brand campaigns. The winners represented work for brands that included Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Captain Morgan from around the world. Many of the winners highlighted campaigns that allowed consumers to join in, share, comment and create with these brands.

5. Clinique take it in-store with Fashion Media

For a two week campaign period, global cosmetics brand Clinique dominated 29 Edgars and 24 Red Square stores to promote its ‘free gift with purchase’ promotion. Tasked to attract shoppers to the deal was Unlimited’s Fashion Media division.

6. SAT embraces social media to market South Africa to the world

South African Tourism (SAT) has embraced social media as an important part of its marketing mix as it seeks to entice international tourists to the country. Tourism’s direct and indirect contribution to the country’s gross domestic product is estimated to be around R200-billion a year or about 7.5% of GDP.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NEWS

7. Iran oil standoff raises threat of new global recession

US President Barack Obama has conceded that tension over Iran is ‘adding a $20 or $30 premium to oil prices’, which have risen about 20% since December.

8. Obama vows to pursue more nuclear cuts

US President Barack Obama vowed on Monday to pursue further nuclear arms cuts with Russia, saying the United States has more warheads than necessary, even as he issued stern warnings to North Korea and Iran in their nuclear standoffs with the West.

9. More Nokia job cuts revealed

Nokia Siemens on Friday reached a deal with German unions to cut 1 600 jobs in Munich, part of the telecom equipment maker’s ongoing restructuring programme, which includes 17 000 job losses globally.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

10. ASDA brings back voucher activity for Easter period

Asda is targeting Easter shoppers with a fresh bout of voucher activity that offers customers £5 off a £40 shop on top of its Price Guarantee promotion.

11. Coke, Tesco, Kraft sign up to calorie reduction pledge

The big four supermarkets and a raft of major food companies have signed up to the Department of Health Responsibility Deal, which aims to cut 5bn calories from the nation’s daily diet.

12. Revlon’s Julia Goldin on her new story telling strategy, going back to basics and marketers as business leader

Revlon’s global chief marketing officer says that a clear global marketing vision is behind the brand’s improved performance, writes Rachel Barnes.

BRAND NEWS

13. MTN rated Africa’s most valuable brand

MTN moved up 12 places to 188th position in the world’s most valuable brand rankings and maintained its position as Africa’s only company in the Brand Finance Global 500 grading.

14. Tennis in South Africa serves an ace with a re-brand

The South African Tennis Association, a member of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), an affiliate of SASCOC and the official controlling body of tennis in South Africa will now be called; Tennis South Africa (TSA).

15. IDEAS lab, a global innovation by Aegis media in association with Bizcommunity.com

Aegis Media has always innovated the way brands are built and are proud to launch their latest market innovation platform whereby 1000′s of creatives, innovators, digital and media agents in South Africa and Africa can submit ideas into a creative and social think tank known as IDEAS LAB.

SURVEYS, TRENDS & OPINIONS

16. Best and worst bank in South Africa: Consumer survey

MyBroadband BusinessTech recently conducted a user survey where consumers were asked to rate their banks according to service levels, pricing and convenience.

17. The merging of digital and ‘Real Life’

OK, OK. Don’t get too excited. From what I’ve been able to dredge up on the Interwebs, we’re all probably years away from having our Mexi-vittles air-dropped at the touch of a smartphone. But the hoax/joke/cutting-edge tech-concept did get me thinking about what might be the next frontier: the merging of digital and “real life.” Anywhere.

18. Facilitate a movement: the shift from mass marketing

In a world where advertising and marketing trends change constantly, it’s easy for the larger more established brands to lag behind. They aren’t as agile as smaller and newer brands, and are often stuck in the “this is how we’ve always done things” frame of mind.

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

1. Reserve Bank changes tone on inflation

Inflationary pressures in South Africa are now likely to become more generalised, reflecting demand-side pressure rather than only external factors, the Reserve Bank warned on Thursday, seeming to signal an eventual monetary tightening

2. Absa faces fury over ‘3000 job cuts’ claim

ABSA is under pressure from trade unions to confirm that its business reorganisation will not result in job losses, which some insiders have estimated could be as high as 3000.

3. Nersa hike in pipeline tariff may add 4c/L to petrol price

The National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) has approved a 31,6% increase for Transnet Pipelines, a move that could see the petrol price rising by 4c/l in Gauteng.

LOCAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

4. Marketers role is to re-humanise business

“Most CEO’s believe that marketers lack business credibility. Moreover, they feel marketers are not the business growth generators they should be, and are not focused enough on effectiveness.”

5. Marketing Indaba returns to Cape Town in May

Following its initial success in 2011, the Marketing Indaba offering an expo and conference, returns to Cape Town at the CTICC from 9-10 May 2012. Under the theme, ‘Inspire, Inform, Focus and Connect’, the conference offers 16 speakers in a focused programme of updated industry information.

6. SA’s new slogan fails to inspire marketing buffs

South Africa’s new marketing slogan has been slated by experts. Last week the cabinet approved “South Africa: Inspiring new ways”, presented by Brand SA. It replaces the slogan: “South Africa: Alive with possibility”. A leading marketing analyst, Chris Moerdyk, said the new slogan was “extremely contrived” and “pretty meaningless”.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NEWS

7. Apple says it will announce a decision about its cash

Apple has finally decided what to do with its cash hoard of nearly $100 billion. The company issued an unusual media alert on Sunday evening saying it planned to announce on Monday morning the long-awaited outcome to a discussion by its board about what to do with its cash balance.

8. Surprise increase in rates is credited to signs of recovery

Investors will be closely watching for another rise in interest rates when trading resumes on Monday, after the bond market’s sharpest move in nearly six months caught some traders by surprise last week.

9. Broadcasters fight plan to post names of political ad buyers on web

CBS and News Corp.’s Fox are among broadcasters fighting a plan to post names of campaign-ad buyers and purchase prices on the Web as record election spending raises concerns over anonymous political contributions.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING & MEDIA NEWS

10. P&G is ready to co-innovate on digital

If the path Procter & Gamble is pursuing in turning hard toward digital marketing is reminiscent of another recent, major strategic shift for the CPG giant, that’s because company executives are deliberately borrowing from that model.

11. You Tube plans more investment in original ‘Channels’

YouTube’s $100 million investment in new premium “channels”? Consider it a down payment. According to content chief Robert Kyncl, it’s just the beginning of Google’s plan to back original content, and the center of a long-term strategy to build the next generation of entertainment brands as well as an ecosystem that lets them become profitable businesses.

12. Twitter debacle forgotten, McDonalds tries another Meme: ’Shamrock’

McDonald’s last attempt to generate a Twitter hashtag meme #McDStories registered a fail when consumers used it to spread their own McDonald’s horror stories. But if you think that the fast-food giant would take a hiatus from social media, you’d be wrong.

BRAND NEWS

13. Brand South Africa gets new executives

Businesswoman Charlotte Chichi Maponya and the CEO of SuperSport, Happy Ntshingila, have been appointed to the board of trustees of Brand South Africa as the new chairperson and deputy chairperson respectively.

14. Think BR: Size matters online

Online advertising is changing – it’s getting bigger. Advertisers are embracing new larger ad formats, particularly the billboard (970 x 250), half page (300 x 600) and wallpaper formats.

15. Five lessons brands can learn from Kony 2012

Coffee giant Starbucks is making a bid for the luxury home coffee-machine market with a device it has branded Verismo, to compete with Nescafe’s Nespresso and other kitchen espresso makers.

SURVEYS, TRENDS & OPINIONS

16. Survey: Women trust Pinterest more than Facebook, Twitter

Pinterest may be a social media newcomer, but, apparently, it’s already beating Twitter and Facebook when it comes to trust among women in the U.S.

17. South Africa’s very own Superman

Yusuf Abramjee is fast-becoming the man for all causes and indeed, if his Twitter profile is anything to go by, a very, very busy man. Pity, then, that he shoots at everything in sight.

18. PR and social media trends for 2012

As PR and social media agencies such as Gullan&Gullan work with our clients to plan for 2012, we’re finding some interesting trends coming through, both from our local initiatives and from our global ICOM partners. Here are some of our findings.