"Loeries controversy; Bottom-line Black #BlackAfricaGroup" - MarkLives - OPINION

No complaints yet, says Loeries, as criticism surfaces online

by Herman Manson. The Loerie Awards organisers have not been presented with any complaints regarding the judging process. This is in response to tweets by former CCO of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, Chris Gotz, that allege irregularities.

Bottom-line Black #BlackAfricaGroup

by Herman Manson. As it enters its 11th year as an independent ad agency, Black has undergone a strategic rebrand and repositioning as Black Africa Group — a creative business partner focused upon creating brand value and exponential growth.

Masterclass Notes: Evaluating creative against strategy

by Johanna McDowell. Andy Rice delivered the fifth of our Marketers’ Masterclasses, covering (by request) how to evaluate creative against strategy. Rice gave some excellent pointers amid many examples of creative work in terms of advertising evaluation models.

The Switch: Are comms agencies walking the talk?

by Alistair Mokoena. As an industry, do we ever wonder why do we battle to convince the market of our value and worth — why is our craft seen as easy and mindless, with low barriers to entry? Why does everyone think they are marketers? Is it because we have done a lousy job of communicating the science and the art behind marketing communications?

Fair Exchange: When marketing budgets get cut — a survival guide

by Erna George. While I’ve found a number of examples and case studies of how cost-cutting led to losing a competitive advantage or even to the demise of a brand, there’ve been an overwhelming number of examples that showcases successful cost-cutting where brands have emerged strong and set for growth.

Regular reads:

• Ad of the Week: Infinite possibilities from Adidas

• Talk Africa: DRC’s social media climate *NEW WEEKLY COLUMN*

• Global.Ad.Geeks: Lexus goes back to the future

• Shelf Life: Inaugural Architecture for Social Gain award winners

• MagLove: The best magazine covers last week (21 Aug 2015)

• Ad Feature: What does it take to win a Grand Prix? #Loeries2015

• SA TV Ratings: 27 July–2 August 2015 (week 31)

Account moves:

• The Ornua Group appoints African ad agency

People on the move:

• ABC elects new president, vice president