Beyond Borders: Ebola - a challenge to brands

by Craig Page-Lee. What are global brands doing to help address the outbreak of Ebola in Africa? Why have I not seen any major communications interventions by global brands on this topic - conversations in support of, in sympathy for, and providing relevant and purposeful information to those in the thick of it?

Collaborative agency We are BOB wants to change adland

by Herman Manson. A group of specialist agencies has come together under a single roof to establish collaborative agency, We are BOB. Members give up 15% of their revenue to the collective. So far, the collaborative agency has a staff count of 72.

Creation: A quick guide to pissing off creatives

by Artwell Nwaila. In April 2013, Harvard Business Review published an article by Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, titled "Seven Rules for Managing Creative People". I could go on for days about this crazy article but instead have chosen to provide seven more ways to piss off creatives.

#3D: Five data-driven marketing steps to impress your boss

by Prakash Patel. Your CEO just asked what your data strategy is. Let's keep calm and follow this simple, internationally followed, Five-Step Process to becoming a data-driven organisation that I've used for years and that will impress your boss!

Brand Culture: A teenage nation

by DK Badenhorst. It would seem that the revolutionary mantras of sporting brands can capture the sentiment of modern-day South Africa. But did we at some point forget to turn the Revolution Machine off after we finally got our democracy or is there something deeper at work?

Regular reads:

• Ad of the Week with Oresti Patricios: #MadeofMore #MadeofBlack

• Shelf Life with Louise Marsland: Keeping time with Apple

• MagLove with MediaSlut: The art of typography

• #Top40TVratings with SAARF & MarkLives: 1-7 September 2014

On the radar:

• MetropolitanRepublic Cape Town to close

• Mortimer Harvey launches Cairo office

• Account moves: marcusbrewster wins takealot.com PR account

• Standard Bank MMA SA Smarties winners announced

• Anthony Doman new Popular Mechanics editor

• ZANEWS to celebrate five years with media tour

To be in the know, read www.marklives.com and sign up here for an email round-up every three working days. Follow MarkLives on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube.