Mortimer Harvey bets upon change and innovation

by Herman Manson. Ad agencies as we know them will no longer be competitive in their current form and shape. So says Andrew Fradd of Mortimer Harvey.

The Switch: Going back to brilliant basics

by Alistair Mokoena. I recently did an exercise to see what traits and functional skills are needed to succeed in advertising today — with surprising results.

Fair Exchange: Balancing innovation with renovation

by Erna George. As we start the New Year with resolutions and new plans, innovation and change are top of mind. Here are some tips to balance the two.

Dissident Spin Doctor: When CSI becomes CS-BS

by Emma King. A side effect of being in PR for many years is that we become jaded and bored with all the spin-doctoring nonsense seen on a daily basis.

Media Future: Wait for Netflix’s big picture in SA

by Arthur Goldstuck. Netflix finally announced its arrival in South Africa last week, but it looked more like a false start.

On the Move:

• Julian Ribeiro steps down as CEO of Lowe + Partners

• New chair, board for Brand Council South Africa

MarkLives’ 2015 Big Reads:

• The 10 best-read adland stories of 2015

• The 10 best-read marketing stories of 2015

• The 10 best-read media stories of 2015

• The creative work you made time to read about

• Learnings from the new wave of startup agencies

Regular Reads:

• Ad of the Week: Once upon a time in Africa

• Shelf Life: Zoning in on Rosebank

• #MagLoveTop10: Sexiest and worst magazine covers of 2015

• Ad Feature: 2015 in review

• SA TV Ratings: 21–27 December 2015 (week 52)

Account Moves:

• SA agency wins Acer's global social media account

• Agency tender: Government Employees Medical Scheme

Awards:

• Judges for The Bookmarks 2016 announced

• Call to enter Facebook Awards 2016

On the Radar:

• Incubator programme for black agencies

• Red & Yellow releases bursaries for 2016

• Design Indaba offers designers ad space

• Gym chain launches “Get Off Your Ass” TVC

• IdeaBounty closed down

Covering the advertising and marketing industry without fear or favour — MarkLives.com for breaking news, exclusive industry opinion, company news and jobs! Sign up here for an email round-up every Monday and Thursday and follow MarkLives on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube.