Naspers' new play to grow SA's ecommerce market
by Herman Manson. Efinity is a new South African ecommerce fulfilment service, built by Media24 ecommerce on the back of experience gained through its consumer-ecommerce plays, Spree.co.za and ShopGuru.
Brand Culture: Ray Bans on the promenade
by DK Badenhorst. Ray Ban Wayfarers (especially on the Cape Town promenade) have become a proxy for middle/upper-income Cape Town. And, instead of the art installation being seen for the bridge it's trying to be, it's been crucified for the gap that currently exists.
Africa Style: No-one needs your brand
by Masingita Mazibuko. Wake up and smell the coffee, marketers; no-one really, truly, honestly, genuinely, absolutely needs your brand. That's why the brand's relationship with the intended consumer, as well as its product intrinsics, is such a crucial element of the marketing mix.
Green Sky Thinking: Start with what's there
by Colwyn Elder. I've recently wondered how many unused red pillar box phone booths line the streets of London and what's to become of them as we increasingly centre our lives upon mobile devices. Then I discovered that two students from the London School of Economics have found a way to make them relevant again - as the green-painted solarbox.
The Switch: Get the reference right
by Alistair Mokoena. The various nationalities, races, languages, class groups, cultures and the subcultures of South Africa all make for a very interesting landscape - the kind of landscape that should be an artist's paradise. I use the words "should be" instead of "is" because I don't believe our industry does enough to take full advantage of this diversity.
Regular reads:
• Ad of the Week with Oresti Patricios: Eye in the back of your head
• Shelf Life with Louise Marsland: Luxury cinema comes to Cavendish
• MagLove with MediaSlut: Robert Downey Jr is waiting, talking emoji
• Heroes & Zeros with Andy Rice: Mazda & City of Joburg - best & worst brands of the week
• #Top40TVratings with SAARF & MarkLives: 10-16 November 2014
Appointments & resignations:
• Further appointments at Ole! Media Group
• Jeremy Sampson leaves Interbrand Sampson de Villiers
On the radar:
• Naspers interim results release
• Springleap expands to Johannesburg and New York
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