Archive
Opinions
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How far has communication really come in the last 10,000 years?
November 23, 2015
Not as far as you might expect. Ten thousand years ago we didn't have mobile phones. We didn't have televisions, newspapers, electricity, cars, heck; we didn't even have a fully established language. Yet this was the start of word of mouth, and equally important, the start of social influence. The medium may have been hieroglyphics, cave art, or even simple grunts; but nonetheless, this became the core of sharing information...
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The essence of the corporate apology
November 19, 2015
Part one of this blog post explored the makeup of the public apology for corporates and public figures. While the steps needed to build an apology can be followed quite easily the public apology needs to be extremely measured in order to be successful. The Five Fundamentals of Apologising: In his book, The Five Languages of Apology, anthropologist Gary Chapman unpacks the ‘language’ needed to use to build an authentic apology. While these five “languages”...
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Is South Africa a digital country?
October 26, 2015
Building a country’s reputation to be an aspirational investment and tourist destination can be hard to crack. Online searches play a big part in shaping the perception tourists, investors and potential residents hold. ‘The Digital Country,’ a concept brought to life by the branding practitioner, Filipe Torres, at the recent IPRA Annual Conference is defined as, “A country or a place that has triggered proactive interest from different Stakeholders towards that Country or that Place...
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It’s hard for me to say I’m sorry – the art of the public apology
October 16, 2015
Apologising is difficult. Whether it’s to your partner, a friend or a member of your family, swallowing your pride and admitting you were wrong can be daunting - especially as you risk having your apology rejected. Spare a thought then for the spokesperson or head of a company who has to make his or her apology publically. They run the risk being rejected, not just by one person, but by a global audience. There are...
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The evolution of storytelling
October 15, 2015
I recently attended Digital Edge Live 2015 held in Sandton. The conference examines trends in the digital space and how they affect the communications industry. The theme was “Making Stories” and explored the demands being placed on storytelling today. The stage was shared by more than twenty impressive speakers including the keynote speaker; award-winning writer, director, actor, producer and author Spike Lee. While most people at the event were there to hear Lee speak, I...
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A window into how great things happen when you use the right team
August 24, 2015
Product launches are a dime a dozen in the technology industry, but truly great moments only come around once in a blue moon. On the 29th of July 2015, one such a historic moment occurred when Microsoft South Africa hosted a celebratory event at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Johannesburg CBD in partnership with Intel, Dell and HP. The purpose of this event was to launch Windows 10, which was not only the latest and greatest...
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When Creativity moves the needle
August 20, 2015
Initially launched in 1978 to drive television as the new medium, the Loeries are now regarded as the highest level of creative excellence across Africa and the Middle East in the brand communications industry. Three decades later and the number of categories have grown exponentially. The Loeries now recognise creativity across the entire brand communication spectrum. I had the honor of being a judge at this years’ event in the PR and Live Events Category...
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A Bic Fail
August 12, 2015
During the past year the world has seen its fair share of social media fails, leaving many Community Managers, PR, marketing and other content agencies with nightmarish days ahead of them. The latest fail? The Bic Women’s Day post, which raised more than a couple of eyebrows by telling woman (on Women’s Day…) to basically act like men...
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Be The Hero Your Client Deserves
August 11, 2015
Community Managers don’t always get the credit they deserve…just like Batman. We sit behind our screens in our bat-cave cubicles waiting, watching, and responding to our client’s requirements. Then…signal in the sky. A good Batman takes on any task because every query, like any side mission, is important and for the greater good as well as building loyalty between client and their customers. We work in the shadows, advising our client on how they should...
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Why Have PRs Stopped Writing?
July 28, 2015
What is going on out there? More and more often, we’re faced with incredible communications consultants who just aren’t writing. This is not cool. But it is pervasive – this anti-writing trip. When last did you receive a hand written note? As lovely and romantic as writing can be, the personal note (or rather the lack thereof) is something we can do little about with email and smartphones making this sort of effort redundant and...