Archive

News & Opinions

  • Online shopping in South Africa: are your virtual doors open for business?

    August 25, 2020

    If there’s one thing we’re good at – it’s spotting an opportunity in crisis. Unfortunately, the crisis we do speak of is the global pandemic that has shaken the foundation of our day-to-day behaviour and ways of working. The new social and economic environment we’re faced with has forced South Africa, and the world, to act fast and adapt where possible. In particular our uptake of digital and social solutions, and more specifically, online shopping...

  • Being an Intern during a pandemic…

    August 19, 2020

    Author: Nechia Khuzwayo, Intern, FleishmanHillard, Social & Innovation  Many think that internships are about fetching coffee and picking up effortless work that falls to the side. Amidst the pandemic, it may be fewer coffee runs, but the truth is being an intern, even the support-kind, is as taxing as a full-time job. And wanting to develop it into something bigger, is part of this strive. Though ways of working have changed, the benefits and expectations...

  • 9 tips for better video meetings

    July 30, 2020

    Author: Pippa Galbraith, Content Specialist, Social & Innovation As video-conferencing has fast become our new norm across work and social life, we whipped up a couple hard ‘n fast protocols to make it a better experience for everyone. Welcome to the new-age netiquette of everything gone virtual. Arrive early. Like any work meeting, get in early. Most virtual meeting rooms open five minutes before, so log on and set up. Small talk making you anxious?...

  • How to virtually close the client relationship gap

    July 23, 2020

    Author: Charles Rathumbu, Digital Account Manager In the past few months, we’ve all seen major changes within industries, especially the communications field. There’s been a shift from relying on physical interactions to virtual ones including meetings, conferences, and events. Major brand events such as the Facebook F8 developer conference, the Mobile World Congress, and the  Google News Initiative summit had to be cancelled. IBM cancelled their annual 'IBM Think 2020' conference but the company chose...

  • Top Tips For Launching a Product In a Pandemic

    July 14, 2020

    The following article is an extract from the latest FleishmanHillard global report: Recovery and Resurgence Communications: what tech sector pros need to do now. Author: Paula Conhain, Senior Vice President and Partner,  Corporate Reputation, San Francisco Launching a product in a pandemic. As PR counselors, it sounds exactly like the kind of thing we’d vehemently advise clients NOT to do. But what happens when their business cannot afford to cancel? When they operate in a...

  • The Case For Creativity In Reemergence

    July 3, 2020

    The following article is an extract from the latest FleishmanHillard global report: Recovery and Resurgence Communications: what tech sector pros need to do now. Author: Jared Carneson, Senior Vice President and Senior Partner, FleishmanHillard San Francisco. While the verdict is out on which behavioral shift takes center stage in a post-pandemic reemergence, people cannot deny that COVID-19 has forced rapid digital transformation at scale. And most likely, there is no going back. As we seek...

  • Ushering In a New Era

    June 12, 2020

      According to McKinsey we face a structural break where patterns of behavior have changed overnight and will not return to the status quo. It’s the end of an era and it remains to be seen which companies will be leading industries where the underlying structure has changed dramatically; writing the rules for the new economy. The following is adapted from FleishmanHillard Global: True Intelligence. Return As the South African Government begins to ease restrictions...

  • The COVID-19 Consumer

    June 4, 2020

    During a global pandemic and a nation-wide lockdown, consumers have been forced to change their daily routines. Not only are they spending more time indoors, but they’re also spending 50% more time online. As a result, shopper behaviour has changed and businesses are seeing the impact of this. Even with these changes and harsh restrictions, 75% of consumers don’t want brands to disappear but instead, want to see a clear shift in strategy that highlights...

  • COVID-19 impact steers the future of business and stakeholder communications in a different direction

    May 11, 2020

    As fear and anxiety grip the world in light of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic, we have a chance to make the best of our new reality. The pandemic has radically changed our daily lives and continually challenges our assumptions. It has altered the way we interact and do business. What started as a health problem has morphed into a full-blown human, economic and social crisis. As global economies take a serious knock amid travel bans...

  • Celebrating Freedom Day in a time of COVID-19

    April 27, 2020

    Reflect - On what is important Freedom Day commemorates the first democratic post-apartheid non-racial elections held on April 27th 1994, which saw Nelson Mandela elected as President, and made freedom an inalienable right for all the citizens of South Africa - regardless of race, gender or creed. Today, this symbolic time in our history is being celebrated while the country, and the globe as a whole, finds itself at war with the COVID-19 pandemic. As...