Archive
News & Opinions
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Reputation is the be-all and end-all
February 5, 2018
Corporates in SA have come under fire in recent months, and we’ve seen the pressure of public opinion end careers and bring business to its knees. Considering the current state of affairs we’ve taken a look at the top five risks that could impact reputation and believe should be top priority for corporate South Africa: Guilty by association: The public at large are sick of corruption, from both the public and private sectors, and are...
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Reputation capital: the next hot commodity
January 30, 2018
With a business environment that is becoming ever more competitive and characterised by constant change and often unforeseen threats, corporate executives are increasingly recognising the intrinsic value of reputation capital. Understanding reputation capital and investing in it has become an absolutely critical commodity to any business. Reputation has become aligned with the bottom line and business leaders are taking an uncompromising view on who they are, what they stand for and ultimately how they impact...
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What’s next for Twitter?
November 17, 2017
By Bongani Masombuka, Senior Account Executive Last week Twitter announced it would double the limit for tweets to 280 characters, in a bid to draw in more users and boost engagement for the social network. This comes on the back of the introduction of a number of products that Twitter has rolled out over the past few months, ultimately making the service easier for brands. These include a self-service advertising subscription aimed at small businesses...
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Authentic leadership as a non-negotiable in modern businesses
November 14, 2017
If the news headlines and stories surrounding the South African state capture scandal have taught us anything in the last few months, it is that there is nowhere for companies or their leaders to hide if they are found to have entered into what could be perceived as corrupt practices. Whether these are true or not, the tidal wave of reporting has gained momentum, placing global corporate giants and their leadership teams under severe scrutiny...
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How can PR professionals remain relevant in a changing landscape?
October 27, 2017
As many of you know, the communications landscape is changing rapidly. So rapidly in fact, that qualified professionals sometimes find it hard to stay sharp and keep their skills and information references up-to-date with the latest trends. In a blog from earlier this year our Managing Director Sharon Piehl wrote: “PR is dead – but what is exciting is how the communications sector is evolving and how the industry is embracing that change by bringing...
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Call It Magic, Call It True
October 20, 2017
One of the best parts of my job is being able to share an insight with a colleague or client. Seeing their reaction and excitement is magical. There have been many occasions where someone asks, “What are the insights?” and the reply was, “Engagements are up 10%.” A great data point, but hardly an insight that will lead to actionable change in any organisation. What are insights? Put simply, they are gained by analysing data...
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Harnessing the skills of the future
June 15, 2017
Whitney Houston perhaps summed it up best when she crooned about the children being our future. It’s not just a catchy lyric either, especially in Africa: with an estimated 50 percent of people on the continent under the age of 25, it is home to the youngest population in the world and what will also be the world’s largest workforce by 2040, 40 percent of which will be young people[1]. What this indicates is that...
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The shifting nature of communications in Africa
May 25, 2017
Africa Day is a celebration of the continent, its people and their achievements since the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on 25 May 1963. There can be little doubt that there have been significant milestones in that time, economically, politically and socially – none of which we would have been able to share and revel in without the communications sector. Being able to reflect on the pivotal nature of communications through the...
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Partnering to achieve business success in the digital era
May 17, 2017
Today’s dynamic operating environment for businesses and other organisations is characterised by rapid change, technological development, disruptive innovation, as well as increasing hyper-connectivity. To achieve success in this turbulent environment, companies need to partner with the right strategic communications firm in order to create ideas that carry messages across new and traditional channels to reach the right audiences. In addition, they need a partner that can develop crisis response strategies that keep pace with news...
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A glimpse into our tech-filled futures
April 24, 2017
With the first quarter of the year behind us, and the annual trade shows such as Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and World Mobile Congress (MWC) done for the year, we are able to see what technology trends will shape the year to come for business and consumers. This year, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, connected cities, IoT-everything, 5G, smart/ self-driving cars, robotics and more has cast 2017 as the year of connected technology. Providing consumers with...