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  • Five key social media policy elements to consider in 2018

    February 19, 2018

    Twenty-seventeen was an unforgiving year for many companies on social media. A PWC survey conducted in 2016/2017 found that 92% of South African CEOs were wary of social media and the possible risks involved with having a social media presence. MoneyWeb recently reported that social media crises cost South African businesses a minimum of R750 million since January 2016. In the article they highlighted that one of the causes of these crises was the underutilisation...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Why Fake News is a real PR problem

    January 27, 2017

    When the news is the news. Agenda-driven news is nothing new, but the sudden and not so subversive rise of fake news has me stunned. Black Ops, #PaidTwitter and the US Presidential Election have brought to light a deep and dark area floating somewhere between sinister political spin, cleverly crafted click bait, bad PR, and powerful pay-to-play masters who have the scary ability to twist fact into falsehood. Just last month New Balance nearly had...

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