Knowledge that Transforms

'Why does a consumer choose one brand over another?' This is a key question marketers often struggle with, and information solicited from consumers frequently falls short of providing a decent answer.

The draft consumer protection bill is currently unacceptable, unworkable and cannot be accepted by either the legal or the marketing community. That was the unanimous verdict after two Industry Workshops held in Cape Town and Johannesburg initiated by newly formed Marketing Association and co-hosted with the Corporate Lawyers Association of South Africa (CLASA), the verdict was unanimous.

There's no such thing as a brand that appeals solely to the black market. It follows, then, that there?s no such thing as 'black market advertising'. That's the belief of Nic Bednall, managing director of BBDO Cape Town.

Four years may seem like a long time, but in reality 2010 and the Soccer World Cup in South Africa will be here before we know it. It will be the biggest sporting event ever seen in our country and many savvy marketers will be looking to maximize their adspend, particularly their television investment. Already we've seen a bank and cell phone service provider commit mega millions to this event.

Media24, publishing arm of media giant Naspers, has again lost a court case to smaller, family controlled rival Ramsay, Son and Parker, over a travel and adventure magazine title. But a broader and more important battle looms and will be decided on the news stands..

The seasoned marketer walks into her office wondering to herself how the figures on the new product launch are looking. Much like most competent marketers, she has experienced a mixed bag of greater and lesser success in the past.

Change is all around us, possibly greater than ever seen before. This change is of such persistent and significant proportions that we as marketers run the risk of either not seeing it at all or if we do, we run the risk of misreading the implications and the original motivations for the change.

Every brand should deploy some kind of CRM, and while this does not have to involve a backend infrastructure that runs into millions of rands, it will require some technology innovation. CRM, however, should not be deployed to reach each and every customer, as the costs that do go into one-to-one marketing can start cutting into the value you get out of it.

In the first half of 2007, South African marketers look set to face tough new data privacy legislation that will change the way they reach and market to consumers.

Customer service levels in the motor industry have always been a sore point with consumers. Starting with salesmen in showrooms sitting with their feet on their desks, not even bothering to stand up when a customer walks in wanting to spend hundreds of thousands of Rands on a new car. Or, trying to get those niggly little teething troubles sorted out or a routine service done properly and without all sorts of little additional extra costs no-one told you about when you bought the car.