MarketingMix
I 0 2 I Book Review
Marketing Mix reviews Brands &
Gaming by David Nichols, Tom
Farrand, Tom Rowley & Matt Avery,
discussing the ways in which
marketers could and should be
taking advantage of the explosion
in gaming
I 0 4 I Ed’s note
I 0 6 I The DMA
Education, the Assegai Awards and
an update on the Privacy legislation
09
I 0 8 I News
All the latest gossip in the wonderful
world of the marketing mix
I 1 5 I Expert Opinion:
14
Helen McIntee
Investigates small town marketing
I 1 6 I Brand Anatomy
Go Banking has relaunched its brand
after discovering all is not as it
should be
I 1 8 I Expert Opinion:
20
Richard Duncan
Richard looks at how if you put
garbage in, you get garbage out,
with reference to research
I 2 0 I Education
What to look for in short-courses and
where to actually study
26
I 2 4 I Sports media
Marketing Mix looks at sports
sponsorship and how to get the
best deal
CONTENTS
I 3 4 I Direct to Home
Direct to Home is not unsolicited
junk mail but a sophisticated and
targeted marketing medium
I 4 0 I Expert Opinion:
39
Nici Stathacopoulos
Nici brings us a report from the
Dubai Lynx Direct and Digital Awards
I 4 1 I 7 Day [B]itch
Margot Bertelsmann, editor of men’s
mags Zoo Weekly/Weekliks, takes us
41 through a frantic week
I 4 2 I Expert Opinion:
Gary Harwood
Gary says that if there’s an itch,
scratch. He’s referring to brands and
relationships
42
I 4 4 I Consent Marketing
Marketing Mix brings you a
reportback on the pending data
legislation that will affect marketing
I 4 6 I Research
45
Thought Leaders
Four of our local research thought
leaders offer their advice and opinions
on a large range of topics from rear
view mirrors and experiential to the
changing face of marketing
I 5 4 I Expert Opinion:
48
Yoav Tchelet
Yoav explains why online really
does work
I 5 6 I Law Mix
Frank Joffe gets clarity on certain
critical areas of the Designs Act
Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 1
by michelle sturman BOOK REVIEW
Brands & Gaming –
The Computer Gaming Phenomenon and its
Impact on Brands and Businesses
The opening chapter starts with a
description of a Saturday night out for trendy
youngsters in Kuala Lumpur. It’s not about
nightclubs and bar hopping – these hipsters
are in a six-storey shopping mall. They are
not shopping either – they are playing or
watching others who are participating in
online gaming. Before you start griping
about this never happening in South Africa,
have you asked your kids lately what
they are doing on the PC or count-
ed the hours they spend on the
PS2 or Xbox? The authors state:
‘But this is not simply an Asian
phenomenon. It is just the most
public manifestation of a mega-trend
that is sweeping the entire world:
the swift and irresistible rise of
gaming at the very heart of global
entertainment culture.’
Here are some facts that the
authors throw at you: the world-
wide gaming industry is bigger than
the film, music and home video
industries and has a market value of
over US$25 billion. Some other
interesting tidbits include the ages
of gamers. Those of us over the age
of 25 grew up with the first hand-
held games and the introduction of
the PC, including Tetris and Pacman.
Apparently many of us are still gam-
ing, albeit with more sophisticated
platforms such as Wii, Xbox and
PlayStation. According to
Datamonitor UK, the highest percent-
age of PlayStation 2 users are aged 24-34.
Hardcore gamers even have their own
world championships – World Cyber Games
– with corporate sponsorship and hefty cash
prizes. This is serious business. It is expected
that massively multiplayer online first-person
shooters (MOFPS) and massively multiplayer
online role-playing games (MMORPG) will
become the mainstay of gaming in the
future, especially since the new generations
of PlayStation and Xbox offer online capability
as well.
What does all this mean for the market-
2 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
ing industry and what do you really need to
know in order to harness this audience? The
authors point to the amazing success of
Lara Croft, a digital character who became a
worldwide celebrity. (Incidentally, few in the
marketing world took much notice.) Some
adventurous brands such as Jeep and Sony
Ericsson have created their own video games
to launch new products, generally
known as ‘advergaming.’ While there are
numerous options available, such as gaming
event sponsorship, the one that should get
you excited (and the most difficult to
achieve now) is in-game advertising. This
already takes place to some extent, although
not necessarily deliberately. Take the FIFA
series or Colin McRae Rally games, for exam-
ple. As the authors rightly point out, it
would be strange to play a football team
that didn’t have the correctly branded shirts
or to drive a no-name rally car. However,
while gamers will accept authentic branding
that adds value to the overall gaming experi-
ence, a mass assault of brands within a
game will simply be rejected. (McDonald’s
foray into The Sims is a great example of
how not to do it.)
The authors also deal with many miscon-
ceptions, such as gaming inducing violent
behaviour and all gamers being smelly male
teenagers. In point of fact both young and old
are gaming – and the biggest gam-
ing audience is female.
The most essential chapter is
Press “start” to Play – Leveraging
Gaming for your Brand. It offers
the necessary practical steps to
enter the gaming psyche with a
brand. Vital Do’s and Don’ts: Do
stay out of the game itself and
use your size and power to do
something only you can do. Don’t
do your own content or jump into
bed with just anyone. Along with
really pertinent questions to ask
yourself before jumping into the
arena, it hints at the likely appear-
ance of the gaming industry in the
coming years and at what you
should know – about cellphone
gaming, for example. While you
could read this chapter on its own,
reading the rest of the book as well
helps to put everything into per-
spective.
A very useful glossary and FAQs
section is included at the back,
along with handy contacts for the
major games publishers. As this is a new
marketing arena, Brand & Gaming is an
exciting and dynamic read and provides an
excellent first step for getting involved. g
Brands & Gaming
By David Nichols, Torn Farrand,
Tom Rowley & Matt Avery
Palgrave Macmillan
R650
 by michelle sturman ED’S NOTE

Good o n e
I received an e-mail recently from The One Show, telling me
all about One Show.TV. For those of you who haven’t
received the information, the nominated TV ads are on
www.oneshow.tv and the public has been asked to vote for
their favourites.
Lowe Bull’s Get a Girlfriend is up there as well as
Net#work’s Ghost Pops.
My personal favourites are all of the Skittles ads and Jam
for Asiasoft Corporation from Thailand. The e-mail was
right. Without the website I would never get to see these ads (unless of course, I was at the
One Show).
According to Meredith Turner, account executive for The Rosen Group, although a lot has
been done to promote OneShow.TV it has taken off due to word of mouth more than to
any other efforts to promote it. “A further bid to drive people to the site has included press
releases as well as Mary Warlick, CEO of the One Club, undertaking a radio media tour to
promote it. The New York Times has also covered it,” she says.
What I love about all of this is the fact that a made for TV ad that wins a Pencil is now
recognised by those beyond the ad industry. OneShow.TV has opened up South Africa’s
advertising to the world – to anyone and everyone who’s online. If I were an ad woman, I’d
be making damn sure that my fabulous creations were posted on MySpace, just for a start.
Then I would let viral marketing take over while I sat and basked in the glory of 70 million
people worldwide viewing my ad.
At the time that Meredith got back to me (which was immediately, given the time
difference) on 30 April, Simba Ghost Pops was sitting at number nine in the public’s vote.
Way to go! A quick perusal of the finalists for The One Show showed that SA was ranked
at number five, having made it through with a total of 29 ads – a great result so far. A look
at One Show Interactive and lo and behold, not one for South Africa – pretty pathetic so far.
I’m hoping that the success of OneShow.TV will spur some of you into action.

blog: http://mmxsa.blogspot.com

PROPRIETOR AND PUBLISHER: SUB-EDITOR: Sarah Webster Database:

Systems Publishers (Pty) Ltd. Email: sarahweb@mweb.co.za List Perfect
Tel: (011) 234 7008
ADVERTISING MANAGER:
North Block, Bradenham Hall, Robyn Andrews
Mellis Road, Rivonia Email: robyna@systems.co.za

PUBLISHER: Terry Murphy

PRODUCTION: Spencer van Graan
EDITOR: Michelle Sturman Email: spencerg@systems.co.za
Email: michelles@systems.co.za
SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES:
JOURNALIST: Fulvia Becatti Daisy Mulenga
Email: fulviab@systems.co.za Email: daisym@systems.co.za

Copyright of all material in this publication and supplements are reserved

by the proprietors, except where expressly stated. The opinions in this publication
do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.
Picture courtesy of EIMAGE

4 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007

DMA

Direct training
programmes launched
The Direct Marketing Association of South Africa (DMA)
has launched the first two of a series of training programmes
that focus on the techniques of direct and interactive
marketing.
The DMA courses are the only DM courses that are NQF
aligned and companies are able to benefit in terms of the skills
levies that they have paid. “As a method of doing business,
direct marketing encompasses everything from customer
acquisition and retention processes database development; e-
commerce; integrated communications to loyalty and cus-
tomer relationship management (CRM) programmes. Direct
marketing is the fastest growing form of marketing worldwide
– in all its different forms it accounts for about 60 per cent of
the total advertising expenditure in the USA. The DMA courses
offer newcomers to the DM industry a solid grounding. They
also represent an opportunity for people who are already in
the direct industry to refresh their skills and to monitor new
trends and technologies,” says Brian Mdluli, CEO of the DMA.
The first two training programmes are:
The Certificate in Direct & Interactive Marketing
This course has been updated and redeveloped. It is aligned
to NQF Level 4 Marketing unit standards and is accredited
by the Services SETA and endorsed by the DMA. The course
takes place over six days (two blocks of three days each)
and the programme provides a comprehensive overview
of direct and interactive marketing as well as a set of
key skills to apply immediately back in the workplace. It
represents a total of 34 credits on the National Qualifications
Framework (NQF).
The Essentials of Direct & Interactive Marketing
This course offers a full overview of direct marketing and takes
place over two days. It focuses on how DM fits into marketing and
business plans and is designed to provide basic skills. It represents
8 credits on the NQF.
Both these programmes guide the learner through a step-by-step
learning process, based on an integrated relationship marketing
model. The model itself is grounded in many years of practical
experience in the South African market and takes the latest inter-
national developments into account. It provides a framework for
the planning, implementation and measurement of all direct
marketing outcomes. “Both the Certificate and Essentials
programmes are packed with real examples of interactive marketing
activities – often drawn from the personal experience of the
presenters – to illustrate the principles. They are offered by well-
known direct marketing educators, practitioners and authors, Steve
Bird and Rory Duckles, joint winners of the DMA Gold Assegai
Award for Direct Marketer of the Year in 2000. Overall you gain the
latest know-how directly from the experts in a coherent format that
ensures continuity between subject areas and easy comprehension,”
says Mdluli.
The courses are aimed at direct and general marketing
managers, product managers, marketing assistants, advertising
agency personnel (strategic planning, client service, media planning,
creative) and suppliers to the industry (printers, list brokers, mail
houses, database developers). DMA members qualify for a 20 per
cent discount on the course fee.
For more information on the programmes, please visit www.dmasa.co.za.
To book telephonically please call Shanelle on (011) 706 2358.

Founder Members are offered the following:

 One year free DMA corporate membership
 A free (full day) customised educational seminar about direct marketing, presented by industry specialists
 Representation on the DMA website
 Logo on all pro bono DMA ad placements
 Six free tables over the course of 12 months at various DMA events
 Showcasing at various relevant exhibitions and conferences
 An official Founder Member certificate
 An opportunity to join the planned mentoring programme

Special consideration will also be given to Founder Members through Marketing Mix, with respect to:
 Nominating topics and being invited to provide expert opinions, leading sponsorship rights and occupying premium advertising
positions within Marketing Mix
 Nominating topics for executive roundtables that are hosted by Marketing Mix
 A customised communication programme that can be implemented with the DMA and Marketing Mix

6 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007


Privacy legislation update
At a DTI presentation during the first week of April it was con-
firmed that the following changes (amongst others) would be
made to the Consumer Protection Bill. This is a quote from the
DTI presentation:
Sections 11 –13
The general concern with this section was that it was duplicating
both the ECT Act and the proposed Privacy Bill. After further
consultations with the law commission and Justice department, it
was agreed that the section would be revised as follows:
a) The definition of ‘personal information’ would be deleted
b) Section 11 would be deleted
c) Consumers can either register a preemptive block or be removed
from a marketing list on request
d) Suppliers must implement measures to facilitate ‘opt outs’ by
Right on Target… DMA Awards
July 2007 will see the ‘refreshed’ Assegai Awards re-launched into
the market. “The direct industry needs its own awards as it has very
specific criteria. Measurable marketing awards will encourage
best-of-breed campaigns and are essential to our industry and the
country. Our Corporate Members and Members Agency have made
their requirements for DMA Awards very clear,” says Michelle
Perrow, original founder of the Assegais in 1999 and DMA Board
Member responsible for this portfolio.
Marketing Mix caught up with Michelle to ask
her a few questions about the awards…
MMX: How far into the new Assegai Awards process are you?
MP: We have established an industry representative body which is
currently finalising all aspects of the awards. This includes the
Assegai structure, categories, judging criteria and so on. Interest in
awards sponsorship has already been expressed by a number of our
large corporates.
MMX: Will there be any links with other DMA’s?
MP: Yes, both Brian Mdluli our executive director and I are liaising
with international DMAs and with FEDMA. Our aim is to get them
involved and ensure that we produce world class awards.
MMX: What about timing?
MP: We are looking to introduce the new Assegai’s in July 2007 with
a Gala Event planned for October 2007 or early November 2007.
For more information on the DMA Assegai Awards 2007 contact
Michelle Perrow on (011) 808 1600 or e-mail
michelle@difference.co.za.
DMA
consumerse) The Commission can establish or recognise a register
for preemptive blocks.
The Bill will not deal with the collection, retention and distribu-
tion of personal information. These (matters) will be addressed by
the Privacy Bill.
“This is really good news and will help us in our negotiations
with the SA Law Commission. The latest draft of the Protection
of Personal Information BIll has been released to the DMA for
comment. The Legislation Sub-Committee has decided to
prepare a new submission and to meet with the Law Commission
as soon as possible, as in our view the new draft of the bill is far
too restrictive,” says Andy Quinan, chairman, Legislation
Sub-Committee, DMA.
Join the DMA…
To join, visit www.facilities.coza/dma
DMA fees are paid annually on the anniversary date
of joining the organisation and are based on the size
of your company. Payment can be made via cheque
or EFT. An invoice will be e-mailed as soon as you
have completed the online membership. Before you
go to the link above in order to register to become a
member, you will need to have the following infor-
mation available:
 Your company details
 Your company coordinator’s details ie the per-
son who will be responsible for keeping your
company details up to date on a quarterly
basis
 Your company decision maker’s details ie the
person who will authorise your membership of
the DMA and the essential payment of mem-
bership fees
 The details of staff members who you believe
should receive information updates from the
DMA on an ongoing basis. If you do not have
all the details with you, your company coordina-
tor can go back into the system at any time to
update these details
Contact details:
(011) 577 2780
dma@facilities.co.za
www.dmasa.org
Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 7
NEWS
Channel: CNBC Africa
Launch Date: 1 June 2007
Platform: DStv, Channel 54
and Sentech Vivid
Ownership: 70 per cent of
CNBC Africa’s funding comes
from the Middle East
The core investment group
also has ownership in CNBC
Arabia and CNBC Pakistan,
both channels are affiliates of
CNBC Africa. CNBC Africa’s
ownership structure involves
a 30 per cent investment by
the IDC. CNBC is part of NBC
Universal.
Programme highlights:
The Other Dimension – an
interactive political economy
programme looking at the
issues that influence business
on the continent.
Kaleidoscope – a nightly busi-
ness magazine show high-
lighting trends, interesting
developments, lifestyle and
entertainment. Late night
feature programmes each
weekday looking at and
interacting with editors and
journalists, entrepreneurs,
mining issues, matters of
concern for ordinary people
on the continent, personal
finance and close encounters
with Africa’s personalities
Number of viewers: Over
1.5 million subscribers across
the continent. (DStv)
Target market: Financial and
business professionals that
need useful and up-to-date
business and markets informa-
tion. Decision makers and the
influential on the continent,
including business leaders,
senior mangers, government
officials, diplomats and civic
leaders. Ordinary people that
have an interest in knowing
and understanding the busi-
ness of Africa, as well as just
getting to know more about
the continent and its people
Advertising rates: Run-of-
air 50x30” spots per week:
R87 500
Details: CNBC Africa is the
first international business
news channel in sub-Saharan
Africa. The cornerstone of the
channel will be business
news, financial markets infor-
mation and in-depth analysis
throughout the day. There
will be live crossings to key
African markets for comment
and analysis, along with regu-
lar crossings and updates
from Europe, Asia and the
US. Regular news updates
during the day and a news
report each evening will be
featured. Journalists include
Peter Ndoro, Nikiwe Bikitsha
and Brownyn Nielsen.
Programming strategy: A
unique feature will be live cov-
erage of the opening and clos-
ing of key African financial
markets. Programming will be
about information and news
that consumers can use to
make decisions and stayed
informed. While a number of
bureaus will operate immedi-
ately including Cape Town,
plans are for bureaus across
Africa, including Botswana,
Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania.
The channel will broadcast
from Johannesburg. CNBC
Africa will broadcast 24/7 with
12 hours of local program-
ming, cutting across to inter-
national affiliates throughout
the day for market updates
and breaking news.
 NEWS

Contact me The VIP club

Contact Centres World Africa is
back again, bringing with it the
latest cutting-edge solutions
from around the world as well
as a host of international and
local speakers. Some of the dis-
cussions include: South Africa as
a BPO destination, setting
standards for quality, effective
agent motivation and outbound
contact centres. The Masterclass
schedule includes: connecting
conversations and coaching
secrets.
What: Contact Centres World
Africa 2007
Where: Sandton Convention
Centre
When: 27-30 August 2007
Website: www.terrapinn.com
94.7 Highveld Stereo has
embraced the online and dig-
ital world beyond the limita-
tions of RAMS to find out
more about its audience
through the introduction
of its loyalty programme,
Club VIP. It is also a way of
recognising the ongoing
support of its listeners. “The
development of Club VIP is a
response to the request from ourselves and
our advertisers to understand more about
what makes our listeners tick and to be more
accountable for the campaigns that we run,”
says Ryan Till, group general manager, Primedia
Broadcasting.
Club VIP was launched in mid-January and
already has just under 80 000 registered and
active members. The programme concentrates on
five main daytime shows 6am-10pm and revolves
around random keywords that are mentioned by
the presenters throughout the day. The objective
is to encourage listeners to tune in for longer peri-
ods of time. Membership is free and entry mecha-
nisms are mostly through SMS (R1.50) – members
earn points per keyword used. Entries are also
received via the station’s website and
through a mobile website. “The
mobi site – using the Internet on
your phone – is an exciting ini-
tiative. Although usage is still
low we’ve already seen a big
increase in these entries since
we launched the club. We’ll con-
tinue to ensure that we’re active in
this space and want to be the first
mobile site that listeners visit,” says Till.
There are three ways of using points earned: a
shop at which items can be purchased; campaigns
for giveaways and members can also burn points
to enter a draw. According to Till, a few commercial
campaigns have also posted great results for
clients. For example, members are asked during
on-air promotions to visit a particular retail outlet
to get a specific piece of information in order to
earn points. “The best thing about these promo-
tions is that you can create a profile of exactly who
entered when. Club VIP is a business tool that
allows us to understand more about our listeners
and to build a deeper relationship with them. It
also enables us to offer our advertisers better value
and response rates. We are really only scratching
the surface now,” says Till.

Pencil case panels

Marketing to kids with all the rules and reg-
ulations is difficult and the most difficult part
is probably trying to reach them in the first
place. Now you can do this by using the
product of a new venture between The
Themepack Company and Primedia
Face2Face: Trendcase Media markets to
schoolchildren by inserting billboards
(Trendcards) into transparent pencil cases.
While the pencil cases are already in retail
stores – along with inserts that are available
for purchasing – this new venture will see
them being distributed nationwide to chil-
dren in the lower LSM brackets for free. The
aim is to reach one million schoolchildren
during this year.
The double-sided Trendcard inserts may be
used for advertising as well as for highlight-
ing social issues. According to Warren
Deerans, CEO of The Themepack Company, aware that the information was on the card on the campaign. When buying a package,
HIV information was printed on a Trendcard or that they would be tested at a later stage. both the gender and the area can be
and given to a group of children during Campaigns can be run regionally or selected and once the creative is provided
research that tested the effectiveness of the locally, with a minimum run of 50 000 and the pencil cases are handed out together
medium. After just one week of exposure, three consecutive inserts. Schools are put on with the first insert. Follow-ups take place
their knowledge had increased by 67 per a route list and re-visited 8-10 times a year. approximately every month and are based
cent. The children were not deliberately made Older insert cards can be collected, depending on the school calendar.

Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 9

 NEWS

Undiestanding underwear
Putting on a pair of panties (knickers, briefs, grundies) for a woman is
not quite the same as it is for a guy who is putting on his Y-fronts
(does anyone still wear them?) or boxers. Women have a much more
intimate relationship with their bras and panties. In order to under-
stand the booming underwear industry, Bateleur Research went
snooping through peoples’ intimates. Bateleur set out mainly to
understand the female perception of underwear compared to the
male perspective.
Women’s underwear – bras and panties – can be broken down into
three main categories: comfortable, sporty and seductive:

Bras
Comfortable: full cup; little or no
detail; natural or skin tone colours;
thick straps
Sporty: tight fitting; ventilation
holes; no underwire;
crossover backstraps; natural
colour fabric
Seductive: black and rich
colours; underwired;
padded;
intricate detail.

Panties
Comfortable: little or no detail; tight fitting with hidden panels; skin
tone or natural colour; cotton or stretch material; full bottomed aka
granny knickers
Sporty: thin hemlines and stitching; natural fitting; cotton; colourful
with little or no detail
Seductive: high detail with lace and embroidery; high cut, sit on
the hip, usually a G-string; bright colours or black; silk and delicate
materials.
While the above may appear to be common sense, responses from
interviewees – especially male – may be surprising. Men say that a
woman’s underwear adds to the excitement – rather than being a
hurdle to overcome – before engaging in sex (which is great news for
women). They also seem to think that women wear sexy and seduc-
tive underwear all the time! However in reality, women opt for com-
fort, fit, hygiene and support first. This only then followed by seduc-
tive. Men characterise women who don’t wear sexy underwear as
those who wear ‘granny knickers’. According to women, underwear
has personality: conservative women are associated with natural tones
and practical underwear and outgoing women are associated with
underwear that is exciting and brightly coloured. However both men
and women agree on the definition of sexy underwear.
Colours have certain connotations: black is classy, elegant and sexy;
red is seductive and showing off; pink is naughty and fun and skin
tones are unattractive and mature.

Website of the month – www.adcritic.com

The best part of this website is that you
are able to watch and download the latest
TV ads from around the world. You can
also check out the latest print ads and
interactive work submitted by creatives
from international agencies. It includes a
news section, interview video clips with
creative legends, selected articles from
Creativity magazine and a place to submit
your work. You can also subscribe to the
e-mail newsletter if you prefer not to have
to remember to visit the site all the time
for the latest updates.

1 0 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007


Sweet creative
Adobe has unleashed its largest software offering ever with the
launch of its Creative Suite 3 (CS3) product line. In keeping with
today’s ever-expanding media landscape, CS3 includes almost every
creative workflow tool available for designers and developers. The
integrated package provides development and design tools for
print, web, mobile, interactive, film and video production. There are
six configurations of CS3, which can be bought on their own or all
together in the Creative Suite Master Collection.
CS3 Web Premium, for example, offers a set of tools for web and
interactive design and development that includes new versions of
Dreamweaver, Flash and Fireworks, as well as updates of Photoshop,
Illustrator and Acrobat Professional. CS3 Design Premium includes the
NEWS
above enhancements plus an upgrade to InDesign, facilitating the
creation of print publications as well as website, rich media and mobile
content. For video and rich-media professionals, CS3 Production
Premium includes After Effects, Encore and Soundbooth as well as
Illustrator, Flash and Photoshop. It caters for film, broadcast, web, DVD
and mobile devices. One of the more innovative releases is Adobe Device
Central CS3, specifically designed for those who are working on and cre-
ating mobile content. A library of more than 200 mobile device profiles
from cellphone OEMs and operators is built into Device Central. These
include details of the capabilities, constraints and features of individual
devices. Content previews are available, using realistic mobile device skins
to test the appearance, performance and behaviour of the content.
 NEWS

Mission impossible?
Those who missed CK Prahalad on his recent trip to
Johannesburg missed out. Best known for his book,
The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, Prahalad
talked about how to cater for the poor masses and
about what businesses should be looking at in
order to compete in the future. While Prahalad used
many examples from India and other emerging
markets, including South Africa, the general feeling
from the floor was that a few of the innovative
ideas cited were unworkable locally.
Marketing Mix got the feeling that far too many
copyright: Business Report
marketers are simply unwilling to try new ideas that
target those living on or below the poverty line – even if this global
market is worth trillions of dollars.
The following are excerpts taken from his presentation:
According to Prahalad, the broad idea is not about positioning
yourself in an industry space: it’s about discovering an industry
space.There is a preoccupation with benchmarking best practices and
if we all continue to benchmark each other, everyone will gravitate to
mediocrity. We should be preoccupied with focusing on the next
practice rather than the best practice. The key is to recognise the range
of opportunities that exist in the emerging market; focus on consumer
insights that have not served before and figure out how to leverage
technology and new distribution systems etc to reach them.
Prahalad suggests that companies tend to look at the current
situation, do a budget and call it strategy. He says that companies
should rather imagine a future and then fold the future into the
company. In other words, companies should move from budgets to
innovation. Disruptive business models should be built. By this Prahalad
means: does it radically alter the economics of the industry (budget
airlines); does it maintain and improve functionality (IT);
does it make it difficult for incumbents to react (generic
medicines); is it sustainable and built on logical, internally
consistent business principles (single-serve sachets) and
does it enlarge the size of the market (cellphones)?
Another vital aspect of building a successful company is
paying attention to the drivers that will change the way we
look at the world. These include the convergence of
technology, boundaries and ubiquitous technology.
Instead of being passive buyers, consumers are going to
become procreators.
The following areas will have a significant impact on the
way we do business and should also be taken into account: brain studies,
nano technology, maths, genetics, artificial intelligence, communications/
computing, global warming, energy, search engines and imaging.
Prahalad points out that price-performance envelopes are changing
faster than anyone expected. What does this mean for managers? It
means that everyone can have advanced technology solutions. In a
local context it means that we are not limited to what we can do in
the townships. High-tech is not only for the rich – the only limitation is
our imagination. Taking the opportunity to use poverty to leapfrog
ahead requires imagination. Poor people don’t only have cellphones
today – they can also use technology. Many assumptions regarding
those at the lower end of the market have proved to be wrong. As an
example Prahalad cites pre-paid cellphone cards that require money
upfront and rake in millions of rand.
Global consumer trends also need to be taken into account. These
include: an awareness of individuality and experience, involvement, risk
taking, experimentation, technology-mediated relationships, global
community, green and a focus on the future.

Eye popping
Daniel Levy and Ryan Silberman, founders of
PopEye Wrap-a-Rental Media, have taken a
simple idea and turned it into big business
with the concept of advertising on car hire
company cars. They offer advertising space
on a range of Tempest Sixt cars, which are
based at all major airports. “We have had a
phenomenal response to our products as
well as to this innovative concept,” says Levy,
PopEye Wrap-A-Rental CEO.
PopEye Wrap-A-Rental offers two distinct
services: the Wrap-A-Rental and Adopt-A-
Rental products. The Adopt-A-Rental product
involves placing marketing paraphernalia in
the entire national Tempest Sixt fleet. The
Wrap-A-Rental package offers marketers
ad-space on branded fleet cars, as well as
marketing paraphernalia inside the car (including
samples, pamphlets, brochures, etc).
Tempest Sixt ran an online pole for
10 days, asking whether clients would rent a
car that is wrapped in branding. Of the
1 500 who responded, 90 per cent said that
they would do so if this meant lower hire
rates. In this case both consumers and adver-
tisers win: consumers get cheaper rates while
advertisers get exposure. Each rental car cov-
ers an average of 4 500 km and is seen by
approximately 20 000 people each day.
The Panel Mosaics offer marketers a variety
of panel sizes and positions, thereby providing
full branding as well as great flexibility and
choice. “Outdoor media is restricted in vari-
ous regions of South Africa, which is why our
product is unique and desirable. We can
brand 100 cars based at Cape Town airport
and put our clients’ branded umbrellas and
cooler bags into them. These cars invariably
make their way to the beach – and so do the
free products,” says Levy.
For more information and ad rates, visit
www.wraparental.co.za.

1 2 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007

 NEWS

Just add music

In the first of a new column, advertisers and brand owners are given an insight
into which music is currently enjoying its 15 minutes of fame and to the sounds
that would make a brilliant soundbed for an ad. It includes a wide range of local
and international music styles and most importantly, it puts marketers in the

Picture courtesy of EMI

know by highlighting songs that are hip and happening within different markets
right now.
The following list is courtesy of EMI Music South Africa.
Please contact Roy Harman Tel: (011) 911 1513 E-mail: royh@emimusic.co.za

Act and song Why it’s hot Genre and emotion evoked

Ok Go Winner of Grammy and MTV Rock – youthful, energetic, positive

Here We Go (treadmill video) awards for best video. Syndicated
by Nike (US) and MTN

Mims 1.4 million ringtone downloads in Rap – powerful and masculine

This Is Why I’m Hot the Us in two months. No 1 for
three weeks on Billboard Hot 100.
Very catchy

Kelis feat Will I Am Kelis and Will I Am sing about hav- Pop – fun, mainstream,
It’s The Weekend ing a fun time on the weekend – young and upbeat
for any social brand

Naturally Seven guys sing powerfully and cap- Pop – crossover – young and old.

Picture courtesy of EMI

Let It Rain tivate a cappella style. Their first sin- Fresh and vibrant
gle Feel It is one of the biggest hits
of the year. Interesting sound; will
cause curiosity

Herman Dune A quirky fun phenomenon of a song Pop – light-hearted, charming, cute,
Wish That I Could See You from France happy
Soon

Chemical Brothers Powerful electronic music from a Dance – uplifting, energetic, speed,
All Rights Reserved classic band drive

Suzanne Vega Strong awareness and favourable Jazz – soft, quirky, peaceful, relaxing
New York Is A Woman attitudes towards her unique vocals
will cause an audience to listen

Tasha Baxter Instant and catchy; it’s happy, Pop – cheerful, fun, friendship,
Fade To Black recognised and liked social, full of life

DJ Bongz Well-known and great for a bash House – anthemic, forceful, festive
As Long As You Love Me

Hip-Hop Pantsula Very crossover and popular ad Hip-Hop– patriotic and positive
Jabba

Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 1 3

 NEWS

Taxi TV
Provantage TTV is another way of reaching the millions of commuters
that travel by taxi daily. In this case the advertising travels with them in
the form of TV screens, keeping them entertained for the duration of
the journey. Created by Provantage Media, the TV screens are only
installed in new Quantum taxis and are conveniently situated for pas-
sengers to view. The screens are robust and lockable and content is pre-
loaded onto a chip, which is then loaded into the TV by specialist tech-
nicians. Each screen possesses a barcode that
records vehicle registration, driver details and
(significantly) driver routes. Drivers receive a fee
for having the TV.
After intensive research involving taxi drivers,
it was decided that the TV screens would not
have sound as 70 per cent of drivers didn’t like
it. They do however have unique content on a
30 minute loop. Advertising content is set at
30 per cent and could rise to 40 per cent in
the future. Preferential packages are available
to accommodate exclusivity in certain cate-
gories and deals consist of monthly or yearly
packages. Content (all of which is in English)
includes film reviews, lotto tips, quizzes,
moments in history, hip and happening
events, beauty makeovers and funnies.
A tie-in with Kick Off magazine content has
also been agreed. “The recommendation for
advertising on Provantage TTV is to create
something unique while remembering
that there is no sound. We are able to
offer regional advertising as well as an inte-
grated package across our other brand
activations. However, it must be stressed
that the TV ad should be able to work
as a standalone,” says Rene Venter, new
product development manager,
Provantage Media.
Two hundred screens have been launched nationwide. These will be
followed by a further 200 in June and another 100 in July. There will
be a second roll out at some point in the future.
Independent research into Provantage TTV was undertaken last
month by Markinor. A major component was ‘to achieve a better
understanding of commuters’ needs, likes, dislikes and attitudes
around the new concept of in-taxi advertising.’ 100 respondents were
interviewed over one week and interviewers
travelled in taxis to observe reactions and
responses to adverts on TTV. It was found
that forms of advertising seen or heard in
the past week, in the taxi, TTV came top
with 100 per cent, above radio (91 per
cent), ad outside the taxi (74 per cent),
billboards (65 per cent), pamphlets (31 per
cent) and print ads inside the
taxi (30 per cent). In terms of
advertising awareness, prompted
awareness was generally high
with ads for Nokia, Aquafresh
and Clover; Kick Off led the way
with 85 per cent prompted
awareness. What is more telling
is a fictional product ‘Goo’ was
created for and only exposed on
TTV. ‘Goo’ generated an unaided
recall of 32 per cent and aided
recall of 66 per cent.
For content, Comic Relief had the highest recall
(54 per cent), followed by a Nokia competition,
makeover, HIV and SA history. Ninety nine per cent of
respondents claimed the screens were totally visible
for the entire duration of the journey, with 88 per
cent aware of what was flighted on the screens. The
majority of commuters spend between 25 and 40
minutes in a taxi.

Brandz
The 2007 Brandz™ Top
100 ranking has been
released, along with a
few surprises. The fastest The top brands by category:
growing sector is fast BV 06 Top 10
food, followed by luxury, (US$m) BV 06 (US$m)
motor fuel, personal care Apparel: Nike 10 290 Google 66 434
and technology. Long live Beer: Budwesier 9 977 GE 61 880
the consumer! Millward Cars: Toyota 33 427 Microsoft 54 951
Brown interviewed over Fast Food: McDonald’s 33 138 Coca-Cola 44 134
one million consumers Financial Institutions: Citi 33 706 China Mobile 41 214
regarding almost 40 000 Luxury: Louis Vuitton 22 686 Marlboro 39 166
brands worldwide. Mobile/wireless: China Mobile 41 214 Wal-Mart 36 880
Soft drinks: Coca-Cola 44 134 Citi 33 706
For further information Motor Fuel: BP 5 931 IBM 33 572
visit www.brandz.com Personal Care: Gillette 17 954 Toyota 33 427

1 4 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007


Bush basics
Three months ago I took a huge plunge
– I packed up my house, my daughter and my
city life and moved to Hoedspruit. For those of
you who don’t know, Hoedspruit is a very
small town in Limpopo, roughly 120km from
Tzaneen and 160 kms from Nelspruit. I
mention these distances only because they
give you an idea of how far I have to drive to
get to my nearest Woolworths!
Hoedspruit, according to my map, has 18
streets and not a traffic light in sight. We are
therefore not pestered by people who are sell-
ing super glue or cellphone chargers. In fact,
the only trader of this nature (that I have
seen) is the car guard who tries to sell cata-
pults on the side. We have a Friendly 7-11
store that closes at 9 pm and until recently,
only a Spar for groceries. When the long-
awaited Pick ’n Pay store opened last month, it
was as if the circus had come to town – there
was a real carnival atmosphere with loud
music, sweets for the kids and balloons! While
Hoedspruit doesn’t have a CNA or specialised
bookstore, there are two garages, the ever
present Wimpy and a gem of a bottle store
with a selection of wines that I consider vastly
superior to most in Johannesburg. There are
also many hardware and building supply stores
(for which I am grateful, as these have always
been on my list of favourite places to shop!)
As a professional marketer of some 25 years
standing, I have been intrigued by the market-
ing methods that are implemented in small
towns such as Hoedspruit. It has occurred to
me that so many of us (professional marketers)
spend most of our working days (and nights)
slogging it out in tall buildings, analysing the
pros and cons of advertising in the Sunday
Times or scraping huge budgets together for a
new campaign on M-Net or 94.7 Highveld
Stereo. In doing so we have perhaps lost touch
with the millions of people who don’t live in
the concrete jungle.
Marketing here is as basic as asking the
friendly owner of the gift shop to shove your
pamphlets into her customers’ paper bags.
Alternatively you might place a small advert
(usually designed in Microsoft Word) in either
the Hoedspruit Week or the Kruger 2 Canyon.
Both of these are read from cover to cover and
EXPERT OPINION by helen mcintee
“
Don’t you think that
this ‘non-city’ market
is perhaps one that
marketers should
assess and consider?
It might be worth its
”
weight in gold.
back again, probably because they are almost
guaranteed to feature someone that you
know. These publications have become the
local ‘directory’ of services and are especially
useful for town newcomers like me.
Rubbish bin advertising is also still extremely
popular. It’s a very useful guide when you
want to find a specific store in Hoedspruit –
you just drive around its 18 streets and look
for the store in question.
There is a sizeable notice board situated
near the ATM and while you are waiting in the
queue (of usually only one or two people) you
are able to peruse the employment opportuni-
ties. You can also examine what’s for sale and
what new events are taking place over the
weekend. Apart from the notice board, most
stores or restaurant windows feature notices
such as the feeding times for the friendly
hippo down the road or the contact details for
the local hockey club. Road signage is very
effective because it displays telephone num-
bers written in large and visible letters. (This is
how I tracked down the local beauty spa.)
After living in the city for so long, I also find
the high level of service extremely impressive.
(This is a marketing method that so many
huge companies seem to leave out of their
plans.) I can phone the local butcher and he
will quite happily select, cut and wrap the
order for me to collect later on in the day.
When purchasing some furniture, I was
informed by the shop owner that delivery was
no problem at all as the “the lady at the cloth-
ing store has a bakkie.” None of this ‘small
time’ marketing is due to a lack of money – it
just works.
Consider that Hoedspruit is set among the
very best of South Africa’s game lodges. It is
situated about 40 kms from the Kruger Park
and has a small but beautiful award-winning
commercial airport that caters to tourists by
offering twice daily flights. It is surrounded by
big farming estates and has a large and active
air force base. Many people, both in and
around the town, are self-employed city life
‘refugees’ or business owners. For these
individuals it is a matter of forgetting all the
fancy competitions, glossy magazine
advertising and massively expensive newspaper
ads – it’s about getting back to basics. Don’t
you think that this ‘non-city’ market is perhaps
one that marketers should assess and consider?
It might be worth its weight in gold. g
Helen McIntee
director, IMM Graduate School of
Marketing
(011) 628 2038
helen@imm.co.za
Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 1 5
 by fulvia becatti BRAND ANATOMY
Get ready, set, go banking
In 2006, Go Banking began to conduct specific customer research,
which would guide the complete overhaul of the Go Banking brand. In
spite of the belief that they had a strong presence in the market, they
were disappointed with the brand’s acceptance and felt that their cus-
tomers had a lot to teach them. “Following the customer research we
decided to take some time out to improve,” says head of strategy, Steve
Bedingfield. Now Go Banking is back with a new look, a new feel – and
plenty of bang.
They addressed issues in six key areas that included: the price and
convenience of the products; the reliability and responsiveness of the
brand and the staff; the brand itself and how customers related to it.
While customers appreciated the fact that the product made banking
convenient and easy, they were unsure about Go Banking’s positioning
and exactly what the brand offering was. It was unclear whether Go
Banking was a Pick ‘n Pay loyalty card, a shopping card or a bank card.
“As a result we found that our customers’ confusion led to the erratic
and limited use of their accounts,” says Bedingfield. Customers also
expressed concerns about the reliability and credibility of the product,
since it was not established within a traditional banking environment. “It
didn’t have the gravitas of a serious bank behind it, even though it is a
division of Nedbank’s business. Customers don’t want Pick ‘n Pay to be
their bank.”
Taking this feedback into account,
Bedingfield brought together a team
of specialist companies and individu-
als to tackle each area of the Go
Banking brand and to collectively engi-
neer the brand’s direction. Y&R Hedley
Burne was tasked with the ATL and brand
strategy; Amorphous developed the new
brand look and feel as well as the website;
Nota Bene worked on the media planning
1 6 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
and Blue Apple was placed in charge of the BTL, direct marketing and
copy writing. Grapevine Communications tackled the PR. “Throughout
the process we did it together and all the involved parties made an input
and were able to have their say. It was as though they were holding up a
mirror, which was painful at a lot of stages because we were proud of
the way we had been doing things, even though our customers didn’t
relate to it,” says Bedingfield.
In addressing the look and feel of the brand, the Go Banking logo was
simplified in the hope of making it more attractive to customers. To over-
come the issues that were related to the identity and function of Go
Banking, the Nedbank and Pick ‘n Pay name brands were separated from
the Go Banking brand name in the logo (although the green and blue
logo colour scheme pays tribute to its parent companies).
Promotional literature was revamped to make it reader-friendly: it now
reinforces Go Banking’s role as a bank (clarifying consumer confusion).
“All our literature – from brochures to website and call centre engage-
ments – has been simplified to tell it just like it is. While previously our
material (and approach) tried to tell the whole story at once, we now tell
it simply and in digestible, bite sized chunks, resulting in better under-
standing and improved messaging,” says Bedingfield. The literature is
now devoid of the marketing/sales pitch and the banking jargon that
had previously confused customers. He has
since received letters and e-mails from Pick ‘n
Pay staff indicating their approval of the new
literature: its colourful design and simplicity
have made it more attractive to customers.
“We believe that if we give you the right
facts, you will make the right decision – and
we do believe that we have the best value-
based offer,” says Bedingfield.
Go Banking boasts great rates, no annual
card fees and pricing that has remained

unchanged over the past three years. Their cards
have also been revamped. They have done away
with the Gold and Silver status of clients, opting
instead to provide all their customers with the
best service and the best treatment.
Previously the bulk of Go Banking’s promo-
tional activity was predominantly represented
in-store – literally only in-store – and this had
entrenched consumer belief that this was a Pick
‘n Pay loyalty or cash card. “We have improved
our in-store message and have moved the bulk
of our activity into the marketplace through
varying degrees of media and PR activities,” says
Bedingfield. The focus is on fun but not at the
expense of serious banking. The service is
now outbound and engages customers on a
voluntary basis, whereas previously the in-store
sales staff pushed sales.
Today the Go Banking brand is advertised
through the use of outdoor billboards, radio
campaigns, TV advertising and consumer media
(business publications etc where, according to
Bedingfield, the message is best received). The
brand now also makes use of direct marketing
platforms, including SMS interactions. The
500 silhouette cut-outs are perhaps the team’s
favourite promotional component. These are
placed in store (and in other key locations such
as major road intersections). The life-sized
silhouettes generate buzz, cause disruption
and carry a provocative message. “They are
strategic and more mobile and allow us to
respond very quickly in our campaigns. Hiring a
crowd of 500 people is difficult – and we
already have them in the form of these
silhouettes,” says Bedingfield.
The Go Banking call centres also underwent a makeover in response
to customer feedback. Some of the major related issues included the
fact that individual agents were dealing with specific tasks and that
customers would be handed from one agent to the next in a single
phone call. They had to call different
numbers (depending on their enquiries)
and often did not know which number
to call. Queuing times were too long
and first call resolution was limited to a
few enquiries.
Now call centre agents work in a
comfortable and spacious environment.
“This has gone a long way to improving
the morale and commitment of the
agents,” says Bedingfield. They also
receive extensive training on everything
from general life skills to banking skills,
etc. As a result of this multi-skilled train-
ing, first call resolution is at 90 per cent.
“We now have only one call centre
BRAND ANATOMY
number and very few IVR options, which
ensure quick access to a call agent.” The
team has received numerous compliments
on the improved call centre experience,
including a very positive Finweek (15
March 2007) review.
While the brand’s new positioning has
not yet undergone official evaluation and
measurement, it has already seen very pos-
itive results. Bedingfield points to a growth
in real active accounts; growth in usage
per account (ie transactions per account
holder); account holders using their
accounts beyond the Pick ‘n Pay environ-
ment; growth in the usage of account
facilities (such as debit orders, Internet
banking, etc) and a sales increase relative
to the increased brand awareness and
overall transaction growth. He adds that
the success of the rebranding lies in the
increased activity of the customers.
A further positive development is the
improved rapport that Go Banking has
with Pick ‘n Pay staff, who now take the
initiative in providing the team with feed-
back. They also receive training and will
hand out call centre business cards when
they cannot answer a customer’s questions
about Go Banking. “They are happier
because they no longer feel trapped by
complicated customer questions,” explains
Bedingfield. Brochures at the till points are
taken up more rapidly and online and call
centre traffic has increased. The new web-
site is more intuitive, allowing visitors to
find the information they need swiftly.
“While the measure of our success is how quickly we have raised the
bar, we’re not resting on our laurels. Every day we have to behave in a
manner that gets us closer to the five out of five rating,” says
Bedingfield. He adds that the revamped Go Banking brand is aimed at
those who enjoy contemporary
society; who want to be in the
now and who are progressive
and willing to express their identity
through the choices they make.
The Go Banking customer is
looking for liberation from tradi-
tional banking methods and
wants banking to be easy, fun,
uncomplicated and simple. “We
are definitely attracting an astute
customer who understands
banking. In the month since our
relaunch we are happy with the
progress we are making, which is
in line with our plans.” g
Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 1 7
 by richard duncan EXPERT OPINION
Garbage i n g
This old adage is never truer than when
it is used in the context of market research.
The quality of the output of research groups
is completely contingent on the calibre of
their input.
During a career that has spanned two
decades I have sat in on some spectacular
research groups and have witnessed my fair
share of unmitigated disasters. The latter
always comes at a great cost to clients in
terms of wasted time and money. More
often than not, the client walks away with a
limited amount of new information.
Occasionally the group moderator will tease
out some real nuggets and great insights but
generally, clients complain that they have
heard it all before.
There are many reasons for this phenome-
non. Certainly great facilitators can make all
“Ensure that your the difference. If they are well briefed and if
they prepare properly they can collect invalu-
research company has able insights from group participants and get
past the predictable answers. However, the for-
covered all the bases mula for success shouldn’t rest entirely on their
and that it has shoulders. In order to get it right the correct
steps need to be taken right at the beginning
made the necessary of the process and each stage needs to be
contingency plans for properly completed. Sadly this is not the norm
and this is where we find the Achilles heel of
the unforeseen.” qualitative research.
Frequently the clients, be they marketing
departments or advertising agencies, haven’t
thought through what they are looking for.
Sometimes this is because they are on a fishing
expedition while at other times they are merely
seeking to ratify an existing belief, concept or
idea. A further complication arises when a
project is rushed because the client has not
allowed sufficient time for the exercise to be
completed. This often means that the agency
planner or research executive only gets the
discussion guide to the client one or two days
– and on occasion only an hour – ahead of the
groups. The same applies to the research
boards or animatics… On top of this the
moderator is often only fully briefed just before
1 8 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
the first group starts. I have long since learnt
that research groups should not be rushed and
that a great deal of time, effort and concentra-
tion should be invested by all concerned in the
early stages of any research project. There are
also times when the right route requires fine
tuning along the way and in these cases the
discussion guide or group participant profile
may be changed based on learning’s from the
initial groups. Whilst this may appear to be
wasteful, the knowledge gained should
ultimately more than justify the additional time
and money spent.
While doing some desk research of my own
before writing this article, I spoke to a number
of research specialists here in Sydney and in
South Africa. I finally turned to Research
Surveys and recently retired CEO and doyen of
the industry, Henry Barenblatt, for counsel on
this matter. After considerable assistance from
Barenblatt and his colleague Kudzai Guvi, the
qualitative account manager, I spoke at length
with Kim Krone, national qualitative projects
manager. Her candour and insight into the
industry was refreshing and furnished further
proof of the high level of professionalism that I
have come to expect from Research Surveys
during my 11 years of working in South Africa.
So where does qualitative research fall short
and where does it sometimes come unstuck?
While I discovered a few glaringly obvious
areas (which I will cover) there was one in par-
ticular that was frighteningly simple and yet
dramatically and disproportionately important
to the final outcome of research groups.
(Get this one wrong and frankly, it’s all a waste
of time.)
Firstly, what are the more obvious potential
slip-ups?
Not surprisingly, moderators don’t really
know what participants look like before they
walk into the room. This may give rise to prob-
lems that might be avoided if better intel is
supplied upfront on each participant. It puts
pressure on the moderator to manage and
control groups and it becomes even more

n garbage out
difficult if they have a troublesome participant.
It also places an emphasis on the importance
of proper training for moderators. If you have
ever seen the old Henry Fonda movie (remade
with Jack Lemmon) Twelve Angry Men you will
remember the power that one person has to
change the minds of others. It’s up to the
moderator to watch out for this. Whilst I’m
told that there is an industry surplus of moder-
ators, the really good ones are rare.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were a central
database that kept a record of problem partici-
pants? Whilst most research companies have
internal databases, they only become effective
in the bigger research companies. SAMRA
would be the only other viable alternative,
since research companies tend not to share
data for practical and legal reasons.
Consequently there is no formal black list.
Have you ever wondered whether the new
product that you are investigating and the new
brand positioning that you are testing will
remain a secret after a research group – and
whether the participants will tell their friends
or families? Not all participants sign confiden-
tiality documents and in any event, how would
you trace a leak back to one of them?
This brings us to the major Achilles heel of
qualitative research groups.
The key to success or failure starts with the
recruitment process. No matter how good the
moderator, the facility being used, the support
material that is prepared or the discussion
guide, if you have the wrong people in the
room you might as well go home early.
The accuracy of the information provided by
the group participants completely depends on
their honesty. Since people can become stale
and ‘coached’ they fail to qualify to attend
groups if they have been over-exposed to simi-
lar research groups and are research groupies
of a sort. This can directly affect the value of
the group’s output. Standard SAMRA guide-
lines stipulate that they should not have been
to more than four groups; should not have
attended a group in the last six months and
should not work for a related business. If par-
ticipants fail to disclose the correct answers to
these questions, either at recruitment or in the
screening questionnaire when they arrive, they
can directly compromise the probity of the
research findings.
The recruiters themselves (the people who
go out and recruit the group participants) rep-
resent another aspect of the recruitment
process. Have you ever given them a thought?
On the whole they are freelancers who are
only paid for the quality participants who show
up. They tend to come from all walks of life
rather than having some sort of formal qualifi-
cation or industry accreditation. Some are ex-
group attendees and where they live is often
more important than who they are. This is
clearly a recipe for disaster because the quality
of the work varies according to each person
and this fundamentally undermines the poten-
tial for consistency in recruiting group partici-
pants. To use a gambling analogy, it’s like
changing the croupier each time the roulette
wheel is spun – it resets the odds.
How do they recruit? Some recruit through
their networks and through word of mouth.
This is fine, provided they conform to SAMRA’s
rule that not more than two people in a group
may know each other. Then there is the
intercept recruit who is identified at a specific
place, eg in front of a yoghurt fridge in a
supermarket. Whilst this allows the recruiter
to find relevant people, this method does
have its flaws. Some also recruit by using
the telephone, which is the least desirable
because it’s non-visual and so further limits
effective screening. Finally, there is ‘list
recruiting’ where the specific details of known
customers (such as BMW drivers) are provided
by the client. This is one of the most difficult
routes since acceptance levels are affected by
the fear of this being a sales tactic, even if
recruiters have an endorsement letter or an
introduction from the client.
The recruiters don’t have any formal training
for this process, although some companies do
EXPERT OPINION
run workshops to update them on the desired
procedures. Research Surveys has realised the
importance of this area and are appointing a
recruitment manager to improve the quality of
their recruiters. The business of recruiting for
business-to-business research is more compli-
cated and has given rise to specialist compa-
nies that find group participants. This automat-
ically raises the professionalism bar.
Among the key things to remember when
embarking on a qualitative research project are
making sure that you know who your con-
sumers are and setting the correct recruitment
criteria. Don’t be afraid of setting more filter
questions. This may require additional funding
and time but the results should justify the
costs. You should also avoid approaching
groups with a preconceived notion – and don’t
react if you don’t like the truth that emerges.
While it is your prerogative to ignore it, if this
is the case, you should ask whether you should
be conducting research at all.
I hope that this article has served to help
you to appreciate some of the potential flaws
and pitfalls in qualitative research groups.
Given the cost of running groups these days, it
seems logical to me that any loose ends in the
recruitment and preparation phases should be
tied up before you sign any cheques.
I am not advocating the demise of groups
nor do I believe that they cannot be effective. I
simply believe in the old adage that ‘fore-
warned is forearmed.’ Just ask the right ques-
tions to put your mind at rest. Ensure that your
research company has covered all the bases
and that it has made the necessary contin-
gency plans for the unforeseen. You cannot do
more than that. As long as market research is
driven by human nature it will remain more of
an art than a science. g
Richard Duncan
Sydney, Australia
+61 411 549 791
lduncan@bigpond.net.au
Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 1 9
by fulvia becatti EDUCATION
A learning
curve
Change is a constant within the marketing
environment and marketers continually need
to keep up to date on the latest trends.
Courses and workshops offer an ideal way for
marketers to extend their knowledge and
skills in bite sized sessions. “Things change all
the time and generic courses tend to be
quickly outdated,” says Alexia Georgiou,
academy manager, Africa Academy for
Communications.
When discussing change one must also
enquire about industry transformation. Is
transformation being effected – and what is
being done to address this issue?
Short courses and workshops offer great
value for qualified marketers who are simply
wanting to up-skill. What should one be
looking for?
Georgiou believes that a hands-on
approach and a concise, cost effective pack-
age are ideal. Kathy Mumford, marketing
consultant, IMM Graduate School of
Marketing, punts the value of relevant con-
tent that is presented in the right contextual
‘language’ as well as the appropriate applica-
tion of theory. As Eva Csernyanszky, owner
and founder of the Friends of Design
Academy of Digital Arts puts it: “The course-
ware should be up to date and should inte-
grate mediums across different software
applications. The course itself should mirror
what’s hot out there and equip you to take it
further on your own.” Dr Ludi Koekemoer,
head of the AAA School of Advertising,
speaks of the importance, value and applica-
bility of focused content.
Mumford believes that good courses
involve the sharing of ideas and experiences.
She adds that they should add value to one’s
CV, while also providing one with skills that
can be applied in the working environment.
A good course is recognised by the relevant
institutions and agencies. (Registration with
the Department of Education and Services
Seta accreditation are among the right
2 0 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
credentials to look out for.) “I think the secret
really lies in having a good team of lecturers.
They should have more than a few years of
experience in their field of practice and even
more importantly, they should currently be in
the process of creatively integrating the tech-
nologies themselves, pushing boundaries and
experimenting with what they know,” she
says. Ramon Thomas, managing director,
Netucation, agrees that facilitators should
have a track record in the use and implemen-
tation of the media and methodologies that
they teach: “A good course is one which has
a practical component; one that you can
learn by doing. A bad course only includes
theory and you’re expected to figure it out on
your own when it comes to the practical
implementation.” Conceptual thinking and
problem solving modules are also very valu-
able, particularly in developing creativity, says
Csernyanszky. It’s becoming ever more impor-
tant to develop skills in new media, particu-
larly in Web 2.0 (blogging, social media, etc),
throughout the marketing, advertising and
creative industries. Thomas says, “Most grad-
uates are going into the workplace with very
little understanding of how these new tech-
nologies work – those who have taken it
upon themselves to learn more about them
may only be partially prepared for the task
at hand.”
With the vast array of courses, workshops
and presentations on subjects that range
from branding and new media to digital
design, there is no excuse for marketers who
don’t take advantage of the learning oppor-
tunities that are available. “There is a huge
need for training and development in our
industry,” says Georgiou. There is also a need
for marketers to refresh contextual input,
such as changes in the legislative, competitive
and consumer environments, says Nicola
Kleyn, senior lecturer, Gordon Institute of
Business Science.
What should you be learning more about?
Mumford has this to say: “With regard to
industry trends, I think that marketers need to
gain knowledge about the following key
aspects: new media (such as the cellphone
and Internet), services marketing (i.e. intangi-
ble products) and global marketing (including
marketing to different cultural groups).”
Thomas emphasises the focus on multimedia
experiences and campaigns as well as on user
generated content (of course this includes
word of mouth marketing, which has more
power to drive sales than any other form of
online marketing). “You cannot buy attention
any more. You have to start thinking about
how to amaze small groups of people or
communities in the way that they prefer.”
Kleyn lists financial literacy, as well as
customer psychology and sociology, as another
two areas that marketers need to focus on.
For designers, having applicable skills is
more important than having experience in
the field. “This is where we stand after 30
years of the PC and 12 years of the World
Wide Web. The medium through which we
now communicate as a human race is the
Pixel. This is a digital world and it’s the down-
load era. If this isn’t influencing the way you
think and produce, you are out of touch,”
says Csernyanszky.
Sadly – according to Lerato Ndoro, Group
HR director, FCB South Africa – it seems that
in the advertising and creative industries there
is an attitude of been there, done that, know
everything amongst the older generations.
Generally, they don’t pursue extra training
unless the agency conducts in-house training.
The trend seems to be that it’s the younger
crowd (who have been working in the indus-
try for less than five years) who are hungry
for knowledge: they are the ones who are
taking the initiative to sign up for short cours-
es to supplement their knowledge and skills.
Other education issues that are impacting
on the marketing and advertising industries
relate to transformation. Is the industry doing

enough to address this? Is it
enough to hand out a few scholar-
ships to previously disadvantaged
students every year? In a word, no.
“The need is so great that there can
never be enough scholarships and
support,” says Mumford. While pre-
viously disadvantaged students may
be awarded scholarships, they also
need support to survive a degree or
course. “You can take a student to
a university – but do you know
where he/she comes from? As far
as I am concerned, giving a scholar-
ship is not enough. There is no
holistic approach in these pro-
grammes. We need to do more
than just give money; we need to
focus on life both in and out of
school,” says Ndoro. For many
township-dwelling students, the
cost (both financial and otherwise)
of travelling to and from an institu-
tion to fulfil a scholarship is greater
than they can afford. It is therefore
not surprising that the dropout rate
is so high. The fact that they may
not have support at home or in the
township community exacerbates
the problem. In addition, parents
often have a poor understanding of
marketing as a career. “Maybe we
need to focus on delivering ‘bridg-
ing’ courses to take care of some of
the gaps, rather than just providing
financial assistance,” says Mumford.
She adds that schools are not doing
enough to prepare students either: literacy
and grammar are frequently underdeveloped,
as are logical and rational thinking skills.
While Koekemoer is positive about the grow-
ing number of black students entering the
education system, he acknowledges that the
disadvantaged background of many students
has not afforded them the kind of private
school education that prepares them for terti-
ary education. As a result, skills such as lan-
guage proficiency do not meet industry stan-
dards and requirements. “We need to do
more to retain these students and help them
to get up to speed more quickly,” he says. He
points to mentorship programmes and addi-
tional computer literacy classes as a suitable
means of student support.
With regard to transformation, Koekemoer
has this to say: “Five years ago, there were
EDUCATION
What to look out for in a good animation diploma?
According to Depth VFX (an animation
school based in Johannesburg),
the following aspects are important
considerations when it comes to choosing
an animation course:
• The length of the course (if the duration
is less than two years it will be more
specific or focused and it might not qualify as an industry-recognised diploma)
• Software applications (many jobs will require that you are familiar with specific software)
• Course tasks (should expose you to a diverse set of skills; should teach problem solv-
ing, practical application, time management and working to deadlines etc; should be
relevant in the real world)
• Instructor experience and history (instructors should keep up to date with the latest
techniques and software developments; they should either work in the industry or
have sufficient industry experience; internships should be included as part of the
curriculum)
• Post-course benefits (look for internships and exposure to the industry)
• Curriculum (must be relevant, cover all the basics and offer some sort of speciality)
• Fees (investigate as many schools as possible)
• Post graduate employment rate (does your choice of institution guarantee employment
or have strong relationships with actual animation companies?)
• Internet access (this is essential to instruction and to independent research and learning)
• Personal goals and expectations.
For further details about Depth VFX, contact 08611 DEPTH or
email info@depthvfx.com or visit www.depthvfx.com.
virtually no black people in this industry. The to the theory and its practical application in
latest figure is in excess of 36 per cent.” He the field.” She insists that this will not be
has found that while agencies are taking in achieved without increased collaboration
newcomers, they are not prepared to train between formal institutions and
and mentor the new staff or pay them agencies/companies. In order for this to hap-
accordingly. Koekemoer says that although pen, she says, the marketing and advertising
funding for scholarships and training is industries need to open up and position mar-
becoming less of a problem, in general keting and advertising more attractively.
internship programmes (such as the Seta pro- Ndoro adds that in townships, for example,
gramme) are not being utilised efficiently. parents have a limited understanding of
“The money is there: employers just have to advertising and marketing and of how their
kick-start the whole process and do the children will make a living in these fields.
paperwork in the correct manner. The indus- Opening these industries up through open
try is unaware of this fact and doesn’t trust days, career days and mentorship pro-
the seta,” says Koekemoer. Ndoro believes grammes, will make them more transparent.
that perhaps internships and learnerships “Marketers need to work together to ensure
need to be incentivised so that more agencies that they have access to a professional body
begin to offer them. “We shouldn’t only offer that promotes the growth and reputation of
the training. We also need to expose learners the marketing profession,” says Kleyn.
Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 2 1
 EDUCATION

Who offers what:

AAA School of Advertising:

Marketing Part Time courses:
The AAA Part Time Diploma in Marketing Communication (MC) specialises
in Account Management, Brand Management or Media Management. It
incorporates the following part time modules (candidates can enrol for
individual modules):
• AAA Module in Communication
• AAA Module in Principles of Marketing
• AAA Module in Business Management
• AAA Module in the Practice of Marketing
• AAA Module in Principles of Marketing Research
• AAA Module in Integrated Marketing Communications
• AAA Module in Consumer and Buyer Behaviour
• AAA Module in Marketing and Advertising Planning Process
• AAA Module in Account Management
• AAA Module in Brand Management
• AAA Module in Media Management

AAA Module in Brand Management

This module incorporates the latest theory and the practical application of both brand management and account planning respectively.
Course content includes: introduction to brands and brand equity; brand elements and brand identity; new products and extensions;
brand management and the law, etc. Classes begin on the 2 June 2007 and end on 13 October 2007 (the exam is written on 27 October
2007 and requires a 50 per cent pass mark). Classes are held on Wednesday evenings and on Saturday mornings.
The cost of the module is R7 350. For more information about this and other courses, contact Alison on (011) 781 2772 or
e-mail: alisonr@aaaschooljhb.co.za or visit our website on www.aaaschool.co.za

Marketing Mix / AAA School of Advertising Competition MarketingMix

The AAA School of Advertising (owned by the ad. industry via the ACA) is tasked with turning out achievers who are in demand and ready to be effective from
day one. These are people who have experience and the ability to squeeze the last milligram of creativity from their brains. This includes creative media
selection, creative marketing strategies and creative account or brand management as well as creative executions.
The AAA School is the only one of its kind that is owned by the advertising industry. It is also the only one in South Africa that provides graduates with an
internationally accredited diploma from the International Advertising Association, New York.
AAA offers evening courses related to advertising and communications for working professionals who want to either polish or add to their skills. Candidates
who have a minimum of two years of work experience in a marketing or advertising related field qualify to do a three-year Diploma in Marketing
Communication on a part time basis.
The school specialises in serious theoretical and practical learning that prepares people for the real world in an ad agency or marketing department. AAA
School sources guest lecturers from the industry to provide insights into the experiences they have had in their designated fields.
For more information regarding our part time course please call Alison on (011) 781 2772. You can also email Alison at alisonr@aaaschooljhb.co.za or visit
our website on www.aaaschool.co.za
AAA School is giving away one seat for their Brand Management or Media Management or Account Management course. One of our readers will have the
chance to stimulate his/her intellect by attending one of the most prestigious marketing communications institutions in South Africa.

Competition Question
Marketers are spending less on above-the-line advertising. What do you believe will be hot in the next three to five years if you take all possible
marketing communication tools into consideration? (maximum 500 words)
All you need to do is to respond to the question below and e-mail your answer to marketingmixcompetition@aaaschooljhb.co.za. The winner will
be announced in the July/August issue of Marketing Mix, so watch this space.

2 2 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007


Netucation:
Netucation is an online
research organisation based
in Johannesburg that focuses on understanding online
opportunities. They are currently in the process of registering
with the Services Seta. Visit www.netucation.co.za for more
information. You can also contact Ramon Thomas on
(011) 433 0134 or e-mail Ramon at ramon@netucation.co.za.
Courses:
Social Networking Success workshop
(half day):
“The major value of this course is that it offers a holistic picture
of social media, marketing and what is often called Web 2.0,
all in one package. This is a crash course to introduce
participants to the specifics of the shift that social media are
causing – firstly, through the production of content and
secondly, through the consumption of content. The distribution
system is changing and morphing into something that old school
marketers are afraid to confront. This course empowers them
with the confidence that they require to continue to advise their
clients in the best possible ways,” says Ramon Thomas, MD,
Netucation. He is currently negotiating with AMASA and the
AAA School of Advertising to offer this course on a half- day
basis to their members and students. The course will run on
25 May and 22 June 2007 at the LMI Academy on Hendrik
Verwoerd Drive, Randburg. The cost of the course is R1 500
per person.
Blogging for Business (full day):
This course is designed for people who work in the media,
marketing, PR and journalism. It’s also appropriate for
those who need to communicate internally with staff and
externally with clients and partners. It covers such topics as: what is
blogging? and corporate blogging; marketing your blog; blog and
PR 2.0. It will also equip candidates with skills in podcasting and
videocasting.
This course assumes that candidates possess a basic
knowledge of email and search engines. The cost is R2 500 per
person. It will be held on 24 May and 21 June 2007 at the LMI
Academy on Hendrik Verwoerd Drive, Randburg.
Online Social Media and Marketing (OSMM):
This course is designed for people who work in media, PR and
journalism, who need to communicate internally with staff and
externally with clients and partners. It covers topics that include:
blogging, podcasting and videocasting, RSS, understanding
online distribution and contextual advertising. The course
assumes a basic knowledge of email and search engines. It will
be held in Johannesburg on 14 June 2007 at The Business Place,
as well as in Cape Town on 21 June 2007 at Bandwidth Barn.
The cost is R1 500 per person.
EDUCATION
The National Electronic Media
Institute of SA (NEMISA):
NEMISA specialises in teaching the production
and technical skills that are applicable to the TV,
radio and broadcasting industries. It offers training in TV, radio, animation, broad-
cast engineering and multimedia design. For more information contact NEMISA
on (011) 484 0538 or visit www.nemisa.co.za.
Short courses:
• Digital photography • Camera operations
• HDTV for the broadcast industry • Advanced audio production
• Autodesk 3D Max • Ten week animation course
Vega: The Brand Communications School
Vega offers a Diploma in Communications Management that
is ideal for undergraduates as well as for the newly qualified
who wish to further upgrade their skills. Marketers can apply for a range of individual
modules that include the principles of branding; business communications; media
planning and applied branding. Vega also offers two-to-four week part-time courses
in Digital Media, ranging from desktop publishing to video editing.
For more information on these courses and diplomas, call the Vega School on
(011) 883 0130 and chat to Tanya Taylor. You can also e-mail Tanya at
Tanya@vegaschool.com or Thembi Mogala at thembi@vegaschool.com.
Workshops will also be conducted during the year, covering such topics as The
A to Z of Branding; Building Brands Online: New and Consumer-Generated Media
and The Brand & the Law. For more information contact Roshni Nana on
(011) 883 0130 or e-mail Roshni at roshni@vegaschool.com. Visit www.vegaschool.com.
The Africa Academy for Communications:
The AAC offers courses and workshops each month on topics that
range from branding and client/agency relationships to workplace assertiveness.
Workshops:
• Maximising your radio Rand (Bob Mabena, executive manager PCS, SABC); 23
May 2007, at Blandford Manor.
• Copyright issues: who owns your brand? (panel of law and publishing experts);
29 May 2007, at Hackle Brooke.
• Advertising and retail today (Muzi Khuzwayo, MD, Hunt Lascaris); 21 June 2007,
at Hackle Brooke.
Visit www.acasa.co.za for more information on the AAC and what it offers.
Alternatively contact Alexia Georgiou on (011) 781 2772 or e-mail her at
alexiag@aaaltd.co.za.
The Friends of Design Academy of
Digital Arts:
Short and Modular Courses are offered on the following
packages (essential and advanced skills):
• Adobe Indesign® • Adobe Dreamweaver® • Adobe After Effects®
• Adobe Illustrator® • Adobe Flash® • Migration Macromedia
• Adobe Photoshop® • Adobe Flash Actionscript® • Freehand®
• Apple iWeb® • Apple Final Cut Pro®
Courses in web publishing are also available. All courses are available in hourly
training packages for individuals. Group training is also available. For more
information, please contact the Academy on (021) 461 9071 or e-mail
info@friendsofdesign.net or visit www.friendsofdesign.net.
Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 2 3
 by fulvia becatti SPORTS MEDIA
Putting your brand
in pole position
Sports media is a passion-filled environment.
According to SuperSport’s marketing manager,
Andre de Villiers, audience and subscriber
numbers have grown, as have sponsorships
and advertising. “The larger events are sold
out,” he says, “because live coverage draws
the biggest audiences.” The PVR has met the
Picture courtesy of EIMAGE
needs of sports fans in particular as it allows
them to catch rugby matches live while oth-
ers in the house catch their favourite soapies.
The facility to record programmes means that
no fan is ever torn between which two events
to watch.
Print media is faring well. According to
2 4 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
Picture courtesy of EIMAGE
Clint Roper, deputy editor, Soccer Laduma,
the paper’s circulation has increased to 50
000 when compared to this time last year. It
hopes to give the national weekend papers a
run for their money by 2020. In addition to
increased circulation, Soccer Laduma has seen
an increase in advertising sales. “2010 is play-
ing a massive role here. FIFA regulations
make it difficult for advertisers to get into this
arena and this paper provides them with a
way into soccer, particularly the PSL,” says
Roper. The newspaper is also increasingly
aware of the impact of new media and is
planning the development of a new website
ADVERTORIAL
“In a country characterised by
diversity, sport has become a
binding force which unites
communities. MSCSPORTS is
committed to ensuring that your
brand is associated with the right
sporting entity. We have proven
ability to deliver the maximum
return on investment with definitive
measures thus ensuring that you
Make Sport Count.”
– Neil Jankelowitz
Sport. It makes grown men and women cry and pulls strangers
together in their shared devotion. It can build the pride of a nation.
It’s a trillion dollar industry, and today’s sports stars are worshipped as
heroines and warriors. It’s not surprising then that brands spend
billions worldwide associating themselves with sports and sports stars,
and that sports marketing has become an integral part of brand
budget. But how do you ensure that you receive maximum return on
your investment?
Sports marketing company MSCSPORTS has
the answer.
MSCSPORTS is a company which Makes Sport Count by maximising
their clients’ ROI through customised and value-driven opportunities
that have specific objectives, high measurability, and that deliver
significant brand exposure to relevant markets.
Joint MD of MSCSPORTS, Neil Jankelowitz, believes that sport is the
way forward for every business. “We partner with you and help your
brand to seize value-driven and unique marketing opportunities that
will place your brand firmly in the hearts and minds of South Africans.”
One of South Africa’s most recognisable brands, and an MSC-
SPORTS’ client, OUTsurance, entered the sports marketing arena some
12 months ago through inter-alia, the sponsorship of the Supersport
Update channel, as well as title full sponsorship of the road running
event, the OUTsurance Gun Run in Cape Town. Marketing Manager of
OUtsurance, Peter Cronje, explains how sport has offered a unique
value proposition to his company.
“Sport has become an experience in which fans and spectators
get caught up in a world of passion, excitement and fun. The
exhilaration that a close match can create is a unique memorable
experience with which the product will be associated. MSCSPORTS
has ensured that OUTsurance is in touch with our customers in ways
which enhance their experiences and which have worked wonders for
our brand.”

Another client of MSCSPORTS, is RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers.
This courier company has managed to achieve the ultimate marketing
mix, by ensuring the broadcast sponsorship of South African Test
Cricket on Supersport, and then supporting this ‘above the line’
campaign, with ‘below the line’ events, such as the RAM Captains
Breakfasts. This event was a series of national corporate Q & A ses-
sions, with cricket captains Graeme Smith and Ricky Ponting, hosted
by Neil Andrews.
Joint MD of RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers, David Lazarus, explains
how his return on investment is monitored. “Through MSCSPORTS,
we appointed a leading sports marketing research company to
monitor our investments. This, alongside the fact that MSCSPORTS
constantly conducts their own research, has seen both MSCSPORTS
and RAM Hand-to-Hand Couriers consistently delighted with the
results, showing significant above the line exposure and enhanced
brand equity in our field.”
Jankelowitz believes that “hands-on” management is key. “We are
well aware that we have a way to go to achieve our mission of
becoming the ‘best sports marketing company in the world’. However
we know what we have to do and we love doing it. It’s all about
constant communication and involvement with your client.”
MSCSPORTS has managed the BIDVest Group’s sports marketing
portfolio for a number of years, which has included the sponsorship of
the horseracing channel, Tellytrack. This sponsorship has seen BIDVest
reach their higher LSM target markets, whilst investing in and
supporting the sport of horseracing.
In addition, MSCSPORTS manages the BIDVest Wits Football Club
account, which includes event management, consultancy and public
relations. Derek Blanckensee, CEO of BIDVest Wits University Football
Club, explains how the PSL outfit works with MSCSPORTS.
ADVERTORIAL
“Recently we held an event around the donations made by Tedelex
to the BIDVest WITS University Football Club, and they ran the event
from beginning to end. They organised huge media presence, handled
all the logistics, and ensured that they invited all the right people.
MSCSPORTS is committed to the football club. It’s not strictly business
– they’re passionate about the team, and want to see us succeed.
They are a part of the fabric of the organisation. They’re effective, and
operate with true expertise.”
Another key area of business for MSCSPORTS is event
management, which involves the conceptualising and
co-ordination of sports related events that deliver maxi-
mum value for our clients. We offer services that range
from the concept creation, to the management of budg-
ets, venues, branding and PR, catering and guest lists,
media coverage as well as guest speakers and celebrities.
In addition to the RAM Captains Breakfasts, MSC-
SPORTS has also conceptualised and managed the official
PSL Awards After Parties with Castle Lager and SoccerLife,
as well as the Official SAA Supa 8 After Party, and the
Sowetan Extra Time soccer sessions in association with
The Famous Grouse Malt Whisky.
Another of MSCSPORTS’ core competencies is the production and
selling of licensed signed sports memorabilia. Joint MD, Barney Girnun
explains how the sports memorabilia department works. “We are the
official licensee for Cricket SA and SA Rugby, and have established,
sound and credible connections all around the world with regards to
securing golf and other sport-related memorabilia items. All of our
items come with certificates of authenticity guaranteeing that the
autographs and items are the originals. To date we have raised over
R10 million for various charities through the auctioning and selling of
our prized pieces.”
With the 2010 Soccer World Cup approaching, and a major
sporting and business opportunity on the horizon, many corporates
have begun to see the benefits of associating their brand with sport.
Neil Jankelowitz concludes. “In a country characterised by diversity,
sport has become a binding force which unites communities through
patriotism. MSCSPORTS is committed to ensuring that your brand is
associated with the right sporting entity. We have proven ability to
deliver the maximum return on investment with definitive measures
thus ensuring you Make Sport Count.”
To contact MSCSPORTS, please call Caroline McKay
082 904 6848 or visit www.mscsports.co.za
SPORTS MEDIA
2010 FIFA World Cup:
Guide to FIFA’s official marks
Official marks include: the logos, words, symbols, titles and other
trademarks associated with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. FIFA owns
the rights to the official marks, which are protected by trademark
registration laws and/or copyright laws, as well as laws of intel-
lectual property.
FIFA has outlined the basic Do’s and Don’ts that govern the use of
these official marks. These aim to prevent Unauthorised Association
(i.e. the creation of an unauthorised commercial association). The
use of official marks that create unauthorised association is prohib-
ited in advertising, promotion, games and competitions or ticket
promotions. They may also not be used: in editorial, commercial
match schedules, company and website names; on merchandise
and in-store decorations; in internet technology (ie websites, hyper-
links, online ads, blogs, MMS, SMS, WAP communications).
For more information, contact the Local Organising Committee’s
Emmy Casaletti. Contact (011) 567 2010; e-mail: market-
ing@2010saloc.com. Visit the FIFA website at
www.FIFAdigitalarchive.com.
2 8 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
Picture courtesy of EIMAGE
which they hope to launch in conjunction with the new PSL
season around the end of July. “It will be unlike anything else
out there,” says Roper. While he cannot as yet divulge any
details about the content of the website, he says that they are
investigating what gets people excited, keeping in mind that
Soccer Laduma has always been a ‘paper by the people, for the
people.’ Similarly, the growth in the mobile sphere is something
to be considered. “This is a massive area. Africa will certainly be
communicating through the medium of the cellphone in future
– more so than the Internet – and even entry level phones will
enable access to the Internet,” says Roper.
The Big Brother of the sporting world – sports sponsorship –
offers obvious benefits for brands. These include: exposure and
differentiation in an otherwise fragmented and cluttered media
environment, positive brand associations with sports teams and
sports stars, as well as merchandising opportunities that boost
brand exposure and help to build brands. “South African
culture is very powerfully sport-oriented and sponsorship ‘gives
back to the population,’ which helps to increase brand affinity,”
says Morne du Plessis, MD: Navitute, a SAIL Group company.
He adds that sports sponsorships can create corporate hospitality
and CSI opportunities that are good for business. “There is
considerable pressure on SA brands to show their humanitarian
side and big budgets are put aside for the creation of a caring
perception,” says Dominique Smith, MD, Provantage. He
believes that while sponsorships are not always engineered with
the objective of driving sales, they are effective brand building
tools that place brands top of mind. “The decision-making
 SPORTS MEDIA

process is helped by the sponsorship Global Brands Group SA

property,” he says.
Sponsorship-related events and competi- Global Brands Group (GBG) has been appointed FIFA’s exclusive worldwide
tions allow brands to engage with fans in the licensing representative, as well as store operator for FIFA branded retail opera-
live environment. Competitions, for example,
tions. According to the FIFA press office and Mark Methany, CEO and co-chair-
can create aspirational opportunities that are
not available to the average Joe (or even to man, Global Brands Group, GBG has also been granted the rights for the on-
the wealthy Joe). “Even if you have a lot of site concessionaire for all FIFA events. As such, they will sell merchandise at sta-
money, you still don’t have the means to
dium venues during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. GBG will also
meet Schumacher or the Manchester United
football team. Sponsorships and competitions negotiate with third parties who wish to get involved with merchandise sales.
allow for the creation of these opportunities,” For more information regarding licensing matters (with particular reference to
says Smith.
the official marks), contact Nicholas Bloom at GBG’s South Africa office. Email
According to the BMI Adult SportTrack™
reports, direct sponsorship spend grew from Nicholas on nicholas.bloom@globalbrandsgroup.com.
R63 million in 1985 to R2 613 million in
2006 (an annual compound rate of about
19.4 per cent). Including leverage spend,
almost R5 billion was invested in local spon-
sorship in 2006. The report found that by
comparison Adspend had increased at a rate
of 16.1 per cent per annum. The end result
was that while sport sponsorship was only
7.8 per cent the size of adspend in 1985, this
had increased to nearly 14 per cent by 2006.
“Figures indicate that worldwide sponsorship
spend has increased by 81 per cent in the last
decade. However this growth is slowing
down, as witnessed by the reduction of year
on year growth from 14 per cent in 1999 to
seven per cent in 2000,” says du Plessis. In

Picture courtesy of EIMAGE

fact South Africa’s sponsorship growth out-
performs that of other markets. According to
BMI-Sport Info data, SA’s average 2005 on
2006 growth was placed at 18 per cent (the
figures for North America and Europe were
10.5 per cent and 10.9 per cent respectively).
While sponsorships appear to be increasing,
a lot of money can be wasted due to a lack
of strategic planning and thought. According
to Smith, marketers frequently neglect spon-
Which sports are the most popular? (BMI-Sport Info)

sorships and waste sponsorship budgets
through poor understanding and flawed
processes. “Sports sponsorships fall short of
the mark because companies spend big
money to buy them but don’t have the budget
or knowledge to leverage the investment,
which consequently doesn’t reach its full
potential. They buy a TV package to create
awareness but emotively this does nothing
for the brand,” he says. He adds that industry
gurus recommend operating on a one-to-
ratio (adspend to leveraging budget). “So if
you spend R1 million on buying a sponsor-
ship property, you should spend at least R1
In terms of sponsorship support, the big five sports (which account for more
than 65 per cent of the total sponsorship spend in SA) are: soccer, rugby, cricket,
motor racing and golf. More than 50 per cent of the total hours of TV coverage
is allotted to these sporting codes.
Big players: who are the major sport sponsors in
SA? (BMI-Sport Info)
According to BMI-Sport Info, around 50 per cent of the annual direct sponsor-
ship spend is generated by the Telecoms, Banks, SA Breweries’ flagship brand
Castle, South African Airways and Sasol. This applies to the three most popular
sports codes (soccer, cricket and rugby).

Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 2 9

 SPORTS MEDIA
Which are SA’s favourite sports?
According to a Markinor TeleBus survey (a total of 1 500 respondents,
representing the adult population with home telephones):
36 per cent enjoy watching soccer
19 per cent enjoy watching cricket
18 per cent enjoy watching rugby
4 per cent enjoy watching tennis
3 per cent enjoy watching motorsport
2 per cent enjoy watching athletics and wrestling respectively
1 per cent enjoys watching golf.
Soccer is most favoured by blacks, while whites prefer watching rugby. Indians
favour cricket, while the coloured community enjoys all three major sports.
The survey found that in general South Africans are optimistic about the coun-
try’s readiness for 2010, with 45 per cent of respondents believing that South
Africa is prepared for the World Cup. It’s not surprising that whites are the
least optimistic racial grouping, with less than a third of the group believing
that SA is ready for the World Cup.
Soccerex 2007:
Soccerex 2007 (hosted by the Gauteng Province) will take place from 26 to 28
November at the Sandton Convention Centre. This international forum brings
together the world’s experts and is not to be missed. (This years’ speakers have
not yet been confirmed but some of last year’s speakers include Joseph Blatter,
FIFA president, David Gill from Manchester United FC, Andy Knee, Philips head
of sponsorship and Eric Cantona, former Manchester United player.) For more
information visit www.soccerex.com or email enquiry@soccerex.com.
Picture courtesy of EIMAGE
3 2 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
million on leveraging it,” he says. If not, it will
in all likelihood not deliver the expected ROI
and this further undermines the sponsorship.
Neil Jankelowitz, MD, MSCSports, believes
that: “The key to a successful sponsorship
strategy is to set clear objectives prior to
entering a sponsorship, with definitive mea-
surables for post-campaign assessment. It is
also key to try and own the property.” For
Roper one of the major issues affecting sports
is that naming rights are being sold indiscrim-
inately. While selling the rights to stadium
names is not problematic, the sale of team
naming rights is destroying fan affinity for
sports teams, especially because they change
every few years when one sponsor’s contract
is succeeded by the next. “You don’t see this
happening overseas. For example, in the UK
the club names are sacred and they don’t
allow brands and sponsors to buy the team
naming rights. They understand that fans
identify with the club name. Local advertisers
and marketers, as well as sporting teams and
clubs, need to be mindful of their supporters
in this regard,” says Roper.
Du Plessis believes that the biggest miscon-
ception about sports media and sponsorship
is that it’s isolated in the marketing mix, in
spite of the fact that it can extend the impact
of other elements (including advertising, sales
promotion and PR) in an environment where
consumers are more open and receptive. “In
South Africa, sponsorship is often cut off
from other communication elements,
decreasing its effectiveness. Internationally,
integration is the sponsorship buzz word,” he
says. He quotes research by Redmandarin (a
UK based sponsorship consultancy), which
found that an overwhelming 83 per cent of
respondents believed that greater levels of
integration would enable sponsorship to
meet their objectives, whereas only 56 per
cent integrated sponsorship into PR, 52 per
cent into advertising, 36 per cent into sales
and 20 per cent into direct marketing.
“Sponsorship without a plan is merely a logo
on the field but through an integrated
through-the-line approach, it has the ability
to bring your brand into people’s lives,” says
du Plessis. Jankelowitz echoes this sentiment,
stating that too many marketers see sports
sponsorship as a ‘fun thing to do’ rather than
an intricate vehicle that can deliver significant
ROI on all fronts.
A further criticism of the industry is that
 SPORTS MEDIA

Refreshing the Vision: key aspects of the 2006 Redmandarin Sponsor’s Survey
(This survey, conducted during June and July 2006, measured the responses of sponsorship professionals and executives
from companies in 18 countries situated around the world. Redmandarin is based in the UK. For more information and
research reports, visit www.redmandarin.com)
Findings:
• 79 per cent of respondents claimed to have a sponsorship strategy and 59 per cent reported a global strategy. It is
believed that 39 per cent of sponsorship strategies are signed on the whim or preference of the company chairman
• 88 per cent of respondents reported setting sponsorship objectives prior to buying rights; seven per cent did not. Five per
cent didn’t know whether objectives were set or not. Extrapolating from annual European sponsorship spending,
Redmandarin suggests that almost R9,5 billion is annually allocated to sponsorships without a clear rationale
• Over 80 per cent of respondents claimed that all areas – including the fit between the brand and the sponsorship property,
competitor activity and the interests of the target audience – were researched prior to sponsorship rights acquisition (with
the dominant forms of research being ‘existing research’ and ‘personal judgement’)
• The respondent ratings for the most important objective for sponsorships: 81 per cent brand equity building; 74 per cent
brand awareness; 54 per cent driving sales; 39 per cent stakeholder relationship management; 37 per cent motivating
employees
• 39 per cent of respondents reported that sponsorship plays a ‘very important’ role within the organisation’s overall
marketing and communications plan
• 56 per cent of respondents reported that sponsorship was ‘very integrated’ with PR, while 52 per cent also said this about
advertising. 83 per cent of respondents believed that improved integration with other areas of marketing would improve
the capacity of sponsorship to meet its objectives
• 67 per cent of respondents had a budget for sponsorship evaluation. The most popular evaluation methods were internal
company feedback, sales data and existing brand tracking
• 61 per cent of respondents reported that they would definitely use, or consider using, ambush marketing.
What can sponsorship do better than other marketing disciplines? Responses: create an emotional connection with
consumers; generate rapid brand awareness in new markets; offer new communications or content opportunities
The most popular sponsor brands named include Red Bull, Heineken, Adidas, BMW, Nike and Vodafone.

there is a lack of innovation, the result of a
handful of key players monopolising the
industry. “Mentions of sponsorship clutter
have slowly begun to creep into the market
as the industry becomes not only more com-
mercially sophisticated but also more widely
accepted,” says David Sidenberg, head of
BMI’s Sponsorship Strategy & Rights Division.
Differentiation will become increasingly chal-
lenging if this industry continues to grow.
tion of the sponsorship environment. The
major sporting codes are over-traded, making
it difficult for smaller brands to get involved.
“Sponsorship is over-traded in SA and it is dif-
ficult to find a unique property and occupy
centre stage with it. Brands must try to find
an exclusive niche, which is aligned to the
brand, rather than jumping into an over-trad-
ed space. Alternatively, they should create a
new property,” says Smith. The Red Bull
Picture courtesy of EIMAGE

“The customer is becoming aware of and
frustrated by commercial clutter, even in
sports events. Sponsorships will need to
become more intelligent and be targeted to
specific markets and populations,” says du
Plessis. This raises concerns about the satura-
Downhill Extreme is one example of this.
“They have created their own sponsorship
property and no one will take them on in this
space,” says Smith.
Smaller niche sports (such as mountain
biking), which have not been bought out by

Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 3 3

 SPORTS MEDIA

Sadly, not all sporting codes are managed

ethically and professionally and this is another
aspect that marketers must keep in mind
when they consider which sports to sponsor.
Local rugby management, for example, is
frequently in the news, battling issues
around transformation, mismanagement and
corruption, etc.
South Africa’s growing township markets
are also worth considering. “You have the
obvious sports in these areas, such as football
Picture courtesy of EIMAGE

and you have the challenger sports, such as

deep-pocketed sponsors, hold potential value
for smaller brands. “These have particular
value for challenger brands that are entering
the market that need to create awareness
quickly,” says Smith. New sporting codes
(think basketball and martial arts) are seeing a
growth in their local fan-base and they too
hold potential. However, these sports need
committed sponsors if they are to become
Picture courtesy of EIMAGE
ballroom dancing, which is (surprisingly)
hugely popular,” says Smith.
Sponsorships have not always been easy to
measure in terms of evaluation, although a
growing industry emphasis on measurability
and feedback is changing this. “Companies
are now more committed than ever to
dedicating significant funds to tracking
studies, trend analysis, qualitative research
and ROI analysis,” says Sidenberg. He says
that it’s no longer enough to only consider
exposure when selecting and evaluating
sponsorships: measuring and quantifying
the amount of media exposure generated
is not ROI. He insists that while media
tracking will always remain an important

self-sustaining and avoid the yo-yo effect that benchmark for the measurement of
a series of short sponsorships will have. “When marketing spend, association levels and
it comes to sponsorship property, brands must impact are gaining greater relevance.
go into the deal with a view to being involved According to the BMI Top Companies
for three to five years,” says Smith. He adds Survey 2006, 93 per cent of respondents
that short term projects and sponsorship deals claim that a synergy between sponsorship
allow brands to “test the waters.” objectives and overall brand communication
objectives is important. “Integration and
Reputation remain the most important
Which is SA’s favourite rugby team?
challenge for the industry. In fact, this is
According to a recent survey conducted by BMI, the Blue Bulls take this title becoming more and more critical than ever,
with a support base in excess of two million. The Blue Bulls now account given the speed of technology and the rapid
convergence of media platforms,” says
for more than 20 per cent of the total rugby support base and have
Sidenberg. With the rise in rights fees, only
generated more exposure for sponsor Vodacom than any other team (thanks those brands that take a strategic approach to
to their performance in the final stages of the Absa Currie Cup and the sponsorship, fully integrating brand and
communication objectives with sponsorship
Vodacom Super 14).
objectives, will survive.
However BMI reports that rugby still has a long way to go to match the sup- Smith encourages marketers to develop
campaigns that use mechanisms such as SMS,
port of SA’s top soccer clubs. Both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates boast fan
which allow for interaction with consumers as
bases that are two or three times larger than that of the Bulls. Furthermore well as for measurable feedback. “Evaluation
these fan bases stretch countrywide, while the support bases for rugby are still is a key element in managing and implement-
ing a successful sports marketing campaign.
concentrated around one or two regions (accounted for by the fact that the
Without it you might as well have purchased
top two soccer teams account for 70 per cent of the total soccer support base, a vehicle without any tyres. As long as the
while the top two rugby teams account for only 40 per cent). evaluation methodology is consistent and in

3 4 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007

 SPORTS MEDIA

Motorsports: what’s SA’s favourite?

According to the recent Do Motorsports rev up Brands global survey conducted
by Synovate in early 2007, Formula One is the most popular sport wordwide
(followed by 60 per cent of motor racing fans). The survey also found that
more than a third of SA motorsport fans stated that they would be influenced

Picture courtesy of EIMAGE

by a manufacturer’s success on the racing circuit when buying a car or motor-
cycle. The vehicle manufacturers that are most associated with motorsports
find Ferrari and BMW in the top positions globally. Ninety two per cent of fans
cite TV as the preferred medium through which to follow motorsport (four per
cent read the newspaper or magazines and three per cent go to the track).

line with market standards and norms, it is

Who’s leading the pack?
reliable and efficient,” says Jankelowitz.
An evolving media environment (and the Title: Total circulation (ABC Oct-Dec 2006)
development of new media technology) has Soccer Laduma 303 461
impacted positively on sports sponsorships. “A
Kick Off 55 462
recent study from Starcom Mediavest showed
that advertising awareness has dropped by 17 Sports Illustrated 43 024
per cent in PVR households, whereas sponsor- Tight Lines 36 278
ship awareness has only fallen by four per
cent. The obvious benefit for sponsorship is
Golf Digest 30 545
that it reaches the consumer in the environ- Amakhosi 30 494
ment of their choice,” says du Plessis. This has
Complete Golfer 26 233
made sponsorships the favourite promotion
and marketing choice for many companies, Magnum 20 986
even though they have had to adapt (as have Runners World 18 033
traditional advertising media) to factors such
SA Rugby 10 118
as increased media fragmentation and clutter.
“Sponsors have had to become more discern-
ing by making use of new media and innova-
tive channels to create ‘two-way communica-
tion’ with their customers,” says du Plessis. advertising on www.cricinfo.com (SA’s largest
Sports media are also evolving with the times sporting website). “Cricinfo.com has one of
by developing online platforms – some of the most sought after cricket statistics
which are supplemented with video highlights resources in the world. As such they are regu-
and interviews, podcasts, etc – and larly credited on TV and radio,” explains
mobizines. “The obvious benefit of these Andrew Gillett, publisher, The Wisden
forms of media is that they allow the sports Cricketer and Sports Illustrated SA. He
fan almost unlimited access to sports content anticipates that this platform will draw many
and information worldwide. The use of digital high profile advertisers, given the affluent
platforms also enables sports content to be market that cricinfo.com attracts. “Rates are
immediately available on demand,” says du based on CPM with banners at R100,
Plessis. He insists that this is of particular sig- skyscrapers at R120 and a content box at
nificance amongst the younger generation of R150. However, sponsorships for sections are
sports fans, who are more selective about the available, as are opportunities to include The
marketing messages and media that they Wisden Cricketer magazine in a tailor-made
choose to consume. “Companies that are able package,” says Gillett. He adds that the high
to make use of new media most effectively traffic generated by the Cricket World Cup
stand to benefit because they will be ‘chosen’ (2.3 million page impressions and 111 000
by the consumer,” says du Plessis. unique users in March 2007) has allowed
Touchline recently secured the rights to sell advertisers to enjoy great exposure. g

Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 3 5

by fulvia becatti DIRECT TO HOME
Taking it home
Direct to Home marketing is defined as
the below the line, one-to-one communication
that happens when an advertiser’s pamphlet/
sample/flyer/brochure reaches the consumer
at his/her home.
Is this just unsolicited junk mail? “It’s preci-
sion marketing and it has the ability to reach
the right target market with little or no media
wastage. It means that the right brands are
delivered into the right hands,” says Melvin
Chagonda, MD, Primedia @ Home. While
marketers may have their doubts, Dalene
Muller, sales manager, Newspaper Leaflet
Distributors (NLD), insists that they fail to see
the medium’s effectiveness. “It is the most
effective medium for the lowest cost… and it
is as reputable as any other medium.”
Direct to Home is an easily personalised
medium that has great reach. Distributors are
able to reach millions of households across
South Africa in a matter of hours or days.
Marketers are able to target their audiences
by distributing material directly to the regions
3 6 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
they live in – something that can’t be done
with old media. “The ROI is high because of
Direct to Home’s affordability and the reduc-
tion in media wastage. In Australia door
drops are the most frequently used medium
and in the UK they are second only to TV,”
says Chagonda. He adds that this industry is
worth a cool R300 million locally.
Caroline Nunes, managing member,
Vibrant Direct, maintains that while it’s not
always easy to measure ROI relative to
adspend, a successful Direct to Home
campaign can have a marked influence on
in-store foot traffic and brand awareness –
and even on store turnover. “Marketers need
to realise that for a third of the price of a
normal campaign they can reach a more
selective market within a specific time period.
They can also achieve better results,” she says.
Muller argues that Direct to Home is as meas-
urable as any other medium and that it will
generate a response if the marketing offer is
good enough. “The cost per point of other

mediums is much higher. With Direct to
Home you are able do much more with
much less. A pamphlet can provide far more
relevant information than a 30 second TV
spot,” she says.
From a creative point of view this is a flexible
medium and with the new technological
advances in digital variable printing there are
plenty of options and opportunities for
innovation. “If used correctly this service can
be a very valuable source of information for
consumers,” says Brian Mdluli, CEO, Direct
Marketing Association (DMA). This is a medium
that is not limited to any one geographical
area or LSM market. As Muller points out, it’s
the quality of the marketing offer concerned
that creates its relevance. “For example most
areas – both higher and lower LSMs – are all
interested in being kept informed as to what
is on offer locally,” adds Nunes.
Perhaps Direct to Home’s most noteworthy
‘super power’ is its ability to reach into town-
ships and rural areas, while also being able to
reach the ‘boomed off’ suburbs of the upper
LSMs. This medium therefore reaches those
who have TVs, Internet and a PVR, whilst also
reaching those who only have a radio and a
battery powered hot-plate. “Whether it is used
for emerging, established or potential markets,
DIRECT TO HOME
it is capable of reaching farther and
wider than any other medium,” says
Nunes. This wasn’t always so.
According to Chagonda, a few years
ago the suburbs (upper LSM mar-
kets) were seeing a decrease in
numbers attributed to the number
of booms and access restrictions. He
says: “This seems to have leveled off
now as illegal restrictions are being
removed by councils.” According to
sources Media24 hopes to address
the problem of restricted access to
complex and cluster developments
soon.
Direct to Home is seeing growth
right across the country. “This is
mirrored by the growing need and
demand for freesheets and by the
number of new freesheets that are being these lower LSM markets.
launched,” says Muller. There is clearly both a “The daily increase in the number of houses
need and a desire for the kind of information that are built in the townships means that
that is delivered by Direct to Home. Muller there is a daily increase in the number of
adds that the use of Direct to Home media is homes that are available for distribution,”
a great way to reach the emerging markets says Chagonda. “This trend is expected to
that are based in the townships, particularly if continue as the new housing department’s
good reading material is involved. Increased low cost initiative gains momentum and as
literacy is reflected by the growth in print RDP houses continue to be built.” The
media and Direct to Home is booming in growth in the number of shopping malls and
DIRECT TO HOME

commercial nodes has already had a major impact on

businesses in existing malls. The malls which have been
servicing townships but which are not located near them
are seeing the greatest impact. (For example South Gate
mall, which used to service Soweto, is losing ground to the
recently established Jabulani Mall in Soweto.) According to
Chagonda the current township consumer question in this
regard is: ‘Why should I incur transport costs, if I can buy
the same product within walking distance?’ This perception
should drive Direct to Home marketing on a national scale.
The fact that the number of homeowners is increasing
on a daily basis is providing a further boost for this industry.
“These new home owners are hungry for beneficial and
relevant information,” says Mdluli. Furthermore, Chagonda
adds that the new housing development laws (which
require all housing developers to allocate between 20 and
25 per cent of the area to low cost housing) will lead to
greater accessibility.

What is the DMA doing for Direct

to Home marketing?
“We are in the process of finalising our code of con-
duct and have submitted our codes to the Department
of Trade and Industry for their perusal and approval.
Furthermore we have engaged players in the industry
to come up with suggestions on how Direct to Home
can become a source of information rather than just
being unsolicited mail, which is what consumers
perceive it to be. The DMA has also added a service
that allows consumers to log onto our website and
place their names on our ‘do not contact’ list. This is
aimed at reducing the amount of unsolicited market-
ing material that is sent to the consumer,” says Mdluli.
For more information and to view the DMA’s codes of
conduct, visit the DMA website www.dmasa.org.

On the flip side, questions are being raised about the

future of direct marketing, considering the pending
consumer protection legislation. As Chagonda puts it, this
act will have a significant impact on clients as well as on
Direct to Home agencies. “Whilst a lot of marketers are
concerned about the pending legislation, I believe that we
as marketers have an opportunity to become more consumer-
centric and to listen to what consumers are saying,” says
Mdluli. He believes that the industry will have to revamp
some of its operational models in order to remain relevant
to the consumers they serve, especially because more
and more home owners are becoming frustrated with
information that does not add any value at all. Marketers
need to find innovative ways to speak to target audiences.
“I believe that we need a paradigm shift in terms of using

personalised/addressed information to speak
to the needs and wants of individuals, rather
than just putting out information and hoping
for the best. We must move away from being
peddlers of unsolicited marketing and
move towards being information brokers,”
says Mdluli.
It seems that industry regulation and
industry standards are major issues.
Chagonda believes that industry regulation
needs to be tightened and polished. In his
opinion unscrupulous players damage the
credibility and perceived effectiveness of the
medium. This is a sentiment that is echoed by
many of the industry’s major players.
“Everyone needs to operate to the same high
standards of distribution. Those of us who
are doing things correctly invest significantly
in the process,” says Muller. “It’s not just
about having an oakie in a bakkie delivering
pamphlets. We must demonstrate that this is
a reputable medium,” she says. It boils down
to reputable distributors – who have access
to reliable data that includes target audience
demographics (population sizes, where they
dwell, etc) – advising marketers on where
and how to best distribute their items for
maximum impact and minimum wastage.
DIRECT TO HOME
They also audit all distribution processes and
services and provide marketers with measurable
results and feedback.
As Direct to Home moves forward,
Chagonda points to the UK market in which
‘brands in hands’ seems to be the trend. This
is a more experiential and activation-based
form of Direct to Home marketing, which
involves sending out samples and brands to
the right target groups. “It’s the only medium
that utilises all of the five human senses,” he
says. He refers to the following very successful
Gillette Sensor campaign in Europe in which
a leaflet was distributed informing house-
holds that plastic packets would be distributed
over the following few days. People were
asked to place their old shaving machines in
the packets and to leave them outside on a
specific day. Each bag was swapped for a
new Gillette Sensor shaver and two blades.
“Over 200 000 bags were exchanged – it was
a huge success. The same programme has
now been run in Holland, Spain and
Belgium,” says Chagonda.
This platform is ideal for our lower LSM
markets where single servings and samples
could go a long way to boosting brand
awareness and sales. g
by nici stathacopoulos EXPERT OPINION
With CRM its Showtime!
I recently returned from judging the Dubai
Lynx Direct and Digital Awards – solely for the
North African and Middle East region – and
was very pleasantly surprised to find that
there were some wonderful ideas that worked
really well. We considered Axe deodorant to
be the best of the simple banners in the
online environment. It is well-known that in
the UAE one cannot depict anything remotely
sexual. The agency had created a banner
using the word MALE and when the con-
sumer moused over the can of Axe in the cor-
ner, it sprayed out FE and S on either side of
the word, in this way creating FEMALES.
Although I know that many of my esteemed
creative colleagues worldwide would roll their
eyes at this, I thought it was ingenious.
A few select agencies (or their London
based colleagues) in the UAE have the
accounts for some of the most highly profiled
property developers in the world. In order to
secure a Sheikh’s attention – and an appoint-
ment to one of the multi-million dollar hotel
developments – the company has the oppor-
tunity to present a once off ‘box’ that con-
tains concise and accurate information that is
presented in the most elaborate fashion. We
judged eight such boxes – the first was
Perspex, the second was wood and the third
was an aluminum accordion style box. Each
was complete with a heavy set, photographic
depiction of the architecture, style and
imagery that represented each developer’s
vision. After we had seen the first three we
decided that none of these boxes possessed
any of the differentiating factors that we were
looking for. In my opinion, while it is all very
well throwing a great deal of money at a
pack, the result sometimes still lacks innova-
tion and creativity.
Showtime is not only about the pretty pic-
tures that are used in a mailing or on a
microsite. It’s about creatively utilising your
resources to ensure that consumers are truly
delighted when they engage with your brand.
They should do a dance around your pack,
which should be personalised and surprisingly
fresh in its approach. They should hunger for
every word in your letter and act instantly.
How do we get to this point? We need to
be given the time, money and license to do it.
Let’s begin with the budget. I recently rec-
4 0 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
that are appropriate to her three data sets.
Even the lowest priced postcard needs to
have a clever appearance to engage the con-
sumer promptly. A marketer should always
remember that today’s low value customer
may turn out to be tomorrow’s high value
customer.
Let’s move on to the subject of the brief. I
am in the process of training my account
management staff not simply to take an order
but to experience the client’s brand as best
they can. We now require the team to write
creatively about the brief and to impart emo-
tional insights rather than pure facts, before it
reaches our creative director.
With regard to time: shamefully, we all find
ourselves without enough time to complete a
great creative idea (we’ve all ended up with
only half a mailer or a microsite just to make
“
a deadline). Sadly, our teams don’t have the
luxury of sitting down with paper houses and
suppliers of innovative elements. They don’t
Think of the delight
have sufficient time for the meeting and they
of the consumers who have even less time available to print on velvet
or to manufacture a special box. This said,
receive a letter that is it’s surprising how we can find both the time
absolutely personalised – and the suppliers – when we most need to.
After years of being told that I could not pos-
and that arrives on a sibly laser print on anything heavier than
stock which makes them 160gsm bond – and certainly not on anything
with a finish to it – we have recently found
feel instantly rewarded
”
suppliers who are able to deliver exactly what
we need. Think of the delight of the con-
for their behaviour. sumers who receive a letter that is absolutely
personalised and that arrives on a stock
which makes them feel instantly rewarded
for their behaviour.
Now lets get back to the entertainment
experience. Imagine being the producers of
the theatrical production, the Lion King. Every
moment – from cast to consumer; from lay-
out to advert – has to be a show. Now imag-
ine being the marketing director of a great
brand and proudly sitting back and signing
ommended to one of my clients that she off on a direct marketing piece that is in itself
should rather segment her database and mail a show. g
her high value clients than try to reach the
entire database with a letter and an envelope. Nici Stathacopoulos
(This is not rocket science – it’s just that I pre-
sented the idea to her in a creative way). She CEO, proximity#ttp
(011) 447 7093
agreed wholeheartedly and we are now pro-
nici@proximityttp.co.za
ducing three tiers of communication pieces

Margot Bertelsmann, editor, Zoo
Weekly/Weekliks
20 /04/07
Ah, Fridays! Here at ZOO HQ Fridays are post-deadline days. Everyone
trundles in a bit later than usual and a bit more hung over than usual,
before settling down to a calm day of magazine-making. Yesterday Steve
Tanchel photographed Survivor-hottie Jacinda Louw for a ZOO cover.
(M-Net has just announced that a new season of Survivor is starting
soon, so it’s a perfect reason to remind our readers of Jacinda). Today art
director Mike McLeod and I have the pleasure of looking at the pictures
from the shoot and selecting the final versions to be used in the
magazine. Next out is the upcoming cover – we’re featuring the
101 Hottest Models 2007. Who to put on it? Decisions… decisions... Ah
– would you look at the time? 3.30pm already. Just in time to catch the
Australia/New Zealand match on telly. It’s a hard job but somebody has
to do it. Now we’re off to the local drinking hole Su Da Da (we’ve
renamed it ZOO Da Da in honour of the amount of time we spend there)
to bid a sad farewell to Ivor Price, assistant editor of ZOO Weekliks. He’s
returning to the Cape to become a publisher – lucky man!
21/04/07
Urgh!
22/04/07
Spent some time doing paperwork. It’s performance appraisal time at
ZOO! It would be criminal to bore you with the details.
23/04/07
7.50am: Deadline day! Today and tomorrow we go to print, a day
earlier than usual because…
10.21am: … of the public holiday this Friday. We’re… aah…
11.47am: … also welcoming a new assistant editor on ZOO Weekliks,
Johan Vos, at the staff meeting today.
12.32pm: I’m still furiously signing off pages before rushing to an
interview with KykNet’s Gons. Actually, it’s a double whammy of TV
today. I’m also chatting to the guys from Glitterati tonight about ZOO’s
World Bikini Model International 2007 competition. Entries close on
11 May so we are busy publicising the event to encourage models to
enter. This means that I have to be on TV with two previous years’
winners – gorgeous bikini models both. Great. I, sadly, am style-
deficient. This is less of a problem than it would be if I edited a
women’s mag, of course. I must remember this next time someone
asks me how it is that I, a woman, edit a men’s mag. Answer: “I’m too
much of a naff dresser. I am only allowed in men’s mags!”
I stopped smoking four kilograms – and four months – ago by using
the Allan Carr easy way to stop smoking method. (Sure, it’s propaganda
but it seems to have worked.) So ZOO style editor Chrisna Raft will
have to work her magic on me. I don’t want to look too shabby next
to the 21-year-olds! Luckily she’s on the ball and has already selected
some outfits I might wear. Off to the dressing room!
7 DAY [B]ITCH
24/04/07
Deadline day number 2:
Somehow between the madness I manage a moment to observe that our
semi-fictional ZOO character, The Zoode, is gaining popularity and has a
constant online presence at www.zoo.co.za. I spend 20 idle minutes on
the site (watching hilarious Zoode videos and reading his blog), giggle
and make everyone else in the office watch it too. Enough. On a weekly
magazine there is no time to write more than this on deadline day.
25/04/07
Somehow we get up again on the next day, say goodbye to ZOO issue
27 (which we’ve nurtured over the past seven days) – and start filling
those 200 empty pages all over again.
10am: Today starts with a lengthy production meeting and a lot of
brainstorming. We settle on a cover girl and a feature idea. Since the
Cricket World Cup semis are on there is much Aussie-bashing in the air
– and Australians always like to brag about how dangerous and
poisonous their wildlife is! Rubbish! In ZOO issue 28 we take a ZOO-
style look at the killer critters that populate Africa and why they’re
much harder than anything the Aussies could come up with.
3pm: All work stops as the beer arrives at ZOO HQ and we all settle
down to watch the South Africa-Australia CWC semi-final.
3.20pm: Ah. Yes. We may need to rethink that feature.
26/04/07
Shoot day at ZOO! Yay! We’re shooting four lovely models who appear
in the Axe Mostesses advertising campaign – you know, those gorgeous,
fantasy air hostesses who cater to the every need of the lucky, lucky
passengers. You’ve probably seen the ad on TV. If not, go and look for
it on YouTube. My favourite co-Bob Dylan fan, Nick Boulton, is the
day’s snapper and much of it is spent inside an airplane at Lanseria
airport. Our aim: to show our loyal readers the Axe Mostesses looking
hotter than you’ve ever seen them before. That way, when they see the
Mostesses at the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2007 party,
they will be intrigued – and buy a ZOO the next day!
I go home, delighted to be working with the coolest team this side of that
new planet they just found. I have the best job in the world. And I know it. g
Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 4 1
by sean mccoy EXPERT OPINION
The seven year itch: Brands and relationships
You’ve been together for a couple of
years when you begin to sense that the thrill
is waning. The spark seems to have gone and
complacency is creeping in. Things seem to be
the same all the time. Maybe you need some-
thing different or perhaps you just want
something different. Despite the predictability
of it all, the routine is comfortable in a benign
sort of way and the reasons for making a
change aren’t quite compelling enough.
Or are they? Could this be the infamous ‘itch’?
I’m speaking about the branding cycle here
and its obvious similarities to the cycles of a
human relationship. Sadly there simply isn’t a
formula for guaranteed success. Both require
sustained hard work, loads of intuition, atten-
tion to detail coupled with big picture think-
ing, constant shifts in approach to meet
changing needs and demands at certain
times… and luck.
The branding itch is a reality. Whether it
comes after seven years or 17 years there is
no empirical evidence to suggest a definite
timeframe. In fact in my experience, given our
rapidly changing environment and the pace of
technology and globalisation, it is increasingly
evident that most brands need to revisit their
expression to the market every three to five
years at the very least.
Thomas Friedman in his book The World is
Flat highlights several drivers of change (most
notably that of technology) and spells out the
dramatic impact they have had on business
and social change. Professors Jonas
Riddersdale and Kjell Nordstrom of the
Stockholm School of Economics describe the
advent of ‘serducts’ and ‘provices’ in their
book titled Funky Business. They dramatise
the blurring of the boundaries between what
constitutes a product and what constitutes a
service – and how we as consumers and
brand builders distinguish between them.
For example in the South African banking
arena, new entrants into the fray, changing
market dynamics and the emergence of a
growing middle class have presented very
interesting challenges for the established
players. These challenges have accelerated
their need to evolve.
The majority of banks have recently rede-
fined and clarified their offerings to meet the
needs of a changing market. For example,
FNB modernised the brand’s visual language
4 2 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
“
Branding is about
relationships. If there’s
an itch… scratch it. Like
relationships, some
brands simply need
work more often than
”
others.
by bringing in a fresher, simpler identity to
complement the bank’s vision. Others such as
Nedbank and Rand Merchant Bank have
recently updated their corporate images, sim-
plified their brand architecture or redefined
their brand positioning in order to reconnect
with their target markets. Go Banking (Pick ‘n
Pay and Nedbank’s low-cost financial services
arm) has just launched its own refreshed
brand to broaden its appeal.
The pace and process of change in a brand
cycle vary enormously. It’s all about resonating
with the market. All great brands evolve.
Some undergo radical change while others
tweak quietly and more often. Coca-Cola, for
example, updates its brand every 12-18
months. No one really notices any obvious
changes and the updates are sufficiently fre-
quent and subtle for the brand never to be
perceived as dated or radically altered.
While other brands such as Johnny Walker
have opted for a periodic update of the
brand’s graphic language and iconography,
they have also managed to reinvent them-
selves by changing the brand activity.
How did Hush Puppies resurrect themselves
from the brink of extinction to become contem-
porary style icons? How did our grandfathers’
tipples of choice become the life and soul of the
party? Jack Daniels and Jaegermeister are now
the hottest drinks in the coolest places. It wasn’t
so much about what these brands looked like,
their success lay in what they did. The brand
activation was spot-on.
How do we know when a brand needs an
update? Does it manifest as an urge or a need
to change? I guess that if we had all the
answers, all brands would be great – and
golden wedding anniversaries would be run-of-
the-mill. Brands can defy the law of gravity. The
solution lies in a combination of art and science.
It’s important to have a clearly defined
brand platform in order to have a reference
point for ongoing health checks. This provides
a foundation for directing all brand activity.
Brand custodians constantly need to evaluate
brand performance intuitively and by using
measurable means such as research and
brand valuations (and obviously performance).
Successful brands are guided by visionary
leaders who understand the market. They
are able to anticipate changes in it and
instinctively manage the ebb and flow of their
brand’s connection to it.
Branding is about relationships. If there’s
an itch… scratch it. Like relationships,
some brands simply need work more often
than others. g
Sean McCoy
managing director, HKLM
(011) 461 6600
smcoy@hklmgroup.com
by fulvia becatti CONSENT MARKETING
On 27 February 2007, Marketing Mix in conjunction with the
Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Kodak, hosted the Consent
Marketing Workshop and brought together thought leaders in the
legal and direct marketing industry.
The workshop was held to address the pending data protection
legislation which will affect marketing (with particular reference to
direct) and change the way that marketers target and communicate
with customers. The legislation, which includes the National Credit
Act, the Consumer Protection Bill and the Protection of Personal
Information Bill, will require that consumers consent to the collection
and use of their personal information. While it will offer the customer
protection from unsolicited emails, phone calls and SMSes, in so
doing it will create huge barriers for the direct marketer as well as for
the many businesses that have relied on this form of communication
with their customers.
The National Credit Act, the Consumer Protection Bill and the
Protection of Personal Information Bill fall under Section 14 of the
Constitution. They stipulate that the individual has the right to privacy,
which includes the right to refuse to accept (or to pre-emptively block)
any electronic communication, especially when this communication is
for the purpose of marketing goods and services.
4 4 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
THE ACTS:
The National Credit Act regulations will come into effect on 1 June
2007. It is known that the Act will promote a more accessible
and responsible credit market and that it will address imbalances
and over-indebtedness, while regulating credit bureau
and providers.
The Act defines personal information as that which belongs to an
individual or that which is not generally known to others. Furthermore
it states that when entering into consumer credit agreements, the
consumer must be given the option to opt out of telemarketing,
e-mail or SMS campaigns.
The Consumer Protection Bill was drafted in March 2006 and is
expected to become law before the end of this year. According to
Brendan Hughes, an IT legal consultant at Michalsons ICT Attorneys,
South African Courts have traditionally regarded confidential
information as information which relates to a truly personal realm or
information in which a person could be said to have a proprietary
interest. However, the new Bill defines confidential information very
broadly and gives all personal data confidential status. This includes
names and contact information.
 CONSENT MARKETING

Getting to grips with the legal terminology

The Protection of Personal Information Bill
(Michalson’s Attorneys):
is expected to become law around mid-
2008. The Bill consists of eight principles personal info or personal data: information relating to the name;
that have been adapted from EU legislation. address; identity number; race; gender; reproductive status; marital status;
Inter alia, these include:
national, ethnic or social origin; employment or criminal history; financial infor-
• processing limitations (consumers must
give consent; they must be approached mation; sexual orientation; age; physical or mental health; disability; religion,
directly and they must understand what conscience or belief; culture, language or identifying detail assigned to a person
info is being collected and how it will be
data subject: the person to whom the personal information relates
used)
• purpose specifications (which state why consumer: a person to whom goods or services are advertised, offered,
the information is being collected) supplied, leased, sold or delivered in the course of business
• dictates regarding the information quality
and the openness with which the com-
data controller or responsible party: the person who determines the
pany operates (companies should register manner in which and purpose for which data shall be processed
with the Information Protection
data processor: the person who processes personal information for the
Commission and all processes should be
transparent) data controller or responsible party
• security safeguards that protect con- supplier: a person who offers to supply or supplies any goods or services in
sumer information (list owners must take
the course of business
all precautions to keep their customers’
personal info confidential) processing: any operation or set of operations concerning personal
• guidelines for individual participation information which includes the collection, recording, organisation, storage,
(which control how individual company
updating or modification, retrieval, consultation, use, dissemination,
employees access and correct consumers’
personal information) transmission, distribution, merging, linking, blocking, erasure or destruction of
• accountability (deals with the penalties personal information.
for those who do not follow policies).
The Bill stipulates that the information
must be collected directly from the consumer, unless it already exists in (measures for dealing with complaints) and penalties (for companies
a public record. Companies purchasing database lists from a third party who do not comply with codes). The constitutional right of privacy is
must ensure that consent is obtained for the use of the lists. Once brought into the spotlight, since consent is required in the form of an
again, personal information must be kept confidential and may not be opt-in rather than an opt-out.
used without the consent of the consumer, unless it is for the purpose The pending legislation is very positive for the consumer who does
of performing legal or contractual obligations or used in a situation in not want to be harassed – but it presents some mighty challenges for
which the information processing is necessary for upholding the legiti- marketers. “They’re using a sledgehammer to kill a gnat,” says Andy
mate interests of a party. (The latter is something of a legal loophole in Quinan, chairman of the DMA Legislation Subcommittee. He points to
that companies can try to fight the legislation by arguing that their the concise Argentinian legislation as a more efficient example of
electronic communications with consumers are legitimate.) consumer protection and privacy law.
This Bill calls for the establishment of an Information Protection Analysts suggest that customer consent drives and a close examination
Commission as well an Information Protection Officer to whom of company systems and strategies are a priority. It is also a good idea
companies must report to justify their data. (This is then subject to the to adopt the industry code of conduct. As Christiane Duval, Legal and
officer’s investigation). It also makes provision for enforcement Consumer Affairs director, DMA, points out, this legislation calls for a
high degree of transparency and the exercising of
Where to from here? Duval recommends the great responsibility in the manner in which
companies gather and handle consumers’ personal
following best practices:
information. Companies must change their current
• Entrenching a culture of self-regulation and certainty in the industry practices and revise or establish company policies.
• Anticipating and enhancing current legislation Staff training is also necessary. Duval believes that
the DMA (and industry) codes of conduct will need
• Gaining government confidence
to be supplemented by satellite codes that will
• Developing a process of re-dress govern privacy guidelines, telemarketing, purpose,
• Establishing an association with would give the industry credibility as consent and opt-outs (which will become a new
business), as well as e-commerce and other such
well as liaising with the authorities and guiding ethical practices.
specific forms of marketing. g

Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 4 5

 RESEARCH THOUGHT LEADERS
Experiential Marketing:
A new word for some ways of doing things
Why has above-the-line’s share of
marketing budgets fallen steadily in the past
decade or so and how – if at all – is this
connected to a predominance of what I call
‘mercenary managers’? Let’s try to answer
these questions and in so doing say some-
thing sensible about the importance of expe-
riential marketing.
i). The emergence of the mercenary manager
In years gone by one of the most difficult but
successful ways in which you could become
wealthy was to start and own a successful
business. In recent years however, this has
been replaced by an important and easier
alternative. Get yourself hired to run a really
big company; appoint a compensation com-
mittee composed of people like yourself and
sit back and enjoy the bonuses that they vote
to add to your package!
This is the modern ‘mercenary manager.’
This person is not a business owner but a
manager.
Competition has forced businesses to
become more efficient than they used to be.
In a world in which the winner is the one
who can drive out costs while improving rev-
enue, the mercenary manager (usually an
accountant) is king. Employees and share-
holders have lost their power. Capital efficien-
cy rules. What does all this have to do with
marketing, you may ask?
The problem is that marketers are strug-
gling to prove that their use of capital is effi-
cient – and market researchers are battling to
provide measuring instruments that are able
to substantiate this. What can we conclude,
to the extent that we can conclude anything?
ii). There is a problem with advertising…
There is really no problem with advertising.
Like all tools, advertising has a role to play in
the creation of brand value. The question
however, is how much brand value does
advertising create?
Marketing researchers provide two meth-
ods for answering this question. The first is
to create what is known as a marketing
4 6 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
by Jan Hofmeyr
response model. The second is to look at
what are known as ‘split cable TV’ tests of
advertising effectiveness. In the first method
we take all the inputs that we can find that
may play a role in a brand’s sales and we use
statistical techniques to quantify the impact
of each input. In the second method we split
a scanner panel into two, pipe advertising to
one half and not the other – and then look
at what each half buys over the days that
follow. Either way, in the end conventional
advertising accounts for somewhere between
seven per cent and 15 per cent of a brand’s
sales. Up to 80 per cent is accounted for by
other factors, the largest portion of which
(40 per cent-50 per cent) is what the model
makers call ‘brand equity.’
This being so, we need to ask ourselves
what the most effective way is of building a
strong historical heritage and reputation? The
answer does not lie in advertising. Direct
brand experience is by far the most important
source of what people believe about brands.
Word-of-mouth from credible sources (like
industry experts or trusted friends) comes
second and marketing communication
(including advertising) limps in third…
Quite simply, most of what impacts on
how people feel about a brand either has to
do with the direct experience of what the
product folks have created – or with factors
that are communicated about the brand
which are beyond the marketer’s control.
iii). What is experiential marketing and
why does it work…
While there are multiple definitions of experi-
ential marketing, the heart of all experiential
marketing is the attempt to harness the
power of the direct brand experience by
exposing people to the brand in ways which
are under the marketer’s control. Sampling is
one of its simplest forms and ‘event market-
ing’ represents a more sophisticated option.
Brand events give marketers a chance to
manage exposure in a way which reinforces
the intended brand imagery. Brand immersion
– which is what a properly constructed
brand event is – has far greater power than
conventional communications when it comes
to shaping brand beliefs.
Over time the scope and sophistication of
experiential marketing has increased significantly.
The viral campaign that drew people into the
world of The Blair Witch Project is a great
example. When properly managed, experiential
marketing delivers multiple benefits:
• It pervades the experience of the actual brand
consumption with a range of complementary
experiences which touch all the senses
• It creates ‘buzz’ because the people who
participate willingly tell others about the
experience they have had
• It creates editorial – provided that it gener-
ates news interest.
Experiential marketing is therefore the pri-
mary means by which marketers can leverage
the two dominant ways in which people
form brand beliefs, ie direct brand experience
and credible word-of-mouth. Given this
phenomenon we can expect spending to
continue to be diverted from classical
advertising to new marketing methods like
experiential marketing. g
Jan Hofmeyr (Ph.D.)
international director of Innovation for
Synovate’s Brand and Communications
Practice
RESEARCH THOUGHT LEADERS
People who ignite brands:
understanding wildfire marketing
The new marketing – using influence
Marketers have one thing in common –
they want their brands to grow as fast as
possible. Recently there has been an explo-
sion of new and innovative media types to
exploit the new connectivity that exists
between people because of SMS, e-mail and
the Internet. This phenomenon is expanding
beyond the personal electronic medium and
a number of new terms have been coined:
network marketing, viral marketing, brand
ambassadors – all of which amount to
various forms of ‘influence marketing.’ To
date this arena has grown in a rather
haphazard way.
‘Wildfire marketing’ brings these elements
together by embracing a wider concept that
acknowledges that we are social beings who
influence each other in a myriad of ways
through the networks that we all have and
by being the particular types of people that
we are. It goes beyond the traditional word-
of-mouth concept by specifically examining
our levels of self-esteem, our roles in these
networks and the recognition and respect
that we receive in them. It considers the
non-verbal cues that we transmit by looking
at our overall state of mind and our optimism
about the future.
“The way we think about brands is old.
Modern people have evolved beyond the
passive consumerism of the mass media age
to the active consumerism of the global infor-
mation age. Young consumers are not
defined by the mass media marketing of their
4 8 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
by Neil Higgs
parents – they are defined by their experience
of complex networks, from their sophisticated
mastery of modern technology to their
heightened levels of awareness through
global media. In this connected age, the
small Internet website is as powerful as the
massive global media company. Entire
nations are swayed by small groups and new
ideas spread around the world like wildfire.”
– Studio Riley
Implications drawn from local
research for brands and ads
Seventeen per cent of the population (24 per
cent in metropolitan areas) can be classified
as ‘Igniters’ – people who can have a radical
effect (either positive or
negative) on a brand.
This comes from the
recent Wildfire
Spectrum™ study (3 500
adults across South
Africa) which explores
what this means for
brands and advertising.
The study, conducted in
conjunction with the
Unilever Institute for
Strategic Marketing at
UCT, has led to an under-
standing of the importance of knowing how
people at the top end of the Wildfire
Spectrum (Igniters and Smoulderers, together
termed ‘Hi Fire’ people) feel about a brand or
an ad when compared with those lower
down the spectrum (Damp squibs and Burnt-
outs, together termed ‘Lo Fire’ people).
The following example represents the find-
ings of a Wildfire brand profiling exercise in
which peoples’ warmth or coldness (feelings
of distance or proximity) towards a brand
were measured across the brand’s Wildfire
Spectrum, using a special ten-point
colour/warmth/proximity scale:
For this brand 33 per cent happen to be
Igniters; 63 per cent are Hi Fire and the rest
are Lo Fire. The fact that the Igniters and Hi
Fire people are much more negative about
the brand than the Lo Fire people, means
that the brand is potentially on its way down.
A solution that catches the imagination of
the Hi Fire segments is the only way to save
this brand.
In an ad evaluation people’s attitude to
the brand needs to be measured pre and
post exposure to the ad:
This shows a highly significant improve-
ment in disposition to the brand post expo-
sure to the ad amongst those at the top end
of the Wildfire Spectrum – the chances of the
brand being positively ‘sold’ by influential
people has risen considerably. It is not
important what they feel about the actual ad:
all that really matters is how it affects the
range of their feelings towards the brand.
The more igniters there are for brands
that are visibly consumed, the better. This is
a sign of future brand growth. For brands
that are less visible, having more Igniters is
good if the brand has ‘buzz.’ Similarly
having more people in the Damp Squib or
Burnt Out categories is a sign of a brand’s
likely demise. Fortunately those we classify as
‘Burnt out’ have small networks and are not
very visible. Damp Squibs can be bad news as
they may still have fairly active networks and
as they generally have a subduing and
negative influence in them.
An insight from the world of
neuroscience
People at different points along the Wildfire
Spectrum process marketing messages differ-
ently. Hi Fire people are more efficiently
approached by an ad style that allows for
quick absorption and that simply reminds
them of their brand – iconographic, visceral,
emotive and instinctive. They make buying
decisions more instinctively and unconscious-
ly. Lo Fire people need more rational reassur-
ance and an ad style that reduces the agony
of those decisions that have a greater cogni-
tive component. g
Neil Higgs
director: Innovation and Development,
TNS Research Surveys
RESEARCH THOUGHT LEADERS
The Changing Face o f
Marketing and Communication
by Hendrik van Vuuren
Life in marketing used to be much simpler
and more straightforward than it is today. In
the past, marketers segmented consumers
based on their demographic information.
Most consumers had traditional roles and
responsibilities and the buying power and
decision making processes were clear for
most categories. However, today’s consumer
comes in multiple guises and is much
more complex.
Marketers have been forced to respond to
the growing sophistication of consumers and
marketing paradigms that were developed in
the 1950s when products were sold by
focusing on their quality and functional bene-
fits and through mass production. By the 70s
this process had evolved beyond pushing
brands based on their functional and emo-
tional platforms – and by the late 90s it had
reached a stage where marketing had
become contingent on building strong con-
sumer relationships.
The modern day marketer is faced with a
5 0 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
consumer who wants personalised brand
solutions as well as functional and emotional
brand superiority. This opens the door for
personal and participatory marketing activities
that have the ability to offer integrated
customer experiences across all points of
contact. In recent years the evolution of
consumer marketing customisation has been
coupled with the ever-increasing pace of
consumer technology development. The basic
mass media channels of the early 50s have
developed into highly individualised and
customised channels such as third screen
technology (cellular, PSP, iPod and other
personalised communication channels).
The proliferation of media has accelerated
at an exponential rate over the past 20 years.
When The Boston News-Letter published the
first newspaper advertisement in America in
1704, they could hardly have foreseen that
300 years later there would be more than 40
different channels for marketers to use for
the communication of their messages to

consumers. Along with the increase in
channels, the number of commercial messages
that consumers are exposed to on an average
day have increased from around 130 in 1975
to more than 1 300.
In order to appreciate how the media land-
scape is changing, it is important to understand
consumer interaction and the role of each
communication channel within the greater
media context and marketing environment.
Certain media serve as background, eg
outdoor, sponsorship and radio. Radio is fre-
quently ambient sound in the environment,
present at times when other tasks are primary
– reading, working and of course driving.
According to Veronis Suhler (a specialist inter-
national media merchant bank) radio has
shown steady increases since 1998 and is the
most widely consumed medium internation-
ally. This trend is mirrored in the South
African market, with radio listenership (past 7
days) sitting at 92.7% (AMPS 2006 RA).
Although the big commercial stations are
showing a consistent decline, there is a
strong growth in community station listener-
ship. Radio still remains the key communica-
tion channel for much of the rural South
African population.
For the most part TV has a relatively low
focus and viewers tend to sit back and have it
‘come at them.’ This is beginning to change,
particularly with the advent of interactive TV
and the use of PVR’s, remotes and other con-
trol mechanisms. Web streaming, branded
content and placements within TV shows
tend to follow the same pattern.
Internationally there are significant declines in
terrestrial television viewing. This growth of
cable/satellite viewing – which exceeded
terrestrial penetration in 2003 – has resulted
in significant increases. Global data clearly
shows that in 1984 an average 12 spots were
required to achieve 100 GRP’s/AR’s. Currently
the number of spots required to achieve the
same reach is closer to 67. In South Africa,
research conducted by Charles Foster (man-
aging director, Millward Brown South Africa)
has highlighted that the number of new (non
retail) TV commercials launched per year has
increased five fold, from around 500 in 1984
to more than 2 500 in 2006. However, the
average peak noting and impact of these
commercials have decreased substantially. In
addition, the amount of exposure required to
reach peak noting has increased significantly.
This effect has been considerably more
dramatic in the higher income segments of the
market, where satellite television penetration is
at its highest. Coupled with the increased
controls that ICASA have placed on television
advertising availability, this has lead to an esca-
lation of spot prices across all channels as well
as high levels of television media inflation.
Magazines and newspapers tend to offer
greater readership engagement because of
the way that readers actively consume them.
They also have an entertainment and diver-
sion component, which tends to soften their
focus. Internationally, magazine and newspa-
per consumption is stable, a trend that is
“
We need to be constantly aware of how to
reach consumers with marketing messages –
and of how this information needs to change
based on its interaction with different channels
reflected in South African newspaper reader-
ship data. There are marginal declines evident
in the South African market across almost all
LSMs for magazines, although there has been
RESEARCH THOUGHT LEADERS
a significant increase in the number of titles
available (from 63 in 1998 to 106 at the end
of 2006 – AMPS 2006 RA). The strength of
magazines remains their ability to convey
highly targeted messages in an intimate and
trustworthy manner.
In-Store signage is able to fulfill the infor-
mational role when the shopper is actively
seeking something. It has become one of the
primary focus areas for communication. At a
global level the activation marketing spend of
many clients surpasses their demand building
advertising spend.
According to Veronis Suhler, the Internet is
”
the fastest growing communication medium
in the world. In the United States it has
become the greatest contributor to advertis-
ing and brand awareness and online advertis-
ing spend is estimated to reach (US$)1.5 bil-
lion by 2010 (eMarketer report). Internet pen-
etration is growing rapidly in South Africa,
although it is still relatively small at 6.4%
(AMPS 2006 RA). It is limited to the higher
income segments of the market, where it is
as high as 65% (AMPS 2006 RA). While still a
niche market, it offers the opportunity to
communicate specifically targeted messages
to certain segments of the population.
In conclusion, it is clear that the world of
traditional marketing and communication is
changing rapidly. South Africa is not isolated
from these changes. We need to be constant-
ly aware of how to reach consumers with
marketing messages – and of how this infor-
mation needs to change based on its interac-
tion with different channels. Furthermore,
due to the growing aversion to advertising,
the increasing importance of channels such
as word of mouth and consumer blogs is
opening up an entirely new world of experi-
ential marketing possibilities for the successful
marketers of the future. g
Hendrik van Vuuren
research director: Millward Brown SA
Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007 I MarketingMix 5 1
RESEARCH THOUGHT LEADERS
Rear view mirrows and front windscreens
(or why loyalty is a great thing to measure)
Driving a car requires multiple simultaneous
activities that are non-negotiable. Whilst
shifting gears, changing lanes, choosing a CD
to listen to, separating fighting children and
taking calls on the cellphone, there are really
two key things that need to be done con-
stantly and at the same time as the other
stuff. We have to look through the front
windscreen and regularly look into the rear
view mirror. In order to obtain a complete set
of integrated data that enables us to drive
the vehicle effectively and safely and to
navigate the roads and hazards, we need to
know both where we’re going and where
we’ve been.
It’s no different in business. Navigating the
strategic and operational elements of
the business environment without a
holistic and integrated set of meas-
ures is impossible. So why try to do
it? Some businesses have no meas-
ures at all and many are only working
with fragmented and retrospective
information. The trick is always to
think FTCPOV (from the customer’s
point of view). Customers experience
an organisation in a holistic and
integrated fashion – and this is exact-
ly how we should measure our rela-
tionships with them.
While there are companies that believe
deeply in only using gut feel, in organisa-
tions where research is used – whether it
happens to be DIY or whether it takes place
with a research partner – a whole menu of
things may be measured. So how does one
describe a ‘rear-view’ measure or a ‘front
windscreen’ measure? Most often, someone
will measure something to do with satisfac-
tion, the strategy person will measure pricing,
the brand person will measure brand
health/strength/affinity and perhaps advertis-
ing recall/affinity/effectiveness, the customer
service person will measure complaints, the
sales person will track retention/churn and
sales figures and so it goes. These are ‘rear
view measures’ which are good things to
keep a track of – just not in the way that it’s
typically done.
The fact is that customers experience
5 2 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
by Heidi Brauer
things in a whole and connected fashion,
even if they are not aware of it. I judge the
till staff at Woolies by using one set of expec-
tations; I judge the till staff at Shoprite by
using another. These expectations consist of
things that are related to brand, quality,
value, price and image and I ‘smush’ them all
together (un- or sub-consciously) as I rate
them. When I evaluate the experience at the
till (satisfaction if you like) I do it in the con-
text of what I expect from the brand experi-
ence. My evaluation is influenced by the
advertising, the price I pay, the brand promise
and the overall quality that I expect in terms
of each of these things. So the fact that these
are all actually ‘rear view measures’ aside, it’s
really best not to create artificial scenarios for
a customer to assess in a vacuum – this is not
real life.
Assuming that we measure these things in
a whole and connected way, all that we end
up with is a view of how it was in the past.
Did the customers stay? Did they leave?
Did they like the experience? Did they like
the price? Did they like the advertising? You
get my drift. Now try and drive your car
while only looking into the rear view mirror.
It’s impossible.
So now let’s get to the ‘front-windscreen’
measures. This is where loyalty comes into
play. For a start we need to get into the same
headspace about what loyalty is – and it’s
easier first to deal with what it isn’t. The sci-
ence teaches that it isn’t about ‘buy a dog’
(blind following and acceptance); it isn’t
about staying forever (‘Gee, he’s loyal, he’s
been here since 1963’) and it isn’t about
having another loyalty card in my wallet (a la
airlines, financial services companies, the
place where I buy my toiletries and the
sushi restaurant chain). Although loyalty
programmes may be a precursor to the thing
called loyalty, they don’t take it’s place.
Real loyalty requires me to connect with
two things as a customer – the attitudinal
and the behavioural (the future behavioural
stuff). So if I feel committed (attitudinal
stuff) – and I intend to continue this relation-
ship, at least in the short term – I am a truly
loyal customer.
Actually, I’m not too fussed about what
we call it – my concern is that we stay true to
the science. We need the predictor or future
view of how a customer intends to
act, to add to the historical view of
his or her experiences. We then
have true loyalty or deep engage-
ment – call it what you will. The
experiential or satisfaction stuff, the
brand stuff, the pricing stuff and so
on, are all influencers of or precur-
sors to the loyalty construct.
What are the consequences or
results of having truly loyal cus-
tomers? (Here’s why this is crucial
for marketers.) The consequences
are the essential business enhancing behav-
iours that we all want from our customers –
they’ll stay longer, buy more, recommend us
(the latest global hot thing to track and
manage), resist offers from competitors
and limit their search for alternatives. The
science has proved that a set of good
experiences alone do not predict these future
desirable behaviours.
Yes, we do have to look at the
churn/retention, sales and figures, as well as
measure brand and experience and such –
and ask the customers about their intended
behaviour – all at the same time. We then
have a complete set of integrated data, from
both the front and rear views, with which to
navigate the business. It is doable. You do it
every day in your car! g
Heidi Brauer
marketing director, Markinor
by yoav tchelet EXPERT OPINION
Online – what is that...?
I get the same argument day in and day
out from agencies and clients: ‘Online doesn’t
work’ or ‘online is boring’ or another
favourite of mine, ‘I have a website; what
more is there?’
I have a short answer for all you sceptics
and doubters out there: “Online works and is
crucial for marketing success.” The web has
come a long way since the early beginnings of
Internet marketing and the use of banner
advertisements and archaic search marketing.
There are a number of options available,
including rich media and advergames, Pay Per
Click (PPC), Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
and many more. I always try to emphasise
that Internet marketing is the sum of the
correct integration of any offline marketing
activities and/or strategies plus the planning
and strategic execution of all available online
marketing channels.
So you’ve just spent thousands on a new
website – what now? Perhaps you’re still
spending your current marketing budget on
TV, radio, print etc? Without combining
online with your offline marketing mix, you
will always be one step behind. Internet
marketing is the most measurable of all
marketing mediums. It allows for targeting
accuracy that is way ahead of any offline
medium and it can be as engaging or as
interactive as you wish. It all depends on what
you would like to achieve. You also need to
plan in order for this to happen.
The online media plan is the foundation on
which any planning and creative conceptuali-
sation must be built and any campaign
requires that you consider the target market
and the message and results you’re looking to
attain. Certain channels such as SEO take
longer to implement and have to have a long-
term focus in order to achieve results.
Rich media campaigns, where technology
such as Flash, video and other interactive ele-
ments are used, are generally used for shorter
campaigns that require more of an impact.
There will be a use for banner ads for some
time to come, as long as they are part of a
well-planned and integrated online marketing
campaign in which a combination of channels
such as search marketing, blogs and rich
media are used.
There is a false notion that there are not
enough publishers in South Africa across
5 4 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
your choice. Creative campaigns can also be
targeted according to time of day, operating
system etc. Channels such as blogs, podcasts,
RSS etc, are often used to backup online mar-
keting activities, depending on the media plan
and strategy.
A question also arises regarding Flash ver-
sus gif/jpeg etc. There is no reason not to use
Flash for any creative execution on the web. If
you work with a company that has a decent
ad-serving and online marketing platform,
you can set up a campaign to show Flash by
default. However in the event that the user is
not able to use Flash, a gif/jpeg or other for-
mat can automatically be shown.
Other exciting online marketing channels
such as Advergames (essentially an interactive
game integrated with an advertiser’s branding
“
and message) and interactive video are price-
less vehicles for brand equity. With an
Make sure that you
Advergame your target market interacts with
are not wasting your your brand. This is something that you can
measure. It involves a recurring motion of
media – something we playing and interacting – great for your return
still see with South on investment.
This brings us to the matter of measurability.
African publishers who Creative that uses a technology such as Flash
allows for tracking beyond impressions and
use pop-ups. Please do
click-throughs. You can track interactions in
not squander your the creative with razor sharp precision. What
other medium affords you the opportunity to
advertisers time and do this in real-time? There are no rules or
money – pop-ups are
”
predefined formats for online media plans. I
like to think of all online media plans as a
tantamount to spam. finely tuned set of mini-plans that utilise
comprehensive research, technology and
online marketing experience. Make sure that
you are not wasting your media – something
we still see with South African publishers who
use pop-ups. Please do not squander your
advertisers’ time and money – pop-ups are
tantamount to spam.
There are many opportunities for marketing
in the online world. Provided that you under-
stand what you want to achieve, plan correctly
and take the time to explore the existing
opportunities, you will see results. g
which to spread campaigns. Even if this were Yoav@ilogic.co.za
true, by using Geo-Targeting technology you
are able to ensure that your advertisements director, iLogic
Tel: +2711832 2800
are shown only to users from South Africa –
yoav@ilogic.co.za
or any other country, region or even city of
 MarketingMix

Masterclass ‘07
C RM 5th June 08h00 – 12h30
Southern Sun, Grayston Johannesburg

Learning about the best experiences from the best people and all very relevant to SA. Most importantly you will be
able to ask your questions in one-to-one sessions with some of South Africa’s most successful CRM practitioners,
just look at the names below. Morning workshop organised by Marketing Mix in association with the DMA and lead
by Nici Stathacopoulos, a very eminent CRMer indeed.

Programme:

Topic Speaker Title

CRM Trends Worldwide Nici Stathacopoulos CEO, Proximity#ttp

Technology, Enabling CRM Solutions Yaron Assabi CEO, Digital Solutions Group

Changing Customer Behaviour Noleen Bruton Marketing Director,

Tsogo Sun Gaming

How Custom Publishing Builds Loyalty Bridget McCarney CEO, New Media Publishing

Integrating Data Effectively Liz Venter Marketing Manager,

Ford Motor Company

Use of Effective Contact Centres Craig Ireland CEO, Velocity

B2B Direct Marketing Thierry Boulanger Marketing Manager, HP SA

CRM Research Heidi Bauer Director, Markinor

It will be a busy morning. You will learn a lot and also will get good answers to your questions. The charge is
R1 500 plus VAT and 3 or more delegates reduces the charge to R1 250 plus VAT per delegate.

To register e-mail robyna@systems.co.za

or call Robyn on 011 234 7008

See you there,

Terry Murphy
Publisher
Marketing Mix
by frank joffe LAW MIX
Registering designs
Clarity on certain critical areas of the
Designs Act has finally been achieved, thanks
to a recent – as yet unreported – judgment of
the Supreme Court of Appeal.
In addition to establishing important
design-related principles, the judgment in
Clipsal Australia (Pty) Limited v Trust Electrical
Wholesalers [2007] SCA 24 (RSA) is the first
Appeal Court judgement to deal with regis-
tered designs under the present Act.
The issues in question include the following:
Sets of articles:
The Act permits the filing of a design applica-
tion for a ‘set of articles,’ defined as a number
of articles of the same general character,
which are ordinarily on sale together or
intended to be used together and to all of
which substantially the same design is
applied. The court held that the object of the
provision is to enable an applicant to obtain
registration for the design of more than one
article for the price of one.
The Act stipulates that what constitutes a
set will be determined by the Registrar of
Designs. The court held that if the Registrar
had registered articles as a set when in truth
they did not form a set, it was at best a mat-
ter for review and could not be raised as a
defence for infringement or serve as a ground
for revocation. The judgment further estab-
lishes that the registration of a set of articles
as such cannot be used in interpreting the
scope of registration. Each member of a set
has its own individuality and must be assessed
on its own.
In short, the registration of a design
applied to a set of articles provides a cost-
effective way of registering a number of relat-
ed designs and the issue of whether such arti-
cles do in fact comprise a set is one for the
Registrar to decide. In the absence of an
application for a review of the Registrar’s
decision, the registration of a set of articles
may not be used as a ground for the invalidity
or revocation of a registered design.
Whole or part:
The judgment confirms that an applicant for a
design may elect to isolate an aspect of his
5 6 MarketingMix I Vol 25 No. 5/6 I 2007
Assessment of novelty:
The court confirmed that in line with the
established principles for patenting inventions,
it is not permissible to mosaic different pieces
of the prior art in attacking the novelty of a
registered design. Generally speaking, the
prior art consists of all matter that is in the
public domain at the date of application for
the relevant design.
Furthermore, the assessment of novelty
must be assessed against the background of
relevant prior art, ie the definitive statement
and drawings have to be assessed in the light
of the state of the art to determine the
degree of novelty achieved. This is so because
where the measure of the novelty of a design
is small, the ambit of the monopoly is small.
Originality:
The court found that the present Act differs
structurally from its antecedents to the extent
“
that it requires that a design has to be both
new and original. While the Act requires that
novelty be tested against the prior art, there is
The registration of a no measure against which originality has to
design applied to a set be tested. The court held that the meaning of
the term ‘original’ when applied to aesthetic
of articles provides a designs, is the same as or akin to the mean-
ing of the term in copyright law, ie that the
cost-effective way of
design should not have been copied from
registering a number of another source.
related designs and the Infringement:
issue of whether such The court held that a test for infringement was
not a trademark infringement test and that the
articles do in fact com- issue was not whether or not there was
prise a set is one for the confusion or deception. Thus it would be
”
wrong to introduce concepts developed in a
Registrar to decide. trademark context, such as imperfect recollection.
Rather, a designs test is closer to the patent
infringement test and relies on the good sense
of the tribunal to decide if the substance of the
design with the object of claiming novelty or invention or design has been pirated. g
originality of a particular feature.
This is achieved via the filing of a definitive
Frank Joffe
statement as part of the application. Should
such a statement not be filed, the whole of managing director, Intellectual Property
the design will be considered, not only for the Bowman Gilfillan
purposes of novelty and originality but also (011) 669 9000
for infringement. f.joffe@bowman.co.za