hoola has announced that it has been growing rapidly over the last four years. The agency says that to celebrate, it has unveiled a new look for its brand. The digital advertising and design agency, which was previously known as BrandIt, has been partnering with clients in the Eastern and Western Cape, and is now diving into the KwaZulu-Natal market.

Riverbed has announced that a diverse group of nine black-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been named as the recipients of high-end marketing support valued at over R3 million through its 'Ad Crashers' campaign. Riverbed launched the initiative to help small businesses affected by COVID with free media, marketing and advertising services.

DStv Media Sales has announced that it will be supporting the Loeries Creative Week 2020 in its mission to back the creative ecosystem. DStv's creative strategist Rani Bisal will be joining the event's speaker line-up with the aim to share her insights with the creative community. 

The Gerety Awards have announced the winners for its 2020 edition. The event has indicated that South Africa received one Silver, one Bronze and two shortlists. American agencies lead with a total of 22 winning works, followed by India with 11 and the United Kingdom with five. 

The Epica Awards has announced that its 2020 deadline has been extended from Thursday, 15 October to Monday, 2 November. The awards say that the extension was given so that participants have more time to prepare their entries. The awards have additionally indicated that it will not charge a late entry fee. 

Castle Lite has announced that the brand is still 'Unlocking' with Cardi B as the international headliner of the Castle Lite 'Unlocks' experience. The event is set to take place in 2021. The 2020 event was postponed due to the global COVID-19 outbreak. 

HaveYouHeard, a brand communications agency, has released the conclusion from the final phase of a study that it conducted during the Lockdown. The results suggest that the post-apocalyptic world is not the place many predicted it would be, and that the pandemic, reinforced as it has been by a recession, has not led to a host of new and sustainable consumer behaviours.  

Gone are the days when businesses could get away with gut instinct à la Mad Men and a one-size-fits-all approach, says Shaune Jordaan, Hoorah Digital's CEO. Jordaan says that, going into 2021, implementing marketing and advertising campaigns without drawing on data is akin to entering a war without a weapon. 

Time is money and marketing budget spent without seeing the return on investment for your unique business is just throwing money down the drain, says the team at Arc Interactive. The teams give 10 signs that your business may be in the middle of a marketing rut and, more importantly, suggest how you can get out if it.

Word-of-mouth marketing is a strategy that often falls at the wayside in favour of clout-chasing social media tactics. However, this should not be the case. Organic marketing is back and word of mouth is the way to attract and engage with your audience.