A public relations strategy for an individual requires more effort than a brand or service. This is because individuals are humans and tend to be more complex than other offerings or representations of a brand. Therefore, they need a special kind of PR strategy to help manage their image in the most conducive manner possible.

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. 

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.  

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. 

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. 

Standard Bank, the sponsor of the Sikuvile Journalism Awards, has provided R500 000 to the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) Relief Fund for journalists. Standard Bank says that its contribution is aligned with its support for journalism in the country and its ongoing sponsorship of at least five years of the awards. 

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.

The Standard Bank Sikuvile Awards have announced the winners for its 2020 edition. The event saw Pauli Van Wyk named Journalist of the Year for Cruising Nicely on VBS Money which, together with her The Elements of a Bank Heist, made up the body of work that was named South African Story of the Year.

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.