Recently we conceptualised and designed a new corporate identity for Essential Med, a South African health insurance company.

The new look included an updated website and Facebook fan page which includes regularly updated customised page tabs. Read the rest of this entry.

We designed a vintage-inspired website and online shop for Anomali, a bespoke jewellery design studio based in Cape Town.

“Anomali wanted a website with an vintage, rustic look to echo their jewellery design style,” says Daryl Glass, our creative director, “They also wanted to showcase their jewellery in a functional online store, which was an exciting new challenge.”

Read the rest of this entry.

We’re looking for junior art director/finished artist with relevant experience and brilliant work ethic.

We look forward to your application if you’re a confident, creative self-starter with 1-2 years’ work experience who can take a job from concept to production without assistance.

Requirements:
• Relevant qualification
• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• Freehand
• Acrobat
• HTML coding experience would be advantageous

Remuneration: Dependant on experience
Location: 145 on Blaauwberg, 7441 Table View
Job type: Contract with view to go permanent

To apply, please submit your CV and portfolio of best work to jobs@powerof9.co.za

Please note: If you haven’t heard from us by the end of November, please accept that your application has been unsuccessful.

Location-based marketing or networking isn’t exactly new but it’s been one controversial topic this year. People have been talking and tweeting about it but is it all it’s cracked up to be?

Foursquare, the site that allows users to ‘check-in’ to locations via mobile phones and broadcast their whereabouts, was created in 2009.

People who tweet don’t ‘thumbs-up’ like it when users connect their Foursquare account to Twitter and broadcasted their every move as in: “I’ve just checked in to PLACE X.”

The general sentiment on Twitter is “We don’t frigging care!”

Personally I’m not enthusiastic about location-based marketing, even though I set up a Foursquare account (hey, it’s part of my job). It’s a bit of an overshare that could delight psychopaths with stalkerish tendencies. And it seems I’m not the only sceptic.

‘Please Rob Me’ is a giggle worthy concept that highlights the dangers of broadcasting your location. It use to contain a stream of updates from location-based networks showing when users check-in somewhere other than their home. The idea is that when you tell people you’re not at home; it’s an ideal time for crooks to plunder your loot! It sure is something to think about!

So will location-based networks continue to be all the rage in 2011?

Read the rest of this entry.

We know social media is not a fad but if you know someone who still needs some convincing, show them this…

Read more posts about social media here and read more of Monique‘s blog posts here.

What’s your news fix of choice? Radio news bulletins listen to while driving between home and work, the 7 pm TV news or is it a time-out with the newspaper and ink-smudged fingers to show for it?

Modern news fixes are making newspapers work harder than ever before to attract advertisers and readers. Social media is creating a hunger for news in real time; not when the clock strikes for scheduled news broadcasts or when the ink dries on the paper, but when and where the reader asks for it.

If that sounds like something out of Star Trek, here’s a social media crash course to beam you up to speed.

Image credit: Matt Hamm

South Africa’s Internet user market has grown by 91.3% from 2000 to 2009. Facebook has near 500 million active users worldwide and is South Africa’s second most popular site to visit after Google. There are 55, 000 active South African Twitter users who have an average of 115 followers each.
That’s all well and good but what is social media? Let’s looks at three social networking platforms.

Read the rest of this entry.

Monique started at Power of 9 in 2009. She loves popcorn, drinks way too much coffee and loves social media.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I wanted to be different things at different times. When I was four I wanted to save the rainforests because I saw a TV show about it. I collected rocks at one time so I wanted to work in a museum or on an archaeological dig. By the time I was 11 I wanted to be a detective. It was never anything ordinary and I suppose that’s why writing appeals to me; I have a chance to investigate ‘stuff.’

Curious? Read more…

Read the rest of this entry.

Thembi is Catherine’s personal assistant and admin assistant. She started with Power of 9 in 2004.

When and why did you choose to join Power of 9?

I joined Power of 9 in 2004. I saw it as a challenge, an opportunity to broaden my knowledge and felt I would be an asset to Power of 9.

Curious? Read more…

Read the rest of this entry.

I have a firm grasp on reality and an intergalactic spaceship. Daryl is creative director at Power of 9.

What are 3 things a designer worth his oats should have or know?

1. A designer should have big balls. He/she must be able to constantly push boundaries and be challenged by other designers;
2. He/she should know that the communication of your piece is as important as the design;
3. Attention to detail is imperative. A good designer follows through on creative from the big idea, right down smallest of details.

Curious? Read more…

Read the rest of this entry.

You can keep your Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choos; this winter the only two ‘must-haves’ is a South African flag and a vuvuzela!

Around the country South African flags wave a colourful welcome to the world from shop windows, homes, social networking sites (thanks to twibbon) and most notably on our roads where flags are hoisted from car windows and hug side mirrors.

Image credit

Our nation has been gripped by the ‘gees’ (spirit) and excitement to be the first African country to host the FIFA Soccer World Cup! It’s a pretty big deal and it’s doing more than putting us on the map – its igniting our patriotism.

Our team showed Table View our ‘gees’ during the nationwide call to trumpet vuvuzelas at noon today.

Read the rest of this entry.