Just like most things in life; we get out what we put in. A good brief is the catalyst for sound and focused creative thinking; a bad brief is the catalyst for wasted hours and money.

So, at the risk of copping a lot of flak from my creative team for writing an article on a subject they will argue I am unpractised in, here is my advice on how to write a good brief.

Read the rest of this entry.

According to some dating experts the key to a successful date is to look your best, listen, flatter and agree with everything your “hot date” says. Sounds like good advice, but dig a little deeper and you cannot dismiss that something feels amiss. I often find myself wondering why we do this and found only one justifiable answer. Acceptance.

Read the rest of this entry.

Although I am possibly one of the most undisciplined followers of routine I know, the one, almost religious habit I do have is my morning click-through to News24. I do this to stay in touch with the happenings of the world and ensure I can hold semi-intellectual conversations when asked ‘did you hear about…’ But on contemplation of this fact, I have started to wonder if this is perhaps more a form of self torture than an investment in knowledge.

Read the rest of this entry.

Statistics released in a Solidarity report a few months ago said that a child is abused every three minutes in South Africa. EVERY THREE MINUTES! That calculates to 530 child rapes each and every day.

Take a moment, maybe just three short minutes to let this fact resonate.

South Africa; a  country that easily unites fans around sports fields, TV sets and in bars and restaurants to support and cheer for men in green and gold; a country who mobilises thousands to demand higher wages, and in turn cripple the public transport system in the midst of an economic downturn; a country who tallies up over 2 million SMS votes for the talented (or not-so talented) Idol wannabes; a country so swept up in the trend of plastic shoes called Crocs that millions have been sold in recent years.

Read the rest of this entry.

Many first-time clients battle to understand the concept of a concept fee. Never having used a professional strategic and creative branding agency before they fail to appreciate the intangible nature of what they will be paying for.

Why charge for an idea?

Often the client volunteers to save this cost, by offering to provide the agency with the ‘big idea’, but in almost all these cases, all they achieve is wasting time and effort; coming back to the agency with a new-found appreciation for the complexity of the conceptual process.

Read the rest of this entry.

Standing around a braai the other night, a couple of friends and I started talking rugby, much to the obvious annoyance of our female companions. We all agreed that the Sharks and the Bulls are looking good this season, that Schalk Burger’s new haircut doesn’t do much for his rather large head and that Rassie is sorely missed in the Cheetahs’ camp.

We also agreed that Puke Watson should in future, if ever, wear a bib when donning the Springbok jersey. At the mention of Puke’s cheeky dad a couple of nervous twitches ran around the circle of friends. Politics should never mix with sport, the commercial media and braais.

“Speaking of the media…” one rather doff friend piped up. “What happened to Afrikaans in the general media? Is this further evidence of the marginalisation and subjection of Afrikaans?”

“Ag no, man,” I cut across irritably and set about trying to explain why Afrikaans is a growing, NOT a dying medium. The following is a heavily censored synopsis of what was said that night:

Read the rest of this entry.

Most often it’s marketing that is first on the sacrificial altar of budget cuts. It offers the immediate gratification many organisations require at the time of forecasting in a troubled economy; calming nerves and placating shareholders or executives with leaner cost projections. However the very same people who need appeasing are the people who will not tolerate reduced demand for their products or services; thus expecting the same outputs with less financial input! Read the rest of this entry.

You have just spent a fortune painting your home the trendiest, just-left-of-white. It’s the perfect shade and its cashmere texture compliments the architecture beautifully. You are chuffed! Read the rest of this entry.