Think before you post that statusFrom those party pics you wish weren't snapped to those ever confusing privacy settings, there's no doubt that social media networks can get you into trouble if you are not careful enough. The fact is, if you post it, it has the potential to be seen by someone you don't want seeing it. According to a survey conducted in 2012, social recruiting has become an essential HR practice, with 92% of US companies using social networks and media to find potential employers, up from 78% five years ago. Business-oriented social networking site, LinkedIn continues to be a dominant recruiting network, while Facebook and Twitter have seen major growth in the past year. Two-thirds of companies now recruit through Facebook and more than half use Twitter to find new talent. The results of the survey found that employers scrutinize social media activity, noting more than half of respondents would have a negative reaction to seeing a spelling or grammar mistake in a social profile. ( Source: Jobvite) My question is: Are you aware that a future potential employer may be keeping an eye on your status updates, your tweets, your check-ins, your picture uploads? My simple answer, probably not. Recently I came across a new web app called FaceWash. Still in beta phase, this app will most probably save your Facebook profile by removing any profanities that you've forgotten about over the years. I suggest you go and try it out - you never know who's watching. This week, Mark Gray provides insight on Recruitment in Africa: Predictions for 2013; Yusuf Begg claims that mobile marketing leads the way and MTN Uganda launches Wi-Fi hotspots. Continuing with our Biz Trends 2013 series, here are some more insights from players in the advertising, marketing and media industries: Africa finding its own solutions using mobile tech - Dr KF Lai
Media and advertising regulation in 2013 - Gail Schimmel
How to metamorphasise mobile marketing this year - Kevin Bassett
All the best for the week ahead!
Evan-Lee Courie: @evan1985
PS Responses to this column welcomed in our ed's column archive. Send all your Africa marketing news to africanews@bizcommunity.com, exclusive opinion pieces to contributors-africa@bizcommunity.com and international news to internationalnews@bizcommunity.com; also take a look at our guide "How to contribute to Bizcommunity, from op-ed pieces to news". Don't forget to follow @Biz_Africa on Twitter and join us on Facebook!
Top stories
 Find out more about the current trends in mobile search and mobile marketing for businesses in South Africa and Africa by listening to the podcast of last week's Biz Takeouts Marketing & Media radio show, which airs every Thursday from 5-6pm streamed live via 2oceansVibe Radio. [twitterfall] Read more >>
 [Dr KF Lai] There are several key trends that will present themselves in 2013. From m-payments to HIV/AIDS prevention, emerging markets are leading the way when it comes to innovative uses of mobile technology. Marketers, too, are seeing their roles and responsibilities expand. Read more >>
 [Doug Mayne] All early indicators seem to confirm that December 2012 was a relatively good year for the mall environment. Certainly not a 'shoot the lights out' result but stable, single digit growth nonetheless. The point now is what 2013 holds in store for us. Here are a few key trends which I think are relevant... Read more >>
 [Kevin Bassett] "Content, context and customer proclivity" will be the mantra that drives this year's marketing metamorphosis in the arena of mobile technology. I believe that we will see a year of repositioning - of un-automate, de-campaign and game-play - but also of tighten, regulate and measure. In short, 2013 will see the 'mobile moth' turn into a butterfly. Read more >>
 [Thomas Oosthuizen] I like the number 13. Like with most other things, it is what we do with it that matters. Great companies never use the excuse of prevailing trends as a reason for them not to perform. They just leverage the circumstances better than their rivals. So, while economists will contemplate economic and social conditions in 2013, it is what we as marketers do that matters. Read more >>
 [Gisele Wertheim Aymes] The world is more interdependent and interconnected than ever before. Technology is ensuring the free flow of ideas, information and energy; creative co-operation and influence; and is bringing change across the globe that is happening at an unprecedented and accelerated rate. Read more >>
 [Janice Spark] South Africa is a complicated place - each year outdoes the last in the 'magnitude of change' stakes. And we just know this year will deliver even more surprises. Nonetheless, important trends appeared across the brandscape during 2012. Here I explore the key brand moments of the year just passed, and take a peek at what might be ahead. Read more >>
 [Chamendran Naidoo] As we gaily simulate horse-riding while singing in Korean, the eyes of judgment fall upon us for clinging to the relics of yesteryear. Don't allow yourself to get caught doing last years' exercises or wearing scrubs that are "Soooo 2012", oh my readers. This year, you're going to be ahead of the curve and I'm going to help you do just that. Presenting the health trends of 2013... Read more >>
 [Gail Schimmel] So here we are in 2013 - the Mayan trend predictions for 2012 having spectacularly failed to materialise, leaving some of us with hangovers and debt that we had secretly hoped would be wiped clean in a Mayan-flavoured apocalypse. Now is the time for us to look into our crystal balls, and see if we can get our predictions for media and advertising regulation a bit more spot-on than the poor Mayans did. Read more >>
 [Gareth Pearson] A transformation is in motion amongst shoppers and retailers country-wide. Consumers are becoming more discerning and demanding, and retailers and manufacturers are under pressure to innovate, offer quality and savings - all in one eco-friendly package! Here are some interesting trends for the retail sector that I've identified for 2013. Read more >>
 [Vanessa Clark] SoLoMo: the glorious intersection of social, location and mobile that was going to superpower hyperlocal search and prove to be the holy grail, allowing retailers and other businesses to attract an army of smartphone-wielding customers. Pretty exciting stuff, especially during an economic downturn, right? In my opinion, quite the contrary. Read more >>
 [Petros Kondos] A fistful of mobile companies have come and gone during 2012. The next generation of startups is ready to hit the mobile industry with a host of new services of which most will, at best, either slither into mediocrity or just plain fail due to a lack of funding and media agency support. Breaking new ground is not easy; breaking new media ground that translates into profit is even more difficult. Read more >>
 [Thomas Kolster] There's a transformational shift happening and it's picking up pace in the New Year. Business and its far-reaching (some might say overreaching) arm, advertising, are becoming more responsible, more caring and more sustainable. Read more >>
 [Warren Moss] The year ahead is unlikely to see any fantastical new developments in direct marketing; in fact, it's more likely to be characterised by the maturing of existing technologies and a return to more traditional practices. Read more >>
 [Oresti Patricios] Context is king, but knowing what's around the next corner takes a little more than 20/20 vision. To find out what trends, innovations or environmental changes could affect your brand's future in 2013, here's some foresight. Read more >>
 [Bernard Matlhaga] The following are my thoughts on trends that will emerge in the retail and shopper marketing space in South Africa. Read more >>
 [Yusuf Begg] When most people see 'mobile' in front of the word marketing they're confused, fearful and ambivalent towards the industry. They immediately think 'SMS', 'spam' and 'inconvenience'. Read more >>
[Stuart Thomas] Twitter is targeting the Middle East and North Africa in a big way. The social network has reportedly opened commercial operations in the UAE after its user base in the region more than tripled over the past year. Read more >>
 [Issued by Right Stuff] There's no need to compromise on quality when it comes to the Right Stuff range of gazebos. Their new Easy-Up Cost-Effective Gazebo continues this tradition of high quality outdoor branded products which offer not only superior design and finish, but also competitive pricing, not to mention the ease-of-use. Read more >> visit press office >>
 [Anton Ressel] By 2050, it is estimated that the earth's human population will be 9.07 billion. 62% of the people will live in Africa, Southern Asia and Eastern Asia - numerically this is the same as if all the world's current population lived in just these three regions. In addition, another 3 billion will be spread across the rest of the world. Read more >>
 As MTN Uganda continues to cement its position, it has now launched a new Wi-Fi service with a number of MTN hotspots around the country. The hotspots will be available to MTN and non-MTN customers. Read more >>
 Newly launched utd. by content have announced its further global expansion through a recent deal with WB Cape Media, a company spearheading the secure distribution of digital media throughout Africa. Read more >>
[Issued by Bluegrass Digital] Bluegrass Digital, a London-born, Cape Town-based digital agency, is bridging the gap between south and west Africa. Experts in website technology, development, online marketing and forward-thinking, Bluegrass have now set their sights on the west after working in collaboration with various ad agencies in Nigeria. Read more >> visit press office >>
 Social Media Week, powered by Nokia for a third year, will for the first time take place on the African continent in Lagos, Nigeria from 18-22 February 2013, under the theme 'Open & Connected: Principles for a Collaborative World'. Read more >>
[Yemi Adebowale] After about five months suspension, Newswatch magazine returned to news stands on Saturday, 26 January 2013. Billionaire businessman and chairman of Newswatch Communications Limited, Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim suspended the publication in August last year to carry out "A comprehensive turn around". Read more >>
 The Institute for War and Peace Reporting and the Wayamo Communication Foundation announced the launch of ReportingKenya.net, a new online platform for Kenyan journalists covering transitional justice and politics. Read more >>
[Nurudeen Oyewole] A few days ago, prominent Nigerians and communications experts gathered at a forum in Lagos to examine and proffer solutions to challenges facing the country's image. Read more >>
 The music video for AFCON 2013, entitled "Our passion powers Africa", was released last week. The video is a collaboration between Nigerian music celebrity, Don Jazzy, ad agency, Cheil Worldwide and content producer, Embassy. [video] Read more >>
[Mark Gray] In the last five years, online recruitment has become an essential HR practice with US research showing 92% of companies now recruit via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Seven in ten companies have successfully hired this way. Read more >>
 Up-to-date data on what Zimbabweans read, watch, listen to and buy will be released next month. The fourth quarter Zimbabwe All Media and Products Survey (ZAMPS) research was completed last year and the data is now being analyzed and tabulated ready for release. Read more >>
CHIAQUELANE, MOZAMBIQUE: Tens of thousands of Mozambicans are stranded without food and water after floods swept through the south of the country last week, sparking a large-scale humanitarian crisis. Read more >>
WASHINGTON, USA: US consumers are being offered a cornucopia of smartphone apps to track or manage health but only a small number of people are using them, according to a survey released recently. Read more >>
 LONDON, UK: David McQueen, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, comments on Nokia's financial results. Read more >>
 PARIS, FRANCE / DARMSTADT, HAMBURG, GERMANY: The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers' (WAN-IFRA) 4th annual Printing Summit, to be held in Hamburg, Germany, in March, will focus on design, digital printing, energy savings and innovation for maximizing revenues from newspapers in print. Read more >>
 CANNES, FRANCE: The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is now accepting entries into all 16 categories: Branded Content & Entertainment Lions, Creative Effectiveness Lions, Cyber Lions, Design Lions, Direct Lions, Film Craft Lions, Film Lions, Press Lions, Media Lions, Mobile Lions, Outdoor Lions, Promo & Activation Lions, PR Lions, Radio Lions, Titanium & Integrated Lions, and the brand new Innovation Lions. Read more >>
WASHINGTON, USA: Global Internet connection speeds around the world slowed in late 2012, according to a survey released on Wednesday (22 January) that suggested a temporary stall in broadband gains. Read more >>
SAN FRANCISCO, USA: The Mozilla Foundation on Tuesday (22 January) unveiled two preview smartphones as it invited developers to try its new open-source mobile operating system that it hopes will challenge Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Read more >>
More International...
 Ever since the dawn of the industrial age, debate has raged over whether or not companies carry a responsibility solely to make profit, or whether they have a responsibility to the society from which they generate a profit. As a company in the gaming industry, Tsogo Sun is mandated by our bid commitments to give back to society and the communities in which we operate, but I believe there is much to be said for 'doing good while doing good business', writes Noëleen Bruton*. Read more >>
 Plans to re-introduce teacher training colleges were underway with one former college scheduled to re-open this week according to Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande. Read more >>
There would be no service delivery if government did not use the services of consulting firms, Consulting Engineers SA (CESA) said last week. Read more >>
 The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has defended the disposal of military helicopter airframes and spares to Zimbabwe amid threats of legal action to stop the move. Read more >>
The Office of the Auditor General on Thursday called for stricter controls on the use of consultants by government after a performance report found that eight government departments had spent R24.6bn on consultants in a three-year period. Read more >>
 The Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has kept the repo rate unchanged at 5% in line with market expectations. Read more >>
 NEWSWATCH: An ANC delegation is to meet with FNB representatives today at 11am at Luthuli House to discuss First National Bank's 'You Can Help Campaign', reports IOL, which also reports that the Democratic Alliance wants a probe of state adspend in The New Age. Read more >>
 The Presidency says it is "disappointed and surprised" by the one-sided First National Bank campaign. Read more >>
No member of the Seriti commission of inquiry received instructions or was cajoled into producing a particular outcome, commission spokesman William Baloyi said on Tuesday (22 January). Read more >>
 [Nicky Smith] Almost all of SA's large airlines are formally objecting to the threat posed by UK-based Fastjet's attempts to enter the local market by taking over the operations of 1time Airline‚ which is in provisional liquidation‚ Business Day reports. Read more >>
 [Sam Mkokel] The government's target of creating 5m jobs by 2020 is unlikely to be met because of a range of factors including labour unrest and the strained relationship between the state and big business‚ says Economic Development Deputy Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize. Read more >>
 Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has invited the public to submit their tips on what they would like to see in the National Budget, which he will table next month. Read more >>
The Employment Conditions Commission (ECC) will on Thursday meet to consider inputs collected from the nationwide public hearings on farmworkers' wages. Read more >>
 Small businesses cannot afford spiralling electricity increases from Eskom and municipalities, Free State commercial property owner Wim Boshoff said on Monday (21 January). Read more >>
More Government news...
 [Joy M] Applying for a car loan while confronting your bad credit history seems an unlikely financial mix. However, prevailing market condition, along with careful review of credit history and financial options make the task not only easier but also highly possible. Read more >>
 All revved up and ready to go, CAR decided that what with bank advertising campaigns being top of mind around now, and the ANC blowing their top, what better time to show that when the magazine advertises (on radio this time), it does so on all cylinders... Read more >>
 Europcar is offering a host of promotions on its car rentals and chauffeur service in conjunction with the relaunch of its website. The site now offers a quicker and more streamlined booking process in three simple steps, ensuring stress free and simplified car rental. Read more >>
 [Henrie Geyser: motoring editor] Volkswagen's impressive Amarok bakkie has steadily been silencing the pessimistic noises from the doomsday prophets and the blue-bearded 4x4 'manne' who initially scathingly predicted all sorts of performance failures and possibly even the early demise of this classy German 2-litre, twin-turbo one-ton bakkie. Read more >>
More Motoring news...
 One of South Africa's leading wine producing regions, as well as one of the country's premier culinary destinations, the Franschhoek Wine Valley, has once again every reason to raise a glass with the launch of the Franschhoek Wine Tram, a new and unique way to experience this picturesque wine valley. Read more >>
 The beautiful city of Dubrovnik in Croatia has been added to MSC Fantasia's 8-day/7-night summer cruise, further enhancing a voyage of discovery that will take MSC travellers into the very heart of ancient Greece and some of the most beautiful destinations in the eastern Mediterranean. Read more >>
 The recent heavy rains experienced in most parts of the country have resulted in the sudden temporary closure of the Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage (MNP& WH) site. The park is inaccessible from Musina as roads leading to the area are washed away. Read more >>
More Travel news...
SOUTH AFRICA - Juanita Williams joins allAfrica.com - more info
Click here to customise your jobs section
Click here to customise your events section
"Life always waits for some crisis to occur before revealing itself at its most brilliant. (via Good Reads)" - Paulo Coelho "What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure. (via quotes4all)" - Samuel Johnson "Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. (via brainy Quote)" - George Orwell
Print - Print any item in this newsletter.
Email - Email any item in this newsletter.
Comment - Comment on any item in this newsletter.
|
