By Gill Moodie
Until Twitter came along and blew the lid off news coverage of the Iranian elections last year, many of us were scratching our heads wondering just how social media could help journalism be more interesting.
Sure, Facebook helped you market a story to your buddies and you could pick up a story or two on Twitter, but what else was there? Then the Iranians, armed with cellphones, beat the pants off the international news organisations covering the June protests in Tehran and we all sat up and took notice.
In South Africa, social media also steals the spotlight from traditional media from time-to-time. Here are my favourite examples:
1. Viral sensation
When AWB leader Andre Visagie stormed out of a live e.tv panel discussion this month, it went viral in a big way with every news organisation, blogger and his dog embedding it. At last count just one iteration of the clip had had 267 000 hits on YouTube and the hilarious “Don’t Touch me on my Studio” clip was also quickly remixed into a number of spoof vids. On the very same day ANC Youth League president Julius Malema threw BBC hack Jonah Fisher out of a press conference – another a big hit – but the prize for enduring appeal must surely go to parliament’s finance portfolio committee chairman, Nhlanhla Nene, who vanished behind a desk after his chair collapsed on live TV in 2008. It was inevitable that someone at the SABC would release the video on YouTube and Zoopy. Word got around on Facebook and very soon the rather un-amused Nene was an internet celebrity. Even venerable institutions such as the BBC covered it (without being able to resist embedding the vid themselves, of course).
Today one version of the Nene clip has had more than 3.1-million views on YouTube. We, of course, can’t resist putting it up again: [...]
Read the full article by clicking on the headline link or visiting www.memeburn.com/
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The battle for budget in the digital space
By Scott Gray
2010, another year, another marketing budget, another significant year-on-year increase in the amount corporates intend on investing in digital.
As an eMarketer, this is great news for me and the agency I work for as each and every year the “battle for budget” between digital and the more traditional above-the-line mediums (predictably) sees the lion share being portioned to the ad agencies, while the virtual scraps are thrown to the budget line item that is digital/interactive/eMarketing.
The purpose of this post though is not to rant, neither is it to dwell on budgets and where they should or shouldn’t be going (I’ll save that one for another post).
In South Africa, digital as a marketing channel has a problem and I can’t help feeling a somewhat shallow sense of satisfaction about the increase in the channel’s allocated year-on-year budget.
Corporates are approaching the web with an “everyone-else-is-doing-it-so-we-better-do-something-too” attitude. Now I understand that this is somewhat of a generalisation, but when I hear companies talk about investing in digital I wonder what they really mean. Are they using the platform as an opportunity to propel their business forward, or are they using digital as nothing more than something to support their TV/print/radio campaigns. Or worse, are their digital initiatives standing alone on a brand communication island with just the 1 palm tree?
From experience on both sides of the client/agency fence, I can say with confidence that digital as a support mechanism for traditional marketing efforts, as well as digital for digital sake, is where web spend is going.
As I mentioned earlier, this post is not about ranting, it’s rather an attempt at identifying what I feel are issues holding the South African eMarketing space back from taking it up a level.
The challenges, I believe, can be broken down into 2 basic categories: Client-side skill sets, and The client/agency partnership. [...] Read the full article by clicking on the title link.
2010, another year, another marketing budget, another significant year-on-year increase in the amount corporates intend on investing in digital.
As an eMarketer, this is great news for me and the agency I work for as each and every year the “battle for budget” between digital and the more traditional above-the-line mediums (predictably) sees the lion share being portioned to the ad agencies, while the virtual scraps are thrown to the budget line item that is digital/interactive/eMarketing.
The purpose of this post though is not to rant, neither is it to dwell on budgets and where they should or shouldn’t be going (I’ll save that one for another post).
In South Africa, digital as a marketing channel has a problem and I can’t help feeling a somewhat shallow sense of satisfaction about the increase in the channel’s allocated year-on-year budget.
Corporates are approaching the web with an “everyone-else-is-doing-it-so-we-better-do-something-too” attitude. Now I understand that this is somewhat of a generalisation, but when I hear companies talk about investing in digital I wonder what they really mean. Are they using the platform as an opportunity to propel their business forward, or are they using digital as nothing more than something to support their TV/print/radio campaigns. Or worse, are their digital initiatives standing alone on a brand communication island with just the 1 palm tree?
From experience on both sides of the client/agency fence, I can say with confidence that digital as a support mechanism for traditional marketing efforts, as well as digital for digital sake, is where web spend is going.
As I mentioned earlier, this post is not about ranting, it’s rather an attempt at identifying what I feel are issues holding the South African eMarketing space back from taking it up a level.
The challenges, I believe, can be broken down into 2 basic categories: Client-side skill sets, and The client/agency partnership. [...] Read the full article by clicking on the title link.
A feminine feminist
By Rumbidzayi Dube, PDMM student
Until recently, being discriminated against as a woman had not been a huge factor for me. Don’t get me wrong, on countless occasions I have been objectified by my male counterparts, but I think it has become the norm so much so that I consider it a way of life. I am not saying that such occasions do not get mundane, annoying or just plain insulting. I am saying that overall, I get the occasional encounter, but in my life thus far, I generally have not felt discriminated against. It could be due to the fact that I am quite outspoken and am generally unafraid to stand up for myself so much so that discriminators cannot help but let me be.
It was not until my colleagues at the Sol Plaatje Institute made a presentation on the role of women in media that a switch suddenly went on in my head. I am now constantly aware of the degree of inequality when it comes to gender. After the presentation and discussion we had, I began to question the way in which women were represented in society- as sexual objects or victims of abuse. Reading an article by Colleen Lowe Morna further fuelled my interest. It gave me clarity on the levels of inequality and that it is not an issue being faced in African society alone- a society which is very much patriarchal. The so-called developed world still has a long way to go itself, and it makes me wonder, what more for ‘under-developed’ Africa and its low levels of education?
Listening to Harry Dugmore voice these issues during one of our lectures on the Essentials of Digital Media Management, an alarm bell sprang in my head. There seriously is an issue. Reiterating the need for change, I was disappointed to find out that a close friend who with a stable, well paying job and great credit rating was unable to get a bank loan because she was not married. Surely if even the educated banking professionals cannot see beyond gender how can we expect the average person with basic education to even fathom some sort of equality between men and women?
Truth be told, I have always been anxious of playing an active role when it comes to gender issues. I wonder to myself if it is possible to defend women’s rights and fight for equality without seeming like a fascist? I even hesitate to use the word ‘feminist’ because so often, it has negative connotations. To me, it implies a woman with no feminine qualities, dressing like a man and bullying the opposite sex into submission. Surely this cannot be the criteria used to qualify to be a feminist? I personally love to celebrate many of the ‘girlie’ activities that many associate with being a lady- going shopping, getting my hair done, watching romantic comedies whilst nibbling on some chocolate. I do not believe, however, that this takes away from my passion to promote the often silenced voice of women around the world.
I realise now that although certain things do not affect me on a personal level, I have the opportunity and resources to be the voice for many who have been silenced. I can be the voice not only in terms of issues pertaining to violence and abuse, but issues such as equal pay and women’s ability to succeed not just at baking a cake, but making our way up the ranks in many organisations donning high heels and perfectly manicured nails. I am beginning to realise that it can be done, and I can still enjoy the perks of being a woman and expect men to be chivalrous, but also have a say and make a mark on my way. I can be a feminine feminist.
Until recently, being discriminated against as a woman had not been a huge factor for me. Don’t get me wrong, on countless occasions I have been objectified by my male counterparts, but I think it has become the norm so much so that I consider it a way of life. I am not saying that such occasions do not get mundane, annoying or just plain insulting. I am saying that overall, I get the occasional encounter, but in my life thus far, I generally have not felt discriminated against. It could be due to the fact that I am quite outspoken and am generally unafraid to stand up for myself so much so that discriminators cannot help but let me be.
It was not until my colleagues at the Sol Plaatje Institute made a presentation on the role of women in media that a switch suddenly went on in my head. I am now constantly aware of the degree of inequality when it comes to gender. After the presentation and discussion we had, I began to question the way in which women were represented in society- as sexual objects or victims of abuse. Reading an article by Colleen Lowe Morna further fuelled my interest. It gave me clarity on the levels of inequality and that it is not an issue being faced in African society alone- a society which is very much patriarchal. The so-called developed world still has a long way to go itself, and it makes me wonder, what more for ‘under-developed’ Africa and its low levels of education?
Listening to Harry Dugmore voice these issues during one of our lectures on the Essentials of Digital Media Management, an alarm bell sprang in my head. There seriously is an issue. Reiterating the need for change, I was disappointed to find out that a close friend who with a stable, well paying job and great credit rating was unable to get a bank loan because she was not married. Surely if even the educated banking professionals cannot see beyond gender how can we expect the average person with basic education to even fathom some sort of equality between men and women?
Truth be told, I have always been anxious of playing an active role when it comes to gender issues. I wonder to myself if it is possible to defend women’s rights and fight for equality without seeming like a fascist? I even hesitate to use the word ‘feminist’ because so often, it has negative connotations. To me, it implies a woman with no feminine qualities, dressing like a man and bullying the opposite sex into submission. Surely this cannot be the criteria used to qualify to be a feminist? I personally love to celebrate many of the ‘girlie’ activities that many associate with being a lady- going shopping, getting my hair done, watching romantic comedies whilst nibbling on some chocolate. I do not believe, however, that this takes away from my passion to promote the often silenced voice of women around the world.
I realise now that although certain things do not affect me on a personal level, I have the opportunity and resources to be the voice for many who have been silenced. I can be the voice not only in terms of issues pertaining to violence and abuse, but issues such as equal pay and women’s ability to succeed not just at baking a cake, but making our way up the ranks in many organisations donning high heels and perfectly manicured nails. I am beginning to realise that it can be done, and I can still enjoy the perks of being a woman and expect men to be chivalrous, but also have a say and make a mark on my way. I can be a feminine feminist.
Copyright SPI. Media Leadership. Blogger Templates created by Deluxe Templates.
SPI Blog by SPI Blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 South Africa License.
SPI Blog by SPI Blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 South Africa License.
