Whether you’re planning to entertain loved ones at home or abandon the nest for some exotic locations, make sure you make your time off count! To help you make the best out of your free time, PushPrint is giving you the gift of amazing gift recommendations, holidaying suggestions, and fun food and alcohol recipes – all in one place, so that you don’t have to waste time looking around.

GREAT & GLAMOROUS GIFTS

Courtesy of ELLE magazine and Stuff magazine

shoX maxi
R249.95 |www.tevo.co.za

Build your beat with the shoX maxi – these battery powered, full bass speakers can be connected to each other using linX technology. The combined result…jaw-dropping party sound. Available in black, silver, white, turquoise and pink at leading retailers or directly from Tevo.

Spitz luxury footwear

As the luminous Coco Chanel said, “Shoes are the ultimate accessory of fashion. They herald your arrival and prolong your departure.” It is this belief that South Africa’s leading luxury footwear emporium, Spitz, continues to uphold. Visit Spitz for premium brands including the likes of Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Chloé, Kurt Geiger and Lacoste.

The iLUV ArtStation Pro
R2 000 | sales@cortechsa.co.za

Dynamic and cinematic sound quality to heighten your Galaxy Tab/iPad/iPhone/iPod experience. Sit back and enjoy rich audio clarity and balance that can only come from Enhanced jAura Sound Technology.

Holiday Skin™ Firming

Protect your skin from dangerous UV rays and opt for Holiday Skin™ Firming from Johnson & Johnson. With its light selftanning agents, it gradually builds an even, natural-looking tan without the streaks. Plus, it firms skin to leave you u looked toned and G tanned and feeling silky soft.

MAGIX Music Maker MX
pxsoftware.co.za

Make music with MAGIX Music Maker MX that will captivate your audience. Thanks to the sound building block principle, useful help videos and endless opportunities, you can develop your own songs and share them with friends. Make innovative sounds and catchy melodies even without prior skills. Your own song is only a few clicks away!

Guess red skinny jeans
R699

In the early 1980’s denim lacked a fashion edge. The Marciano’s saw this as an opportunity to combine their European style with a traditional American fabric. They changed the perception of denim forever by creating a line that was sensuous and innovative. Today, the Guess brand continues to remain timeless. Your Guess summer must-have: red skinny jeans.

E5 Wireless Modem
R1 500 | www.huaweidevice.com

Huawei’s E5 Wireless Modem sets a new standard for mobile internet access. The E5 can create a wireless network anywhere you go, allowing you to access the internet using multiple devices whenever you like.

ELLE sunglasses
www.moscon.co.za

The cosmopolitan, fashion-conscious woman knows how to reflect future trends – by donning a pair of stylish ELLE sunglasses. With their oversized lenses and graded lens colours, ELLE sunglasses are available at leading optometric outlets and selected sunglass boutiques.

The Big Blue Tissot Seastar 1000
R11 450 | www.tissot.ch

Diving equipment has never been so coordinated – both visually and technically. The new Tissot Seastar 1000 in trendy ocean blue merges style and performance without diluting either. It maintains its performance underwater to a pressure of 30 bar, proving that a passion for underwater sports and a preference for a sophisticated Swiss automatic movement are totally compatible buddies.

Philips DCM580 Docking Entertainment System
R2 999 | www.philips.co.za

Enjoy wider, immersive sound with the Philips Docking system DCM580. The tower design supports iPhones/iPods, CDs and USB devices. LivingSound technology distributes sound evenly throughout the room for the optimum listening experience.

RICH & RARE RECIPES

Courtesy of Sunday Times Food Weekly

Candy Floss Dream
Makes 1

Ingredients: 1 10cm x 10cm ball of candyfloss 35ml premium vodka 60ml (4tbsp) cranberry juice Method: Place candyfloss into martini glass. Combine vodka and cranberry juice in a shaker. Add cubed ice and shake. Slowly strain over the candyfloss and watch what happens.

Tandoori Pink Salmon
Serves 4

Ingredients: 30ml (2tbsp) ginger garlic pasteJuice of 2 lemons Salt 4 x 150g salmon portions 5ml (1 tsp) red chilli powder 125ml (1/2 cup) red chilli paste 5ml (1 tsp) garam masala powder 15ml (1 tbsp) mustard oil 250 ml (1 cup) plain yoghurt 5ml (1 tsp) caraway seeds 125ml (1/2 cup) butter for basting 5ml (1 tsp) chat masala Method: Mix the garlic and ginger paste, lemon juice and a little salt and spread all over the salmon. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. Mix together chilli powder, chilli paste, garam masala, mustard oil, yoghurt and caraway seeds, and season with salt. Spread all over the fish. Leave to marinade for 10 minutes. Chargrill the salmon under a pre-heated grill or in a hot-griddle pan, basting with butter. Sprinkle with chat masala and serve with trimmings of your choice.

Spanish Chicken Chorizo Skewers
Serves 6

Ingredients: 600g chicken thigh fillets cut into 2cm pieces 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) 5ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika) Juice of lemon 10 ml (2 tsp) brown sugar 3 chorizo sausages cut into thick rounds 30ml (2 tbsp) brandy plus extra for flaming Method: Combine the chicken and pepper chunks with the oil, garlic, smoked paprika, lemon juice and sugar. Toss to mix and leave for an hour. Toss the chorizo chunks in the brandy, thread the chicken and pepper onto kebab sticks alternating with chorizo chunks. Grill over the coals turning frequently. Just before the kebabs are cooked through, douse with a generous slug of brandy, stand back as the brandy will burst into flames. Remove from coals and serve.

Bloody Mary

Ingredients: 50ml (2 tots) of vodka 125ml (1/2 cup) tomato juice 10ml (2 tsp) lemon juice Worcestershire sauce to taste Salt and pepper to taste Tabasco to taste Method: Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a high-ball glass over ice-cubes and serve with a celery stick

DELIGHTFUL & DARING DESTINATIONS

Turkey

Istanbul is one of the most important tourism spots not only in Turkey but also in the world. There are thousands of hotels and other tourist-oriented industries in the city, catering to both vacationers and visiting professionals. The charm and character of Istanbul lies in its endless variety and jumble of contradictions. It’s fascinating history has bequeathed the city a vivid inheritance of Byzantine ruins, splendid palaces, ancient mosques and churches, hamams (bath-houses) and exotic bazaars. Modern Istanbul exudes trendy bars and nightclubs, western boutiques, office blocks, and elegant suburbs. The call to prayer heralds the start of each day and the city comes to life with over 11 million residents forming a chaotic social and cultural mix of unscrupulous carpet merchants, wealthy shoppers, religiously veiled women and destitute beggars. Joining the noisy throng are over-awed tourists and those capitalising on the tourist trade.

Chile

Chile a great diversity of natural landscapes, from the Mars-like landscapes of the hyperarid Atacama Desert to the glacier-fed fjords of the Chilean Patagonia, passing by the winelands backdropped by the Andes of the Central Valley and the old-growth forests of the Lakes District. Easter Island and Juan Fernández Archipelago, including Robinson Crusoe Island, are also major attractions. Many of the most visited attractions in Chile are protected areas. The extensive Chilean protected areas system includes 32 national parks, 48 natural reserves and 15 natural monuments.

South Korea

The Korean Peninsula is located in North-East Asia. It is bordered by the Amnok River (Yalu River) to the northwest, separating Korea from China, and the Duman River (Tumen River) to the northeast which separates Korea from both China and Russia. The country itself is flanked by the Yellow Sea to its west and the East Sea to the east. There are several notable islands that surround the peninsula including Jejudo, Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Social relations may be grounded in ancient Confucianism but South Korea is most decidedly a forward-thinking country thanks to its hurry-hurry approach to everything, an insatiable appetite for technological advancement and an indomitable can-do attitude. No one knows where the country is headed, but it’s fast-forward all the way. That’s what makes South Korea so exciting and at times unnerving; it’s a country of endless possibilities.

South Africa by train

Shongololo Express provides a very special touring experience for travellers. From a warm welcome and transfer to the train at the start of the journey, to an exciting and varied program of touring, superb breakfasts and dinners on board, and a lounge full of new friends each evening – all these combine to create an unforgettable holiday. The trains travel comfortably and securely during the night to the next stop on the itinerary and you awake each morning to a fresh vista on Africa and the anticipation of new and exciting adventures. In this way Shongololo guests can make the most of every precious holiday hour. See www.Shongololo.com for details.

The full-colour advert, placed in the Careers section of the Sunday Times, was made up of very little copy (which included company name and advertised position) and a hash tag. The idea behind the campaign was to entice relevant candidates to take a photo of the tag via smartphone, which would route them to Deloitte’s website via their phone browser.

The large number of readers who interacted with the advert, a total of 344, illustrate its success. “Monitoring the amount of responses received is very beneficial to the company recruiting,” says Brand. “But there are many more benefits besides.”

Brand says that the ad was also very economical. “Deloitte’s investment was a 36ccm (12cm x 3 coloumns) ad, and it was used to route potential candidates to the website, and the hash tag worked as a ‘filter’ discouraging lesser-qualified respondents.

“Although recruitment advertising can be expensive,” he says. “It is more costly to have an advertisement that lacks the necessary innovation to successfully motivate a response from your target.” So, how is this achieved?

According to Paul, the key question a company should ask itself when conceptualising the advert is, “What can we offer the ideal candidate above what their current position satisfies?” This answer will form the basis the advert’s message. Once this is determined, innovation is required to make the necessary impact.

“Innovation is important. With innovation comes colour, illustrations and smart copy,” Paul advises.

Paper to pixel

Paul firmly believes in newspaper’s ability to attract the attention of top-class talent, however, there is an increasing trend to gather information from online sources. “There is certainly a large volume of job portals online, all carrying sizeable numbers of recruitment ads,” he says. “But the new trend will be niche recruitment advertising. This concept enables you to reach out to high-calibre candidates that are not actively seeking job opportunities – without them actually knowing you’re targeting them.”

Recruitment ads are increasingly pointing potential candidates to websites. “Incorporating online with print reduces cost and these kinds of adverts should not be viewed as extra spend,” Paul says. “In fact, it should be the first port of call when a vacancy needs to be filled. Typically, HR resort to recruitment advertising only once all other channels have been exhausted,” he points out.

And if a job advertisement hasn’t worked, don’t just try a different medium or a bigger ad, Paul continues. “You need to re-visit the ad because clearly, you have done something wrong. An ad doesn’t have to be big or clever to motivate.”

Rather than using the cheaper medium, Paul suggests using the ‘right’ medium. “Eventually you will have to go there anyway” he concludes.

The verbal acknowledgment of others (52%) and the encouragement of skills and knowledge sharing (48%) were voted second and third most important factors. Positively sharing in colleagues’ successes was nominated by 36% of respondents.

Therese Meyer, commercial director of Regus Africa and Middle East, noted, “Aside from salary increases and material bonuses, simple steps like showing respect for all staff, making a point of congratulating staff on good work and helping colleagues develop by encouraging skills and knowledge sharing contribute to creating a more human and wholesome environment that staff are not easily tempted to abandon.”

For keeping your employees happy over the long term, Anna Malczyk, member of the academic department of GetSmarter, a specialist online training firm, shares a few basic principles:

Make it fun
People spend most of their waking time at work, so invest in making your company a place where your employees want to be. This could entail anything from planning “family days” and inter-departmental competitions, to simply providing a basketball hoop or a pool table for the staff common areas.
Some companies allocate a “fun budget” to each team to use as they decide – a team dinner, an afternoon playing paintball, or a day at the spa. There are many options that provide a chance both to relax, and to create stronger team bonds.

Show them they are appreciated
Everybody wants to know they are valued. Showing appreciation for your employees’ efforts may be your most significant step towards improving job satisfaction. Make an effort to publicly acknowledge excellent work – perhaps in a staff meeting or company newsletter.
Appreciation is not only about work – employees need to be valued as individuals too. Take time to get to know your staff and to find out what is happening in their lives. Celebrate staff birthdays and other milestones. Make them feel that they belong and are valued for who they are, not just the work they do.

Encourage good relationships between management and staff
An employee’s relationship with their immediate boss is the most important workplace relationship. Feeling that their manager cares is the greatest indicator for whether an employee will stick with the company.
A good manager will be willing to take action on behalf of employees. If an employee comes to them with a concern, they should listen attentively and then take steps to improve the situation.
Managers also need to give their staff sufficient feedback. Even employees who are doing well need to hear how their managers feel about their work.

Be flexible
Increasingly, companies are creating flexi-time options for their workers. Single-parent households are more common and businesses are realising that some people simply cannot work during traditional hours. Allowing staff to use their most productive times means the work gets done, and also makes the company more attractive to employees than conventional companies.
Sometimes staff may be able to do their work from home as effectively as at the office. In these cases, allowing this option not only makes employees happy, but has the added benefit of saving the company rental and maintenance costs, as less office space is needed.

Hire well
One of the most important factors in making sure employees will stick around, is hiring the right people in the first place. When interviewing, look not only for people with the right qualifications and competencies, but also the right personalities. Just as not everyone would be happy in a formal, 9-5 environment, not everyone is comfortable with team-building games or casual Fridays. Don’t waste time or money hiring and training someone who won’t suit your company culture. Rather wait for that person who will not only do the job well, but who will become a part of your work family.

Echoing the ceremony’s theme – Retailers on Display – Shine Studios was transformed into a virtual retail experience, which included live mannequins, bold splashes of colour, shop front window displays and even custom-made merchandise designed for the event.

Overseeing the ceremony, Enver Groenewald, general manager of Advertising Revenue and Strategic Communications at Avusa Media, presented awards to big-name brands in categories representing the length and breadth of South African retail outlets, including those in Household Appliances, Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, Furniture, Telecoms, Jewellery, Wholesalers and Sit-Down Family Restaurants, to name only a few of the 20 categories awarded on the evening.

The annual survey, commissioned by Avusa Media and conducted by TNS Research Surveys, showcases results compiled from around 4 000 responses by local respondents and reveals which brands score the highest in the categories:

-       Brand familiarity

-       User brand experience and/or non-user brand perception

-       Brand presence and/or size

The coveted Grand Prix Award for Top Retailer in South Africa was awarded to Shoprite, the 2010 winner of the same award and a brand that has consistently landed itself within the top three in this category: a testament to the brand’s innovative brand campaigns.

Shoprite scooped one more award for Supermarket and Hypermarket of the year after rating very high with regards to overall customer experience. Simply put, the brand with the slogan lower prices you can trust, always remains ever-conscious of the economic strains faced by South African consumers and is passionate about delivering quality fast moving consumer goods as well as customer experience and remaining loyal to its customers, and it shows.

“Consumers are beginning to emerge from the effects of the recession looking at a more active shopping consideration set,” adds Neil Higgs, senior advisor and head of innovation at TNS Research Surveys. “The recession itself may have made people more enquiring and willing to try different outlets in search of best prices as well as better selections, and has acted as a mass disruption event for many people, shaking their previous habits.”

Game took home the top Household Appliances award, Makro was once again rewarded with the Wholesalers of the Year award; and Woolworths took the top Home Accessories and Décor award; scoring very high in terms of non-user brand perception and was cited by respondents as a highly aspirational brand. In the same category, Boardmans took second place, followed by a tie third place win for Edgars and Mr Price Home.

One of the most hotly contested categories, the Telecoms Stores award went to MTN Store, thereafter Nokia Care and Vodashop.

Holding on to its first place position, which it had held for three consecutive years, Clicks was followed by Dischem in second and Red Square in third place in the Health and Beauty category.

No retail awards ceremony would be complete without honours being bestowed on the top names that ensure South Africans are never far behind the latest local and international fashion trends. Woolworths repeated its 2009 win, taking an award for top Women’s Clothing, with Edgars and Truworths taking second and third place respectively.

The Men’s Clothing award went to Edgars, followed by Woolworths in second and Truworths in third place.

In the Shoes category, Spitz was awarded first prize, and Totalsports took podium position in the Sport Apparel and Equipment category.

Adding to their awards, Woolworths also took top honours for Children’s and Baby’s Clothing as well as placing third in the Retail Grand Prix award category.

“Retailers are not only the backbone of our consumer-driven society but are also the source of countless jobs in our economy,” says Natalie Stephan, Head of Trade Marketing and CRM, Avusa Media. “A ceremony such as the 2011 The Times Sowetan Retail Awards offers Avusa Media with the perfect opportunity to honour the brands that are a part of all our lives in one way or another. It’s most importantly an evening of celebration: for winners and nominees alike.”

The full list of results and winning brands (listed in order of first, second and third place):

-       Household Appliances

• Game
• Hi-Fi Corporation
• Clicks

-       Home Accessories and Décor

• Woolworths
• Boardmans
• Edgars and Mr Price Home (tie for third place)

-       Supermarket and Hypermarket

• Shoprite
• Pick n Pay (Supermarket/Hypermarket/Family Store)
• Spar/KwikSpar/Super Spar

-       Wholesaler

• Makro
• Trade Centre
• Rhino Cash & Carry

-       Liquor

• Tops at Spar
• Trade Centre Liquor
• Makro Liquor

-       Family Sit-Down Restaurant

• Spur
• Wimpy
• News Café

-       Furniture

• Geen & Richards
• Morkels
• House & Home

-       Jewellery

• Sterns
• American Swiss
• Galaxy & Co.

-       Electronic, Computer and Gadget Category

• Game
• Makro
• Hi-Fi Corporation

-       Tyre and Auto Fitment Centres

• Tiger Wheel and Tyre
• Dunlop Accredited Dealers
• Conti Partner

-       Entertainment Category

• Musica
• Game
• Makro

-       Hardware and Building

• Cashbuild
• Builders Warehouse
• Build It

-       Telecoms

• MTN Store
• Nokia Care
• Vodashop

-       Health and Beauty

• Clicks/Clicks Plus
• Dischem
• Red Square

-       Sport Apparel and Equipment

• Totalsports
• Nike Store
• Reebok Store

-       Shoes

• Spitz
• Green Cross
• Nine West

-       Children’s and Baby’s Clothing

• Woolworths
• Edgars
• Ackermans

-       Men’s Clothing

• Edgars
• Woolworths
• Truworths

-       Women’s Clothing

• Woolworths
• Edgars
• Truworths

-       Gauteng Shopping Mall

• Maponya Mall
• Eastgate Shopping Centre
• Sandton City

-       Retail Grand Prix Award

• Shoprite
• Pick n Pay
• Woolworths

The relatively recent introduction to the market of “bulk-buying” discount coupons has brought into focus just how easy it is to win new customers. Whether through Groupon, Collective Cow, or a myriad other group discounting initiatives, people will flock toward a good deal.

The issue top brands have tackled, is how to keep those customers coming back.

A loyal customer base is a prerequisite to a successful business. Of course, new customers can be attracted if you are prepared to sell your products and services at cost, but the model is hardly sustainable.

Maintaining customers appears to be simple if you follow the basic rules – communicate; reward loyalty through specials and personal touches; and offer exceptional service. Why then, do some brands build passionate evangelists, while others have a fickle following at best?

An Apple a day…

Steve Jobs, on his return to Apple in 1997, resumed the command of a company in decay. Today, Apple is the most highly-valued technology company worldwide. Jobs did not attribute the organisation’s success to his leadership-style, but rather to an intensive focus on producing fewer products, better. “That’s been one of my mantras,” he said, “focus and simplicity.”

Knowing your own organisation – its strengths and weaknesses – is as important as knowing your consumer. Remaining focused on what it is you do best reduces the chances of the “over promise and under-deliver” death trap.

Apple has both converted, and created, markets. The organisation taps into its consumers wants, more than it does their needs. The company’s understanding of where its consumers are, and where they will be, has set it apart from competitors. For Jobs, it was about anticipation: “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

Apple has, in a relatively short space of time, managed to proselytise a massive market – and most of them would never turn back.

Leadership

Richard Branson maintains creating loyalty is about nothing less than service. For that, he holds leadership wholly accountable. “Good customer service begins at the top,” he says in his blog. “I have always believed that the way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers, and that people flourish if they’re praised.”

Branson says that by creating a brand that the staff take pride in, they will fight to keep it from being tarnished – and go beyond what is expected of them to create a good customer experience. “At Virgin we try to create something that everyone who works here is really proud of,” he says.

No amount of training will prepare staff for every eventuality when dealing with customers – complaint handling being one of the most sensitive. Often, disgruntled customers who have had their complaint handled in an exceptional way, will become a brand’s greatest advocate.

Companies intent on cost-saving, sometimes don’t realise that when it comes to customer retention, penny-wise is pound-foolish.

Companies that differentiate themselves:

1. Communicate – without trying to sell at every opportunity. If customers understand the company ethos, and know about developments and key updates, they feel more like “stakeholders” than cash cows.
2. Reward staff – for taking initiative. Staff that knows good customer service will be rewarded, even when it might be outside of the rulebook, will be far more willing to go the distance to ensure a favourable outcome.
3. Building brand loyalty can come at a cost – but the dividends cover it. Disgruntled customers are highly likely to tell of their experiences. Similarly, no amount of advertising will be as valuable as a personal endorsement.
4. Focus and simplicity – do what you do best, and do it better. Cutting a product or service line, as is evident by Apple’s success, can build a brand’s reputation as a market-leader.

It’s true – customers are easily swept off their feet via the sweet seduction of special offers, the temptation of realisable rewards, and the drawing power of the discounted savings’ siren song.

But keep in mind, a quick sales win is a humble achievement compared to successful customer retention. Attaining loyalty and support depends on more than simply promising customers more bang for their buck.

A 2010 study by Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business that finds that one-third of businesses don’t make money from Groupon promotions, and that consumers using Groupon don’t make return visits, spend as much money or provide the same level of tips as the broader customer base.

Besides this business model being wholly unsustainable, the seemingly “too good to be true” offers often end up being just that. It has recently been found that Groupon may have reported a higher revenue than what it should have. According to the Wall Street Journal, the SEC analysis forced Groupon’s to restate its 2010 revenue of $713.4-million as $312.9-million.

According to Trevor Shanski, founder of eWORDofMOUTH, weighing a discount sale service’s impact on both current and newly acquired customers is critical. Companies considering flash bulk-buying avenues need ensure they’re not damaging existing customer relationships.

He says, “Any business using or considering a service like Groupon, needs to ensure existing customer loyalty, goodwill and retention does not suffer.” In light of this, he provides a few points of consideration:

1. Create early warning system for existing customers
While a business never wants to take an action that will cause consumers to delay purchases, providing the existing customer base with a head’s up via a dedicated communications channel such as e-mail can earn considerable goodwill. By doing so, current customers can wait for the deal and feel they are being rewarded for being a loyal customer.
2. Ensure business can handle flood of new customers
While your business blissfully watches the proverbial cash register ka-ching over and over again as new discount customers flock to your business or Web site, it is important to not overlook existing customers who may encounter a less than stellar purchasing experience.
3. Consider Groupon for new products and services
Offering the discount on a newer product or service rather than discounting an existing one, it is less likely to alienate existing customers and can even serve as a viral marketing tool for a new launch.
4. Strategically time the discount
Customer loyalty and goodwill can be severely damaged if a Groupon deal is offered during a period immediately after this heavy buying period. Discounts can be more prudently used during periods when sales are seasonally sluggish, or conversely, periods of more intense competition as a way to capture new customers from competitors.

People in creative industries understand better than most how debilitating stress can be to the creative process. Maintaining a balance between the two is an essential part of job success and reputation in creative roles.

However, it seems this balance is becoming more and more difficult to achieve – and increasingly so. But why is stress winning the war, and what can be done to strengthen the creative side?

There are many contributing stress factors that corporates currently have to deal with. Since the recession, financial pressures have dramatically increased – both on a personal and corporate level. People are now working longer hours at a faster pace without financial compensation.

A recent study done in the US and Canada highlights this increase in workplace stress to be a “growing health hazard” – on a physical, mental and emotional level.

Conducted by Concordia University economists, and published in BMC Public Health, the study has found that the number of visits to health care professionals is up to 26% for Canadian workers in high-stress jobs.

In the US, recent polls found that 70% of American workers consider their workplace a significant source of stress, and 51% report job stress to be hindrance on productivity.

Co-author of the study, Mesbah Sharaf, says that it is estimated that health care utilisation induced by stress costs US companies $68 billion annually and reduces their profits by as much as 10%.

Furthermore, according to an Aviva Health study, one in three workers now skip lunch breaks as job demands increase, opting instead to eat at their desks. Thirteen percent are being driven to skip meals during work hours altogether.

These factors do not only affect health and efficiency, but overall staff morale and the capacity for creative thinking.

Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t end there – or rather, doesn’t start there. Creativity-limiting factors extend beyond the workplace and the repercussions are wider-reaching than one might think.

A report by Kyung Hee Kim, published last year, shows that since 1990, children have become less able to produce unique and unusual ideas, are less imaginative and not as capable to elaborate on ideas. Kids are also losing their sense of humour, it found.

The study analysed about 300 000 US-based creativity tests going back to the 1970s to reach its conclusions.

Not all is lost – but act now

Although many experts blame modern society for the suppression of creativity, they believe the situation can be salvaged. After all, creativity is innate, so it can’t really be lost. But it needs to be nurtured, they say.

Kids nurture their creativity abilities when they “pretend” through elements of insight, fantasy and emotional expression, says Sandra Russ, a psychologist at Case Western University. But nowadays, with kids’ overbooked schedules, there is less time for pretend play, she points out.

Ironically, the exact reasons that are killing creativity are the ones demanding increased levels of creative reasoning.

IBM’s last Global CEO Study cites creativity as the number one leadership competency going forward. The study attributes this fact to increasing uncertainty and complexity in the today’s society. The future has become a lot less predictable, it explains,  and CEOs believe that creative geniuses will have the greatest levels of success. This new kind of creative leader will be capable of tweaking systems to come up with new answers on how you run, organise, and develop the business. To succeed, it says, they will have to take more calculated risks, find new ideas, and keep innovating in how they lead and communicate.

With 79% of CEOs anticipating even greater complexity ahead, there should be no doubt as to the importance of creativity in the workplace – and no excuses why crashing creativity-levels shouldn’t be immediately addressed.

Keeping creativity levels high and stress levels low not only benefits work performance, but increases quality of living in general. There are several techniques you can use to achieve optimum balance and help you stay ahead of the game.

Creativity booster ideas

1. Psychological distance

People often recommend physical separation from creative impasses by taking a break, but psychological distance can be just as useful.

2. Fast forward in time

Like psychological distance, chronological distance can also boost creativity. Thinking about distance in both time and space seems to cue the mind to think abstractly and consequently more creatively.

3. Absurdist stimulation

The mind is desperate to make meaning from experience. The more absurdity it experiences, the harder it has to work to find meaning.

4. Use bad moods

Positive emotional states increase both problem solving and flexible thinking, and are generally thought to be more conducive to creativity. But negative emotions also have the power to boost creativity.

5. Combining opposites

Called ‘Janusian thinking’ after the many-faced Roman god Janus, it involves conceiving of multiple simultaneous opposites. Integrative ideas emerge from juxtapositions, which are usually not obvious in the final product, theory or artwork.

Physicist Niels Bohr may have used Janusian thinking to conceive the principle of complementarity in quantum theory (that light can be analysed as either a wave or a particle, but never simultaneously as both).

6. Path of most resistance

When people try to be creative they usually take the path of least resistance by building on existing ideas . This isn’t a problem, as long as you don’t mind variations on a theme. If you want something more novel, however, it can be limiting to scaffold your own attempts on what already exists. The path of most resistance can lead to more creative solutions.

7. Re-conceptualisation

People often jump to answers too quickly before they’ve really thought about the question. Research suggests that spending time re-conceptualising the problem is beneficial.

Source: PsyBlog

How to effectively manage stress

1. Avoid unnecessary stress

Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

2. Alter the situation

If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.

3. Adapt to the stressor

If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

4. Adjusting your attitude

How you think can have a profound effect on your emotional and physical well-being. Each time you think a negative thought about yourself, your body reacts as if it were in the throes of a tension-filled situation. If you see good things about yourself, you are more likely to feel good; the reverse is also true.

5. Accept the things you can’t change

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change.

6. Make time for fun and relaxation

Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to

Source: Helpguide.org

The glamorous event – hosted by comedian extraordinaire Dave Levinsohn – was jam-packed full of fun photo shoots, live musical performances, tasty portable dining and an overall sense of joyous celebration was palpable amongst this year’s winning brands.

The cream of South Africa’s advertising, marketing and brand-savvy elite were also in attendance, and it goes without saying that all were bowled-over at the announcement of this year’s Sunday Times Top Brands Overall Favourite Brand Grand Prix winner: KOO. Overtaking youth-targeted brands Coca-Cola, first runner up, and KFC, second runner up; the household, canned foods brand jumped from second overall in 2010 to take top honours and confirming their status as a well-loved and respected household brand across the country.

Interesting to note is that this year’s top three Grand Prix contenders have been vying for top spot for the past two consecutive years – proof of their marketing and advertising prowess as well as staying power amongst consumers.

Although only taking second place in the Overall Favourite Brand Grand Prix category, Coca-Cola took home first prizes for the brand that has done the most for community upliftment as well as being voted South Africa’s favourite soft drink in the Consumer section.

Other favourites in the Consumer categories saw Cadbury, Absa, Coca-Cola, MTN, Shoprite and KFC amongst others given the nod by its consumer-based-buying-force.

Environmentally conscious Pick n Pay took first place as the brand that has done the most to promote ‘green’ awareness, closely followed by Woolworths and Nedbank: both ‘green’ stalwarts.

In the Business categories, top honours went to cell phone BlackBerry, domestic airline British Airways, telecoms service provider Vodacom, and short term insurance provider Santam. On the other side of the spectrum, the Consumer categories saw the brands Nokia, South African Airways, MTN and OUTsurance out-strip its competition in those respective categories.

The prominent Robyn Putter Advertising Agency of the Year Award, now in its second year, recognises the country’s most prolific advertising agency during the course of the year. The 2011 award has been bestowed on full-service advertising and communications agency Ogilvy, which is part of Ogilvy&Mather: one of the top marketing communications agencies in the world.

Open to industry and peer voting, the coveted 2011 Sunday Times Top Brands Marketing Personality of the Year Award, which identifies the strong individuals behind some of South Africa’s leading brands, has this year been awarded to Enzo Scarcella from Vodacom.

“The Sunday Times is proud to recognise the brands and the people behind the brand names that we as South Africans all love and use in our everyday lives,” says Natalie Stephan, Head of Trade, Marketing and CRM, Avusa Media.

2011 Sunday Times Top Brands – Grand Prix Winners

2011 Sunday Times Top Brands – Consumer Categories

2011 Sunday Times Top Brands – Business Categories

That companies can no longer ignore social media platforms for brand building success has been reiterated ad infinitum by marketing and branding experts for a good few years now. The message is clear, and by now everyone gets that resistance is futile. What’s more, companies needn’t feel overwhelmed about planning their online branding strategy – the industry is providing more than enough resources to make brand building via social media a breeze.

A quick search on Google for keywords “how to use social media for brands” returned in excess of 260 million recent and highly relevant results.

Yet, despite understanding what needs to be done social media-wise, how best to do it (thanks to millions of online resources) and the perils of falling behind in branding trends, many companies still seem reluctant and unmotivated to successfully implement their online branding strategies. Why?

Well, why seems to be the answer. What the industry is failing to communicate adequately to business is why social media is such an effective means of building and maintaining brand loyalty. With only negative motivators and minimal understanding of the resulting benefits, is it any surprise businesses have contempt for the online social realm?

A quick search on Google for keywords “why use social media for brands” returned only 170 million results, and ironically none of the first page results addressed the ‘why’ at all. The following results were returned:

• Brands Must Use Social Media Strategically | Social Media Today
• Chris Kirubi is right; Coke and others need to figure out how to use social media channels to further the brand strategy. …
• Four Ways Brands Can Use Social Media in New Product Launches

When it comes to the launch of new products…

• Presenting: 10 of the Smartest Big Brands in Social Media
• Let’s take a look at 10 companies that have done a phenomenal job of taking advantage of social media platforms. News for why use social media for brands
• How big brands use social media (and you can too) | Facebook
• How Big Brands Use Social Media
• Media has impacted nearly every aspect of business from research to marketing to sales to customer service to recruitment.
• MC Hammer on how brands use social media to build communities…
• The challenge of convincing brands to use social media.
• 9 Reasons Your Company Should Use Brand Advocates – Social Media Examiner
• How to engage advocates for your business and what a brand advocacy program can do to extend the reach of your business.
• Ten of the biggest Fashion brands use social media effectively

Fashion is an area that works especially well with social media and our in house fashion expert Rebecca looks at 10 fashion brands using …

Hardly encouraging.

It is essential for brand and marketing professionals to spend time deliberating on the reasons – the positive reasons – behind why social media is such a powerful brand building tool. If more time and attention (and Google results) were focused on the ‘whys’ and not just the warnings and ‘how to’s’, then businesses would become less apprehensive about online brand building and less aggressive about the short-term return on investment.