And the winner is…

Posted on 27. Aug, 2010 by Graham in Headlines and Opinions

The expanded Sunday Times Top Brands Awards, held at the spectacular Scarlet Ribbon venue on August 26, turned out to be a truly iconic event this year. The theme for the awards in the proudly South African year of 2010 was fittingly ‘what a year, what a country, what a brand’. And tying into the theme what an occasion the awards turned out to be! Sunday Times again commissioned TNS Research Surveys to conduct the Top Brands survey, which captured how the spirit of this landmark year saw iconic brands and brand builders that made SA feel proud come out tops. TNS spoke to 3 500 consumers in South Africa, in both metro and non-metro areas of the country. In a separate survey, they interviewed 400 business leaders with regard to categories pertinent to business needs and services.

Leading business and marketing personalities together with memorable South African celebrities such as radio personality Jeremy Mansfield, Edith Venter and Olympian swimmer Roland Schoeman discovered the brands and personalities that shaped the phenomenal year of 2010. Entertainment was provided by one of SA’s most prolific Afrikaans rappers, Jack Parow, there were video interruptions from ZA News’ Jacob Zuma, Bheki Cele, Julius Malema and Helen Zille and a tongue-in-cheek photographic exhibition by Justin Dingwall of South African brands, using front covers and headline posters of the Sunday Times.

Two significant new grand prix awards that have added further prominence to the well-established event, saw very influential brand builders recognised for the first time for their contribution to this incredible year. MTN Chief Marketing Officer, Serame Taukobong, who was responsible for the hugely popular and catchy Ayoba campaign, was unsurprisingly honoured as the first Sunday Times Top Brands Marketing Personality of the Year.

In second place was Zayd Abrahams, head of marketing for sparkling beverages at The Coca-Cola Company. Tied in third place was Pieter Klerk, senior manager: planning and advertising of Toyota South Africa and Enzo Scarcella, Vodacom’s managing executive: marketing. These winners were chosen based on receiving the most nominations from the marketing and advertising industry.

The other new category that acknowledged iconic brand builders this year was the Robyn Putter Top Brand Agency of the Year. Sunday Times decided to dedicate and name the award after legendary creative advertising leader, Putter, who sadly passed away this year. The former Ogilvy South Africa CEO and Ogilvy Worldwide Board Director, built Ogilvy into the biggest agency in South Africa and one of the most creative agencies in the Ogilvy network. He won over 230 international creative awards in his career. This momentous award went to Ogilvy Johannesburg that received the most points for its clients that won first, second and third place for the Top Brand survey. This adds yet another accolade to the agency that has dominated industry awards this year and focuses on liberating brands with top clients such as KFC, Cadbury and Unilever. DraftFCB came in second place for points scored with TBWA Hunt Lascaris in third place.

The other grand prix awards announced on the night were for the overall favourite brand, the brand that has done the most to uplift the community and the brand that has done the most to promote ‘green’ or ‘environmentally friendly’. This year, the grand prix of all grand prixs goes to Coca-Cola, a re-award from last year. Second place goes to Koo, which has moved up the ranks from third place, while KFC comes in strongly in third place.

The spontaneous response from people in metropolitan South Africa saw Coca-Cola step up to first place for the brand that has done the most to upift the community, moving Pick ‘n Pay down two places to third position with Vodacom in second position (up from third last year). For the brand that has promoted being environmentally friendly the most, the top three finishers from last year took to the podium again. Pick ‘n Pay won, followed by Woolworths in second place and Nedbank in third.

The trend of South African consumers and the marketing industry recognising brands and builders that made us feel proudly South African, in the year that the country hosted one of the biggest sporting events in the world, also came through in the other categories. This was shown strongly in the new essential foods, tinned food, household cleaning and laundry care categories with well-known South African brand names coming out tops.

Other results from the business-to-consumer survey saw that respondents were more susceptible to the ‘recession regression’ but strong brands remained strong and sometimes even stronger, where people tended to turn and return to brands they know and love in tough times. The business-to-business survey results remained stable in comparison with last year’s results, with this sector showing ‘recession resilience’.

For all the results please see tables below.

[CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT]

More social shots can be seen at www.face-box.co.za.

SUNDAY TIMES TOP BRANDS 2010 WINNERS’ LIST

*New category this year.

Giving it up for Nelson and Charlize

Posted on 27. Aug, 2010 by Graham in Headlines and Opinions

It is amazing to see the flags still flying on cars and houses a month after the FIFA World Cup. My mirror sock – singular, the other has gone, no doubt the wind took it – is pretty faded, I must admit, but there it will remain come rain or shine, until it is no more. For now, it is a colourful reminder of that glorious month when we basked in the rays of our own national pride. Oh, how I long for the heady days of vuvuzelas, gogolos and makarapas. What a month! And the crime? What crime? The 2010 World Cup courts that were set up dealt swiftly with transgressors and South Africans behaved themselves in front of the visitors – some of the visitors were another story! But hey, we’re talking about good things here.

The fever is leaving us slowly, but there is no end to people who want to shake off the negative past and move into the light. Graham Wood of Southern Sun International attributes the quick change in perceptions of foreign visitors to South Africa to the infrastructure development that took place before the world cup – the airports, transport and roads showed we can hold our own with the best in the world. But the people of South Africa were the biggest asset, Wood says, as he recounts the warmth Southern Suns’ guests found so phenomenal, and the tears shed by a group of Brazilians when they bade farewell to the staff at a Cape Town hotel.

These are the nameless faces who promote this country in the way that Wood describes, but there are also many who are our icons, our human brands. And I am sure the first person who comes to everyone’s mind is Nelson Mandela: father of the nation, prisoner, husband, freedom fighter, son, negotiator, brother, statesman, grandfather.  The man who founded the military wing of the ANC, umKhonto we Sizwe, was at the forefront of freeing this nation from the shackles of slavery and won a Noble Peace prize. Friends and former foes speak with equal pride of one of this country’s greatest.

Then there’s Charlize Theron, who won us an Oscar, and is a famous star in Hollywood. Of course she has done her bit in promoting South Africa. Remember that speech? “I am just a girl from a small farm in South Africa.” Benoni, a small farm? Well, if you did not know it, she confirmed it! And then there was her appearance at the 2010 World Cup. By the way, I checked the origin of her name, and yes, she was named after her father, Charles Theron, but no, it is not one of those names that South Africans are so fond of making up – daughter: Craigalene, father: Craig; daughter: Garthella, father: Garth and mother: Stella; and so on. There really is a name, Charlize, of Germanic origin, and it is feminine for Charles and pronounced CH as in Charle-eze.

Hugh Masekela, the musician who made it big in the US, formed the first African jazz group in South Africa in 1959 – the Jazz Epistles – with Dollar Brand, Johnny Gertze, Kippie Mokoetsi and Makhaya Ntshoko. Masekela is just one of several South African artists who left the country and who made their mark for South Africa. Dollar (aka Abdullah Ibrahim), Miriam Makeba, Letta Mbulu, Jonas Gwangwa, to name but a few, all hit the high road and went abroad because of apartheid.

We are reminded of our own achievements again in woman’s month, August, as Brand South Africa honours women such as Dulcie September, anti-apartheid activist who was assassinated by unknown assailants in Paris; Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophie de Bruyn who marched to the Union buildings in Pretoria to protest the pass laws and laid the foundations for the emancipation of women in South African. Today South Africa boasts one of the highest representations of women in national parliament in the world – about 44% in the Lower or Single House and about 29% in the Upper House or Senate. How! Does this mean we beat the US, that grand old defender of democracy and freedom? Yeah!  Okay, enough bragging and back to the women who gave us our freedom. William Kentridge says of his drive to draw, to be an artist: “It’s the inner urge or inner need to be making something that gets the activity beginning.”¹ It is without doubt their inner urge and need which drove these mothers, wives, lovers, friends to take on the South African state.

Speaking of Kentridge, his work has been a comment on the political realities of apartheid South Africa and it continues to reflect the social milieu of this country. He is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s greatest artists.

And they are all proudly South African.

Did you know – South African ‘Human Brands’ trivia

Posted on 27. Aug, 2010 by Graham in Did you Know

Riaan Cruywagen

Riaan Cruywagen of the “how old is he really?” fame was born on October 5, 1945 which makes him 65!

The perennially “youthful” Cruywagen was one of SABC’s longest serving employees having started as a newsreader and voice artist since its first broadcasts in 1975.

In June 2003, following an outcry over reports that Cruywagen’s contract with the SABC would not be renewed, the band “Zinkplaat” recorded a song titled “Waar is Riaan?” referring to the presenter’s absence from the news team. It also led to e-mail and internet jokes originally referring to Chuck Norris and David Hasselhoff and other jokes in a similar vein were also circulated, mostly related to his perennially youthful appearance and intellectual prowess.

Cruywagen was also the voice artist for the character “Haas Das“ on the popular Afrikaans children’s news

program- Haas Das se Nuuskas“ in 1976 and voiced numerous characters in “Liewe Heksie”

Ruda Landman After matric Ruda Landman entered the Civil Defense College in George, where she undertook voluntary military service for a year in one of the first women’s army camps in South Africa. Before joining Carte Blanche and becoming one of SA’s best known investigative reporters, she worked as an arts and entertainment journalist from 1977 to 1985 for Die Burger and Sarie.
Hugh Masekela Hugh Masekela was given his first trumpet in 1954 by Archbishop Trevor Huddleston and later played in the Huddleston Jazz Band, led by the famous anti-apartheid crusader. In 1968 Masekela became one of the first African artists to find success in America’s pop music world when his song “Grazing in the Grass” topped Billboard’s single’s chart for two weeks. His sister Barbara Masekela who was part of the ANC’s National Executive Committee in 1991; was later appointed official Ambassador to UNESCO in 1995 and Ambassador to France in 1995.
Naas Botha His full name is Hendrik Egnatius Botha. Naas Botha is the only rugby player to have a rose named after him called the Rosa Naas Botha. Nicknamed “Nasty Booter” by the British press, this South African rugby player was the highest points scorer in springbok rugby history, until July 2004
Johnny Clegg At the height of the band’s success in 1988, Michael Jackson had to cancel his show in Lyon, France, as he attracted a smaller audience than Johnny Clegg and Savuka. A newspaper headline in France read “white man singing black music out sells black man singing white music.” Clegg was born in Lancashire an English father and Rhodesian mother. He had a secular Jewish upbringing living in the UK, Israel, Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe), Zambia, and then South Africa. His love of Zulu street music led to his participation in traditional Zulu dance competitions and the study of anthropology, a subject which he also taught for a while at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg,
Lucas Radebe In 1991 Radebe was shot while walking down the street. The motive for the shooting never became clear, but Radebe himself believes that someone had been hired to shoot him in order to prevent him from moving to another club. Radebe born in Diepkloof Soweto is one of eleven children. He became a star player for Leeds United and was nicknamed “The Chief” by its fans. He was also given the freedom of the city by Leeds. According to a poll of 1000 Leeds United supporters – Radebe was ranked 3rd as the greatest Leeds player ever after Eric Cantona 1st and Billy Bremner 2nd. The rock band Kaiser Chiefs originally formed in 1997, under the name ‘Parva’ changed their name to The Kaiser Chiefs in 2003. Several members of the band are huge Leeds United football club fans, and renamed the band after Captain Lucas Radebe’s South African team.
Miriam Makeba Miriam Makeba ‘s mother, a domestic worker, was imprisoned for six months for illegally brewing beer to help make ends meet, and Miriam went to prison with her as she was just 18 days old. She was the first black musician to leave South Africa on account of apartheid, and over the years many others would follow her. In 1963, she testified about apartheid at the United Nations and her South African citizenship was taken away from her. In 1966, she won a Grammy award for An Evening with Harry Belafonte in 1965. She was also the first black woman to have a Top-Ten worldwide hit with Pata Pata in 1967 Probably her most famous song, Qogothwane (The “Click” Song) was also recorded in the US. The city of Berkeley proclaimed the 16 June to be Miriam Makeba Day and she received a number of honorary degrees and decorations including the Presidential Award bestowed on her by Nelson Mandela in 1991.

Sunday Times Top Brands 2010 Gallery

Posted on 27. Aug, 2010 by Graham in Galleries

More social shots can be seen at www.face-box.co.za.

To view more photographs of the event, click here

When Celebrities do it, they do it well

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Graham in Headlines and Opinions

I just could not miss an opportunity to mention the World Cup again. I know my brief said talk about celebrities, but I can’t do that unless I bring in the World Cup and say how brilliant South Africa was, particularly the police in PE. Ah, celebrities!  They have it all – the money, the bling, the fans, the cars, living the life O’ Riley – or do they? Are they miserable with all that money? Why the drugs, the constant rehab and even jail terms? Between you and me, I don’t think they know the meaning of the word unhappy. They can buy friends, and very nice ones at that; obliging souls who would do almost anything for them. And they can buy a whole cause when the rest of us can only afford to take up pottery. How do they do it? Money!

Okay, it’s not as easy as that. You have to make your money grow no matter how much you have, or living that kind of lifestyle will soon see it all depleted. Ask Will Smith, he could tell you a story about spending freely and nearly losing it all. Smith started out as part of a rap group trio, which won the first ever Grammy for in the Rap category in 1988. But the spendthrift soon lost all his money and was saved from bankruptcy when in 1990 NBC launched his acting career with the very successful Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Smith was consistently listed as one of the 40 richest under-40s in Fortune magazine. Aside from acting and music, Smith makes his money through the film and entertainment industry. But progression in ones industry is perfectly understandable, almost natural as opposed to those who start out as singers, move into acting and then next thing you know, they’re in your favourite magazine holding a perfume bottle that’s named after them.

Good old branding – and not the kind where you singe the hide of a cow with a hot iron. For a long time, celebrities have been endorsing products, giving themselves and the products mileage. Now many of them have their own brands. And they are successful. Why?  Because people want to be like them – wearing Paris Hilton perfume or handbags or sportswear or sunglasses or footwear (yeah, a long list and it goes on) makes them feel they can attain the lifestyle, the look of Paris. Strange how ordinarily good people with good values would want to be like Paris who has been in jail, who’s a household name not because of her movie, House of Wax, but because of all her hard partying and all the sticky situations she seems to find herself in. But that’s the power of branding. It has the ability to elevate people beyond their flawed characters to symbols of success, confidence, power; beautiful, sleek images.

Let’s face it, we are all susceptible to branding. Branding of the retail kind happens in the blink of an eye. It permeates our lives, creeps up on you even when you think you’re above it all. We all do brands. Everything up to our toilet paper has a brand name. It’s about choice. We can choose between Colgate and Mentadent. We can choose between Nike and Adidas. And the way in which products are branded is what makes one more popular than another. Who better to use than those beautiful creatures, who endlessly intrigue us with their antics, and who adorn our big screens and stages; who feature endlessly on our billboards and our newspapers?

People have to be “brandable”; George Clooney – film star, single good looking man, humanitarian, mysterious and funny and he sports sunglasses for Police; JLo – singer, dancer, actress, gave respectability to the protruding derrière (bless her soul), trendy, good looking, graceful and elegant, and she has among others, her own clothing line.

But there is a very real business imperative here. Take David Beckham, a brilliant soccer player, who has made millions using his skills. He is exceptional player in front of the goal posts, but nobody reaches forty in soccer anymore. Living the life to which he is accustomed is going to cost. No more soccer and voi·là, he has his own underwear line. Long live David Beckham – good looking and married to a brand. Elizabeth Taylor extended herself through Poison, Jane Fonda through L’Oreal, and the list goes on.

Many of them do it for the money, no doubt, but many do it for a cause – Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Annie Lennox, and Angelina Joli to name but a few. If you consider the campaigns they support – environmental issues, saving the whales, human rights – and the concerts for Haiti, to save the children of the world, for Nelson Mandela, and many others, you have to admire them and aspire to be like them. Are they the branding for the cause, perhaps? Branding is a powerful tool, and not just for retailers. It is a clever way of catching the imagination of ordinary people through structuring a message intended to be understood and accepted by recipients of that message.

Did you Know – Celebrity Endorsements Fails

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Graham in Did you Know

Bob Hope peddled Pepsodent toothpaste, Bill Cosby sold Jello and Ronald Reagan smoked Chesterfield…

Stars have all jostled to align their names with famous brands in filthy-rich endorsement deals. But what may start like a marriage made in heaven can often go badly wrong. Like celebrity marriages, celebrity endorsements gone wrong can be pretty expensive and painful.

Yet, 74% of Americans say when a celebrity endorser gets involved in a scandal, it doesn’t impact the way they feel about the brand or brands they endorse. Just over one in five (22%) say they feel worse about the endorsed brands and 5% say they feel better about them. These are some of the findings of a new Adweek Media/Harris Poll, survey of 2,140 U.S. adults surveyed online between April 23 and 27, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

In 1987, the US Beef Industry Council paid Cybill Shepherd lots of money to tell everyone how much she loved beef in their “Real food for real people” campaign. It wasn’t so good when Shepherd admitted in public that she didn’t eat meat.
Hertz could not get enough of big handsome football hero OJ. Simpson’s mass appeal and aired dozens of Hertz ads from 1975. Now it’s stuck with the iconic image of OJ’s high speed freeway chase after which Simpson was charged with a double homicide, then tried and acquitted on national TV. Not the kind of Hertz driving experience it wanted!
The “Got milk?” campaign pulled ads with twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in 2004 when Mary-Kate checked into a treatment facility for a “health-related issue” that publications reported as an eating disorder. Definitely not drinking her milk!
When a J&M announced that David Duchovny would front their ads on their venerable men’s shoe and leather brand, a spokesman said: “We are thrilled. David embodies success and confidence, along with a great sense of style, communicating the ideal image for the Johnston & Murphy brand.” Just as the ads began appearing, it was announced that Duchovny had checked himself into a rehab center for sex addiction! Oops.
Woods has been presented as the embodiment of bourgeois virtues: dedication, hard work, single-mindedness. When the scandal broke, his sponsors like Nike, Gillette, Accenture and Gatorade were quick to support him and then it got worse, a lot worse. Now Woods is without wife, mistresses and the dollars that made him the most highly paid sportsman in the world.
Less than a week after his dagga smoking pics hit the press, swimming sensation Michael Phelps found himself literally adrift in the deep end sans his lucrative sponsorship deals with Kellogg’s and Subway. He definitely can’t indulge his munchies now!
Kirstie Alley has always been a big boned gal and when she lost a large part of her bulk, she gained a very respectable endorsement deal with Jenny Craig, the weight control empire guru. And then she piled it on again – 75 pounds! She lost more than her waistline when she got the axe !
Chanel, Burberry and H&M cut model Kate Moss from their ad campaigns after photos appeared of her and then-boyfriend Pete Doherty snorting cocaine. Ironically, Moss had the last laugh or snort after a slew of other luxury brands later signed deals with Moss and even Burberry re-inked.
In 2001, Pepsi signed Britney Spears for tens of millions of dollars to be the face of their brand, but had to drop her after she was photographed drinking Coke on a regular basis. Perhaps the wrong brand match – may be cigarettes and vodka would be a little more appropriate?
Madonna by name and not by deed! 1989, Pepsi reneged on a $5 million deal they’d made with the singer Madonna after her racy video for “Like A Prayer” sparked an international controversy with the Catholic church and Catholics all over the world who threatened to boycott the drink for eternity!

Make Dot Believe – Brandon Faber

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Graham in Brandon Faber

I wasn’t there, that day Dot lost her faith. None of us were, I suspect.

Once an energetic, rose-cheeked woman, Dot was the town sunflower. Her presence lit up the coldest corners of the crummiest bars, her smile could spin the universe in an entirely different direction. Her eyes twinkled with a mischievous grin every time someone tried to figure her out, and blazed with fierce resistance when any man tried to bottle her for himself.

Yup, Dot used to be a pistol too hot to handle, too puzzling to resist.

Then one day everything changed. The light faded from her eyes and Dot started to wander aimlessly through life. Her drive no longer evident, her passion a dulled reflection of its radiant past. Dot had lost her faith, her spirit was broken, her heart no longer galloped through the lush fields of life with gay abandon – instead retreating to a feint beat that could only be heard on the quietest of nights, in the darkest parts of the city.

Today shadows follow her when she walks, whispers are not far behind. Dot never looks up anymore. Dot has lost her faith.

Thankfully this imbalance in the forces of nature has not gone unnoticed, its impact making it all the way to Tokyo, Japan – where news of Dot’s demise was greeted with such outrage and outpouring of humanity that SONY embarked on a worldwide campaign to help one woman find herself, once more.

Never before has a corporation taken such interest in the wellbeing of another human being and do I, today, applaud the men and women behind the electronics giant for this unselfish act. Sure, cunning attempts have been made to hide the true purpose of the campaign by writing the slogan as “Make. Believe” – but it’s when voiceovers are added to advertisements that you hear the “Dot” clearly pronounced.

You may argue that it has to because “make believe” is not really the kind of thing you want associated with your brand. Sony “smoke and mirrors” just doesn’t have the right ring to it, sure – but as we’ve now learnt, all this commercial motivation behind the payoff line really is “make believe” – a great act of abracadabra as SONY masks its concern for “the return of faith in the goodness of life” for one woman, lost in a world gone iMad.

I’d like to throw my considerable weight behind this global push for the emancipation of Dot and I encourage you to do the same. Together we should hold vigil, light our candles and sing songs to bring Dot back from the brink of depression.

A “Make Dot Believe Day” is also not a bad idea.

Like believing in Father Christmas or the welfare of fairies – the spiritual upliftment of this (once magnetic woman) is not the sole domain of our specie’s young or chemically imbalanced.

Today it is our duty to raise the torch of faith on behalf of Dot.

Let us print T-shirts, and badges, and mugs with messages of encouragement. Let our offices be adorned with slogans of support and letter boxes overflowing with “Get Well Soon” cards.

At noon on 1 September 2010, let us switch off all electronics, stop all cars and shout our unified support for the return of the Sunflower to this cold and lonely place.

Setting Dot free from the ropes of self-ridicule and the cuffs of conformity is the right thing to do and, am I willing to bet, will our assistance not only make her believe again, but return onto us the greatest gift we have…

Faith in each other.

SA’s Top Marketing Personality – VOTE NOW!

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Graham in Headlines and Opinions, Uncategorized

Sunday Times would like to acknowledge great individual contributions to the business of branding.

Please tell us who you feel has made a noteworthy contribution to building great brands in South Africa. The 2010 winner will be honoured at the Sunday Times Top Brands awards ceremony.

Please fill in the full name of who you feel should win the Sunday Times TOP MARKETING PERSONALITY Industry Choice Award below:

Industry Profile – Moonyeen Lee

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Graham in Personality Profiles

Owner of MLA Moonyeenn Lee Associates

Moonyeenn Lee is undoubtedly the doyenne of South Africa’s showbiz agents. Trained by James Fraser in 1974 (then head of Fraser and Dunlop, London) to be an agent representing actors, writers and directors, Moonyeenn has practiced for the past 34 years – heading up the largest and most successful talent agency in South Africa – MLA. She is an artists’ manager as well representing over two hundred clients, many of whom are South African household names and multi-award winning artists. Her agency MLA places actors in film, television, theatre, commercials, voice-overs, industrial theatre, training films and corporate videos. She is also passionate about working with writers and developing film scripts from either original stories or novels. She formed Khulisa Productions seven years ago to make South African films. The first film was the highly acclaimed and award winning PROMISED LAND. In 2003, Moonyeenn was nominated to the National Executive Committee of The Independent Producers Organization and to the Film Board of Create South Africa.MLA is also listed as one of the TOP 300 Empowerment Companies.

What’s a typical workday for you?

There is no typical workday. Everyday is different.

What do you enjoy most about your portfolio?

I love the actors we represent, watching them grow and succeed.

How do you handle work stresses?

There is always stress, I am used to it, I just deal with it. It helps to have one day in a week to be quiet – read and listen to music – usually on a Sunday. In summer I like to lie in the sun and swim, I find swimming very calming.

What has been your biggest professional challenge?

Probably when I started – to get directors to trust my judgment and to get actors to respect themselves.

What is your No 1 industry peeve?

My number one industry peeve is that South African producers, directors and companies like NFVF and DTI don’t respect local talent. They fawn all over international talent. We have to build our own stars. Overseas directors are always so impressed by our actors

What are the favorite brands that you cannot live without?

I don’t do brands.

How do you relax?

By reading, listening to music, watching movies. I love long lunches with great friends and great wine

What’s your chosen way to communicate with family and friends, (mobile, social networking pages like Facebook, Skype, emails, fixed lined telephone)?

I prefer the telephone or Skype if not in Johannesburg.

What’s a favorite local holiday destination?

Don’t take holidays

What’s your idea of a relaxing Sunday morning?

Sleeping in – reading the newspapers – a late breakfast

Which is your favorite must-have printed media titles?

Time Magazine, Sight and Sound, Vanity Fair

No I don’t. I spend as little time as possible on the laptop!

What’s your best dining out venue?

I have several favourites. It depends on what I feel like eating and what the weather is like

Hotstuff Gadgets

Posted on 28. Jul, 2010 by Graham in Hot Stuff Gadget Review

TomTom 750 LIVE R3 000 www.tomtom.co.za The big sat nav news isn’t the new 2010 maps, nor the new voices (Darth Vader, Victor Matfield and DJ Fresh from TomTom, versus Garmin’s wild bunch led by Minki van der Westhuizen, Os Du Randt and – presumably for the caravan community – Riaan Cruywagen.) The big news is that SA has finally joined the world, with live traffic updates launched in June from both Garmin and TomTom. TomTom’s Go 750 has long headed Stuff’s Top 10 Sat nav list. Now the 750 LIVE’s built-in SIM card offers nationwide, real-time HD Traffic and “safety camera” updates, and Google Search. These services are free for a year from purchase, R500 a year thereafter. HD Traffic works with TomTom’s IQ Routes to monitor traffic flow on your route using data from Tracker and other TomTom Live units. The system will quickly identify traffic problems, display them, and offer alternative routes and accurate journey times.
Serious 5 BMW 5 Series R485 000 to R869 200www.bmw.co.za BMW’s new 5 Series is a major step from previous models. Bigger and plusher, it’s like… well, it’s like the 7 Series with muscle definition. There are six variants – an eight-cylinder and three six-cylinder petrol engines, a six-cylinder diesel, and a four-cylinder turbodiesel, all with BMW’s new eight-speed auto transmission. The tech is great: BMW’s nifty heads-up display glows on the windscreen, and optional second-gen BMW Night Vision displays people, animals and other heat-emitting objects on the 10.4in (26cm) dashboard monitor, even when they’re beyond headlight range. Video data is analysed to warn of pedestrians and cyclists potentially on collision courses with the car. And then there’s the Parking Assistant: at low speeds, sensors in the side mirror scan for spaces at least 1.2m longer than the car. After you stop and engage reverse, the driver operates the gas and brake pedals while the Parking Assistant moves the steering wheel to reverse precisely into the space – while you’re watching a bird’s-eye view of the manoeuvre on the dashboard monitor.
shoX stealth R2 000 www.tevo.co.za No, it’s not just an iPod dock with built-in alarm clock and FM radio. That would be ordinary. The shoX stealth is compatible with pretty much anything that makes a noise: it’ll play from your cellphone, laptop, TV, digital decoder, an SD card or USB stick. And the Stealth will play it well: that interesting weaponised-looking design houses five speakers, with a four-inch subwoofer, and kicks out 23 watts of really excellent sound. The footprint? 52cm long, 16.5cm deep, 33cm high. In case your significant other gets control of the included infrared remote, there’s an optional Bluetooth adaptor for playing audio from your laptop and cellphone. So you can silence Celine Dion without even looking up from your screen.
Sony Vaio P Series Vaio con Dios from R1 2 000 www.sony.co.za The world has changed. There’s a new UK government and FIFA has hired the South African justice system. But we’re more concerned about the shifting market for portable computers. While Sony surely has a tablet brewing, right now we have an updated P Series. It has the same impossibly sharp 1600×768-pixel screen, a more potent Atom processor and 64GB solid-state drives. It’s a very eye-catching pocketbook size, thin and light, with the word ‘Vaio’ on its lid (which always adds sex appeal), but it’s the built-in accelerometer, GPS and compass that make it stand out to a wandering gadgeteer. Even if you do get stranded by an angry volcano.