Angus Hamilton-Morris, Client Services Director at DarkMatter, provides a behind-the-scenes look at what 100 workshops with CEOs, CMOs and Brand Managers have taught him and why this might just change the way individuals play the 'advertising board game'.

Backslash, TBWA's global cultural intelligence unit, has released its 2025 Edges report, presenting cultural shifts poised to reshape the global landscape. Edges is a deep dive into the cultural forces shaping our world, uncovering meaningful shifts that go beyond fleeting fads motivated by virality to define the future of society, business and human behaviour.

Primedia Instore, a division of Primedia, has announced it is joining Shop! SA as a Founding Member. This collaboration signifies Primedia Instore's commitment to elevating the South African shopper marketing industry and fostering a collaborative environment for brands and retailers alike.

Google has announced the launch of the YouTube Works Awards. These awards celebrate the most impactful and innovative advertising campaigns across 15+ markets, and for the first time, it is being brought to South Africa.

On a scale from creepy to cool, personalisation — and its newer offspring, hyper-personalisation — might just be heading in the right direction. Compared with five years ago, it's now more accepted and perhaps also more expected, as more of us experience it and understand how we can benefit from it, says Andrew Solomon, Client Strategy Director at Achievement Awards Group.

The rise of brands like Old School, which provide alternative sports team apparel, is bringing about a shift in marketing, specifically ambush marketing in sports. media update's Joreke Kleynhans heard from Mscsports's Carrie Delaney about the current trends and what the future may hold. 

The South African market has been growing rapidly in the past decades due to innovations and economic flow. Due to this, many startups and local businesses are emerging in multiple niches across the country. Even though there are opportunities to accelerate business revenue, it can be difficult without SEO, says Biance Baker, Junior Analyst at Authority Specialist. 

Corona has launched 'Corona Botanic Spots' — a campaign that replaces traditional static billboards with living, air-purifying plant installations. Designed in the shape of Corona's flint bottle, these installations — located in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town — are each composed of over 1 000 plants. 

To help more of the continent's creators achieve financial stability, Webfluential and theSalt have developed the Creator's Second Salary Blueprint, says Albert Makoeng, Managing Director of Nfinity's influencer division, overseeing Webfluential and theSalt.

The Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) has hosted its first-ever AI in Advertising Forum at the WPP Campus in Johannesburg on Thursday, 13 March — bringing together professionals from across the advertising and communications industry. An outline of the proceedings is provided below.