Page 3 - SMJune-July 2014

FROM THE IMM PublISHINg Publisher Desireé Johnson Helping the marketing community share ideas brand Director Bulelwa Mtsali EDITOrIAl One Of Our invited writers in this emphasis on producing something tangible Editor Mike Simpson strategicmarketing@imm.co.za issue of Strategic Marketing talks of the that you can hold in your hand, feel the mike@mikesimpsonmedia.co.za number of print publications – fve in all – quality of print, store for future reference, or Art directors Rashied Rahbeeni & Pascale d’Offay that used to cover the marketing, media and carry around with you to read whenever you Proofreader Sally Rutherford advertising scene in South Africa and that please, even at times when you don’t want Project coordinator Sive Booi have since been forced to close their doors. to – or can’t – use your laptop, tablet or PC. PrODuCTION It makes for depressing reading when you It is a big commitment from our side reproduction New Media Repro consider that some specialist marketing as printing, distributing and posting a Printing CTP Web industry pages in more mainstream magazine is not a cheap exercise. But it SubSCrIPTIONS publications have also gone the way of is something that we feel is a value-add RNA Tel: 011 473 8700 the dodo, leaving one of the most vibrant for our students, alumni, members and Distribution Ezweni Magazine Distribution Tel: 011 887 2650 and dynamic industries in the country with the marketing community as a whole. remarkably little print-related coverage. After all, marketing is a feld that thrives ADvErTISINg This set us to thinking about Strategic on the cross-pollination of ideas and the Barbara Spence Avenue Advertising Marketing and we realised with some pride sharing of information. Tel: 011 463 7940 and pleasure that we are now in our sixth Fax: 086 518 9936 year of publication, having frst appeared Enjoy this latest issue, Mobile: 082 881 3454 Email: barbara@avenue.co.za in 2008. And although we now have an electronic version for those who prefer it, Nigel Tattersall MIkATEkO MEDIA we continue to be a print-frst title, with the Helen McIntee Executive directors Bulelwa Mtsali, Desireé Johnson, Ingrid Jones IMM INSTITuTE Of MArkETINg FROM THE EDITOR MANAgEMENT Director Nigel Tattersall Director Helen McIntee The muddied waters of market research IMM CONTACT DETAIlS Atlas Studios, 33 Frost Ave (cnr Owl Street), Braamfontein Werf, KnowIng how ConSumErS ThInK – or pressures and a generally uncertain world Johannesburg; PO Box 91820, are likely to think next week, next month and mean that a great many businesses – and Auckland Park 2006 next year – is surely one of the fundamentals by implication their marketing teams – are Tel: 011 628 2000 Email: imm@immgsm.ac.za of the marketer’s craft. Yet reading our concerned about future proftability and, ‘whither market research’ coverage in this indeed, the very existence of their business PublISHED ON issue, it seems that solid in-depth insights models. while it’s easier said than done, bEHAlf Of THE IMM by may be reducing in perceived importance – one of the ways forward is surely to place a sacrifced on the altars of cost, expediency greater emphasis on innovation – whether and the new-found god of social media. it’s developing entirely new products or Mikateko Media, New Media House, or is the market research sector simply services, coming up with clever variations 19 Bree Street, Cape Town 8001 going through what so many other industries on an existing theme, or thinking about Postal address: PO Box 872, Green Point 8051 are facing at present: a paradigm change new and more effcient ways of running the Tel: 021 417 1111 www.mikatekomedia.co.za in the way things are done due to the rapid business as a whole. and frequently unpredictable onset of the It’s an important topic, which is why IN ASSOCIATION WITH digital age? Either way, our very forthright we’re seen ft to devote nine pages to it. articles on the challenges facing the local we hope you’ll be inspired and energised and global market research industry make after reading them. for interesting reading. If researchers are worried about the happy marketing! future, they’re not alone. Diminishing consumer confdence, increasing cost Mike Simpson Brought to you by the IMM Institute of Marketing Management and Mikateko Media, Strategic Marketing refects an unbiased perspective of local and international marketing trends and opinion without compromise, February–March 2014 strategicmarketing 1 courageously and coherently.