Jet skis, Hoovers and Velcro all have one thing in common. They’re all brand names that have become shorthand for their particular categories. No-one asks for a personal watercraft, a vacuum cleaner or a hook and loop fastener. We all fall back to the brand name, and everyone understands. Owning a category as these brands do is a differentiation paradise that is tough to achieve. But differentiation shouldn’t be ignored: it can make or break a business. Getting it wrong can gradually eat away at your bottom line to the point that you’re only competing one way: price. The good news? Marketing can help.

  GDPR is set to change the face of marketing for any business in South Africa who markets to or does business with the EU – and mostly for the better. We still have leniency in SA whilst the ‘powers that be’ get the Information Regulator operational – but don’t sit back and wait for this to happen, it’s a good idea to put things in place to deal with GDPR and be ready for POPIA when it finally happens. Below is an article written by one of our UK marketing directors, it is both interesting and useful as these new data protection laws will encourage businesses to adopt best practice, and strongly discourage corner cutting that tarnishes the marketing industry.