Venelize de Lange from media update talks to Vanessa Baard about building credible corporate communication, preparing effective executive spokespeople and how to navigate a reputational crisis, especially when the path forward is unclear.

Toyota South Africa Motors has launched a new advertising campaign for the new RAV4, developed in partnership with Publicis Groupe Africa's Studio One.

PinkDrive has recently held its annual Christmas in July fundraiser dinner at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg. Fairy lights and décor aimed to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, reminding guests that the greatest gift anyone can give is the chance to save a life.

Held annually on 1 August and now officially endorsed as a United Nations Ocean Decade Activity, the celebration of Marine Protected Areas (nature reserves of the sea) plays a vital role in protecting the ocean — and ultimately the planet.

Claude now leaves an invisible mark on AI-generated text. media update's Venelize de Lange  considers the limitations of this latest function and the complicated question of AI authorship this conversation presents.

As South Africa's creator economy continues its rapid rise, some of the country's brands are increasingly recognising the influence, reach and commercial power of digital creators.

We see it time and time again, media companies pouring everything they've got into customer acquisition. It's the be-all and end-all, driving every KPI. And it works; they catch their customers, they make the sale — but then waste all of that effort by letting them slip away. It's pointless, says Satish Thiagarajan, Founder of Brysa.

Every August, Women's Month gives people an opportunity to celebrate the women shaping a stronger South Africa. It is also a reminder that some of the country's greatest opportunities for economic participation and entrepreneurship lie in sectors that are often overlooked, including the circular economy.

PR and reputation teams spend enormous energy managing the moments a brand can control: the campaign launch, the media interview, the sponsored activation. Almost none of that energy reaches the one encounter every employee, candidate, journalist and client has without fail, and it happens behind the one door nobody briefs a spokesperson for, says Charl Broodryk, Nuwkem.

Publicis Groupe Africa has landed 21 finalist nominations at this year's Bookmark Awards, South Africa's leading digital marketing awards, with agencies Machine, LePub and StudioOne all recognised for work spanning nearly every stage of the digital ecosystem, from audience engagement and content creation to AI, experience design and technology.