Media Online Articles
Cullinan joins Coca-Cola.
Being bosslady of 5FM is not a job. It’s an honour, a privilege and quite likely the best job any person could have. I firmly believe that 5FM is the best radio station in South Africa and competes with the vast majority of the world’s radio stations. It is so much more than a radio station.. Click on the image above for the full article.
It's not a radio station, it's a people business.
An insightful article picking out the gems in a panel discussion I shared with Kevin Fine, Neil Johnson and Lance Rothschild at the 2018 Liberty Radio Conference written by the brilliant Britta Reid. Click on the image above for the full article.
Can you really regulate online content? It's like trying to keep a wave on a beach.
I personally think it would be a better use of money and manpower to reduce the costs of data, roll out digital literacy campaigns among vulnerable communities to teach people how to consume content critically, and go after our telco friends who prevent the broadcasting of public radio through frequency finders in the handsets we import from China. Click on the image above for the full article.
Action stations as radio reshuffles change the airwaves
The Media Online's Glenda Nevill garners views from us radio heads as 2017 marks a year of an extensive radio talent and industry overhaul and reshuffle. Click on the image above for the full article.
The Other Side: Why are we afraid of blurring lines between talk and music radio?
In a world of fake news and people who only too readily believe that any written word is true, let’s do some heavy lifting on the strategy behind running a radio station. Click on the image above for the full article.
Why we did what we did: Behind the #reshuffle5FM
When changes are made to radio shows it is often hard for anyone other than those at the proverbial coalface to understand. So we thought we’d elucidate in five (yes we love the number 5) key statements here. Click on the image above for full article.
Radio: Your cure for segregation brain disease.
Radio has a spectacular ability to bring people together. Radio can create spaces for debate and introduce us to ideas we haven’t engaged with. Radio has the power to bring people together. Click on the image above for full article.
90% local music: Numbers to go with opinions
It’s been six months since the SABC’s decision to playlist 90% local music on all 19 of its radio stations. Click on the image above for full article.
Beyond brand: The business shift from consumers to community
The building of brands has defined business activity across the world for the better part of the last 30 years. When you ask people to define a brand, you will get a plethora of bright-eyed answers because of the prolific influence that brand building and brand management has had on business. Click on the image above for full article.
Music genre is just another demographic box
In the music radio business we spend a goodly portion of time reporting on music genre. What percentage of the playlist is hip hop, how many pop tracks do we play, is house considered dance and is EDM only the kind of music you hear at Ultra or is it any electronically generated music? Click on the image above for full article.
Podcasting: getting past the name to the purpose
The word podcasting has always annoyed me. It sounds old-school and not in an 80s pop culture Stranger Things kind of way.Click on the image above for full article.
Danced advertising: Rethinking the seen advertising space
Last week I attended opening night of the Joburg Ballet’s latest production; Romeo and Juliet. True to my Twitter profile I’m a big fan of the ballet and I regularly gloat about how I’ve been a consistent supporter (and wannabe) while the recent fan cohort has only just rediscovered ballet with a fresh romance. Click on the image above for full article.
Generation Snowflake: Getting past me and my needs
There is something that bothers me deeply about young people. We’ve given birth to Generation Snowflake… Click on the image above for full article.
Generation Next: The children are our future…
For the past twelve years, Times Media has delivered the “Sunday Times Generation Next” youth survey to the marketing industry. Trevor Omerod, GM Group Sales & Marketing at Times Media has pointed out that understanding the youth is an investment in the success and longevity of South African marketers’ businesses. Click on the image above for full article.
90% local: A music paradigm shift
OPINION: At this point in time, it would be remiss of any South African media practitioner to ignore the shake up the radio industry experienced this month. As with all big and sudden decisions, the 90% local music quota has thrown light on a number of dark spots. Click on the image above for full article.
On-air talent management: An international language
At the Worldwide Radio Summit in Los Angeles this month, I did what any South African does when travelling overseas on business. Click on the image above for full article.
Radio’s fortunes: Free to air but making paper
As media channels increasingly blur, you would be surprised at how few media professionals can answer the question, “What kind of business are you in?" Click on the image above for full article.
What East can do for South: Three marketing lessons from Japan
The efficient and organised but tolerant and patient way that is so redolent of Japanese culture reminded Justine Cullinan of three big marketing lessons. Click on the image above for full article.
Exploitation or opportunity? A view on the media intern debate
One of the great things about working in the media industry is that you regularly get the chance to meet amazing people who are doing amazing things. Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting the spectacular Khanyi Dhlomo at 5FM’s most recent edition of 5Talks. Khanyi is one of those magnanimous people who have serenity coupled with both relevance and accessibility. Her list of achievements can’t be quantified (Harvard Business School tried) and yet her humility is palpable the moment you meet her. Click on the image above for full article.
Insights 2016: Digital is the place where everything happens
If there is one thing we can be sure of in 2016’s media industry, it’s that there will be no shortage of content. We are still crafting, entertaining and sharing content about the big events of 2015, all of which will have sequels, come-backs and post-mortems this year. Since content is the product of every media brand, there is no excuse when it comes to adding value to the media consumer. How we add value is about treating our audience as a community. Click on the image above for full article.
Alcohol advertising that refreshes like nothing on earth
OPINION: South Africa is proceeding slowly if steadily towards banning alcohol advertising. Looking at some of the reports on the impact of alcohol it’s not hard to understand why, but aren’t we missing a middle ground option here? Must this decision be an all or nothing scenario – either we ban it or we allow it? I think there’s an innovative approach to meeting the needs of alcohol advertisers without compromising the very real social concern of promoting and glamorising a drinking culture to vulnerable people like youthfuls. Click on the image above for full article.
We know the price of education, but do we understand its value?
As education firmly grasps the local spotlight, I find myself re-exploring the question, what is an education worth? Click on the image above for full article.
Everyone has an opinion, but very few have all the facts
OPINION: It struck me last week that there seem to be a large number of people that don’t seem to understand what an opinion is. Maybe I’m old-school, but there is a very specific and easily explained difference between an opinion, a belief and a controversial issue. Justine Cullinan does some heavy-lifting on the subject. Click on the image above for full article.
Communities, not consumers: The marketing gold for media brands
In an unstable market where technology makes the choice of information sources infinite, a media brand must build strong community bonds to be a platform of choice, says Justine Cullinan. Click on the image above for full article.
Time to fall in love: Analogue and digital, a match made in heaven
One of the things I like to ask people I’m interviewing for a position at 5FM is, “What is the aim of a radio business?” It’s not very nice of me because it’s a very unsettling and unexpected question for a lot of people, writes Justine Cullinan. Click on the image above for full article.
Left brain right brain: Aren’t ideas just no-brainers?
Why is it that we divide people up into creatives and non-creatives? Why do we assume that big ideas can’t come from people that read Excel spread sheets and compile detailed reports? And why should creatives miss deadlines and show up late just because they’re ‘creatives’? Justine Cullinan doesn’t buy it. Not for one second. Click on the image above for full article.
Lions, Loeries or sheep: Do advertising awards really matter?
As creative agencies submit the best of their work for the 2015 Loeries and lobby their ECDs to be on the company trip to the Cannes Lions Advertising Awards, I made a startling realisation: I’m not sure what the point is of winning awards, Justine Cullinan confesses. Click on the image above for full article.
I can transform ya: Does your taste in music reflect your beliefs?
The emotive power of music isn’t a phenomenon that needs explanation or justification. It’s clear that the reason music shows up in every culture in the world is because it is a shared language that has the power to move people, says Justine Cullinan. Click on the image above for full article.
Don’t touch me on my DJ box
With DJs about to change on SABC radio stations, Justine Cullinan looks at why we get upset when radio stations change their line-ups. Click on the image above for full article.
SA radio has got the power, so how do international brands harness it?
Local marketers of global brands have a really hard time convincing their international head offices of the power of radio in South Africa. The reason for this is likely because the European and American concepts of what radio does is just that, European or American, says Justine Cullinan. Click on the image above for full article.